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How to Care for Azaleas

Azaleas are one of the all-time favorite spring flowering shrubs. An established azalea can live for decades and produce colorful blooms from late winter till early summer, depending on the variety planted. Learning how to care for azaleas is an important part of their success, so find out how to properly care for your spring bloomers.  

How to Care for Azaleas

Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are all attracted to the sweet nectar and pollen of the azalea. The evergreen shrub looks great in the landscape year around, though the 2 to 3 weeks of blooms each spring are definitely the highlight of growing azaleas. Use these planting and care tips so you can enjoy the beauty of azaleas in your landscape. affiliate link policy

Where to Grow Azaleas 

Azaleas are understory plants, meaning they prefer to grow under taller shrubs and trees and/or along your home in flower beds. They will need a little shade from the afternoon sun, so if you can’t plant them under a taller plant, place them in a location where they will be shaded in the afternoon. We have most of our azaleas along the front of the house, where they receive good morning sun and are shaded from 1pm on. If you’ve never considered the parts of your yard that get the best sun for growing azaleas, then consider creating a Sun Map to help you assess your yard. It’s an easy way to know what areas of your yard receive the best sun for growing certain plants. 

blooming azalea bushes growing under trees

Best soil for Azaleas

Azaleas also love acidic soil, and all species of conifer trees increase the acid level of soil. Under the shade of pine trees is the perfect location for a grouping of these flowering beauties.
But, any well-draining soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5 that is well shaded is an ideal location. Soil acidity can be raised with the addition of compost and/or pine straw. If you’re not sure what your soil pH is, then I recommend having a soil test done. This is a (usually) free service from your local cooperative extension office, and it will give you results on your soil pH, nitrogen, and phosphorus levels. This is invaluable to any gardener who is wondering about the best place to put plants and whether the soil is right for that plant. 

Planting Azaleas

Azaleas have high-growing roots and will not tolerate being planted deeply. So beware to plant the top of the root ball right at ground level and not lower. 
The planting hole should be shallow, but twice as wide as the original container. Gently remove the shrub from the container. Loosen roots with your fingers and place in the center of the planting hole. Back-fill the planting hole with 50% original soil and 50% compost. Water well.
Space azaleas 3-4 feet apart as they can get quite large once they’re older and more established.

Mulch and Fertilize Azaleas

Azaleas must be kept mulched year around due to their shallow root system. A 3-inch layer of pine straw, hay or other organic matter will keep roots cool, protected and moist.
The mulch will slowly decompose and add nutrients into the soil, but a little springtime feeding is also a good idea. After the shrub has finished blooming add a garden trowel of compost around the plant base and water well.

An acidic fertilizer specifically formulated for azaleas can be used instead, but good, rich compost is the best choice. My recommendation for an acidic fertilizer is Espoma’s Holly Tone; it’s great when you don’t have fresh compost on hand. 

Pruning Azaleas

Keeping azaleas pruned properly is an important part of healthy growth and maintaining an attractive shape. (See my full post on How to Prune Azaleas to see how we brought our 50 year old azaleas back to “life”.) Prune azaleas immediately after they have completed their blooming cycle, if needed. All azaleas set their blooms for next season right after they finish blooming this season. If you wait too long to prune, you will be cutting off next year’s blooms.

new azalea growth

Knowing how to care for azaleas will give you consistent blooms each year and a healthy plant overall. And healthy plants are much less susceptible to diseases and pests. Plants that are struggling to survive actually attract pests and have weakened defenses against disease. So, caring for azaleas by planting them in the proper location and soil type will give you the upper hand in having healthy shrubs. 

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Other posts to enjoy:

How to Prune Basil for Larger Yields

Plants that Repel Mosquitoes

How to Prune Hydrangeas

 

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How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles

There’s no more disappointing feeling as a gardener to come outside to check on your plants, only to find them riddled with holes and suffering. And while there are many different types of garden pests out there, one of the most aggressive can be the Japanese beetle. These plant-loving bugs can devour a plant if given the opportunity. So what’s a gardener to do to learn how to get rid of Japanese beetles?

