What is succession gardening? In the case of vegetable gardening, this is a way to grow plants to increase the yields of your crops while using your space well and extending the season.
Greetings fellow gardeners,
Once again, we are experiencing the constantly changing weather: lovely warm temperatures and sunshine, then swirling winds and heavy snow. It is that time of year where nothing is predictable.
I often find myself in the car driving to various appointments or to visit my dad and it gives me an opportunity to listen to a podcast. Joe Gardener has many podcasts available, and I just happened to listen to one of his latest on succession gardening. He was interviewing Meg McAndrews Cowden about her latest book Plant Grow Harvest Repeat. I am a big fan of succession gardening, and she has taken this idea to a whole new level. Not only does she discuss successive gardening for vegetables but also for your entire garden and the landscape beyond.
Succession Gardening
What is succession gardening? In the case of vegetable gardening this is a way to grow plants to increase the yields of your crops while using your space well and extending the season. Lettuce is the best example. If I start lettuce seeds now in a pot, they should be ready to move outside into a cold-frame in a couple of weeks. I will harvest them by clipping the leaves and then clipping again once the new growth has arrived. As these plants are thriving, I will plant lettuce seeds near the existing plants. These seeds grow and I will pull out the old plants as they grow bitter and less tasty. I have had great success with this. You can do this in a garden as well in a small, designated area. One thing to remember is that eventually the soil will become depleted so you must be sure to do your weekly feeding with an organic fertilizer. I water once a week with a fish emulsion solution. If you want to use other fertilizers a standard 10-10-10 would do the job or a fertilizer for tomatoes but do not use it every week. Read the directions carefully as too much fertilizer will burn your plants.
Happy roots on happy lettuce
Another Podcast
Another podcast that I enjoy is “A Way to Garden” with Margaret Roach. It is a weekly podcast that is not as long or involved as Joe Gardener. Margaret interviews an expert each week about a specific topic and how it would apply to the home garden. I find it to be very interesting and down to earth. I particularly enjoyed her interview with Ken Druse on shade gardening. Today I listened to her interview of James Golden about his wildish garden. ‘Don’t fight the site’ seems to be the wisdom of the day. I find that I can relate to this, as much of my garden is on rock with very poor soil. I use pots to solve my dilemma, but James Golden has found plants that thrive in his situation. His new book is called The View from Federal Twist: A New Way of Thinking About Gardens, Nature and Ourselves.
I am continuing to putter about with my seeds. My pepper seeds are pushing up although the banana pepper is taking its own sweet time. As you can see from the picture, I have finally secured the top shelf of the plant compound, which makes it easier for me to sleep knowing that those baby peppers are safe from the too-many cats.
Judith Cox is a Master Gardener and President of the Stittsville Goulbourn Horticultural Society . The many topics covered in her blogs include starting a garden, planting seeds, selecting the best seeds, identifying specific plants, and growing produce other than what is found at the grocery store. Every issue offers solutions to common issues faced by gardeners, including wildlife, whether to water, pests, snails, and other issues. During the winter, Judith writes for local journals and newspapers, give talks at local horticultural clubs on a range of gardening topics. She also finds time to run a small business selling watercolor and pen and ink cards.
the hoary vervain bee, or Evylaeus villosulus. Likewise, it has been recorded that there are over 60 species of butterflies and moths, including the Northern Broken Dash, Sachem Skipper, and large orange sulphur, actively feeding on its flowers.
Verbena stricta, or hoary vervain, is a wildflower native to most states in the US. It's known for its beautiful flowers and attracts a variety of bees and butterflies such as honeybees and the Northern Broken Dash. Learn more about this special flower and its features.
Learn all about Mad-dog Skullcap, a member of the mint family with unique serrated leaves and vibrant trumpet-shaped flowers. Read up on the plant's growing conditions, blossoming period, and the curious origin of its name, all in this handy article. Get growing now!
Now let’s take a look at your fern and double check it is living its best life. Here are 10 things to keep in mind as you tend to your fern.
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