FALL LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE The days are still warm, lawns are green, but if you look closely the signs of fall are beginning to show. Even with all the rain we are enjoying grass is not growing quite as fast and while still green it doesn’t have that summer shine. The leaves on some trees are beginning to show signs of…
THINK FALL With 90-degree weather on an almost daily basis it’s hard to think about planting fall crops. However, garden centers will begin to display fall plants in the next three to four weeks. For the best fall harvest many fall vegetables, both direct seeded, as well as plugs, should be in the ground by late August to mid-September. With…
Surviving Summer Heat By: Gary Garner Sr. Summer is officially here. If the summer is anything like the beginning, it is going to be extremely warm if not hot. So far, the number of 90-degree days is unusually high. The question now is how, when and how much do we water what we have planted and what else can we…
DIFFERENT TASTES IN VEGETABLES By: Gary Garner Sr. Do you ever wonder why you plant a certain variety of tomato one year, then plant the same one the next year, but the tastes don’t seem to be the same as the ones you grew the previous year? We’ll use tomatoes for our example but the same is true for all of your…
Transitioning from Spring to Summer By: Gary Garner Sr. Last weekend we were knocking at the door of record highs in the low to mid 90’s. As I write this it is supposed to be in the 60’s the next few days and back to the low 80’s for the weekend. That’s Virginia weather. Tough to…
Watering 101 “How often do I water my plant?” is undoubtedly the most frequently asked question about plants and also one of the hardest questions to answer! Here’s the simple answer: Water when the plant gets dry. 9 out of 10 times when we see a watering problem it is due to overwatering – for whatever reason people seem to…
HERBS DRYING & FREEZING Herbs have been around and in use for thousands of years. Their popularity has increased tremendously over the last few years. I think the push toward healthy eating and more natural remedies has helped to fuel the demand for herbs. Herbs are normally easy to grow. Plant them in proper lighting, a reasonably well…
Can potting soil be reused? Potting soil can be reused but there are a few things to keep in mind! In a perfect world we would replace potting soil every year. More realistically, potting soil should be replaced every two to three years. First, potting soil compacts over time. Watering, root growth, and settling of soil all cause potting…
Vegetable Gardening 101 By: Gary Garner Sr. It’s that time of the year and anyone that gardens even a little has the itch to get outside and starting to play in the soil and get something in the ground. The ones of us that have gardened most, if not all our lives, know the basics or at least think we…
Grow Vegetables. Save Money! Grocery prices are sky rocketing and supply chain issues are leaving many wondering not only “Can I afford groceries?” but also “Will the store even have what I want?” As a result, more and more people are turning to vegetable gardening to save money and ensure a plentiful supply of fresh, healthy vegetables. To give you…
