The concept of drying is extremely simple. Congratulations! You had a bumper crop of sage this year! Or maybe you found a baker’s dozen of potted basil plants on clearance at your grocery store. Whatever the reason, you have more herbs than you’re able to use fresh and you need to figure out a way to make them last. Drying herbs to preserve them is a practice that has been around for as long as cultivation has been a part of human civilization....

If this happens, don’t panic! Once you identify the source of the problem it shouldn’t be too tricky to fix. Read on to learn about causes and solutions for thin asparagus spears. Asparagus is one of those crops that requires a decent dose of patience to grow. This perennial veggie takes a few years before you can begin harvesting, so it can be devastating when you finally make it to picking time and you notice the spears are thin and weak....

We cover the basics in our guide to growing chestnuts. So you’re ready to grow your own chestnut trees, or maybe you already have a few in the backyard. Do you know how to keep them healthy, producing sizable yields of nuts each year when they reach maturity? Insects, as well as some larger visitors to your garden, may enjoy feasting on the tasty nuts, wood, or leaves. Or perhaps they’re after a cozy place to lay their eggs....

Of all of the things that a gardener can choose to grow, vine crops are a popular choice. Growing vine crops doesn’t have to be hard. And if you live an area where they do well, you can get yourself a nice crop of plants such as pumpkins, squash, watermelons, and cucumbers, just to name a few. The first step that you need to take is preparing the soil. Getting off on the right foot is key with a successful garden for growing anything, and vine crops are not an exception....

But when we talk about snapdragons (Antirrhinum spp.), it’s easy to become lost in the jargon. What is a butterfly snapdragon? Or a Group II plant? How does an intermediate differ from a summer type? And what the heck is a series?! Snapdragons are iconic. They have to be one of the most recognizable types of flowers out there. Who hasn’t walked past a patch and longed to give the little jaws a pinch?...

My dad kept his eyes on… well, not on the road. I guess on the field… and he said to me, “That’s not a pine tree. It’s a spruce.” One of my earliest memories involves planting a spruce tree. We grew up in a very rural part of Pennsylvania, so when I say that my dad and I drove his pickup truck into the woods, I literally mean we drove his pickup truck into the woods....

As a gardener, you have probably heard about the benefits of soil fungi or even have added mycorrhizae into your soil – but not all fungi are beneficial. Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease that impacts over 400 plant species including trees and shrubs, vines, flowers, and vegetables. Some of our most prized garden plants such as roses and tomatoes are susceptible. Table of Contents There are two types of this soil-borne fungi: Verticillium dahliae and Verticillium albo-atrum....

The Spanish bayonet plant (know scientifically as Yucca aloifolia) comes from the perennial shrub and is part of the Asparagaceae family. It’s a slim stemmed shrub that can grow as tall as 10-15′ tall, perfect for xeriscape gardens. Table of Contents It has stocky branches and the leaves on this plant are sturdy, thick, and pointy. They can grow 2′ long and their ends can be very sharp – sharp enough to puncture skin!...

Read on to learn why a spider plant may wilt, and some ways to help it bounce back. Spider plants are an attractive and easy to care for houseplant, which makes them a popular choice for indoor gardening. If you are like me, however, and tend to completely forget about your houseplants for weeks or – I’ll admit it – sometimes months on end, you may find yourself faced with a wilting spider plant....

However, many varieties have unique requirements for ripening. They’re picked when mature but still underripe and placed in cold storage for conditioning before they can be ripened. Sweet, juicy pears are a favorite autumn fruit. Fragrant and flavorful, they’re wonderful for fresh eating, desserts, or made up into preserves. Harvested from mid-summer to mid-fall, depending on the cultivar, many varieties make excellent keepers and can be stored for months given the right conditions....

These 10 herbs germinate quickly from seeds, which means you can start them indoors anytime without waiting for weeks for them to emerge. It’s also inexpensive as compared to buying plants from the store. Check out some of the most exotic herbs around the world here Fast-Growing Herbs You Can Grow From Seeds 1. Basil Botanical Name: Ocimum basilicum Germination Time: 5-10 days When it comes to fast-growing herbs that germinate quickly, basil is the winner....

Kale is a powerhouse of essential nutrients and growing it in your garden is a great way to have its benefits in fresh and organic manner! Here are some of the best Types of Kale you can grow! Check out our article on growing Kale in pots here Best Types of Kale 1. Curly Kale Botanical name: Brassica oleracea var. sabellica Curly kale is the most common type available with bright-green and curly leaves....

Fortunately for most Americans, the fungus only occurs in highly specific types of soils: Phymatotrichum omnivorum Cotton root rot, also known as Texas root rot and by its scientific name Phymatotricum root rot, is caused by the the soil-borne fungus Phymatotrichum omnivorum and is responsbile for serious and usually fatal root rots on more than 2,300 species of plants. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Lettuce has been a garden staple for ages. Today’s cultivars were bred over time from bitter, prickly wild lettuce to the sweet or crunchy varieties we know today. Grown as an annual, lettuce is of the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds as well. As growing lettuce takes practice to perfect its place in the garden, finding the right lettuce companion plants will help you achieve great garden success!...

Sassafras tree grows in the United States and in south of Mexico. In the northern US, the tree grows up to only 7 to 9 m. high, but can grow as tall as 30 m. (100 feet) high in the south. Its shredded leaves and bark exude lemony scent. Fuzzy, yellow-green leaves, flowers, bark and roots have many medicinal and culinary uses. Read more sassafras tree facts below. Polymorphic leaves Polymorphic is a botanical term used to describe the leaves of trees such as sassafras....

So you’ve got your indoor grow lights rocking and rolling… Table of Contents Your hydroponic system is up and running, you have the right lights for your garden, and everything seems to be all good… But you have no grow light reflector or hood. And you don’t know how to choose the right one. It’s one thing to have a well-optimized system with great lighting, and it’s another to use that light effectively....

Read on to learn about a unique type called the lacecap, and then consult our hydrangea growing guide for in-depth cultivation instructions. If I were to ask you to describe a hydrangea, you might say that it’s a bush with blue, pink, or white flowers that grow in a ball shape, and you’d be absolutely right. But that’s not the end of the story. There are nearly 80 different species of hydrangea....

Your roots may be too small, or they may be oddly shaped or deformed, despite the fact that the leaves may have looked perfectly happy above ground. Growing beets is an exercise in faith. You work for weeks or months to nurture those little seedlings into hopefully vigorous roots. In the end, you’re rewarded with a crop of vibrant veggies that you believed all along were there, even though you couldn’t see them....

1. Metal Trash Can Mobile Garden Attach casters to regular metal trash cans so that they can move and use plastic bottles as fillers to complete this recycling project. Get the tutorial at HGTV. Also, check out 21 other mobile garden ideas here. 2. Dustbin Planters Galvanized dustbins can be your best resort when you’re trying to find some inexpensive trendy planters. The more of it is here. 3. Trash Can Planter Convert a trash can into a planter and use its lid as the saucer....

Don’t let the dull look of your room eat into your productivity while working from home. Here are some awesome Indoor Plant Home Office Ideas that’ll help you transform your home working station, helping you to create a green space, which will also improve your work and concentration. Check out our article on houseplants that improve productivity here Indoor Plant Home Office Ideas 1. Hanging Plant Home Office The hanging plants from the ceiling won’t take much space in the room while adding a green element right above your desk....