Using a sharp, sterile tool such as clippers or pruners is essential when harvesting peppers. Pulling them off by hand can damage the plant, leading to fewer fruits.
Grafting is the method through which two different plants from the same species or genus are joined together to grow as one. The resulting plant benefits from the qualities of the two different original plants.
People grow asparagus from crowns because it shortens the long wait times for harvesting. From seed, you'll need to wait three years before harvesting asparagus. Some people consider that a waste of time. The tradeoff is that you can keep harvesting every spring for up to 15 years or more. If you plant crowns, you get a one-year jump on things. However, those crowns may have soil-borne diseases you don't know about, so there is a risk involved. Seeds remove that problem.
To an unimaginable eye, a seed looks inert. Yet they are packed with genetic information and biological processes poised to unfold. All it takes is the right configuration of signals and stimuli from the environment to let them know it's time to dare to grow.
Late winter is when keen gardeners can get a little restless. The weather is still cold, and spring still feels far away. Thankfully, you don't need to wait until the weather warms to start your growing season. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables that can be started in the late winter, ready for a bountiful harvest in the coming months. Each of these plants needs unique care in order to thrive, but thankfully, I can guide you through exactly the right steps.
Even in good years, mangoes are considered one of the most difficult fruit crops to cultivate. They depend on a delicate balance of climate, tree physiology, and farming techniques. Getting that balance right is crucial for India, the world's biggest producer of mangoes, where 23 million tonnes of the fruit is harvested every year - almost a fifth of India's total fruit output.