Planting Basil
When & Where to Plant Basil
In cooler climates, basil should be planted in full sun (where it will receive 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day). If you are living in a hotter climate, basil will benefit from some afternoon shade.
Herbs can add beauty and functionality to your home or garden. Herbs are often thought of as a culinary addition, but many herbs have medicinal and fragrant uses as well. Choosing the right herbs to grow will depend on your growing zone, time requirements and whether you are choosing to grow your herbs in containers …
Don’t make the mistake of working your soil too early. If your ground is saturated with melted snow or spring rain, you will be doing your soil more harm than good, and you may be up for a lot more work later! Adding organic matter to your soil is paramount to gardening success.
Straw bale gardening is the perfect alternative for gardeners facing poor soil conditions, those who are looking for a way to garden with less heavy lifting, or for growing in paved/groundless locations. Straw bale gardens are appropriate for growing almost anything (with the exception of very tall plants such as corn), and can be successfully …
Brief History of the Pecan
Pecans are fully native to North America, and continue to be primarily produced in the U.S.A. Native American tribes in the South found and named the Pecan, using it to press oils, cook in stews and roast for long trips.
Before drying any of your herbs, you should rinse them in cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. There are a number of methods for preserving herbs including air drying, sand drying, heat drying, freezing, vinegars, butters, mustards, potpourri and more!
The best time to harvest herbs will depend on the herbs themselves. Most herbs should be harvested just as the flower buds appear, but before they fully blossom. At this stage, the leaves contain the maximum amount of oils for fragrance and flavor. You will also want to harvest them in the morning, just after …
Mulching
We already discussed adding compost to your soil see Step:3 (Planting Outdoors), but it is also very beneficial to add a protective layer of mulch to your tomato plants. This layer can help retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds and keep the soil cool.
Before you move tomato plants outdoors, you will need to ‘harden’ them off. For more information on hardening off your plants see: Growing Tomatoes: Step 2 (Growing from Seed).
Purchasing Seeds
For information on choosing a variety of tomato to grow, see: Growing Tomatoes: Step 1 (choosing).
You should acquire your seeds from a reputable source. As tomato seeds age, their chance of germinating decreases.
Knowing the differences in varieties of tomatoes and what they are best suited for, will help simplify the process of choosing which to grow. Before deciding on a variety though, you should determine whether you will be starting from seed, or purchasing starter plants (your choices may be limited depending on what your local garden …
Some of the most popular composting methods include tumblers, bins and piles. Compost tumblers are large bins that can be “tumbled” to mix compost as it is added. Large piles are usually composted directly on open ground, and bins are usually stationary containers where compost is simply dumped into the bin.
Starting the pile on bare …
Purchasing a pre-built greenhouse can be pricey, but with a bit of ingenuity and handyman tact, you can construct a greenhouse yourself from recycled materials. See the above samples for greenhouses built out of old windows and storm doors!