Erin Thomson

Don’t let shorter days and crisp fall weather deter you from getting out in the garden! There’s almost as much to be done in the garden in fall as there is in spring. While gardening in the fall might not have the ‘new and shiny’ feeling that gardening in spring does, every garden chore you manage to get done in the fall will help make your garden even more successful next year!...

Early in the growing season, finding one ripe tomato or pepper feels like finding a precious gem. As the season carries on it can get to a point where it’s hard to keep up with everything your plants produce (…I’m looking at you, zucchini). But if you stop harvesting, your plants might stop producing or you could end up with veggies going bad right on the plant. As gardeners we sometimes need to get a bit resourceful to find ways to use up an extra-abundant harvest!...

It’s hard to believe that the hot summer weather is already starting to give way to cooler fall days! Fall can be a super-productive time in the garden, but even the most cold-hardy plants can use a bit of help to survive once the temperatures really start to drop. Don’t just give up on your plants as soon as the cold weather hits; use season extension techniques to keep on growing!...

Harvesting fresh veggies is the ultimate reward for all the time and care we invest in our gardens! When harvest time finally arrives it’s easy to just get out there and start picking, but there is a bit of technique involved to harvest properly. You’ll want to make sure to harvest vegetables at their peak, while also helping the plants stay healthy and productive. How to harvest, and when to harvest, will vary for different crops:...

Summertime is a busy time in the garden. From managing watering, to preparing for vacation, and tackling garden problems, there is a lot to do to keep your garden going strong! Even though summer can get hectic, don’t forget to take a step back from the to-do list to plan your fall garden. While the tomatoes are ripening and the peppers are plumping, it’s time to be thinking about which seeds to sow and seedlings to transplant for fall harvests....

If you have plants in your garden that are struggling, you are not alone. Even experienced gardeners have challenges in the garden. Being able to quickly identify and troubleshoot plant problems is an important gardening skill. The first step is to observe- spend a few minutes walking through your garden every day to look for signs of trouble: Plant wilting Plant wilting can be a sign of a suffering plant, but not always....

The taste of a sun-ripened tomato fresh from the garden can’t be beat. But tomato plants need a little extra support to perform at their best. Many types of tomatoes benefit from trellising- adding structural support to help them grow upright instead of sprawling out. Why trellis tomatoes? Trellising tomato plants helps to: Keep the foliage up off the ground which, along with pruning, helps prevent soil-borne diseases Increase airflow around the plant, which also helps reduce the spread of disease Maximize garden space, as the plants can be grown closer together than if they were allowed to grow wild Provide extra support for plants that are heavily fruit-laden, so they don’t flop over or end up with broken branches While you can let your tomato plants grow au naturel, for many tomato varieties trellising is important for healthy plants and abundant harvests....

Heading off on vacation? Don’t forget about your garden in your vacation planning! Planning for your garden’s care while you’re away will help ensure your plants stay healthy and keep on producing. Will my garden survive while I’m away? If you’re only going away for a couple days, your plants might be fine without any special attention. But, it can still be helpful to take steps to be sure your plants survive....

Gardeners spend a good part of the year eagerly anticipating the prime growing season. All of a sudden the season sets in and it’s a sprint to get the first plants and seeds in the ground- and before we know it the early-season hustle is over. The growing season can sneak up on even the most enthusiastic gardener. New gardeners just getting inspired to start a garden might be discouraged to find out the season is already well underway....

The first time your hear a gardener use the word ‘bolting’ in the same sentence as ‘plants’ it can be a bit of a head-scratcher (…are they running away?) In the gardening world, bolting refers to a non-fruiting plant that has started to produce flowers and seeds- also known as ‘going to seed’. Gardeners often see bolting as a bad thing, but it doesn’t have to be! What is bolting? When a plant bolts it focuses all its energy on producing flowers and seeds, instead of growing new, lush leaves or larger roots....