Cucumbers are a summer staple in the vegetable garden, and there are numerous of different cultivars available. Whether you want to grow slicing varieties for salads and sandwiches, or those more suitable for pickling, learn about 33 of the best cucumber varieties and choose your favorites. Read more now.
When frost or freezing weather threatens zucchini plants in your garden, there are steps you can take to protect them. From row covers and other protective strategies to planning your plantings ahead of time, growing suitable varieties for your area, and starting seeds indoors. Learn frost protection tips in this guide.
Delicious and nutrient-rich, butternut squash are pretty, tan-colored gourds with dense flesh that are grown as warm-season annuals. The trailing vines are cultivated in mounds or hills, but compact varieties are also suited for containers and small gardens. Learn how to plant and grow for butternut squash in this guide.
Zucchini plants may need pruning to get rid of damaged or diseased leaves, or to discourage crowding and shading. Our guide tells how and when to prune zucchini without harming the vines or bush plants. It also shares ways to avoid this garden chore with ample spacing and by choosing compact varieties to grow. Read more.
Zucchini is an integral part of a summer vegetable garden, but if the plants aren’t protected, pests like aphids and squash bugs can cause serious damage. While they are easy to grow, knowing how to protect your plants can improve your harvest. Discover the best options for protecting your plants in this guide.
When zucchini drop their flowers without producing squash, don’t panic. It could be the male flowers dropping after they release pollen, which is harmless. Or the zucchini could be suffering from poor pollination or cutworm damage. Address the root causes and learn to prevent them in the first place with our guide.
The complex, musky, lightly sweet flavor of muskmelons can take the place of a sugary dessert on a hot summer’s day. It’s easy to plant and grow them, and with proper caretaking, each productive vine will reward you with several melons. We’ll cover everything you need to know to make it happen! Read more now.
Spaghetti squash is a type of winter squash that has spaghetti-like strands commonly used as an alternative to starchy noodles. The plants are heat tolerant and easy to cultivate, and can even grow in small space gardens with trellising. Learn how to plant and grow your own in this guide. Read more now.
How do you grow cucamelons? These strange little fruits are a member of the same family as cucumbers and zucchini, and they are grown in almost the same way, with a few differences. They’re a fun addition to the garden that kids and adults alike will love to watch growing and enjoy eating! Learn how to grow your own.
Delicious and incredibly versatile, zucchini is an easy-to-grow favorite among foodies and gardeners. This guide will walk you through the steps required to give your plants the nutrients they need to flourish! Read on to get the scoop on how and when to feed your zucchini for healthier plants and increased yield.
Pickling cucumber plants produce a bumper crop. Eat them fresh and then harvest a bounty for homemade pickles. The best varieties to grow in your garden include gherkins, heirlooms like ‘Boston Pickling,’ and dwarf types to grow in pots. We’ve rounded up the top choices, so you can pick your favorite and get growing.
Aerial cucumbers are stars of the summertime vegetable garden. Just a few reasons to plant cucumbers on a fence include saving space, getting better yields, and preventing slug infestation. Our guide tells you how to choose the best site, variety of cucumber, and type of fencing for vertical growing. Read more now.
Don’t let homegrown pumpkins rot before you can cook or carve them! Store the pumpkin harvest in a way that maximizes shelf life and flavor. This guide tells how long you can keep competition, pie, and jack-o’-lantern pumpkins after picking, and shares tips for storing them through Halloween – or even December.
Whether you grow field, pie, or hull-less pumpkin varieties, saving the seeds to eat is a bonus! Here’s how to pick the best varieties to grow if you want to roast the seeds, and how to spot the winter squash with the most seeds. Follow these selection and collection tips for a nutritious harvest ready to roast.
Collect, sort, dry, and store pumpkin seeds from open-pollinated varieties and you’ll have an abundant supply to sow for years to come. Some will still germinate after six years! Find directions here for timing and storage techniques, along with cautions about varieties that don’t work for seed savers. Read more.
