Have you ever been browsing in the succulent section of a garden center and discovered a pot with nothing more than a pair of flat-topped split rocks in it? If so, you may have discovered the lithops plant, an unusual African genus of succulent. Table of Contents Sometimes called split rocks or pebble plants, lithops living stone plants are extremely drought-resistant and are widely popular in low-water gardens in desert regions....
If you haven’t read the first post in this urban farming business series, go back and do that before you continue! Table of Contents In my first post I talked about the business idea and how it got started. I also talked about how I went out and pitched customers, validated the idea, and even landed a client. I got some feedback on that post and it seems like many wish to learn more about the numbers and the basic setup of the business....
Interview Highlights He gets 30kg per square meter of yield out of his sweet pepper grows, which in the 11 acre greenhouse that’s dedicated to peppers equates to 1.3 million kilograms of yield. INSANE. His company uses a gutter system, and previously would have just dumped the nutrients into the ground like many other companies do. They recycle by collecting all water in an underground tank, sterilize it with UV light, transfer it into another tank, and then add the elements that the mixture is missing....
Table of Contents There’s no better beginner houseplant than the Madagascar Dragon Tree, also known by its latin name as dracaena marginata. It’s super easy to care for, requiring little light or water, and is quite hardy in most temperatures. In this article, I will cover everything you need to know about dracaena marginata care, propagation, and troubleshooting. Let’s get started! Dracaena Marginata Overview The Madagascar Dragon Tree looks quite like palm trees, which is why many gardeners falsely assume it’s a member of the palm family....
Not all pine trees are created equally. A particularly interesting stand out is the pinon pine, also referred to as pinyon pine or piñon pine. This pine tree produces edible nuts. There are different varieties such as Colorado pinyon and Mexican pinyon and within these varieties, there are different types as well. There are two main types of pinyon pines referred to as the single-leaf pinyon and the two-needle pinyon (also known as two-needle piñon)....
Vermiculite and perlite are in many potting soil mixes, but you may not be aware of why you should use vermiculite in your garden soil mixes. If you have water-loving plants, want vigorous seed germination, or need to help cuttings develop strong roots, you’ll want to use vermiculite in your gardening practice! Table of Contents So, what is this stuff? It’s a naturally occurring mineral mined in several places around the world, including the USA, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, and Zimbabwe—it can be found on nearly every continent!...
Weigela is a beautiful deciduous shrub that comes in a variety of colors, both in its foliage, and flowers. The foliage colors include dark green leaves, bright green leaves, dark purple leaves, and even variegated foliage. Table of Contents Some of the most popular weigela flower colors include bright pink flowers, red flowers, and white flowers although they can also produce yellow, purple, orange, rose pink flowers, and magenta blooms. It makes a great addition to any landscape along borders or pathways or as foundation plantings near your home....
Crossandra, popularly called the firecracker flower, is a tropical subshrub. Its flowers are the real showstopper. They’re often salmon or apricot, but can be found in shades of yellow, red, or pink. Lush dark green foliage provides a backdrop which makes the flowers truly shine. Table of Contents Grown indoors and out, this warm-weather plant truly catches the eye. Crossandra’s an excellent choice as a container plant. In warmer climates, it can also be a beautiful low border....
Growing berries at home can be a delicious and rewarding experience. Raspberries are perennial plants that send up new canes every year on which fruits grow. Properly caring for your raspberry patch and managing pests like the raspberry crown borer are important steps to making sure you get abundant harvests year after year. Table of Contents The raspberry crown borer (Pennisetia marginata) is a type of moth that can damage many crown-forming plants, including raspberries, blackberries, and other brambles in the Rubus family....
Many believe passionately in living our lives as naturally as possible and using natural, non-toxic pest control. While there is a wide range of organic pesticides and fungicides out there, sometimes we just want something that’s basic, simple, and that you can whip up when needed. Table of Contents Here, we’ll share some of the best DIY natural solutions with you that can be effective. These simple and easy homemade recipes may also save you money!...
