The Kitchen Garten

Backyard Gardening and Garden Fresh Recipes

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How to Prune Camellia Bushes

how to prune camellias

How to Prune Camellias

Wondering how to prune camellias? This time of year, with its dead grass and leaf-less trees, offers a beautiful respite in the form of pink, red, and white blooms. Along with green glossy leaves, the fragrant camellia (Camellia japonica) is also known as the ‘winter rose’ because it blooms during the winter months. This rare blooming trait, combined with its rich evergreen leaves make this a popular shrub. And it’s no wonder! Who wouldn’t want a beautiful reminder that spring is close at hand? And the beautiful blooms are perfect to bring inside for a bit of bright, floral decor in the midst of winter. affiliate link policy

Camellias, though fairly low maintenance, do need to be pruned to keep them healthy, but require very little maintenance aside from a yearly pruning. Follow these camellia pruning tips and get the most from this beautiful and popular evergreen shrub.

Pruning Time

Camellias should be pruned immediately after they are finished blooming, which varies based on where you live. For those in the southeast, this could be as early as February, but those in more northern climates could prune as late as May. 

While the shrub can technically be pruned any time during the year, you may be removing buds and the shrub won’t have as many blooms if you prune too late after blooming. So, if you definitely want to enjoy your winter roses the following year, definitely plan to prune right after blooming has finished. 

Shaping the Shrub

Use sharp snips and prune off the ends of branches to give the camellia a desired shape. If you are happy with the size of the shrub, only snip off about an inch of the branch ends. If you want the shrub smaller, prune off 3-4 inches of the branch ends. For more of a “tree” look for your camellia, take off the lower branches, leaving one main trunk. This is a beautiful look if your camellia is part of a flower bed with other low-lying bushes. 

There are many camellia cultivars and their mature sizes range from 2 feet to 20 feet, depending on the particular one you have. A slow-growing, 2-foot tall camellia won’t need pruning as often as a cultivar that will reach 20 feet tall. However, to keep any size or variety of camellia healthy it will need an occasional pruning.

Hard Pruning

Camellias live for decades, trust me… we have some, and the larger cultivars may need a hard pruning every decade to rejuvenate them. If you have an older camellia that is looking straggly and not producing many blooms, give it a hard pruning by cutting the entire shrub back to 2-3 feet tall. While it may seem like you’ve killed your precious camellia, fear not. They’re a hardy plant, and ours have come back just as green and glossy as ever. This same hard pruning also works well for old and leggy azaleas.  You can see in the image below, a full camellia bush on the left, and a leggy bush on the right that needs a hard pruning. 

how to prune camellias

Wait until spring to do a hard pruning if possible. If not possible, just know your camellia probably won’t bloom again until the second year after a hard pruning.

Why Prune?

Camellias produce an abundance of small branches that are covered with dense leaves year around. This creates an ideal environment for pests and disease.  Removing some of the inner branches will allow sunlight and air to circulate in the middle of the shrub. This will help prevent pests from creating a home within the shrub’s interior. It also prevents the onset of diseases that thrive in dark, warm environments.

Pruning keeps camellias looking their best, producing the most blooms possible and keeps the evergreen shrub healthy. For all the beauty that camellias give off, I figure I can fit time in for a bit of pruning to help them look their best. I’d love to know your favorite shade of camellia blooms. And how have your bushes have done with pruning in the past? Let me know in the comments below. 

Have a great week and happy gardening!

 

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How to Grow Potatoes at Home

how to grow potatoes

Potatoes, taters, spuds, tots… well, maybe not that last one. Knowing how to grow potatoes in your backyard garden is one of the first lessons I learned as a gardener. I was a brand new homeowner, my hubs had just tilled up a garden plot, and I grew at least seven hills of potatoes. The potato beetle did its best to ruin my harvest, but I won out thanks to some advice from an old-time gardener and fellow teacher. I ended up with a pretty large harvest of red potatoes! Now, storage is a different story. There are no cool root cellars in my area of North Carolina. It’s too damp and too warm… so those potatoes were a good lesson in planting what we (and our neighbors) can eat before they go bad. affiliate link policy

How to Grow Potatoes

Potatoes are easy to grow in a home garden and one plant will produce a multitude of potatoes. (Take it from me, I know.) All varieties of spuds are easy to grow and can be grown in containers or raised beds. Here are some tips to help you know how to grow potatoes. Follow these and you’re almost guaranteed an abundant harvest this year!

Location

This isn’t just for realtors, y’all. While the actual potatoes grow beneath the soil, there is a green plant (a vine for sweet potatoes) that grows above the soil which needs plenty of sunlight. Select a location that is in full sun (6+ hours per day) for best results. Not sure which areas of your yard get the best sun? Try making a Sun Map of your yard, and you’ll always know the best place to grow full sun, low sun, and shade loving plants. 

