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QUESTION: What are some good tomato varieties that produce small plants? I don’t have a ton of garden space to devote to tomatoes. — Margaret G. ANSWER: Tomato plants come in two varieties: bush type and vining type. Bush plants are likely to be smallest, especially when they are compact or dwarf plants. However, there is one vining type of the list of small tomato plant varieties to consider that we present below, so it’s not an ironclad law....

Plants also suffer from calcium deficiencies just like humans, and giving them a boost is a good idea to help battle blossom-end rot, stunted growth, brown spots, and rotting vegetables. Here are some excellent Caltrate Uses in the Garden if you want to know how! Learn How to Make Calcium Enriched Soil Amendment here What is Caltrate? Caltrate is an external source of Calcium & vitamin D3 that doctors recommend to people for preventing osteoporosis (weak or brittle bones) and curing calcium deficiency....

By Jennifer Poindexter Do you desire a lush herb garden? You should consider adding chives. This herb is not only delicious, but it makes its growing space beautiful. It has to do with its vibrant green foliage, purple flowers, and the way it abounds like a bush. Chives are also an easy herb to grow. However, there are a few common mistakes gardeners make when raising this herb. I’m going to share these typical mistakes and their solutions....

Flowers Black eyed susans are a favorite flower amongst many gardeners all over the world. But if you plant them once, will they come back? In this article, we take a deeper look at rudbeckia, and whether it's considered an annual, biennial, or perennial flowering plant based on the hardiness zone you are growing in. By Jason White Last updated: August 9, 2022 | 6 min read Many gardeners choose to plant flowers in their gardens with different life cycles....

By Erin Marissa Russell Some morning glory varieties are annuals, while others are perennials. You’ll need to know which variety of morning glory you have and do a quick Google search, or check the packaging and product description, to determine which type of morning glory you have. Some morning glories will die back as soon as frost hits, while others will happily bloom all winter long. If you have a perennial variety of morning glories, you’ll also need to be in the right region in order to keep the plant alive all winter....

QUESTION: Can I put spinach in the freezer? Do you have any tips on how to prepare it? -Jay R. ANSWER: Spinach keeps well in the freezer, so freezing any of your harvest that you won’t be eating right away is a smart way to make sure all your homegrown spinach makes it onto your dinner plate (and you don’t lose any spoiled greens to the wastebasket or compost pile). When you’re freezing homegrown spinach that’s fresh from the garden, your frozen spinach will have that same bright, vibrant flavor, and it will stay ready to use for nine to 14 months....

Celosia offers a great display of vibrant flowers that can instantly enhance the mood and appeal of any place. However, you need to make sure that you are giving the plant the right care and importance for it to bloom consistently. Here are some of the best Celosia Flower Care tips to help you out! Here’s everything you need to know about growing Celosia Celosia Flower Care 1. Fertilizate Right When the plant starts to bloom, it needs fertilizer more frequently (every 2-4 weeks)....

Fruit Not sure what's different or similar between cherry trees or cherry blossoms? While one tree produces edible fruit, the other is strictly ornamental. In this article, gardening expert Madison Moulton examines what's different and what's the same between these two trees. By Madison Moulton Last updated: February 18, 2022 | 7 min read Who can resist a juicy, fresh cherry? Very few people. That’s why they’re ideal for growing in gardens....

If you don’t know how to tell the difference between a Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving cactus, you’re not alone. In this post, I’ll explain it all in detail so that you’ll finally know what type of holiday cactus you have. Two of the most popular holiday cactus varieties are Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus. They are also the ones that most people get mixed up. Add the Easter cactus to the list and things get even more confusing!...

QUESTION: Do alliums like garlic and onions flower more than once? I’m wondering whether to leave my alliums in the ground after they’ve already flowered. — Linda A. ANSWER: Alliums usually flower just once per season. However, if you let some of the flowers develop into seed heads, alliums will self seed so new plants will return next year. If you want your alliums to flower more than once in a single season, you’ll have to take especially good care of them and select the right strain of alliums for your garden....

