The oyster mushroom gets its name from its cap which, some say, resembles an oyster. The stem of the oyster mushrooms is perhaps more distinct; it unfurls something like one of those old-time paper lady's fans. The oyster mushroom has...

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How to Grow Lentil

Lentils are a cool-season legume. Sow lentils in spring as early as 2 weeks before the average last frost date. Lentils can be started indoors before transplanting to the garden; lentil seeds will germinate in 10 days at 68°F. Lentils require 80 to 110 days to come to harvest.

To grow and learn about other legumes: click here.

Description. Lentils are a hardy annual; they are a member of the pea family. Lentils grow on sparsely branched vines from 18 to 24 inches tall. The lentil has small whitish to light purple pea-like flowers. Pods are small, broad, flat and contain one or two flat, lens-shaped seed that are green or yellow to orange, red or brown.

Yield. Plant 4 to 8 lentils per household member.

Site. Plant lentils in full sun. Lentils prefer loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. They will grow in poor soil. Lentils grow best in a soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Add aged compost to planting beds before sowing.

Continue reading "How to Grow Lentil" »

Eggplant Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow

Give eggplants a warm location, warm soil and keep them evenly watered and stress free and they will reward you with beauty and flavor.

Here are best bet, easy-to-grow eggplants divided into shape and size categories: (1) large oval eggplants; (2) elongated eggplants; and (3) white eggplants.

Keep reading to the bottom of this post and I will give you my tips for sure-fired eggplant growing success. (There is more about eggplant growing at How to Grow Eggplant.)

Large oval fruit:

• Black Beauty. 72-85 days. Fine flavor; holds well. Large round to oval fruit 4 to 6 inches long, 5 inches in diameter; smooth, glossy, purplish-black skin with bright green calyx. Bears 4 to 6 fruits; holds color and quality well after being picked. Medium-tall, bushy plant 24 to 30 inches tall; widely adapted; popular for home gardens. Heirloom. Open-pollinated

• Black Magic. 72 days. Purple-black oval, bell shaped fruit.

• Dusky. 63 days. Firm, very good quality flesh. Uniform, long, oval fruit to 8 inches in length, 3½ inches in diameter; glossy purplish-black skin. Upright plant, 24 to 36 inches tall. High yield. Recommended for home gardens. Tobacco mosaic virus resistant. Hybrid.

Continue reading "Eggplant Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow" »

Corn Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow

There is no substitute for the flavor of corn just picked from the garden.

Flavor and adaptability to your garden's climate are the major considerations when choosing a corn variety. There are three types of fresh-eating sweet corn grouped by flavor: standard corn, sugary enhanced corn, and supersweet corn (adaptability to your garden's climate--the soil and air temperature--is actually linked to the flavor type). Here's how these corn types differ:

• Standard corn is the "old-fashioned" corn your grandfather grew; the corn with tasty corn flavor. These varieties--many are heirlooms and open-pollinated--have been around for years and years. Standard corn is plantable in cool soil, as cool as 55°F. This corn is best rushed to the kitchen and eaten within an hour of harvest.

• Sugary enhanced corn are hybrid varieties that keep their sweet flavor up to 3 days after harvest. Sugary enhanced hybrids give growers a 3-day window for harvest. (Near harvest time it is important to monitor standard corn each day to make sure you pick at the peak of its sweet flavor.) Sugary enhanced cultivars don't require daily monitoring; pick sugary enhanced corn anytime within the 3 day peak flavor period. This type of corn demands soil temperatures about 10° warmer than standard corn.

• Supersweet corn are also hybrid varieties--the sweetest flavored of all corn. Supersweet corn varieties are sweeter than sugary enhanced varieties. Supersweets also have an enhanced harvest window of 2 to 3 days. One note, supersweet corn can be demanding: it requires soil no less than 65°F at planting time; it grows best when the soil is pre-warmed (cover beds with black plastic to warm the soil); and it is less vigorous than standard or sugary enhanced corn.

In addition to the best bets of these three types, also listed here are recommendations for popping, baby corn, and ornamental corn. Keep reading to the bottom of this post and I will give you my tips for sure-fired corn growing success. (Also read How To Sweet Grow Corn.)

Standard corn:

• Butter and Sugar. 73 days. Bicolor white and yellow kernels, good flavor; 7 to 8 inch ears. Resists bacterial wilt and southern corn leaf blight.

