Feather meal is a fantastic organic fertilizer high in nitrogen that can take the place of many synthetic liquid fertilizers in your garden. If you’re wondering, “What is feather meal made of?”, the answer is as simple as it seems: feathers from poultry animals that have been harvested for meat. They’re collected and subjected to high temperatures and pressure, then further ground up to form a fine powder. After they’re dried, they’re then packaged up for use in fertilizer mixes, animal food, and more....

It’d be a shame to leave cilantro out of your microgreen garden. Growing cilantro microgreens at home will add a zesty flavor and abundant nutrients to your food without the high price tag. Like most microgreens, Coriandrum sativum is very easy to grow. It is one of the more slow-growing microgreens, but well worth the wait. Table of Contents The difference between growing cilantro microgreens and just growing cilantro is all about harvest time....

A kitchen garden is perfect way to grow your own fresh, healthy and tastiest vegetables, sweet and juicy fruits and aromatic herbs. A kitchen garden is a gardening space nearer to your kitchen where you grow food. If you’re an urban gardener and you don’t have much space or you have a balcony, patio or terrace– you can still make a kitchen garden in pots. For this, you need to acquire a space that is for maximum yield receives at least 6 hours of sun....

Preparing your plants for winter is quick and easy, and even offers a couple of different options to suit your gardening style. In the world of perennials we have few options better than blanket flowers, Gaillardia, for easy, carefree gardening. These native wildflowers in the Asteraceae family provide season-long sprays of red, orange, and yellow bicolored flowers, reseed themselves generously, and don’t ask for much of anything in between. But what about winter care?...

Kale has gained notoriety as a superfood, packed full of nutrients and healthy benefits. Kale can be fun and easy to grow, ranging in size from tall lacinato kale to loosely bunched frizzy varieties. It can be grown in extremely hot and extremely cold environments, making it a universally good plant to grow. Let’s talk more about kale companion planting that will help it grow well. Table of Contents Companion plants for kale are any plants that grow well near kale....

The sansevieria genus has tons of different succulent plants. Today we’ll be examining sansevieria ehrenbergii. Sometimes called blue sansevieria or sword sanseveria, it has long, blade-like leaves. A dwarf cultivar also exists, popularized as dwarf samurai. Table of Contents The shape of this plant is unusual, with layers of leaves stacked one upon the next. It makes a beautiful centerpiece of a succulent garden. But don’t forget that it can be grown indoors as well....

Everyone knows what kelp is, but for us gardeners kelp holds a special place in our green hearts…or it should! Table of Contents Kelp fertilizer is one of the best supplements you can use in your garden for a variety of reasons. What is Kelp Fertilizer? Liquid kelp fertilizer is a natural alternative to artificial fertilizers used for growing plants but without any by-products or environmentally damaging chemicals. The seaweed used to produce kelp fertilizer is sustainable and it can be harvested in a way that is safe for the environment, given that kelp has a particular cell structure that enables it to grow up to three feet per day....

Table of Contents For many people, winter is about cozy open fires, slippers and huddling inside. Few people give much thought to their garden during the winter, let alone the compost pile. But composting in the winter gives your garden and soil a great head-start when spring finally comes. Read on for tips and hints to help you compost all year round and maximizing your free soil amendment whilst at the same time minimizing your impact on the environment....

Crossandra, popularly called the firecracker flower, is a tropical subshrub. Its flowers are the real showstopper. They’re often salmon or apricot, but can be found in shades of yellow, red, or pink. Lush dark green foliage provides a backdrop which makes the flowers truly shine. Table of Contents Grown indoors and out, this warm-weather plant truly catches the eye. Crossandra’s an excellent choice as a container plant. In warmer climates, it can also be a beautiful low border....

If excess moisture in your home can make everything sticky and skin clammy and the increase in humidity never let you feel better, planting these dehumidifying plants combined with other humidity reducing solutions can be a great idea. They’ll also clean your indoor air, helping you in having a restful sleep. 1. Xerophytes Xerophytes are the plants that can survive in deserts or ice, in low liquid water. They are known for their ability to live in harsh temperatures such as cacti and succulents....

