Autumn has arrived! Up in the mountains, the icy wind came with it. Leaves turn fiery red and orange before falling one by one. Soon, your fruit trees might look a little bare. Don’t feel sorry for them, this is the perfect chance to peek inside the crown and see what’s really going on. And yes: it’s the right moment for a light autumn haircut. But careful: not all pruning belongs in autumn....
Deserts are notoriously harsh environments. Hot and dry (excluding Antarctica), with low rainfall, desert soils are challenging for most plants and take years to naturally build fertility. Deserts are found on multiple continents, from Australia to the Desert Southwest in the USA. Compost is an excellent soil amendment and a powerful way to enrich impoverished soil. But as compost requires moisture and plenty of organisms, is it possible in the desert?...
Trees are wonderful. They provide shade, structure, habitat, and beauty to a garden. But if you’ve planted a tree in your yard, it may not be in its natural or preferred environment. Supporting its growth means helping recreate those natural conditions wherever possible. While trees get around 90% of their mass from carbon in the air, the remaining 10% from the soil is equally vital. So, how can you mimic that natural nutrient cycle and the accumulation of organic matter on the ground at home?...
If you live anywhere with deciduous trees, then you have the key ingredient for one of the best natural soil supplements—leaf mold. This organic material improves soil structure, boosts moisture retention, and supports beneficial soil organisms, making it an essential addition to any garden. In this article, we’ll run through the simple process and break down (pun intended) some of the science behind it. What is Leaf Mold? Despite its name, leaf mold isn’t slimy, smelly, or unpleasant....
Again and again, gardening confirms how incredibly minimal our consumption of species diversity is. In my household, there’s someone cutting an onion for dinner every single night. And to be fair, I guess most people do. It’s always there. Yet the diversity we actually use is pretty much… yellow or red. Like what?! There are so many varieties in this amazing family. And in my opunion (sorry, couldn’t resist), there’s a whole world of flavor, beauty, and history we’re missing out on....
As evenings turn cooler, many summer crops start to fade. Tomatoes slow down, beans get tough, and cucumbers struggle. But just when the garden seems ready to rest, another group of plants takes center stage: the Brassicas. If autumn has heroes, it’s them. (Especially here in Germany, hello sauerkraut!) A Family With Many Faces As a triplet myself, I’ve always thought of my family as pretty big. But it’s nothing compared to this one....
We’re finally seeing a slow temperature decline in the Desert Southwest, which is wonderful. We’ve passed our yearly highs, and although it wasn’t nearly as hot as last year (thankfully), July and August brought far less rain, leaving us below average for the monsoon storms. Below-average years are inevitable, of course, but it’s still disappointing. That said, a wet winter is predicted, which is wonderful. Here’s a brief look at what’s happening in my garden right now....
Plants love to grow; it’s what they do. However, sometimes conditions are less than ideal. Fertilizers help to optimize plant growth by maximizing the growing conditions and helping to stave off pests and diseases. In this article, we’ll go through some easy at-home fertilizers you can make that are more environmentally friendly than most commercial options and can be more affordable, too. What Do Fertilizers Do? Fertilizers are food for plants: they provide nutrients for them to grow and thrive....
Bees are among the most essential—and most overlooked—insects in our ecosystems. With thousands of native species worldwide, they pollinate around 80% of the world’s flowering plants. Unlike honeybees, which were introduced in many places, native bees evolved alongside local plants and are often even better suited to pollinate them. In this article, we’ll go over some of the key issues they’re facing, how your garden can help them to thrive, and what they’ll do for you in return....
Having grown up in the countryside, one of the things I missed most when I lived in the city as a student was the smell of late summer. That warm, cereal-like scent of freshly cut straw was always the signal that the season was shifting. Now that I’ve moved back to the countryside, and even mowed for the very first time myself on a giant John Deere tractor, I can confidently say: the smell of straw is back, folks....