Have you forgotten to water your plants? Most of us can remember when we neglected a houseplant, only discovering it was too late to save it. Succulents are plants that thrive on neglect, making them easy to grow and maintain. This group of plants has the unique ability to store water in their leaves, allowing them to go without water for extended periods. Drought tolerance is only one feature of these remarkable plants. Succulents come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, ideal for gardeners with different preferences. Growing succulents is easy, but there are a few things to consider before […]
Author: Jaclyn Johnsen
Grow A Vertical Vegetable Garden
Vegetable gardening is a great way to access healthy food, but many of us have limited space, making it difficult to grow our favorite produce. One way to address this problem is to grow vertically. You can train many veggies to grow upward instead of outward. Vertical growing conserves space and improves plant health, leading to a bountiful harvest. Whether gardening on a balcony or a small yard, growing vertical offers options to increase your yield and be creative. Benefits of Growing Vertically Space I enjoy growing cucumbers, but they occupy too much space in my small, raised beds. One […]
Grow Your Own Cucumbers – 3 Types For Your Garden
Cucumber breeders have been busy, in the last few decades, trying to limit bitter taste, increase yields, and breed more disease resistance into their plants. There are now three cucumber varieties commonly available; Monoecious, Gynoecious, and Parthenocarpic. Each has its own specific qualities that will appeal to certain kinds of gardeners and growers. Monoecious What Are Monoecious Cucumbers? Monoecious types are plants that produce both male and female flowers on the same plant. Monoecious Varieties Examples of monoecious Jung Seed Co. cucumber varieties are; ‘Homemade Pickles’, ‘Muncher’, and ‘Spacemaster 80 Bush’. Most heritage and heirloom-type cucumber varieties are monoecious. They […]
Bee Kind Gardening – A Guide To Plant & Pollinator Balance
The word “Native” is an ambiguous definition when it comes to plants. Native to where? To North America? To a geographic region? To your entire state, county, or just your neighborhood? Plants don’t read books, but they are smart; they simply grow where they have suitable conditions for success. All plants have adopted strategies and mechanisms that send cues and signals to attract pollinators that form the foundation of our earthly balance between all plants and animals. Going All Native? Not So Fast! Maybe a gardener will choose to put in plants for a specific habitat or pick plants that […]
5 Things Gardeners Should Know Before Getting a Chicken Coop
Go behind the hype and find out the good, the bad, and the ugly about using chickens to help manage your garden. Learn how to get the good without all the rest! In this article, we discuss how helpful chickens really are as pest control and fertilizer producers for a household vegetable garden. You’ll also learn the most effective strategies for managing your birds without harming your garden plants, and for growing your garden without harming your hens. My parents had me crawling around the garden before I could walk, and I was busy seeding, weeding, and harvesting by the […]
Growing Citrus in Containers
Have you ever visited a place where citrus trees grow? The sight of those beautiful trees may leave you wishing you could grow your own citrus. Luckily, citrus can be grown in containers, even in northern climates. Citrus trees offer many benefits to gardeners. Grafting has created compact varieties of citrus that bear fruit at an early age and are suitable for growing in containers. In addition to edible fruit, the trees produce fragrant flowers, which often bloom during winter. You also gain the satisfaction of growing citrus fruit in your home. Before growing citrus, it’s essential to know what […]
Tomatoes: Starting & Growing Frequently Asked Questions
Tomatoes are a popular choice for a vegetable garden. They come in a variety of types, sizes, and colors. They are great for cooking, canning, and eating raw. Growing tomatoes doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ve taken some of the most frequently asked questions to help give you a great start to this year’s growing season. When Should You Start The Tomato Seed Indoors? Tomato seeds should be started approximately 6 weeks prior to your last average frost date. How Long Does It Take For A Tomato Seed To Germinate? Most tomato seeds will germinate in about a week. What […]
Bareroot vs Potted Plants: What Is The Difference?
Bareroot or Potted Plants? That Is The Question. Just like Hamlet, who asks himself the simple question, “To be or not to be?”, we sometimes let our minds delve way too deeply into basic questions and we can slip into a sort of contemplative paralysis. Instead of allowing ourselves to be immobilized by such a simple choice, all home gardeners should rejoice at the sheer number of selections and wide availability of plants at our fingertips. A never-ending variety of edible and ornamental shrubs and trees have never been so available to us, thanks to the connectiveness of the internet. […]
Choosing The Right Vine For The Right Space
Vines and climbing plants have an almost mystical way of enticing us in. They connect us and our man-made structures to the earth. Vines soften hardscapes and can offer a wall of green for privacy. Many vining plants can provide a curtain of nectar flowers for hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators. Some vines are exotic, and some are native that just look like they are exotic. Here are some suggestions and growing tips to make the most out of vines. Selecting Your Location Just like choosing any other garden plant, we must first ask some simple questions; Where will this […]
Growing Vegetables Indoors From Seed
When I was younger, I discovered a packet of cucumber seeds in the kitchen. Having never grown a plant from seed before, I was eager to plant one and see what would happen. I quickly found a container in the garage and sowed the seed. A few days later, the seedling emerged from the soil and later became a full-sized plant that produced the first cucumber I had ever grown. The excitement of watching one seed grow began my interest in gardening and I’ve been hooked ever since. Growing a plant from seed is one of the most exciting experiences […]