Everyone's looking to cut costs these days, and grocery bills are a good place to start. Though not all of us have the luxury of space to start growing our own veggies, herbs are generally low-maintenance and low-material plants you can grow in your own kitchen. Not only that, but some of them you don't even have to buy seeds or a plant for. Here are five herbs you can start from the ingredients you buy at the grocery store for a lower grocery bill and fresher ingredients. Mint Mint is a plant that is famously easy to grow and hard to kill. This is because (when planted in-ground) it's actually considered invasive, meaning it grows robustly, choking out other plants for light and nutrients. In a container on your kitchen counter, however, this just means an endless supply of fresh herbs. To start your own plant, take a few sprigs from the grocery store and place the stems in water. Ensure that no leaves are touching the water, as this can lead to rot, mildew, and mold. Change the water every few days, and in a few weeks, you should start to see root growth. Take these sprigs, plant them in a small container, and ta-da! You've got a plant that will continue to give fresh ingredients whenever you need them. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Basil Basil is not only easy to grow in the kitchen—It will also add a lovely aroma to your space. As with mint, simply pick a few leaves with developed, long stalks from what you bought at the supermarket and place them in water. After a few weeks of changing the water regularly, roots should begin to appear. Replant them in a medium-sized, well-draining pot, and harvest leaves as needed for cooking. Oregano Though it might take a while, oregano is yet another herb you can grow from supermarket propagations. Follow the same steps as for mint and basil: Pick a few healthy stems, put them in a cup of water, and pick off any leaves that might sit on or below the waterline. Change the water every few days to prevent mold, mildew, or rot. When you see roots form, transplant to a well-draining pot with soil. Water and provide light as with any other plant. Don't Prune Too Much For all herbs, make sure you're never taking more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. Rosemary Grow supermarket rosemary the same as basil: Pick sprigs with long, hardy stems and put them in water (with no leaves touching the water). Change water frequently, and plant in a pot when roots have grown out. Thyme For thyme, follow the same processes as for other herbs: Pick strong stems, place in water, replace water every few days, and—when roots have formed after a few weeks—transplant to a well-draining pot with soil and care for normally.

The perfect medley of decadent flavor and artistic color, ‘Green Zebra’ tomatoes are essential for the adventurous gardener or cook. In this article, former organic farmer and garden expert Logan Hailey explains how to grow this unique variety. Sometimes in gardening, we must sacrifice aesthetics for flavor, but ‘Green Zebra’ tomatoes elegantly achieve both. This extra vigorous breeder’s work of art combines the best flavor and color of an heirloom tomato with the vigor and resilience of a hybrid. While we often think of green tomatoes as under-ripe, this cultivar yields unique two to three-inch fruits that ripen with golden-chartreuse skins and forest green stripes. ‘Green Zebra’ was developed by an organic plant breeder who craved well-balanced, sweet, low-acidity fruits with superior crack resistance and an extraordinary zebra-striped aesthetic. This variety also boasts superior heat and drought tolerance. Let’s dig into everything you need to know about planting, growing, and caring for ‘Green Zebra’ tomatoes. History and Cultivation The idea for a ripe green tomato germinated in Tom Wagner’s mind in the 1950s. While green tomatoes are typically labeled unripe and left for frying or composting, he was determined to develop a cultivar that tasted delicious while green. An organic plant breeder from Everett, Washington, Wagner desired to cross several heirloom parents together for low-acidity, sweet tomatoes that ripened with yellowish-chartreuse skins. A product of traditional plant breeding, ‘Green Zebra’ is not a GMO (genetically modified organism). Instead, it is the result of cross-pollinating several different parent tomatoes and saving the seeds for several generations until the desired fruit is achieved. The process is similar to dog breeding, where a breeder chooses the best traits of two parents and crosses them together. Just like huskies are bred for sledding, and shepherds are bred for herding, ‘Green Zebra’ tomatoes are bred for amazingly delicious striped fruits. As you can imagine, this process took some time and taste-testing. The seeds were finally released in 1983 and are slowly becoming more popular amongst adventurous gardeners and chefs seeking more diversity in their tomato collections. What Are ‘Green Zebra’ Tomatoes? ‘Green Zebra’ is an organic hybrid cultivar developed by Tom Wagner in 1983. The ultra-vigorous indeterminate plants produce vines six feet or taller and copious amounts of two-to-three-inch diameter fruits. The flavorful tomatoes have zebra-striped skins that ripen to golden yellow, forest green, and a blush of amber. This crack-resistant variety is particularly suited to areas with summer rains. It is remarkably drought-tolerant and heat-tolerant, making it versatile in the south as well. What Do They Taste Like? The captivating striped appearance does not detract from the amazing flavor of this tomato. The well-balanced fruits are coveted for their perfect blend of sweetness, low acidity, and classic tomatoey flavor. They have the dense texture of an heirloom yet become slightly softer and juicier when fully ripe. The fruits are highly desirable for fresh eating in tangy or sweet salads. They are larger than cherry tomatoes but smaller than slicers. Cut them in half and sprinkle them with salt, olive oil, and balsamic for a colorful side dish. They also taste excellent in salsas, roasts, or paired with cheese boards. Propagation Like all tomatoes, this variety demands abundant warmth and sunshine to thrive. Seeds are the only way to start new plants unless you happen upon these rare seedlings at a local nursery. Seed A head start is recommended for tomato plants because it ensures early summer yields and extra strong root growth. Start these tomato seeds indoors four to six weeks before your last frost date. The plants should not be transplanted until one to two weeks after the average last frost. Seeds need plenty of warmth to germinate. The ideal soil temperature is 70-90°F (21-32°C). For the best results, use Epic 4-Cell trays or any tray of your choice and place them on top of a germination heat mat. Fill the trays with a well-drained seed starter mix, then tap them on a table to let the mix settle in place. Add a bit more soil to flatten the top of the trays. Use your finger to create small indentations in the center of each cell. ‘Green Zebra’ seeds should be planted at a depth of approximately ¼ inch. Sow one to two seeds per cell and thin to the strongest seedling once they are two inches tall. Use a bottom tray to water from the bottom, or gently saturate from the surface with a low-pressure hose or watering can. Avoid displacing the seeds with heavy blasts of water. Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy. Place in a bright, sunny location like a south-facing windowsill or a greenhouse. In the right conditions, the seeds take approximately 5-10 days to germinate. If the seedlings appear spindly or “leggy,” they probably don’t have enough light. Add a grow light or move closer to the window. Direct sowing is only recommended in the warmest climates where nighttime temperatures are reliably above 45°F (7°C) and the soil is at least 70°F (21°C). Use a soil thermometer probe to check your beds before sowing. Planting ‘Green Zebra’ takes approximately 75 days from transplanting to begin fruiting. Once the first flowers appear, rest assured that you will have tomatoes all summer long! These indeterminate vines fruit continuously until the first fall frost. As long as they have somewhat consistent water and full sunshine, the plants are eager to yield in abundance. How to Grow These heat-and-drought-tolerant plants can easily grow in most zones. The secret to the sweetest, most flavorful tomatoes is to ensure strong, healthy plants through consistent moisture, moderate fertilizing, and regular pruning. Maintenance Tomatoes can practically grow themselves, but there is a key maintenance step that will make a huge difference in overall yields: Sucker removal! Suckers are the little side shoots that grow from tomato “elbow ditches.” These are the spots where leaves intersect with a main stem. You will also notice new shoots emerging at approximately a 45° angle from the main stem. These shoots are called suckers because they literally “suck” energy away from fruit production. Sucker removal is like a message to your plant that says, Hey, please focus your energy on fruiting. You don’t need to grow any more vines or leaves. You can start removing suckers at any stage of growth, and you will find it much easier to control the trellising of the plant. Better yet, sucker removal improves overall airflow and gives your tomato patch a tidier appearance. If left in place, every sucker can grow into an entirely new vine. Instead, high-efficiency gardeners aim to choose just one or two main vines where the plant can focus its fruit production. Removing any lateral vines helps keep the patch under control. Use sharp, sanitized shears or scissors to cut suckers before they grow too large, or you can snap them off if they are still small.

Are you thinking of adding some peach trees to your garden this season? These popular fruit trees can grow across a wide variety of different climates. In this article, gardening expert Liessa Bowen takes you through everything you need to know about growing peach trees, including their maintenance and care. Fresh peaches taste like … summer! Peaches have been grown and cultivated for an incredibly long time, and it’s not surprising that people have loved this fruit for so long. Peaches are sweet, juicy, and perfectly delicious. A peach tree takes a bit of work to maintain, but if you have a sunny location and are willing to put in some time and effort, you can also have a peach tree of your own. Peach trees bloom in the spring, and many produce colorful and fragrant flowers. Flowers are ½ to 1 inch wide and quite showy, in beautiful shades of pink. Flowers can be quite abundant, and even if your tree didn’t produce any fruits, the flowers themselves would be worth growing a peach tree. The flowers also attract bees and other pollinators. If you want to try growing a peach tree in your own yard, read on to learn more about peach-growing basics. It’s also a good idea to check with your local cooperative extension office for region-specific information about growing peaches in your area. The more you know, the more successfully you can grow. History Peach fruits are sweet, juicy, and colorful. The skin color varies from bright yellow to deep red-orange, usually within a single fruit. The inner flesh is very juicy, very sweet, and light orange in color, containing a single large pit in the center. Peaches are slightly fuzzy fruits, and nectarines are a non-fuzzy, smooth variety of peach. Peach trees are deciduous fruit-bearing trees that are native to China. The Chinese consider the peach to be a symbol of longevity and immortality. Peaches certainly do have a long history of use and cultivation. Based on historical evidence, it appears that peaches have been cultivated since prehistoric times on the Asian continent. Peaches were likely brought from Asia to Europe, where they were further cultivated. Evidence of ancient peaches has been found in China, Japan, India, and Greece. They were then brought to the Americas in the 1600s. It’s no wonder peaches have been around so long; they are a sweet and delicious fruit that’s both healthy and easy to eat. Cultivation Peach trees told today in nurseries are typically grafted. They use a hearty and vigorous rootstock and graft it to a known variety of peaches. The known variety is the type of peach you actually harvest. This way, both the seller and the buyer know exactly what variety of peach they are working with. Peaches grown from seed are less certain due to cross-pollination and genetic variation. Peaches can be grown as individual trees or as an entire orchard. A single mature peach tree can produce up to 150 pounds of fruit per year! All those peaches make tasty and nutritious snacks. There are 20 states where peaches are grown commercially. Even though Georgia is known as “The Peach State,” California is actually the leading US producer of peaches, followed by South Carolina, with Georgia coming in third. Varieties Not all peach varieties are suitable for just any location. The first thing to consider is which USDA hardiness zone you live in. That will limit your choices when selecting a peach variety to grow. You will need to select a variety that will grow well in your area. These climate zones also help determine how many chill hours your tree will receive. Peaches won’t bloom or fruit without the proper number of chill hours or the amount of time with temperatures below a certain threshold. Once you know your climate zone, you can look at the tree varieties available to you. Some of the things you will need to consider are: