Everybody wants to grow nutrient dense food that is more nutritious, but what methods produce the best food? There is lots of talk online about organic gardening producing healthier food but is that really true? Are heirloom varieties better for you than hybrids?
In this post I’ll look at some interesting studies that try to answer these questions and the answers will surprise you.
Abelia mosanensis is a lovely shrub that few people grow. I am not sure why because it is very easy to grow, flowers well every year and is more fragrant than just about any other shrub in my collection. It does sucker a bit, but is easily controlled. It also forms nice red-orange fall colors.
Cactus are very weird plants. They almost never have leaves. They sit there and do nothing for a good part of the year. They don’t flower – or do they? If you are old enough to remember all of the cowboy movies on TV, you are sure to know that you can always stop by a cactus and get a drink.
My first foray into horticulture was a collection of over 100 different cactus, under lights in my bedroom. At that time I went to Europe, in part to see “native cacti”. I’ve grafted them, and even grown them from seed. Fast forward 40 years, and I still have a cactus growing in the garden (zone 5).
For this post I have collected together all of the cactus myths that I could find. Enjoy.
Fish fertilizer is a common organic fertilizer that is recommended for both houseplants and the garden. It has a strong following and its proponents feel that it is better than any other type of fertilizer, but how does it really stack up against the most common organic fertilizer; compost?
Fish fertilizer – are the accolades true, or a bit fishy?
How do you know if your seeds are still viable? Simple, do a seed germination test. Place the seeds in some water. The ones that sink are still viable – the ones that float are dead.
This advice is all over the internet so it must work? But how reliable is it?
Crop rotation is one of those techniques that seems to be necessary for anyone growing vegetables. Read any book or online source about growing food and you soon run into the recommendation that crop rotation will make plants grow better, reduce pests and prevent diseases. The Alabama A&M Extension Office says, “it’s an essential part of planning a home garden“. It is a common practice in agriculture and if it works there, why would it not also be a good idea for the back yard garden?
As you learn a bit more about this technique you soon realize it’s not a simple technique to implement. You have to know your plant families and you need to set up a 3 year schedule, or is it a 4 year schedule? And every author seems to have different rules for selecting the next crop. If there are many so-called “best” systems, which one should you use?
Let’s have a closer look at crop rotation and decide how it should be used by home gardeners.
Iris x norrisii is a very interesting plant that flowers in the heat of summer when flowering can be a bit slow in the garden. It also has some very interesting seed heads for late fall.
The use of seaweed fertilizer, such as kelp, is becoming more popular, but does it really work?
It is a very dilute, expensive fertilizer so it does provide plants with some nutrients, but the claims for it go well beyond that. Seaweed also contains a number of other substances called biostimulants which are claimed to help plants grow, ward off disease and produce higher crop yields. The biostimulants in seaweed fertilizer might be more valuable than the NPK nutrients.
Given the high cost of seaweed extract, it’s important to know if these biostimulants really work.
Seaweed fertilizer and seaweed extracts are becoming more popular but there are concerns that harvesting and manufacturing it harms the environment. In this post I will look at how seaweed makes it to market and determine if it is an eco-friendly process.
Orchids are one of the most beautiful flowering houseplants you can buy and yet they are just not good enough – according to some people. Commercial growers have found a way to add even more color to them so that you can enjoy blue, orange and even green orchids.
How is it done, and how long does the color last?
Anemone blanda is a fairly common spring bulb that produces a big display of flowers. It is low growing and can be tucked under trees for a nice display, or grown with other small spring bulbs like Muscari. It is best purchased and planted in fall but you can find pots of it in spring at some nurseries.
Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Herbstsonne’ ’is a huge plant that is perfect for the back of a perennial bed. It flowers in late summer providing a great splash of yellow for a long time. Unlike your typical yellow daisy it is quite unique with its large flared-back petals.