You might be wondering when to start tomato seeds indoors. Well, right now in January is the time!… at least, for much of the southern portion of the United States, that is. Timing the start of your tomato plants is an essential part of growing healthy tomatoes. Knowing how to do it properly within the parameters of your situation will make young plants even healthier. Table of Contents A lot goes into starting seeds indoors....
Perhaps one of the most important propagation methods to have in your gardening toolkit is air layering. You may already know you can divide plants, and propagate by seed, or by cuttings, but understanding the process of air layering plants is different and useful. Table of Contents Air layering is not just for houseplants. While your parent plant can be a houseplant, air layering propagation is effective on many woody plants, vines, ornamental plants, and even fruit trees and shrubs....
As we move towards the autumn, it’s time to start planning for future pruning and firewood-cutting needs. Having the best bow saw on hand when that time comes is a necessity. And finding the right one may seem a bit difficult. Table of Contents Today, we’ll talk about everything related to the bow saw, including the blade types, how to change the blade, and even the history of the saw itself....
Nobody likes mosquitos. Not only are they carriers of disease, but they’re little bloodsucking pests that leave behind itchy bumps that drive you nuts. But what’s the best mosquito killer, and how do you get rid of these irritating, flying menaces? Table of Contents Let’s discuss all the many options of environmental mosquito killers today. We’ll talk about different types, how to use them, and how to make them the most effective....
Echeveria agavoides may be small, but it packs a powerful punch of color. Its triangular leaves are pale green with bright red tips. This contrast is an absolute eye-catcher! Table of Contents The species name “agavoides” was inspired by this plant’s agave-like appearance. It has almost no stem, and the leaves grow upwards before fanning out. An average height of 5 inches makes this one of the shortest Echeverias. It’s also low-maintenance and a great succulent for beginners....
Typically treated as annuals, peppers are planted outdoors in pots or in the garden a few weeks after the last frost and thrive in warm to hot temperatures until the fall harvest. Did you know that you can get a jump on next season’s pepper harvest by overwintering your hot peppers indoors? Table of Contents If peppers are known to be heat lovers, how does overwintering pepper plants work? With careful management, it’s possible to coax your peppers into dormancy and keep them alive until the warmth returns and they can resume normal growing habits....
Everyone knows what kelp is, but for us gardeners kelp holds a special place in our green hearts…or it should! Table of Contents Kelp fertilizer is one of the best supplements you can use in your garden for a variety of reasons. What is Kelp Fertilizer? Liquid kelp fertilizer is a natural alternative to artificial fertilizers used for growing plants but without any by-products or environmentally damaging chemicals. The seaweed used to produce kelp fertilizer is sustainable and it can be harvested in a way that is safe for the environment, given that kelp has a particular cell structure that enables it to grow up to three feet per day....
Are you baffled by what to feed worms to produce great compost? Most people new to worm composting are at a loss for what goes in there, other than the obvious vegetable scraps or melon rinds. Table of Contents Most red wigglers or European nightcrawlers will eat almost anything. The average worm will consume half its body weight in food and bedding per day. If you start with a pound of worms, they should eat a half-pound of food and bedding per day, and so on....
Table of Contents You’ve decided you want to build a DIY greenhouse? Well, in that case, you’re in luck. I’ve got 95 different concepts and greenhouse plans for you to work from. Some are very rudimentary, others quite refined. A few will get you your DIY greenhouse cheap and easily. And others will give you a large greenhouse that’s worthy of a commercial farm. From mini greenhouses to hydrofarming havens, tech-savvy setups that will care for your plants for you to cling film-wrapped frameworks, we have something here that will suit every experience level or need....
Looking for a striking and brightly colored flowering plant to grow in your perennial garden? Look no further than blanket flower. Rising in early summer, these lovely soft orange flowers fit into meadow, pollinator, and drought resistant-gardens. Blanket flowers are perfect when planted among ornamental grasses, like Mexican feather grass. They’re great in xeriscaped areas exposed to full sun year-round. I eagerly await the emergence of blanket flower in my perennial garden....
