by Stephanie Suesan Smith | May 26, 2024 | Vegetables
Want to learn to garden? My first attempt at gardening ended up in failure. The weeds took over and squeezed the vegetables out. I was very frustrated by this waste of good seed, time, and money. So I became a master gardener and spent a lot of time helping other...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Oct 3, 2022 | Bok Choy
Bok Choy photo by Stephanie Suesan Smith Bok choy, also known as pak choi (Brassica rapa var. chinensis), originated in Asia but is grown in the United States by a lot of people. It has a mild flavor and is not as picky about conditions as Chinese cabbage. I use it in...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Sep 19, 2022 | Kohlrabi
Kohrabi (Brassica olearcea var. gongylodes) is a member of the Brassica family, also referred to as Cole crops. This relative of the cabbage was first recorded in Europe in 1554 and reached North America by the early 1800s. The taste is sweeter than a turnip and a...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Sep 12, 2022 | Garlic
Garlic Photo by https://pixabay.com/users/congerdesign-509903/ Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a popular spice in cooking. It is related to onions and chives. You can grow your own garlic in your garden. This guide will tell you how. What Type Of Garlic To Grow Garlic...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Aug 29, 2022 | entomology
Squash Vine Borer Adult Photo by https://www.flickr.com/photos/christinestephens/ The squash vine borer is a clear-winged moth that lays its eggs on squash and pumpkin plants. The larva tunnels into the stem and crown of the plant and eats the pith inside. The center...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Aug 22, 2022 | squash
Butternut Squash Butternut squash (Cucurbita mo is a type of winter squash with a hard exterior shell and seeds. Native to the Americas, butternut squash has been cultivated for 6,000 years. It is closely related to the pumpkin with a vine that grows along the ground....
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Aug 15, 2022 | entomology
Squash Bug (Anasa tristis) found on squash; San Pedro River Valley photo by Lon&Queta Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are a frequent pest of squash and pumpkins, particularly winter squash. They do not bother summer squash as much. Young plants and flowering plants...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Aug 10, 2022 | squash
Patty pan squash is a type of summer squash that looks like a UFO with scalloped edges. They are not difficult to grow and are nearly as prolific as zucchini squash. They take up about as much room as a zucchini squash plant and are more upright than vining. How to...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Aug 1, 2022 | Vegetables
Your garden may be struggling with the extreme heat that is blanketing the planet this year. There are vegetables that do well in summer, however. Focus on these vegetables to make the best use of your garden this year. Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes love the heat!...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Jul 26, 2022 | gardening101
As gardeners, we like to spend time outdoors. Doing that can be a challenge when the temperatures are extremely hot. Everyone who spends time outdoors during extreme heat should know the signs of heat-related illness. More importantly, you should know how to prevent...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Jul 11, 2022 | Artichokes
Photo by Jamain, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons The part of the artichoke we eat is the bud of a plant in the thistle family. The plant grows up to three feet high and the bud, if allowed to open, is up to seven...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Jul 4, 2022 | entomology
Flea Beetle Photo by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Flea beetles are common pests in the vegetable garden. They eat a large variety of vegetables. This guide will show you what...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Jun 27, 2022 | diseases
Fusarium wilt is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. The fungus has three races, race 1, race 2, and race 3. It infects mainly tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant but can live on any solanaceous crops and weeds, including pigweed, mallow, and...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Jun 20, 2022 | entomology
The southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula (Linnaeus)) feeds on a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and other plants. It gets its name because it has scent glands that emit a bad smell when it is squashed. It is one of many stink bugs that cause...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Jun 13, 2022 | peppers
Bell peppers are a popular sweet pepper. They are easy to grow. It only takes eight to ten plants to provide enough peppers for a family. Seeds or Transplants Because most people only grow a few bell pepper plants, it is easier to buy transplants and plant them. The...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Jun 6, 2022 | peppers
Jalapeno peppers on a plant Jalapeno peppers are a popular vegetable. They are hot and spicy. Jalapenos have a Scoville rating of 2,500-8,000 units, while a bell pepper has a rating of zero and a Bhut Jolokia pepper from Asia hits 1,001,304 Scoville Units....
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | May 30, 2022 | Tomatillos
Tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa), also called ground tomatoes, are not hard to grow. They make wonderful verde sauce when mixed with some tomatoes and Jalapenos. Here is how to grow your own tomatillos. Tomatillos are usually green but come in orange, red, yellow, or...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | May 25, 2022 | gardening101
Tomato patch photo by Mark Levisay One of the most important decisions you will make when vegetable gardening is selecting your garden site. Pick the wrong site, and your garden is doomed. Pick the right site, and you can grow vegetables for many years. Here are some...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | May 16, 2022 | entomology
Harlequin bug on lettuce Photo by Stephanie Suesan Smith The harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica (Hahn)) is striking with its orange and black or red and black colors. It is a true bug. The harlequin bug prefers vegetables in the Brassica family, such as cabbage...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | May 2, 2022 | gardening101
Lasagna Gardening for Vegetables Lasagna gardening is a form of raised bed gardening. It is sometimes referred to as sheet mulching. The advantages of this raised bed are no digging, no frame, and easy-to-find materials. Place the bed in a sunny spot with access to...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Apr 25, 2022 | gardening101
Tomato plants on a wire trellis Lots of the plants we grow for their delicious vegetables take up a lot of space in the garden. You can reduce the space cucumbers, melons, squash, pole beans, and even vining tomatoes take up by training the plants to grow on a...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Apr 18, 2022 | gardening101
Lettuce bolting in Lapeer County in 2014. Photo by Ben Phillips, MSU Extension. The term “bolt” means premature flowering in vegetables. Many cool-season vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and onions, are grown and harvested before they flower. A...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Apr 11, 2022 | gardening101
Drawing by Edward Stevens The technical definition of pH is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. In English, soil pH is a measure of how acid or alkaline the soil is. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14. Zero is the most acid, with the fewest hydrogen...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Mar 26, 2022 | product review
There are times you need to spray your plants with a pesticide or fertilizer. To do that, you need a sprayer. I was given a Chapin G6015 Wet/Dry Hose End Sprayer to try out and review. While trying it out yesterday at my community garden plot I found it easy to use....
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Mar 21, 2022 | Vegetables
Warm-season vegetables include favorites such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, beans, melons, and more. Some crops, such as corn, require a lot of room to grow. Others can be grown in pots on the porch. Here are ten warm-season vegetables that are...
