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1 day ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Susan Albert
The benefits of a backyard compost pile or bin are well known by seasoned gardeners, but sometimes achieving the right mix for that finished “black gold” can be tricky. If the pile is open, it can be derailed by too much or not enough rain, critters, lack of microorganisms, or cool weather. We can cause problems too by adding inappropriate materials, or not watering or turning the pile. Keeping your compost pile in balance will eliminate many problems before they start.
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1 week ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Mary Ellen Ellis |Melanie Griffiths
Planting flowers with tomatoes will enhance the beauty of your vegetable garden, but has myriad additional benefits. The practice is known as companion planting, which involves carefully pairing or arranging plants to optimize their benefits for each other. It is a tried-and-true gardening technique used in organic gardens to deter pests, attract pollinators, and even improve flavor.
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1 week ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Susan Albert
Diversity in a garden keeps things interesting – and one way of ensuring this is by including different textures, colors, and heights. Most gardeners adore bright or dramatic tones, plants that are capable of magnificent structures, and impressive foliage, whether that’s large leaves, variegated tones, or sweeping arches of ornamental grass. But how about fuzzy leaf plant options that catch the light, tickle the fingers and dazzle the senses with their silvery, furry folds?
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1 week ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Amy Grant |Melanie Griffiths
With so many different types of tomatoes to choose from, gardeners are spoiled for choice. But how do you know which varieties are best to grow? There are broad categories that divide all tomatoes, such as whether they are determinate or indeterminate, and organic or hybrid. But within each group, there is a huge range of fruit shapes, sizes, flavors, and colors to be found, as well as different plant sizes and harvest times.
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2 weeks ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Teo Spengler
Spring in our backyards is traditionally marked by the arrival of robins darting in trees, frogs croaking, and a gorgeous blaze of tulips. These spring-blooming bulb plants originated in Central Asia, but have spread across the globe, inspiring many tulip festival events and special dedicated mass displays. In the Netherlands, tulips were valued so highly that they inspired tulip mania, with bulbs even used as currency.
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2 weeks ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Tonya Barnett |Melanie Griffiths
Best known for their unique forms and enchanting colors, orchids are beloved by novice and seasoned growers alike. Though select species have earned their reputation as exceedingly difficult to grow, most will flourish with little care or attention. However, sometimes things go out of balance and, when faced with an issue like wrinkled orchid leaves, it's important to understand where you're going wrong.
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2 weeks ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Kim Stoddart
A flooded garden causes so much damage to plants and soil. Believe me, I know. My gardens flooded back in 2013 and were under water for weeks on end. The issue was a lot of rain (of course) but also that the farmer’s land behind my homestead had just been ploughed over. The previously perennial, grassy field became loose, churned soil with a greatly reduced ability to hold and process water. This experience started me on my journey into more weather-resilient ways to garden.
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3 weeks ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Bonnie L. Grant |Melanie Griffiths
Indeterminate tomatoes – also known as vining or cordon tomatoes – are those tall vining varieties that bear fruit all season long. They are the best option if you want a small but regular crop of tomatoes for slicing and snacking, though many varieties yield enough for making sauces. All tomato varieties can be broadly categorized as determinate or indeterminate tomatoes. This primarily affects the plants' growth habit and harvest time rather than which types of tomatoes you can grow.
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3 weeks ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Teo Spengler
Almost everything “new” is touted for the benefits it provides, and later, sometimes much later, we begin to understand the downsides. But sometimes you can see the danger coming and avoid some of the risks and pitfalls.Yes, we are looking at you, AI, the whiz kid on the block. It’s going to make our whole lives easier – right? But the dangers of artificial intelligence are real, and they are more complex and subtle than computers taking over the world.
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3 weeks ago | 
gardeningknowhow.com | Bonnie L. Grant |Melanie Griffiths
Determinate tomatoes are the perfect solution for small spaces and container gardens. Their compact, bushy foliage makes plants easy to maintain, and they provide their crop in one big glut. The best determinate tomatoes are perfect for making sauces and canning but can also be enjoyed in salads and sandwiches. When choosing whether to grow determinate or indeterminate tomatoes, you need to consider your growing space, climate, and what you want to do with your harvest.