Growing Container

Potatoes can be successfully grown in traditional in-ground gardens, in buckets, stacks of tires (though I have reservations about what’s in those tires), special grow bags, barrels, raised beds, or any type of container that can hold soil and is at least 1 foot deep. Get creative when you consider how to grow potatoes. For the past several years, I have grown mine in containers instead of directly in my raised beds. This saves me space in the raised beds for plants that don’t do as well in containers.  In fact, there are special bags just for growing potatoes, so they can be harvested as the plant grows. Amazing! I haven’t tried them yet, but my neighbor has enjoyed using grow bags for her tomato plants. If you’ve used them, comment below and let me know what you thought about them. potato grow bag

Getting Started

Seed Potatoes

The type of potatoes you use for planting are called seed potatoes. While I have had some friends who have had success using potatoes from their grocery store bagged variety, I like to head to our downtown hardware store and see the different varieties available there. Some varieties purchased at your local grocery store have been treated with growth retardant to prevent them from sprouting. (If you want to try those from the grocery store, stick with an organic variety, since they shouldn’t have been treated.) For your other seed potatoes, start with organic, certified disease-free seed potatoes purchased from a garden supply center or seed catalog. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is one of my favorite places to purchase seeds, and they have a great variety!

how to grow potatoes

Cut and Cure

Seed potatoes need to be cut and dried prior to planting. When you pick out your seed potatoes, choose the ones that have the most eyes. Eyes equal plants. Cut large tubers into 3-4 pieces, making sure each piece has at least 1 ‘eye’ (sprout).  Any tubers that are smaller than a golf ball can be left whole.

Place cut pieces in a single layer in the sun so they can cure. Or if the weather isn’t cooperating, leave cut potatoes on a paper towel on your kitchen counter for a few days. The cut sides develop a hard covering called a ‘callous’ during the curing process and will prevent the seed tuber from rotting after planting. This is important. Nobody has time for rotting tubers in the ground, am I right?

Planting

Soil Preparation

Potatoes grow best in loose, well-draining soil. A mixture of 50 percent soil and 50 percent compost is ideal to provide drainage, nutrition, and prevent soil compaction for growing spuds. My DIY Potting soil is perfect for in-ground gardens, raised beds, or any type of container you may be using. The potatoes need the loose soil for growing those new spuds!

Planting

Plant potatoes 3 weeks prior to last predicted frost date for your area. Potatoes need a bit of cool weather to grow well, since they don’t produce as well in the sweltering days of summer. To plant your potatoes, dig a hole 6 inches deep and place 1 seed potato cut side down (eyes facing upward) into hole. Gently cover tuber and water well. Space planting holes 2 feet apart. If you’re working with a container, don’t fill it all the way up. Instead make sure your container has 6-8 inches of space at the top after the tuber has been planted. This will give you room to “hill” your potato plant as it grows. You can also make potato towers, like Garden Know How, for a larger harvest. 

Hilling

Developing spuds must be protected from sunlight and ‘hilling’ accomplishes this and promotes a larger harvest. When the plant is 8 inches tall, create a 4 inch hill around it by raking loose soil around it. You can also top that off with 2 inches of straw or leaves. It’s important to hill to protect those topmost potatoes from  being exposed to sunlight. If you’ve ever seen green potatoes, then those are spuds that broke through and were exposed to sunlight too soon. Don’t eat green potatoes. 

Repeat the hilling process again when plant grows another 8 inches.

Harvest Time

Small, new potatoes can be harvested when the plant flowers. To dig up the plant and potatoes in one large harvest, wait until plants die for large, mature potatoes. Harvesting new potatoes is a great way to enjoy some of your labor while the plant is still growing. My grandmother would always do this so we could have some new potatoes in with a pot of fresh green beans. Delicious!

Common Pests

The Colorado potato beetle is one of the most common pests that likes to destroy your potato plants. They arrive in the summer and lay yellow eggs on the underside of leaves of your potato plants. The striped backs of adults give them a very distinctive look, so be on the look out. 

colorado potato beetle

How to handle potato beetles:

  • For small gardens, seek and destroy is the best option. If you see a beetle, pick it up and put it in a jar of soapy water. Use a wet cloth to wipe the eggs off of the backs of leaves. 
  • Be sure to check the backs of all leaves. A female can lay an enormous amount of eggs in her lifetime… who has time for that?! 
  • Use Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis (BT), a naturally occurring bacterial disease. This will only be effective for the young larvae, not adult bugs. It’s the same spray I use to keep cabbage worms from destroying my brassicas. 

And that’s it! All you need to know from start to harvest on how to grow potatoes. I can’t wait to see what kind of harvest you will yield and what type of potatoes are your favorites! Share below and tips you have and happy gardening!

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The Best Risk I Ever Took

best blogging decision

I love blogging, but I’ll be honest —it can be overwhelming!

Many days, I feel like a one-woman show. It can be a three-ring circus of blog posts, emails, and content creation. I have sat down at my desk to work and simply stared at the computer screen. The overwhelming amount of tasks to be accomplished froze me in place, and I had no idea where to start. (Which is one of the reasons I finally created my weekly blog planner.)

Do you ever feel the same way?  Maybe you wish there was someone out there who could just show you, step-by-step, exactly what you needed to do to create a successful blog. I know that I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I needed help and guidance. (And I’m a big “do-it-myself” type!)

But that is exactly what led me to my best blogging decision ever. Because help and guidance for all types of bloggers is exactly Elite Blog Academy 4.0 was designed to do. True story.

