Plants

Best Fertilizer for Indoor Plants and Containers

There are so many types of fertilizer it’s hard to know which one to use. Which NPK ratio is best? Is one brand better than another? Organic vs synthetic. Soluble vs slow release. This all seems so complicated, but in this post I will simplify the whole process of selecting the best fertilizer.

Key Takeaways
  • The best NPK ratio for most plants is 3-1-2, some like 3-1-3.
  • There is no such thing as plant specific fertilizer.
  • Mix fertilizer so nitrogen is at about the 100 ppm level.
  • Fertilize with every watering, use just water once a month to flush the pot.
Girls watering a plant
Best Fertilizer for Indoor Plants and Containers

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Mulching Trees Too Much | Mulch Volcanoes Kill Trees

As Penn State puts it: “Mulch Volcanoes are Erupting Everywhere“, and they are killing trees. It is a slow death, but one that is almost inevitable. Gardeners and landscape professionals see over mulched trees everywhere and they copy the method, not knowing that they are mulching incorrectly.

The main cause of death has been attributed to increased trunk rot, but that is a myth. This post will debunk this myth, explain the real cause of death, show you how to mulch trees and shrubs properly and how to fix the problems caused by mulch volcanoes.

huge cone shaped pile of mulch around a thin tree
An extreme mulch volcano. Notice that all of the trees in the background are also over mulched, source: Paul Hetzler, Adirondack Almanack

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Best Way to Water Indoor Plants

Watering indoor plants seems to be one of the most complicated things for new gardeners to learn, which is surprising since it’s really simple. The problem is that a lot of the information out there makes the subject complicated and it gives new gardeners bad advice.

In this post I am going to give you some simple rules that work for any houseplant and makes watering easy. I’ll help you decide when to water and show you the best way to do it.

Girls water houseplant
Watering Indoor Plants – Watering Houseplants

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How to Grow and Care for a Citronella Plant (Mosquito Plant)

Citronella is a great plant for the garden, containers, window boxes and it even makes a good houseplant. It has lots of pink blooms and interesting lacy leaves. Its best feature is the lemony scent that fills the night air. It is easy to grow from seed or cuttings and can be overwintered from year to year. Here’s everything you need to know about growing citronella plants.

closeup view of citronella plant showing ferny leaves
Citronella Plant (Pelargonium citrosum), source: Rae Allen

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Mini-Forest Revolution, by Hannah Lewis – Book Review

Mini-forests are popping up all over the world and even my own town planted one in this past summer. I wanted to learn more about this new trend and the book, Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World, by Hannah Lewis, (Amazon affiliate link) seemed like a good place to start. It describes a movement to restore biodiversity by transforming empty spaces and degraded land into mini-forests. Here is a review of the book.

 

hand holding the book titled Mini-Forest Revolution
Mini-Forest Revolution by Hannah Lewis, source Topia

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Tricks to Make Your Christmas Tree Last Longer

There is nothing quite like a real Christmas tree and there are things you can do to keep them fresh for a long time. I’ll give you tips for making them last and look at suggested additives to keep the tree fresh including commercial tree preservatives, molasses, sugar, bleach, soft drinks, aspirin, honey and fertilizer. Which of these work the best?

Christmas tree water
Water your tree before it dries out, Source: Eat Read Sleep

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Best Time To Plant Trees

When should you plant new trees? Many people plant in spring, probably because they want to do some gardening at that time of year. Others claim that fall planting is better. Here is what the experts say.

Best time to plant trees
Best time to plant trees

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How to Grow and Harvest Egyptian Walking Onions

Are you an onion addict who dreams of a steady supply of fresh Allium? Expanding your onion repertoire with perennial onions is your best bet. Egyptian walking onions (Allium x proliferum), also called tree onion or topset onion, is a three-in-one perennial onion that can be harvested from spring to fall in Zones 5 to 9.

How to Grow and Harvest Egyptian Walking Onions
How to Grow and Harvest Egyptian Walking Onions Source Dave Whitinger

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Best Way to Germinate Baptisia Australis Seeds

Baptisia australis, also called false indigo or false blue indigo, is a native of North America and a great garden perennial. In addition to this species there are a number of other species in the genus Baptisia that are suitable for the garden. Some grow as herbaceous bushes while others are vines.

Germination of the genus seems to be difficult, at least in my hands. A single seedling might germinate, but in many cases none of the seeds germinate. This article summarizes a study conducted to better understand the germination of Baptisia australis seed.

Germinating Baptisia australis from seeds
Germinating Baptisia australis from seeds

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