Leafy Zen

How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors?

Every fall, I end up with a bowl of green tomatoes that look like they are daring me to give up. I never do. The good news is that tomatoes are climacteric fruit, which means they can keep ripening after you pick them, as long as they are mature enough. Your job indoors is to give them the right...

How to Get Rid of Leaf-Footed Bugs Naturally?

Leaf-footed bugs have a way of showing up right when your tomatoes start blushing and your peppers finally look proud of themselves. They are not usually a “garden apocalypse” pest, but they can absolutely ruin the best fruit of the season with a few stealthy feeding sessions. The good news:...

How to Grow Watermelons at Home?

Watermelons look like a big, braggy summer project. But they are really just sun, warmth, and consistency wrapped up in a vine that likes to sprawl. If you can grow a cucumber, you can grow a watermelon. The trick is giving the plant what it wants at the right time : warm soil to start, room to...

Why Are My Pepper Plant Leaves Turning Yellow?

If your pepper plant is suddenly looking like it lost its spark, you are not alone. Yellow leaves are one of the most common pepper panic moments. The good news is that peppers are honest plants. Their leaves change color for a reason, and with a little detective work you can usually turn things...

Why Are My Tomato Plants Wilting?

Few garden sights make my heart drop faster than a tomato that looked perky yesterday and suddenly looks like it needs a nap in the shade. The good news is that wilting is not a diagnosis, it is a symptom. And in tomatoes, symptoms have patterns. This page will help you figure out whether your wilt...