There are a lot of reasons to make your own seed bombs: Garden in hard-to-reach areas Beautify a barren lot with a floral explosion Garden in an area that’s otherwise “restricted” Start seeds in a creative and organized way in your own garden There are a lot of different ways to make your own seed bombs, but we’ll go over the simplest and easiest method in this article: the classic clay seed bomb....
The wild blueberry fields of Maine are a true sight to behold! Gorgeous blueberries drip from plants left and right and invite families of all ages to enjoy their bounty. With such memories, it’s natural to want to replicate this paradise in any backyard garden. Blueberries have become so popular! Gardeners in the regions of the US that a few centuries ago couldn’t grow blueberry bushes now have access to recently created hybrids and cultivars that can weather milder winters or even no winter at all....
In the spring before you plant, you have to till your garden. It’s a necessity! But what hand tiller should you use? Today we’re going to go over the top hand tillers on the market today, both handheld and long-handled upright models. I’ll tell you about the differences between them both, and help you make the perfect choice for your needs. Table of Contents A hand tiller is really an essential tool for anyone who does serious gardening, so let’s dive in so you know which to choose!...
It’s almost winter, and gardening winter vegetables means planting frost-lovers like brassicas, garlic, leeks, and peas. Cabbage is a lovely winter crop that enjoys a kiss from the frost. And what better to plant with it but cabbage companion plants? Table of Contents Companion planting is a great way to keep your garden plentiful, and safe from common pests. It also provides a lot of variety to what could otherwise be a monoculture....
Have you ever seen stripped leaves on your nightshade plants? Or maybe you’ve seen tiny white to light green discs sitting singly on a leaf. What you might be dealing with is the tomato hornworm. Table of Contents Tomato hornworms are destructive little beasts. While sometimes they don’t do a lot of damage, over a few years, their populations can increase significantly. This is why it’s important to identify them and the damage they do, so you can control them....
Dieffenbachia is an attractive houseplant that is admired for its rich, tropical leaves. Commonly known as Leopard Lily or Dumb cane, the plant is prized is for its easy-to-grow, lush foliage that is perfect for home gardens. Table of Contents The plant grows up to a height of 72-84″ inches (182-213cm) with oblong-shaped leaves. It thrives well in moist, well-drained soil and indirect but consistent sunlight. If you’re growing dieffenbachia plants indoors, there are chances that they may begin to crowd their pots....
Table of Contents Zebra plant (Aphelandra squarrosa) is a finicky houseplant. It’s grown for its vividly-striped foliage and beautiful golden flowers. This exotic is a beautiful option for indoor gardening, but only if you know the right tips. Let’s go over the proper care for your zebra plant and prepare you for what you’ll need to do! Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap Neem Bliss 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil Yellow Dual Sticky Fly Traps Monterey Liqui-Cop Fungicide Zebra Plant Overview All About Zebra Plants Dark, blackish-green glossy leaves with white veins give the zebra plant its name....
The allspice tree is a lovely tree on its own and provides dried berries that make everyone’s favorite fall flavor: allspice. The tree is the only spice crop grown exclusively in the western hemisphere, and provided you have the right conditions you can grow it at home too! Table of Contents Allspice originates in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. In these tropical areas, growers cultivate regional allspice trees that have distinct flavors....
When I started out in hydroponics, I wanted to start out cheap. I didn’t feel like blowing a lot of money on fancy gadgets or equipment – I was much more interested in hacking together components and making a system that would produce awesome plants, all for under 100 bucks. Table of Contents I’m still interested in that, but as time went on I became more experienced with my grows and quickly found out that there were a few pieces of equipment I was willing to spend some extra money on....
Guzmania is a genus of over 120 species of flowering plants in the bromeliad family. There is another plant in this family that is edible and can be found in grocery stores all over the United States. That’s right, pineapples are also bromeliads! Just like a pineapple crown, the guzmania bromeliad flower stalk rises from the center of the plant. The flowers bear a similar appearance to the dark green leaves but tend to come in colors like bright red, yellow, orange, and white flowers....