 

japanese beetles eating a leaf

How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles

If you have ornamentals or vegetables in your yard or garden then chances are you have experienced the wrath of the Japanese beetle. I distinctly remember growing up and going to a friends house to play. Hanging in her backyard was this hourglass-shaped bag hanging on a stick that would occasionally move. We would scream because of course that’s what girls do. I knew there were bugs in that bag, but that’s as far as my nerve would let me get.

Now as a gardener, I easily recognize a Japanese beetle trap. Japanese beetles originated in Japan, and like other things, made their way to New Jersey in 1916. Now, they’re pervasive all across the United States. They can be a highly invasive species that loves ornamental plants and certain types of vegetables.

The Life Cycle of Japanese Beetles

To learn how to get rid of Japanese beetles, you have to first understand how they live. Once you begin to see them on your precious roses the truth is they have already been around for a while. In fact, Japanese beetle larva over winters in the ground. (They look a lot like grubs.) In the summer, as the weather begins to warm, they slowly make their way up to the surface and emerge early to mid summer. And your plants and flowers are ripe for the eating. (photo credit: David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org)

japanese beetle grub

 

Japanese beetles can inflict double-damage. The larvae can feed on the roots of plants beneath the ground, and once the beetles emerge, they can devour leaves and fruit in no time. In fact, Japanese beetles can simply leave skeletons of leaves after they’re finished snacking. So now that you know that Japanese beetles can be year-long pests, what can you do to take care of this problem without covering your yard with harsh chemicals and pesticides?

Natural Pest Control for Japanese Beetles

As with all natural pest control methods, keeping your Japanese beetle population in check is a multi-step process. In my Master Gardener class, we learned that all pest control is referred to as Integration Pest Management. It’s virtually impossible to rid your yard of certain pests entirely, but you can manage them. Since adult female Japanese beetles do lay eggs in your yard or flower bed for next year’s generation, you want to prevent them from making it that far. If you can help eliminate them before they have a chance to repeat the cycle then your next season will be that much easier. So what are some ways you can do this?

When you begin to see the Japanese beetles on your plants and flowers, apply Neem oil spray. Neem oil is a natural product from the neem tree, and if you can spray the bugs early enough, you can prevent them from being able to complete their life cycle and go into the ground. The bugs must come in contact with the neem oil. (Wondering about other uses for Neem oil in the garden? Check out my post here:) uses for neem oil

Another technique that you can use to try to get rid of Japanese beetles is to use companion plants to repel them. Never underestimate the power of companion planting. Several plants that seem to repel Japanese beetles are catnip, garlic, garlic chives, and chives. In our front flower bed where we have several rosebushes, I actually planted onions and garlic this fall. It was more of an edible landscape plan than a pest control plan, but it has worked double duty. We haven’t had any issues with Japanese beetles so far, and the garlic growing in the front flower bed actually looks attractive. Chives are a beautiful herb to grow, and it’s a bonus that they repel multiple varieties of pests. They blossom with a beautiful purple blooms that would complement any shade of rose. So consider these companion plants as a method of preventing Japanese beetles. 

Another method you could implement is hand picking the beetles. This is time-consuming, but virtually guarantees the beetles are unable to lay eggs in the ground. Keep a bucket of soapy water nearby, put on your garden gloves, and simply pick up the beetles and drop them in the soapy water. This definitely prevents them from being able to reproduce and go back into the ground.

What about those hanging beetle bags?

And what about those beetle bags that I remember from my childhood? Are they a good technique for getting rid of japanese beetles? Well, it seems that trapping those beetles in a bag does stop their life cycle, but unfortunately, it also can draw more Japanese beetles to your yard. This is surely not what you want. So I suggest leaving the bag at the store and instead of grabbing that bottle of Neem oil and a good pair of garden gloves. 

