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Pothos, also known by the names devil’s ivy, silver vine, money plant, etc., is arguably the most popular houseplant of all time. With its attractive, heart-shaped leaves (not to be confused with a heartleaf philodendron), trailing vine-like appearance, and its ability to purify indoor air, pothos plants are an ideal choice for your home or office. Table of Contents But… Most of us want to know how to make pothos fuller – giving it that nice, bushy vine look....

Ice cream bean is a fast-growing tree with many uses, including its exotic fruit! The large fruits contain a sweet cottony pulp. The edible pulp is where the “ice cream” name comes from as it has a sweet vanilla taste, sometimes with a cinnamon note, and the texture of cotton candy. Table of Contents The ice cream bean has many different names in its native region, and indigenous peoples use the tree for a variety of uses....

Have you ever been using your string trimmer to trim your edging and nicked your prize peach tree? Found yourself in a position where you just didn’t have the right mower or trimmer to get into a tight spot? Then you need the best grass shears you can find, and you need them quickly. Table of Contents Thankfully, I can help. Today we’ll discuss what you need to know to pick out the right pair of grass shears for your job....

You’ve gotten the lawn mowed wherever the mower would fit. You’ve used your lawn edger to clean up along the sidewalk and driveway. But you still need to get around the garden beds, and then there’s a narrow path where the lawn mower just wouldn’t fit. Now you need the best string trimmer you can find to get in the odd places! Table of Contents A string trimmer can be used in lieu of a lawn mower in awkward spaces....

While going on vacation is one of the best parts of summer, it also means not tending to our gardens for days and even a few weeks at a time. I recently went away on a week-long trip during which there were several thunderstorms. When I came back, I saw many of my tomatoes had split from the rain. Along with the rain came a fruit fly infestation, like a veritable storm of them....

The harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn) is named for this species’ unique coloration and pattern. The harlequin bug is a member of the stink bug family and has a similar shape and size as other stink bugs; they also produce odors as a defense mechanism against predators. Table of Contents Harlequin bug is an invasive pest in North America. Originating from Mexico and Central America, it was introduced to the U....

Table of Contents If you’re a grower, you’re probably looking into Metal Halide HIDs to give your garden a healthy beautiful green lush. Metal Halide grow lights have been in the market long enough to prove themselves as one of the favorite go to grow lights for growing plentiful, beautiful and nutritious green canopies. I’ve put up this guide in order to help you learn about Metal Halide grow lights, how they work, their advantages, and their downsides....

Most gardeners are familiar with worm castings. They’re one of the best organic fertilizers and composts out there. You can generate your own castings using your kitchen scraps and a worm composter, also called a vermicomposter. But what is the best worm composter, and how do you choose with the wide variety that are out there? Table of Contents We’ll break down each type of worm composter for your perusal and help you to make the right choice for your needs....

There’s nothing better than having access to fresh, nutrient-dense salad greens that practically grow themselves, right? Table of Contents I can already hear you saying, “Yeah, that’d be nice, if they existed…” Well, they do, and they’re called microgreens. Practically any plant can be grown as a microgreens, which is just the even-younger cousin of baby greens. Typically harvested around 8-20 days after planting, microgreens are the quickest turnaround crop you’ll ever grow in your garden....

Many gardeners don’t have a large space for gardening and continually look for ways to grow their favorite vegetables within these small areas. This guide on how to grow sweet potatoes in containers is for those who want to maximize their available space. We hope that we will help inspire you to plant sweet potatoes, whether it be in a larger container or a raised bed. Table of Contents Don’t be afraid to plant sweet potatoes among your decorative plants or other vegetables....

Kevin and Jacques love to bake bread (like this pocaccia bread recipe) with the wheat harvests from the Epic Homestead, and there’s a really good reason for that. There is nothing quite as uniquely satisfying as enjoying the literal fruits of your harvest… or, in this case, berries, as wheat produces seeds called wheat berries that can later be ground into flour for baking fresh, whole-wheat bread. But remember, this is a team spearheaded by the Potato Daddy himself....

If you’ve vacationed to the eastern coast of Mexico, you probably came across a Dioon edule. Maybe you mistook it for a palm tree or even a fern. What you saw is actually a cycad plant species that’s been around for longer than humans – or even dinosaurs – walked the earth! Table of Contents Dioon edule, also called virgin’s palm, is a large, evergreen cycad. Thanks to its subtropical origins, it’s a drought-tolerant plant that’s also delightfully low maintenance....

Table of Contents Ficus benjamina, also known as the weeping fig tree, is a beautiful and beneficial tree that comes from Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. In this guide you’ll learn exactly how to grow a weeping fig plant in your home, as well as the beneficial properties it has for your health.​ Weeping Fig Tree Overview The weeping fig tree is one of the best plants to have in your home when it comes to remove formaldehyde from the air....

Mexican heather is a small evergreen shrub that is native to Mexico. It tolerates high summer heat and prefers full sun. This low-maintenance plant is a perennial in warm climates and can also be grown as an annual in milder climates. This small shrub makes an excellent border plant and is a fantastic addition to any pollinator garden. It has small white, pink or purple flowers. Table of Contents Mexican heather plants go by many other nicknames such as Hawaiian heather, elfin herb, or false heather....

Timing is everything, or so the old phrase goes. Are you a business person who’s constantly on the go? Or are you a mom who’s juggling housework and kids and a job, and you just want a time saver? Either way, you need a hose timer. Table of Contents We’re going to go over the top choices in hose timers that are available right now. Whether you need one or multiple areas watered, something mechanical or something digital, there’s something here for you....

Whether you’re growing them for flour or to make a simple porridge, oats are a staple crop for many. Avena sativa is the botanical name of this grassy crop, and it’s one that most expect to see in huge, commercially-farmed fields. But growing oats can be done at home as well, and in fact, it makes for an effective cover crop when sown in the fall months. But if grown during its normal growing season, you’ll get lovely oat seed heads when the time is right!...

Table of Contents It may seem a bit odd to learn how to raise mealworms at first. Why would you ever want to have a supply of worms? Mealworms are not like the redworms you have in your worm composter. They won’t produce valuable worm castings for use in your garden. But they do have other benefits, and they’re certainly easy enough to cultivate. Today, we’ll look at every aspect of how to grow mealworms, from the life cycle of the worms themselves to how to provide a good habitat for them....

It’d be a shame to leave cilantro out of your microgreen garden. Growing cilantro microgreens at home will add a zesty flavor and abundant nutrients to your food without the high price tag. Like most microgreens, Coriandrum sativum is very easy to grow. It is one of the more slow-growing microgreens, but well worth the wait. Table of Contents The difference between growing cilantro microgreens and just growing cilantro is all about harvest time....

Punica granatum, the pomegranate tree, is a tree in a class of its own. Producing an unusual fruit filled with little arils or sacs of sweet juice, this tree originated abroad and has become a hit in the United States. Table of Contents We all know the pomegranate as a fall and winter fruit, visible in the cornucopia at Thanksgiving or scattered amidst pine boughs at Christmas. But the juice of this fruit is used year-round in grenadine for mixed drinks, and is packed with antioxidants and vitamins....

It may be prickly business, but propagating cacti is very easy! This is especially the case with the Opuntia genus, also known as prickly pear cactus. These drought-tolerant plants can be propagated by cuttings or seeds, both of which we’ll walk you through. Soon, your single cactus will become a whole garden of southwestern flair, thanks to prickly pear cactus propagation! Table of Contents Opuntia is a vast genus of over 150 species....