Best Blogging Decision

In March of 2016, I decided to enroll in the Elite Blog Academy. I was at the end of my blogging rope, and there was so much to learn (and so many people who claimed to know). I wasn’t sure I would learn anything new, but I was willing to take the chance to have help along my blogging journey.

And, let me tell you, I am so thankful I did! 

Since starting Elite Blog Academy®, I have nailed down the system of blogging that works for me: consistent posting, quality content, and not comparing my success to others (that’s a pretty huge one). EBA gave me a framework to success, and although I balked a bit at the rules (complete one unit before beginning the next), it was absolutely the right way to go. I slowly (very slowly) walked through the units one at a time, and you know what? My blog grew! Yes, into something that actually made money!

And you know what?  None of this was by accident.

Since 2014, Elite Blog Academy® has been field-tested by bloggers just like me. So, it’s clearly not just MY best blogging decision. The program is designed to get results, and it does. When I talked to my husband about signing up for EBA, he was fully supportive and I was the one who held back. What about the money? What if I’m no good at blogging for a living? My view was incredibly short-sighted, and thank goodness he called me on it, and urged me to go ahead. Are you feeling the same way? Take it from me, if blogging is what you want to do and do well, EBA may be what you’re looking for. 

In fact, it even comes with a 100% money-back guarantee, which means you’ve literally got nothing to lose.

But don’t wait!

Once a Year, y’all!

Enrollment for Elite Blog Academy® only opens ONCE a year, for five days only. If you want in, you’ll have to act fast!

This year, the doors officially open on March 4th, but EBA® founder Ruth Soukup is offering a free training series the week before hand called Blogging Made Simple that I highly recommend! blogging made simple

You can get registered for this free training HERE.

I’m always up for answering any questions you may have about Elite Blog Academy or blogging, so never hesitate to reach out and ask! Have a great week!

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How to Start a Raised Bed Garden

how to start a raised bed garden

If you grew up with a gardening Granny or Granddaddy, like I did, then chances are you have memories of rows of fresh vegetables popping up from the ground. It was easy to till up the rows each spring if you had a gas-powered tiller, but quite the full body workout if you didn’t. Chances are your grandparents, or whoever you knew who worked this large garden plot, did quite a bit of time weeding and maintaining. In the busy and less home grown veggie culture of modern-day life, most people don’t have the time to maintain a large garden space. But does this mean you can’t garden? Absolutely not.  affiliate link policy

What if I told you a garden could be maintained in just five to ten minutes a day, several days a week? True story. The “magic” is in the raised bed. Raised beds make having fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits during the summer almost as easy as walking out your back door. Knowing how to start a raised bed kitchen garden will provide you with fresh food, exercise, and a fantastic outdoor activity for the whole family.

How to Start a Raised Bed Garden

So what do you have to consider when learning how to start a raised bed garden for your backyard? Here are five things to consider and/or have in place when planning your raised bed garden.

Step One: Select a Location

The first step in creating a raised bed kitchen garden is to select a location for it. Garden plants will need a location that receives 6 or more hours of sunlight per day. A great way to know where the best light is in your yard is to create a Sun Map. It only takes a little observation of your yard, and you can keep it as a reference for years. A sun map will clearly show you where the best areas for a full sun garden will be. 

how to make a sun map

For convenience, the raised garden bed should be close to the back door and a water source. Being close to the house means you won’t forget about it and let it go unattended. And proximity to a water source allows you to easily fill and carry a watering can or bring over an attached hose. A nearby water source also gives you the option of installing a watering system, so you can rest easy that your plants are being watered, even when life gets busy. 

Once you’ve chosen the location, you’re ready to get down to the actual raised garden bed.

Step Two: Build The Bed

The outer frame of the raised bed can be constructed with material you have on hand, buy at your local hardware store, or get from a pre-packaged kit. The frame just has to be sturdy enough to hold soil in place. Some options include landscape timbers, recycled lumber, plywood, composite material, concrete blocks, bricks, etc. When considering the material to use for your raised beds, think about the aesthetic of your yard, and what you’ll enjoy looking at day after day. Our raised bed gardens have been made from both treated lumber and western red cedar. If you’re interested in building cedar or lumber beds, check out my raised bed tutorial. 

DIY Raised Bed

When it comes to size, build the bed as long as desired, but no more than 4 feet wide. You need to be able to reach the middle of the raised bed from either side.

There’s debate on whether to till the soil beneath a raised bed or leave it be. We have done both, and we honestly haven’t noticed a difference. In our newest raised bed (which is two years old) I actually laid thick newspaper down at the bottom to deter any grass from coming up through the new soil. This worked perfectly, and the bed has grown delicious vegetables with no problem. So, in my opinion, skip the tilling beneath raised beds. The thick layer of soil sitting on top of the grass will smother it out. 

Step Three: Fill With Soil

While it’s nice to have a good looking raised bed garden, it’s all for naught if you fill it with something like top soil. The soil in your raised bed garden will be the medium for growing delicious and tasty vegetables, so give those plants a good start. Fill the bed with a mixture of peat moss (or coconut coir), vermiculite/perlite, and compost. Check out my post for the exact “recipe” for DIY Potting Soil. The compost will prevent soil compaction and help feed the plants. If you will be using a granulated fertilizer, you can mix it in at this time too.

