Putting Strawberries to Bed for Winter
Strawberries need a little fall prep to survive a Pacific Northwest winter without losing crowns to freeze-thaw heaving. Here’s what to do in September before the real cold hits, and it won’t cost you much.
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Fall Raspberry Prep Without Spending Much
September is the window for fall raspberry prep in the Pacific Northwest, and it closes fast. A little cane cleanup, some free mulch, and smart watering now means a much better harvest next summer.
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Pruning Raspberries: When and How to Cut Them Back
Raspberry pruning is one of those late-winter jobs that pays off big in July. Get the timing wrong and you’ll either lose this year’s fruit or spend summer fighting a thorny mess. Here’s how to do it without overthinking it.
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Tomato Hornworm Control That Costs Almost Nothing
Tomato hornworms can strip a plant overnight and stay invisible the whole time. Here’s how to find them using frass, stripped stems, and a UV flashlight, plus free controls that actually work.
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Cheap DIY Ollas for Deep Watering Summer Beds
Ollas are ancient buried clay pot irrigators that slowly seep water into the root zone, and you can build one for under $7. Here’s how to glue two terracotta pots together, bury them in your summer beds, and keep tomatoes, peppers, and squash happy through a Redmond July without running a hose twice a day.
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Strawberries Are Going Nuts Right Now
June is peak strawberry season in the Pacific Northwest and it goes fast. Here’s what to actually do right now to get the most fruit, avoid the common mistakes, and set your bed up for next year.
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Feed Your Raspberries Cheap This Spring my
May is the feeding window for raspberries in the Pacific Northwest, and you don’t need expensive specialty fertilizers to get a real harvest. Balanced granular fertilizer, compost, coffee grounds, and fish emulsion are all cheap options that work. Feed them now while new growth is pushing and they’ll pay you back in July.
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Feed Me Seymour: When to Fertilize Fruiting Plants
Fertilizing fruiting plants isn’t just about feeding them, it’s about feeding the right thing at the right time. Get the timing wrong and you’ll grow a beautiful plant with nothing on it. Ask me how I know.
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Melons and Squash: Start Inside or Just Direct Sow?
Starting cucurbits indoors sounds smart but it can backfire fast. Here’s when the head start actually matters (melons, long-season squash) and when direct sowing in late May just works better in zone 8b.
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Pumpkins vs. Powdery Mildew: A Grudge Match
Powdery mildew on pumpkins is basically a September tradition in the Pacific Northwest. Here’s how to push it back far enough that your pumpkins actually finish, using stuff you already have in your kitchen.
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Planting Raspberries: Where to Put Them and Why It Matters
First-time raspberry planting comes down to three things: sun, drainage, and not crowding them. Here’s what I got wrong the first time and how to set yourself up right from the start.
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When to Start Seeds Indoors: PNW Zone 8b Guide
If you’re in zone 8b around the PNW, knowing when to start seeds indoors makes the difference between a great transplant and a leggy mess. Here’s the full countdown from last frost, what to start when, and what you can still do right now in April.
