David Wall/Contributing Writer If you’re looking for a “different” large (as in huge!) tomato with great flavor, then perhaps the Mortgage Lifter is a plant you should consider. It’s an indeterminate, open-pollinated, heirloom tomato producing fruit weighing up to 2.5 pound that will produce until frost! The plant has a pinkish-red beefsteak-shapedContinue Reading
David Wall/ Contributing Writer WSs are a group of insects that are masters of camouflage. Resembling a small twig, they’re almost impossible to see in a forest unless you’re very observant, specifically looking for them, or they happen to be moving. If, however, you’re able to observe one you’re in forContinue Reading
David Wall/Contributing Writer Those who started cucumber plants from seed or bought transplants from various stores have been getting great results. The problem with cucumbers, and similarly tomatoes, is that they have a definite production limit. Most regular cucumbers species such as marketmore, straight8 and numerous others will usually produceContinue Reading
David Wall/Contributing Writer Pepper production should be coming into full production now. How about your hot peppers? Are they not as hot as they should be, or are they much hotter than usual. It’s really a simple matter to adjust the heat level. If hot peppers are too hot forContinue Reading
David Wall/Contributing Writer I’ve seen a few fireflies his summer, which brought back childhood memories of seeing them by the thousands on summer nights, and we could catch them in our cupped hands to watch them flash. Though they have the name fireflies, they’re actually beetles, which is why mostContinue Reading
By David WallIf you don’t feel you have enough garden space to grow cucumbers, consider growing them in containers. It’s easy and you can get a really good crop of this second most popular vegetable after tomatoes (which can also be grown in containers). Since cucumbers have a smaller rootContinue Reading
By David Wall For so many of us, especially for diabetics, it’s important to check the sugar content in products. We normally think “no sugar,” “less sugar,” or “lite” must be better for us, and in most instances, such is smart thinking. Recently, however, an ingredient often found in regularContinue Reading
By David Wall Onions are a fun crop to grow, requiring some soil preparation, but very little maintenance. They tolerate most soils and transplanting extremely well. Onions have a history possibly exceeding 5,000 years, so they’ve been around awhile, and it’s hard to imagine many foods without them. I haveContinue Reading
By David Wall Seeds do expire (germination rate goes through the floor), but several factors influence “when,” and even then, that so-called expiration date is a guesstimate. Many people mistakenly think a date written on the seed packet backside and is an expiration date. Seeds are alive and able toContinue Reading
By David Wall Well, your 2022 vegetable gardens are put to bed now, so it’s time to relax: right? Perhaps, but some of you are already thinking about what you might want to plant in 2023. Unfortunately, most of your local feed, hardware, and nursery garden stores have removed allContinue Reading
By David Wall PRINTED NOW DUE TO SCARCITY OF SEEDS. One of the more fun crops to raise is okra. Historically, in our area, Clemson spineless has been the variety to grow or purchase. Its main limitation has been it needs to be picked at a maximum of 4” inContinue Reading
By David Wall This year many are reconsidering raised bed vegetable gardens. Reasoning is simple. They’re compact, easy to work, easy to water, maintain moisture better, fewer problems with weeds, and usually produce more than a regular garden the same size. They come in all lengths, although widths are usuallyContinue Reading