This is a great tropical looking plant, that is easy to grow, and makes a big statement especially in colder climates where such large growth is hard to come by. And even better, it is so easy to overwinter.
The year is 1919 and a 2 year old girl died next to a poinsettia tree. The cause, poinsettia poisoning. Ever since then people have been aware that this lovely Christmas plant can be dangerous in the home.
Now for the real truth about the poisonous poinsettia ……
The legume is commonly recommended as a companion plant. It is believed that the excess nitrogen produced by the legume will help feed the companion growing next to it. In the Three Sisters agriculture system the bean provides nitrogen for the corn to grow and since corn needs a lot of nitrogen, it grows better.
Legumes are also an important ingredient in crop rotation. Grow corn one year and follow that up with beans or peas the following year to restore the level of nitrogen in the soil.
There is no doubt that legumes are able to capture atmospheric nitrogen (using bacteria) and convert it to plant usable nitrogen, but how much of this actually benefits other plants? Are legumes a good source of nitrogen for the garden?
Do you want to start an online fight? Ask about using using gray water in the garden (also spelled graywater, grey water and greywater). Opinions vary widely, and both users and non-users feel very strongly about their position. You will see lots of opinions, and many statements that are false.
In highly developed countries there is a definite distrust of gray water, but as regions experience more drought people are starting to consider it as a viable option. Clean water, also called potable water, is wasted on landscapes and as the cost of it goes up, more and more gray water will be used. In this post I will discuss its use in the garden.
Garlic is one of the most popular companion plants. It can be grown next to most plants as a natural pest and fungus deterrent. It takes up little space, is not fussy about soil and can grow in most conditions.
I am sure that its pungent flavor is what convinces people that it keeps pests and diseases away. If it keeps vampires away, surely a few bugs are not a problem for it.
Is it time to update your grow light fixtures? Are you looking for a new grow light system? In both cases this post will provide you with all of the information you need to make the best choice.
LED lights have come a long way and if you are buying a new light today, LED is the way to go. They last a long time and provide a good level of light at a very low electrical cost. They are good for you, your plants and the environment.
If you already have a florescent grow light, consider replacing the bulb with an LED bulb that fits in your existing fixture.
Most gardeners work far too hard. Why? Because a lot of books and web sites tell you it’s the only way to keep plants growing well. As a young, inexperienced gardener I followed all the advice but over the years I have developed a new style of gardening. I now only do the work that is required.
This blog will save you hundreds of hours of work each year.
In this post I will reveal 10 things that you can stop doing in the garden because they are not needed by your plants. The focus in this post will be on ornamental gardens (perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees). In another post I will deal with vegetable gardens specifically.
I’d like to talk about the Three Sisters. No, not the play written by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, and not the three mountain peaks near Canmore, Alberta , Canada. I am talking about Three Sisters Agriculture used by Native Americans; corn, beans and squash.
If you have read anything about companion planting you will have come across a description of the Three Sisters as one of the best examples of companion planting that works. But have you ever seen any data to show that this system works? Did the Native Americans actually use this system?
The Three Sisters are the corner stone of the companion planting movement and if it is all a myth, is there any validity to the whole idea?
I have wanted to do some posts on companion planting for quite some time. There is certainly a lot of nonsense out there about companion planting, but some of the advice seems to make sense. The problem with this topic is that it is vast and complex. So I have ignored it – until now.
This post is an overview of the topic. I will look at some general concepts and try to gain some basic understanding of companion planting. Future posts will look at specific combinations of plants.
Do you have a lot of weeds in your garden? Do you want to know how to get rid of them? Are you making a new garden bed and want to eliminate years of weeding? You have come to the right place.
In this blog I will provide you with solutions for both of these problems. Most people who have a lot of weeds in the garden have made two mistakes. They did not prepare the new garden properly and they are not mulching enough.
In this post I will look at one of the most important criteria you should consider when shopping for an LED grow light, the color spectrum. If you don’t get the right color of light, plants will just not grow well, no matter how much you spend.
If you are looking to get a new grow light, you should really consider LED lights since they are much more energy efficient. That is good for your pocket book as well as the environment. The problem is that selecting the right type of light is no trivial matter. The market is full of products in a wide price range and many manufacturers are making claims that are designed to confuse you.
If you just want a quick answer, head on down to the last section called, The Best Color Spectrum for LED Grow Lights. If you want to understand what you are doing so you can make an intelligent choice, read the whole post. I promise I won’t get too technical on you.
LED lights for home use have become very popular and many people are considering them for growing plants, especially for starting seedlings. It sounds like a great idea. LED lights use very little electricity so they save money, and they don’t produce a lot heat so they can be placed close to your plants. Sounds perfect and many people have started to use them with success. Unfortunately, others have found that they don’t work too well and one reason is that manufacturers don’t tell you the truth about their products. I know that is hard to believe – but it’s true, they go out of their way to confuse you.
In this post I will have a close look at just one aspect of LED grow lights – the truth about watts.
