7 Weeding Mistakes That Make Gardening Much Harder
These tips about the best timing, tools, and methods to use will help give you the upper hand. For most gardeners, removing weeds isn’t exactly a favorite chore. It sure can feel like an endless (and maybe even a losing) battle during the growing season. Yet, a weed-free garden looks neat and tidy, especially right after big weeding session. Plus, regularly getting rid of weeds goes well beyond aesthetics because these garden invaders compete with your plants for water, nutrients, and light. If left unattended, aggressive weeds can totally overrun a bed, smothering your favorite flowers or vegetables. Some weeds also can give diseases and pests a foothold to spread to your cultivated plants. Make things easier on yourself by avoiding these common weeding mistakes. 1. Not knowing the enemy. Identifying the weeds in your garden can help you figure out the best strategy for controlling them. “One key aspect I encounter with gardeners trying…
How to Grow Plants from Cuttings to Fill More Pots for Free
Many perennials, shrubs, and herbs can grow roots from their snipped stems. Use this simple propagation technique to expand your plantings for no extra cost. Want more plants in your garden? Um, of course! But did you know that you can quickly expand your collection by rooting stems trimmed from many of your outdoor plants? It almost seems magical how their stems, when snipped at the right time, can develop roots and become brand new plants. Plus, stem cuttings can give you full-grown plants in half the time it takes to start from seed. How to pull off this amazing propagation trick depends on the type of plant. Woody plants, such as shrubs and some perennials, root best when treated with a rooting hormone and placed into a potting mix. Many soft-stemmed plants can produce roots in just a vase of water. When to Make Cuttings Most stem cuttings can be rooted anytime the plants are…
How to Care for Hydrangeas in Winter to Ensure Blooming in Summer
Don’t let freezing weather ruin next year’s flowers. A hydrangea in full bloom is a colorful sight to celebrate. But did you know that some types of hydrangeas actually produce their flower buds during the growing season before blooming? The young, tender buds form in late summer and then need to hang on through whatever winter weather comes their way. If cold winds, subzero temperatures, and freeze-and-thaw cycles damage those buds, chances are you won’t see any hydrangea flowers the following spring or summer. Extra care for your hydrangeas in winter in colder regions will help maximize their blooms. Here’s what you can do to prepare your hydrangeas for the cold so you’ll be sure to enjoy their beautiful flowers once again. 1. Know your hydrangea type. The first step in planning winter care is to get a good idea of what kind of hydrangea you are growing. If your hydrangea doesn’t bloom in spring but instead blooms…
How to Prevent Powdery Mildew on Squash Plants for a Healthy Crop
When this super common plant disease shows up, it’s important to act fast. Use these tips to keep powdery mildew from ruining your squash harvest. When your squash leaves look like they’ve been dusted with flour, chances are good that they’ve come down with powdery mildew, one of the most common diseases in the vegetable garden. The fungi that cause the disease are somewhat specific to the plants they target. The ones that cause powdery mildew on squash (both summer squash varieties such as zucchini and winter squash types like butternut) may also infect melons, cucumbers, and pumpkins. Symptoms range from mild, which may only slightly reduce yields, to severe, killing the entire plant. Here’s how to prevent powdery mildew on your squash plants, plus tips for minimizing damage to infected plants. What is powdery mildew? Lots of plants, both edible and ornamental, can get powdery mildew. Unlike many other fungal plant diseases, the fungi that cause powdery…
7 Watering Mistakes That Could Sabotage Your Vegetable Garden
Keep all your veggies well hydrated and healthy with these simple tips. How do you know when to water your vegetables and how much water to apply? It’s not difficult, but there are certain nuances to watering vegetables that you should know about in order to make the most of your watering efforts. For example, watering seedlings is different from watering established vegetable plants. Watering in-ground beds is different from watering containers. And watering in the morning is better than watering at noon. Understanding these differences will maximize your watering efficiency. Here are the most important mistakes to avoid so your vegetables get all the water they need for a healthy harvest. 1. Under or overwatering seedlings. Because they’re just developing their roots, newly planted seeds and young seedlings require a steady supply of moisture—don’t let them dry out! Water seedbeds lightly every morning, and check them again in the evening. If a dry crust forms…
