Bello Campo Farm

06/16/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 16, 2026: Prepping Your Garden for Hot Weather

It's still officially spring, but we're supposed to have several hot days in a row. Hot, humid, and breezy. It won't be quite as bad as it would be later in the summer, but the garden plants aren't in the same shape either.

The key to prepping your garden for a heat wave is water. High temperatures can encourage plant growth, but that makes the plant use water even faster than usual. Make sure you are getting enough moisture to the roots, especially any young or recently transplanted plants that may have had their roots disturbed.

Also, hold off on any transplanting until it cools off if possible. You don't want to add heat stress to transplant shock. Check on your containers frequently as they can lose water much faster than plants in the ground. You may even want to move them into partial shade if you can. Any really delicate plants in beds might need shade cloth if the heat is supposed to last for a while.

If you have any mulch materials handy, that can be a great way to keep soil temperatures down and preserve moisture. Also make sure you're taking breaks and trying to work outside in the cooler mornings or evenings.

Heat stress is no fun for people or plants. Take some time to prep for the next heat wave in your garden today. It's always good to be prepared for the heat!

Tomorrow we'll chat more about mulch. See you there!

06/15/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 15, 2026: Should You Plant by the Moon?

Have you seen online posts about the virtues of planting during certain moon phases? Like only planting during a full moon and not during a new moon?

Apparently this practice goes back to ancient times documented in Roman and Greek writing, and possibly earlier. Certain moon phases were supposedly better times to plant different types of seeds.

I know that before we had all these electronic and mechanical gadgets to tell time, and the turn of the seasons, the sun and the moon were key indicators for everyone. But could it really make a difference in your garden?

The moon clearly has an impact on life on earth, with high tide higher during the full moon and other scientifically documented signs. But what about the gardening?

Well, I haven't been able to find much concrete evidence. Some folks definitely swear by following the moon's phases for doing certain garden tasks. It probably doesn't hurt to keep a regular schedule of doing certain things about once a month. But is your garden doomed if you planted during a new moon?

I didn't find anything that made me want to completely reconfigure my weekly or monthly task plan. It could be fun to try if you have the inclination, but don't feel like you need to add it to your to-do list if you've got other things to worry about. Happy new moon!

Tomorrow I'll share ideas about prepping for hot weather. Be there!

06/14/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 14, 2026: Work Smarter Not Harder in Your Garden

Working in your garden can sometimes be hard. But there are ways to plan your garden to make it as easy for you as possible. The first rule of planning your garden so you can work smarter, not harder, is planning to minimize distance.

Putting your garden close to your tools, your water source, your produce cleaning area, even your compost pile, can make a huge difference in how much time you spend gardening instead of walking back and forth.

I put my permanent herb bed right at the edge of our patio. So when I need to run out and grab some fresh herbs for whatever I'm cooking, I don't have to walk too far. My other beds rotate around from year to year, but none of them are that far away.

My biggest regret in our garden layout is that I didn't have a yard hydrant put closer to where my garden ended up. But luckily we have long hoses so I don't have to carry water very far.

The second big rule is documenting everything. Writing down what, when, and where you planted something only takes a few seconds. Sticking a label in a pot or in a garden bed can be similarly quick. But the time it saves when you're trying to figure out if something is growing properly will repay you many times over.

Finally, having a clear goal for your garden each year allows you to do enough of the right things at the right times. Making sure you're doing the tasks that will move you towards your goal is key to maing the most of the time you have. Take some time today to work smarter not harder towards those goals today!

Tomorrow I'll talk about planting by the moon. Be there!

06/13/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 13, 2026: Summer Celebrations in the Garden

Father's Day is coming soon, right around the summer solstice! Hope you have your plans settled to celebrate both fun events in your garden.

My dad was a big influence in my early learning to garden. He still grows hundreds of pounds of tomatoes in his garden every year. I remember marveling at his ability to dig beds and turn soil, push wheelbarrows of compost and mulch around when I struggled.

One of my first years running our garden I was loosening the soil in a bed after school. I jumped on that shovel with all my might and wiggled it back and forth into the ground until I could get a scoop to turn.

My dad came home from work and I had barely completed a third of the bed. He finished the rest in about 15 minutes. But more than just muscle power, my dad provided encouragement and support. Like the good soil that every garden needs to grow.

I hope that you have had that father figure in your life and you are able to celebrate them tomorrow, in person or in memory. I don't plan on asking my dad or husband to do any hard labor on Father's Day, although most of the gift themes for the holiday seem to focus on outdoor sports or grilling.

But maybe just some time spent enjoying the growing garden and spending time there together.

Tomorrow we'll chat about working smarter not harder in your garden. See you there!

06/12/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 12, 2026: Wait, You Can Eat That?

Yesterday I shared some tips on harvesting your broccoli at the perfect stage for firm, tasty heads. But what about the rest of the plant? Or what about the part you might cut off before using or freezing the florets?

Well, turns out the whole plant all the way down to the soil line is both edible and tasty if prepared the right way. If you don't plan on leaving your broccoli plants to sprout side shoots because you have better uses for that bed space, you can harvest the whole thing and find many tasty uses for it all.

The stem is full of fiber and nutrients and tastes great in soup. It is usually milder and sweeter than the florets. If the outside layer of the skin is too tough, just peel the stem and use the center portion.

The leaves can be used like collard greens or kale in salad, soups, and stews. The outer leaves can be large and tougher than newer leaves, so chop them or saute them before using.

I love maximizing my harvest and preserving all of my garden goodness. So don't let any part of your broccoli go to waste, whether you're harvesting in spring or before frost. Chop up those stems and leaves and enjoy!

Tomorrow I'll share some ideas about upcoming celebrations. Be there!

06/11/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 11, 2026: Harvesting the Perfect Head of Broccoli

Did you know broccoli is actually a flower? The key to harvesting the perfect head of broccoli is to make sure you never let it get to the flower stage. Broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes and even capers are actually buds of flowers that you pick and eat before they open.

The best time to pick broccoli is in the morning before the heat of the day. You want to harvest once the heads have stopped growing rapidly. The tiny buds that make the broccoli "trees" should be dark green and still tightly closed.

Sometimes I wait too long, hoping the head will get a little bigger, but it just leads to the broccoli trying to open it's flower. The heads get lighter in color and spread apart. The final size of the head has more to do with how much water and nutrients the plant has available.

If the weather warms up too fast, the broccoli will zoom through the bud stage and start flowering. When you harvest, if you cut the broccoli head at a slight angle and leave the plant in the ground, you can encourage the plant to produce side shoots with smaller heads. The plant is still trying to set seeds, so it's going to keep sending up flowers.

If you miss some broccoli and it flowers, you can pull the plant out (unless you're trying to save seeds), because it usually doesn't set more heads after creating flowers.

Once harvested, your broccoli can be used right away, stored in the fridge, or blanched and stored in the freezer. There are so many tasty broccoli recipes, it makes for one of my favorite things to harvest in the late spring. So get out there and harvest some perfect buds!

Tomorrow we'll talk about other weird things we eat. Can't wait!

06/10/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 10, 2026: Is it A Disease or A Deficiency?

Some of my tomato seedlings struggled this spring. They started out fine, but around the time I should have been potting them up into larger containers, they started turning yellow and losing their leaves.

Maybe I left them in their initial trays too long or they got too damp. It could have been competition over nutrients. Or it could have been a fungal disease.

Sometimes it's hard to know what is going on with your plants. If you see leaves with discolorations or they are curling up, there are a number of things that might be causing problems. I usually start with the following order of problems: moisture, pests, disease, nutrition.

So first I make sure the soil moisture is OK and I've been consistent in my watering. If not, giving the plant a good drink or letting them dry out is the first thing to try.

Then I look for any signs of pests or damage. This could be eggs, bite marks, or even footprints for larger pests. Taking protective measures depends on what's eating your plant.

If there's no signs of pest damage, then consider diseases and nutrient deficiencies. These can be hard to distinguish, but look for obvious signs of fungal growth or if only a portion of the plant is affected then a surface fungus or bacterium is more likely. If the whole plant or a group of plants are showing the same signs, it may be a nutrient deficiency.

