Have you ever found an old package of seeds and wondered if you could get them to grow? Maybe you’ve been given old seeds by a friend or family member, or maybe you’ve stumbled on an old seed stash when you were clearing out a closet or garage. If you’ve ever come across old seeds,…
I love gardening, but sometimes the physical work can be quite demanding. Instead of attempting to dig into the thick clay soil that’s everywhere on my property, I’ve incorporated raised garden beds into my backyard garden area. Although my raised beds provide me with ample space to plant my veggies, drainage is an issue since…
One morning, I awoke to a few ants in my dining room. No big deal. I swept them up and got rid of them. But by the third day, there were hundreds, and they’d traveled through the kitchen and into the laundry room too. Yikes! Has this ever happened to you? If so, you know…
Say it with me fellow grower: Aphids are the worst. These irritating pests love to swoop in on thriving gardens and flourish at our expense. If you’ve been gardening for any length of time, you’ve likely dealt with your fair share of aphids plus the destruction and paranoia they bring with them. There are many…
For such small creatures, aphids can really cause really big problems in your garden. If you’ve ever had a plant with a few little crawling dots one day, then come back the next to find it completely covered in dots, then you likely know how frustrating and overwhelming aphid infestations can be. But which plants…
Like most gardeners, I want to grow the biggest, most productive tomato plants each year, but in order to do so, I’ve learned to pay close attention to the transplanting and repotting process. If you transplant your tomato seedlings too early, you risk damaging their fragile root systems. If you transplant them too late, you’ll…
One of the most challenging things about growing plants from seed is making sure your soil stays warm enough and moist enough to encourage high rates of germination. Heat mats are an easy solution when it comes to keeping soil warm–or waiting until it’s appropriately warm outside to direct sow your seeds–but it’s difficult to…
Have you ever planned out your garden, then realized you weren’t exactly sure how many plants you needed to feed yourself and your family? When I was a beginning gardener, I remember times when I either underestimated or overestimated how many plants I needed in my garden, particularly tomato plants. I love tomatoes, and I…
Pothos are one of the easiest, most forgiving indoor houseplants. They’re great for beginners, there’s several dozen different kinds to choose from, and they produce leaves in a variety of colors—all sorts of green and yellow hues plus many variegated kinds as well. But with all that beautiful foliage, you might be wondering if your…
When it comes to growing tomatoes from seed, the most important thing you can do is to make sure you’re giving your seeds and seedlings the appropriate amount of water in an appropriate way at an appropriate time. The goal is to water them just enough to encourage germination and healthy growth but not so…