You finally got it: your first succulent! Or second, or third, or maybe you’ve lost track. You love them, but you just can’t keep your precious succulents alive! Do you know how often to water succulents? What’s causing this sad state? The top cause of death in succulents is improper watering. This is likely because store-bought succulents usually don’t have an ID tag, let alone instructions. Without that, how are you supposed to know how often to water succulents?...
Learning how to grow beans and having a hard time deciding whether to stay close to the ground with bush beans or go vertical with a pole bean variety? Pole beans have growth characteristics that provide space-saving beauty and visual interest in home gardens. Vining varieties, runner beans, and snap beans make going vertical an exciting element in any garden. Table of Contents Common beans are divided into two main groups: pole and bush beans....
Nothing says summer like home-grown, crispy cucumbers. Behind that mouthwatering fruit are months of nurturing, protecting, and, most importantly, pruning cucumbers. Without proper cucumber pruning, your vines won’t be able to grow and produce fruit. In this article, we’ll answer all your questions about how to prune cucumber plants – plus more! Table of Contents Before we get started, you have to know how cucumber vines grow. One main stem has nodes, or joints, along its length....
Growing succulents from seed is a cheap way to add lots of new plants to your collection. However cheap it is, it’s still a slow process. Succulents are generally slow growers, so it will take much longer to coax them from seeds instead of cuttings. Some seeds can take a year or more just to germinate! Succulent seeds are also extremely picky about their growing conditions. Before you jump into growing, you need to be prepared to give them the constant care they require....
European ginger is a shade-loving, glossy, and evergreen plant perfect for your collection. Also known as Asarum europaeum, the plant is grown as ground cover, and slowly spreads to form a 6″ deep, dark green carpet of heart-shaped leaves. With radiant bell-shaped blooms appearing from late spring to early summer, the flowers often go unnoticed as the foliage is dense and thick. Table of Contents Quick Care Although the wild ginger plant is native to Europe, there are many different species found in North America as well....
Increasingly, growers deal with sunscald in their gardens. While sunscald is often attributed to either trees or solanaceous plants, the term applies to both situations. Within those two topics are more nuanced incidences largely dependent on plant conditions and the weather. Table of Contents Sunscald affects fruit trees, younger trees, vegetables, fruit, vines, and shrubs. Sunscald occurs in extremes: sunny winter days, freezing nights in winter months, and summer. It originates from direct sunlight that causes injury in plants....
There are millions of ants in the world, and they get everywhere. While I’ve focused in-depth on ants and organic ways to eliminate them in the past, one thing I haven’t done is to focus in on some of the many great commercial options to kill these pesky little pests. Table of Contents Every supermarket, hardware store, big-box store, even the convenience store carries at least one form of ant killer....
We all love trees and shrubs that have beautiful fall color. We also love birds and butterflies. We can help these creatures by asking for native plants when we shop at garden centers. See: 16 Invasive Species Sold at Garden Centers You Should Never Buy Butterflies need native plants to reproduce successfully and produce caterpillars. Birds need butterfly caterpillars to feed their nestlings. We can enjoy colorful fall beauty and birds and butterflies....
One of the most popular container houseplants is the Christmas cactus. Part of the holiday cactus gang, these are epiphytic cacti that are often exchanged in the holiday season. That’s because their blooming period occurs during the season of the holiday they are named for. Table of Contents What is the lifespan of a Christmas cactus? Well, you may want to put it in your will! Christmas cacti live up to 100 years....
One noxious weed a lot of gardeners deal with is the dreaded goat head weed. This weed forms a dense mat that overtakes almost any planting area and causes a lot of problems. Especially among garden beds where you grow ground cover, look out for this plant. Table of Contents The first recorded instance of goat head weed occurred in California in 1902. As the decades went on, horticulturists noticed the noxious weed formed monocultures that outcompeted native plants....
