Happy Motherās Day to all of the moms out there!Ā Iām lucky enough to have all of mine here at the house today. There will be lots of shouting, fart jokes, at least one of the catās will be stepped on, and much bartering of āsticksā and ābricksā as we play Catan around the dining room
table. Yup, this Wednesday. Ā Iām done waiting. The 10-day forecast looks good from Wednesday on out. Itās time to plant some warm-weather crops. Of course, I
say that, but I know Iām going to be moving my soil thermometers from bed to bed, taking the soil temperature first.Ā But weāve reached critical mass, and somethingās got to go.Ā Every single year, the grow tent in my basement looks like a jungle by May. I have lost track of some plants because fuller ones are growing around them, and I canāt see over them. Watering becomes an every-other-day chore. And the plants are, well,
they no longer look like delicate little seedlings. Ā Theyāre starting to look like maybe they are the ones who ate the last of my favorite peach yogurt from the basement fridge, and if I rifled through their leaves, I might find empty yogurt cups and lose a finger. When my seedlings get this big, they make me nervous.Ā I know they are getting wild and restless down in the basement, and every time I go down to get something out of the freezer, I feel like theyāre watching me, and I come back up the stairs a little quicker than I did in March.So, Wednesday is when most
of them are going outside to start hardening off. They will live on the back patio now when they arenāt hardening off in a sunnier location. My basement is creepy enough without thinking I hear a rustling noise every time I walk by my grow tent. I donāt know if the hills have eyes, but Iām pretty sure those JalapeƱo seedlings do.
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If your lilac shrub failed to bloom this spring, or you just want more of those lovely purple flowers, here is what you need to do to fix it.
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These eleven vegetables were made to keep putting out new growth so you can harvest them daily and eat more fresh veg all season long.
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Sometimes a privacy hedge is necessary, but it doesn't have to be just a practical design, you can also make it taste good.
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Consider adding a bokashi bucket to your home to supplement your existing compost. This nutrient-rich fermented food waste is like gardener's gold.
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If you've harvested more bok choy than you know what to do with, then fear not. Here are ten brilliant bok choy recipes that don't include stir fry.
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When tomatoes start flowering and producing fruit, that's the time they earn their reputation as divas. But not this year!
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There's nothing more disappointing than a stand of daffodil leaves with no flowers. Learn how to fix blind daffodils.
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With these 8 cucumber growing secrets, you can overcome the usual cucumber growing challenges this season:
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Have you ever heard of anise hyssop? I hadn't until a few years ago when a generous gardening friend shared an extra plant she had oversown. That first spring, I was hooked. My love story
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There are things we learn growing up, not because someone took the time to teach them to us, but because "that's just the way we always did it." It's how things were done at home,
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I set up nine Vego Garden modular raised beds this spring. Here's what I learned and what I would do differently.
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There are a number of reasons why you might wish to grow climbing plants and flowering vines. You might wish to add them to a wall or fence to improve your view. You might want
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Did you miss a newsletter or want to read a few for inspiration? Find past newsletters here.Ā Don't forget to check out our Facebook page for daily updates.Ā That's all for this week, Rural Sprout Readers. |
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