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Did you know that all those glorious vegetables you planted in the spring can be planted again in late summer? Many people forget about planning for the fall harvest in the vegetable garden. Since we garden up in the cooler northern climate of Minnesota we take every chance we get to grow more in the Eco Garden raised garden bed! Succession planting allows you to harvest and replant for continual growth.

As any gardener knows, tomatoes can have their host of problems. One of those problems that arises is low or no fruit production. Don’t lose hope! We explore are some reasons this could be happening to your tomato plants, and some solutions you can use to coax that beautiful fruit out into the world and onto your plate.

If you’ve noticed stunted growth, no blossoming, dying plants, or other vegetable garden maladies, it’s time to test your soil. In fact, we recommend you test soil several times throughout the growing season to ensure your garden is getting the right nutrients.

Even though we’re in the thick of summer, it’s time to start planting cooler weather fall crops in your raised garden bed. It’s also the time when every vegetable gardener is battling heat and pests. Wondering how to handle all of this at once? We have some garden protection ideas below, with many of them being inexpensive and DIY. Why Protect Your Garden? Of course, vegetables need the sun to thrive. Plants turn sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. But they can get too much of a good thing—overwhelming sunshine slows down photosynthesis and stops growth. On hot, muggy days with temperatures in the 90s or 100s, veggies are begging for moisture because the sun is drying out the soil and heating it too rapidly. Several days in this excessive heat, and your vegetables may never recover. And if that’s not enough, when it gets hot, the bad bugs like to come out and enjoy the garden. Squirrels and birds may eat up your tomatoes and berries, too, desperate for a water source. How to Protect Your Garden Protect Your Garden With Cloth There are many options for protection from heat and pests, from purchased shade cloth to old bed sheets. Shade cloth comes in multiple weights; a summer weight will allow more sunlight through, while a quilted weight is best for late fall gardening to prolong crops. Be sure to give some air to your plants and allow pollinators to do their work. The best way to do this is by constructing or purchasing garden hoops (see the videos below). You can also shade just the south side of plants if you don’t have enough cloth to cover the entire garden. DIY Protection for Raised Gardens Beds: We tried a couple iterations of this on the Eco Garden raised garden…

There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a thick green bean stalk uncurling out of the soil. The seedling is quite significant, making it a fun vegetable to grow in a raised garden bed with the kids. The best part? Growing green beans is super easy!

Having issues with squirrels digging up your garden? Here are 7 clever ways we tried to keep squirrels out of the garden. We’ll share what actually worked.

If you’re a gardener, you know how important proper watering is for garden plant life. Growing vegetables take a lot of water. At Eco Garden Systems, we came up with a way to garden more sustainably by using less water to grow vegetables in our raised garden bed. Find out how we do it.

Summer is the prime time for family vacations. Here are the best kept secrets for how to keep outdoor plants watered while on vacation.