Rhubarb is a cool-season garden vegetable that, once established, can produce a crop for up to 15 years, making it a particularly fruitful addition to any garden. Growing rhubarb from crowns is the fastest way to get new plants, but you can grow rhubarb from seeds, too; it will be several years before you can harvest the stalks. Here's how to grow rhubarb from seeds. Can You Grow Rhubarb From Seed? Yes, you can grow rhubarb from seed. The faster way to get rhubarb plants is to grow them from crowns, which can give you a harvest that same year. However, it's easy and cost-effective to start rhubarb plants with seed, you'll just have to wait three years to harvest. Rhubarb is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8 and, starting with seeds, is grown either as a perennial or short-lived perennial in zones 1 to 8. Seeds started in zone 9 are grown as an annual crop with a single harvest from March to May. In hardiness zones with long, hot growing seasons, rhubarb is usually grown as an annual by planting new crowns every year. How to Grow Rhubarb From Seed In the right conditions, rhubarb germinates in 7 to 14 days. Seeds should be directly sown or started in pots in early spring in cooler zones, and in late summer or early autumn in warmer zones, depending on climate. How to Plant Rhubarb Seeds Seeds started indoors germinate best between 68°F and 74°F. For direct sowing into the garden, wait until soil temperatures reach between 60°F and 70°F. Soak seeds in warm water for several hours before planting. In the garden, choose a spot that receives six hours of sun exposure daily. Rhubarb needs well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. In southern climates, provide afternoon shade. Work a good amount of aged compost into the planting bed. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep and three feet apart in rows five feet apart. Cover with soil and water thoroughly. To germinate in flats use a 50-50 mix of compost and potting soil. Plant one or two seeds per cell, 1/2 inch deep, cover, and water thoroughly. Place flats in a warm location that receives plenty of indirect light. To grow rhubarb in pots, you'll need 10-gallon containers. Plants grow to four feet tall, requiring lots of space. Choose a container with plenty of drainage holes. Use a 50-50 mix of aged compost and potting soil, plant seeds 1/2 inch deep, and water thoroughly. Rhubarb Seedling Care Water the seedlings when the soil gets dry on top. Soggy soil causes dampening off. Harden off for a week to 10 days by gradually exposing flat-grown seedlings to outdoor temperatures and more sunlight before transplanting into the garden. In zones with short growing seasons, try solarizing to raise soil temperature. In hotter climates add a layer of mulch to keep soil cool. Do not fertilize the first year. Compacted soil can be amended with manure or aged compost in subsequent years. Remove flowering stalks throughout the growing season and brown and dried out foliage at the end of the growing season. Harvest Rhubarb Annual rhubarb grown from seed is harvested between March and May. Stalks are usually smaller and seldom develop the pink to red hues of perennial rhubarb. Perennial rhubarb is harvested in May, June, and early July from 3-year-old crowns when stalks reach between 7 and 14 inches tall. Harvest by pulling and twisting the stalk off at the base. Do not cut rhubarb which can damage the crown. Remove leaves which are toxic.1 When to Plant Rhubarb Seeds by Zone When and how to start rhubarb from seeds depends, not just on growing zone, but on frost dates, elevation, microclimate, and other growing conditions. Ideal conditions for growing rhubarb include 500 hours of winter temperatures between 28°F and 40°F. Plants break dormancy above 40°F and begin to die back once temperatures reach 75°F.2 Consider these planting dates a general rule of thumb. USDA zones 1 to 3: Start seeds indoors in flats or pots eight to 10 weeks before final frost, which occurs from early April to May. Transplant when soil temperature reaches 60°F. USDA zone 4: Direct sow two weeks before final frost, from late April to early May, or start seeds in flats eight to 10 weeks before final frost. USDA Zone 5 to 6: Direct sow in the ground two weeks before the final frost in April, or start seeds in flats eight to 10 weeks before the final frost. USDA zone 7: Plant seeds in flats from January to February or directly sow in September and October. May grow as annual or perennial depending on climate. USDA zone 8: Plant seeds in flats from December to January or directly sow in September and October. May grow as annual or perennial depending on climate. USDA zone 9: Plant seeds in flats or direct sow from August to September for transplant into the garden in December. One annual harvest from March to May.

