Organic Gardening
How to grow your own nutritious food and enjoy superb, chemical-free flavors.
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11/16/2009 12:13:40 PM
Lingonberries are a prettier and more edible relative of the Thanksgiving cranberry
11/16/2009 12:13:21 PM
Garden railways appeal to kids, train enthusiasts, gardeners _ especially at holidays
11/5/2009 2:18:30 PM
Rice is a delicious and versatile grain that’s fun to grow yourself. And, because commercial grain processing removes the germ and bran, your homegrown rice will retain all of its healthful vitamins and minerals. Learn about many types of rice and all about growing your own in this excerpt from the book “Homegrown Whole Grains” by Sara Pitzer.
11/5/2009 9:17:42 AM
Odds are you know how to grow your own food if you’re a MOTHER EARTH NEWS reader. In fact, we were inspired by a recent article on maximizing output in 100 square feet, so we did some math. In the end, our calculations estimate that our readers grow more than $1 billion worth of fresh food every year! Whether you already have a green thumb or you’re mildly curious about the benefits and savings of growing fresh food in your backyard, find out more about the fun and satisfaction of growing your own food.
11/2/2009 10:41:38 AM
Sliced or diced, raw or cooked, onions are an essential crop for the kitchen, and they grow well in a variety of climates. Find out which types are best suited to your region, when and how to plant seeds, how to prevent pests and diseases, and how to harvest and savor your crop. This article also includes a detailed chart on alternative onions, including leeks, scallions and shallots.
10/30/2009 3:14:44 PM
Edible-landscaping expert Rosalind Creasy reports on the incredible productivity of her 100-square-foot garden, showing that, if more Americans grew a little food — instead of so much grass — our savings on grocery bills would be astounding.
10/26/2009 1:13:03 PM
Don't eat the table decorations: Ornamental veggies are popular in autumn
10/21/2009 12:00:07 PM
Whether you purchase trees and shrubs from a local nursery or from a mail-order company, this expert advice will help ensure that your plants are healthy and happy in their new home. This article includes tips for choosing the best plants from local nurseries, as well as how to care for mail-order plants when they arrive and how to keep them healthy if you need to delay planting out.
10/19/2009 11:13:32 AM
Fall can be crocus time; gardeners choose between real and fake varieties
10/13/2009 11:13:14 AM
Choosing the right native plants can attract the right critters to your yard
10/7/2009 4:05:28 PM
Readers share tips and tricks for storing green tomatoes and keeping them longer.
9/29/2009 10:13:02 AM
Plenty of work left for the gardener even though those long days of summer are over
9/23/2009 1:09:46 PM
Parents share stories about getting better food into school lunches.
9/22/2009 8:26:59 AM
How to make chipotles and other smoked peppers using a biochar trench.
9/15/2009 5:53:43 PM
The White House will launch an open-to-the-public farmers market.
9/9/2009 11:34:28 AM
Help our readers solve garden pest problems without resorting to the use of chemical pesticides.
9/4/2009 9:32:46 AM
Find out the risks of growing food plants on galvanized wire, and what precautions you should take when handling galvanized materials.
9/4/2009 8:33:34 AM
Two powerfully toxic herbicides, clopyralid and its close cousin, aminopyralid, persist in compost and endanger gardeners and the environment.
8/26/2009 11:01:40 AM
Are grasshoppers driving you nuts this summer? Good news — you don’t have to let them win, and you don’t have to resort to toxic chemicals for help! Here are nontoxic ways to control grasshoppers.
8/26/2009 10:54:14 AM
Attend the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello to learn more about heirloom gardening.
8/26/2009 9:55:46 AM
Gardeners suggest gardening books for beginners.
8/25/2009 3:35:58 PM
For a continuous winter carrot harvest, store your carrots in the ground, under a layer of straw where they will be protected from freezing and develop a wonderful sweetness. From the October/November 2009 Country Lore department.
8/25/2009 1:04:42 PM
Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of this traditional technique — planting cover crops — to solar-charge your soil and improve soil nutrients. Cover crops — such as crimson clover, cereal grains and winter peas — planted in the fall can restore fertility to worn-out soil. They also prevent erosion, suppress weeds and loosen the soil, making it easier for spring planting roots to get a foothold.