You have to put on your detective hat in the garden sometimes. Figuring out the source of your problems gives you the best chance of solving them before your whole harvest is lost. So get out there and protect your plants!

Tomorrow we'll chat about harvesting broccoli. Be there!

06/09/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 9, 2026: Should You Go No Till?

It used to be that the first step for a gardener, or a farmer, when preparing to plant outdoors was to plow or till the soil to prepare it for planting. You can still see those large antique plows that took a furrow of sod and flipped it upside down to expose dirt for the seeds.

Even in hard sod, the sharp plow blade pulled by significant horse (or mule) power could cut through the matted grass roots and do its job. But, is that really the best way to plant?

The no-till garden and farming movement has picked up steam since the 1970's and nowadays almost 70 percent of farmers say they are using no-till methods. They leave stubble in the fields over the winter to prevent erosion and plant cover crops to increase soil fertility and suppress weeds. You can do the same thing in your garden. But should you?

Should you put that rototiller on permanent vacation? It's a complex and personal question that doesn't have an easy right answer depending on where you live and how you want to garden. It also doesn't have to be an all or nothing answer.

Check out my blog post Should You Go No-Till? for more. Then make the decision that works best for you and your garden.

Tomorrow we'll talk about troubleshooting funny looking plants. Can't wait.

To till or not to till, that is the question. When industrial farming first began expanding across the country, plowing the soil to prepare for...

06/08/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 8, 2026: Starting Seeds in Summer

If you're just starting your seeds, or you're on your second or third round of spring vegetables, starting seeds in warm weather can be more challenging than earlier in the spring.

If you are starting cool season plants, they may not germinate well in warmer conditions. Plus it's more difficult to keep the soil conditions consistent if the hot sun and higher temperatures dry out the ground more quickly.

Of course, if you're starting seeds indoors, you may be able to control the conditions well, but outdoors things can get more interesting. I've always wanted to grow a radish crop every month all season long. Many varieties can go from seed to table in only 28 days. But they just don't germinate as well once the temperatures are consistently above 70 degrees.

One option is to put shade cloth over your beds after seeding. In the early spring or late fall covering your beds can protect them from a light freeze, but in the summer it can keep the sun from frying your plants during the hottest part of the day. It also helps regulate the moisture in your soil by preventing the sun from drying out the top of the soil, which can fry your seedlings before they get a chance to grow.

Using mulch to keep the soil from drying out or taking advantage of beds that may have natural shade for part of the day can also help. Planting seeds a little deeper than normal can also encourage varieties that prefer cooler soil temps to sprout in hotter weather.

So, it may be more of a challenge, but don't let a heat wave stop you from building the year-round garden of your dreams. Get out there and plant some more seeds!

Tomorrow we'll talk about one of the hottest debates in gardening. Be there!

06/07/2026

Day-By-Day Gardener - June 7, 2026: Creating Your Soil Feeding Plan

To get nutrient-rich veggies out of your garden, you need to feed your soil. Organic matter like finished compost, shredded leaves, or grass clippings can add nitrogen and also loosen up your soil which allows beneficial microorganisms to grow.

Worm castings, composted livestock manure, or various types of meal (bone meal, feather meal, blood meal, etc.) can boost nitrogen quickly if you have had heavy feeding plants in that area of your garden.

Irrigating with compost teas, or soaking egg shells, banana peels, or other sources of minerals can be helpful. Even incorporating wood ash can reduce pH if you have acidic soil, which can help plants absorb existing minerals more easily.

Feed your soil early in the spring, before planting and incorporate soil amendments into the beds while you are prepping them for planting. Then once the plants are established, you can side dress with fertilizer. This means you put the fertilizer on top of the soil close enough to the plants that the roots will be able to soak in the nutrients.

Giving your soil a boost of nutrients can increase the size of the harvest. But don't push too much nitrogen or you will get a lot of leaves and not much fruit.

Put your soil feeding dates in your garden workbook and schedule a prep session a few days or weeks before to make sure you have enough of the right soil amendments ready to go. Then get busy and feed your soil!

Tomorrow I'll share some ideas about starting seeds in summer. See you there!