The best time to control Japanese knotweed is when it is in flower.
Blanch cauliflower by tying leaves together above the head 1-2 weeks before harvest. This practice helps to prevent them from yellowing or browning and developing a bitter flavor due to an overabundance of sun exposure.
Harvest and use split tomatoes immediately.
Repot houseplants if needed several weeks before bringing them inside. Place in pots more than two inches larger in diameter than current pots.
Plants in the aster family (asteraceae), such a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), blazing stars (liatris spp.) and sunflowers (helianthus spp.) are butterfly magnets. The many small, nectar-producing flowers in each flower head open in sequence so that any one flower head includes nectar-producing flowers at various stages. When a butterfly lands on any of these flowers, it may be able to drink from many florets without having to move anything more than its tongue.
Use crop preservation methods such as drying, freezing and canning for surplus harvest.
If raspberries and blackberries are on your planting plan for next season, choose a site with well-drained soil and full sun. Don’t plant red raspberries within 100 feet of wild berries. Buy cultivars that grow well in your area. Prepare a weed-free soil and plant in early spring.
Plant Something Massachusetts is a project of Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association, and was originally established in partnership with Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association.