This Week's Bounty: Plant a Bare Root Apple Tree, Ripen Tomatoes Quickly, Protecting Fruit Trees, and More!

Our weekly roundup of advice and tips for growing good food at home. [Food Gardening Network Weekly]( August 20, 2023  [Freebie Text-Ad]( [Stop Bugs from Eating—and Ruining—Your Garden!]( [GET THIS FREEBIE NOW!](  Featured Weekly Video [How to Plant a Bare Root Apple Tree]( [Video]( I’ll tell you a secret: The only way you’re going to learn how to plant a bare root apple tree is by … planting a bare root apple tree. Because until you have the fragile bare roots in your hand and have dug the hole in your unique soil, you’re probably going to imagine that planting your tree will be similar to planting a two-gallon bucket apple tree, and it’s quite different. But I have a video and step-by-step instructions to help you get there! [Read More...](  [Herb Garden Collection Kit]( [FREE Printable Herb Garden Collection Kit!]( Download this kit when you join the Food Gardening Network Gold Club Membership: - How to grow an herb garden - How to design your herb garden plot. - 18 fresh-from-the-garden recipes! - Printable companion notecards, beautifully designed and easy to use! [Read More ...](  Watering & Irrigation [Watering Fruit Trees: When to Do it, and When to Avoid it]( [Article 2]( So you want to start growing your own fruit trees. You have picked out one or two you want to try, but you still have some questions. Do you have the time for watering fruit trees? How [fast will your fruits grow]( And will you finally get to taste a [freshly-plucked apple]( / [pear]( / plum / [orange]( / [avocado]( /insert your favorite here? Is now your time to become the neighborhood baker of the best apple pies? Will you start your own [peach]( orchard? Is now your time to accomplish your fruit tree dreams? [Read More...](  [Cherries]( [All Things Cherry Gardening Guide Available Now!]( They’re sweet and beautiful and have a shade of bright red named for them—they’re cherries! What’s more, cherry trees are lovely in the landscape even when they’re not producing fruit, and you can learn all there is to know about growing and eating them in our All Things Cherry Gardening Guide! [Read More ...](  Growing Fruits & Berries [5 Tips for Protecting Fruit Trees from Deer and Other Wildlife]( [Article 2]( I’ve always loved the idea of walking into my backyard and picking an apple or some cherries right off the tree. It seems so idyllic, like a ray of sunshine will illuminate the tree and the birds will sing and it will be the most wonderful fruit I’ve ever had. I think we all know that’s not quite how it works. [Read More...](  [Rosemary]( [Rosemary, the All-Purpose Herb Gardening Guide Available Now!]( It’s a hands-down favorite among herb gardeners and has been for centuries. It’s even a topiary plant! With the Rosemary, the All-Purpose Herb Gardening Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this versatile plant. [Read More ...](  Vegetable Gardening [How to Ripen Tomatoes Quickly Three Ways]( [Article 3]( When the summer starts to wind down, and the early frost warnings start to kick in before you settle in for a long winter’s nap, you probably have a few fledgling [tomato plants]( left. If they’re like mine, they’re probably not pretty; a bit of disease starts to crop up, leaves are beginning to change with the season, but yet…the [tomatoes]( live on. Once it’s colder, though, they’re just not changing color anymore (or at least not quickly), and you’ll want to know how to ripen tomatoes quickly so you can get your lunch on. [Read More...](  [Tomatoes]( [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 ...](  Watering & Irrigation [5 Benefits of Gravity Drip Irrigation Systems for Hillside Gardens]( [Article 4]( The hills are alive with the sound of…growing vegetables? You may think that living on a hillside is a disadvantage when it comes to outdoor gardening. But there are different gardening methods you can use to take advantage of your sloped yard. One great idea is to [build planter boxes directly into your hill](. Another great tool for hillsides is a gravity drip irrigation system. In fact, you can employ both methods and build the hillside vegetable garden of your Sound of Music dreams. Here are five benefits of a gravity drip irrigation system and one challenge to keep an eye out for! [Read More...](  [Lettuce]( [Leafy Lettuce Gardening Guide Available Now!]( Growing lettuce is as easy as BLT. A cool-season annual, this leafy crop grows readily from seed, and you can sow seeds every few weeks to have a season full of salad! With this Gardening Guide, you get all the details that go into growing and harvesting delicious, leafy lettuce. Get recipes that go beyond the salad bowl and see what’s possible when you grow your own lettuce. Get it all in this Leafy Lettuce Gardening Guide right now! [Read More ...](  Vegetable Gardening [7 Ideas for Mulching a Vegetable Garden That Actually Work]( [Article 5]( The best piece of advice I got over ten years ago, in regards to weeds in my [home garden]( came from a friend of my mom who always has the most pristine garden. Each row between his plants were always clean, and never seemed to have sprouts or bugs. I assumed he must be hand-weeding, but when I asked he told me “nope, I just go out every day with a hoe and turn the soil—haven’t had to bend over to pick a weed or mulch a day in my life.” Genius, I thought! Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the time to follow his best practice, and there are other benefits to mulching a vegetable garden beyond a clean-looking garden and being weed-free. [Read More...](  [Apples]( [Recipe Lion Magazine Fall 2023 Issue Available Now!]( In this issue, you’ll enjoy 26 Fall Harvest Recipes to Warm Your Soul. Discover The Three Sisters’ Secret: 11 Recipes Celebrating Corn, Beans & Squash along with 8 Bread & Soup Recipes for Cozy Evenings, and 7 Garden-to-Table Dessert Delights, which feature the flavors of autumn! Explore the issue now and get cooking! [Read More ...](  Member Favorites - [How to Mix Your Own Potting Soil for Container Vegetables]( - [How to Create Built-In Hillside Planter Boxes for Sloped Yards]( - [The Best Tool for Digging Holes for Plants Revealed]( - [How to Prevent Powdery Mildew on Rosemary Naturally]( - [How to Create an Aquaponic Herb Garden with Mason Jars]( - [How to Fertilize Container Vegetables for Best Results]( - [How Does Lettuce Get E. coli and How to Prevent it in a Home Garden]( - [Ways to Make Compost Break Down Faster]( - [How to Get Rid of Wireworms in Potatoes]( Premium Recipes of the Week - [Greek Lemon Potatoes]( - [Roasted Beet, Peach, and Goat Cheese Salad]( - [Candied Meyer Lemons]( - [Easy Watermelon Sorbet]( - [Peach Cobbler]( [GP]( [FREE for You Now: Printable Butterfly Garden Planting Chart!]( Download this FREEBIE now and get: - Beautiful full-color printable chart. - Which plants attract butterflies? - Best flowers for your garden. - Fun facts about each of the 24 plants. [Read More ...](  [FREEBIES: Get Them Now!]( [Composting 101 Chart]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ]( [Kitchen Garden Planting Charts]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ]( [Tomato Garden to Table]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ](     About Food Gardening Network: Food Gardening Network brings you expert in-depth information and daily advice to help you grow good food at home and become the best food gardener you can be. Our worldwide community of gardeners, farmers, and cooking enthusiasts share advice and practical information on how to plan, plant, grow, tend, harvest and enjoy great-tasting and nutritional food from your home garden. Our magazine articles, in-depth gardening guides, how-to videos, recipes and cookbooks, and planning calendars help you improve your gardening skills, be a better cook, and enjoy all the benefits of successful food gardening—including saving time and money. 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