Some commercial garden soil mixtures already contain soil, compost, perlite, and granulated fertilizer in the right proportions for optimum plant growth. If you’re in a time crunch, choose this option. (I personally like Daddy Pete’s Raised Bed Mix.) There’s no shame in shortcuts, especially if it helps to encourage growing a garden.

Fill the raised bed to within 2 inches of the frame top. Level out and smooth soil with rake. At this point, you’re almost ready to plant!!

Step Four: Plan and Plant

The new raised bed garden is ready to plant with your favorite vegetables, fruits, and herbs. So, what will you grow? If you haven’t fully decided, definitely come up with a game plan. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in front a rack of plants and seeds buying everything that looks good. You don’t want to waste money on seeds or plants that you don’t actually have room for. A typical 4×4 raised garden bed has room for 16 square feet of growing space, and any square-foot gardening guide is a great starting place for a beginning gardener. Here are my spring square foot garden plans for our four raised beds from a few years ago. This will give you a good idea of what can fit in a given space. You’ll notice the squash and zucchini take up much more space, but you can easily grow something tall beside them. So, planning is definitely key!raised bed garden

Also place the tallest growing plants away from shorter growing plants so they will not be shaded. Plant marigolds in the corners of the raised bed (or in pots beside it) to provide organic pest control and a beautiful pop of color. Zinnias are also a great choice for adding height, color, and bees to your garden. 

You can also add 2-4 inches of compost or mulch on top of soil after your garden plants are 6 inches tall to help soil retain moisture.

Get Started on Your Raised Bed Garden

There’s nothing left to do but start! Knowing how to start a raised bed garden can help take away the uncertainty of gardening. It gives you a limited space, that’s easy to maintain. Before you know if you’ll be adding more beds to your garden area and eating fresh produce from your very own yard. No E-coli scares in the lettuce you’re growing yourself, so what do you have to lose? Get started on that raised bed garden now. 

Still need extra help planning out your space and garden? I’ve got you covered! My Complete Garden Planner will take you through the entire planning process and is complete with monthly checklists, sun map instructions, and raised bed planning pages. You’ll be set and you won’t waste money buying things you don’t need. Snag one today! 

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How to Make a Sun Map

how to make a sun map

If you’re new to the idea of how to make a sun map, no worries! Until last year, I had never made one myself. But now that I know how to make a sun map, it has revolutionized how I view the growing space in my yard. It’s become so important to me, and my garden coach clients, that I included it as part of my Complete Garden Planner. It’s a must for garden planning whether you have a full veggie garden, container garden, or edible landscaping. (And see the video at the bottom of this post for an example of my sun map.)

What is a Sun Map?

Despite what it sounds like, sun mapping is not making a map of the Sun. I feel like a large ball burning gas would be hard to map. A sun map though is a map of the sun’s presence in your yard. Simply put, you observe and map to assess how many hours of sun each area of your yard receives in a given day. affiliate link policy

Why make a Sun Map?

If you’re interested in growing anything in your yard, then knowing how to make a sun map is essential. A sun map will help you to see what areas you can use for plants that require full sun, partial sun, and low sun. It can also help you map out the best areas for growing a vegetable garden, putting a compost pile, or placing a chicken coop. I guess the last option is for those who really want to go urban homestead and have farm animals in your yard. We currently do not have chickens after the fox/dog incident of 2017, but I’m hoping to add some back this year.

How to make a sun map 

how to make a sun map

No permaculture degree is required to make a sun map of your yard, but I do recommend not doing a your map in the dead of winter. Late winter or early spring work if you’re trying to make a map for your spring garden would be just fine. But I notice areas of our yard get less sun during the winter months due to shorter days. Just take this into consideration if you are trying to make a sun map in late December. Now, onto the steps:

1. Grab a blank piece of paper (standard printer paper is fine), a pencil, and a ruler. Imagine the blank space is your property. Draw your home approximately where it sits on your land/yard. Don’t forget to include driveways and walkways, as well as hedges and trees.

2. Grab 3 colored pencils (I use yellow, red, and blue). Any colors will do; just make sure they’re different.

3. Shade in yellow the areas of your yard that receive more than six hours of sunlight per day.

4. Shade in orange the areas that receive 4-6 hours of sun per day.

5. Shade in blue the areas that receive less than 4 hours of sun per day.

6. Use your map to plan where you will plant your garden, shrubs, fruit trees, and bushes so that they receive the proper amount of sunlight for optimal growth. raised bed garden

The Results

Learning to make a sun map isn’t difficult, but it does require a bit of observation. I first learned about creating sun maps in Amy Stross’s book The Suburban Micro-Farm. Amy blogs at the Tenth-Acre farm, and even though she no longer lives on a suburban micro-farm, she has fantastic articles and resources for using every square inch of space your yard provides. I can’t think of a better use for flower beds and open yard area than for growing fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and even grains. Check out her site and her book if you’re interested in learning more about using your yard productively!

