Gardening With Sal

  Brassicas & Alliums Rising, Nightshades Falling 🌿 Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | July 31, 2026 Hey, if the Almanac can read the cards, why not me? I know, it's the end of July, we're in the hottest days of summer, and the old guy is talking about fall.  Gardening is one hobby where it pays to think a little ahead. Cooler weather crops take a while to grow, and if you want to harvest a crop before the first freeze arrives, you actually need to get started by mid- to late August, especially if you're working with seeds.  Many fall crops in the brassica family (like broccoli and cabbage) can take a light frost or two, but a hard freeze without protection will definitely cause some damage. There are others like garlic, though, that actually need the cold weather to properly form bulbs — it's called Vernalization.  Onions are another vegetable that winters over very well. They usually get planted in the September/October time frame, grow throughout the winter and...

Just A Few Things I wish I had Known  💬 Opinion | by Guy Saldiveri | July 29, 2026, Updated August 11, 2026 First off, welcome! I'm not sure you know what you actually just signed up for, but welcome to the world of gardening. I know, a little cynical, right? It wasn't meant to be — just speaking from experience. Gardening can be one of the most rewarding and the most frustrating hobbies you could have picked.  Between the rain, the heat, the bugs, the frosts, the finicky plants, the bugs, the lousy soil, and—if I didn't mention them—THE BUGS, lol, there is a lot to learn and a lot to deal with. And with all of that, I can honestly say, I wouldn't give it up for nuthin! And that's the truth. The rewards really do outweigh the frustrations.  There are years where nothing seems to go right, everything you plant just wilts or runs away from you. Then there are years when you just can't seem to do anything wrong. Those are the best ones! I wanted to write this one ...

 The Good, the Bad, the Ugly and What in the World is That! 🌿 Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | July 23, 2026 Hickory Horned Devil On the surface, this one might seem a little odd on a gardening blog. But I have to tell ya, I've seen some really weird stuff on the way to just pulling up some weeds… Take this first guy here. Can you imagine going out to prune a branch, only to find this staring back at you?

 The Ins, Outs, and Upside Downs of the What's, Where's, and Why's 🌿 Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | July 20, 2026 WOW, that title block was a mouthful all by itself. 😊 But I have to say, it really brings the point home — especially when the topic is where and how you have your roots roaming.

 Organic is Natural, But So Are Belladonna and Arsenic 💬 Opinion | by Guy Saldiveri | July 18, 2026 For some reason there's a perpetual belief that because something is labeled "Organic" it's completely safe. Because this is such an entrenched and widespread belief, I think it's time to set the record straight.

Clearing the Brush and Getting to the Root of the Matter 🌿 Garden Talk | 🐜 Garden Pests | by Guy Saldiveri | July 12, 2026 Hold on to your leaves—we're getting ready to tackle the Holy Grail—the Trifecta of products that take care of just about every pest your garden can experience—or so we're told... If you've been gardening for more than ten minutes, I'd lay odds that you've already heard about these three. Search almost any garden problem online and you'll find one—or all three—recommended as the answer.

 The Part No One Tells the Beginner 🌿 Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | July 09, 2026 One thing that hits home when I look back at the design, setup, and implementation of my garden is the cost. A couple of other things hit me as well:  - Someone showing me a small basket of their $100 tomatoes.  - The Master Gardener course question that asked if having a backyard garden was cost-effective—and any answer but 'no' was wrong.