Cutting amaryllis leaves back at the right time is a key part of amaryllis care and essential to make the plant rebloom. The leaves should remain on the plant while they are still green. Knowing when to cut back the leaves lets you enjoy the bloom of amaryllis year after year instead of treating it like an annual flower that is discarded after it flowers (usually around Christmastime). Learn why the timing of cutting back amaryllis leaves is so important for the bloom and how to do it. When Should You Cut Back Amaryllis Leaves? Only cut the leaves of your amaryllis back when they have turned yellow and brown, after the plant has finished blooming. Even if they look a bit unsightly, resist the urge to remove the leaves while they are still green. During that stage, photosynthesis is still taking place and the plant is still growing, storing energy for future leaf growth and flowers. After the leaves have turned yellow and brown, the plant enters a brief rest period during which it stops growing before it restarts growing new leaves. 7 Essential Tasks to Do After Amaryllis Blooms After your amaryllis blooms, remove the faded flowers promptly so it does not form any seeds, which would unnecessarily deplete their energy. However, do not remove the thick, sturdy flower stalk; leave it on the plant until it has turned yellow. Just like the leaves, the flower stalk is important for photosynthesis while it’s green. Once the flower stalk has turned yellow, cut it off with sharp pruners or a knife sterilized with alcohol. Cut the flower stalk to a height of about a half inch and one inch above the bulb. Place your amaryllis in the sunniest possible location, preferably a south- or west-facing window. Continue to water it so the soil is consistently moist but not wet. Water whenever the top two inches of soil feel dry. Keep fertilizing it every two to three weeks with an all-purpose houseplant plant fertilizer, diluted to half strength. The plant will continue to grow leaves for a while. Once the leaves turn yellow or brown, let them fall on their own or cut them off. At this point, the plant has entered its brief rest period. Stop fertilizing the plant and cut back on the watering. How to Prune Amaryllis Leaves If you get the timing right, cutting back the yellow or brown amaryllis leaves is very simple. Cut the leaves 2 inches above the bulb, using sharp sterilized pruners or a knife. Afterward, you have two options for what to do with the bulbs. You can either remove it from its pot, clean it, and store the bulbs in a cool and dark place for a minimum of 6 weeks, or leave it in its pot and let it undergo a longer, more natural process to rebloom. What Should You Do With Amaryllis Plants in the Summer? Amaryllis thrives in the sun. If possible, move your potted amaryllis outside on your patio or deck during the summer, which will help it bloom more fully later in the season. In the spring, after there is no more danger of frost, slowly acclimate the amaryllis to outdoor conditions. Start by placing it in a location with partial shade or dappled light, such as under an umbrella. Gradually move it to a location where it gets full sun for at least 6 hours every day.1 Outdoors, the soil dries out much faster than indoors. Adjust the watering accordingly. Fertilize the plant monthly with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer. Make sure to return the plants indoors before the first fall frost. If you cannot move your amaryllis outdoors for the summer, place it in a window where it gets maximum sun and follow the same watering and fertilizing routine as described above.

Tomatillos produce green or purple fruits encased in a papery husk. Distant cousins to a tomato with a tangy, slightly acidic flavor, tomatillos are ready to harvest 75-100 days after the seedlings are settled in the garden. The fruit will completely fill the husk and easily pull off the plant. As an indeterminate plant, tomatillos continue to flower and produce fruit throughout the summer until frost. Because of the husk and green color, it can be confusing about when to harvest a tomatillo. Follow our tips for the best harvesting results. 5 Signs Tomatillos Are Ripe and Ready to Pick It's been 3-4 months since you planted. The first tomatillos are usually ready to be harvested 60 to 75 days after the seedlings are placed in the garden or settled into a container for the summer. The fruit is firm. If a tomatillo feels soft, it's likely overripe and less flavorful. It's reached peak color. For example, a purple tomatillo variety will be firm, purple, and no longer green when ready to pick. The husk changes from green to a light brown. The husk will be dry surrounding the tomatillo. The papery husk has not yet split. A fully-split husk means the fruit is overripe. When to Harvest Tomatillos Since tomatillos are indeterminate, they will not flower and set fruit all at once. Harvesting should be done every few days throughout the growing season. The fruit should be firm, the papery husk should be full, and a good hack to follow that tomatillos are ready? The fruit will often drop off the plant before it is fully ripened. These fruits can be gathered and stored in a cool, dry place in the husk until fully firm and ripe. After You've Harvested Every Tomatillo for the Season At the end of the season, the entire plant can be removed from the garden or container and hung upside down in a cool area. Any fruit remaining on the vines will continue to ripen and be good for several months. During the growing season, mature fruit should be placed in a cool location immediately following harvest and can be refrigerated in the husk in a paper bag for up to three weeks. How to Harvest Tomatillos the Right Way Tomatillos are easy to remove from the mother plant by hand or with pruning shears. Harvest by hand by giving the fruit a slight twist from the stem. If it does not yield easily, the fruit isn't mature. Keep a basket or bucket nearby to collect the fruit and place it in the container gently to avoid bruising and cracking. 6 Additional Tomatillo Growing Tips Always plant at least two tomatillo plants. They are not self-fruitful so two plants are needed for cross-pollination by insects. An individual plant may produce 64 to 200 fruits in a season. Tomatillos need about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week and full sun to maximize production. Tomatillos should be staked or caged to keep the fruit off the ground. Since the plants often drop their fruit before it is fully ripe, provide a bed of straw under each plant to keep the fruit dry and away from the soil until you can collect it. The fruit will be sticky when it is removed from the inedible husk. Wash with mild soap and water before eating or processing the tomatillos.