8/21/2009 4:41:44 PM
You can grow vegetables in winter using simple, inexpensive low tunnels (or “quick hoops”) made of metal or plastic conduit covered with fabric row cover and plastic. Low tunnels can provide winter protection for only 5 percent of what it would cost to use a full-size greenhouse. In addition to overwintering plants in these tunnel greenhouses, you can use low tunnels to start plants in spring and to extend the fall harvest.
8/21/2009 2:39:09 PM
Full of flavor and infused with rich folklore, garlic is an intriguing crop that can be grown easily in a variety of climates. Find out which types are best suited to your region, when and how to plant cloves, how to prevent pests and diseases, and how to harvest and savor your crop. This article includes a detailed chart on garlic types, including softneck garlic, hardneck garlic and elephant garlic.
8/5/2009 4:45:19 PM
When natural enemies aren’t enough for organic garden pest control, insecticidal soap spray can be used. Soap spray is effective in controlling many types of soft-bodied insects and mites, and because it has no residual effect, it is safer for your plants and for beneficial insects than a conventional insecticide. Homemade soap sprays are a low-cost alternative to commercial insecticidal soaps, though they pose more of a risk to your plants.
8/3/2009 5:24:01 PM
Save money by planting smaller trees and shrubs from mail-order sources.
7/29/2009 8:37:04 PM
Readers report on the types of flowers they grow to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.
7/27/2009 12:28:27 PM
To better accommodate the planting schedule of gardeners in the southern United States, California’s Natural Gardening Company will make a dozen varieties of tomato transplants available by mid-August.
7/24/2009 8:34:58 AM
U.S. gardeners, organic farmers and commercial growers are reporting damaged or lost tomato crops from Milestone herbicide contamination.
7/6/2009 10:53:56 AM
Filling garden space vacated by spring crops with summer-sown vegetables will keep your garden productive well into fall, and even winter. Here’s expert advice on getting started with the second half of the gardening season, including a planting guide.
7/1/2009 11:02:56 AM
Sections of Venetian blinds make great plant markers, and you can even write on them. From the August/September 2009 Country Lore department.
7/1/2009 10:57:42 AM
Collect deer droppings to use in your garden as organic fertilizer. From the August/September 2009 Country Lore department.
7/1/2009 10:43:12 AM
Residue from milk and juice containers, combined with a little water, makes great house plant fertilizer.
7/1/2009 10:30:48 AM
Readers share reports about the funky-looking foods they're growing this summer.
6/30/2009 3:22:29 PM
Open-pollinated heirloom vegetables have many advantages over modern hybrid seeds. Most have superior taste and nutrition, plus they have developed resistance to local pests and diseases. And, to make them an even sweeter deal, you’ll be able to save your own seeds from year to year (unlike with hybrid seeds).
6/29/2009 4:43:02 PM
Bring broccoli to your garden with our guide to growing this flavorful, cool-weather crop. Find out which types are best suited to home gardens, when and how to plant seeds, how to prevent pests and diseases, and how to harvest and savor your delicious yields. This article includes a detailed chart on broccoli varieties, including Romanesco broccoli and broccoli raab.
6/17/2009 1:23:11 PM
A soil fertility expert shares his advice on using wood ashes as garden fertilizer.
6/5/2009 2:55:36 PM
If you live in an area with high summer temperatures try growing one of these greens to replace your spinach.
6/3/2009 2:20:46 PM
Readers share their favorite garden irrigation methods.
6/2/2009 10:23:21 AM
Learn how to make your own plant supports; perfect for tomatoes or similar vine fruits and vegetables.
5/29/2009 3:25:40 PM
You can enjoy nutritious winter squash throughout much of the year with these growing tips from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.
5/29/2009 2:23:19 PM
Radishes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. Here are some tips and resources to get you started.
5/21/2009 1:59:43 PM
You can use sections of gutter guard around new plants to protect plants from hungry rabbits.
5/21/2009 1:42:24 PM
You can use sharply pointed pine needles as a slug repellent to discourage slugs from eating your garden plants.
5/21/2009 1:37:42 PM
Mother Earth News readers share their ingenious solutions for protecting their garden plants from hungry garden pests, such as squirrels, slugs and rabbits.
