Grow Food

When mixing up that batch of chocolate chip cookies or making your bacon and eggs for breakfast, hang on to the eggshells. Believe it or not, the benefits of the …

If you’re new to growing peas this year, by now, you’re noticing they’re getting pretty tall. And you’re probably scratching your head and thinking, “I wonder if these need a …

Note: Rural Sprout and the author are not medical experts, nor do we give out medical advice. If you or someone you love is struggling with depression, we encourage you …

Container gardening has a lot of great things going for it. As a beginner-friendly introduction to growing fruits and vegetables, getting a container garden set up couldn’t be easier. All …

When it comes to superfoods, the elderberry stands out among its peers, offering an impressive array of health benefits and culinary delights from a tiny little berry. Bursting with antioxidants, …

Nothing announces the arrival of summer better than the first bite into a sun-warmed strawberry. This berry is a summertime staple, from strawberry shortcake to home-canned strawberry jam. Heck, there …

For ages now, there has been a war waged against tomato suckers. Prune ‘em, pinch ‘em, cut ‘em off. That’s what gardeners have been told for generations. So that’s what …

Where I live in zone 5b, the final vestiges of winter are – at long last – behind us. Days past the last frost date, we had some very cool …

Many a gardener, both new and seasoned alike, have been surprised by the discovery of hard bumps running up and down the stem of their tomato plants. You may wonder, …

Over the past few years, drought has become a common issue for gardeners everywhere. Locations that rarely had to worry about water issues in the past now deal with water …

When you head out to the garden this year to put those tomatoes in the ground, don’t forget your fish. Believe it or not, fish and tomatoes go well together. …

At long last, here’s the update on the crazy garden hack we tried – growing tomato seedlings from a tomato slice. We watched some sketchy YouTube videos and vague TikTok …

Tomatoes are, without a doubt, the most popular vegetable grown in backyard gardens worldwide. And while it’s rare to find someone who only grows carrots or eggplant or radishes, there …

If this is your first year of no-dig gardening, congratulations! You are well on your way to less work and more abundant harvests. While this page you are currently on …

If you want to stir up drama in an online gardening forum, simply ask, “Can you plant peppers deeply like tomatoes?” Then make some popcorn, sit back and watch the …

If you want to get your garden started on the right foot this year, it helps to be prepared. Yet, even with the most detailed garden plan in hand and …

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is an ancient North American species, wilder than most other plants you can grow in your edible landscape. Having only been in cultivation for about 100 years …

Wise tomato growers know the best way to plant tomatoes is sideways, by trenching them or burying almost the entire plant. But what if I told you there’s something you …

This piece was updated on 8/28/2023 to include photos of the harvested garlic from the cloves planted in the spring. In the book of Germinations, it doth say, “Woe to …

If you’re considering planting fennel in your garden this year, you should probably reconsider. Even though every part of the plant is edible and delicious, planting fennel in your garden …

Often, social media gets a bad rep. And it’s usually warranted. But one of my favorite things about social media is the ability to share ideas that make life easier. …

The climes, they are a-changin’. Depending on where you live, winters might be trending milder or chillier. Frost dates, once fairly accurate, are shifting. The arrival of fool’s spring wakes …

Gardening comes with a lot of anecdotal wisdom, and not all of it works. However, one bit of gardening advice that’s proven to work time and again is to plant …

Year after year, gardeners head out to their vegetable patch to start another growing season equipped with tools, seed packets and assorted seedlings. So often, though, they lack one of …