Guides
How to Grow
Step-by-step technique, care, harvest, and troubleshooting. Each crop guide routes exact dates, spacing, and growing conditions to its source-cited plant profile.
9 topics, with a few starting points from each
Start here
5 guidesContainer gardening for beginners
Container gardening works when you match pot size to the crop, use real potting mix, and water on the right rhythm. Here is how to grow food in pots.
Read guideHow to lay out a vegetable garden
Lay out a vegetable garden by sun, then spacing, then access. Put tall crops north, group by water needs, leave reachable beds, and rotate families yearly.
Read guideHow to start a vegetable garden from scratch
Start a vegetable garden by picking a full-sun spot, building one small bed, and planting a few crops timed to your frost dates. Here is the order.
Read guidePlanning & seasons
10 guides
How to plant spring bulbs in fall
Plant tulips, daffodils, crocus, and hyacinths in fall once the soil cools to about 50 to 55°F, two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall, before the ground freezes.
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Fall garden cleanup: how to put the vegetable garden to bed
After the first killing frost, pull spent vegetable plants, discard diseased ones, compost the rest, and cover bare soil with chopped leaves or an oats-and-peas cover crop.
Read guideThe best vegetables for a fall garden
The best vegetables for a fall garden are cold-hardy crops: kale, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, radishes, turnips, collards, and garlic, many sweeter after frost.
Read guideVegetable guides
32 guidesHow to grow beets
Grow smooth, tender beets by loosening the bed, thinning clustered seedlings in two passes, managing moisture evenly, and harvesting by root quality.
Read guideHow to grow broccoli
Grow broccoli with careful transplant handling, steady root-zone care, early pest exclusion, and a harvest plan that encourages side shoots.
Read guideHow to grow cantaloupe
Grow fragrant cantaloupe with gentle transplant handling, steady moisture, bee access, early beetle protection, and clear full-slip harvest cues.
Read guideHerb guides
9 guidesHow to grow basil
Grow bushy, flavorful basil by protecting it from cold stress, pinching above leaf nodes, watering at the base, and harvesting before flowers take over.
Read guideHow to grow cilantro and keep a steady harvest
Grow cilantro through direct sowing, afternoon protection in hot weather, repeated small batches, frequent leaf harvest, and planned coriander seed saving.
Read guideHow to grow dill for leaves, flowers, and seed
Grow dill by direct sowing, protecting the taproot, supporting tall stems, repeating small batches, and harvesting each plant for leaves, flowers, or seed.
Read guideFruit guides
3 guidesHow to grow blueberries
Grow blueberries by testing the soil first, building a dedicated acidic root environment, pairing compatible cultivars, mulching, pruning, and reading ripe fruit.
Read guideHow to grow raspberries
Grow raspberries by matching pruning to cane type, supporting the row, controlling suckers, removing spent canes, and picking fruit at clean release.
Read guideHow to grow strawberries
Grow strawberries by choosing the right fruiting habit, setting crowns correctly, directing runners, renovating dense beds, and protecting ripening fruit.
Read guideFlower guides
4 guidesHow to grow dahlias
Grow dahlias by inspecting tubers, orienting viable eyes, installing support early, pinching for branches, cutting deeply, and storing sound clumps dry.
Read guideHow to grow marigolds
Grow marigolds by matching plant form to the bed, raising compact transplants, watering at the roots, deadheading, and diagnosing mites or wet-weather disease.
Read guideHow to grow sunflowers
Grow sunflowers by matching cultivar habit to your goal, protecting seedlings, supporting tall stems, cutting at the right bud stage, and drying seed heads.
Read guideSoil & beds
5 guidesHow to build healthy garden soil
Build healthy garden soil by feeding the life in it: add compost and organic matter, test before you amend, and protect structure. Here is the order to do it.
Read guideMulching: what, when, and why
Mulch is a 2 to 4 inch layer over soil that holds moisture, blocks weeds, and moderates temperature. Here is which mulch to use, when to apply it, and how deep.
Read guideNo-dig gardening for beginners
No-dig gardening builds soil by layering compost on top instead of digging. Here is how to start a no-dig bed, why it works, and how to maintain it.
Read guideSeeds & propagation
3 guides
How to start seeds indoors
Starting seeds indoors comes down to timing off your last frost, a light mix, strong overhead light, gentle warmth, and a careful hardening off.
Read guideSeed saving for beginners
Seed saving for beginners: start with self-pollinating crops like beans, peas, lettuce, and tomatoes, let seeds fully ripen, dry them well, and store them cool and dark.
Read guideHow to harden off seedlings
Hardening off means gradually exposing indoor seedlings to outdoor sun and wind over 7 to 14 days before transplanting, so they survive the move. Here is the schedule.
Read guideTechniques & care
8 guidesGardening with dogs and cats: a pet-safe garden that still produces
How to design a productive garden that is safer for dogs and cats: veterinary-backed plant choices, raised beds and fencing, mulch and compost hazards, pest control, and trained boundaries.
Read guideGrowing vegetables in shade
You can grow vegetables in shade by choosing leafy greens and herbs over fruiting crops. Here is what grows in part shade and how to make the most of low light.
Read guideHow much to water a vegetable garden
Most vegetable gardens need about 1 inch of water per week, delivered deeply and infrequently rather than a little daily. Here is how to measure and time it.
Read guideBrowse all 79 guidesComplete topic directory
Start here5
Planning & seasons10
- How to plant spring bulbs in fall
- Fall garden cleanup: how to put the vegetable garden to bed
- The best vegetables for a fall garden
- Companion planting: what actually works
- Crop rotation for home gardens
- How to plant garlic in fall
- Planting a fall vegetable garden
- Succession planting for a longer harvest
- The fastest growing vegetables
- How to extend your growing season
Vegetable guides32
- How to grow beets
- How to grow broccoli
- How to grow cantaloupe
- How to grow carrots
- How to grow cauliflower
- How to grow celery
- How to grow green beans
- How to grow leeks
- How to grow lettuce
- How to grow okra
- How to grow onions
- How to grow peas
- How to grow peppers
- How to grow pumpkins
- How to grow radishes
- How to grow spinach
- How to grow sweet potatoes
- How to grow watermelon
- How to grow arugula
- How to grow Brussels sprouts
- How to grow cabbage
- How to grow collards
- How to grow cucumbers
- How to grow eggplant
- How to grow kale
- How to grow potatoes
- How to grow rhubarb
- How to grow sweet corn
- How to grow Swiss chard
- How to grow tomatoes
- How to grow turnips
- How to grow zucchini
Herb guides9
Fruit guides3
Flower guides4
Soil & beds5
Seeds & propagation3
Techniques & care8
- Gardening with dogs and cats: a pet-safe garden that still produces
- Growing vegetables in shade
- How much to water a vegetable garden
- Organic pest control basics
- Plants for natural dyes: growing a dye garden that actually yields color
- The best vegetables for raised beds
- The best vegetables for containers
- The best vegetables for vertical gardening