An evergreen shrub, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a robust herb that is ideal for your kitchen garden. Rosemary grows equally well in the ground or in a container garden, just as long as it gets plenty of full sun. Furthermore, this Mediterranean herb is not particularly picky about its soil, as long as it’s well-drained soil. It’s easy to maintain and harvest. As a result, even novice gardeners should learn how to harvest rosemary, because anyone can keep it growing!...
Fans of Harry Potter are no doubt familiar with the mandrake in that universe, a magical plant with the screaming gnarly roots and whose cry can be fatal for anyone who hears it. In our muggle world, some plants can develop a condition called clubroot, which gives the roots of the plants a similarly engorged appearance but is only fatal to the host plant. Infected plants may not show significant signs of damage, such as yellowing and wilted leaves, until much later in the disease progression because the symptoms first manifest underground....
You’ve seen these succulents everywhere. Their captivating rosettes have been a constant in garden stores for years. Graptosedum is a classic that’s fun and easy to grow. Table of Contents Yes, the name sounds like grapes, but this succulent actually resembles Echeveria. Graptosedum’s compact leaves spiral around the stem and create rosettes at the top. It comes in a wide array of hues from purple to orange to white. This succulent is sure to add color to your garden....
Are you interested in growing a tropical fruit tree, but you can’t commit to 20 years of care? Well, look no further than the papaya tree. Papaya trees produce nutritious papaya fruit and have a relatively short lifespan. They’re easy to grow in containers, too! We recommend Air Pots for growing trees. Table of Contents I don’t know about you, but I adore papaya fruit. It’s something I spring for when it comes to improving digestion, and it’s so good fresh....
We have one less reason to feel guilty about your coffee addiction! Table of Contents Two of my passions in life are drinking coffee (and lots of it) and being environmentally aware. A question I often get asked is, “How can I compost with coffee grounds?” You’ll be glad to hear that there are lots of ways you can benefit your garden with coffee grounds. So no need to give up your coffee habit just yet…....
Creeping thyme is one of those ‘must have’ plants you see in glossy lifestyle magazines, with soft pink floral carpets cascading over cottage garden walls or sprawling across a gravel garden overlooking the ocean, creating an altogether dreamy and aspirational ambiance. Good news! It’s very easy to recreate this look at home. Read on to discover how to create your own little slice of flowering creeping thyme heaven that spreads quickly through your front yard....
Have you ever wanted to grow fruit, but didn’t want to give up space in the yard for one of those heirloom apple trees? Even a crab apple might be too large? Then you will want to know about espalier fruit trees and how they’re grown! Table of Contents This old technique has been used on grape vines, fruit and flowering trees, and even large shrubs. Pronounced “ess-PAUL-yay”, the term originates with the French word “aspau”, meaning “a prop”, referencing the trellis that supports branches....
The first step in successful vermicomposting is keeping the worms alive, reproducing, and recycling your food scraps and organic waste into worm poop, or beautiful worm castings. The second step involves how to harvest worm castings, ideally while disturbing the worms as little as possible, yielding you a relatively worm-free humus. Let’s discuss harvesting castings, so you can put this “black gold” to good use in garden soil, around fruit trees, and in seed starting mixes....
At some time in your life, you’ve probably had a hard time getting to sleep. Bad sleep means low energy, bad health, and just simply dragging yourself through the day. Table of Contents It’s already been proven that surrounding yourself with nature helps with anxiety and stress, which are the two main reasons behind many sleeping issues. But did you know that bringing a little nature to your room can also help?...
If you’ve ever checked on your garden and found weird, grey, fuzzy looking spores or gray mold on your plants, chances are you’ve run into botrytis cinerea. Table of Contents B cinerea is a common fungal pathogen that goes by many other names as well. Grey mold, ghost spot, ash mold, or botrytis bunch rot are just a few! But to most of us, it’s that cursed grey-black mold that turns fruit into mush and wreaks havoc on our plants....
