Search Results
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How to Easily Determine Your Soil Type
A lush summer lawn is the American Dream – bright green grass, vivid flowers, and shady trees. Having curb appeal that makes you the envy of the neighborhood is easier than you think, and it all comes down to understanding the characteristics of your soil and any soil erosion you may have. What Are the Different Types of Soil? There are four main types of soil that homeowners in the U.S. have: Sand - made up of small mineral particles, warms fast and drains easily, but may cause your plants...
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How to Prep Your Garden For Healthy Root Growth
Any self-respecting gardener would tell you how important the roots of a plant are. After all, just because you can't see them, doesn't mean that they aren't one of the main sources of your plants well-being. Keeping roots healthy is a vital part of looking after your plants and this short guide should help you identify the difference between healthy and unhealthy roots, and how you can treat poor root health. Why Do Roots Matter? Roots exist to take in water and nutrients from t...
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5 Common Fertilizing Mistakes You Want to Avoid
Applying fertilizer to your garden is an essential step in guaranteeing a healthy harvest, but you do need to be strategic with your application. While there are a number of times when fertilizing your plants is a great idea, contrastingly, there are just as many moments when the fertilizer bag should stay closed. We’ve rounded up a few common mistakes gardeners are likely to make when fertilizing their plants. You’ll want to keep these errors in mind, so you can keep your plants at their bes...
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5 Harmful Garden Insects and How to Eliminate Them
As a gardener, it may seem like everything and anything is a threat to the wellbeing of your plants. This is especially true at the start of the growing season when warmer weather invites hungry insects to come out to play. But oftentimes, we notice our damaged plants before spotting the bug responsible. How quickly you realize your plants are infested can mean the difference between saving them or calling it quits. Read on to learn of a few of the most common harmful garden insects, how to i...
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How to Care for the Seedlings in Your Garden
Deciding to grow your own food is a major step and a larger commitment than many people realize. Sowing a seed is probably the easiest part. It’s caring for the seedling afterward that may be the most challenging. Keep reading to learn how to properly care for your seedlings so they grow into mature, productive plants. What Are Seedlings? A seedling is a young plant cultivated from a seed rather than a cutting. The first stage of seedling development begins with the germination of a seed. As ...
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How to Really Boost Your Garden With Epsom Salt
The next time your garden needs a little TLC, you may want to check your beauty cabinet. That's because Magnesium Sulfate (aka Epsom salt) is a personal care product with a one-two punch! Magnesium is a mineral known to help the body perform over 300 critical functions and while many use Epsom salt during bath time to relieve muscle pain, others maximize the healing benefits of magnesium by applying the salt crystals to their plants. Curious as to how Epsom salt can amp up your food plant...
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How Do Synthetic and Organic Fertilizers Compare?
Knowing the type of fertilizer to apply to your garden can be a little tricky. With the number of choices available, how are you to decide which is most suitable for your garden? An easy place to start is by considering the two main categories of fertilizer: organic and synthetic. While most might think organic is always the way to go, there are some instances where synthetic might be a better choice for your plants. Read on to learn the differences between synthetic and organic fertilizer, h...
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Get the Most From Your Garden With Companion Planting
As gardening becomes increasingly popular, the methods used to ensure a productive garden have also become more strategic. Gone are the days where planting certain vegetables and fruits just for the sake of growing them would yield positive results. With more growers becoming serious about the health and bounty of their crops, now's a great time to really consider what plants are right for your garden based on what you’d like to achieve and companion planting is one way to get you there. ...
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8 Things You Need to Know About the Christmas Cactus
For some, the sound of jingle bells and the sight of rooftop lights signal that the holiday season is here. But if you’re a fellow plant lover like us, the blossoming of the Christmas Cactus hints that the holidays are well underway. This exotic plant is native to Brazilian rainforests where it grows as an air plant to gain support from trees and shrubs it sits on top of. Here in the northern hemisphere, however, the Christmas Cactus is usually grown as an indoor plant and blossoms around Chr...
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A Guide to Natural Herbicides, Pesticides and Fungicides for Your Garden
As we become more aware of the potential hazards posed by using synthetic chemicals in our lawns and gardens, people are scrambling to find alternatives. There are plenty of substances that can be used as eco-friendly fertilizer for plants that don't have to cause harm to the animals and humans that inhabit our properties, as it turns out. Here is a brief guide to natural pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides that can be easily used in your garden to deter pests, weeds, and plant fungus....
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What's the Function of Magnesium (Mg) in Plants?
You may have more in common with plants than you think. Much like us, plants need a wide range of nutrients to stay healthy and we’ve mentioned time and time again about magnesium’s importance to our own wellbeing. But magnesium is also a critical macronutrient for plant growth and health. It is a key element of the chlorophyll molecule – essential for photosynthesis. Magnesium gives leaves their green hue and activates most plant enzymes needed for growth while contributing to protein synthe...
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Rodent Roundup: Natural Solutions for Keeping Critters Out of Your Garden
It's almost inevitable – if you have a garden, you'll likely have pests like snakes and rodents threatening your garden. Don't fret, however. You have many different pest control options for keeping rodents away from your homegrown fruit and vegetables so that the bounty remains safe for your family to harvest and enjoy. You don't have to turn to dangerous chemicals or inhumane traps, either. Instead, you can use a variety of preventative solutions and natural, environmentally...
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How to Grow Plants in the City With Urban Gardening
The hustle and bustle of city life is a unique experience to witness. You have the honking of horns during rush hour, the multitudes of pedestrians crossing the street and never-ending skyscrapers. But while these sights and sounds are in ample supply, living space on the other hand, is lacking. The world’s current global population stands at a whopping 7.2 billion people, so the absence of space is no surprise — especially considering that most individuals are increasingly abandoning rural a...
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Square Foot Gardening: Is it the Best Choice?
Looking for simple gardening methods that make growing fresh veggies easy - even if you have only a small amount of space to work with? Want to supplement your healthy lifestyle by cultivating your very own salad greens, herbs, and other edibles? Square foot gardening, also known as SFG, is a technique that was developed by American author and TV host Mel Bartholomew in the 1970s. It's designed to make growing food crops easy while maximizing yields, and when treated with organic fertiliz...
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6 Clever Ways to Reuse Your Christmas Tree in the Garden
Wait! You may not want to drag your Christmas tree to the curb just yet. We may have said goodbye to another Christmas and your tree may have lost some of its evergreen color as a result, but that doesn't mean this holiday pine has completely fulfilled its purpose. There are a couple ways you can recycle your Christmas tree that will benefit your garden well into the New Year! From mulch to ground cover, learn how you can reuse and recycle parts of your tree long after Christmas is over. ...
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Should You Grow in a Straw Bale Garden?
Straw bale gardening is a technique that uses bunches of straw as hosts for growing plants. This method of cultivation is built like a raised bed garden - above ground with the exception that you use straw bales in place of soil. Find out how you can create your own straw bale garden, the pros and cons of it and what you can grow with this gardening method. Which Type of Straw is Needed? To make a beautiful, healthy garden you need good, firm straw bales. Wheat, rice or barley are good choic...
