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Gardening Advice
My cat 鈥淜itty Boy Floyd鈥 can be useful to have around the garden, keeping unwanted rodents at bay, but he can be destructive as well. How do we keep cats away from the garden with natural deterrents and cat repellents? Let鈥檚 explore this topic!
My cat loves to dig in the soft dirt, especially after I have planted some tender seedlings, and just the thought of cat poop in the vegetable beds鈥
Got allergies? It helps to know which are the best plants and worst plants for allergies鈥攑lus, here are six smart practices to cut down on allergic reactions.
Depending on what triggers your allergic reactions鈥攖ree pollen, dust, mold spores, grasses, weeds, or strongly scented flowers鈥攖here are irritants present from early spring until hard frost. As hard as we try to eliminate the鈥
Called 鈥渘ature鈥檚 plows,鈥 earthworms improve garden soil drainage, making it easier for plant roots to penetrate the earth. Earthworm casts also improve soil structure and nutrient availability鈥攚hich increases garden productivity! Find out how to attract earthworms!
Worms can absorb oxygen through their skin, can eat their own body weight in soil, and鈥攄espite having no eyes鈥攏avigate by鈥
Pinching your plants helps them put energy into ripening fruit, coaxes new growth, and increases yield. Learn how to pinch tomatoes, basil, peppers, and plants that can benefit from a mid-season pruning.What Does It Mean to Pinch a Plant?When plants start to grow during the summer, we鈥檙e often asked it鈥檚 beneficial to pinch or prune.What do we mean by 鈥減inching鈥 and how is it鈥
How much water do flowers really need? Even experienced gardeners can benefit from a refresher on how to water flowering plants, whether in the ground or in flower containers. Let鈥檚 water our flowers for optimal growth and maximum blooms!Watering flower containers is quite different than watering in-ground beds, so let鈥檚 start with flower pots.Watering Flower PotsFlowers and鈥
If, like me, you resort to using containers to grow some of your plants, try using a grow bag this year. They have some advantages over plastic pots or terra cotta. I was especially interested to learn about 鈥渁ir pruning.鈥 Here鈥檚 why and when to use a grow bag and some different types of grow bags.
Grow bags aren鈥檛 a new idea. In ancient times, plants were grown in woven baskets and bags.鈥
Summer is here, as is the hot weather! How do you start seeds for fall when conditions are so hot? Here are a few tips and tricks for beating the heat and getting seeds growing.
The seeds of different vegetables have optimum temperatures for germination, but right now most of them will not like this heat.
Beets and carrots aren鈥檛 too bothered by hot soil. Their germination doesn鈥檛鈥
Neem oil is a nontoxic pesticide that many gardeners say is their magic bullet to getting rid of bad bugs on plants (without harming anything else). Learn how to use Neem oil in the garden as well as some cautions with Neem oil. What is Neem?Neem oil is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). An evergreen forest tree native to the tropical lowlands of Myamar鈥
Meet Asian pears鈥攁mong the finest fruits I鈥檝e ever grown. They have the juicy white flesh and lovely bouquet of a pear but they are round and can be eaten crisp off the tree like an apple. Plus, this fruit is low in acidity, stores for many months, and is easy to grow.
Asian Pears Versus European Pears
Unlike the European pears that get a gritty texture inside if left to ripen on the鈥
How many times have you heard the advice to 鈥減lant in well-drained soil鈥? It seems like whenever you are shopping for plants or reading about gardening, the term 鈥渨ell-drained鈥 soil always comes up as the best location for planting. What exactly is this, and how is it identified?Definition of Well-Drained SoilThe ability of soil to drain depends on its structure. Soils that drain well鈥
If an ugly view ruins the ambience of your outdoor space or if your noisy neighbors are spoiling your enjoyment of your backyard, consider growing a living fence! Here are different types of fast-growing shrubs for privacy.
A privacy hedge can be used to frame a nice view or mark a boundary and it can be an effective windbreak or winter snow fence. There are many plants to鈥
Everyone would like a yard full of flowers, but we often don鈥檛 have the right space or enough time for a traditional garden. Containers indulge our love of plants in new, creative, and exciting ways. Here are some container garden ideas!Why Plant in Containers?If you have a troublesome spot where nothing will grow, try planting an instant garden in a container.If you lack sunny鈥
