Our pre-Info Hub information center, the Urban Harvester offers posts on gardening, harvesting, and making use of that fine, extra-local produce! In these archives, you can find tips and techniques gleaned from our urban farms and gardens. We’re working on consolidating these articles into Info Hub sheets. But for now, you can find info both here and at our Info Hub. Please email info@growpittsburgh.org with any topics you’d like us to cover.
Our Director of Agricultural Production, Susanna Meyer, has 14 years of urban farming experience in Pittsburgh. She writes The Urban Harvester weekly and shares her farming lessons and secrets. As you can imagine she has seen lots of things here in Pittsburgh (think wild turkeys and deer sauntering through our urban farms) and has used some great techniques to make our farms and gardens not only produce tasty local vegetables, but to also look beautiful.
The Urban Harvester Archive:
Tending the Garden
Tomato Pruning June 27, 2012
How to Harvest Garlic July 4, 2012
Watering FAQ July 18, 2012
First Frost October 10, 2012
Winterizing October 24, 2012
Preparing for the Season March 6, 2013
Trellising Peas April 3, 2013
Creating Compost April 24, 2013
Trellising Tomatoes May 22, 2013
When to Harvest Garlic June 19, 2013
Weed Management July 3, 2013
Beat the Heat July 10, 2013
Rainwater Collection August 14, 2013
Overwintering Crops October 2, 2013
Testing, Amending, and Caring for Garden Soil January 22, 2014
Soil for Containers and Raised Beds January 29, 2014
When to Pick Peas June 18, 2014
Mulching July 9, 2014
Blossom End Rot July 16, 2014
Foliar Feeding August 6, 2014
Winter Squash Harvest and Storage September 17, 2014
Overwintering Fig Trees November 5, 2014
Bats in the Garden February 25, 2015
Dealing with Deer April 1, 2015
Planning and Planting
Fall Planting Tips & Techniques August 22, 2012
Perennial and Annual Herbs September 5, 2012
Planting Garlic November 7, 2012
Spring Bulbs November 14, 2012
Heirloom Vegetables December 12, 2012
Crop Varieties for City Growing December 19, 2012
Garden Planning January 2, 2013
Crop Rotation and Plant Families January 9, 2013
Making Your Garden a Thing of Beauty January 16, 2013
Seed Starting Schedules January 30, 2013
Pea Shoots February 20, 2013
First Crops to Seed Outdoors March 20, 2013
Planting Potatoes April 17, 2013
Transplanting Seedlings May 8, 2013
Succession Planting June 5, 2013
Planting for the Fall July 24, 2013
Storage Crops October 9, 2013
Lasagna Gardening October 23, 2013
Figs November 6, 2013
Online Garden Planning Tools November 20, 2013
Favorite Veggie Varieties December 18, 2013
Ordering Seeds February 5, 2014
Planting Peas March 12, 2014
Crops that Reseed April 23, 2014
Rain Gardens April 30, 2014
Planting and Harvesting Chart May 7, 2014
Seedling Flowers May 14, 2014
A Garden Journal May 21, 2014
Warm Season Crops to Plant Now May 28, 2014
Planting Lettuce in the Summer July 2, 2014
Last Chance to Plant Summer Veggies July 30, 2014
Cover Crops that Winterkill October 1, 2014
Japanese Knotweed October 15, 2014
The Three Sisters November 26, 2014
Winter Solstice December 17, 2014
Crop Families January 28, 2015
Safe Seed February 4, 2015
Will Your Seeds Grow? February 11, 2015
Growing Raspberries February 18, 2015
Containers and Soil for Starting Seedlings March 4, 2015
Lights and Heat for Starting Seedlings March 11, 2015
Preparing Seedlings for the Great Outdoors March 18, 2015
Mint April 22, 2015
Creating New Garden Spaces April 29, 2015
Flowers in the Vegetable Garden May 6, 2015
Supplies
Hand Protection October 17, 2012
Sourcing Seeds November 28, 2012
Seed Inventory & Storage December 5, 2012
Seed Starting Supplies January 23, 2013
Rain Boots & Jackets February 6, 2013
Ordering Seed Potatoes February 27, 2013
Mother’s Day Gifts for the Gardener May 1, 2013
DIY Plant Markers June 26, 2013
Stirrup Hoe November 13, 2013
Holiday Gifts for Gardeners December 4, 2013
Grow Pittsburgh Seedlings 2014 February 19, 2014
Organic Products February 26, 2014
Reusing Pots April 2, 2014
Row Cover April 16, 2014
Unique Holiday Gifts for Gardeners December 3, 2014
Tool Maintenance January 14, 2015
Seedling Sale 2015 April 15, 2015
Insects, Pests, and Disease
Slugs June 13, 2012
Cucumber Pests and Disease August 1, 2012
Tomato Pinworm September 12, 2012
Lady Bugs October 3, 2012
Cicadas May 15, 2013
Early Blight July 31, 2013
Late Blight August 21, 2013
Lacewings September 11, 2013
Praying Mantis September 25, 2013
Insects and the Cold January 15, 2013
Leafminers June 4, 2014
Squash Vine Borer August 20, 2014
Spiders September 10, 2014
Plant Village Solutions to Plant Questions January 7, 2015
Savoring the Harvest
Spring Greens June 20, 2012
Popsicles July 11, 2012
Mason Jar Salads July 25, 2012
Cucumber Pickles August 8, 2012
Preserving Tips & Techniques August 15, 2012
Food Swaps August 29, 2012
Swiss Chard September 19, 2012
Winter Squash September 26, 2012
A Cozy Autumn Meal October 31, 2012
Local Sides for the Thanksgiving Table November 21, 2012
Beet Chocolate Cake February 13, 2013
Green Garlic March 27, 2013
Asparagus April 10, 2013
Cilantro May 29, 2013
Strawberries June 12, 2013
Peaches July 17, 2013
Simple Fruit “Spoon” Cake August 7, 2013
Eggplant August 28, 2013
Tomato Jam September 4, 2013
Herbed Vinegars September 18, 2013
Pumpkin Pie November 27, 2013
Quinoa Vegetable Soup January 8, 2014
Strawberries, Storage and Recipes June 11, 2014
Infused Water July 23, 2014
Good and Cheap Cookbook August 13, 2014
Slow Cooker Apple Butter October 8, 2014
Mulled Apple Cider November 19, 2014
Shrub: Fruity Drinking Vinegar December 10, 2014
The Food Bank’s Community Harvest Program March 25, 2015
Pesto May 13, 2015
Harvesting Herbs May 20, 2015
Preserving Herbs June 3, 2015