Aphids are the pest most gardeners encounter first and most often. They colonise quickly, reproduce fast, and if left unchecked can weaken or kill plants. But the conventional response — reaching immediately for a spray — often creates the conditions for worse aphid problems by eliminating the insects that would have controlled them naturally. HereContinue reading “Organic Aphid Control That Actually Works”
Category Archives: Grow Your Own
How We Grow Organic Vegetables During a North Carolina Drought
North Carolina summers are genuinely challenging for vegetable gardens. Extended periods without rain, combined with temperatures above 90°F and high humidity that does nothing for soil moisture, can put even established beds under serious stress. At Farmsustaina we have developed a set of practices over several seasons that allow us to maintain productive beds throughContinue reading “How We Grow Organic Vegetables During a North Carolina Drought”
Growing Food in North Carolina’s Heat: Crops That Thrive Above 90°F
Most summer gardening advice in North Carolina focuses on managing the heat — keeping plants cool, maintaining moisture, protecting from sun stress. That framing misses something important. Some crops do not merely tolerate North Carolina summer heat. They require it. They are at their best when temperatures exceed 90°F and the days are long andContinue reading “Growing Food in North Carolina’s Heat: Crops That Thrive Above 90°F”
The Truth About Organic Fertilizers: What We Actually Use at Farmsustaina
There is a persistent belief in organic gardening circles that fertiliser use is either unnecessary or somehow philosophically at odds with organic principles. This is not quite right, and getting it wrong leads to either under-fed plants or over-fed ones. Here is an honest account of what we actually use at Farmsustaina, why we useContinue reading “The Truth About Organic Fertilizers: What We Actually Use at Farmsustaina”
Why Compost-Grown Vegetables Are Often the Healthiest
The most productive beds at Farmsustaina are not the ones we’ve fertilised the most. They are the ones we’ve composted consistently for the longest. That observation, repeated across our growing seasons and confirmed in conversations with other organic growers, points to something that conventional growing wisdom undervalues: the relationship between compost, soil biology, and theContinue reading “Why Compost-Grown Vegetables Are Often the Healthiest”
What Is “Living Soil” and Why Does It Matter?
When people ask what makes Farmsustaina produce different, the honest answer is not the specific varieties we choose or the inputs we use. It is the soil. Everything else is downstream of that. A plant growing in genuinely alive soil — soil with a functioning microbial community, organic matter in active decomposition, and a networkContinue reading “What Is “Living Soil” and Why Does It Matter?”
Composting at Home — How to Build Better Soil the Organic Way
Most home gardeners treat soil as something you plant into. At Farmsustaina, we treat it as something you grow. The difference shows up in every harvest. Good soil — alive with microbes, earthworms, and fungal networks — feeds plants better than any fertiliser can. Composting is how we build it, and it costs almost nothing.Continue reading “Composting at Home — How to Build Better Soil the Organic Way”
The Raleigh-Cary NC Growing Calendar: What to Plant and When
If you grow a garden in the Raleigh-Cary area, you know the frustration: you plant sweet potatoes in spring, something eats half your tomatoes in July, and by October you’re still wondering where the fall went. At Farmsustaina, we’ve spent years learning to work with the North Carolina growing calendar rather than fighting it. Here’sContinue reading “The Raleigh-Cary NC Growing Calendar: What to Plant and When”
Best Vegetables to Grow in Summer in Raleigh-Cary NC (Zone 8a)
Summer in Raleigh-Cary is hot, humid, and long — and that’s actually good news for your vegetable garden if you know what to plant. Zone 8a summers regularly push above 95°F with overnight humidity that can invite fungal disease. But the vegetables that love this climate genuinely thrive here, and with the right approach youContinue reading “Best Vegetables to Grow in Summer in Raleigh-Cary NC (Zone 8a)”
Organic Growing Tips for Zone 8a — What We’ve Learned at Farmsustaina
One of the most common questions we get at the Farmsustaina farm stand is: “How do you actually grow organic in North Carolina’s summer heat?” Zone 8a — which covers the Raleigh-Cary corridor — gives us a long growing season with serious heat and humidity. Here’s how we work with it, not against it. KnowContinue reading “Organic Growing Tips for Zone 8a — What We’ve Learned at Farmsustaina”