We try to take a day at some point during the fall to shred leaves, the key ingredient for something called leaf mold. We bring all the leaves we have and, if necessary, flag down a few folks going to the drop-off site with their leaves. The Leaf Bagging Helper is a simple device that makes bagging easy. Slide this plastic chute into a standard 30-gal. paper yard waste bag to hold the bag upright and open; lay the bag on the ground and you…

Here in our Intervale display gardens the Insect Pop Up Nets have been a big success. The cucumber beetles have been shut out. Two cucumber trellises in a raised bed, covered with a tall Insect Pop Up Net. Between the two rows of cucumber plants is a row of fernleaf dill (the kind of dill that’s grown for its foliage rather than its seedheads). The net will come off as soon as the plants begin to flower. By then, I hope, most of the b…

Like many who lost tomato plants to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Plant a diversity of tomato varieties to reduce the possibility of disease. Like many gardeners who lost their tomato crop to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet. The most important thin…