• Golden Cross Bantam. 85 days. Large yellow kernels. Uniform ears 7½ to 8 inches long with 10 to 14 rows per ear. Sturdy stalk to 6 feet; very prolific. Resists bacterial wilt.

Continue reading "Corn Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow" »

Pepper Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow

Peppers demand a warm location from start to finish. For peppers to prosper: sow pepper seed in a warm seed bed and transplant seedlings into a warm planting bed where the air temperature will remain consistently warm until harvest. Cool weather and soil are a pepper's greatest challenge.

Here are best bet, easy-to-grow peppers, both easy eating sweet bell peppers and hot hot peppers.

Keep reading to the bottom of this post and I will give you my tips for sure-fired pepper growing success. (There is also more about pepper growing at How to Grow Sweet Peppers.)

Sweet Bell Peppers:

• Bell Boy. 70 days. Meaty, sweet pepper. Large, blocky fruit, 4½ inches square; thick walled, mostly 4 lobed; fruits turn from green to red. Sturdy compact plant Early yields. All-American selection; resistant to most diseases. Hybrid

• California Wonder. 68-89 days. Tender, juicy sweet with no hint of pungency. Smooth, blocky, 3 to 4 lobed fruit with glossy, 4½ inches long by 4 inches in diameter, dark-green skin; thick walled to ⅜ inches; ripens to bright crimson. Vigorous, upright plant 24 to 30 inches tall. Good leaf cover. Tobacco mosaic virus resistant. Open-pollinated

• Corno di Toro (also called Yellow Bull's Horn). 68-70 days. Spicy flavor, neither hot not very sweet. Fruit 8 inches long, 1½ inches in diameter at the shoulder; tapered to a curved point, resembling the horn of a bull. Ripens to a deep golden yellow or deep red depending upon cultivar. Traditional Italian favorite. Open-pollinated.

Continue reading "Pepper Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow" »

Pumpkin Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow

Pumpkins for pies. Pumpkins for Jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkins for the little ones. Pumpkins for the "Biggest Pumpkin Contest."

Pumpkins are not difficult to grow. Grow them just like any other winter squash. (Keep reading to the bottom of this post and I will give you my tips for sure-fired pumpkin growing success. Also see How To Grow Pumpkins.)

Here is a list of best bet, easy-to-grow pumpkins divided into size categories: (1) small pumpkins (2 to 5 pounds); (2) intermediate-size pumpkins (8 to 15 pounds); (3) large pumpkins (15 to 25 pounds); (4) jumbo pumpkins (50 to 100 pounds and larger).

Small pumpkins (2 to 5 pounds):

• Baby Bear. 105 days. AAS. Half the size of a normal pumpkin. Fine-grained flesh, excellent for pies. Deep orange fruit 5 to 6 inches wide and 3½ to 4 inches tall. Weighs 1½ to 2 pounds. Strong stem is easy to grip. Seeds are semi-hullless for seed toasting. Blight and frost tolerant. Cross between New England Pie and a small naked seed pumpkin. Great for home garden

• Baby Pam. 100 days. Deep orange flesh; good for pies. Uniform size: 5 inches tall by 5½ in diameter. Smooth skin; indistinct ribs. Tight, secure stem. Vigorous 10 to 12 foot vines. Heavy yield. Also called "Oz."

• Small Sugar (also called New England Pie). 100-105 days. Best tasting pie pumpkin; excellent flavor. Deep-orange flesh; 5 to 8 pounds. Convenient size for kitchen use. For baking and canning. Pre-Civil War heirloom. Open-pollinated.

Continue reading "Pumpkin Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow" »

How to Grow Soybean

Soybeans are tender warm-weather legumes. Sow soybeans in spring 2 to 3 weeks after the average last frost date when the soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Soybeans can be planted earlier in warm-winter regions. Soybeans grow best where the daytime temperature averages in the 70°sF.

Description. The soybean is a bushy, free-branching annual legume. It grows 12 to 36 inches tall. Stems and leaves are hairy. Flowers are white with lavender shading. Pods grow 1 to 4 inches long in clusters of three to five. Each fuzzy pod contains 2 to 4 seeds. There are more than 10,000 soybean cultivars. Colors range from black to gray, brown, green, yellow, white, and striped. Seeds can be smaller than a pea or as large as a kidney bean.

Yield. Grow 4 to 8 soybean plants per each household member.

