Articles Index
What's the Difference Between Hybrid and Heirloom Vegetables?
Is there a difference and is one type of vegetable seed better for you than another. Here's a breakdown of what it means when a vegetable is defined as hybrid, open pollinated, heirloom or even genetically modified (GMO).
When Can I Cut Back the Browning Leaves of My Flowering Bulbs?
Spring flowering bulbs are such a welcome sight, but once they fade, we're left with the problem of their yellowing leaves. Don't cut them back. Here are better ways to hide them.
True to Seed
If you have ever wondered what True to Seed means, here's your answer.
How to Deal with Clematis Wilt
Clematis wilt can cause clematis plants to go from healthy and flowering to brown and withered very quickly. It's a common fungus disease and here's what to do about it.
When Should I Start Feeding My Plant Seedlings and with What?
Plant seedlings can feed themselves up until their first true leaves appear. Then you have to make some choices about how, when and how much to feed your seedlings.
Are Coffee Grounds Useful and Safe to Use in the Garden?
Are coffee grounds safe to use in the garden? There are many questions about what coffee grounds do or don't do for plants. Here are some answers.
What is Winter Sowing?
Winter sowing is a way to sow seeds in containers, outdoors in the winter, to germinate in the early spring. Winter sowing is an easy way to start seeds.
Epsom Salts and Plants - Is it Worth Using Epsom Salts as a Plant Fertilizer?
Gardeners have been using Epsom salts as a plant fertilizer for generations. There is little research to prove conclusively that Epsom salts have any effect on plants, but many seasoned gardeners cite their own gardens as proof that Epsom salts help certain plants grow stronger and produce better. If you’d like to try experimenting on your own, here are some tips for using Epsom salts in your gardens.
Do Tulips Come Back Year After Year?
Why don't tulips always come back, aren't they perennials? Tulips are a bit more temperamental than daffodils and can't always be counted on to come back, year after year. Here are some tips to help you out.
What is Organic Gardening - The Basics for Gardening Organically
What does it mean to have an organic garden? Does organic gardening mean you have to put up with insects eating your plants or unattractive flower beds? Actually, organic gardening just means trying to working with nature and to replenish as you deplete resources. Here are some basics...
What Does "As Soon as the Soil Can Be Worked" Mean?
When to plant seed can be tricky. There is no precise time, you have to wait until the soil is ready to be worked, before planting seeds. Here's how to test your soil.
What is Direct Seeding or Direct Sowing?
Direct seeding or direct sowing seeds is one of the easiest ways to plant seeds. Here are some tips for direct seeding plants in your garden.
Elephant Garlic - How to Grow Elephant Garlic
Planting, growing and harvesting elephant garlic bulbs and cloves.
Is it necessary to divide spring bulbs or will they spreading on their own?
Spring flowering bulbs need to be divided and replanted every 3 to 5 years. A sure sign that flowering bulbs need to be divided is when they start to produce less flowers. Here's how to divide, re-plant or store your spring bulbs.
What Does Right Plant, Right Place Really Mean?
'Right Plant, Right Place' has become a gardening axiom. But how do you know if you have chosen the right plant or put it in the right place. Here are 4 questions to ask, before you decide where to put that plant.
Fall Needle Drop - Why Evergreen Needles Turn Yellow in the Fall
Fall Needle Drop of Evergreen Trees and Shrubs
What Does Pea Inoculant Do and Is It Really Necessary?
It is often recommended that you treat your pea seeds with an inoculant, before planting. What does the inoculant do and is it really necessary?
Why do my tomatoes crack as they ripen?
A common tomato growing problem is fruit that cracks or splits open as the tomato ripens. How can you prevent future tomatoes from cracking and is the cracked fruit still edible?
Why is the stem end of my tomatoes not ripening?
Tomatoes that do not ripen fully, leaving the stem end green or yellowish, are said to have green shoulders. What can be doen to prevent this happening? Are the tomatoes wit green shoulders still good?
Why do the bottom of tomatoes turn black and soft?
Ripening tomatoes that turn black and soft on their side not attached to the stem are affected with blossom end rot. As with so many tomato problems, water is a key factor here. Is there any saving the rotting tomatoes?
Is Wood Ash Good for Garden Soil?
Is wood ash good for garden soil? Will it do more harm than good? That depends on your soil and, of course, on the wood that was burned. Here are some thoughts to consider before you put wood ash on your garden plants.
Invasive Plants - What Defines a Plant as an Invasive Plant Species?
Invasive, Aggressive, Enthusiastic? We hear the terms used interchangeably these days, but they mean different things. The major difference between invasive and aggressive seems to be the plant’s ability to establish itself in the wild and disrupt the native ecosystem. To make matters worse, plants that are aggressive or even invasive in one area are well-behaved in another. What’s a gardener to do?
Tomato Problems - Botrytis or Gray Mold on Tomatoes
Botrytis, or gray mold, is a wide ranging fungus disease that attacks over 200 kinds of plants, including tomatoes. If that’s not frustrating enough for gardeners, botrytis can also cause a variety of diseases, from damping off to blights of stems, buds, fruits and flowers.
Native Plants - Why You Should be Growing Plants Native to Your Area.
Why grow native plants? Because native plants take less work and resources, the birds and butterflies love plant natives and native plants are beautiful? OK, just what is a native plant?
Squash Vine Borers - Signs of Squash Vine Borer Damage and How to Control It.
Squash vine borers find their way into the stem of squash plants, causing them to wilt suddenly and eventually die. There are signs to look for to avoid squash vine borer damage and ways to control the damage if squash vine borers do attack your vines.