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10 Beginning Gardener Mistakes to Avoid

Posted by September Morn on 6/13/2017
10 Beginning Gardener Mistakes to Avoid

There’s a lot to learn about gardening, but it’s a fun adventure and well worth the time and energy. Make the most of your gardening with these experienced gardeners’ tips to prevent and fix some common gardening mistakes.

How to Control Mosquitoes in Your Garden and Backyard

Posted by Karen Thompson on 4/5/2017

Although gardening outdoors in fresh air and nature is healthy and fun, it can all be ruined by insects and mosquitoes. Here's how to deter these annoying pests and protect yourself while you enjoy your time outdoors.

Mushrooms, Anyone?

Posted by Diane Young on 3/1/2017
Mushrooms, Anyone?

Chinese and Japanese gardeners have been growing mushrooms for more than 1,000 years. There are about 14,000 species of mushrooms, but only about 250 are edible. If you’re looking for a side-hustle moneymaker, fresh gourmet mushrooms are definitely a high-value crop. Read on for a quick guide to mushrooms, including a rundown on the easiest species to grow at home: white buttons, oysters, portabellos and wine caps.

Rain Garden Design

Posted by E. Vinje on 2/1/2017
Rain Garden Design

How to design environmentally friendly, water-efficient gardens using natural rainfall.

8 Culinary Herbs For Bees To Feast On

Posted by Kristina Mercedes Urquhart on 1/18/2017

Honeybees are herbs are like peas and carrots—they just go together. For the honeybee, herbs offer potent nutritional value from the plant’s pollen, as well as a delicious source of nectar with which to make honey. For the gardener, herbs are almost always easy to grow, almost always neglect- and drought-tolerant, and almost always grow anywhere! And if you let your herbs flower, your honeybees will work diligently to pollinate them properly, ensuring strong plants year after year, especially if you grow perennial herbs. If you’re both a gardener and a beekeeper, you simply can’t go wrong growing these eight herbs.

Indoor Gardening 101

Posted by E. Vinje on 11/16/2016

When winter sets in and you're dreaming of fresh greens, consider gardening indoors.

Saving Squash Seeds

Posted by Lynsey Grosfield on 11/2/2016
Saving Squash Seeds
Keeping plants separate for seed-saving purposes takes a little bit of planning, and this is best accomplished in the autumn or winter, when there is planning time to spare and seed catalogues are being eyed for next year. A little bit of research, combined with row covers or smart interplanting, can help any gardener preserve heirloom seed genetics for years to come.

Eat and Live: Grow Your Own Culinary Herbs Indoors

Posted by Sierra Angel on 10/24/2016
Growing herbs indoors is a great addition to a household food cycle. Growing herbs can save money, improve the quality of your recipes, and you have the added benefit of using heirloom seeds which can have largely superior flavor when compared to modern commercial crop genetics. I live in an area with a very short growing season and harsh weather, so growing anything outdoors is very challenging and short lived.

Drooping Leaves in Soil Gardens

Posted by Gordon Redman on 7/1/2016
Are your plant's leaves are drooping? This could be why!

Plants Can Have Too Much Food?!

Posted by Gordon Redman on 5/31/2016
For those of you who put fertilizer in your water, it is important that you take care not to over fertilize your plants. Blackjack Soil Company's Liquid Humic Acid and Golden Extract will help keep your plants healthy and keep them from being over-fed. Also, the 10-20 percent run-off rule is going to help you greatly.

Building Your Own Organic Soil for Raised Bed Gardens

Posted by Eric Hopper on 5/16/2016
Building Your Own Organic Soil for Raised Bed Gardens

Growing plants in a raised bed garden is not that much different than growing plants directly in the ground. There are many advantages to a raised bed garden and it can be a great tool for hobby growers. One aspect of raised bed gardening that is crucial to understand is the bed's soil.

What can I do if my pot's soil dried out?

Posted by Gordon Redman on 5/2/2016
Check to see if the soil has pulled away from the inside of the pot. If so, fill in the crack with soil.

Proper Watering of Plants

Posted by Gordon Redman on 4/1/2016
Believe it or not, watering is the hardest thing for gardeners to do. I know that most gardeners, at one time or another, have had a preconceived idea that all you have to do is throw a little water in the plant’s general direction and your done. This misconception can ruin the harvest or keep the blue ribbon from being awarded. Take the watering tips and general rules in this section seriously. Professional greenhouse growers use these rules and tips religiously.

Flushing Potted Plants

Posted by Gordon Redman on 2/29/2016
If you haven’t been following the recommended watering techniques outlined above, you should flush/leach your plant's soil every month with water and the proper amount Blackjack Soil’s Liquid Humic Acid.

Shrinking a Stretching Plant

Posted by Gordon Redman on 2/1/2016
Most plants stretch because they are not getting enough light. Move the plant closer to the light source, increase the light output of the light source or increase the number of light sources.

Lighting an Indoor Garden

Posted by Gordon Redman on 1/1/2016
Most plants will grow despite what I say here and I'm sure that at least one of my views will be news to you. In which, you may not agree with me because of what you may have heard, read or experienced. What can I say? My views here represent many years of helping gardeners be better growers. I'm not going to tell you that they are better gardeners than you, but most of them are successful growers time after time. To me, consistency in great harvests is the most important thing for gardeners. It gives them breathing room to try different techniques because their not fighting failure. When you're not fighting failure you inherently have the time, money and fortitude to try different techniques. I like time, money and fortitude; it’s that combination that made me a better gardener. It is my wish that your continued success will give you command of time, money and fortitude. So here we go. I will expound on some of my basic lighting views that I assure you will not hurt your plants, and I think will give gardeners who are new to indoor growing a good head start. For others, it may be time to think fresh.