Welcome to a new year and a new blog series for our readers! By far, the most frequent questions we receive are about proper techniques for successful organic gardening for both edibles and flowers. We thought it would be fun and useful to pull together a series that follows each season and serves as a resource to answer those very questions. Our plan is simple. Early each month we will post an article to share our advice on what a successful organic gardener should be focused on in the … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – January
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A Year in the Organic Garden – November
Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In October, we planted bulbs and perennials, as well as mulched and tested our soil. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at October in the Organic Garden. In November, we’ll likely experience our first frost of the season. We will cover crop protection techniques and more. As always, we welcome your own comments, questions and contributions to help make this an even more useful resource for … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – November
A Year in the Organic Garden – October
Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In September, we finished planting our Fall garden and discussed the benefits of Cover Crops. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at September in the Organic Garden. In October, we’ll plant bulbs (edible and flowers) and add some fall color. It’s also a great time to plant perennials before Winter arrives. As always, we welcome your own comments, questions and contributions to help make … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – October
Soooooo Many Hops!
Today’s post is a conversation with Steve from Winston-Salem, NC. In his spare time, he is an organic gardener and home brewer. He’s also kind enough to shop at FSG (Thank you!). Steve has been growing his own hops for a few years now and we thought it would be fun and useful to get his insights on growing this great plant. We hope you agree! Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi, well you already shared my name, some of my hobbies and my home town. Other things that … [Read more...] about Soooooo Many Hops!
A Year in the Organic Garden – August
Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In July, we were watering, fertilizing, harvesting and even getting started on our Fall gardens. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at July in the Organic Garden. In August, our Summer garden’s harvest is at its peak and the transition to Fall gardening is imminent. Read on for our suggestions on how to make the most of the month. As always, we welcome your own comments, questions and … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – August
A Year in the Organic Garden – May
Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In April, our cool season garden hit its stride, we covered the basics on fertilization and started our warm season seedlings indoors. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at April in the Organic Garden. May is a month of transition. Our cool season crops will soon be slowing down &/or going to seed as the weather warms. When they’re done, simply pull them and add them to the compost … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – May
A Guide to Healthy, Organically-Grown Tomatoes 2023
This article was originally published in 2017, it has been updated with new information and product links. As always, please leave us your comments below! -Pam Scott- I love tomatoes! Canning them, freezing them, drying them, pickling them, roasting them and saucing them is my idea of fun. Tomatoes, basil and mozzarella define the taste of summer for me. Growing up in cool, dry, New England, I spent most every August canning tomatoes with my mother. You can imagine my despair when … [Read more...] about A Guide to Healthy, Organically-Grown Tomatoes 2023
Talking Pawpaws with Sleepy Gap Pawpaws
Today’s post is a conversation with Andra of Sleepy Gap Pawpaws which supplies Pawpaw Seedlings to Fifth Season Gardening Co. We thought you’d enjoy learning more about this native fruit tree and hearing her story. Enjoy! Please introduce yourself to our readers! Hi, my name is Andra and I am the founder of Sleepy Gap Pawpaws near Asheville, NC. Sleepy Gap Pawpaws is a small-scale nursery and we also have an orchard with 130 trees growing for future harvests. In my other job I am a … [Read more...] about Talking Pawpaws with Sleepy Gap Pawpaws
Building a Raised Bed (2023)
Whether you live in the city or out in the country, the best way to have complete control over your garden is by building a raised bed. I say this because everyone’s soil is going to be different. It could be very sandy, loamy, high or low in nitrogen, or even solid red clay like mine is. The best way to overcome challenges presented by your soil is by building a garden bed on top of your existing soil. The first step is determining the size bed you would like to build. I built my raised beds … [Read more...] about Building a Raised Bed (2023)
A Bat Talk
We recently had the opportunity to both meet and have an engaging conversation with Dr. Rada Petric, Director of the Institute for the Environment at Highlands Field Site in Highlands, North Carolina, as well as Research Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Petric is studying the fascinating world of bat’s, in-particular their migration patterns and ecological impact on North Carolina. Hello! It’s great to meet you Dr. Petric. Please … [Read more...] about A Bat Talk