5/12/2009 3:33:07 PM
Sharp-eyed guineas are among the most useful of all farm fowl for control of crop-damaging insects. Essential to the author’s squash bug control project is ElectroNet (electric net fencing), which he uses to make a perimeter around the squash plot. A small moveable pasture shelter is provided inside the net — in which the guineas roost at night, or find shade or shelter from rain.
5/7/2009 2:30:27 PM
In the middle of the summer it may be difficult to cope with all of the garden chores if you don’t keep up with them on a regular schedule. Here are some tips: Harvest what is ready, protect at-risk-crops from insect pests, plant successive plantings of crops and replace gone-by crops with fall crops, and last, provide constancy of care. Use mulch to retain water and keep the soil cool. Expect to spend time weeding. Locate your compost pile close to the garden to provide a place for pulled weeds and harvest residue.
5/6/2009 3:41:09 PM
Dependable and easy to grow, beans produce rewarding crops in a wide range of climates. Grown during the warm summer months, beans may produce crisp green pods, protein-rich beans, or both, depending on variety. Learn how to grow many different types of beans, including green snap, dry, soup, lima, scarlet runner, lima and tepary beans.
5/6/2009 1:29:59 PM
Looking for a way to avoid grasshopper damage in your garden without chemical pesticides? Introduce Nosema locustae, a naturally occurring grasshopper disease. Read more about how you can reduce their populations by half.
5/5/2009 2:31:06 PM
Here are some helpful resources to help you determine when to take care of various lawn and garden tasks, such as planting, watering, weeding, fertilizing, mulching and harvesting plants.
5/1/2009 2:13:22 PM
If you’re looking for organic pest control methods, take a look at poultry. Chickens, ducks and guineas will eat an amazing number of mosquitoes, ticks and other pests — even mice and snakes! Read these firsthand accounts from our readers whose birds have significantly reduced the pest population in their backyards and on their homesteads.
4/27/2009 10:27:42 AM
A reader wonders whether it is safe to use a galvanized stock tank as a garden planter.
4/23/2009 12:31:17 PM
A reaader from Pacifica, California wants to know what vegetables will grow best when.
4/20/2009 11:50:09 AM
Help us determine if a mixture of coffee grounds and eggshells can protect your cabbages from pest damage.
4/7/2009 9:04:23 AM
Our guest blogger is positively enchanted by the convenience, not to mention the benefits, of keeping worms in the garden.
3/25/2009 1:27:38 PM
Organic gardening expert advises on whether to build raised beds for a new garden.
2/20/2009 1:17:44 PM
Results from the first-ever Mother Earth News National Garden Crops Survey identify the best crops to grow in the Mid-Atlantic gardening region of the United States. Gardeners rated food crops according to four criteria: Easiest to Grow; Most Wanted; Best Use of Time and Space in the Garden; and Easiest Food Crops to Store.
2/20/2009 1:06:39 PM
Results from the first-ever Mother Earth News National Garden Crops Survey identify the best crops to grow in the Gulf Coast gardening region of the United States. Gardeners rated food crops according to four criteria: Easiest to Grow; Most Wanted; Best Use of Time and Space in the Garden; and Easiest Food Crops to Store.
2/20/2009 12:58:20 PM
Results from the first-ever Mother Earth News National Garden Crops Survey identify the best crops to grow in the Southern Interior of the United States. Gardeners rated food crops according to four criteria: Easiest to Grow; Most Wanted; Best Use of Time and Space in the Garden; and Easiest Food Crops to Store.
2/20/2009 11:50:31 AM
Results from the first-ever Mother Earth News National Garden Crops Survey identify the best crops to grow in Central/Midwest America. Gardeners rated food crops according to four criteria: Easiest to Grow; Most Wanted; Best Use of Time and Space in the Garden; and Easiest Food Crops to Store.
2/20/2009 11:37:12 AM
Results from the first-ever Mother Earth News National Garden Crops Survey identify the best crops to grow in the Southwest of North America. Gardeners rated food crops according to four criteria: Easiest to Grow; Most Wanted; Best Use of Time and Space in the Garden; and Easiest Food Crops to Store.
2/20/2009 11:17:19 AM
Results from the first-ever Mother Earth News National Garden Crops Survey identify the best crops to grow in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Gardeners rated food crops according to four criteria: Easiest to Grow; Most Wanted; Best Use of Time and Space in the Garden; and Easiest Food Crops to Store.