Table of Contents Are you looking for ground cover plants? Because oh, are there a huge number of these plants available. They range in size from only an inch or two to nearly a foot tall. Some creep steadily along the ground, where others grow up, flop over, and then trail out. If you’re concerned about soil erosion, or sick of your lawn, ground cover plants are for you. Landscaping professionals love them as they can be used to create curves of color....

We see nurturing mothers in many animal species, but what about plants? As it turns out, lots of parent plants have close relationships with their offspring, helping and encouraging them to grow up. A classic example is the hen and chicks plant. This low-lying succulent takes on a mother hen persona, keeping her chicks close until they’re mature enough to take on the world by themselves. Table of Contents Besides being a cool example of family relationships in the plant world, hens and chicks plants are fun to grow....

QUESTION: How long can you leave carrots in the ground? Will the flavor be better if harvested when smaller? -Jerry T. ANSWER: You can begin harvesting carrots as soon as they are of size and sweet enough to eat, but how long you should leave them in the ground depends on the season you are growing them. If you’re growing carrots for a summer harvest, they should be pulled as soon as they are ready (on average, 70 to 80 days after seeds are sown)....

They may be small, but they have a big impact as day-brightening accent plants, whether you grow them with taller succulents in a dish garden or to create a thick succulent mat along a walkway or at the edge of a garden. Anacampseros spp. In a world full of cell phone-camera-alarm clocks, slow cooker-air fryer-Instant Pots, and convertible cargo shorts-pants, I appreciate the anacampseros succulent. This compact plant does one job for us gardeners, and it does it so well....

Add to that the fact that you can make dozens of little baby monsteras (as they’re also known) with very little effort, and it’s clear to see why this beauty has popped up in stylish spaces practically everywhere. Monstera adansonii, deliciosa, pinnatipartita There are certain houseplants out there that shall remain unnamed (including one in particular that rhymes with middleleaf jig…) that have gained massive popularity despite being royal pains in the you-know-what to grow....

Fenugreek or ‘Methi,’ as it is popular in the Indian subcontinent, is native to Southwest Asia and widely cultivated for its medicinal and culinary uses. It’s an all-purpose plant: Seeds are used as a spice, dried leaves as a herb, and fresh and tender leaves as a green leafy vegetable. Let’s have a look at How to Grow Fenugreek easily in home and garden! USDA ZONES: All the zones as a seasonal crop...

I learned about this plant when my mom first showed it to me in her garden. She called it climbing spinach, and it was growing all over her garden. Others call it heat tolerant spinach, or vine spinach. Turns out that Malabar spinach is not an actual spinach plant. Basella alba is an edible perennial vine in the family Basellaceae. But the leaves look similar to spinach, and it can be similarly used in recipes, which is how it ended up with that name....

Vegetables If you are trying to grow potatoes in containers or pots this year, there's a few very specific steps you'll want to follow. Growing potatoes in containers can be a bit tricky, but there's a few best practices you can implement to maximize your potato yields. In this article, gardening expert and former organic farmer Sarah Hyde shares 9 easy steps to grow potatoes in containers or pots this season!...

by Jennifer Poindexter Are you in the market for a colorful, low-maintenance flower to brighten up your home? Don’t overlook scarlet sage, which is also commonly known as salvia splenden. This flower looks like most other salvia which grows tall and proud. From this mounding plant with long stems, comes beautiful tube-shaped blooms. These flowers produce blooms in colors ranging from white, pink, lavender, red, orange, and more! If you’d like to grow this colorful flower around your home, be sure you know what it needs before you get started....

By Matt Gibson One of the first spring bulbs to come to flower, the Siberian squill is a short, tough, cold hardy flower that spreads out and produces wide swaths of brilliant blue early in the spring. Native to Siberia, as well as other parts of Russia and Eurasia, the Siberian squill naturalizes easily, and has spread all around the gardens of the United States in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 8....