Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Tomatoes Split Right at the Shoulder After a Late-Summer Watering, Here Is Why
Picking a ripe tomato and finding a deep ring cracked around the stem end is one of the…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Squash Plants Wilt Suddenly Overnight Even With Wet Soil in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Few things are more alarming than walking out to your garden on a hot August morning and finding…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Cucumber Vines Flower Heavily but Set No Fruit in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
You step outside on a sweltering August morning, and your cucumber vines are absolutely loaded with yellow blossoms…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
What North Carolina Gardeners Do To Fix Blueberry Bushes That Barely Fruit In Backyard Beds
Blueberry bushes that flower every spring but barely produce fruit are one of the most frustrating problems in…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Cucumber Seedlings Yellow and Stall Right After Sprouting in Warm Late-Summer Soil, Here Is Why
Planting a second cucumber crop in late summer is one of the smartest moves a Southern gardener can…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Pepper Plants Grow Lush and Leafy but Set No Fruit in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
A pepper plant covered in glossy leaves and dotted with open flowers looks like it should be loaded…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
What North Carolina Gardeners Do To Get Panicle Hydrangeas That Put On A Real Show Well Into Fall
Panicle hydrangeas are one of the most reliable flowering shrubs in North Carolina yards, putting on a show…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Carrot Roots Come Up Forked and Stunted in the Warm Late-Summer Soil, Here Is Why
Pulling up a carrot and finding a twisted, forked, or stubby root instead of a smooth, straight one…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Broccoli Plants Button Into Tiny Heads Before They Size Up in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Planting fall broccoli in the South means racing against the calendar, and nothing is more discouraging than watching…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Cauliflower Plants Sit Stunted and Turn Purple Before Heading Up in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Fall cauliflower is one of the trickier crops to time well in the South, and watching a transplant…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
The Invasive Tree Quietly Spreading Spotted Lanternfly Through North Carolina Yards Right Now
A fast-growing invasive tree called tree-of-heaven is already rooted in many North Carolina yards, and right now it…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Cabbage Heads Refuse To Form Tight Cores in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
You transplanted your fall cabbage in late August, watered it faithfully, and watched it push out leaf after…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
What It Really Means When You Keep Finding Box Turtles Near Your North Carolina Garden Beds
Spotting a box turtle near your garden beds once might feel like a lucky surprise, but finding one…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Pepper Plants Drop Their Blossoms Before Any Fruit Sets in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Watching flower after flower fall from your pepper plants without a single fruit forming is one of the…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Radish Roots Split and Turn Woody Before You Can Pull Them in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Pulling a radish from the garden only to find it cracked open or tough as a stick is…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
What It Really Means When Carpenter Bees Start Drilling Into Your North Carolina Porch This Summer
Walk out to your porch on a warm North Carolina morning and you might spot a fat, shiny…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Cucumber Leaves Turn Silvery and Speckled in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Walking out to your cucumber vines on a scorching August afternoon and finding the leaves looking washed-out, speckled,…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 18
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Bush Beans Drop Their Blossoms Before Any Pods Set in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Walking out to your bean patch and finding shriveled flowers on the ground instead of tiny pods forming…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Shrub That Fills the Wooded Edge When Everything Else Fades in Fall
Most North Carolina property lines and fence rows look pretty forgettable by October, once summer color has faded…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Zucchini Sets Tiny Fruit That Rots at the Tip in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Watching a baby zucchini shrivel and brown at the tip before it ever gets going is one of…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Beet Seeds Come Up Thin and Leggy in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
You sowed beet seeds in late summer, watered faithfully, and waited – only to find a row of…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Spinach Seeds Refuse To Sprout in the Warm Late-Summer Soil, Here Is Why
Planting spinach for a fall harvest sounds straightforward until the seeds simply sit in the ground and nothing…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Potted Tomatoes Stay Small and Weak in the Fading Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Your potted tomato has been sitting in the same container all summer, and something just feels off –…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Lettuce Seedlings Bolt and Turn Bitter Before They Ever Head Up in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Planting lettuce in late summer for a fall harvest sounds straightforward, but Southern gardeners often watch their seedlings…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Kale Seedlings Sprout Well but Get Chewed to Lace in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
