Blossom End Rot Won’t Take My Tomatoes Again
Blossom end rot wiped out half my tomato harvest last year. Turns out it’s mostly a watering problem, and fixing it costs almost nothing if you know where to look.
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Starting Onions and Leeks Indoors for Almost Nothing
Bought onion starts last year and half of them melted before they hit the ground. This year I started my own from seed for less than the cost of that bundle, using a salad clamshell and a shop light. Here’s the whole cheap setup.
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Bury Your Tomatoes Deep. Like, Really Deep.
Burying your tomato transplants deep gives them a massive root system boost with zero extra cost. Here’s how to do it right, and why leggy seedlings are actually an advantage.
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What To Do With Empty Winter Beds (Besides Feel Guilty About Them)
Empty winter beds aren’t a waste of time, they’re an opportunity. Here’s how to build serious soil health through the wet Redmond winter without spending more than a few bucks.
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Leek and Let Grow: Starting Onions and Leeks Indoors for Almost Nothing
Onions and leeks need 10 to 12 weeks of indoor growing time before transplant, which means December is exactly when you should start. Here’s a cheap setup that actually works, learned the hard way after killing a few batches.
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Seed Catalog Season: What to Order
Seed catalogs show up in December and I’ve been dog-earing pages ever since. Here’s how I actually plan what to order for a zone 8b backyard in Redmond without spending money on things that won’t work or won’t get eaten.
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Starting Peppers Indoors: Cheap Grow Light Setup
Peppers need 10 to 12 weeks of indoor growing before transplant, which means January in Redmond is the time to start. Here’s how to set up a cheap grow light system that actually works without a sad windowsill and without spending serious money.
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Planning Your 2026 Vegetable Garden
Every December I tell myself I’m going to plan the garden properly this year. This time I’m actually doing it. Here’s how I map out the 2026 vegetable garden for zone 8b Redmond, WA, including real timing numbers and a seed budget I will almost certainly blow.
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Garlic Goes In the Ground This Month
Planted garlic in spring my first year and harvested marbles. Turns out it goes in the ground in October and spends the winter doing its thing. Here’s how to do it right in the Pacific Northwest.
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What to Plant in October (Yes, Really)
Most people shut their garden down in October. In Redmond, that’s leaving a lot of free food on the table. Here’s what’s still worth planting this week and what to leave in the ground.
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What to Plant Right Now: PNW September Garden
September in Redmond still has 10 to 12 weeks of growing time if you know what to plant. Here’s what’s actually worth putting in the ground right now, what to skip, and why garlic planning can’t wait.
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Cheap Frost Protection That Actually Works
First frost in Redmond usually shows up late October, but that doesn’t mean the garden has to be done. Wire hoops, a roll of row cover fabric, and some old bedsheets can buy you weeks of extra growing season for under $20.
