January is time to order Cherry Tomato Seeds, Ugly Tomato Seeds and Heirloom Tomato Seeds from Seed Catalogs — The holidays are over and the decorations are once again in the attic. If you are staring out the window in between watering your houseplants and dreaming about spring, the time has come to check the mailbox. Right now is …
Think you Have a “Black Thumb”? You Just May not Have Found the Right Houseplant. — If you think you have a “black thumb,” that prevents you from keeping houseplants, chances are good that you just haven’t found the right plant yet. The most common reasons that homeowners end up killing their plants are either water …
Winterizing Container Plants — It is now late October, and in Northern Arkansas we are experiencing the first freeze warning of the season. For most container gardeners, this means time to move those tender tropical plants inside, and to winterize the plants that will …
Now is the Time to Plant Fall Vegetable Gardens — It’s August, and the temperatures are still over 100 degrees. The grass is dying and my roses and azaleas look worse for wear. During this time, it seems unthinkable to start a fall container vegetable garden. But August is actually …
Trash Vs. Treasure — When I was in my teens, we had a younger cousin who was touchy-feely with the plants in my mother’s flower bed – to the detriment of the plants, and my mom’s temper. When the cousin’s mother wouldn’t stop him …
Watering Hanging Baskets — If you’re like me, you’re probably experiencing unseasonably warm weather in summer. In summer heat, it can be a challenge to keep most container plants watered. But hanging baskets are the potted plants that have the most difficulty. Hanging baskets …
Crabgrass — It Makes me Crabby — One would think that growing vegetables in containers would mean an end to weeds. But much to my chagrin, I still have to contend with crabgrass. There are a lot of funny stories why crabgrass is called crabgrass. Some people …
There is Something Fishy about Aquaponics — Right now where I live, growing tomatoes is a challenge. Tomatoes usually produce fruit if the temperatures are between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In my area, we practically went from floods and 50 degree weather at night to 100+ …
Tip — Now Is The Time To Shop For Big Box Garden Center Bargains — July isn’t quite over yet, but my local big – box store is already stuffing it’s shelves with back-to-school gear from backpacks to glue, crayons and scissors. Now is a great time to take a look in the garden center …
Proper Watering for Containers — The temperatures here in Arkansas have reached record highs for June. Each day has been in the low 90 degrees farenheit, which is more typical for late July and August. Although just two weeks ago my planters were flooded due …
RV Gardening Tips — RVs are a unique means of travel. People who live in them, or just use them for vacations have the flexibility to see the country. But the down side of having an RV is that your choices for gardening are …
Why are my African Violets turning Mushy? –If you have ever tried to care for an African violet the same way as a conventional plant, you may notice that the plant’s leaves turn brown and mushy. This is because the leaves of African Violet plant leaves hate …
Vines in Containers: Creating Vertical Interest — For many container gardeners, vertical interest means using hanging baskets. But when designing a container garden, don’t neglect vines for your garden. Putting vines into flower pots allows you to move the vines to places where they can create the …
Potted Hostas: What to do When Crown Rot Strikes — Yesterday I wrote about using hostas in containers and the dangers of crown rot that the plants may face. Crown rot is the most serious problem that containerized hostas face. The plants are most prone to crown rot in spring, …
Peat Moss vs. Coir Fiber — In several recent posts, I’ve mentioned that you can substitute coir fiber for peat moss when mixing potting soil. But if you go into a garden center (at least in my part of rural Arkansas) you may only see peat …
Greywater – Not The Best Source for Houseplant Water — There are all kinds of ways to be environmentally conscious and still water your houseplants or maintain a lush patio garden. Some advocates of conservation recommend recycling water from other sources to water your plants. But while using drip water …
Mulch For Potted Plants — In an in-ground garden, mulch is an indispensable tool. Mulch helps prevent water from evaporating and cuts down on weeding by choking out weeds before they can take root. But in containers, mulch should be approached very carefully. The wrong …
Slugging it Out With Slugs — If all you grow is indoor potted plants, or of your container garden is on a balcony or deck, you may never have to deal with slugs. But if you have a patio or porch container garden on the ground, …
Planting a Night Garden — When I first graduated college, I took a job as a staff newspaper photographer. The hours were variable and 12 hour days were not unusual. During this time period, it was often too dark for me to enjoy my patio …
What to Do with Potted Bulbs? — One of the popular early spring gifts that gardeners can grow in their home is a container filled with potted bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinth. Potted bulbs appear in garden centers and big box department stores in February …
Fertilizer – What Do Those Numbers Mean? — I can still remember my first experience with fertilizer. I decided to fill a couple of windowsill containers that had been a gift with something easy to grow. After all, I grew up on a farm helping my grandpa plant …
What are the Differences Between Potting Soil and Top Soil? — We’ve already established that not all soil is created equal. But when you walk into your local hardware store or nursery, you may also be confronted by the fact that not all bagged soil is potting soil. Bagged soil choices …
Hardening Off Houseplants — As the temperatures grow warmer, many gardeners start to move their houseplants outdoors. But you can’t just plop your house plant down on your patio and expect it to thrive. All winter long, your plant has lived in a climate-controlled, …
White Spots on Your Plants? It May Be Sunburn — The weather has been warm lately, so many of my neighbors are starting to put their plants outside. But some of their plants are developing white spots in the center of their green leaves. These spots are sunken compared to …
Water Container Gardens – A Water Feature in a Flower Pot — All the rain we’ve recently gotten (and my flooded flower pots) has me thinking about water gardens. Specifically, water gardens in flower pots. Water container gardening allows you to introduce an entirely new subset of plants into your patio, porch …
Creative Containers –When I started container gardening, I thought that the only thing that constituted a container was a terracotta pot. Then I was given a gift of a large pond liner. For two years, my pond liner sat in my backyard, killing my grass.
