This Week's Bounty: Best Pumpkins to Grow for Carving & Tricks, Pressure Canning Safety, Homemade Fertilizer, and More!

Our weekly roundup of advice and tips for growing good food at home. [Food Gardening Network Weekly]( October 22, 2023  [Freebie Text-Ad]( [Plant the Perfect—and Productive—Food Garden Every Year!]( [GET THIS FREEBIE NOW!](  Featured Weekly Video [The Best Pumpkins to Grow for Carving & Tricks for the Ultimate Jack-O’-Lantern]( [Video]( Hello, fellow pumpkin enthusiasts! If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already dabbled in the art of growing your own pumpkins. And with the spooky season right around the corner, it’s high time we talk about turning those pumpkins into masterpieces. So, grab a cup of hot apple cider, cozy up, and let’s dive right into the world of pumpkin carving—starting with history, then moving on to the best pumpkins to grow for carving, and finally right into the details of how to carve! [Read More...](  [Fall Calendar]( [FREE Printable 2023 Fall Garden Planning Calendar Kit!]( Download this kit when you join the Food Gardening Network Gold Club Membership: - Get checklists for garden tasks in September, October, November, and December—every month of Fall! - Prioritize your own garden with personal notes. - 10 fresh-from-the-garden Fall recipes! [Read More ...](  Indoor Gardening [How to Make Homemade Fertilizer for Indoor Herbs]( [Article 1]( Let’s talk about homemade fertilizer for indoor herbs. When I bought my first home and decided I wanted to start my first garden (mostly in containers), I bought a lot of Miracle Grow potting “soil”. Loads and loads of it. I am also a “get your hands dirty” kind of gal, so I didn’t use gardening gloves. Those are just for schmucks, am I right? After at least an hour of shoveling the potting soil into my containers with my bare hands, I was thinking, boy this sure is thick, it’s not like regular soil. Looks rich! I wonder what’s in it? [Read More...](  [Cilantro]( [Celebrate Cilantro Gardening Guide Available Now!]( Cilantro, or coriander, brings a distinctive flavor to many ethnic cuisines including Mexican, Thai, and Indian. But you don’t have to cross the border to have fresh cilantro—you can grow it in your garden or even indoors and enjoy this tasty herb year-round. Celebrate Cilantro Gardening Guide, includes all you need to know to grow cilantro and recipes for a fiesta of sweet and savory dishes. [Read More ...](  Vegetable Gardening [7 Fantastically Unique Vegetable Garden Ideas]( [Article 2]( There are two ways to think about unique vegetable garden ideas: one is design and layout, and the other is what vegetables you grow. But why not combine them? There’s no rule that says you have to choose between interesting vegetables and fun garden design. At least, I don’t think there is. [Read More...](  [Quinoa]( [The Easy Quinoa Growing Guide Available Now!]( Attention home gardeners, grow quinoa in your own backyard! With The Easy Quinoa Growing Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this versatile food. From the history and background of the ‘mother of all grains’ to specific advice about soil requirement, fertilizer, watering techniques, preventing pests and diseases, and easy-to-make and delicious recipes that will allow you to enjoy the fruits of your gardening labor! [Read More ...](  Food Preservation [Pressure Canning Safety: 10 Rules to Live By]( [Article 3]( When trying something new or revisiting an old hobby, we oftentimes turn to the all-knowing internet for guidance. But sometimes the internet is a little overwhelming. This is true in the niche world of food preservation, especially if you’ve ever looked up pressure canning safety. Everyone has a blog, or message board post, or public comment about the best way to use a pressure canner or other canning methods. And if you stick around long enough, debates will break out about safety. Grab the popcorn, because the comments can get juicy! [Read More...](  [Brussels Sprouts]( [The Bountiful Brussels Sprouts Gardening Guide Available Now!]( Brussels sprouts have gone from most hated to almost most loved! With the Bountiful Brussels Sprouts Gardening Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this delicious food. [Read More ...](  Garden Design [7 Creative Vegetable Garden Border Fence Ideas]( [Article 4]( Good fences make good neighbors, but can they make good gardens, too? A vegetable garden border fence can accomplish a few different goals all at once. For one, it can keep rabbits and other critters from wreaking havoc on your vegetables. A garden border fence also provides some visual separation in your yard. Depending on the material, fencing can serve as a wind shield to more delicate vegetables or seedlings and even provide some partial shade for others. [Read More...](  [Onions]( [The Outstanding Onion Gardening Guide Available Now!]( Onions make everything taste better! From burgers to salads to soups and more, onions offer a broad range of flavors from sweet to zesty. Gardeners love to grow them, and their friends and family love to eat them—raw or cooked! With The Outstanding Onion Gardening Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this versatile food. [Read More ...](  Composting [This Countertop Compost Machine Turns Scraps into Compost in a Few Hours]( [Article 5]( Spoiler alert: It’s safe to say there’s no gardening gadget or device I love more than the countertop compost machine I’m sharing with you today. Instead of keeping a stinky compost bucket under your sink, then plopping into a heap outside, [Lomi’s countertop compost machine]( can turn scraps into compost in just a few hours. [Read More...](  [Magazine]( [October 2023 Issue Available Now!]( Did you know that turnips and not pumpkins were the original jack-o-lanterns? Did you know that beets were originally grown for their greens and not the deliciously sweet root we love today? Discover the history of these nutritious vegetables and learn about growing and eating them when you accept your Food Gardening Network membership! [Read More ...](  Member Posts: New This Week - [Cooking with pumpkins: So many possibilities!]( - [The Making of Mrs. Know It All]( - [The Tomato Tango: My Love Affair with Sunchocola Tomatoes]( - [The Lowdown on the Breakdown: A History of Composting Myths and Legends]( Member Favorites - [Making Food-Safe DIY Window Box Planters Fit for a Home Chef]( - [The 5 Best Cold Frames According to Food Gardeners]( - [How Often Should You Water Herbs Indoors?]( - [How to Prepare Soil for Winter for a Better Garden Next Year]( - [The Best Way to Freeze Butternut Squash for Soups & Stews]( - [How to Create a Living Wall Herb Garden Inside Your Home]( - [Peat-Free vs Peat-Based Compost: Which is Better?]( - [12 Cool Gardening Tools and Gifts for the Plant Lover in Your Life]( - [How to Store Potatoes for the Winter]( Premium Recipes of the Week - [Roasted Winter Squash Seeds]( - [Picture Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes]( - [Simple Roasted Beets]( - [Classic Borscht (Red Beet Soup)]( - [Delicious Pumpkin Purée]( [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!]( [Planting chart]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ]( [Bug Control Chart]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ]( [Seed Germination Chart]( [ 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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