Site. Plant soybeans in full sun; soybeans will tolerate partial shade but the yield will be reduced. Soybeans grow best in loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Soybeans prefer a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Soybeans are tolerant of poor soil.

Continue reading "How to Grow Soybean" »

Cucumber Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow

Here are 20 top-performing cucumbers for the home garden divided into 5 popular cucumber types: (1) slicing, (2) pickling, (3) burpless, and (4) space savers for small gardens and containers,

(Keep reading to the bottom of this post for my tips for sure-fired cucumber growing success. Also see more at How to Grow Cucumbers and the Cucumber Archive.)

Slicing Cucumbers:

• Dasher II. 55-60 days. CMV, DM, PM, S. Cool, crisp flesh and great flavor. Slim dark-green fruit, 8½ inches long 2¼ inches across. Standard slicing fruit. Compact heavy yielding plants. Hybrid.

• Greensleeves. 53 days. Excellent for salads and slicing. Dark-green, cylindrical fruit to 8½ inches long; uniform size, slightly tapered; small seed cavity. Good yield in home garden on vigorous vines. Responds well to touch conditions. Early maturing. Gyonecious, mostly female flowers.

• Marketmore 76. 58 days. ALS, AN, CMV, DM, S. Standard slicing fruit, uniform size, long and slender. Dark green fruit, 8 to 9 inches long; white spined; has uniform dark green color gene which reduces the number of yellow bellies at harvest time. Very good in home gardens. Open-pollinated.

Continue reading "Cucumber Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow" »

Bean Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow

Need top-choice, sure-bet, best-pick, easy-to-grow bean varieties?

Here are 25 top-performers for the home garden divided into 5 popular bean types: (1) snap-bush green, (2) snap-pole green, (3) bush yellow, (4) lima, and (5) dried and shell beans.

Keep reading to the bottom of this post for my tips for sure-fired bean growing success. Also see How to Grow Snap Beans and How to Grow Lima Beans and the Beans Archive for more growing info.

Best Bet Snap-Bush Beans:

• Blue Lake 274. 54-61 days. CBM. Tasty and unique flavor, plump, tender, fine texture. Dark-green, rounded pods 5½ to 6½ inches long; white seeds. Dwarf, bushy plants 12 to 22 inches tall. Beans come to maturity almost all at once; good for canning and freezing. Heavy yields.

• Bush Kentucky Wonder. 52-65 days. R. Excellent flavor. Fleshy, tender, stringless, round-flattened pods to 8 inches long; carmine seeds. Heavy yielder. Good fresh and canned. Vigorous grower over extended period. Good grower in all regions. Also called Old Homestead.

• Contender. 40-55 days. CBM, PM. Tasty fresh out of the garden or cooked. Medium-green, round-oval stringless 6 to 8 inch pods, slightly curved; buff mottled seeds. Bush plants 12 to 20 inch tall. Very productive and early to harvest. Tolerates heat and mildew.

• Derby. 57 days. AAS. CBM. Excellent flavor. Straight, dark-green pods, oval and rounded to 7 inches long; best when picked 5 inches long; white seeds. Good for freezing and canning. Strong upright plant with slow seed development for long harvest. Weather tolerant.

• Greencrop. 55 days. AAS. Excellent flavor, tender, meaty. Flat pods to 8 inches long, but just ½ inch wide, half the width of most Roman types. Top yields. Use fresh or for canning and freezing. Good grower in home gardens.

Continue reading "Bean Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow" »

Summer Squash Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow

Need top-choice, sure-bet, best-pick, easy-to-grow summer squash varieties?

Here are 15 top-performers for the home garden divided into the 3 most popular summer squash types: (1) scallop or patty pan, (2) yellow straight or crook neck, and (3) zucchini.

Keep reading to the bottom of this post and I will give you my tips for sure-fired summer squash growing success.

Also read How to Grow Summer Squash: click here.

Best Bets: Scallop-types (also called patty pan):

• Peter Pan Hybrid. 50 days. AAS winner. Meaty flesh, excellent flavor and quality. Uniform size, well scalloped, 2½ to 3 inches across; light green skin, pale green flesh; very productive, bush-type vine. Hybrid.

• Sunburst. 52 days. AAS winner. Delicate, buttery flavor. Deep scallop shape with medium fluting; soft, bright-yellow skin with a dark green "sunburst" pattern; tender creamy white flesh. Pick as a baby squash with blossom still attached. Compact grower spreads to 2½ feet. Hybrid.

