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
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5 guides
Container 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.
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How 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.
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How 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.
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32 guides
How to grow arugula
Grow arugula through small successive sowings, early flea-beetle exclusion, steady moisture, selective cutting, and prompt bolting decisions.
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How 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.
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How 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 guideHerb guides
9 guides
How 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.
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How 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.
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How 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 guides
How 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.
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How 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.
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How 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 guides
How to grow dahlias
Grow dahlias by inspecting tubers, orienting viable eyes, installing support early, pinching for branches, cutting deeply, and storing sound clumps dry.
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How 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.
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How 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 guides
Mulching: 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.
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No-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.
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The best soil mix for raised beds
Choose a source-backed raised bed soil mix for the surface below your bed, calculate the volume, and keep the soil productive over time.
Read guideSeeds & propagation
3 guides
How 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.
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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.
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Seed 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 guidePlanning & seasons
8 guides
Companion planting: what actually works
Most companion planting advice is folklore. Here is what the evidence supports: trap crops, pollinator draws, spacing, and the pairings worth your time.
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Crop rotation for home gardens
Crop rotation means not planting the same plant family in the same spot two years running, which breaks pest and disease cycles. Here is a simple home-garden plan.
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How to extend your growing season
Extend your growing season by warming soil earlier in spring and protecting crops later in fall with row covers, cold frames, and small greenhouses.
Read guideTechniques & care
8 guides
Growing 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.
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How 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.
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Plants for natural dyes: growing a dye garden that actually yields color
Grow marigold, hollyhock, Japanese indigo, madder, and other dye plants with source-backed harvest, fiber, mordant, and color-testing guidance.
Read guideBrowse all 77 guidesComplete topic directory
Start here5
Vegetable guides32
- How to grow arugula
- How to grow beets
- How to grow broccoli
- How to grow Brussels sprouts
- How to grow cabbage
- How to grow cantaloupe
- How to grow carrots
- How to grow cauliflower
- How to grow celery
- How to grow collards
- How to grow cucumbers
- How to grow eggplant
- How to grow green beans
- How to grow kale
- 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 potatoes
- How to grow pumpkins
- How to grow radishes
- How to grow rhubarb
- How to grow spinach
- How to grow sweet corn
- How to grow sweet potatoes
- How to grow Swiss chard
- How to grow tomatoes
- How to grow turnips
- How to grow watermelon
- How to grow zucchini
Herb guides9
Fruit guides3
Flower guides4
Soil & beds5
Seeds & propagation3
Planning & seasons8
Techniques & care8
- Growing vegetables in shade
- How much to water a vegetable garden
- Plants for natural dyes: growing a dye garden that actually yields color
- The best vegetables for containers
- The best vegetables for raised beds
- The best vegetables for vertical gardening
- Gardening with dogs and cats: a pet-safe garden that still produces
- Organic pest control basics