Read on to increase your knowledge of this plant even more as we explore potting mixes and the ingredients that are most beneficial for your Christmas cactus plant. Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera spp., is an easy-care houseplant that rewards with a profusion of holiday blooms. In our Christmas cactus growing guide, we talk about best practices for indoor cultivation. Additional articles address inducing dormancy to encourage blooming, as well as understanding aerial root development....

In this article, we discuss how to recognize, manage, and inhibit cold damage to forsythia. Forsythia is one of the earliest spring-blooming shrubs in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8. It’s a tough bush that usually sails through winter unscathed. However, sometimes a year comes along with record-setting chills and frequent snow and ice storms, often surprising us with a last blast in early spring, when the buds are awakening....

What do you do with cardboards? Throw them, that’s what they’re for– you might be saying! But have you ever wondered, cardboards can be useful? And, here are 9 great DIY cardboard projects and ideas for the garden for you to look at. 1. Composting Cardboards Using cardboard in compost is a rewarding experience that makes great use of boxes taking up space. However, wax-coated cardboards must be avoided. Shredded cardboard works best for composting....

Table of Contents Today we’re profiling a new type of LED light to come on the market from The Green Sunshine Company. The owner, Dan, reached out to me and we got on the phone to talk about the tech. He actually helped me understand plant biology and lighting at a deeper level, which prompted me to write this piece today. He even showed me some interesting results in his HPS vs....

However, if you’d like to gather the seeds to plant in a different place or to perhaps share with a neighbor, read on to learn how to harvest and store these orbs of new life. Sweet peas (Lathryrus odoratus) are vintage charmers that are as lovely and welcome in the garden today as they were when Grandma planted them decades ago. In addition to offering a rainbow of hues and an alluring fragrance, sweet peas also generously self-seed, so if you’re looking to expand your existing patch, just let your plants go to seed, and you’ll be set....

Keep reading to learn how to choose flowering annuals that are best suited to colder growing zones. Living in a cold climate doesn’t mean you have to miss out on colorful flowers in your garden. While the growing season may be shorter, by selecting cold hardy annuals you can stretch those vibrant displays from early spring late into autumn. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

In this article, we will discuss how to propagate amaryllis from seed, and the advantages of doing so. The large, eye catching blooms of amaryllis, Hippeastrum x hybridum, can add astonishing color to the garden and make for perfect indoor displays. Suitable for outdoor cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11, the flowers can be forced to bloom indoors and are a popular addition to winter holiday decor. Amaryllis can be propagated by the home gardener in a three ways: separating offsets, dividing bulbs, and growing from seed....

Table of Contents One of the more annoying problems we deal with as hydroponic growers is keeping an oxygenated root zone at the perfect water temperature. It’s crucial to squeeze as much yield out of our plants as possible and minimize the potential of disease and infection. However, keeping your hydroponic reservoir cool can be a challenge. Why Do Roots Need Cool Temperatures? Most indoor hydroponic growers that use a deep water culture system will run into the reservoir temperature issue at some point in a grow....

Gardening can be a slow, patient process. It’s usually best not to hurry it along. For those of us who can get a little impatient at times, there​ are some vegetables that grow quickly. These veggies are great for children, who tend to have lower attention spans than the rest of us – but if you’re an impatient gardener (like me), then these will be great for you to add to your garden as well....

Exotic and alluring, the Arabian jasmine plant is a native of Southeast Asia. Known botanically as Jasminum sambac, its highly fragrant flowers are prized. In fact, it’s the national plant of the Philippines and one of the three national plants of Indonesia! The floral aroma is used in China to scent jasmine teas, and jasmine flowers adorn leis in the Hawaiian islands. Table of Contents As you can probably guess, this tropical delight is a real treasure in the garden....