Not All Caterpillars Are Pests: How to Manage Them in Your Edible Garden

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Not All Caterpillars Are Pests: How to Manage Them in Your Edible Garden

Have you ever walked out to your vegetable garden, found leaves full of gaping holes, and wondered what caused them? Chances are that caterpillars are the culprits. For many gardeners (including me), the immediate reaction is to find a way to eliminate them before they destroy an entire crop. And yes, they can do that very quickly, especially if you’re dealing with several hungry caterpillars in a small space.

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How to Keep Your Garden Low-Maintenance All Summer

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How to Keep Your Garden Low-Maintenance All Summer

Although mid-summer tends to be unbearably hot and humid in my area, which means gardening only in the early morning and late afternoon, overall, summer is my favorite time of year to grow an edible garden. My plants are growing rapidly, vegetables are producing like crazy, the flowers I’ve planted all over the garden and in the landscaped areas of my yard are blooming, and all the pollinators are hard at work. Despite these upsides, summer is also the season when many gardeners can find themselves spending more time watering, weeding, pruning, and fighting pests than they expected.

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Succession Planting: How to Harvest More from the Same Space

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Succession Planting: How to Harvest More from the Same Space

My biggest problem in growing an edible food garden has long been not planting enough. While I always started my garden by planting a wide variety of vegetables, legumes, and flowers, by midsummer, some of my raised beds would always begin to look disappointingly sparse. When my early crops -- spinach, radishes, peas, bok choy and lettuce – finished producing and I pulled them, bare patches of soil were inevitably left behind. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a successful harvest, those empty spaces always struck me as a missed opportunity.

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What Are Mycorrhizae? The Soil Fungi That Help Plants Thrive

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What Are Mycorrhizae? The Soil Fungi That Help Plants Thrive

Healthy soil is far more than dirt. Beneath the surface of every productive garden lies a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that help plants grow, resist disease, and access nutrients. Among the most important of these organisms are mycorrhizal fungi, microscopic soil fungi that form beneficial partnerships with plant roots.

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How to Space Plants Correctly for Maximum Yield

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How to Space Plants Correctly for Maximum Yield

One of the most common mistakes gardeners make is assuming that planting more vegetables in a small space will automatically produce a larger harvest. In reality, overcrowding often does the opposite. Plants that are packed too closely together compete for sunlight, water, nutrients, and airflow. The result is usually smaller harvests, increased disease pressure, and weaker plants.

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How to Grow Bush Beans in Containers

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How to Grow Bush Beans in Containers

Growing fresh vegetables doesn’t require a large backyard garden, and in fact, you can grow many varieties of veggies, fruits, and herbs in containers – enough to replace a significant portion of your grocery purchases. Bush beans are one vegetable that don’t readily come to mind as great candidates for a container garden, but in fact, they are one of the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow in containers. They grow quickly, produce heavily, and are beginner-friendly, making them an excellent choice for patios, balconies, decks, and small-space gardens.

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Grow These 7 Crops to Help Cut Summer Grocery Costs

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Grow These 7 Crops to Help Cut Summer Grocery Costs

Rising food prices have been a major concern around the world with tariffs, conflicts in the Ukraine, Russia and the Middle East, and elevated costs of fertilizer being major causes of food inflation. Recent reporting by the USDA Economic Research Service, the UK’s National Farmer’s Union, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concur that there’s little relief in sight and that food prices are likely to rise even further in late 2026 and into early 2027.

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Signs of Bad Garden Soil (And How to Fix It Naturally)

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Signs of Bad Garden Soil (And How to Fix It Naturally)

Healthy soil is the foundation of every productive garden. When your soil is thriving, plants grow more vigorously, resist pests and diseases more effectively, and produce larger, healthier harvests. But when soil quality declines, even experienced gardeners can struggle with yellowing leaves, stunted growth, poor harvests, and constant pest problems.

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How to Plan a Small Garden Layout for Maximum Yield (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

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How to Plan a Small Garden Layout for Maximum Yield (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

If you have a small space for growing an edible food garden, every square foot matters.

Many people picture a sprawling area filled with rows and rows of vegetables, or a handful of raised beds. If that’s what you have to work with, that’s wonderful! But many gardeners with considerably less space than that are able to grow a productive, thriving food garden. With thoughtful planning, even a compact garden can produce an impressive harvest.

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Tree Care Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

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Tree Care Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

Trees make your property more beautiful, provide shade, and even boost your home's value — but they need proper attention to stay healthy and safe. If you've just moved into a home with established trees, or you've recently planted new ones, this guide walks you through everything you need to know to keep them thriving year-round.

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Cold-Tolerant Vegetables You Can Still Plant in April

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Cold-Tolerant Vegetables You Can Still Plant in April

Think you missed your chance to plant a spring garden? Well let me reassure you – you’re not late yet! The end of April can still be an excellent month to sow many cold-tolerant vegetables, especially crops that prefer cool soil and mild temperatures. In fact, some vegetables perform better when planted in April than they do earlier in late winter, because the soil has begun to warm and germination is often faster.

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How to Grow Lettuce That Doesn’t Bolt Too Fast

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How to Grow Lettuce That Doesn’t Bolt Too Fast

Have you ever stepped outside one afternoon to find that your beautiful lettuce patch is suddenly shooting up tall stems and turning bitter? This is not unusual when the weather turns warmer. Bolting is one of the most frustrating challenges for home gardeners, especially in late spring and early summer, when weather conditions can change quickly.

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7 Ways to Support Pollinators When You Don't Have a Garden

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7 Ways to Support Pollinators When You Don't Have a Garden

Pollinators are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat. Around 87% of flowering plant species and 87 of the world's leading food crops depend on them for reproduction. Yet approximately 40% of invertebrate pollinators are now at risk of extinction, with habitat destruction and pesticide use identified as the primary drivers of their decline.

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When and How to Harden Off Seedlings (Without Losing Them)

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When and How to Harden Off Seedlings (Without Losing Them)

If you’ve ever brought home healthy-looking seedlings or nurtured your own indoors, only to watch them wilt, stall, or die after transplanting, you’re not alone. This is one of the earliest lessons I’ve learned the hard way: if you move plants from indoors to the outdoors too quickly, you can easily undermine them or even lose them altogether. When you’re growing an edible garden from seed, it’s important to make sure your seedlings will be able to handle the transition to a new climate and growing condition.

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