Japanese beetle bag from spectracide

But if time is limited and you’re overrun with Japanese beetles, there’s no shame in using a bag to help get a head start on next year. You can snag one from your local hardware store or from Amazon and call it done. There are several varieties out there, so choose what’s best for you. 

Natural Pest Control for the Home Garden

Be on the lookout for my book natural pest control for the home garden which is coming out at the end of May. Go ahead and get on my mailing list to stay in the loop for its release, there will even be a sweet discount and some extra bonuses for subscribers! I love the fact that there are so many options available to gardeners to help us control pests and can do so in a way that doesn’t hurt pollinators, our soil, and other animals that are a benefit in the garden. 

I’d love to know if you’ve used a different method to deal with Japanese beetles in the garden. Have a great weekend and happy gardening!

Need More Gardening Info:

How to Start a Raised Bed Garden

How to Make a Sun Map

5 Tips for Growing Tomatoes

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How to Attract Pollinators to the Garden

Do you remember the days of being afraid of bees (you may still be if you’re allergic) or thinking they were inconvenient pests? Whether you’ve just started gardening or have been digging in the dirt for years, then you probably understand the importance of those buzzing bees and other pollinators. Pollinators are incredibly important for any garden, no matter if you’re growing vegetables, flowers, fruits, or herbs. These powerful insects and birds can make or break your harvest, so what’s a gardener to do to attract pollinators to the garden?

black and orange butterfly on orange zinnia

Pollinators are vital to the production of foods and flowers. Without bees, birds and other insects visiting plant blooms and spreading pollen among the plants, our food sources would severely dwindle. And while hand pollination is certainly an option for some fruits and veggies, attracting pollinators to the garden is the easiest (and most beautiful) way to see nature produce its best. affiliate link policy

Attracting pollinators to your vegetable garden is an easy way to keep plants producing and the pollinator community thriving. It’s definitely a mutually beneficial relationship! All you need to do is plant a few specific plants that pollinators can’t resist. For me, this would be chocolate, but for pollinators, think beautiful blooms and berries!

How to Attract Pollinators to the Garden

Bring on the bees of all varieties, birds, and butterflies, too. These hard working garden helpers will be drawn to your garden space if you help to provide them with valuable food sources. This looks different at different times of year, so let’s dive into food for pollinators. 

Year Around Food Source

Pollinators need to eat year around, so by having an attractive meal growing in your garden year-round the bees and birds will come.

An available year-round food source will also encourage pollinators to stay in your area and have families of their own. What food sources would be considered year-round? Part of this depends on the zone you’re gardening in. While cut flowers and blooms usually have a season and then they’re spent, consider a hedgerow of native plants that produce food for your pollinators. This may include berry producing shrubs or low trees that bloom at varying times. Not only will a hedgerow with food for pollinators serve as a food source, but some varieties of birds may even take up residence. If you’re a bird-watcher, then this is a win-win. Check out the American Horticulture Society’s information on creating a hedgerow for your local pollinators. You can also reach out to your local cooperative extension office to help develop a plan for bushes and shrubs that will feed your local garden pollinators year-round. 

Spring Food Sources for Pollinators

Crocus are one of the first food sources to show up in the spring and can provide a nectar-rich meal while snow is still on the ground. Plant crocus, snowdrop, and forsythia to attract pollinators to your landscape, and give you a break from a bleak winter landscape. Once pollinators arrive, they will hang around and see what else is on the menu. Have other bulbs planted in succession to provide an ongoing spring feast. Think of daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips as well.

purple crocus with ladybug on petal

All fruit trees that bloom in the spring are an irresistible attraction for pollinators. Plant a couple apple, pear, peach or plum trees in your garden to increase food production, landscape beauty and feed the pollinators. Smaller fruit bushes, such as blueberry are also perfect for feeding your pollinators. Our blueberry bush, which is currently blooming (it’s late March here), has a constant buzz around it from all of the bees getting to work on pollinating. I love that sound! 

