Growing Vegetables

Carrots (Daucus carota) are a cool weather crop that need deep, loose, rock free, well drained, soil to grow their long, orange, tasty roots. During the dry season, prolonged hot weather may...

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)is a member of the lettuce family. It grows a “head” of edible flower buds. Generally it likes cool days and cooler nights. It requires a fair amount of...

Beets (Beta vulgaris) are a garden all star. They have a lovely color, are fast growing, are little fuss and you can eat the leafy green tops and the beet root.

Saving your own cucumber seeds may not be necessary, but it is a great way to teach your children about the life cycle of plants while offering the benefit of free seeds for next year's garden as...

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) belong to the family of gourds (Cucurbitaceae). They are indigenous plants to Asia and Africa. Cucumbers are grown all over the United States, but have been grown in...

Potatoes are one of the easiest crops for the home gardener to grow. They have good yield and don't require especially wonderful soil; you can even grow them in straw. But the most important thing...

Asparagus is one of the premium crops for the home vegetable gardener. Once it is established, it requires almost no care, and an asparagus bed can last up to ten years before it needs thinning or...

Vegetable gardening doesn't end when summer does, according to Holly S. Kennell of the Washington State University Extension. In fact, fall gardening activity is essential to prevent disease,...

Kohlrabi is cousin to cabbage and broccoli. The best time to grow this great tasting vegetable is in the cooler months in the autumn following plants that can only grow when the temperatures are...

Know someone elderly who has loved gardening all their lives? Someone who is now unable to lift heavy items or do much digging? Learn how to assist in a few simple steps and they'll love that...

Cucumbers are an easy-to-grow warm season crop favored by home gardeners for their crisp delicate fruit. Once established, cucumber plants grow rapidly and require relatively little care other...

A popular garden vegetable is cucumber. Growing cucumbers provides an abundant supply to eat fresh and to make pickles. Cucumbers take up quite a bit of space in the garden, as they are vines that...

Every year, crops of potatoes succumb to attacks from a variety of enemies. Yellow, withered potatoes often signal serious problems for potato plants.

Insects and other pests can be a gardener's worst nightmare. Certain bugs can decimate your hard work and efforts in a matter of days. Pesticides can help immensely, but many of these contain...

Those who garden hate to see the warm weather leave and an end to the season. Just because the temperature drops and the daylight hours start to lessen doesn't mean it is time to store the shovels...

If you are a fan of vichyssoise you are also a fan of the leek, for it is from this vegetable that the soup gets its wonderful flavor and aroma. The leek is a vegetable of the same family as the...

Sweet potatoes are extremely easy to grow and propagate. Sweet potatoes are a warm-weather vegetable, so longer, warmer seasons will yield the best results. Sandy soils are best for growing, and...

Tomatoes are sun-worshipping plants that enjoy lots of light, but only tolerate some heat. Ensuring your tomatoes are getting the right amount of daily light can help improve your yields and...

With the feisty pepperoncini plant, you can put some spice in your garden and on your dinner table. Known for their sweet taste and mild heat, the vegetable plants are easy to grow and produce a...

Tomatoes and potatoes have become staples in the home garden. While some plants coexist peacefully, others do not. Tomatoes and potatoes are not good neighbors in the home garden.

Though some types of gardening are in a downward trend, vegetable gardening is actually increasing. A survey by the National Gardening Association noted that 25 million households had a vegetable...

Peppers are a hot planting choice of gardeners everywhere. From the popular, sweet bell pepper to the spicy jalapeno, there is a pepper for every taste. Peppers are easy to grow once they are...

Acorn squash are a favorite winter squash for baking and stewing. Easy to grow, they have the reputation of being easy to keep long into the winter months. Acorn squash usually begin arriving on...

Spaghetti squash, which can be eaten in a variety of ways, is simple to grow in the garden, provided you have the space for the long vines that the plant produces. Saving the seed from spaghetti...

