Cucumber

Saving seeds from your raised bed — which plants are worth it

Late August shows you which plants had the best season. These are exactly the ones you want to keep for next year — as your own seeds. Which varieties work, why hybrids are a trap, and how tomato seed saving actually works.

Before the summer storm: why you should get to your beds today

Friday is not a normal weekend — storm warnings for Saturday. If your raised bed is in the shade: harvest right now. Ripe fruits that turn brown after hail won't do you any good.

Harvesting squash: how to tell when it's truly ripe

Your squash has been hanging on the vine for weeks and looks great — but is it ripe yet? Most gardeners cut too early or wait too long. Five signs that tell you the right moment has come.

Pumpkins in the raised bed: what to do in July — and why it decides your September harvest

Frau Schneider writes: 'Stachi, my pumpkin is growing out of control. The vines are everywhere. What should I do?' I told her that right now — in July — she decides what ends up in her kitchen in September.

Tomatoes splitting after rain: why it happens — and what actually helps

Three dry days last week, then a thunderstorm. The next morning, nine split tomatoes lay under the plant. Not because of the rain. Because of the two weeks before it.

Raised bed while you're on holiday: who waters when you're gone

Two weeks away in high summer, and the bed sits in full sun. No plan, and you come back to hay. One hour of prep, and you come back to tomatoes. The low-tech tricks that actually last — plus the things you must not do before you leave.