Robert Pavlis

Humic Substances Like Humic Acid – Are They Good For the Garden?

Humic Substances like humic acid are being promoted as important organic material that should be added to gardens to improve soil health. All gardeners have heard of humus, that friable, black gold that we all wish we had. Since you can’t buy humus, companies have started to provide the next best thing – humic substances.

You might think that humus and humic substances are the same thing, but they are not. We need to treat these two as separate products and evaluate each on its own merits.

In this post I will do a deep dive underground to better understand humic substances, humic acid and humates.

Humic Substances Like Humic Acid - Are They Good For the Garden? — Humic Substances Like Humic Acid – Are They Good For the Garden?

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Solving Water Problems For Indoor Plants: Hardness, pH, Salts, Alkalinity & Chlorine

Indoor plants are not too fussy about the water they get, but certain conditions like pH, alkalinity, hardness, chlorine, and sodium levels are a concern. If the water is not suitable, plants fail to grow properly and may die. Many gardeners blame themselves for having black thumbs when, in fact, their problem is “black” water.

In this post, I will discuss things that you can do to try and correct any water issues you might have.

Hard Water Stains: Solving Problems With Your Water - For Indoor Plants — Hard Water Stains: Solving Problems With Your Water – For Indoor Plants, Source: Good to Grow

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Growing Seeds in Ice Cream Cones – Great Idea or Ultimate Stupidity?

You have probably seen the memes showing you how to grow seeds in ice cream cones. There are lots of pictures on the internet, especially in places like Pinterest, showing nicely grown seedlings like the one pictured below.

The whole idea did not make sense to me, but who knows, maybe it’s a good idea and I’m just jealous that I didn’t think of it first.

I had to try it!

Growing Seeds in Ice Cream Cones - Great Idea or Ultimate Stupidity? — Growing Seeds in Ice Cream Cones – Great Idea or Ultimate Stupidity? Source: Sarah Neuburger

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Tap Water, RO Water, Softened Water, Rain Water – What Are The Differences?

There are many different sources of water that can be used for plants including tap water, reverse osmosis water, softened water, and rain water. What are the differences between these and which are the best ones for plants?

When someone says, ” I just use tap water for my plants” you really have no idea what type of water they are using. It could be water straight from a municipal service or from a well. It could also be water that has gone through a softening process or a reverse osmosis system. It could be naturally hard or soft or it might contain a lot of sodium chloride. All of these can come out of a water tap.

In this post I will discuss the various types of water and how they affect plants. In a future post I will give some practical advice for solving problems you might have.

Tap Water, RO Water, Softened Water, Rain Water - What Are The Differences? — Tap Water, RO Water, Softened Water, Rain Water – What Are The Differences?

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Does Liquid Lawn Aeration Work – Liquid Soil Conditioners?

Liquid lawn aeration is starting to be promoted more both by manufacturers of liquid aeration products and some lawn maintenance companies, but does it work? How does liquid lawn aeration compare to traditional core aeration?

I am also starting to see more DIY liquid aeration mixtures being promoted on the internet. How do these compare to commercial products?

Does Liquid Lawn Aeration Work - Liquid Soil Conditioners? — Does Liquid Lawn Aeration Work – Liquid Soil Conditioners?, source: CNR Lawn Care

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What is Alkalinity – It May Not Be What You Think?

Alkalinity is used incorrectly by many gardeners and even garden writers. I’ll bet I’ve made this mistake. If you think alkalinity refers to a high pH, you should read this post.

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Chlorine, Chloramine and Plants – Everything You Need to Know

You have probably heard that chlorine in tap water is harmful to plants. Some cities have switched to using chloramine in tap water and that is also a concern for plants because it is much harder to remove before watering indoor plants.

What is the difference between chlorine and chloramine? Will they harm your plants? How can you remove them from tap water? These are all good questions gardeners should be able to answer and in this post, I will help you do just that.

Chlorine, Chloramine and Plants - Everything You Need to Know — Chlorine, Chloramine and Plants – Everything You Need to Know

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Seedling to Adulthood – Secrets for Growing Mature Plants From Seed

There is a lot of information about germinating seeds, but what happens after germination? How do you take care of the seedlings to get them to a mature size? When do you transplant seedlings? How much should you fertilize them? How do you harden off seedlings before they go outside?

In this blog post I will walk you through the whole process I use to get seedlings to adulthood.

Seedling to Adulthood - Secrets to Growing Mature Plants From Seed — Seedling to Adulthood – Secrets to Growing Mature Plants From Seed

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Biological Liquid Dethatcher for Lawns – Do They Work?

Biological liquid dethatcher for lawns is a new category of product that makes it very easy to eliminate thatch from your lawn. You no longer need to use special thatch rakes or rent motorized dethatchers to clean up your lawn. Just buy a bottle of liquid dethatcher, mix it with water, and spray it on your lawn. Some products even incorporate fertilizer, combining two jobs into one.

How well do these products work? Are liquid dethatchers more efficient than traditional mechanical dethatchers? What is thatch anyway, and is it a real problem?

Biological Liquid Dethatcher for Lawns - Do They Work? — Biological Liquid Dethatcher for Lawns—Do They Work?

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Companion Planting – Are Scented Plants the Best Choice?

A common quote on the internet is, “It’s best to use strongly scented plants for companion planting because they confuse pests looking for their host plant.” This is a commonly voiced opinion, and it usually follows with a list of fragrant plants that make good companion plants, such as marigolds, onions, mint, chives, lavender, wormwood, and many other herbs.

This seems to make perfect sense. Insects looking to lay eggs on a cabbage might be confused when they smell a marigold and leave the area thinking there are no cabbages.

Read any of the thousands of websites and books about companion planting and they all agree; that strongly scented plants are your best option. The only problem is that none of these suggestions are based on science. ………. The facts are going to surprise you.

Person planting marigolds — Companion Planting – Are Strongly Scented Plants the Best Choice?

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Top 10 Gardening Myths of 2019

To celebrate the new year, lets look back at the top gardening myths of 2019. These myths were selected based on a number of criteria.

Importance to the gardener
Popularity based on the number of comments
Personal preferences

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Astilboides tabularis

Astilboides tabularis: photo by Robert Pavlis

Do you want to grow gunnera but your climate is too cold? Then Astilboides tabularis is a good alternative. It has some of the largest leaves you can grow in colder climates and it makes a strong statement in any garden. Most people who visit my garden are unfamiliar with the plant and find it very exotic. Its leaves are an odd round shape that reminds one of an umbrella or table top. They easily reach 60-90 cm (2-3 feet) in diameter.

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