While the primary focus of phalenplot.com is my vegetable garden, spring perennials provide a much-needed burst of color this time of year. Tucked away next to the garage, this Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) has begun its late-April show. In my experience, it'll bloom for a
I told y'all I'd be growing something new this year! Although it won't be fruiting until late summer 2027 at the earliest, I bought this Chippewa Blueberry plant from the Bachmann's up off Highway 36 & White Bear Ave. Built for the
Quick flashback from the archives - to the time I grew a zucchini that weighed over SIX LBS! The pictures say it all! This bad boy was the size of our elder Morkie, Zooey, born way back in 2013. My wife thought it would be hilarious to stage a photo shoot
Spring on St. Paul's East Side can be a rollercoaster, but a few hearty herbs and veggies can withstand the weather. Chives are definitely one of them. Here's the 101: * 2-inch rule: Leave at least two inches of green above the soil to ensure the
Last summer, I had three small pots with chives growing. As fall came around, I left them in their containers, and now they're growing again! No human intervention required. That's my type of crop - easy growth with minimal maintenance! Since chives are perennials, they survive the
Three weeks in, and the microgarden is proving that some herbs simply have more grit than others. While almost everything is thriving, the basil is currently staging a quiet, stubborn protest. Here is the latest status report on what’s winning and what’s stalled: * Arugula looks perfect! No complaints.
The verdict: too soon to tell! We'll have to wait & see. I did use some of the potato fertilizer I bought on 4 of the bags. It'll be interesting to see if that makes a difference in the yield! RELATED: Shielding Potatoes from the Weekend
Here's a quick breakdown of the plant food and fertilizers I'll be using on my garden herbs and veggies this summer. The Feed Lineup * Miracle-Gro All Purpose: The 'Swiss Army knife' of the shelf, provides a basic, fast-acting nutrient boost for general
Quick post this morning, after waking up to snow on St. Paul's East Side! It was just a little dusting, but it's still a good thing that I covered up the potatoes with the tarp on Friday night.
When the temps get too low, you wanna make sure you're covering up your crops! And yes, this even goes for a cold-weather vegetable like potatoes. As hearty and strong as potatoes can be, even they can die off if it gets too cold out. The temperature
So way back in the day, probably circa 2015, 2016, I had a colleague who remarked to me that I was probably spending more on my garden than the veggies I was growing were worth... I thought, challenge accepted. I’ve had a vegetable garden almost every summer since I
Quick update on the microgarden - I consolidated all the herbs into one unit this morning. It's been 11 days since I started these pods, as originally shared in this post. I plan to dismantle the other microgarden and clean it up for next winter. RELATED: Checking In on