Why bare-root plants look dead before they grow

Why bare-root plants look dead before they grow

A March delivery of bare-root plants can feel like an accusation. You open the box expecting a garden, and what you find looks more like a bundle of sticks that spent the winter in a shed: no leaves, no soil, pale roots wrapped in damp paper or shavings, a few tight buds along the stems if you are lucky. This…

Read more

Why seed potatoes wake before spring

Why seed potatoes wake before spring

A seed potato in February looks like a small argument against winter. It sits in a carton on a cool windowsill, still mostly tuber, but with blunt purple nubs beginning to rise from its eyes. Outside, the soil may be wet, cold, and not remotely ready. Inside the potato, spring has already begun negotiating. This quiet pre-sprouting is often called…

Read more