Crinum lily plants are poisonous. In fact, while they’re called spider lilies, they’re also called poison bulb! Right about now, I’m guessing you’re wondering why you’d want to grow a poisonous plant. The answer’s simple: it’s because they’re stunning. These plants reach heights of four to six feet tall, with long, slender blade-like leaves. Their flowers are usually white, but may have red or purple highlights. They thrive in subtropical temperatures....
People have been using epsom salt for plants for a long time. All over the internet, you see it recommended in glowing terms that really appeal to the emotions. Table of Contents People claim that spritzing their plants with epsom salt dissolved in water will kill pests, make their tomatoes huge, kill off fungal diseases on the leaves of their roses, and that it’s an effective weed killer. Epsom salt is purported to cure blossom end rot, and it’s supposed to “make plants stronger”....
With the explosion of hydroponics, indoor growing, and the LED grow light industry, it’s no surprise that there are a ton of companies in the market right now. Table of Contents It’s a bit overwhelming to sort through all of these companies popping up and determine which are the best ones for your particular needs in the garden. So, I’ve decided to go deep and review some of the most popular LED grow light companies on the market....
Red spider lily Lycoris radiata has a bit of an ominous reputation. In Japan, it is believed to be a flower of the afterlife. They are planted at the tombs of ancestors, and believed to help guide a soul into their next incarnation. Table of Contents Spooky stories abound. So too do the myriad of names it’s known by. Called red magic lily, corpse flower, resurrection lily, or equinox flower and more, it’s a stunning beauty....
I’m shocked that more people don’t grow Sansevieria cylindrica. The African spear plant is an incredible houseplant! Its smooth, cylindrical leaves make it a real attention-grabber. Table of Contents Like its relative the snake plant, it’s an easy-care plant. But it’s much more versatile. Like lucky bamboo, this plant can be braided to give it a unique appearance. Its leaves layer in the same way that a bowstring hemp plant’s do....
Stubborn oil slick on the driveway? Or maybe the birds congregating around the feeder have made a mess of your deck? You need a good cleaning solution, and you’ll want the best power washer that you can get. Table of Contents But what defines the best power washer? Is it simply the one that produces the strongest spray? Do you need an electric one or a gas one? Is there one that’s good for truly everything?...
Everything is cuter when it’s tiny, right? Well, that makes Brussels sprouts the cutest veggie around! Sadly, despite their adorable size, these baby cabbage look-alikes often get a bad rap, but that can usually be chalked up to user error. When overcooked, Brussel sprouts release sulfur, which is why so many people complain about the smell. When cooked correctly though, you’ll find that they have a palatable, nutty flavor. With just a little love, care, and seasoning, growing Brussel sprouts can make them the stars of your garden and your kitchen, so let’s give them a try!...
Simply put, hydroponics is the practice of growing plants using only water, nutrients, and a growing medium. The word hydroponics comes from the roots “hydro”, meaning water, and “ponos”, meaning labor, this method of gardening does not use soil. Table of Contents Sounds high tech and futuristic, right? It’s not. The earliest examples of hydroponics date back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Floating Gardens of China. Humans used these techniques thousands of years ago....
Growing turmeric is playfully similar using a slow cooker in the kitchen. It’s a “set it and forget it” type of experience. Most of how to grow turmeric will be simple with the right growing conditions or ingredients. Turmeric requires fertile, well-drained soil in a location with lots of sunshine and ample water. It requires occasional checks to ensure soil is wet, not soggy, and periodic fertilizer much as you would layer on the spices in your slow cooker....
If you are just beginning your gardening journey, a few simple houseplants are a great way to get things going. Table of Contents You’ll want to choose some healthy specimens that show no signs of disease. Opt for adaptable and forgiving plants rather than needy ones with special requirements. Before we walk you through 10 of the best indoor plants for beginners, there are a few basics to think about when it comes to growing inside your house…...
