Let’s talk about weeds!

If you garden, you know how quickly they can appear. But here’s the important part: not all weeds are alike, which means they shouldn’t all be treated the same way.

Weeds can compete with our vegetables for water, nutrients, sunlight and space, and they always seem to spread incredibly quickly!

At Katie’s Krops, we don’t use chemical sprays or pesticides. Instead, we learn about the weeds growing in our gardens and figure out the best way to remove them.

Today we’re talking about two common weeds we battle:

Florida Betony: Pulling the green part isn’t enough! It spreads through underground runners and tiny tubers, so removing as much of the underground growth as possible is key.

Chamberbitter: This little weed can produce lots of tiny seeds. Remove it before those seeds mature and spread, or you may have a much bigger problem on your hands!

Sometimes the best gardening tool is simply knowing your garden. 🌱

A win for the Packers AND a win for Katie’s Krops 💚🏈

A huge thank you to our friends at the Charleston Packer Backers for supporting Katie’s Krops through the 50/50 raffle at today’s game!

Thanks to their generosity, $355 will go directly toward our monthly Katie’s Krops Dinners, helping ensure our neighbors in need have access to a fresh, free, and nourishing meal.

One of our most exciting garden discoveries this year? Late-summer planted butternut squash!

We planted it as some of our other crops began to struggle and die off in the heat, and WOW- what a harvest! It has been incredibly prolific and is still thriving and producing.

So next year, when your summer plants start to fade from the heat, consider adding butternut squash seeds to your garden! And we highly recommend growing them on a trellis to maximize both space and production. 🌱

Sometimes, the best garden discoveries come from simply trying something new!

Fellow gardeners, I’m in search for my next pair of gardening shoes. Do you have any recommendations? Comment them below please 🪏🌱!!!!

What if this fall, instead of buying mums that bloom for a few weeks and then call it quits… we planted something that keeps on giving?

Meet the coneflower, or Echinacea!

These beautiful, colorful flowers are long-lasting and can bloom throughout the season, but they offer so much more than just beauty. Coneflowers are a pollinator powerhouse, attracting bees and butterflies to the garden. And when the flowers go to seed, they provide a valuable food source for seed-eating birds, too! 🐝

And here’s the best part: they’re perennials! That means with the right care, they’ll come back year after year to brighten your garden and support wildlife.

This fall, consider choosing a perennial like coneflower—something that brings beauty to your garden, supports the pollinators that are so important to our ecosystem, and continues giving long after the season is over.

Let’s plant for beauty, biodiversity, and the future! The bees, birds, and butterflies will thank you! 💚

Don’t forget pest control! Sadly pests and critters like to munch on the garden during all seasons, so it’s important to know how you’ll combat them before your plants go in the ground.

Two of our favorite natural methods to control pests are by using cloches (or wire trash cans from the dollar store!) and row covers.

Protecting your crops is key to a heartfelt harvest! Happy growing 🌱

Pulling your plants? Don’t forget to save the seeds!

One of the most magical parts of gardening is that your plants truly are the gift that keeps on giving. Before you empty those garden beds, take a moment to save seeds for next season!

Trust us, you’ll be so happy you did when it’s time to plant again 🌸

Watering in the fall looks a little different than it does in the summer, but just because we aren’t dealing with the same oppressive heat doesn’t mean you don’t need a plan! 💧

Make sure you have your water source figured out ✨before✨ you plant, and don’t forget to account for any upcoming travel plans.

One of our favorite resources for watering, in every season, is the @growoya ! You’ve heard us mention them before, and these clay watering pots are a great way to help ensure your plants get water straight to the roots, right when they need it.

And the best news?! We have a special code that allows you to support Katie’s Krops with your Growoya purchase! Use code KATIESKROPS to give back, and if your order is over $100, you’ll receive 15% off as well. A win-win! 💚

It can be so tempting to cut away those dead vines, but wait! You never know which vines may be intermingled with healthy ones, and one wrong snip can damage a beautiful plant, like our watermelon here. 🍉

When in doubt, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Welcome to the in-between phase: when your summer garden has burned out, but it’s still too hot to plant for fall!

This is the perfect time to get your garden prepped and ready for a successful fall growing season, tackle any projects you’ve been putting off, and prepare for the slower pace that fall gardening has to offer.

Here’s a realistic look at our garden before we head into a brand-new season 💚 Stay tuned for more fall gardening tips and tricks!

Yesterday, we celebrated Dolly Parton and her love of books at Storytime in the Garden! 🦋🌈📚✨

It was such a magical afternoon, and we are so grateful for everyone who goes above and beyond to make our garden and outdoor classroom a special, welcoming space for all!