Summer Food Sources for Pollinators

It’s summer, and that means vegetable gardening! Attract pollinators to your vegetable garden by growing plants that have yellow blooms. This seems to be the favorite bloom color of bees and many other pollinators. You’ll probably notice that you’re also drawn to the bright yellow blooms when you look at your garden. 

Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and melons all produce nectar-rich yellow blooms and will attract various pollinators that will dart in and out of each bloom.

Increase the yellow bloom color by planting marigolds in the vegetable garden. These fragrant flowers attract pollinators to the garden while repelling harmful garden pests such as nematodes. Zinnias also come in a variety of colors and are a favorite of butterflies in our garden. And since they offer blooms with height, they’re a great vertical addition to your garden space. orange and yellow zinnias

Fall Food Sources for Pollinators

Nectar producing plants are winding down as fall begins, and the pollinator’s food source is dwindling. Allow some of the basil you planted during the summer to go to seed and produce nectar-rich blooms to keep pollinators in your garden. While the flavor of basil after it blooms isn’t quite as good, I still find that I can dry many of the leaves later in the fall and use them in the winter months.

white flowers on a basil plant
Flowering basil plant

Sweet alyssum is a flower that produces white blooms in the fall and will provide a good meal for hungry pollinators. Pineapple sage will also produce beautiful red blooms in the fall that could give you quite a few hummingbird visitors, and if you have some space in your yard for goldenrod, then this incredible yellow blooms will draw the pollinators in. (It’s the yellow color, right?)

Winter Food Sources for Pollinators

Grow a few plants in your garden that will be a winter food source for pollinators in your area. By attracting pollinators to your garden in winter with a free meal, they will stay around until spring and help your garden grow. The plants will also enhance the appearance of your winter landscape.

These winter food sources for pollinators may include Japanese camellias, winter jasmine, or Chinese witch hazel to provide a fresh meal for birds and bees. Seed heads from summer flowers are also a good winter food source for pollinating birds. So don’t worry about cleaning up all of your spent plants from the summer and fall. Leave some for your neighborhood pollinators, and your yard and garden will reap the benefits of a pollinator-friendly environment.

how to prune camellias

I’d love to know what you grow to encourage pollinators to visit your yard and garden. I know these suggestions will vary by zone, but I find that we gardeners can learn so much from each other, so please share by commenting below. Have a great week and happy gardening!

 

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How to Root Basil from Cuttings

how to root basil

Free plants!! If you’re a gardener or a plant lover, then the offer of free plants is something you can’t turn down very easily. I’ll be honest. I can’t usually turn down the offer of reduced price plants either. I always think I can make them bloom again or nurse them back to health. This doesn’t always work out (the poor clearance lime tree could attest to this if it was still alive.) However, free plants, as in those from cuttings, are a fantastic way to increase your harvest! 

Why Root Basil?

You could simply let your basil plant grow, enjoying the fresh leaves in your summer dishes. But why not share the love with others and create more plants for your own garden space? And if you’re pruning your basil plants, which will give you a more abundant harvest, then you already have the perfect cuttings for rooting. So rooting basil from cuttings gives you a way to use those cuttings if you aren’t planning to use the pruned off pieces in a recipe immediately. affiliate link policy

The Process of Rooting

Recently, my master gardener class had an entire lesson on the topic of propagation, which is what rooting is technically called. Propagation means the process of growing new plants and this can be from a variety of sources, including cuttings, seeds, or other plant parts. For propagating basil, all that’s needed is a basil stem with enough length to be able to submerge in water, without the leaves getting wet. And when you use one part of plant to create a new plant, you’re guaranteed that the plant will be exactly like the parent plant. 

While that may seem obvious, in some hybrid plants, seeds that are saved from the plant to be used the next year will not necessarily have the same traits as the parent plant. So, if you like the variety of basil you’re growing, snip off a bit and get to rooting!

