Weeds are plants that grow where we do not want them to grow. Any plant can be a weed; our garden has chive weeds, delphinium weeds, and dandelion weeds. "It grows like a weed" is a saying that describes what is thriving. Weeds always seem to be there. How to deal with garden weeds so as not to lose ...
Rainwater Harvesting for Use in the Garden
It rained last night! Rainwater is very precious in a dry climate, and we want to preserve it as much as we can. Harvesting rainwater for use in the garden helps us use water that would otherwise go to waste. Plants prefer to be watered with stagnant water that has had the chance to ...
To Prune or Not to Prune Tomato Plants
To prune or not to prune tomato plants is an option tomato growers have. Not all tomatoes need pruning, in fact, some should not be pruned except for the bottom leaves and possibly at the end of the growing season. Some growers decide not to prune at all, and some go over the top with pruning. ...
Growing a Hydroponic Tower Garden in a Cold Climate
We are Hydroponic Tower Garden growers in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada—elevation 1,037 m (3,402 ft). It’s cold here! The short growing season and cool, short summers were the main reasons we got into Hydroponic Tower Garden gardening and, through the Tower Garden, into ...
How to Support Tomato Plants
Once the tomato plants are in the ground and growing, they will require support. There are various ways to support tomato plants, and once you understand their needs, the possibilities are nearly endless. However, we have two favorite methods that have proven effective for us over the ...
Transplanting Tomato Plants into the Ground
It is always a very exciting day when my tomato plants can finally go into the ground! I start all the seeds indoors. We grow mainly heirloom tomato varieties. Here, we share how we transplant tomato plants into the ground. When to plant tomatoes in the ground Tomatoes are a warm-weather ...
Hardening off Seedlings the Easy Way
Hardening off seedlings that you started indoors the easy ways is different from the traditional method where you bring plants out on a nice and sunny day for 2 hours, then bring them back in, repeat that the next day for 4 hours and bring them in again. Adding a couple of hours each day, it takes 7 ...
How to transplant seedlings into the garden
This blog article was inspired by a question from a reader who asked: Do you have some information about the best way to transplant seedlings to the garden? Especially cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, celery, and lettuce. We love reader questions and try to answer them as well as we can. And ...
How to Soak or Sprout Seeds Before Planting
How to Soak or Sprout Seeds Before Planting. Seed soaking or spouting is an option to speed up the germination process. Although it is not required in most cases, we have used it often enough to dedicate a blog article to it. A sprouted seed can yield better results in your flower or vegetable ...
Soil For Seedlings, Container Gardening, and Raised Beds
Good soil is essential for healthy plants. Soil for seedlings, container gardening, and raised beds is different than the dirt in your garden. Container gardening soil needs to be light, be able to retain moisture, and have enough nutrients to keep the plant growing. Here we share two ...
