2021 -
Many of your summer crops will grow better with a support system like a trellis or cage. Cucumbers love to climb a fence, lattice, or trellis. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants prefer a cage around them or a central pole for support. #greenbeans #GrowThis!
As a general rule of thumb, onion plants do not need consistent watering if they have mulch or other ground- covering crops around them. If they have mulch, they only need about one inch of water per week (including rain water). If you want sweeter onions, water more. Onions will look healthy even when they are bone dry, so be sure to water during drought conditions. #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips
Check to see if your garlic is ready to harvest! As a general rule, garlic is ready to harvest when the lower two or three leaves turn yellow or brown. #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips #garlic
If you're still growing cool-weather crops like leafy greens, try using a "shade cloth" to protect them from the hot summer sun. Many crops will "bolt" when they are too hot or under-watered. This means they will produce seeds early and their leaves will taste bad! Avoid this with a shade cloth! #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips
Keep those summer crops well watered! Try to water your tomato plants from below once they have fruit growing. The tomatoes will split while on the vine if watered from above too often. #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips
As your tomato plants start growing tall, try giving your vining varieties (also known as indeterminate varieties) a trim! This is called "training your tomato." You will need to cut off the "suckers" to get larger fruit. Watch our video on how to train your tomatoes! @GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips
Cucumbers are mostly water because they drink a lot of water! So make sure to water your cucumbers! If you want to know if your plant has enough water, put your finger in the soil. When your finger is dry past the first joint, it is time to water. TIP: Inconsistent watering leads to bitter-tasting cucumber. #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips #cucumbers
When onions push the soil away as they grow bigger, do not put the soil back around the onions; the bulb needs to emerge above the soil. #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips #onions
When onions start to mature, the tops become yellow and begin to fall over. At that point, bend the tops down to speed up the end of the ripening process. #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips
Bell peppers get sweeter the longer they stay on the plant. But pick them when they're ready so more peppers keep growing! #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips #bellpeppers
Eggplants need pollinators to help them produce fruit! Therefore, having flowers in your vegetable garden can help increase your yield. #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips #eggplants
Some fruits and vegetables don't mind staying on the vine, but eggplants like to be picked right away! As soon as the skin of an eggplant does not bounce back after gentle pressure from your finger, it’s ripe. The skin of the fruit will be shiny and unwrinkled. When harvesting eggplant, do not pull the fruit off the vine; cut it with a sharp knife or pruning shears close to the stem, leaving about an inch of stem attached. #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips
For most vegetables, the more you pick, the more will grow! So once your cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers are fully grown, pick them to encourage more to grow. Find more tips at the link! #GrowThis! #gardening #growathome #gardeningtips