• Scallopini. 52 days. AAS-winner. Meaty, sweet and nut-like flavor. Deep scalloped fruit with medium fluting 2½ to 3 inches across; dark green skin, pale green flesh. Compact vine, very productive over a long season; easy to grow. Hybrid.

Continue reading "Summer Squash Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow" »

Sweet Potatoes: Short-Summer Varieties

Sweet potatoes in 100 days!

Sweet potatoes started from slips--rooted sprouts--purchased at the garden center or from a seed catalog can be harvested in about 100 days, even less.

Short-season sweet potato varieties include 'Beauregard', 'Centennial', and 'Georgia Jet.' These three planted from slips will be ready for harvest in 80 to 90 days.

Varieties that can be harvested or lifted in about 100 to 110 days are 'Bush Porto Rico', 'Jewel', and 'Vardaman', again when planted from slips.

Slips are most readily available for purchase in spring at the start of the growing season. You can start your own slips, but you'll have to add about 30 to 40 days to reach harvest.

Starting and growing sweet potato slips: click here.

When to plant. Sweet potatoes require warm, frost-free weather to mature. The time to put sweet potatoes slips in the garden is after the soil has warmed to at least 60°F, even better 70°F--usually about 2 weeks after the last frost. If your nighttime air temperatures are staying above 60°F, the time is right.

Continue reading "Sweet Potatoes: Short-Summer Varieties" »

Watermelons for Home Garden: Top 10 Varieties

Need top-choice, best-pick recommendations for watermelons to grow at home? Here you go.

You've probably heard that watermelons need warmth, water, sun and space. But actually if you are short on warmth--you live in a short-summer region--or space, not much yard, you can still grow delicious, sweet watermelons in a home garden.

It's true that large watermelons require 4 months of frost-free, very warm weather to come to harvest and that they can gobble up as much as 144 square feet of space. But if you have less than 90 growing days, you can still harvest a watermelon. (See the short-season list below.) And if you have as little as 12 to 16 square feet--that's 4 feet by 4 feet, you still have enough space to grow watermelon. (See the short vine or bush variety list below.)

Get more growing details at How to Grow Watermelon: click here.

Watermelon Success Tips

For best results, plant watermelons in light loam to sandy-loam soil; avoid planting in heavy or clay soil. Plant when the soil temperature has warmed to at least 70°F. (You can get a head start in cool regions by sowing watermelons indoors 6 weeks before planting out.)

Center your vine in the space you have, and dig a hole 3 feet in diameter and 12 to 18 inches deep, a bit deeper in the center. Add rich compost or planting mix to the hole and tamp it down; watermelons require consistent even watering, this compost-rich planting bed will serve as a moisture reservoir. Mound the soil above the re-filled in bed to 6 inches tall. Plant 5 to 6 seeds or set two starts on this mound. Thin to the strongest plant. Space mounds 12 feet apart, unless you are planting the short vine, bush varieties listed below--then you can plant a third to half that distance.

Continue reading "Watermelons for Home Garden: Top 10 Varieties" »

Vegetable Garden Quality, Yield, Savings Comparisons

How do you put a value on your vegetable garden and the crops you grow? It depends upon what you want in return for the time you spend and the space your garden requires.

Fresh vegetables. If you want a steady supply of fresh vegetables for the table, make small successive planting over several weeks or a month or two so that your crops will come to harvest in small quantities and can be taken fresh to the table at harvest.

Flavor. If you are gardening for flavor, grow crops that you can pick at their peak and serve immediately. These are crops that do not store well, that will lose flavor in even a few days: tomatoes, sweet corn, peas.

Storing. If you are growing to keep vegetables on hand over several weeks or months, choose vegetables that will not lose flavor or texture when kept in the refrigerator or pantry: cabbage, potatoes, and dry onions.

Freezing, canning, or drying. If you plan to preserve your crops for long term use, you will need larger quantities of a crop and all of the crop should come to harvest at the same time.

Saving money. If you are growing vegetables to save money--spend less at the grocery store, then you will want to concentrate your efforts on crops that usually cost more per pound: tomatoes, summer squash, and peppers.

Vegetables That Give the Most for the Least. Here's my list of crops that will give you very good value for your time, effort, and space.

• Tomatoes. Grow two plants for each person in the family.

• Bush beans. Grow 5 feet of row for each person.

• Beets. Grow 2 feet of row for each person; but sow several times in succession.

