10 Reasons to Plant Cover Crops

As we move into harvest season, it is important to think about revitalizing the garden for next year. Cover crops can be a great way to prepare for spring planting right now. 10 Reasons to Plant Cover Crops Cover crops are easy to grow. They keep the weeds in check. Germination is quick (particularly with …

Radish Pods: What to do When a Good Radish Goes to Seed

I discovered radish pods by total accident last season. I was a bit lazy in my gardening maintenance due to travel and some of my radish plants bolted. I LOVE radishes, so I was a bit disappointed to start over, but little did I know what tasty morsels were about to appear. The plants went …

It is TOO HOT!: How to Germinate Wildflowers Seeds in the Summer

Even here in Maine, it has finally become summer.  While that means weekend trips to the beach, it also means that we have soil temperatures that are too hot for wildflower seed germination.  So what can you do if you didn't already get your seeds started when it was cooler?  Dig out some cardboard boxes …

The Novice Gardener: Fighting weeds, drought, and plain forgetfulness – Pinetree Garden Seeds

At this point, most gardeners have reached a sort of holding pattern. Seeds have been direct seeded into their ground space or containers, and seedlings have long since been transplanted. You're waging a war on weeds that is never-ending, and you beg your baby plants for forgiveness when you forget to water for a day …

Growing & Maintaining Strawberries – Pinetree Garden Seeds

 'Earliglow'                                     'Jewel'                                            'Mara de Bois' If you're one of the many that didn't know how easy …

Trial by Seed: Pepper transplants, using black plastic, + new variety trials – Pinetree Garden Seeds

Last week we got some new melon, cuke, and squash variety trials going, including 'Ugly Duckling' pumpkin, 'Georgia Candy Roaster' winter squash, 'Midnight Lightning' zucchini, 'Tahitian Butternut' winter squash, 'Cinnamon Girl' pumpkin, 'Harvest Moon' watermelon, and 'Dragons Egg' cucumber. Our pepper seedlings were ready to go outside, so we seized a moment between spring rain …

Trial by Seed: Spring Gardens with radishes, peas, and spinach! – Pinetree Garden Seeds

It's finally warmed up enough outside to plant our first crops of the season... radishes, peas, and spinach! Using blood meal as a soil supplement for the spinach.

The Novice Gardener: How will I know when to transplant? – Pinetree Garden Seeds

So, the hard part is over, right? Getting my seeds to germinate and keeping them alive long enough to admire them was a rush... but now what do I do? They're going to keep getting bigger, and even I know that the small peat pots they're in aren't going to do the trick forever. Well, …

Inoculant: When and How to Use it – Pinetree Garden Seeds

Here's something you may or may not know about your soil: it can contain BILLIONS of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms; all within just a single teaspoon. Most of these microorganisms are things that you want in your soil... they can form beneficial relationships with the plants you're trying to grow! So, what is inoculant? It's …

Seed trial & Jicama update – Week of 4/25/16 – Pinetree Garden Seeds

Our Jicama seedlings were getting a little tall for their pots, so we transplanted them into some a few sizes bigger. Here you can see the base seed of the jicama plant! Some more flower trials, including new calendula, alyssum, celosia, and lupine, Lupine seed must be soaked before planting, according to your seed pack …