 


 

How to Root Basil

  1. Begin by using a well developed basil plant. If your basil plant is large enough to prune, then it’s large enough to take cuttings for rooting. You’ll want to take a cutting that has a good stem length on it. basil cut
  2. Take your cutting and place it in a jar of clean water. I usually only fill the jar up enough so it’s covering the bottom 1/2 inch of stem. 
  3. Keep your stem submerged for 5-7 days, replacing water every other day to keep it fresh. You should begin to see small roots forming after just a few days.how to root basil
  4. Once the roots have reached 2 inches long, you can remove them from the jar of water and plant them in moist potting soil, or take them as they are to a friend! 

Rooting basil is a simple garden task that can yield fantastic rewards for both you and your gardening friends and neighbors. It’s also an easy way to get into plant propagation. Even if you’ve had difficulty propagating plants from seed, trying rooting will give you success and perhaps a confidence boost. I think rooting this way is much easier than starting seeds at home! 

And rooting basil (or other plants) this way is a fun project to do with kids. It could even lend itself toward a science fair project if you have a child who is at that age. Perhaps consider rooting in water versus moist potting soil (there are some plants that actually do better going straight into soil). Or add a little rooting powder to one and not another. The possibilities are endless!

I’d love to know if you’ve rooted plants in the past, and what has worked well for you! Comment below and let me know if there’s something I should be trying out. Have a great week!

 

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5 Tips for Growing Tomatoes

.tips for growing tomatoes

Need some tips for growing tomatoes? I’ve got you (and your garden) covered!

Chances are if you’ve ever grown a garden, whether a traditional in-ground row garden, raised garden bed, or patio garden then you have tried to grow tomatoes. They seem to be a garden staple and for good reason. What other fruit can give you a juicy, red, plump tasty fruits in the span of one summer? Many kinds of fruit trees take years to produce, but the humble tomato, which is a staple in our summer kitchen for thick sliced tomato sandwiches with Duke’s Mayonnaise, are easy to grow in a span of months. But they can also be one of the biggest heartaches of the summer garden. affiliate link policy

Tips for Growing Tomatoes

So, to save you from the fate of having beautiful plants and no fruit, or a lackluster plant with some fruit, here are my suggestions for how to get the best bang-for-your-buck when it comes to tomatoes. I have grown numerous varieties over the years, and tomatoes were a recent topic of discussion in my master gardener class. There have been great successes and great failures by all, so know that this these tips I’m about to share with you have been tested and tried by not only myself but other die-hard tomato gardeners like myself. Now, on to the tips.

Tip 1: Variety is Key

Choose your variety well. In plain English this means if you can start your tomatoes from seeds you choose yourself, then do it. The varieties of tomato you are able to purchase at your local hardware store or big-box store are going to be severely limited. There’s a chance you may be able to snag some quality varieties if you go to your local Cooperative Extension plant sale. However, choosing your own seeds and beginning them at home from a reputable seed company such as Baker Creek seed or Southern Exposure Seed Exchange will be your best bet for getting exactly the kind of tomato that works well for your garden.

Last year I discovered my tomato plants twisting and wilting. After some research I discovered that my plans were infected with fusarium wilt. As devastating as this may sound, I also learned at the same time that there are certain varieties of tomato seed I can purchase that are resistant to this particular disease. So guess what I’ll be buying this year?

Purchasing your own seed gives you the ability to choose the type of tomato you want. This isn’t just for disease resistance but also size, shape, and color. If you have super aggressive squirrels that love your big beefsteak tomatoes, then maybe you’re better off growing something smaller that you can harvest sooner and beat the squirrels to them.  Maybe you’re interested in having a determinate tomato, which grows for a set number of weeks and then it’s done. This is perfect if you like to take vacation in the summer and aren’t home to water your plants. A determinate tomato grown when you know you’ll be home is perfect for you. And determinate varieities can be quite hard to find at the hardware store, so ordering your own seed is a great way to get exactly the type of tomatoes that you need.