If your pumpkin vine died just a few weeks before harvest time, you’re probably at a loss for what to do with your green pumpkins. But did you know there’s something you can do to help them turn orange? In this guide, learn our favorite trick, and discover a few reasons why vines may die early. Read more.
What to do with all those extra garden cucumbers? Pickles are just the beginning! Try using them to make salsa, jelly, or even sorbet. If you have more cucumbers than you can eat, read on for suggestions on creative ways to preserve them, as well as tips for keeping them fresh for longer in storage.
Are you struggling to combat a squash bug infestation in the garden? Anasa tristis is a pesky insect that resembles a stink bug in its adult stage, and these pests can cause damage and wilting in your squash plants and other edibles. In this guide we offer tips that can help to save your cucurbit harvest. Read more now.
Many common factors can cause pumpkin plants to wilt, ranging from soil that is too dry or wet to a number of potentially devastating disease pathogens and insects. Purging infected plants from your garden and controlling pests can help to save your pumpkins. Read more now to learn how to troubleshoot in your garden.
When the cucumber you grew in your garden reveals an empty cavity, you’re dealing with a condition called hollow heart. It could result from a soil deficiency or poor growing conditions, but bugs and disease are not factors. Our guide covers the most likely causes, and provides solutions and preventive measures.
Thinking of growing winter squash? Make sure to choose the best variety to match the length of your growing season and the size of your garden. And of course, you’ll want to pick a cultivar that will please your palate too! Keep reading to discover 11 of the best winter squash cultivars and find your new favorite.
Pests like pickleworms, and even a fungus that causes belly rot, can leave holes in garden-grown cucumbers. Learn how to identify the culprits, cope with an infestation, and prevent repeats in the future. Our guide also addresses the all-important question: whether or not you can eat a cucumber that has a hole in it.
Garden cucumbers grow fast and have high yields, so prepare for a bountiful harvest. These expert tips and techniques will help you pick the fruits at their tastiest, and extend the harvest, starting on day one of the growing season. Avoid rookie mistakes and pick with ease with this guide to harvesting cucumbers.
What should you plant with cucumbers? The best companions maximize space, discourage harmful insects, and suppress weeds. Beans, marigolds, and corn are beneficial, but steer clear of potatoes and sage! This guide will help you grow good companion plants for cucumbers, and avoid any that compete or encourage disease.
Which type of cucumber should you plant in your garden? All types grow fast and have high yields, but each has unique benefits, too. Vining types save space, pickling fruits hold up to processing, and seedless varieties may grow without pollinators. This guide to cucumber categories will help you explore your options.
Cucumbers have long been depended on to add a satisfying crunch to summer meals. This summer crop is easy to grow when you pick the right varieties for your growing zone and keep your plants healthy and high-yielding. Learn how to plant and grow cucumbers in your garden with this guide – we’ve even got recipe ideas too.
If you think your garden isn’t suited to growing melons, or you just don’t find melons to be very exciting, it’s time to consider some new varieties. Discover a selection of cultivars to please every palate, and identify those that are perfectly suited to your growing conditions. Explore 33 top melon varieties now.
Birdhouse gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) are fun plants for the whole family. Learn how to start them from seed and train the twisting vines on arbors and trellises for a homegrown hideaway, then watch blossoms give way to hard-shelled hanging fruit that’s perfect for making decorative homes for the birds. Read more now.
Pumpkin plants are highly susceptible to powdery mildew, a fungal infection can affect the quality of the fruit. In severe cases, it can destroy your whole crop. However, there are treatments available and preventative measures you can take. Learn how to prevent and treat powdery mildew on your pumpkins in this guide.
Are you having trouble figuring out how to tell if your homegrown pumpkins are ripe and ready for picking? In this guide, we reveal the five signs that your gourds are ready to harvest. Plus, we discuss the proper way to pick a pumpkin and the one important step you shouldn’t miss. Learn all you need to know now.
Is your pumpkin vine taking over the garden, growing faster than you can contain it? Don’t lose hope. Growing your gourds vertically can tame those unruly vines, and training pumpkins on a trellis also helps to keep them free of pests and disease. To learn everything you need to know, read more now.