The 8 Best Lawn Sprinklers to Keep Your Lawn Hydrated in 2022
Our top pick is the Rain Bird 32ETI In-Ground Automatic Sprinkler System Kit because it’s a full lawn irrigation system at a great price. The quickest and most efficient way to water the lawn—and to remember to do it regularly—is to set up your yard with one of the best lawn sprinklers. Whether you need one or more will depend on the size of your property, but a good sprinkler system will save you time and energy and keep your lawn in its best condition. There are several different types of lawn sprinklers available, including traveling, stationary, and telescoping, and some have the ability to rotate and oscillate for a better water distribution around the lawn. Sean Khandker, owner of InsideOut Gardening, Landscaping, and Maintenance Services, suggests that the best lawn sprinkler for a medium- to large-sized yard is an irrigation system with pop-up sprinklers. “These sprinklers will—as the name suggests—pop…
How to Stop Birds from Flying into Windows
Keep your feathered friends safe with a few simple adjustments. The thump of a bird hitting a window is an awful sound. And unfortunately, window strikes are common for wild birds, especially during their mating and migrating seasons in spring and fall. Unfortunately, these collisions often end up injuring and killing feathered visitors. This problem has significantly contributed to the loss of nearly 30% of the North American bird population since 1970. The good news is that you can do several simple things to stop birds from flying into your windows. Understanding why it happens will help you find the best solutions for your home. Why Birds Fly into Windows “Research estimates that 365 million to one billion birds collide with buildings every year in the U.S. alone,” says Alison Holloran, Executive Director of Audubon Rockies and Vice President of the National Audubon Society. So, why do birds fly into windows so much? The…
Here’s Why Morning Is the Best Time of Day to Water Your Plants
When you water plants matters as much as how you water them. There’s an art to watering your garden. When you know the best time of day to water outdoor plants, and the tricks to watering them most efficiently, you’ll have happier plants. Even if you live in a rainy place like New Orleans or Seattle, you’re still going to need to water your garden plants at least once in a while. Every summer there will be stretches of dry, hot days between rainfalls. That’s when you’ll need to provide additional moisture to keep your plants thriving. Water is too precious to waste, so here’s what you need to know about how and when to water your plants. When is the best time to water plants? The best time to water outdoor plants is in the morning when temperatures are usually cooler. This gives the plants time to absorb the water so they can get through a…
Learn to Graft Your Favorite Plants
Grafting is a great way to propagate many trees, shrubs, and roses. Here’s how to do it. Grafting is the mad-scientist way of propagating your plants. Slice a piece from one plant and splice it onto another. Cool! Let’s see how. Many of the plants at your local garden center may be grafted. For example, many hybrid roses are grafted so they grow on the roots of a tougher variety of rose. This helps them stand up to tough conditions and bloom more vigorously. Likewise, most fruit trees are grafted onto a smaller variety’s roots. This keeps the trees more compact and vigorous. Plants trained as standards, or tree forms, are also usually grafted onto the trunk of another plant. Somebody really released their inner Dr. Frankenstein when they grafted several varieties on the same tree, so you have an apple tree that produces ‘Red Delicious’ and ‘Golden Delicious’ fruits.…
Our Top 10 Garden Tips for Lush, Healthy Plants All Season Long
Good gardening tips are essential to any healthy harvest. If you’re looking for the most efficient way to enjoy your garden, here are 10 top garden tips to garden smarter, prettier, with more flavor, and with less expense. 10 Things to Do in Your Garden Start Seeds There’s nothing more thrilling than to sow tiny seeds, then see them germinate and pop up out of the soil as small seedlings in a matter of days. Seed starting is a great way to get kids involved in gardening. It’s so easy—all you need is potting soil, a vessel (or the ground), water, and seeds. Seed starting is also the most inexpensive way to raise plants. Mulch! Adding a thick layer of mulch around your garden plants, landscaping shrubs, and trees will cut weeding time to almost nil, making it labor-saving. Use whatever mulch you like or is readily available—shredded cedar bark,…