Hey, I’m Jessalyn, and my pronouns are they/them! I’ve been content intern here at Planter since the summer of 2022 and help to write Growing Guides, draw up some plant icons, and generally update information in the app! I live near Waterford, CT and attend the University of Connecticut in pursuit of an Environmental Sciences major and an Ornamental Horticulture minor. Though I don’t have room for a garden, I keep my room as green as they can and love to learn more about plants whenever I can! My favorite plant so far is my tricolor stromanthe! šæššŖ“
When I’m not working, I throw myself into creative endeavors; making clothes and costumes, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and drawing digital art when I have a chance šļø.
A Beginner's Guide to Canning!
The gardenerās true bane: after months of hard work, your well-earned gains have to be used quickly at risk of spoiling. Why not spite winter and preserve your fruits and vegetables for the season? Canning is a wonderfully rewarding routine for the end of the season to continue to enjoy your produce past its time!
If canning is already a skill well in your wheelhouse, hereās another Growing Guide listing a few alternative methods of using up your end-of-season produce!...
Coloring Your Clothes (and Food!) with Ingredients Straight from Your Garden
Why Go Natural with your Colors? Have you ever tie-dyed with your family or friends? Itās a fun and creative activity, and many synthetic dye kits are available on the market! However, there are several good reasons to try dying with plants; put simply, natural dyes are more eco-friendly than those on the market. You reduce your ecological footprint every time you choose to reduce your packaging waste or avoid introducing chemicals to the water system; choosing homemade alternatives is a great way to do both!...
16 of Your Garden's Local Pest Hunters
The Benefits of Beneficial Insects Natural predation can help take care of pests instead of using chemicals! Not only are pesticides becoming less effective on pests due to developing resistances in the insect populations, they wreak havoc in the environment. Pesticides can ruin the soil and seep into the water sources nearby, causing harm to the local ecosystem. Pesticides also arenāt selective; not only do they kill pests as intended, theyāll also kill beneficial insects and harm creatures that feed on the dead insects....
The Ups and Downs of Bottom Watering
Looking for some ways to change up your watering routine? Having troubles with root rot in your container plants or seedling trays? The way that youāre watering could be part of the problem - and we have just the alternative! Bottom watering is a highly recommended practice that may be just the change you need.
What is Bottom Watering?
Most peopleās watering strategy is top watering: pouring the water on or around the plant to water the top of the soil and let it drain down....
