Gardening Basics

Using compost in the garden helps fertilize and condition the soil. Most people mix the compost into the soil, but you can also just spread it on top as either an additive that's then covered by...

Vegetable gardening can be a rewarding hobby, with a payoff of fresh produce at the finish line. Gardening doesn't require a large financial investment, but you do need to consider what plants...

Epsom salt is one of the easiest and cheapest fertilizers to use for a garden. It is primarily made up of magnesium and sulfur, which are important for seed germination and chlorophyll production,...

There is no better time to start planning a kitchen garden also known potage. It is a small herb and vegetable garden where you can grow to suit your cooking.

Love spaghetti or pizza? Growing tomatoes will give you plenty of one of the main ingredient for these dishes.

Gardening can be one of the most relaxing activities. You can grow almost anything depending on your climate. Maybe you want to grow some vegetables in your garden, or maybe you wish to plant a...

One of the most elementary and amusing things to do with kids is to germinate lima bean seeds. You soaked your beans. You kept them moist, set them in a sunny window, and they split open to let a...

Many greenhouses across the United States sell a wide variety of garden seeds, from vegetables, to fruits and trees. While seeds are bountiful, there may be some seeds that you can only locate...

If you love eating apples but don't like spending your money at the local grocery store or farmer's market to purchase them, you should consider growing your own apple trees. All you need to do is...

Fresh berries in the morning are a true luxury, and even more so if the fruit is home grown. If you want to plant raspberry seeds you can buy seeds in packets, but it's much more fun to sprout...

People are always trying to figure out new ways of fertilizing their plants. Whether it be the least expensive way or the most effective way, some gardeners are willing to try anything. One such...

Gymnema sylvestre has been grown in China and India for centuries. The plants themselves are woody, climbing vines that are an attractive addition to any garden. It is not hard to grow the seeds,...

The indigo bunting is a small songbird in the cardinal family. The males have bright blue plumage for which they are named. They are found throughout the Midwestern and Eastern states. Their...

Chaste trees are bushy and grow to be about 20 feet high, and they about as wide as they are tall. The leaves resemble that of a hemp tree, having many fingers protruding in all directions. The...

Many gardeners enjoy starting seeds indoors before the growing season has begun. Because you can create a situation where the growing conditions are ideal, seed germination is often more...

Flowering vines are beautiful additions to any front porch, balcony or patio. Living in a cold climate can make it hard to enjoy them year round, but since it's so easy to sprout hanging plants,...

There are two kinds of parsley. The flat leaf, which is better for drying and cooking and the curly leaf, which is better for fresh consumption and for use as a garnish. In the photo on the...

Few things are as simply satisfying as picking fruit from your very own tree. Most commercial fruit is grown from cuttings and hybrids, so if you start a fruit tree from seed, you may not get the...

Doing an outdoor gardening project with kids is a hands-on and educational way to teach children about the environment, photosynthesis and the benefits of growing your own food. With some planning...

Do you remember playing in the garden with your dolls on a warm and sunny afternoon while grandma was shelling peas in the shade of apple trees in the yard? What a sweet memory! And do you know...

Killing weeds in a garden bed that is intended for seeding complicates the lives of many gardeners. While commercial weed killers are some of the most effective products available and seem like...

Fescue grass is among the most hardy cool-season grass you can plant for a year-round green lawn. Fescue grasses include the tall, bunching grasses known as tall fescue and the finer, shorter...

The old trusty Clorox bottle has many more uses than whitening your whites and disinfecting bathrooms and counter tops. Though household bleach is often assumed to be harmful to the environment,...

Pinto beans are a great source of nutrition because they contain high amounts of protein and fiber. The beans are easy to plant and do not require much care or attention. Planting pinto beans is...

Crabgrass is a highly prolific wild grass which homeowners make every possible attempt to eliminate from their lawns. Farmers buy millions of tons of herbicides annually just to remove the wild...