• Carrots. Grow 2 feet of row for each person; make several sowing.

• Lettuce. Grow 3 feet of row for each person; make three sowings.

• Chard. Grow 3 feet of row for each person.

• New Zealand spinach. Grow 2 feet of row for each person.

• Radishes. Grow 1 foot of row for each person; make 3 or 4 successional sowings.

For crop growing details visit the How To Grow Archive: click here.

Now, let's compare more than 30 crops:

Continue reading "Vegetable Garden Quality, Yield, Savings Comparisons" »

How to Grow Cress

Garden cress also called broadleaf cress--and other cresses: curly cress and watercress--are quick growing cool-weather vegetables. Sow cress in the garden early in spring, as early as 4 or 6 before the last frost, or grow cress indoors year round. Cress is quick growing from seed; it will be ready for harvest 15 to 20 days after sowing. Sow successive crops until mid summer. Sow cress again in early autumn for autumn and winter harvest.

Prepare and serve cress: which cress?: Click here.

Description. There are several types of cress:

• Garden cress (Lepidium sativum), also called broadleaf cress, has flat, bright green leaves to 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. Garden cress, a biennial, is also called peppergrass, pepper cress, and mustard cress. Golden-leafed broadleaf cress is sometimes called Australian cress. Garden cress is an annual that thrives in damp soil.

• Curly cress (Barbarea vernapraecox), also called cresson, early winter cress, or Upland cress, has finely divided leaves resembling parsley or chervil atop thin, branching stems. Curly cress is dark green and is also called curled cress, curlicress, fine curled cress, moss curled cress, and extra-curled cress. Curly cress is a biennial that thrives in damp soil.

• Watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) is a trailing annual usually grown in water. Grow watercress indoors in pot set in a tray of water or along the side of a stream or watercourse. Watercress is an annual which grows in soil in gently running water.

Cresses grow easily from seed and also can be propagated from stem-pieces or cuttings. Cress will sprout on water-soaked paper towels or cotton.

Yield. Grow 1 plant of each cress per household member. Plant successive crops every 2 weeks for a continuous harvest.

Site. Plant cress in shade or semi shade. Grow garden cress and curly cress in moist but well-drained sandy loam. Grow watercress in a container of compost-rich, sandy soil submerged in running water. Cress prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8.

Continue reading "How to Grow Cress" »

How to Grow Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a perennial herb that grows best in cool weather. Sow lemon balm in spring about the average date of the last frost. Seed can also be sown in late summer. Root divisions can be planted at any time during the growing season. Lemon balm will die back to the ground in freezing weather, but regrow in spring.

Visit the Herb Archives for all of the articles on herbs: click here.

Description. Lemon balm is a perennial herb, a member of the mint family. It grows 12 to 24 inches high and about as wide. Lemon balm is shallow-rooted and fast-spreading. It has lemon-scented, oval, toothed leaves, opposite arranged on four-sided stems. Lemon balm flowers in summer; the small white flowers are borne in tight clusters at the leaf axles. Lemon balm is deciduous; it will die back to the ground in freezing weather, but regrow from the roots in spring.

Yield. Grow one lemon balm plant per household.

Site. Plant lemon balm in full; it will tolerate shade. Grow lemon balm in well-drained, sandy loam; lemon balm will grow in almost any soil. It prefers a soil pH of 6.7 to 7.3.

Continue reading "How to Grow Lemon Balm" »

How to Grow Anise

Anise is warm-season annual herb. Sow anise in the garden as early as 2 weeks after the average last frost date in spring. Anise requires a long, frost-free growing season of about 120 days.

See all of the herb growing articles at the Herb Archive: click here.

Description. Anise is a low spreading bright green bushy plant that grows 12 to 24 inches tall and almost as wide. Lower leaves are broad and lobed; upper leaves are feathery. Anise flowers in midsummer, small yellowish-white flowers in umbrella shaped clusters.

Yield. Grow one anise plant per household.

Site. Plant anise in full sun. Anise grows best in well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Anise will grow in poor soil. It prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.7.

Continue reading "How to Grow Anise" »

How to Grow Caraway

Caraway is a biennial herb that grows best in cool weather. Sow caraway in spring or autumn. Caraway can be sown in spring as early as the soil can be worked, about the date of the average last frost. Caraway can be sown indoors earlier for transplanting out or start new plants from cuttings taken from new growth in summer or fall.

