Category Archives: seasonality

Lettuce trays

Posted on 11 February 2013 by Debra

I just couldn’t wait for spring. So I started spring lettuces and microgreens under grow-lights just for the fun of it. The results are surprisingly cute and colorful, especially on this arctic cold day. The lettuce trays are for cutting … Continue reading →

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Fall splendors

Posted on 22 November 2012 by Debra

         

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Judging when to plant

Posted on 31 March 2012 by Debra

Spring planting is always a gamble. Of course, we want to plant as early as possible so as to enjoy young lettuces, cabbage, spinach and peas as soon as possible. But the risk involves planting too early so that frost … Continue reading →

Posted in backyard microclimate, cabbage, lettuce, planting, radish, seasonality, snap & snow peas, spinach | Leave a comment

Fall mulching

Posted on 20 November 2011 by Debra

With the recent frosty nights, gardens are coming down for the season. And it’s time to mulch the beds for winter. Mulching offers multiple benefits to a garden over the course of winter. First, it helps regulate temperature extremes that … Continue reading →

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Early fall?

Posted on 9 September 2011 by Debra

The weather has changed. Labor Day weekend was the coldest in Chicago history. So I’m pruning tomatoes to encourage the plants to put energy into ripening the many green tomatoes rather than putting out new growth. I also planted fall … Continue reading →

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Eat and eat early

Posted on 23 June 2011 by Debra

Vegetable wizard Stephen Allen points out how important it is to harvest at the right moment. Allen points out that most kitchen gardeners wait too long to harvest and eat their vegetables. He offers a useful list of early harvests. We … Continue reading →

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Baby beet greens and romaine

Posted on 10 June 2011 by Debra

Although the spinach and cutting lettuce turned bitter tasting in the heat early this week, you can still enjoy a great salad from your garden. The romaine head lettuce still tastes sweet so combine it with young chard greens. While … Continue reading →

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