2/20/2009 11:12:24 AM
Results from the first-ever Mother Earth News National Garden Crops Survey identify the best crops to grow in Maritime Canada and New England. Gardeners rated food crops according to four criteria: Easiest to Grow; Most Wanted; Best Use of Time and Space in the Garden; and Easiest Food Crops to Store.
2/20/2009 10:58:33 AM
Results from the first-ever Mother Earth News National Garden Crops Survey identify the best crops to grow in the North Central and Rockies gardening region of North America. Gardeners rated food crops according to four criteria: Easiest to Grow; Most Wanted; Best Use of Time and Space in the Garden; and Easiest Food Crops to Store.
2/19/2009 4:35:11 PM
Get more fun out of gardening with these nine practical tips.
2/19/2009 4:27:28 PM
Use bricks or concrete blocks to keep soaker or irrigation hoses in place.
2/19/2009 4:11:10 PM
You can create a strong climbing tipi for your vining vegetables with downed tree limbs and branches.
2/19/2009 1:17:39 PM
Fresh chard is a colorful, flavorful and nutritious addition to your garden. It can stand in for spinach in many recipes, and can also be added to casseroles, quiches and other side dishes. Discover which varieties of this easy-to-care-for crop are best to try, and find out how to properly grow, harvest and store chard, as well as how to prevent pests and diseases.
2/17/2009 4:14:07 PM
A reader asks about when to plant potatoes.
2/17/2009 11:37:02 AM
Just a few years ago, there were only a couple cordless mowers to choose from. Now, there are about six, of which four were reviewed for this article: the Black & Decker CMM1200, the Neuton CE 5.2, the Neuton CE 6.2 and the Remington MPS6017A. Find out more about these cordless electric mowers and why you should make the switch.
2/17/2009 11:07:10 AM
Cabbage isn't as popular as it used to be. But many varieties of cabbage are still available. Cabbage is dependable and productive, two qualities that position it for a rebound in tough economic times. Plus cabbage withstands the last frosts of spring, the first frosts of fall, and stores well in a cold cellar. It can be shredded and eaten raw in the form of coleslaw, cooked in soups and stews, or pickled into sauerkraut or kimchi.
2/17/2009 10:29:12 AM
Garden soil is happier and healthier when it is disturbed less. Add more mulch and use non-tilling methods to plant crops and you will protect the delicate and beneficial organisms that provide more nutrients to crop root systems.
2/17/2009 9:04:50 AM
Since the 19th century, ‘Fish’ peppers have been one of those secret heirloom ingredients — employed in fish and shellfish cookery — that never showed up in cookbooks but were instead part of oral tradition. Today, ‘Fish’ peppers, with their variegated leaves and multicolored pods, are popular for their ornamental qualities. They’re also grown for cooking, and are perfect for drying into wonderful hot-hot chili powder. Includes a recipe for White Hot Fish Pepper Salsa.
2/11/2009 3:31:55 PM
Siegers Seed Company is attempting to patent and own a common cucurbit gene for warty pumpkins, and gardeners who know better are disappointed.
1/30/2009 3:09:40 PM
The sixth edition of Seed Savers Exchange’s Garden Seed Inventory reintroduces 2,657 vegetable varieties. The “new” varieties are fragile, however, and could again be lost if the seed companies carrying them go out of business.
1/22/2009 4:40:08 PM
A reader inquires about the best fertilizer to work on anything you might grow.
1/19/2009 4:13:24 PM
Before space beneath your grow light is needed for onions and other early seedlings, fill it with baby lettuce grown in translucent clamshell salad containers.
1/14/2009 11:04:05 AM
Get an early spinach crop with this easy gardening tip.
1/13/2009 1:12:02 PM
A reader inquires about how to set up a community seed swap.
1/13/2009 12:45:18 PM
The benefits of swapping seeds locally are many: save money, connect with your community, find rare and locally adapted seeds, preserve biodiversity, learn from experienced gardeners — the list goes on and on. So here are a few tips for organizing a seed exchange for your community.