More herb growing tips at the Herb Archive: click here.

Description. Caraway is a biennial herb that grows from 12 to 24 inches tall. It has bright green, finely cut leaves that grow in a short rosette from an edible taproot similar to parsnip. Caraway flowers on 2-foot stems in its second year producing umbrella-like clusters of white and pink flowers. Seeds ripen about a month after flowering just before the plant dies.

Yield. Grow one caraway plant per household.

Site. Plant caraway in full sun; it will tolerate partial shade. Caraway grows best in well-drained sandy soil. It prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Continue reading "How to Grow Caraway" »

How to Grow Savory

There are two types of savory: summer savory and winter savory. Summer savory is an annual. Winter savory is a perennial. Both can be planted in spring about the time of the average last frost date or started indoors as early as 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Both will be ready for harvest about 70 days after planting.

Savory in the kitchen and served: use less salt. Click here.

Visit the Herb Archive for more herb growing tips: click here.

Description. Summer savory is a fast growing annual. It grows upright to about 18 inches tall as a loose bushy plant. Summer savory has needle-shaped leaves to about 1 inch long on four-sided, gray-green stems. Summer savory flowers are light purple to pink.

Winter savory is a semi-evergreen bushy perennial that grows to about 15 inches tall. It also has needle-shaped, dark green leaves to about 1 inch long on four-squared stems that become woody with age. Winter savory has small white or purple flowers.

Winter savory has a piney, sharp flavor. Summer savory is sweet flavored.

Yield. Grow one savory plant per household.

Site. Plant savory in full sun. Summer savory prefers a rich, well-drained organic soil; winter savory prefers a well-drained, sandy soil. Savory prefers a soil pH of 6.7 to 7.3.

Continue reading "How to Grow Savory" »

How to Grow Borage

Borage is a warm-season annual herb. Sow borage seed in the garden after the average last frost date in spring when the soil has warmed. Borage can be started from seed indoors, but it forms a taproot and does not transplant well. Borage will self-seed once established.

Visit the Herbs Archives for other herb growing tips: click here.

Description. Borage is a tender annual that grows 2 to 3 feet all. The stems and leaves are grey-green and covered with stiff velvety hairs; leaves grow 4 to 5 inches long. Borage has light blue, star-shaped flowers that grow in drooping clusters beginning in midsummer.

Yield. Grow one borage plant per household.

Site. Plant borage in full sun; borage will tolerate partial shade. Grow borage in well-drained but moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter. Borage prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Borage will grow in alkaline soil that is well drained.

Continue reading "How to Grow Borage" »

How to Grow Common or Sweet Fennel

Common fennel, also called sweet fennel, is a cool-weather perennial herb grown as an annual. Sow common fennel seed in spring as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date. Common fennel also can be sown in late summer or early fall for harvest before the first frost.

Looking for Florence fennel, the vegetable: click here.

Description. Common fennel is grown primarily for its seed and leaves. It grows to 4 feet tall or more and has thin, thread-like leaflets atop tall, round, hollow stems. Common fennel flowers in late summer, small golden-yellow blossoms in umbrella-like clusters. Fennel's small brown seeds follow flowering.

Yield. Grow one fennel plant per household.

Site. Plant fennel in full sun. Grow common fennel in well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Fennel prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.7.

Continue reading "How to Grow Common or Sweet Fennel" »

How to Grow Sage

Sage is perennial herb that can be grown from seeds or cuttings. Sow sage seed in the garden in late spring or start seed indoors as early as 6 to 8 weeks before the average last frost date in spring for transplanting out after the last frost. Sage can be started from cuttings taken from new growth in late spring or summer or from divisions in spring or fall.

Serving sage and its flavor partners: click here.

Description. Sage is a hardy perennial shrub--often woody--that can grow to about 24 inches tall, some varieties taller. Sage has oval- to lance-shaped, wrinkled, grayish-green leaves from 1 to 5 inches long. Several sage varieties have variegated leaves: purple, yellow, green, or green and white. Sage flowers in summer; flowers are commonly bluish-lavender and form in clusters on spikes.

Yield. Grow one sage plant per household.

Site. Plant sage in full sun; sage will tolerate partial shade but the flavor of leaves will be diminished. Grow sage in well-drained soil. Sandy loam is best but sage will grow in nearly poor soil as well. Sage prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.7.