Table of Contents Many gardeners hate weeds. They will curse them under their breath as they drag the roots from the soil and toss them onto the compost pile with relish. In her well-known book “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee describes Miss Maudie’s reaction to a blade of nutgrass with sufficient illustration: “She swooped down upon it with a tin tub and subjected it to blasts from beneath with a poisonous substance she said was so powerful it’d kill us all if we didn’t stand out of the way....
You’ve probably struggled with the soil in at least one of your beds before. You may have tried incorporating fancy garden soil blends or tried to loosen the soil by manually tilling with no results. One way to improve the soil in a garden bed is to introduce an alfalfa cover crop. Table of Contents Sowing an annual cover crop into a garden has so many benefits. Having the foresight to include this practice in your yearly garden plan gives you excellent preparation for the upcoming growing season, especially since you’ll begin with a substantial and enriched soil structure....
Table of Contents Everyone and their grandmother seems to be building or buying polytunnels these days – and for a good reason. They’re an absolutely amazing gardening tool that extend the growing season, protect your garden from the elements, and ultimately increase the size of your harvest. And for all of these benefits, you don’t even have to build a permanent structure like a greenhouse! About 9/10 people who buy premade polytunnels end up erecting them themselves....
When you’ve run a gardening blog for a few years, you start to receive a lot of questions from your readers. Not surprisingly, one of the questions that I have received the most often is about whether or not Miracle-Gro is an organic or a synthetic fertilizer. Table of Contents Because of this, I decided it was time to directly address this topic. But, before we get into the nitty gritty of answering “is Miracle Gro organic?...
Sedum kamtschaticum offers lush groundcover of deep green leaves. The stem of the plant is 6″ tall. The bloom time of the small, yellow flowers is late spring and mid-summer. The foliage color turns a striking bronze in winter, while the long-lasting, star-like, golden yellow flowers retain their color throughout the bloom time. Table of Contents The drought tolerant Stonecrop Sedum retains its spoon-shaped foliage all season long. This plant is perfect to grow in between stone pathways or in xeriscape gardens....
Fennel is an attractive plant that looks great in any garden and can be grown as a vegetable or an ornamental. Growing fennel can be tricky, especially the bulb variety. It tends to be fussy about how, when, and where you grow it, but don’t let that put you off. Follow our simple growing instructions to help you grow fennel at home. You won’t regret it. Table of Contents There are two main types of fennel....
Many people steer away from pesticides. If only there were something that had little to no risk! That’s where diatomaceous earth comes into play. It’s virtually harmless, natural, and diatomaceous earth works as a pest control option as soon as you apply it. Knowing how to use diatomaceous earth can help to make your life much easier – and who doesn’t want an easier life? Table of Contents Diatomaceous earth, or DE, is completely natural as it’s made of fossilized aquatic remains that are ground to a fine, smooth-textured powder....
As an avid YouTube gardening video binge-watcher, imagine my absolute surprise and delight when I saw the collaboration between Epic Gardening’s Kevin Espiritu and the legendary Charles Dowding on how to make a no-dig garden bed back in December. This video came out at the perfect time for me because I had just decided to expand beyond my apartment patio and rent a garden plot through my local park district. I think many city dwellers like myself may come across a time when we venture beyond our tried and true containers into the wild and wonderful world of in-ground gardening....
Ever wondered if there was a heart-shaped flower that you could give to your loved one? Well, look no further, because bleeding heart flower produces strings of up to twenty of them at a time! Table of Contents Dicentra spectabilis is now known officially as Lamprocapnos spectabilis. But it’s also referred to by its original taxonomical name. I’ll be referring to the plant called bleeding heart as both in this piece, as the two names are synonymous....
I was chatting with Charlotte, a subscriber on the Epic Gardening YouTube channel, and she had a REALLY good idea: Table of Contents Why didn’t I think of this before! Oh well, big thanks to Charlotte for the suggestion for this project! Before we get into the written guide, here’s a video overview: Hydroponic Gardens: A Great Experiment For Kids As a kid, I remember growing a bean plant in school....