The sweet potato is one of the most versatile vegetables grown and enjoyed around the world. It can be roasted, baked, boiled, fried or steamed and eaten as a vegetable, or used in baked products...

If you have begun your potatoes in a greenhouse or if you need to move your potatoes to another spot in the garden , your potato plants can be safely transplanted by following a few simple steps....

Celery is one of those foods we generally don't go out of our way to eat, but if it's in front of us we can't seem to get enough. Celery is a dieter's dream as it has no calories, but some very...

Making compost is an easy way to add the needed nutrients into your soil. Compost worm tea is also useful in replenishing nutrients and helping the plant foliage fight off predators. The concept...

Kennebec potatoes have been around for at least five decades, but they've only recently made a splash in the culinary world. Kennebecs are large, white potatoes with thin skins that makes them...

The role of fungus disease has had a profound effect on society. The great Irish potato famine was caused by phytophifora infestans, a fungus that causes late blight in potatoes. Late blight...

In late winter and early spring it's time to start thinking about the vegetable garden. Starting seeds indoors gives your plants a jump on the growing season so they go into the garden bed...

Butternut squash is a warm season vegetable grown in home gardens across the U.S. This winter squash develops a hard outer shell encasing delicate orange fruit as it matures. If harvested after...

Potatoes are a common crop for home gardeners because they're fairly easy to grow a range of soil conditions. Seed potatoes are potatoes that are intended to be planted rather than eaten. They're...

Gardeners who want to grow pepper plants have a wide variety to choose from. Whether the peppers you grow are the sweet or hot variety, you should take care to protect them from cold temperatures....

Tender carrots plucked from the garden and nibbled in the fashion of a beloved cartoon character can get even the most stubborn child to eat his or her veggies. Before planting, consider your soil...

As a perennial, asparagus does not produce a harvest the first year; however in following seasons the benefits should be worth the wait. Asparagus takes very little care when planted in the right...

All plants require light in order to perform photosynthesis. Tomato plants require a large amount of light for the majority of each day. Grow lights provide consistent and dependable light to...

Asparagus is one of the traditional delights of spring. Modern home gardeners buy one or two year old crowns and plant them, then wait a year or two before they can harvest. Our grandparents did...

Heirloom tomatoes are named so because they are often a variety of tomato seed that is passed down through a family from generation to generation. Unlike commercially produced tomatoes, heirloom...

Spring and summer are the prime months for planting and nurturing the vegetable plants in your garden. When the summer months come to an end and the seasons change, many gardeners begin to phase...

Bean plants are one of the popular crops for homeowners to grow. They are healthful, providing essential nutrients. They also are versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes. Most bean...

For gardeners, there's nothing quite as rewarding as picking vegetables from your own plants. Whether you want to grow vegetables with your kids or save money at the grocery store, there are...

When you purchase a packet of seeds from your local nursery or garden store, it is important to save some of the seeds to plant in the following years as you most likely don't need all of the...

Zucchini is a great crop for home gardeners. One well-tended zucchini plant can yield enough for a family to enjoy fresh zucchini all summer. Zucchini is a member of the squash family and grows on...

Sometimes, vegetables in our garden produce more than we ever expected. It is hard to come up with meal ideas to use up all those vegetables. Drying peppers and their seeds is one way to get the...

Bell peppers make a great addition to any meal. Their versatility, raw or cooked, makes them a tasty compliment to a meal. You can chop them for a salad or a sandwich, use them in sauces or core...

Hydroponics is the science of growing plants without soil by feeding them a special nutrient liquid. Plants can be placed in a soil-like medium or aggregate material, but this is strictly to give...

It's disheartening to plan a garden and sow seeds, only to find they will not sprout. There are many reasons vegetable seeds might fail to germinate.

Growing cucumbers on a trellis saves space in the garden and makes it possible to grow them in pots on decks, balconies and in tight corners without the worries of cumbersome vines invading the...

The propagation of carrots originated in Afghanistan in the 7th century for medicinal purposes. The first carrots weren't even orange. They had purple skin with a yellow center. As carrots grew in...