 

 

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Abba Patio Mini Greenhouse Review

Greenhouse Review

For the past few years on my Instagram feed, I have been following a good number of instagramers who are allotment gardeners in the United Kingdom. And one thing I noticed they all had, obviously because of climate, were greenhouses. Living in the southeast United States, greenhouses are not nearly as common. Our temperatures are fairly mild, even though I cannot necessarily grow year-round. affiliate link policy

When Abba Patio reached out to me about reviewing one of their products, I immediately noticed that one of their most popular products was greenhouses. I definitely wanted to snag one for a greenhouse review. Why not try it out to see if it could be useful to me in my southern garden? The box for the Mini Walk-In Greenhouse arrived quickly, and it was much larger than I had anticipated. However, it was fun to see sitting on the porch waiting for me one afternoon!

Assembling the Mini Greenhouse

The assembly of the mini greenhouse consisted of metal poles, plastic joints, metal wire shelves, and the plastic sheeting that covers the entire structure. Setup took about 30 minutes, and several poles were leftover, which could be used as replacements down the road. Since there is no floor in this greenhouse, my husband built a small deck area just the right size for the greenhouse. (We just used scrap decking for this.)  

greenhouse review

It was a bit of a chilly day, so we actually put it together inside the house and then moved it outside. We underestimated the size of the greenhouse, so it was a little tricky getting it out of the door, but it worked. Since it is a plastic greenhouse, and not glass, we knew it wouldn’t retain heat like a glass greenhouse. We opted to put it against our brick home knowing that the house itself would provide some heat to keep the greenhouse warmer in the evenings.

The small decking pad beneath it worked perfectly and we leveled it with bricks and simply set the greenhouse on top. The greenhouse is large enough that I can step inside and easily work with whatever is on the shelves. I’m very pleased at the height it provides to comfortably work; I’m 5’6, so a tall man may find it a bit of a small space.

Keeping It Warm

Since this is a plastic greenhouse, it doesn’t retain heat the same way a glass greenhouse would. For this greenhouse review, I reached out to my subscribers to see what experiences they had with plastic greenhouses. I did hear from several folks who have the same type of greenhouse, and they suggested placing it against the home, as we’ve done, to help maintain heat. If you have a south-facing or west-facing wall that gets lots of sun, this will also help.

Emily, a TKG reader, told me she uses a gallon jug of very hot water on cold nights to keep the temperature in the greenhouse above freezing. Thanks, Emily! Right now we just have a lime tree in ours which can withstand cooler temps at night but not frost. So the greenhouse is protecting it from the frost and providing it with a little temperature buffer from the outside.

The Pros

  • Ease of assembly and use. I didn’t have to clear ground and build a structure. This easy-to-assemble greenhouse allows me to get experience with a greenhouse without the expense of having a larger physical structure.
  • Option for disassembly: I also like that it can be disassembled in the summer when I have no use for a greenhouse and stored until the fall.
  • Size: The compact size is also appealing. This greenhouse gives me plenty of space for large flats of seedlings and other plants that may need extra protection, but it’s not more space than I could ever use.  
  • Value: And finally, the value. Abba Patio’s greenhouse runs about $75 which is a pretty great price for something that can extend your gardening season and get the seedlings off of my living room floor come spring. The delivery was quick, and my communication with the company has been excellent as well.                                                                                      

The Cons

There’s only one con we came across in assembling and using the greenhouse. The shelves, which are wire and curved on the ends, could be unstable. When the framing is fully inserted into the plastic end pieces the shelves fit perfectly. However, if the poles are not fully inserted, or slide out just a bit, the shelves become unstable and may not fit snugly.

Several of our shelves fell when I tried to adjust the poles inside. It wasn’t a huge deal because I didn’t have anything on them. However, if I had flats of plants on the shelves, it would have been devastating. This is a pretty easy fix with zip ties. So, before I put my flats of plants on there in early spring, I will use zip ties to secure the shelves just in case. (This shelf-fit issue has only been a problem on one half of the greenhouse. See the video below for a look at what I’m referring to.)

The Verdict

So overall, I would definitely recommend this small greenhouse. It’s compact, affordable, and easy to store when not in use. This greenhouse is a great value, and I’m looking forward to using it for years to come. if you have questions for me about this greenhouse, I’d love to hear them. Always feel free to reach out.

Have a great week and happy gardening! 

 

greenhouse review

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The Best Podcasts for Bloggers

best podcasts for bloggers

Oh, the world of podcasts. The significance of podcasts has exploded in the last 5 years. If there is a topic you’re interested in, chances are there is a podcast that fits your needs. No longer do you have to pay subscription fees to listen to audiobooks. You can have free access to daily or weekly podcasts on a variety of topics. affiliate link policy

Blogging is no exception. Over the past few years, I’ve listened to quite a few podcasts hoping to glean some advice on how to run a business online, marketing techniques, or social media help. And through all of that podcast listening, I have heard lots of great advice, and some not so great things as well. Over this last year, I have really narrowed down the podcasts I listen to. There aren’t enough hours in the day to listen to everything. And I’m sure you’d agree that your time is incredibly valuable. So what podcasts are best for bloggers?

The Best Podcasts for Bloggers

We will all gravitate toward podcasters who speak to us and whose content we find valuable. This list of podcasts can differ based on style and how aggressive you want to be in your marketing, or which social media streams work better for your particular blog niche. But I just wanted to share with you the podcasts I have found to be the most beneficial over the years. Full disclosure, there’s actually one podcast in my list that’s newer, but I have really enjoyed the episodes thus far, so I included it in my list.

