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A large, lush green tomato plant full of leaves but almost no fruit in a sunny backyard garden

Why your tomato plant is all leaves and no fruit

A big, leafy plant with barely any tomatoes? Usually it's too much nitrogen. Here's how to steer its energy back to fruit.

Freshly sown garden rows with young seedlings emerging in warm July sunlight, a watering can at the edge of the bed

Is it too late to start a garden in July?

Short answer: no. July opens a second planting window. Here's what to sow now and how to keep it alive in the heat.

A watermelon in the garden turned to show its buttery yellow field spot, with a dried tendril on the vine beside it

How can you tell when a watermelon is ripe?

Watermelons don't ripen after picking, so you get one shot. The field spot, the tendril, and the rind tell you when to cut.

A basket and counter pile of fresh green zucchini in a bright kitchen

What to do with too much zucchini

Buried in zucchini this July? Here's how to freeze it, pickle it, bake it, and actually use up the glut.

A tomato plant with yellowing lower leaves and healthy green growth in summer light

Why your tomato leaves are turning yellow

Yellow leaves aren't a death sentence. Where the yellowing starts tells you why, plus the simple fix for each cause.

Yellow tomato flowers on a healthy green plant in soft morning light

Why your tomato flowers are falling off

Blooms dropping in the summer heat? It's not your fault. Here's what's happening and how to get fruit set going again.

Watering potted tomato and herb plants on a sunny patio

Why your potted plants are always thirsty

Containers dry out shockingly fast in summer heat. The simple routine that keeps them alive through July.

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