Posts By

Sarah Jay

Sarah is a staff writer and content strategist at Epic Gardening. She spends most of her time researching and writing about native/adapted plants and the ecological systems that make up our growing climates.

A young cherry tree with ripe bright red fruits and green foliage is completely covered with green netting to protect fruit trees from birds.

Trees

How to Protect Your Fruit Trees From Birds

If you made it all the way through the years it took to grow fruit only to have birds devour your harvest, you’re not alone. Experienced gardener Sarah Jay has the low down on ways to protect your fruit trees and shrubs from birds.

A shot of a jar of homemade sauce made from fresh red fruits, showcasing tomato varieties for making salsa

Vegetables

13 Best Tomato Varieties For Making Salsa

If you missed the boat on tomatoes this year, why not plan for the next? As you decide which types to grow, look for salsa tomatoes that really pack a punch. Follow along as experienced gardener, Sarah Jay details 13 of the best tomatoes for salsa.

Cut back irises on the garden bed show short, trimmed green stubs emerging from the soil.

Flowers

When and How to Cut Back Iris Leaves After Blooming

By cutting back iris leaves and flower stalks after they finish blooming, you set up next spring’s flowers for even more vigor. Follow along as master naturalist and experienced gardener Sarah Jay walks through the steps for how to cut back irises after blooming.

gardener thinning peach trees overhead with pruners

Fruits

How to Thin Peach Trees in 7 Easy Steps

If you had trouble in the past with bowing branches and other problems related to overcrowded fruit, it’s time to thin out your peach trees! Master naturalist and experienced gardener, Sarah Jay takes you through 7 steps to thin peach trees and give them a bit of breathing room.

Close-up of a female gardener's hands with a freshly dug up young tomato seedling with slender green stem and pairs of bright green, serrated leaves unfurling which was planted too early.

Vegetables

What to Do if You Planted Tomatoes Too Early

If you love tomatoes it’s easy to get excited and plant them too early. But what is the best course of action if you do? Experienced gardener and master naturalist, Sarah Jay has a few strategies for dealing with tomato season eagerness.

A gardener in white gloves divides spring tulip bulbs with flat vertical green leaves on a flowerbed.

Bulbs

How to Divide Your Spring Bulbs After They Bloom

Have you wondered what to do with your spring bulbs as they fade each year? It may be time to divide them. Follow along with experienced gardener and Master Naturalist Sarah Jay cover how to divide your spring bulbs after they bloom.