How To Grow

Video Thumbnail - Showing a hand holding bare-root strawberries

How to Plant Bare-Root Strawberries - With Video Katie shows us how she planted her strawberry patch on the Howard Homestead, including June-bearing and everbearing varieties.

planting seed potato in trench with text that reads Planting Seed Potatoes in 7 Easy Steps

Planting Seed Potatoes in 7 Simple Steps – With Video Katie shows you how to easily plant seed potatoes in her home garden at the Howard Homestead in seven simple steps.

How to Prepare Seed Potatoes for Planting - With Video Katie demonstrates how to prepare your seed potatoes for planting, and talks about the importance of adding certified disease-free potatoes to your growing space. She shows cutting, healing, and callousing Caribou Russet, Dark Red Norland, and Yukon Gem varieties.

Do this Before Planting Fruit Trees - WATCH NOW

Fruit Trees: Choosing Where to Plant in 5 Easy Steps Gary talks about what to consider and what to avoid when planning to plant fruit trees. These key factors can apply to a small backyard all the way up to a large orchard.

Thumbnail of terry adding limb spreaders to apple tree. Click to play 5 Easy Steps to Pruning an Apple Tree.

How To Prune An Apple Tree: Step by Step - With Video Terry shows us just how simple it is to prune an apple tree using the central leader pruning method.

How to Plant Bare-Root Plants By definition, bare-root plants are not grown in a pot and will not have any soil around their roots – hence the name "bare root". Our bare-root plants are shipped dormant, which helps them to transplant well and experience less transpiration (water loss) immediately after planting.

How to Plant Potted Plants Potted plants are greenhouse-grown and more tender than their bare-root counterparts. When your plant arrives, very carefully remove it from the packaging. It should arrive moist but will need a drink when it arrives at your home. Be sure the soil is completely moist.

Best Fruits for Partial Shade Let’s face it, as much as we might all desire several acres of blazing sunlight to grow everything under the full face of the sun, many of us live in suburban or urban environments that present a challenge when we want to grow our own food.

Growing More “Perfect” Organic Fruit In the absence of chemical sprays, dusts and synthetically manufactured growth-boosting fertilizers, organic fruit growers have learned to live with a few blemishes. It’s a small price to pay, knowing the fruit they grow is pure and natural. But did you know that you can grow more “perfect” organic fruit? Here are our best tips for the handsomest fruit on the block, without chemical sprays.

Soil Health Go out to your garden and scoop up a handful of soil, then really look at it. Is it pale or dark? Does it have little holes throughout and crumble easily, or does it stick together when you compress it? Do you know whether your soil is healthy or not?