Radiation can have either a positive or negative impact on plant seeds. Radiation occurs naturally but can be manipulated to create different effects. The type and amount of radiation the seeds...

Gardening relaxes the mind, relieves stress and provides beauty and food for the table. But putting in a garden also involves back-breaking work, takes money and requires maintenance on a regular...

Proper planning and preparation is essential for any vegetable gardener who wishes to have things move smoothly during the growing season. While you can order almost any kind of seed at any time...

Planting your own goji berries (lycium barbarum) is a rewarding way to provide yourself with healthful goji juice from your garden. With goji berry seeds, a place to plant them and benign...

Also known as holy basil, this herb is native to India. Some people use the tulsi plant medicinally to build the body's immune system, and the Hindu religion considers it to be sacred. Although a...

Growing vegetables indoors with grow lights allows gardeners to get a head start on spring and extend the growing season. Keep in mind that plants need light, space, air, water and nutrition to...

In times like these of rising prices anything useful that can be acquired for free is a big plus. Plant propagation can provide the home gardener on a budget with a plethora of beautiful new...

A white cedar tree is an evergreen that can grow up to 45 feet tall if it isn't damaged by storms or pests during growth. The tree's growth rate is fairly slow, especially when grown from seed....

Gardening inside is pretty easy, the most important thing is consistency. The start-up cost can be high if you pick fancy pots, but the plant is not going to care about looks, just the size of the...

If you are planning to start your own vegetables or flowers by planting seeds, make your own grow box out of a Rubbermaid plastic container. Though you can purchase a grow box, making your own...

Every year I like to grow morning glories along my partial wall in the front yard. Every year it is so "Heavenly Blue" beautiful. This is the first year they took forever to bloom. As...

This article discusses the tools, containers, seeds and other basic information that will help the beginner grow vegetables in containers. After reading this article the new vegetable gardener...

A successful vegetable garden yields healthy produce, is free of weeds and pests, and is pleasing to the eye. While learning how to create a bountiful vegetable garden can take years of trial and...

Six to eight weeks before the final frost of the season, farmers begin planting tomato seeds. This is done indoors to protect the plants from the frost and ensure a full harvest in the spring and...

Tomatoes are one of the best-loved vegetables to plant in home gardens. Homegrown tomatoes are vastly superior in flavor and texture, and healthy plants can give you a huge yield at harvest time....

New Jersey is known for its great tasting sweet corn and tomatoes. There are many varieties of corn which include the traditional as well as the hybrid. Somehow when any sweet variety of corn is...

The production of seeds in plants requires both male and female plants. The male plants produce pollen which is then carried to a female plant by birds, bees, insects or wind. The pollen makes its...

It's not only possible, but relatively easy, to grow and root your own apple trees from seed. Because modern apple trees are hybrids, however, you cannot be sure that the seed you plant will...

Straw and hay bales can look very similar on the surface. When they're examined a little more closely, however, the differences between the two types of bales become obvious. These differences can...

The first couple of weeks of a plant's life are a very important time. This is the time when nutrients and water are used to begin the plant's life cycle and is the foundation for the health and...

Tired of your old yard but don't have the budget for major renovations? Don't let that stop you from sprucing up your landscaping. Here are several no-cost landscaping ideas to get you going.

There is something to be said about the smell of the Moon Flowers sweet fragrance. When you plant Moon Flower Seeds you will need a fence or trellis as these lovely white flowers will grow up to...

There are two main types of seed plants. Gymnosperms are the types of seed plants that produce naked seeds, or seeds that are not covered or grown inside pods of fruits. The second type of seed...

Romaine lettuce seeds are fun and easy to grow. Romaine lettuce is a cool weather plant and can be started in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Romaine lettuce has a longer growing...

Plants that produce seeds are categorized as spermatophytes. Spermatophytes consist of five groups known as cycads, pinophytes, gnetophytes, Ginkgo and flowering plants (angiosperms). The most...