Ever wondered if milk can actually make your pumpkin grow bigger? Or are you simply trying to grow a giant gourd to enter into a state fair? If so, you’re not alone. There’s a thriving community of giant pumpkin growers worldwide, and you can join them. Learn everything you need to know about growing giant pumpkins in our guide. Read more now.
The culinary value of pumpkins goes beyond enjoying the tasty flesh in soups and pies – the seeds can be just as useful as a healthy snack that’s packed with essential nutrients. Making your own roasted pumpkin seeds from homegrown squash is a simple way to help utilize all parts of the pumpkin. Read on to learn more.
Though the cantaloupe that’s available at the grocery store is generally pretty standard, this marvelous fruit is actually available in a variety of enticing cultivars. Ready to grow your own juicy and sweet melons? Dig into our roundup on Gardener’s Path to pick the best variety for your garden. Read more now.
Carving is cool, but it’s also fun to grow pumpkins that are great for cooking. From heirloom giants to hybrid minis, these 11 pumpkin picks are a home chef’s dream. Try them in your favorite fall soups, breads, pancakes, and even pumpkin lasagna, and freeze the excess from your bumper crop to enjoy all year long.
If you’re growing pumpkins, you might be wondering how and when to fertilize your plants for an abundant harvest of gorgeous gourds. Pumpkins are heavy feeders, and the plants need different nutrients in different growth stages. Discover how to fertilize your plants with the right nutrients at the right times. Read more.
You’ve sown and nourished pumpkins, and they’ve grown vines, leaves, and flowers. But you’re not seeing any fruit at all. Or maybe you see some fruit, but far less than you expected. What went wrong? In this article, you’ll learn the top 5 reasons why your pumpkin isn’t fruiting, plus what to do next. Read more now.
If you’re growing your pumpkins indoors or in a greenhouse, or simply don’t have many bees around, you might be wondering how you’ll get any fruit. Pumpkin pollination requires bees, after all. But here’s a secret: you can hand pollinate your own gourds. Learn everything you need to know in our guide. Read more now.
If you’re wondering how and when to prune your pumpkin vines to keep them healthy and productive, you might feel confused. By trimming your pumpkin plants, you’ll grow an abundant harvest of gourds, and minimize pest and disease issues. In this guide, you’ll discover which vines to trim, and how and when to do it.
You’ve nourished and cared for your pumpkin seedlings, and they’ve grown vines and leaves. Flowers should’ve appeared by now, but you don’t see any blooms – and no flowers means no fruit. Did something go wrong? Read more now to learn the top 5 reasons why your pumpkin vine isn’t blooming, and what to do about it.
Pumpkins are an excellent crop to grow for a bounty of gourds for fall decorations and, of course, pie. But what should you grow alongside your pumpkins? Learn about the best companion plants to grow in your pumpkin patch for pest control, soil improvement, and to maintain diversity in your garden. Read more now.
Have you always wanted your own pumpkin patch, filled with winter squash that are perfect for cooking and decorating throughout the fall? It’s not as hard as you might think. From small cultivars to large homegrown varieties that are ready to be carved into jack-o’-lanterns, we’ve got you covered. Read more now.
Are you wondering if you have space in your garden for vining cantaloupe? It’s true that they take up several feet of space when they’re grown on the ground. But you can grow them vertically to save space, help prevent disease, and allow them to get all the sun they need. For everything you need to know, read more now.
Grow a super food summer squash in a fresh yellow color! Golden zucchini are a bit sweeter than green varieties and nearly as productive. The shape makes them superior for zoodles, and their color’s a benefit in the kitchen and garden alike. Have some fun, follow these tips, and you’ll soon be harvesting summer gold.
Want to grow your own summer squash? These veggies are available in a delicious assortment of colors, shapes, patterns, and sizes. Whether you prefer your squash grilled, stuffed, spiralized, or sauteed, you have your pick for the garden. Discover 21 of the best summer squash varieties and choose your favorite now.
If you want to grow pumpkins to make pie, puree, and other delicious treats, which variety should you plant? While you can make pie out of many pumpkin cultivars, some have sweeter flesh than others. Learn about 11 of the best pie pumpkins to grow in your garden now on Gardener’s Path.
