Vegetables
Corn seedlings come up white
Q: A couple of my popcorn seedlings came up completely white! I’ve never seen that before. Albino corn? Can it survive without any green leaves? A: It is not terribly unusual, particularly with older varieties or heirloom varieties of corn,...
Pea And Bean Plants
Q: I want a couple of pea and bean plants in my yard for a quick hobby garden. Can I sow a few seeds from dried grocery store beans? A: Possibly. Some beans and peas have been treated with heat...
Tall Broccoli With Small Heads
Q: My broccoli grew tall but produced only small broccoli heads. It’s almost like it bolted although the weather has been nice and cool. A: Storage temperatures before you purchase the plants can cause this. Just a few days of...
Identifying Mushrooms
Q: My Florida room leaked over the winter and mushrooms grew in the damp carpet. Could you tell me someone who could identify them? A: I am far from a mushroom expert. When I am curious about a mushroom that...
Ants On Potato Hills
Q: How do I get rid of ants that make my potato hills their home? Are they destroying my potatoes underground? A: Assuming you have fire ants, they are known to feed on potato tubers. You’ll get the best organic...
Onions don’t get bigger, planted too late
Q: I have been growing onions for years, always with poor results. The onions never grow large; they barely get larger than the size originally planted. I put them in anywhere between January and March. I’ve tried Yellow Granex, Burgundy...
Sugar snap pea leaves have silver splotches
Q: We are growing sugar snap peas for the first time. I can’t tell if this is normal leaf coloration or if it’s powdery mildew. A: I think this is the normal silver splotching sweet peas have. It’s similar to...
Pimento pepper history in Georgia
Q: I read that pimento peppers saved Georgia farmers from the boll weevil and that many farms were located near Griffin. Our state was once the “Pimento Pepper Capitol of the World”! Why does no one grow them anymore? A:...
Small Broccoli Heads
Q: My broccoli grew tall but produced only small broccoli heads. It’s almost like it bolted although the weather has been nice and cool. A: Storage temperatures before you purchase the plants can cause this. Just a few days of...
Is it true that male and female green peppers taste different?
Q: Is it true that male and female green peppers taste different? My neighbor believes this. A: Your neighbor may believe this with all their heart but they are wrong. There is no such thing as a “male” or “female”...
Great videos on how our food grows
Wondering how to conduct another day of at-home schooling? If you are looking for a fun activity for kids (and adults!) these short videos explain how common foods are grown. Watch them with the kids…or assign one for a child...
Cats Use Beds As Litter Box – Should I Replace Soil?
Q: I have several raised beds where I grow vegetables. Stray cats like to use my beds as their litter box. Do you think I should replace the soil before I plant in spring. A: I am not a veterinarian...
How Rare Are Asparagus Spears In January?
Q: We enjoyed two asparagus spears from our plant back in January. How rare is this? A: Soil temperature is the main trigger for asparagus spear production. Perhaps a root was growing shallowly and became warm enough to send up...
How To Get Rid Of Wild Onions?
Q: Do you know of anything to get rid of wild onions except pulling them out? A: Hand-pulling wild onion/wild garlic has the disadvantage of leaving in the soil the bulbs that don’t currently have leaves. The herbicide imazaquin (Image...
Can I Toss Vegetable Scraps Into My Shrubbery?
Q: I’m too old to do classic composting with a pile. Every day I have a cup or so of vegetable scraps to dispose of. Can I just toss them over my shrubbery to decompose or am I asking for...
Seedless Pickles
Q: Due to a medical condition, my wife can’t eat seeds. However, she longs for pickles. We understand gerkins are seedless. Does this apply to all baby cucumbers? A: The pickled items that we call gherkins are indeed baby cucumbers....
Vegetables That Are Native To North America
Q: Are there any vegetables that are native to North America? A: The only two I could find are Jerusalem artichoke and tepary bean. Jerusalem artichoke is a type of sunflower with thick, edible roots. Patches of tall plants covered...
Are Baby Cucumbers Seedless?
Q: Due to a medical condition, my wife can’t eat seeds. However, she longs for pickles. We understand gerkins are seedless. Does this apply to all baby cucumbers? A: The pickled items that we call gherkins are indeed baby cucumbers....
