Robert Pavlis

Does Gravel in Pots Increase Drainage – The Latest Science

Logic would have you believe that adding gravel or pot shards in the bottom of a pot or container will increase drainage and this has been a common practice for a long time. More recently some gardening experts and scientists have declared this to be a myth, claiming that gravel does not increase drainage when placed in the bottom of a pot. That is the current thinking.

New science has now been published that debunks the claimed myth and concludes that drainage material in the bottom of a pot or container does increase drainage.

Does Gravel in Pots and Containers Increase Drainage? source: North Dakota State University

Key Takeaways

New science shows that drainage material in the bottom of a pot increases drainage.
Highly porous soils are affected more.
Sand at 60 mm worked best.

If you like this post, please share .......

10 Bat Myths Busted

Bats have long been shrouded in mystery and misconception. Their nocturnal habits, unique appearance, and association with darkness have fueled numerous myths and superstitions. This article aims to dispel these falsehoods, revealing the true nature of these vital mammals. Learn to appreciate and understand them.

small brown bat sitting on a finger — What a cute little guy, source: Depositphotos

Key Takeaways

Bats are extremely useful in the garden, where they eat a lot of insect pests in colder climates and pollinate fruits in warmer climates.
There is very little threat to humans or pets.
It is rare for them to carry rabies.

This post uses affiliate links

If you like this post, please share .......

Do Bats Control Mosquito Populations?

I am sure you have heard the stories; that a small bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes a night. This idea is so well known that many people have put up bat houses to attract this animal even though most people hate bats. I guess they hate mosquitoes even worse.

It all makes so much sense. Bats fly at night eating insects. Mosquitoes come out at night to hunt us. Why would bats not eat this plentiful food? And then there is the science; scientists studied bats and determined they could eat 1,000 mosquitoes a night.

In this post, I will look at this myth and explain how the myth originated. It is quite rare for me to be able to know how a myth starts, but in this case, it’s fairly clear.

A Myth is Born - Do Bats Eat Mosquitoes — A Myth is Born – Do Bats Eat Mosquitoes, little brown bat, photo by SMBishop

Key Takeaways

The idea that mosquitoes eat 1,000 a night is mostly a myth.
Only some very small bats eat mosquitoes.
Bat houses do not control local mosquito populations.

If you like this post, please share .......

What is DLI – the Daily Light Integral

In the good old days, it was easier for gardeners to talk about the artificial light plants required because most gardeners used fluorescent bulbs and most manufacturers produced about the same quality of bulbs. We could easily say that, for example, African violets should be grown 6 inches below a two-bulb fixture, and that would … Read More

Growing Streptocarpus: Watering

Watering may be the hardest part of growing streptocarpus well. Not because they are difficult to water but because there is a lot of confusion and misinformation about their care. The goal of this post is to describe some watering experiments and provide clarity about watering.

5 or 6 flowers in a cluster, purple color with lots of stripes and spots of dark purple and white — Streptocarpus RP Dreamy Night

Key Takeaways

It’s better to keep streptocarpus wet than dry.
Leaves die back if kept too dry
Provided the potting media is porous, regular watering will not harm the plant.

If you like this post, please share .......

Repotting Myths Busted

Gardeners make repotting more complicated than it needs to be and in the process, they have created all kinds of myths about the process. It’s time to simplify repotting and bust the myths around it.

empty pot with a root bound plant laying beside it — Does this plant need repotting?, source: Depositphotos

Key Takeaways

Repotting does less damage to plants than you think and they recover quickly
Don’t listen to so-called experts online – learn to understand the plant and let its natural growth habits direct you.
Many of the repotting rules are myths.

If you like this post, please share .......

Should Gardeners Use Greensand Fertilizer?

Greensand is an organic fertilizer that has been around for many years but it has never become popular except in certified organic farms. Are gardeners missing out on an important soil amendment and source of potassium? Key Takeaways What is Greensand? Greensand fertilizer is a natural soil amendment derived from ancient marine deposits, primarily composed … Read More

Too Much Compost Can Poison Your Garden?

Can you use too much compost? If you believe what you read, compost is the best thing for your garden. If that’s true, how can you have too much? The truth is that too much compost, especially manure and commercial compost, is harmful to your soil and plants.

Too Much Compost - Is It Poisoning Your Garden — Too Much Compost – Is It Poisoning Your Garden, source: Oregon State University

If you like this post, please share .......

Do Geraniums Control Japanese Beetles?

A popular claim is that geraniums will paralyze Japanese beetles and keep them away from your other plants. The pest eats the leaves and flowers, which fall to the ground. They then die, or birds pick them off, thereby controlling them in your garden.

Does this work? Can geraniums be used to protect other plants in your garden?

pick flower with three beetles sitting on it. — Japanese beetles eating geranium flower, source: Depositphotos

Key Takeaways

Japanese beetles are paralyzed when they eat too many flowers but not when they eat leaves.
Other plants are more attractive to these beetles than geraniums.
It is unlikely that geraniums will control Japanese beetles in the garden.
Japanese beetle traps do not work.

This post uses affiliate links.

If you like this post, please share .......

Growing Streptocarpus: Germinating Seeds

Streptocarpus seeds are some of the tiniest you will ever sow but they are also very easy to germinate if you follow these simple instructions.

top view of a pot showing very tiny green seedlings — Streptocarpus seedlings – 3 weeks after seeding – 4″ pot

Key Takeaways

Surface sow in pots.
Streptocarpus seed needs light to germinate.

If you like this post, please share .......

Calculating the PPM of Nitrogen in Your Fertilizer

How much fertilizer do you use? In North America, it is common to reply with something like “1/8 tsp of a 20-6-12 fertilizer. The problem with this answer is that it is difficult to compare the amount to someone using, for example, 1/4 tsp of 7-3-5 fertilizer.

Are either of these close to the recommended amount of 100 ppm nitrogen?

It is important to compare apples with apples and the best way to do this is to report and discuss fertilizer in ppm units. It is easy to do, it will make gardening communication much more useful and it will give you better insight into your fertilizer use.

several houseplants with a lady watering them — How strong is this fertilizer? source: Depositphotos

This post uses affiliate links

If you like this post, please share .......

Save Money Growing Your Own Food

This question was asked in our Facebook Group: “How can I utilize my garden to save money on groceries? My garden always costs me way more than the amount of food I get from it.”

That is a great question and in this post, I’ll look at ways to keep costs down in the vegetable garden.

girl in garden picking carrots — Carrots are easy to grow, source: Depositphotos

If you like this post, please share .......