Zucchini is a must-have in any veggie garden because it’s tasty, prolific, and easy to grow. But zucchini can be plagued by some nasty diseases that can reduce your harvest, or even kill your plants entirely. We’ll show you how to deal with diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses – and how to prevent them in the future.
Have you spotted an insect on your zucchini in the vegetable patch and don’t know what to do about it? Or maybe your plants are failing to thrive and you’re wondering what might be the problem. Learn how to identify and control 9 common zucchini pests. Read more now.
If you’re getting ready to plant your Halloween pumpkins, you might need help choosing the perfect varieties for that spooky night. In this guide, you’ll learn the best varieties to grow whether you’re carving, painting, eating, or just setting out the bright veggies for decoration. Read on to discover your favorites.
A traditional home garden favorite, zucchini is popular as a zero-carb spiral noodle standout. A few plants can supply the whole family! But with so many wonderful cultivars for edible blossoms, stuffing or pickles, why not plant a bunch and harvest all summer long? Follow these tips for zucchini bliss.
Cantaloupe is a warm weather crop that’s sweet, firm, and scrumptious. If you want to harvest homegrown cantaloupe, but don’t have room in your garden (or the right type of weather) why not try growing it in containers? Planting in pots saves space in your garden and can extend the growing season. Read more now.
If you’re growing cantaloupe, you may be wondering when and how to harvest the melons for maximum sweetness and flavor? Discover all the top tips on when and how to harvest your delicious, homegrown cantaloupe. Plus we’ve got some recipe ideas for different ways you can enjoy the juicy sweetness. Read more now.
If you love homegrown zucchini but have no room in your garden, did you know you can grow it in containers instead? This summer squash is easy to grow and provides you with an abundant harvest. Learn how to plant and grow zucchini in pots and containers for the fresh, homegrown taste of summer. Read more now.
Zucchini are famously prolific, but that doesn’t mean they’re without their share of potential issues. You might be facing yellowing leaves, falling flowers, or pest problems. If you’re having trouble with your zucchini, learn about 11 common problems, how to identify what’s going wrong, and what to do to fix it.
Nothing says summer quite like the sweet, juicy flavor and bright orange flesh of the cantaloupe, so why not try growing it at home? Learn everything you need to know to add this tasty melon to your summer garden and enjoy a fresh, homegrown harvest – perfect for snacking, fruit salads, and smoothies. Read more now.
Ornamental gourds are easy to grow and add color and texture to your garden. Did you know they are available in an array of shades, shapes, and sizes – and they’re perfect for brightening up the backyard or decorating your fall table. Learn about the different varieties and discover our 7 favorites. Read more now.
Want to add a splash of color to your garden this fall? Have you already found success growing different types of squash and you’re looking to branch out? Ornamental gourds are the way to go! Get the lowdown on everything you need to know about growing this gorgeous crop in our guide, now on Gardener’s Path.
Summer squash is a delectable addition to most any recipe. But do you know how to provide the best growing conditions for your crop? Whether you choose zucchini, yellow crookneck, or another variety, our growing guide will teach you how to achieve a bigger and better harvest this year. Read more now on Gardener’s Path.
What if you could grow a plant that can give you smooth skin and that doubles as a powerful household cleaning tool? Loofah sponges can be one of the most rewarding garden harvests, and it’s possible to make your own with the fruits of a special gourd. Read more at Gardener’s Path.
Nothing says Halloween like jack-o’-lanterns, but what good are they if they rot before you can say trick-or-treat? Before you go to the farmers market, read 9 quick tips to make carved pumpkins last longer. From selecting the best to inhibiting moisture, we’ve got ideas you can use, right here on Gardener’s Path.
Did you know there’s a solid plan you can follow to ensure that your winter squash produce maximum harvests? Get expert tips for planting, tending, and picking all of your favorite varieties – including butternut, acorn, pumpkin, and spaghetti. Read more now on Gardener’s Path to learn how to grow your own at home.