Mother Earth Gardener

Q&A With the Pros:   Industry experts answer your vexing gardening questions.

QUESTION: I can never get my melons to bear fruit, even with a beehive in the garden. Could it be because I have clay soil? — Brandi Peterson

LEE BUTTALA

Executive director of Seed Savers Exchange and editor of The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving.

▶ Most melons are known to thrive in sandier, lighter soil. One way to examine if soil type is impacting your plant’s performance is to not only look at their fruiting, but the health and vigor of the plants themselves. Does their habit seem stunted? Are their stems weak and spindly? If so, this may be a sign that your plants are

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Mother Earth Gardener

Mother Earth Gardener7 min read
Piecing Together Plants
TOTIPOTENCE REFERS TO the potential ability of any part of a plant — except reproductive cells (egg and sperm) within a flower — to give rise to any other part of a plant, or even to a whole new plant. That’s because all of a plant’s cells (with some
Mother Earth Gardener6 min read
Living Off the Land
I GREW UP IN THE FOOTHILLS of the Appalachian Mountains, barefoot and running free through valleys and hollers for most of my childhood. The rural customs of canning and preserving were a part of my daily existence, and the annual planting of and ten
Mother Earth Gardener2 min read
Join the Conversation!
OUR FACEBOOK GARDENING GROUP allows you to connect with other gardeners around the world. You can ask the group’s help identifying plants, seek advice on growing techniques, or simply enjoy photos of beautiful gardens. Ask to join at www.Facebook.com

Related Books & Audiobooks