A Variety of Topics

All of these podcasts have different strengths and you may gravitate toward one or another. Some are overall just encouraging for women who are running businesses or trying to pursue personal goals. Others are specifically about using social media to promote business and how best to do that. And some are specific to bloggers like you and me! The advice that comes from these particular podcasts is from other bloggers. I find it to be so incredibly helpful to hear about the journeys of other bloggers and their experiences. So here are my top five best podcasts for bloggers: 

  1. Goal Digger by Jenna Kutcher. As the name implies, this is all about digging down and reaching goals. Clearly this can be applied to many areas across life, not just blogging, but she has some really excellent guests and really amazing advice. Her podcast typically ranks in the Top 10 Podcasts on iTunes which says a lot about the quality of her content.  best podcasts for bloggers
  2. Blogger Genius Podcast with Jillian Leslie. this podcast has been on my radar for a while, but I only started listening to it about a year ago. I have been a Milo Tree user since the beginning of my blogging days, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the creator of this great tool is the host of this podcast! Jillian has guests each week, all in the blogging field. Some are SEO experts, full-time bloggers, or some kind of expert in social media. Every episode I have listened to has been full of really great information that I have been able to use in my own business.                                                                                                                    best podcasts for bloggers
  3. Simple Pin Podcast with Kate Ahl. This was hands down the very first podcast I subscribed to when I decided to crack down and really take this blogging thing seriously. It only took me a few months to discover that Pinterest was going to be one of my biggest traffic drivers. In the gardening niche, Pinterest is super helpful. The Simple Pin podcast gives lots of tips and techniques for how to use Pinterest to generate more business. It’s not just about more traffic from Pinterest, but it has many more practical uses. Kate is a fabulous resource on Pinterest in general, and her How to Master Tailwind course has totally revolutionized my weeks by letting me pin things in advance. Now, I don’t have to be on Pinterest each day pinning to stay active. This podcast is a total winner. best podcasts for bloggers
  4. Do It Scared with Ruth Soukup. This is the newer podcast I mentioned above. Though very new to the podcast game, Ruth is a seasoned blogger and business owner. If you seen my post on the best resources for starting a blog, then you probably already know about Ruth’s Elite Blog Academy. This is what really propelled my hobby blog into an actual income-generating business. She brings all of her knowledge and resources about blogging and running a business to her podcast. Ruth has wonderful guests, but even the episodes she hosts herself are inspiring and encouraging for bloggers.  best podcasts for bloggers
  5. Business Boutique with Christy Wright. I came across Christy’s podcast by way of Dave Ramsey. We are huge Dave Ramsey fans. And honestly, as a blogger, with so many courses, classes, and groups that you can pay to be a part of, it really does help to have a good background of budgeting. You need to know when you’re overspending to try to make your blog work or when you just need to wait on a purchase until you’ve built up more funds. Christy brings the Dave Ramsey money-mindset to women who own their own businesses, or would like to. She is encouraging, uplifting, and I enjoy hearing her podcast and interviews with other guests on her show. best podcasts for bloggers

My hope is you find this list helpful and that you’ll find one or two new podcasts in this list that will benefit you and your business. Not every podcast is perfect for everyone, and I’m always on the hunt for fresh ideas. If you have a podcast you enjoy listening to, that encourages you in your blogging business, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Have a great week!

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How to Prune Blueberry Bushes

how to prune blueberry bushes

If you’re thinking about adding fruit trees or bushes to your landscape, then blueberry bushes are some of the easiest to start with. Blueberry bushes come in a multitude of varieties and can be grown both in the ground and in containers. Check out my article all about how to grow blueberries in containers. They are virtually maintenance free, and harvesting the fruit is fun for big and little gardeners alike! Pruning blueberry bushes is one of the easiest garden tasks you’ll have to take on this winter. 

how to prune blueberry bushes

When to Start Pruning Blueberry Bushes

Once your blueberry bushes are at least three years old, they’ll need to be pruned annually. Before the three year mark, you can simply let your bushes grow and establish themselves. Unlike some roses and hydrangeas, blueberry bushes don’t need to be pruned down to the ground. In fact learning how to prune blueberry bushes is a fairly simple process. affiliate link policy

The best time to prune your blueberry bushes is in the late winter or early spring. If you live further south, I recommend the earlier pruning time. I live in the southeast, and I never know when we’ll get an usually warm early spring, so you don’t want to wait too far into the spring and affect your harvest. For those who live further north, waiting until early spring will be the better option. 

How to Prune Blueberry Bushes

To start pruning blueberry bushes, you’ll need a good pair of hand pruners and perhaps a small hand saw for larger limbs that need to be pruned down.

