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[…] planted. Watermelon beds are 4 feet wide and 8-12 inches tall. They are usually lined with drip irrigation and covered in black plastic. The plastic makes the soil warmer and makes it harder for weeds to grow. Watermelons are usually planted into the beds as transplants, not seeds. Planting is from early April to […]

[…] apart, depending on what they are intended for and the size the pumpkins will become. Some farmers plant pumpkins into rows of black plastic, which keeps the soil warmer.  It takes pumpkins 5-10 days to germinate after planting. Pumpkins will begin to spread out, growing leaves, vines, and flowers.4 Bloom and Pollination The plant’s […]

[…] planted in late fall or spring. Peppermint is planted using stolons or rhizomes, not seeds. Stolons are stems that grow sideways, instead of up, just above the soil surface. Rhizomes are similar, but just below the surface of the soil. Both stolons and rhizomes are the way some plants spread far away from where […]

[…] in fields! When a tree or plant is pulled out of the ground to be sold, farmers are very careful to keep all of the roots and soil attached. This is called the root ball. The farmers wrap the root ball in burlap to protect the tree until it is re-planted. This is called […]

[…] vineyards planted in the state of Oregon which is the same size as 33,000 football fields! In 2017, a record amount of grapes were grown in Oregon, a total of 77,000 tons of wine grapes were harvested. The weather and soil types in the Willamette Valley provide perfect growing conditions leading to many successful vineyards.

Phytophthora is a root rot disease that lives in the soil. When the soil becomes very wet, it can spread to other roots. It can move from the roots into the canes of the plant. Phytophthora causes leaves to wilt and die and it eventually kills the canes. The canes die during the summer, […]

Dormant perennial plants that are dug up and stored without any soil around their roots.

Green beans are planted in the spring, after winter’s last frosts have happened. They are planted as seeds, directly into the soil. Bush beans are planted in rows in open fields. Pole beans are also planted in rows, but have a trellis system to grow on. The plants will produce blooms that will grow […]

Many different diseases and insects can damage broccoli. Some pests hurt the leaves and flowers of the broccoli. Others can cause issues in the soil.