This Week's Bounty: How Lettuce Gets E. coli and How to Prevent it, Gardening Tools for the Plant-Lover in Your Life, and More

Our weekly roundup of advice and tips for growing good food at home. [FGN Daily]( August 15, 2021  Enjoy this newsletter? Please forward it to your friends Pests & Diseases [How Does Lettuce Get E. coli and How to Prevent it in a Home Garden]( I love lettuce. It’s so easy to grow, it’s ready to harvest pretty quickly, and the multitude of varieties have so many different qualities. Who can deny the appeal of crunchy, slightly sweet lettuce on a sandwich? I also admit there’s something that bugs me: How does lettuce get E. coli. [Read More...](  [Basil]( [The Easy Peasy Guide to Growing Pea Plants Available Now!]( Peas are among the easiest plants for home gardeners to grow! With The Easy Peasy Guide to Growing Pea Plants, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this nutritious, protein-packed food, including the history and background of the green pea, to specific advice on soil requirements, fertilizer, watering techniques, and easy-to-make and delicious recipes! [Read More...](  Garden Tools [5 Cool Gardening Tools for the Plant-Lover in Your Life]( Gift-giving for the plant-lover in your life can be tricky, especially if you think they already have everything they need. Imagine your loved one opening a holiday or birthday gift with excitement and anticipation, only to unveil a 20lb bag of [potting soil](. Sure, it’ll be useful, but it doesn’t exactly have the wow-factor you may be looking for. I’ve put together a list of 5 cool gardening tools for the plant-lover in your life that I think are thoughtful, unique, and useful. (And are NOT a bag of dirt!) [Read More...](  [Food Gardening Magazine August 2021 Issue Available Now!]( Read the August 2021 issue, to explore "Planting Vegetables in the Fall", "10 Summer Garden Chores for a Happy Garden” and “How to Build a Pole Bean Teepee Trellis”! The most delicious part, you’ll also learn “How to Throw a Backyard Pizza Party from Your Garden”. and discover complete collections about Broccoli, Chives, and Melon. [Read More...](  Composting [Can Compost Go Bad? Plus 5 More Facts About Composting]( I sometimes feel like a magician when I work on my compost pile. A few potato peels, a bell pepper core, and some coffee grounds go into the pile, and within a few weeks, out comes gardening gold. [Learning how to compost]( has been such a gardening game-changer for me. I’ve saved tons of money by not having to buy soil additives and bagged compost. And I feel a sense of pride knowing that I was able to nourish my garden by [repurposing food scraps]( and other paper waste. Recently I noticed my compost pile increasing in size, faster than I seemed to be using it. But can compost go bad? I did some research and here’s what I found. [Read More...](  [Basil]( [Tart & Tangy lemon Guide Available Now!]( Lemons may seem like an exotic tree to grow, but all they need is a little TLC to give you years of tangy harvests! You don’t have to live in a subtropical zone to grow lemons—there are plenty of varieties happy to grow as productive houseplants! With this collection, you get all the details that go into growing and harvesting bright, fragrant lemons. Get recipes for dishes sweet and savory that make it all the more rewarding to grow your own lemons. Get it all in this Tart & Tangy Lemon Guide Collection right now! [Read More...](  Pests & Diseases [How to Stop Vegetable Diseases from Invading Your Garden]( Vegetable gardening can bring a roller coaster of emotions. Watching your plants grow from seed or seedlings can be thrilling, especially when it comes time to harvest your crops. Not to mention the cost savings and peace of mind that comes from growing your own vegetables, herbs, and fruits. But vegetable gardening can be devastating, too. It’s heartbreaking to see your hard work and long hours go down the drain because of various garden diseases. What starts as a shadowy stain on a few leaves, if left untreated can wipe out an entire crop of tomatoes, carrots, or onions. Learning how to spot disease and knowing what to do if and when you see signs of disease, can ease the heartache by keeping your garden healthy. Here are ten strategies to keep vegetable diseases from invading your garden. [Read More...](  [Basil]( [The Everything Tomato Gardening Guide Available Now!]( Tomatoes are the most popular plant for home gardeners! With The Everything Tomato Gardening Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this versatile food, from the history and background of the mighty tomato to specific advice on growing, harvesting, and enjoying your hard work! [Read More...](  Container Gardening [How to Fertilize Container Vegetables for Best Results]( Have I told you how much I adore container gardens? Container gardens are the quiet MVP of the vegetable gardening world. Container gardening provides accessibility to everyone. If you rent a house or apartment, a traditional garden bed might not be feasible. With the help of containers, you can turn a porch, deck, or balcony into a lush vegetable garden. (All without losing your security deposit!) Before starting out, it’s important to learn how to fertilize container vegetables. [Read More...](  [Basil]( [The Marvelous Cauliflower Gardening Guide is Available Now!]( Cauliflower love is on the rise in restaurants and homes everywhere, from cauliflower rice to pizza crust, and it’s easy to see why—it’s a health power food and it tastes delicious as well. While cauliflower is known to be tricky to grow, this Marvelous Cauliflower Gardening Guide will get you fully prepared to take on the challenge. [Read More...](  Member Favorites - [7 Types of Beans to Grow to Add Color to Your Vegetable Garden]( - [How to Prepare an Above Ground Garden for Effective Weed Control]( - [Gardening Equipment Every Tomato Gardener Needs]( - [How to Build a Garden Tool Kit on a Budget]( - [The Best Weed Killer Sprayer for a Vegetable Garden]( - [5 Tips for Growing a Pomegranate Tree from Seed]( - [An Intro to Growing Herbs and Vegetables Indoors]( - [How to Create Tasty Indoor Plant Growing Kits for Kids]( - [13 Deadly Vegetable Garden Pests]( - [How to Stop the Japanese Flying Beetle From Destroying Your Garden]( [FREEBIES: Get Them Now!]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ](     You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to email updates from Food Gardening Network. If you no longer wish to receive this update as part of your free subscription, please click the unsubscribe link below. 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