Discover the essentials of vegetable farming with our expert tips. Start growing your own fresh produce today!
I pulled up my first black radish three years ago and almost tossed it in the compost pile. The rough, coal-colored skin looked like something had gone terribly wrong in my garden. My neighbor walked over, took one look, and laughed. “That’s not diseased,” she said. “That’s exactly what it’s supposed to look like. You … Read more
My neighbor Maria knocked on my door last summer holding a sad, wilted plant with elephant-ear leaves drooping toward the ground. “I killed my taro,” she said with genuine disappointment. “My grandmother grew this in the Philippines for decades. I can’t even keep one alive for a month.” Turns out, Maria had been treating her … Read more
My neighbor Margaret still talks about the time she pulled her first homegrown potato from the soil. She was 67 years old, had gardened for decades, but had never tried potatoes. “I just stood there staring at it,” she told me. “Store-bought potatoes taste like cardboard compared to this.” She’s right. And here’s the thing—Americans … Read more
A few years ago, a new gardener in our community plot stared at her neighbor’s raised bed with complete confusion. “What on earth is that?” she asked, pointing at what looked like little green aliens sprouting from the soil. Her neighbor laughed. “That’s kohlrabi. Best vegetable you’ve never heard of.” The new gardener wasn’t alone. … Read more
My neighbor Tom spent three summers failing at Brussels sprouts. Each year, the same story. Tiny, bitter sprouts the size of marbles. Plants that toppled over in September storms. Leaves eaten to lace by caterpillars. Then last fall, I watched him pull a stalk from his garden with over 80 perfect sprouts. Each one firm, … Read more
My neighbor Janet grows beautiful romaine lettuce in her backyard garden every spring and fall. Last year, she knocked on my door with a problem. “I harvested six heads of romaine yesterday,” she said. “And three of them are already wilting in my fridge. What am I doing wrong?” I walked over to her kitchen. … Read more
A few years back, my friend Lisa from our community garden in Seattle called me in frustration. She had just spent $6 on a tiny bunch of bok choy at the grocery store. Six dollars for something she could eat in one stir-fry. “There has to be a better way,” she said. I walked her … Read more
Last spring, my neighbor Dave pulled me aside at our community garden. He had a confession. “I’ve been growing lettuce for three years now,” he said, looking a bit embarrassed. “But I always thought it was basically crunchy water. No real nutrition. Just something to fill up the salad bowl.” Dave isn’t alone. Many health-conscious … Read more
Last summer, my neighbor Karen knocked on my door in a panic. She’d just started keto and was staring at her garden beds like they’d betrayed her. “I grew all these beautiful vegetables,” she said, pointing at her thriving squash plants and potato patch. “Now I’m reading they’re full of carbs. Did I waste my … Read more
Have you ever brought home a beautiful, fresh bunch of cilantro, all ready to make your tacos or curry amazing, and two days later it’s a sad, slimy mess in the fridge? Yeah, that happens to me all the time. I was talking to a customer in Brunswick the other week. She told me she … Read more
My neighbor Tom grew garlic for three years before he figured out what he was doing wrong. His bulbs were always disappointing—small, with thin papery wrappers that fell apart. He’d plant beautiful cloves and harvest what he called “garlic for ants.” Then he got his soil tested. His garden had plenty of potassium and phosphorus. … Read more
My first attempt at growing garlic ended in disaster. I planted cloves from the grocery store in March, pointed end down (yes, upside down), and wondered why I got tiny, deformed bulbs four months later. That was fifteen years and hundreds of successful garlic harvests ago. Here’s what nobody told me back then: garlic is … Read more