May 2009 By Jean English and Eric Sideman Photo by Jean English A 50-foot row of winter squash can yield 80 pounds or more – 80 pounds of a high-fiber vegetable that is rich in vitamins and minerals, can be stored long into winter and makes a delicious main course, side dish or dessert. Yes,
This article is provided by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), PO Box 170, Unity, ME 04988; 207-568-4142; [email protected]; www.mofga.org. Joining MOFGA helps support and promote organic farming and gardening in Maine and helps Maine consumers enjoy more healthful, Maine-grown food. Copyright 2009. If you reprint this article, please include this reference, and
Home gardeners can easily grow all the onions they’ll need for the year. The easiest way is to plant “sets” (small onions) in the spring. Sets are available from seed catalogs, garden centers and hardware stores. In late April or early May, place the small bulbs about an inch deep in the garden, with four
Extend the Growing Season with Coleman’s Double-Covered Low Tunnels by Jean English Eliot Coleman has another great idea—one that will extend the growing season at far lower cost than the $1500 or so required for a hoop house. His plan, which he started experimenting with last year, involves planting pairs of 30-inch-wide beds of hardy
Plant on Patriots’ Day and your peas could look this good by the Fourth of July! Photo by Eric Sideman. by Russell Libby © April 15, 2008 (Revised on April 15, 2021) If you want peas for the Fourth of July, it’s almost time to plant! Many Maine gardeners use Patriots’ Day as the traditional
by Jean English. Copyright 2009. When Wall Street experts say that some financial instruments are beyond their comprehension, it’s time to put your money into something more tangible: seeds! Seedy dividends beat the market: Organic farmer Jason Kafka grew this onion and kohlrabi from seed. Jean English photo. Consider the fact that half a pound
By Jean English The hubbub of the holidays over; it’s time for gardeners to get down to the nitty-gritty of ordering seeds, and the first step in that process is to inventory what’s in that shoebox on the shelf. Many seeds that are left over from last year or even previous years will still be
Lost Your First Bean Crop? Try Again! Copyright 2009 by Jean English If rain, cold, slugs or rot got your first planting of snap beans this year, it’s not too late to plant again. Most bush snap beans mature within one and one-half to two months, so you can plant enough in early July to
By Jean English Copyright 2008 Looking for free “fertilizer” for your lawn or garden? Look to leaves! Leaves that drop in the fall can supply all the nutrients needed in a vegetable garden. They’ll even supply a wider range of essential nutrients than a bag of 10-10-10 synthetic fertilizer, because tree roots draw over a
by Jean English, Copyright 2006 Garlic planting season is coming! Mid- to late-October is the time to plant individual cloves of garlic in the ground in Central Maine, so September is the time to make sure you have cloves to plant. After they’re planted, the cloves send out roots before the ground freezes, then, in spring,
