For years I thought that cold and frost are our biggest foe, but not any longer. With the indoor garden we can grow food even in -40 degrees. However, what turns out to be a real challenge is pests. Aphids, spider mites and scales can easily ruin an indoor or greenhouse garden. We mostly have to ...
Trouble Shooting
Tomato Root Rot
Growing tomatoes is fun, and we grow lots every year. However, it gets difficult when plants develop diseases; the growing season is pretty much over if that disease is deadly. Tomato root rot is one of them. What is tomato root rot Tomato root rot is just what the name says, the roots of the ...
Why do Tomatoes Crack and Split as they Ripen
A friend sent me this picture with a question: Hi Anna, do you know what's wrong with my tomatoes??? :( Admittedly, it looks rather scary, but it actually is just a cracked fruit. Here you will find answers as to why tomatoes crack and split as they ripen, how to prevent it, and what to do with ...
Tomato Blossom End Rot
Now that tomatoes are planted and growing, let's take a look at some of the tomato problems and diseases. Tomato blossom end rot is a physiological condition, not a disease. It is not contagious and the tomato is actually still edible. Causes for blossom end rot If you search for causes for ...
Challenges with the Back to Eden Method
We are big fans of no-till gardening methods. We got into it through the Back to Eden film, a documentary of a sheet mulch gardening method using wood chips or other natural mulch material. Mulching is just the best thing one can do for a garden. There is no tilling or digging needed any ...
Garden Shade Survey
Did you know that in April the day length is the same as in September? That means if there is shade in April, there also will be just as much shade in September. There might be even more because trees are not having leaves in April, but they do in September. It is a good idea to do a shade survey in ...
What to Do Differently Next Spring
March is here, but it is still freezing cold outside. Spring is coming though! Reflecting on what was growing last summer, there were a few things that I would like to do differently next spring. At a northern garden we get just one shot. With most crops there is no time to redo something or to try ...
The Weather we are dealing with
It is a beautiful morning here. Blue sky, enjoyable warm; a good summer day. But, check this out, something is wrong here isn't it? I mean it is July 11th, its mid summer and tonight the temperature has been forecasted to go down to 4 degrees Celsius. Yep that is very close to freezing. One ...