Tip 2: Plant Them Well

This means planting tomatoes in rich soil and also planting them with the roots to the side. Be sure your soil has compost and is well draining. My DIY potting soil is perfect for containers or raised beds of tomatoes. As far as roots pointing to the side, this was something that my dad always did in his garden. I continued to do it because that’s the way I had been taught. I had no idea why. But it turns out turning the roots to the side when you place your tomato in the soil is logical. Tomatoes are a vine, and if grown in the wild, they would trail along the ground, not grow straight up as we have trained them to do. They can also be planted quite deep, only an inch or two below the lowest set of leaves. So plant tomatoes well for a good start to the rest of the growing season. (See my video snippet below. This was before I knew the science behind planting with roots to the side.)

Tip 3: Prune Your Tomatoes

Pruning your tomato plants initially allows them to focus on fruit production instead of getting bigger and bushier. I have a whole tutorial on how to prune your tomato plants.  For determinate type tomatoes, you only need to prune the lower limbs, and then you can leave the plant alone to produce fruit. For indeterminate tomatoes, continually prune all season long, taking off suckers (rooting them for new plants), and trying to keep their size in check. Pruning these larger indeterminate types also helps for air flow to your plants and makes it easier to check for pests. Nobody has time for pests in the tomato bush. And be sure to use a good set of pruning shears or a sharp knife for pruning. 

Tip 4: Water Consistently

If you have an irrigation system setup in your garden, then you’re probably good to go. But if you’re like me with no irrigation system and a reliance on hand-watering and good old mother nature, then there are a few rules you need to abide by. First is when you water your tomatoes, don’t wet the leaves. Water right down at the base of the plant so the water can get to those roots and not sit on the leaves of your tomato plant. You also want to avoid giving your plants excessive amounts of water and then letting them try out completely. This will contribute to your tomatoes splitting. Splitting tomatoes not only look unpleasant, but they can leave your tomatoes susceptible to pests. So be consistent in your watering and keep it contained to the bottom of the plant. Clearly the exception is rain… mother nature sends water where she wants, and that includes the leaves of your tomato plants.

tips for growing tomatoes

Tip 5: Stake ‘Em

At your home and garden centers, you’ll see tomato cages in abundance. However, if you’re growing indeterminate-type tomatoes, then you may quickly discover that your tomatoes outgrow these cages quickly. For the past five or six seasons, I’ve been using long, 8-foot poles to support my tomato plants. These poles are driven into the ground near the plant. As it grows, the main trunk line of the tomato plant is then gently tied to the pole.

This serves two purposes. The first is you’re forced to prune your tomato plants so that there is only one trunk line, which is a good idea. Secondly, your plant has more room to grow up on this pole than a cage can provide. Remember that tomatoes are vines, so they will get tall (unless they’re determinate). It is possible to grow tomato plants that are 10-15 feet tall, and if you have the space and a ladder, great. But once your tomato plants reach the top of your pole, you can allow them to gently bend and start growing down toward the ground. A pole simply gives you more vertical space to grow your juicy tomatoes. 

tips for growing tomatoes

 

So as you embark upon your tomato growing season, I wish you all the luck and success! Whether you’re growing cherry tomatoes perfect for salads and/or large fruits for all those tomato sandwiches, with Duke’s Mayonnaise of course, these tips will help you be fruitful (pun intended). As for what I’ll be growing this year, I’ll be sticking with Jelly Bean tomatoes which have performed well for me over the last three or four years. I’ll also be picking up some Marglobe determinate tomatoes to see how they perform in pots on my patio. And I’m also using a Homestead which should be perfect for those tomato sandwiches. Let me know what you’ll be growing in the comments below! 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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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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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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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 Winterize the Garden

how to winterize the garden

Life in the southeastern U.S. sometimes feels like summer is endless, but the fact is winter eventually does find us. And now is the time to start thinking about winterizing your garden area. Thankfully, the process of winterizing the garden to get it ready for the spring growing season is relatively easy. No matter if you use a traditional row garden or have a raised bed garden, winterization is essential. While there are a few different methods for winterizing, it’s good to know why this is a necessary step. affiliate link policy

The Benefits of Winterizing your Garden

First, winterizing a garden after a full spring and summer of producing delicious vegetables and herbs helps to give the garden a well-deserved break. The soil that worked so hard to feed the plants in your garden space, needs to be re-energized with nutrients.

