Blog

This is where Benjamin Greenfield writes down what happens on his family farm in Oregon: year-round vegetable gardening in no-dig raised beds, with home-made compost and companion planting. Each article takes one job at a time, from working out where the sun falls to curing onions for the winter, and says what worked, what failed and why. The method is the one in his book, The Year-Round Vegetable Garden for Beginners; the blog is where year-round vegetable gardening meets the weather.

Browse by topic: Garden Planning · Soil & Compost · Seeds & Seedlings · Growing Guides · Watering & Irrigation · Pests & Diseases · Harvest & Storage · Season Extension

Garden Journal Template: Track Planting Dates and Harvest Yields
Garden Planning

Garden Journal Template: Track Planting Dates and Harvest Yields

“The garden teaches patience, but a Garden Journal Template teaches precision.” Keeping a detailed record of what you plant, when…
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Making Biochar at Home: Supercharging Your Soil’s Carbon Content
Soil & Compost

Making Biochar at Home: Supercharging Your Soil’s Carbon Content

Building incredible soil takes immense time and dedicated physical effort. Consequently, many backyard gardeners constantly search for permanent, highly reliable…
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Rainwater Harvesting for Vegetable Gardens: DIY Rain Barrel Installation and Maintenance
Watering & Irrigation

Rainwater Harvesting for Vegetable Gardens: DIY Rain Barrel Installation and Maintenance

Every drop of rain that falls on your roof is liquid gold for your tomatoes, lettuces, and peppers—yet most of…
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Indoor Worm Bin: Turning Kitchen Scraps into Liquid Gold
Soil & Compost

Indoor Worm Bin: Turning Kitchen Scraps into Liquid Gold

Throwing kitchen scraps into the daily trash feels incredibly wasteful to any passionate grower. Millions of tons of organic matter…
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Essential Gardening Hand Tools: Building Your Starter Kit
Garden Planning

Essential Gardening Hand Tools: Building Your Starter Kit

Walking into a massive commercial garden center frequently overwhelms enthusiastic beginners. Hundreds of shiny, brightly colored implements hang aggressively from…
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Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide: Crops That Thrive in Cooler Weather
Season Extension

Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide: Crops That Thrive in Cooler Weather

Autumn is a second spring—a window when crispy mornings and dwindling daylight coax exceptional flavor and color from cold‑tolerant crops….
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Vegetable Companion Planting Chart: Boost Growth and Repel Pests
Garden Planning

Vegetable Companion Planting Chart: Boost Growth and Repel Pests

Gardeners have long observed that certain vegetables thrive—or struggle—when planted side by side. Modern science now confirms many of these…
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Organic Plant Food: Feeding Your Veggies for Maximum Growth
Soil & Compost

Organic Plant Food: Feeding Your Veggies for Maximum Growth

Every passionate gardener wants massive, delicious yields. However, simply planting seeds in plain dirt rarely achieves spectacular results. Vegetables represent…
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Zone Planting Schedule: Timing Your Crops for Year-Round Success
Garden Planning

Zone Planting Schedule: Timing Your Crops for Year-Round Success

Every passionate gardener dreams of a constantly overflowing, massive harvest. However, unpredictable weather often ruins those highly optimistic springtime plans….
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Raised Bed Crops: Choosing the Best Varieties for Confined Spaces
Garden Planning

Raised Bed Crops: Choosing the Best Varieties for Confined Spaces

Building a backyard garden inside wooden frames solves numerous horticultural problems instantly. However, limited square footage demands incredibly smart, strategic…
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Growing Vegetables from Scraps
Seeds & Seedlings

Growing Vegetables from Scraps

Reduce Waste and Replant Kitchen Leftovers Why toss your kitchen scraps in the trash when you can regrow them into…
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Hügelkultur Gardening: Boost Soil Fertility with This Ancient Method
Soil & Compost

Hügelkultur Gardening: Boost Soil Fertility with This Ancient Method

Hügelkultur Gardening is a time-tested technique originating in Eastern Europe and Germany. This method involves building raised beds on top…
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Mounded Row Gardening: A No-Lumber Approach to Raised Planting
Garden Planning

Mounded Row Gardening: A No-Lumber Approach to Raised Planting

Lumber costs an absolute fortune at the hardware store today. Consequently, building traditional raised beds places a massive, often unbearable…
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Modern Victory Garden: Growing Your Own Food for Food Security
Garden Planning

Modern Victory Garden: Growing Your Own Food for Food Security

Global supply chains frequently experience massive, unpredictable disruptions. Consequently, supermarket shelves sometimes sit completely empty for weeks at a time….
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No-Dig Gardening Method: Building Soil Health Without Tilling
Soil & Compost

No-Dig Gardening Method: Building Soil Health Without Tilling

Gardeners have been taught to turn the soil for centuries. Spring arrives, and out comes the heavy rototiller or the…
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Aeroponic Tower Garden: Growing Vegetables in the Air
Garden Planning

Aeroponic Tower Garden: Growing Vegetables in the Air

Urban environments frequently lack the sprawling backyard space required for traditional farming. Consequently, many passionate city dwellers completely abandon their…
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Perennial Vegetables List: Planting for a Self-Sustaining Harvest
Growing Guides

Perennial Vegetables List: Planting for a Self-Sustaining Harvest

Every spring, exhausted gardeners spend countless hours tilling the earth and planting tiny annual seeds. Consequently, this relentless yearly cycle…
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Biodynamic Farming Principles: Aligning Your Garden with Nature
Garden Planning

Biodynamic Farming Principles: Aligning Your Garden with Nature

Modern agriculture relies heavily on toxic synthetic chemicals to maximize crop yields. Consequently, essential soil health deteriorates rapidly across the…
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Indoor Microgreens Setup: Cultivating Tiny Greens on Your Countertop
Growing Guides

Indoor Microgreens Setup: Cultivating Tiny Greens on Your Countertop

Winter weather frequently destroys outdoor gardening ambitions entirely. Freezing temperatures force passionate growers to abandon their raised beds for several…
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Regenerative Gardening: How to Restore Soil Health Naturally
Soil & Compost

Regenerative Gardening: How to Restore Soil Health Naturally

In today’s eco-conscious world, gardeners are increasingly turning to Regenerative Gardening to rebuild and rejuvenate soil naturally. By adopting practices…
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