  • The first step to pruning your blueberry bushes is to go through your bush and find small branches that intersect or cross over one another. These small branches, especially when they touch, will eventually leaf out and a crowd one another. So when you find two branches that intersect choose to prune one of them. I know it can be hard to prune any limb that has buds on it, but you’re pruning for the greater good here. how to prune blueberry bushes
  • Next, you want to shape up your bush. Especially at the end of a season, a blueberry bush may send up tall limbs that extend 8 to 12 in above the rest of the bush. Go ahead and trim these back. Even if they have buds, you want to keep your bush shaped up, and these gangly limbs aren’t needed.
  • Finally go through your bush and prune off any dying, dead, or unproductive limbs. I tend to find these closer to the bottom and at the very ends of branches.  Getting rid of them will keep your bush healthy and keep it from wasting energy on growing unproductive limbs.                                                                                                                           how to prune blueberry bushes

Here’s a video step-by-step of how to prune blueberry bushes. The sound is low for some reason, so be sure to turn up your volume.

 

Reap the Harvest!

The whole printing process should take you no longer then 20 minutes. if you have several bushes, this is obviously going to take a little longer, but pruning your blueberry bushes is well worth the time and effort. We had one of our best blueberry harvests this past year, and I fully believe it was all a result of pruning. So while you’re out there in the winter with your hand pruners, just think about all of the fresh berries, jam, and blueberry pies that can come as a result of your little bit of work now.

Have a great week and happy gardening!

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How to Grow Blueberries in Containers

how to grow blueberries in containers

Growing Blueberries In Containers

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to walk out onto your porch or deck and gather handfuls of blueberries to snack on or to make a fresh blueberry pie? Well, my friends, you are in luck! Blueberries can be picky growers, however, all that can be solved by growing them in containers. That’s right, container blueberries are the secret to bountiful blueberry harvests, no matter what type of land or space you have available. A balcony, patio, or deck is all the space you need to grow a beautiful blueberry harvest.

summer garden

How to Grow Blueberries in Containers

First things first, choose an appropriate container. A large planter with drainage holes in the bottom is best, something at least 12”-18” deep. A too-small container will stunt the blueberries’ growth. Not good! You want to give your blueberry bush plenty of room for root growth. You could even create your own self-watering planter if you want to take the guesswork out of watering.

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Next, acidify your soil. The reason blueberries are called picky growers is because they need very acidic soil. This can be done via commercial products that you mix into the soil. Or, you can buy soil that is already amended and can be added right into your container, as is. Check the acidity with a pH test kit, available at most garden stores, or send a soil sample to your local cooperative extension for a free (usually) soil test.

Finally, plant your blueberry bushes in your container and place it in a location where it will get full sun or at the minimum, very partial shade. Don’t forget, blueberry bushes take time to develop. Depending on where you purchased your plant, it could be years, so be prepared to make the commitment and it will be worth it. We purchased our plants from a local blueberry farm, and they specifically sell plants that are three years old. This ensures a harvest in the first year for those of us who are buying. So, this would be a good question to ask when purchasing your blueberry plants.

(Want to try growing your own plants from store-bought blueberries? Check out MI Gardener’s video here: How to Start Blueberry Plants from Store Bought Berries)

Blueberry Bush Fertilizing Practices

The first year of your blueberry bush is the most important since you are getting it established. During this year, add organic fertilizer to your bush per the package instructions of your fertilizer. This is usually about every 2-3 months.

After the first year, don’t stop adding fertilizer! This is very important. As you water your plants, the fertilizer will drain out the bottom of the container. It will need to be replenished. Continue adding fertilizer in small amounts every month during the growing season.

Care for Your Blueberries

Blueberries need lots of water. But, they don’t like soggy soil, which is why it’s important that they are in good draining containers. Water frequently. Also, check the pH regularly to make sure the soil is still acidic enough.

The bushes will need to be pruned every year. Go gentle, just cut off the oldest branches. This will stimulate better growth from the ones remaining.

growing blueberries in containers

Winter Care: If you live in a cold climate, protect your bushes from the wind by placing against the side of a building. Mulch them well to retain moisture. They won’t need much watering but they shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. Other than that, they can be left alone. They will go dormant. Many blueberry bush leaves turn a beautiful shade of red before going bare.

Types of Blueberries to Grow

There are four types of blueberries: highbush, lowbush, rabbiteye, and half-high that work best for container gardening. Each of these has variables based on the preferred climate and size of the berries. Make sure you get a variety that does well in your climate.

To be successful growing blueberries in containers, choose a variety that has smaller bushes. Top Hat is a good choice since it only gets 2 feet tall. Sunshine Blue gets 3 feet tall and has bright pink flowers; a very popular variety. Patriot grows 3-5 feet tall and is an early season variety, so be sure you have plenty of room and a larger pot for this variety.

Some blueberry varieties are self-pollinating, however, most need more than one to pollinate and produce fruit. (Check the label on each blueberry bush to determine if you’ll need more than one.) Plant at least three blueberry bushes for a better chance success. More blueberries, please. That’s a win-win, blueberry lover!

 

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How to Create a Media Kit in Canva

media kit in canva

The Many Tasks in Blogging

Getting a blog up and running is hard work — from the technical tasks of learning to use themes and plugins, to the more creative element of simply writing incredible content. The mind of a blogger can be overwhelmed by all there is to accomplish. Thankfully Elite Blog Academy takes that overwhelming mountain of tasks to be accomplished and breaks them down into manageable units and assignments to help you move through all you need to learn much easier and faster than on your own.