The second benefit of winterizing, is that you, the gardener, may need a rest yourself.  If you aren’t planning to grow a fall or winter garden, then chances are you just need a bit of a rest. And that’s perfectly fine! Taking a break from the garden for the winter will give you the chance to get recharged and reinvigorated to grow an even better spring garden. This is especially true if you also go through the tasks of canning and preserving a lot of your summer garden goods. This is why I am so thankful that the process of winterizing is easy. Even the most worn out gardener can quickly put their garden to rest, recharging their soil and themselves at the same time.

Before Starting Winterization

Before you select the best method of winterizing, be sure to clean out any dead or dying plants from your garden space. Amy Stross, the author of The Suburban Micro-Farm, recommends taking out completely, roots and all, any plants that may have been diseased. Plants that were healthy can be cut off at the base. The top of the plant can be composted, and the roots are left in the ground for organisms living there.

 

how to winterize the garden

The next thing you want to do is submit soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension office. Why do you need to do this? Well, it’s a fantastic service that most counties provides for very little cost to you. By simply grabbing the small cardboard boxes that your extension office provides, you are able to take multiple samples of soil from your garden and send them off to be analyzed. These soil samples help tell you exactly what your soil needs in the winter months in order to be ready for the spring. Are your nitrogen levels low? Should you be adding lime to your garden soil? Would you benefit from using a cover crop as your winterization technique? All of these questions can be answered with a soil analysis.

Methods of Winterizing the Garden

The Feed and Rest Method. This is my go-to method of winterizing my raised garden beds. Several years ago, I transitioned from a traditional row garden to using the square-foot gardening method in raised beds. (If you are not familiar with square foot gardening, I highly recommend Mel Bartholomew’s book Square Foot Gardening.)  However, the Feed and Rest winterization method could easily be used in a traditional row garden as well.

This method involves feeding the soil with good quality compost, and then covering the garden beds with mulch or leaf matter. The compost feeds the soil, re-energizing it with nutrients. And the thick layer of leaves or mulch help keep weeds from taking over and also provide a nice insulating layer for your soil. This is the easiest method of winterizing. Come the spring, simply rake away the layer of mulch or leaves, add it to your compost pile or flower beds, and get to planting. Comfrey leaves, a perennial herb, can also be used as a mulch for winterizing, and then turned into the soil come spring. I do not recommend turning wood mulch into the garden soil in the spring.

how to winterize the garden

Cover Cropping

 

The second winterizing method I recommend is cover cropping. This can be especially helpful if your soil analysis comes back with news your soil is greatly lacking in one nutrient or another. Cover cropping simply means to grow a certain crop that covers the garden bed and offers the soil some kind of benefit. The results of your soil analysis will clue you in to the best cover crop for your garden. Popular cover crops include clover and legumes as these help fix nitrogen in the soil. Mustard greens are a good cover crop and delicious too.

how to winterize the garden

If using a raised bed for gardening, don’t use a cover crop that would need to be tilled in the spring. Raised beds should have loose soil and should not require tilling. Want to see what winterizing a raised bed looks like? Check out my Youtube video: 

So, regardless of which method of winterization you choose, your soil will reap the benefits of having a much-needed rest. It will recharge through nutrient-rich compost or a cover crop that provides the soil with exactly what it needs. So before you hang up your garden trowel for the year, take just a little time to ensure that you have a great start to next year’s growing season.

 

This article first appeared in the winter 2018 edition of My Lenoir magazine.

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