Continue reading "How to Grow Sage" »

How to Grow Coriander and Cilantro

The herb seed called coriander and the herb leaf called cilantro grow from the same plant. Coriander is a warm-weather annual. Sow coriander in the garden in spring 2 to 3 weeks after the last expected frost date. Coriander requires 75 days or more to reach harvest; for seed harvest allow 100 days.

Serving cilantro and coriander and their flavor partners: click here.

Description. Coriander is a frost-sensitive annual with feathery, finely divided leaves growing on stems from 18 to 36 inches tall. Coriander leaves, known as cilantro, resemble flat-leafed parsley. Blossoms in spring and summer are tiny white to pale pink flower clusters. The plant sets small round, ribbed, beige-colored seeds in late summer.

Yield. Grow one to two coriander plants per household. Plant successive crops every two weeks for a continuous supply or cilantro leaves.

Site. Plant coriander in full sun; it will tolerate light shade. Coriander grows best in well-drained but moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter. Prepare planting beds in advance with aged compost. Coriander prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.7.

Continue reading "How to Grow Coriander and Cilantro" »

How to Grow Marjoram

Marjoram, also called sweet marjoram and knotted marjoram, is a tender perennial grown as an annual. Sow marjoram in the garden after the last frost in spring. To get a head start on the season, sow marjoram as early as 4 weeks before the average last frost date in spring for transplanting out after the last frost. Marjoram also can be grown from root divisions.

How to serve marjoram and it flavor partners: click here.

Description. Marjoram is an upright branching perennial that grows 10 to 20 inches tall. It has small, fuzzy, opposite, gray leaves on reddish stems. Unopened flower clusters in late summer resemble knots giving it the common name knotted marjoram. Flowers open lavender, pink, and white.

Yield. Grow one marjoram plant per household.

Site. Plant marjoram in full sun; it will tolerate light shade. Grow marjoram in loose, well-drained soil. Marjoram prefers a soil pH of 6.7 to 7.0. Marjoram can thrives in poor soil that is well drained.

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How to Grow Dill

Dill is a biennial herb often grown as an annual. Sow dill in the garden as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average date of the last frost in spring. Dill will reseed itself readily so plant in a spot where you can allow dill to grow for several years. Dill can be started indoors 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting to the garden, but is most easily grown in place.

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Description. Dill is a warm-season biennial herb that grows 2 to 4 feet tall. Dill has finely cut, feathery blue-green leaves atop hollow stems with green and white stripes. Small greenish-yellow flowers bloom on flat-topped clusters from summer to autumn. Flat, oval, light-brown seeds follow the blossoms.

Yield. Grow one or two dill plants per household. Dill easily reseeds itself.

Site. Plant dill in full sun; dill will tolerate light shade but will not grow as bushy. Dill grows best in well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Add aged compost to the planting bed in advance of planting. Dill prefers a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.7.

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How to Grow Thyme

Thyme is a hardy perennial shrub. Sow thyme from seed as early as 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost in spring. Thyme can also be grown from cuttings or divisions taken in spring or early summer.

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Description. Thyme is a fragrant, evergreen perennial shrub that stands 6 to 15 inches tall. Thyme has small, oval, pointed, gray-green leaves on long, wiry, four-sided stems. Thyme flowers in early summer: tiny, tubular white, lilac and pink blossoms in clusters.

Yield. Grow one thyme plant per household.

Site. Plant thyme in full sun. Thyme grows best in well-drained slightly sandy soil. Soil too rich in organic matter will produce plants that are large but less fragrant. Thyme prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.7.

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How to Grow French Tarragon

French tarragon is a cold-sensitive perennial. Grow French tarragon from the division of established plants in spring or cuttings from new growth taken in summer or fall; over-winter French tarragon indoors until spring. Tarragon cannot be grown from seed.

How to serve French tarragon and its flavor partners: click here.

Description. French tarragon is a sprawling perennial plant that grows from 12 to 24 inches tall. It has long stems and slender, spiky, dark green, aromatic leaves to about one-inch long. French tarragon grows and spreads slowly from tangled, underground rhizomes. It produces sterile cloves and cannot be grown from seed. Tarragon rarely flowers.

Yield. Grow one French tarragon plant per household

Site. Plant French tarragon in full sun or partial shade. Grow tarragon in well-drained, sandy loam. It will tolerate poor and nearly dry soil. It does not grow well in cold, wet, or compacted soil. French tarragon prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Tarragon does not grow well in acidic soil.

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