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One of the main goals of many bloggers is to eventually make a part-time or full-time income from their work, and right now you can make money blogging in every genre and niche. The secret is: What you think of as common knowledge may not be so for someone else. Sharing expertise and knowledge to serve others is one of the greatest parts of being a blogger. However, with all of the content creation and technical upkeep of blogging, it can be difficult to have the time and energy for advertising, marketing, emails, and social media presence. These all fight for our time and attention each day, and it can be tough to know when to do things yourself and when to hire someone to take care of it for you.

Get Noticed by Advertisers

One task inside of Elite Blog Academy (the blogging course that has made all the difference for me) that many wonder if they should outsource is utilizing private advertising opportunities. Many advertisers know the benefits of working with established blogs and purposefully look for ways to collaborate about products and services. This could be through sponsored posts, sidebar ads, or short promotional snippets from the blogger. These benefit both the blogger and the company seeking advertising.

In order to reach out to companies and potential advertisers with the benefits of advertising on your blog, you will need to have a solid pitch and media kit in place. A media kit is a visual representation of what your blog is about, who you are, and the reach and audience your blog has.

Why Create a Media Kit?

A media kit can be emailed out to potential advertisers and can also have its own page on your blog, so it can be accessed by someone visiting who may be interested in advertising. The examples of a media kit in the EBA materials are wonderful. They are full of ideas for those just dipping our toes into media kit creation. Yet, the design of a media kit is much more detailed than simply typing information onto a page. As you can see with Ruth Soukup’s example below (the creator of EBA), many media kits have a design element to make them stand out:

living well spending less media kit
Living Well Spending Less Media Kit

 

There are a multitude of options for hiring out the design of your media kit and even some plug and play options. However, most of them don’t make customizing it to fit your needs and your brand very simple. As for hiring someone to create one, I know at this point in my blogging career, I’d much rather save the money I would pay to a designer and use it for advertising. There are many worthwhile expenses in blogging and continually evaluating what is worth spending money on and what isn’t is the sign of a wise business owner.

How to Create a Media Kit in Canva

Knowing I didn’t want to hire a designer for my media kit, I set off to Canva.com to see what resources would be helpful for designing a kit. (If you don’t have a Canva account or have never visited the site, I highly recommend it. And it’s free!)

While Canva didn’t have media kit templates, they did have something just as useful: resumes! Isn’t that basically what a media kit is anyway? You’re putting your best information out there in a concise, well-written page. That sounds an awful lot like a resume to me. The beauty of Canva is once you’ve decided on a style of resume to use, you can simply add your information, make a few adjustments and voila! Here’s the process I used for creating my free media kit in Canva.

The Steps:

  1. Go to Canva.com and under Documents select Resume.
  2. A new page will open and you’ll see a gallery of resume templates on the left side of your screen. Many of these are free, but some are not. The free templates have a small icon in the corner that says “free.” Don’t focus too much on colors, those can be changed.  Here’s an example of a free template from Canva: canva resume template
  3. Once you’ve chosen a template, simply replace the info about the person with information about your blog. Start with your blog’s logo clearly displayed at the top. Then move on to replace the other sections of the resume with media kit material. (And all of the colors on any resume can be changed by clicking on the element. Easy!)
  • Blog description: What is your blog focus? Two or three sentences work well for this category.
  • Traffic Statistics/Reach: You can find these on Google Analytics and other social media accounts. Let the potential advertiser know how you interact with people and how many visitors could be seeing their content if they choose to advertise with you.
  • Advertising Opportunities: Clearly explain the opportunities available for advertising. You set the rules; it’s your blog. You can offer sponsored posts, sidebar ads, etc. Set the parameters for each opportunity, so they can choose the option that’s best for them.
  • Profile: Let the advertiser know who you are! This is a great way to connect with them by sharing your qualifications. Also include a professional headshot or photo.
  • Contact Information: Let potential advertisers know how to get in touch with you to pitch their offer. You can include social media links in here as well.
  • Optional: Include testimonials from past clients if you’ve already successfully used private advertising on your site.

Clearly label your Media Kit

Be sure each of these areas are clearly labeled. Many of the resumes have existing labels, so you’ll just need to replace their label title with your own. This gives anyone who may be looking over your media kit a clear sense of what they are looking at and that reflects well on you. And if ever there was a time to edit, this is it. Consider your media kit as a first impression, and you want to make it memorable (in a positive way)!

Once I added in my own information to the Canva resume template, I simply download it to my computer. This gives you the freedom to add it to your blog or email to potential advertisers as you see fit. Here is my finished media kit:

Your Media Kit is Ready to Go

I was incredibly pleased at how professional it looked considering I only spent an hour of time creating it. If you have all of your blog information ready to go, it could be even quicker. A file from Canva can be saved as a pdf or jpeg. This makes it easy to attach to an email (PDF) or include on a blog page (JPEG).

So save your hard earned blogging revenues for now, and create a media kit on your own. It’s one of the few blogging tasks that doesn’t require a lot of background experience and design skill. Canva has really taken care of all of the tricky design choices, and you can simply click to add your information and walk away with a beautiful media kit to secure sponsors. Now if only adding code to my blog was this easy!

If you want to stay on track with weekly blog tasks, download my FREE printable weekly blog planner by subscribing!

 

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