Growing sunflowers in pots is easy, but you have to follow specific care requirements. Plant sunflower seeds in a pot that can handle your full-grown sunflowers, so you don't have to repot them. Sunflowers grow best in a full-sun spot on a south-facing windowsill, patio, or porch. When you hear "sunflowers," the idea of growing them in pots may be the furthest thing from your mind. But there are many types of sunflowers, and some of them perform admirably in a pot, provided that you take a few basic steps to ensure their optimal growth. Learn how to plant and grow sunflowers in pots, from sowing the seed to choosing the perfect location for the pot. How to Plant and Grow Sunflowers in Pots Sunflowers are easy to grow, but you can increase your chances of success in the project by taking the following steps: Select a suitable variety to grow in a pot. Select a suitable pot. At the most basic level, match the size of the container to the size that the plant will achieve at maturity. Fill the pot with a potting mix. Sowing seeds directly in the pot, rather than starting the plants on a windowsill and transplanting them later, to avoid transplant shock. Sunflowers grow vigorously enough that you don't have to bother starting them indoors. Provide adequate water. Thin your seedling by selecting the seedling that looks healthiest as the one to keep, then gently remove the rest. This avoids overcrowding. If you want to grow multiple potted sunflowers, buy multiple pots. Locate the pot in a sunny spot. Fertilize your potted sunflower. Deadhead the flowers to encourage further blooming. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Sowing the Seed and Nursing the Seedlings The day before sowing seed, fill the container with potting mix (to within an inch of the rim) and sprinkle the surface with water to help it settle. You will be sowing a few seeds in the pot to ensure that something germinates, but you will be keeping only one seedling. Make your planting holes with a pencil, going down 1/2 inch. Drop a seed in each hole, then tamp down the soil to cover it. Water the soil lightly; do not make the soil soggy. After germination, irrigate regularly, but not excessively. The objective is to keep the soil evenly moist. Wait for the seedlings to put on a few inches of height before selecting the best one and thinning out the rest. The problem with thinning earlier is that young seedlings are particularly susceptible to damage from slugs and snails. A small plant can be decimated overnight by these pests. If you remove all seedlings but one too early, only to have that one destroyed by pests, you'll have to start all over again. Soil Sunflowers grown in containers need good drainage. This is why you'll be using a potting soil rather than garden soil: Potting soil is lighter and drains faster. Sunflowers are also heavy feeders, so they will require fertilization. A slow-release fertilizer is the safest type to use. You can also amend the soil with compost or aged manure. Light Sunflowers need full sun to grow properly. Station your pot in a location that, on a typical sunny day, gets six to eight hours of direct sunlight. Water Your goal in watering is to keep the soil evenly moist. It should not be allowed to dry out completely, nor should it be soggy. Potted sunflowers have to be watered more frequently than those grown in the ground, because containers dry out faster than the ground. But other factors, such as weather, also affect how often you will need to irrigate. To determine when it is time to water again, poke a hole an inch down into the soil: If it is not evenly moist down to that level, then it is time to water. Location In addition to choosing a location with full sun, select one that is sheltered from high winds. Potted sunflowers are very attractive on south-facing decks or patios. Best Sunflowers for Pots There are single-stem sunflowers and branching sunflowers. The single-stem types are great for cut flowers, as they bear large blooms on sturdy stalks. Branching types hold a charm of their own; some gardeners prefer them for patio displays, since they produce multiple blooms. Not all sunflower varieties grow well in pots. Large types, such as Helianthus annuus 'Mammoth,' are ill-suited for pots. Dwarf varieties are more suitable for pots; as a bonus, the shorter the sunflower, the less you will have to worry about it being buffeted by wind gusts. Find seeds for any of the more compact varieties of Helianthus annuus, which include: 'Firecracker': 2 to 3 feet tall, Firecracker is a branching sunflower. It has bicolored flowers (gold and reddish) with dark centers. 'Little Becka': 1 to 2 feet tall, Little Becka is a branching sunflower. It has bicolored flowers (gold and copper) with dark centers. 'SunBuzz': A shorter branching type (up to 20 inches tall), SunBuzz has yellow flowers with dark centers. 'Sunfinity': A taller specimen (up to 4.5 feet), Sunfinity is a branching sunflower that has golden flowers with dark centers. 'Teddy Bear': Teddy Bear is a single-stem type, sporting a large, golden flower that has a fuzzy texture. It stands 2 to 3 feet tall. Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia) are not true sunflowers, but they, too, perform well in pots. Best Pots for Sunflowers What makes a good container for sunflowers is one that: Has a large drain hole (to promote the excellent drainage that potted sunflowers need) Stays cool even while being pounded by the sun Has enough heft to offer stability Is big enough that the soil won't dry out too quickly yet not so big that the soil will retain excessive moisture Is made of a material that "breathes" Terra cotta pots are generally the best choice. Unlike plastic pots, they are porous, which allows for evaporation and keeps soil from becoming waterlogged.