What to Plant in September in Zone 8b
Discover what to plant in September in Zone 8b, with seed timing, spacing, soil preparation, containers, raised beds and a printable fall garden checklist.
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Is There Really a Dead Wasp in Your Fig?
Do figs really contain dead wasps? Learn which fig types need wasp pollination and how Brown Turkey, Desert King and Calimyrna figs differ.
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Best Way to Preserve Fresh Garden Herbs: Freeze, Dry or Freeze-Dry?
There is no single best way to preserve herbs, which is inconvenient if you were hoping for one rule. Freeze the tender ones when you want real basil flavor in a pot of soup in January. Dry the woody ones, because they practically dry themselves. Save the freeze dryer for the leaves whose color and…
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How to Tell When Green Figs Are Ripe: 7 Signs It’s Time to Pick
Green figs can be surprisingly difficult to read. Unlike dark varieties that announce ripeness with a dramatic color change, a ripe green fig may still look—rather unhelpfully—green. The better clues are softness, drooping, size, skin texture and how easily the fruit releases from the tree. The short answer A green fig is ready to pick…
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How to Freeze-Dry Raspberries: A Step-by-Step Guide That Keeps Them Crisp
Fresh raspberries can go from perfect to soft in a hurry. Freeze-drying turns a fragile harvest into intensely flavored, crisp berries—but only when the fruit is prepared gently, dried completely and packaged before it can absorb moisture again. The short answer To freeze-dry raspberries, sort and gently rinse firm ripe berries, drain and dry their…
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When Is Elephant Garlic Ready to Harvest? 7 Signs It’s Time to Dig
Learn the seven signs that elephant garlic is ready to harvest, how to lift it without damage, and how to cure it for storage.
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What to Plant in August in Zone 8b: 12 Crops for a Fall Harvest
August is not the end of the garden in Zone 8b. It is the beginning of the cool-season garden—the one that gives you crisp radishes, sweet carrots, tender greens and sturdy brassicas after summer crops begin slowing down. The short answer In a Pacific Northwest Zone 8b garden, August is a good time to plant…