You checked your fall kale bed, found a row of healthy little sprouts, and came back two days…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Tomato Transplants Sit Still and Refuse To Grow in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
You set out your fall tomato transplants with high hopes, and now they just sit there, looking the…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
What It Really Means When Katydids Start Taking Over Your North Carolina Yard in Late Summer
Every August and September, North Carolina yards fill up with a loud, raspy chorus that seems to come…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Carrot Seeds Sprout Patchy and Weak in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Planting carrot seeds in late summer and watching half the row never come up is one of the…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Cucumber Seedlings Yellow and Stall Right After Sprouting in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Starting a second cucumber crop in late summer is a smart move for Southern gardeners, but watching those…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Shrub With Laboratory Evidence Against Some Tick Nymphs Along Your Wooded Backyard Edge
Ticks are a real problem for North Carolina families who spend time near wooded backyard edges, and most…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Squash Seedlings Sprout Fast but Fizzle Out in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Planting fall squash in August feels like a race against the calendar, and watching your seedlings pop up…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
The One Thing You Must Do To Your Crape Myrtles In North Carolina Before August Is Over
Crape myrtles are one of the most common trees in North Carolina yards, and late summer tends to…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Broccoli Seedlings Turn Purple and Stall Out After Transplanting in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Stepping outside to check on your newly planted fall broccoli and finding the leaves flushed purple and the…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Pole Beans Grow Tall and Leafy but Barely Flower While the Heat Lingers in Late Summer, Here Is Why
Watching your pole bean vines climb higher every day while the rest of the garden bakes in late-summer…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Tree That Feeds Pollinators All Season While Everyone Overlooks It
Black gum, also called black tupelo, is a North Carolina native tree that quietly supports wildlife from spring…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Bean Plants Flower Heavily but the Pods Stay Flat and Empty in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Your bean plants are covered in flowers, but the pods coming in look thin, flat, or nearly empty…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Cucumbers Turn Bitter and Sharp-Tasting Right at Harvest in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Biting into a homegrown cucumber and getting a mouthful of sharpness is one of the most frustrating moments…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
What It Really Means When Stink Bugs Start Sneaking Into Your North Carolina Home in Late Summer
Every late summer, North Carolina homeowners start noticing a familiar, shield-shaped visitor crawling along windowsills or slipping under…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Cucumber Leaves Turn Silvery and Speckled While the Vine Slows in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Walk out to your cucumber bed on a sweltering August morning and you might notice the leaves looking…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 17
Gardening Tips
If Your Tomato Leaves Curl and Turn Yellow While the Fruit Ripens Slowly in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Standing in front of a tomato plant with curled, yellowing leaves and fruit that refuses to turn red…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
If Your Potted Peppers Keep Dropping Blossoms and Barely Fruiting in Late-Summer Heat, the Container Is Often Why
Watching your potted pepper shed flower after flower in August heat is one of the more discouraging sights…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
If Your Pepper Leaves Curl Up and Turn Leathery While the Plant Keeps Growing in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Pepper plants can throw gardeners a real curveball in late summer: the leaves start curling and feel almost…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
If Your Eggplant Flowers Keep Dropping Without Setting Fruit in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Watching eggplant flowers fall off day after day without a single fruit forming is one of the more…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
If Your Tomato Plants Are Loaded With Leaves but Refuse To Set Fruit While Nights Stay Warm, Here Is Why
Watching a tomato plant push out leaf after leaf while flowers dry up and fall before setting a…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Shrub That Draws Fireflies Back To Your Backyard Edge At Dusk
If you have ever watched fireflies blink along a dark tree line at dusk, you know how much…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
If Your Squash Vines Wilt and Collapse Overnight While the Fruit Still Looks Fine in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Walking out to your garden and finding a squash vine lying flat on the ground is one of…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
What It Really Means When Carpenter Bees Start Drilling Into Your North Carolina Porch This Summer
Walk out to your North Carolina porch on a warm summer morning and you might spot a large,…
By Jasmine Hughes
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
If Your Fall Cabbage Transplants Keep Wilting in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Planting fall cabbage in late summer feels like a race against the calendar, and then you watch your…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 16
Gardening Tips
If Your Cucumber Vines Wilt by Afternoon Even After Watering in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why
Walking out to your garden at 2 p.m. and finding your cucumber vines collapsed on the trellis is…
By Ethan Brooks
·
Aug 16