We’ve been learning to grow microgreens from a variety of edible plants, so why not broccoli? You might be imagining tiny, seedy trees but the broccoli microgreen is just like any other young plant: all stem, root, and cotyledon. It may not look like a full-grown vegetable, but these broccoli plants have the same nutritional value and health benefits without the season-long commitment. Growing broccoli microgreens at home is an easy and remarkably short process....
Spinach is the ultimate healthy food. It’s bursting with iron, Vitamin C, beta carotene – you name it. But, what if we told you that spinach can be even healthier? Not only that but also tastier and faster to grow? With a simple growing process, anyone can grow the best superfood around: spinach microgreens! Table of Contents Microgreens aren’t a type of plant, but rather a stage of growth. This means that you don’t need seeds labeled as microgreens – any vegetable seeds will do....
I love my soaker hoses! They are a godsend for good watering, enabling me to easily direct the water directly to where it’s needed without any headaches. But you have to know how to use a soaker hose properly to make it an effective option for you. Table of Contents Let’s talk about what’s entailed in setting up your soaker hose, where it should go, and how often you need to run it for best coverage....
Hydroponic gardening is wonderful for so many reasons, but we growers still run into problems from time to time. In fact, as a beginner, there can be more problems than gardening in the soil! Table of Contents Nitrogen toxicity is one of these annoying problems. Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for plants, but too much can cause serious harm to your garden. If left unchecked, nitrogen toxicity can completely kill your plants....
The quest for the perfect lawn is endless. We invest in high-quality lawn mowers, in new grass seed, aerators, and lawn sprinklers. But there’s something that many people new to lawn maintenance forget: the best lawn edger. Table of Contents Lawn edgers can produce clean lines of separation between your grass and the driveway, sidewalk, or garden beds. They reduce damage caused by grass spread to these locations, too. And best of all, they provide a clean, streamlined look to the borders of your yard....
Most stationary and tumbler-style composters handle plant materials, paper and cardboard, some manures, and the occasional eggshell. Vermicomposters can handle all of those as well as occasional rice or pasta that can gum up a tumbler composter or draw pests if added too frequently. But only one method of composting can handle all of the above as well as dairy products and meats, and that is bokashi composting! Table of Contents...
Perhaps you’ve got a serious case of damping off in your own gardens. Perhaps you’re not even sure what it is. Perhaps you’re suffering from extreme paranoia and just want to avoid the problem altogether. Whatever your status, there are a plethora of ways to prevent the disease from taking over, forcing you to throw your trowel in the trash. Here you will find the information you need to keep your plants on a healthy track....
One of the coolest plants out there is the Jerusalem artichoke plant. It not only provides a good source of carbohydrates in its tuberous roots, but it also supplies pollen to many different kinds of bees. And the flowers that bloom on the plant are a lovely sight. Table of Contents A friend of mine has been growing Jerusalem artichoke in her backyard garden, and they’ve taken off. They’ve almost taken over the bed she planted them in, and they practically burst with happy yellow flowers in late summer....
Fresh fruit makes such a lovely treat straight out of the garden. Fruiting plants like raspberries are great investments for your garden because they are perennial plants and provide fruits that are expensive to purchase and transport. Growing berries do come with their own unique challenges, one of which is the raspberry beetle, Byturus tomentosus. Another pest is the raspberry fruit worm Byturus unicolor, which will be covered in detail in another article....
Sansevieria zeylanica, more commonly identified as bowstring hemp, is an evergreen perennial plant. It’s native to the South East Asian Region, especially found in India and Sri Lanka. A very close relative of the “mother in law’s tongue“, it’s vividly green with gorgeous leaf stripes. Table of Contents Sturdy and hardy, this plant can tolerate a surprising amount of neglect. It’s phenomenal as a houseplant, and in fact will purify the air in your home for you....
