Onion is an ancient food dating back to 5000 B.C. It was introduced to North America by the pilgrims and was one of the first crops planted by the colonists. A large number of varieties can be found today ranging from large sweet onions to scallions. With the ability to enhance many foods, onions are [...]
Hook’s Tips Starting your potatoes. Seed potatoes are grown specifically for starting new plants. They are usually smaller in size than you may find in the grocery store and have not been treated with a growth inhibitor (meant to stop or slow sprouting). Here’s How: You can Chit your potatoes about two to three weeks [...]
Grow Some Fun this Spring Spring is here and now is a great time to start introducing your kids to gardening! This can be done with things you probably have laying around the house and is as much fun for adults as it is for children. A large part of gardening is the magic that [...]
It is not too late to get vegetables planted. If the poor weather this spring has delayed planting or damaged your vegetable garden this year, do not fret! There is still time to get a garden planted or replant a garden damaged by the storms. Tomatoes, peppers and many other vegetables have a short enough [...]
Companion planting is one of the techniques used in integrated pest management plans to reduce the use of pesticides in the garden. Companion planting takes advantage of the simple fact that some plants grow better together than alone. Similarly, some plants are not compatible and inhibit each others growth. Companion planting is the practice of [...]
Sweet potatoes not only taste sweet and delicious, but they are nutritious as well. Sweet potatoes contain antioxidants, blood sugar regulating nutrients, and anti-inflammatory nutrients. On top of all of that, sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamins as well! Here are our tips on how to grow your own sweet potatoes. We recommend [...]
Adding vegetables fruits and herbs into existing beds can both help create visually pleasing designs and provide tasty produce. Edibles can be used to replace tired dull plants to add some spice to an existing landscaping bed. Many edibles feature spring flowers, tasty produce and can also display nice fall foliage making them a great [...]
Patio tomatoes are a great way to get hassle free tomatoes. Patio tomatoes grow well and produce tomatoes in the pot they come in. No transplanting necessary! That being said, these tomatoes will do well if you do want to transplant them into a larger pot or into your garden for a head start on [...]
As the days warm up it is time to start thinking about getting warm season crops. Warm season crops, or traditional summer crops, are crops whose fruits rather than roots or leaves are the edible part. These plants require warm soil and daytime temperatures to thrive and develop fruits. Cole crops, on the other hand, [...]
Starting a vegetable garden from scratch takes a lot of work but is fulfilling and worth all the effort put in in the end. Here is a quick and easy guide to the basics of planning, preparing and maintaining a vegetable garden. The first step in establishing a garden is picking out your plot. Be [...]
Cottage Gardens are defined by their causal, sprawling layout and a riot of color. They are characterized by a refined rustic feel and a look of bountiful abundance and color. Traditionally, cottage gardens contained a combination of flowers and edibles such as herbs, berries and vegetables. Cottage garden tips: Start small: gardens beds require lots [...]
Container gardening is different from planting in the ground. The space is limited which affects the amount of soil the plants roots can reach to absorb water and nutrients. Keeping this spatial limitation in mind there are a couple of important factors to take into account when container gardening including the size of the pot, [...]
Rabbits are adorable critters that can cause problems in the garden. No plants are completely rabbit proof and young plants are particularly vulnerable. That being said, some plants are generally considered rabbit resistant. These plants tend to be thorny, spiny, heavily aromatic or that secrete a milky sap which makes them less appetizing to rabbits. Here at Hook’s we [...]
The season is just getting started and now is a great time to plant onions! We recommend planting onions early because they can handle a light frost an it is important to plant onions early because they have time to grow large tops and store up a lot of energy in their bulbs making for [...]
If you’re itching to get your garden started, try planting cole crops! Hook's cole crops are acclimated to outdoor temperatures and are ready to be planted outside. Cole crops will not be damaged by light frosts, but we recommend protecting them if there’s a hard freeze. Cole crops are cool season crops that are all [...]