Then I moved my plastic patio furniture into my garage. I had a blank canvas just waiting to be filled with lots of containers. At that point, I realized that the plastic pond liner would make a perfect container.
Willow Bark – A Rooting Hormone for Starting Cuttings– Cuttings are a reliable means of starting plants indoors. When you start a cutting in soil, it may produce roots on its own. But to improve your chances of producing plant roots, most gardeners recommend that you dip the cut end of the plant in rooting hormone.
One simple rooting hormone may be made from salicylic acid, a substance found in the bark of willows.
Rooting Cuttings – A Good way to Start Hybrid Plants — If I say the word clone you may think of sheep or something out of a science fiction novel. But cloning is the best way to reproduce your grandmother’s Christmas cactus or your cousin’s African Violets. Cloning is simply taking a piece of plant and coaxing it to grow into a brand new plant.
Most people don’t call the process cloning. It is more famously known as ‘taking cuttings to root.’ The process of taking and rooting cuttings is actually simple.’
Starting Seeds Indoors –About a month to a month and a half before your last yearly frost date is a good time to start seeds indoors. Seedlings take up to 6 weeks to mature to the point that they can be transplanted outdoors.
What is Seed Viability and Why Is It Important? –If you pick up an old package of seeds and plant them, you’ll notice that not all of the seeds sprout. The age of seeds determines their ability to sprout. This is known as seed viability. Not all seeds lose …
Potting Soil – You Can Mix Your Own! –Walk into any garden center and pick up a bag of generic potting soil. Now pick up a brand that is labeled for use with orchids. Notice how much lighter the orchid soil is compared to the generic soil. Now …
Get Your Containers Ready For Planting — In a previous article I mentioned that you must make sure that your tools and containers are clean before you put sterile potting soil in them. Tools and plastic containers can be cleaned with soap and water, but when it comes to terra cotta containers; it’s not quite so simple.
When Is the Best Time to Plant Garden Containers? — When is the best time to start a container garden?
Now, actually.
Sterilize Potting Soil at home to Kill Microbes In the Soil — Although it is still several weeks until the last yearly frost date, I start thinking of my spring container garden now. This is the time to clean containers and, if you plan to recycle your soil, to sterilize it.
Making Potting Soil Mix: Why Dirt is a Bad Ingredient (Part 1) — You should never use dirt in a container. Potting soil – the potting medium meant for containers – is very different from dirt. The crucial difference is that there is no actual soil in potting soil.
Making Potting Soil Mix: Why Dirt is a Bad Ingredient (Part 2) — In my most recent post, I discussed the differences between dirt and potting soil. Unlike dirt, potting soil does not actually contain soil. Instead it contains a mixture of organic and synthetic materials such as peat moss and vermiculite that …
Reasons to Container Garden (Even If You Have the Space for an In-Ground Garden) — I have both an in-ground vegetable garden, and a container veggie garden. Of the two, I prefer my container garden for several reasons. Container gardens are mobile. When I moved into my home 8 years ago, my veggie garden was …
April Showers and Hand-Me-Down Flowers — The western edge of Arkansas is at the edges of what Midwesterners charitably call Tornado Alley. This means that gardeners in this part of the state can expect several types of weather in April including:
80 degree days and no rain for weeks
30 degree days and snow
High winds and possibly tornadoes
Rain, thunder and lighting
Hail
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