FARMING TIPS Content

Sunflowers grow best in locations with direct sunlight (6 to 8 hours per day); they prefer long, hot summers to flower well.

Growing strawberries: Strawberry plants require 6-10 hours a day of direct sunlight, so choose your planting site accordingly.

Growing Honeyberries: For the best yields on tasty Honeyberries grow them in pairs to increase pollination.

Water blueberries with rainwater as the lime in tap water will reduce the soil acidity over time.

Horticultural oil is a well known insecticide that can be applied at anytime during the year.

Planting onions: Soil needs to be well-drained, loose, and rich in nitrogen; compact soil affects bulb development.

Planting peas: Water sparsely unless the plants are wilting. Do not let plants dry out, or no pods will be produced.

Planting Citrus: Citrus trees should be planted in a sunny and wind-protected area.

Harvesting Citrus: Depending on the climate, citrus fruits may take 6 to 8 months to ripen.

Harvesting Citrus: The best indicator of ripeness is taste.

Visually examine the apple: Some marking on the fruit like a scuff or specks comes from nature and does not signal a bad apple.

Planting peas: Peas will appreciate a good sprinkling of wood ashes to the soil before planting.

Planting peas: It is best to rotate pea crops every year or two to avoid a buildup of soil-borne diseases.

Visually examine the apple: As you check firmness, turn the apple completely in your hand to visually check for quality.

Planting onions: Practice crop rotation with onions.

Fungicides: Apple scab, European canker, fire blight and brown rot are a few diseases attacking apple trees that copper fungicides can control.

Harvesting peas: If you missed your peas peak period, you can still pick, dry, and shell them for use in winter soups.

Bacterium Insecticide: The kurstaki strain controls larval stages of butterflies and moths that feed on apple tree fruits and leaves.

Planting peas: Peas are best grown in temperatures below 70 degrees F.

Insecticidal Soap: Insecticidal soaps contain long-chain fatty acids, which are less toxic than chemical insecticides.