1/9/2009 11:11:57 AM
Delicious, easy to grow and prolific, fast-growing ‘Fagiolino Dolico Di Veneto’ heirloom dwarf cowpeas from northern Italy bring a lot more to the table than your typical Southern black-eyed pea. The flavor is somewhat earthy like mushrooms, but with a buttery texture. In Venice, it is often cooked with mushrooms, or served as a side dish with eel, a local favorite. Includes growing information and a traditional Venetian recipes for risi e bisi (rice and cowpeas) and fish stock.
1/8/2009 5:23:01 PM
You can increase your garden soils fertility by adding biochar. This soil-enhancing ingredient has been made for thousands of years in the Amazon. You can make it in your own garden by partially burning woody brush, making a kind of charcoal.
1/8/2009 9:49:52 AM
From North America to Italy and back again, heirloom grain corn ‘Floriani Red Flint’ packs a rich, warm, complex flavor. Find out more about this unique variety, how to find it and the delicious treats you can make with it.
12/24/2008 11:01:08 AM
Choosing to grow peas of unique varieties in mid-spring can lead to great nutritious eating right from your backyard. Find out how to grow snap, snow, shell and soup peas in your garden at home. By knowing the basics of when and how to plant, you can produce a successful harvest. Learn other great information such as saving seeds for your next harvest, and pest and disease prevention tips.
12/23/2008 1:46:58 PM
Cabbageworms can cause major damage to your cabbage plants. To protect the plants, sprinkle crushed eggshells and coffee grounds around the base of the plants.
12/23/2008 1:43:18 PM
Reader Arthur Dear of Thorsby, Alberta, recommends compacting the soil around the cabbage seedlings to prevent the cabbage maggots from burrowing into the soil.
12/18/2008 9:35:26 AM
Guest blogger and longtime advocate of sustainable food Gwen Roland reflects on the new popularity of local eating, and highlights some of the innovative local food projects funded by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grants.
12/1/2008 6:54:26 AM
Old strains of holiday cactus are easy to grow, but updated varieties rebloom more often and produce bigger, showier blossoms.
11/19/2008 9:18:32 AM
Organic farming research has found that you can compost black walnut hulls successfully, despite the fact that they contain the toxic juglone compound.
11/14/2008 7:23:28 AM
Garden soil left exposed in winter is easily damaged by compaction, erosion and leaching. Use mulches or cover crops to safeguard and build your soil during the winter months.
11/6/2008 4:48:40 PM
Try doing something different this winter by growing mushrooms. It's entertaining, and it provides you with an edible treat!
11/6/2008 12:21:55 PM
We have developed two customized search engines that make it easier to locate companies that offer specific varieties of seeds and plants, as well as organic garden products and tools.
11/6/2008 8:23:15 AM
Garlic is one of the easiest plants you can grow, and fall is the time for planting. Here are a few resources to help you get started.
11/5/2008 4:13:06 PM
Burr gherkins are a fun and interesting garden addition for those who love pickles or wish to add interest to soups and stir fries. They can also be eaten raw like cucumbers. Read about how easy they are to grow and harvest, and try out this recipe for a hot and spicy Brazillian stir-fry, called “maxixada.”
10/31/2008 3:54:29 PM
Nutritious potting soil will give your seedlings and house plants a good place to grow. You can buy potting soil or make your own. Combine a bit of dirt, some well aged compost and a handful of sand for good drainage to form an inexpensive and handy planting medium for your new garden seedlings or old-friend house plants.
10/29/2008 2:45:13 PM
As soon as seed catalogs start arriving in the mailbox, gardeners face some difficult choices. What should you plant next year? Based on these interviews with seed companies, vegetable gardening is more popular than ever, and people are planning bigger and better food gardens. Here are 15 trends for gardeners to consider when buying seeds this year.
10/29/2008 2:25:04 PM
Choosing to grow delicious potatoes of unique varieties in spring can lead to great nutritious eating right from your backyard. Find out how to grow early, midseason and late varieties in your garden at home. By knowing the basics of when and how to plant, you can produce a successful harvest. Learn other handy hints such as saving seeds for your next harvest, and pest and disease prevention tips.
10/28/2008 11:53:44 AM
Help grow an organic food garden on the White House lawn. Here are some easy ways you can participate.
10/28/2008 9:55:21 AM
University of Florida entomologist Russell Mizell investigated ways to attract stink bugs to trap crops rather than cash crops—with great success. His experience can help you learn how to design trap crop scenarios of your own.
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