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 aren’t selective; not only do they kill pests as intended, they’ll also kill beneficial insects and harm creatures that feed on the dead insects....

Harvesting fresh veggies is the ultimate reward for all the time and care we invest in our gardens! When harvest time finally arrives it’s easy to just get out there and start picking, but there is a bit of technique involved to harvest properly. You’ll want to make sure to harvest vegetables at their peak, while also helping the plants stay healthy and productive. How to harvest, and when to harvest, will vary for different crops:...

Summertime is a busy time in the garden. From managing watering, to preparing for vacation, and tackling garden problems, there is a lot to do to keep your garden going strong! Even though summer can get hectic, don’t forget to take a step back from the to-do list to plan your fall garden. While the tomatoes are ripening and the peppers are plumping, it’s time to be thinking about which seeds to sow and seedlings to transplant for fall harvests....

Do you live in an apartment or a home without a yard? It’s easy to think of gardening as an activity of homeowners with plenty of yard space. But no matter where you are living, gardening is something you can dabble in. Your gardening options include growing plants that can survive and mature indoors or adding containers to your porch and creating a compact garden space. Alternatively, community gardens are perfect if you want to grow a wider array of plants....

If you have plants in your garden that are struggling, you are not alone. Even experienced gardeners have challenges in the garden. Being able to quickly identify and troubleshoot plant problems is an important gardening skill. The first step is to observe- spend a few minutes walking through your garden every day to look for signs of trouble: Plant wilting Plant wilting can be a sign of a suffering plant, but not always....

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 you’re 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 people’s 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....

The taste of a sun-ripened tomato fresh from the garden can’t be beat. But tomato plants need a little extra support to perform at their best. Many types of tomatoes benefit from trellising- adding structural support to help them grow upright instead of sprawling out. Why trellis tomatoes? Trellising tomato plants helps to: Keep the foliage up off the ground which, along with pruning, helps prevent soil-borne diseases Increase airflow around the plant, which also helps reduce the spread of disease Maximize garden space, as the plants can be grown closer together than if they were allowed to grow wild Provide extra support for plants that are heavily fruit-laden, so they don’t flop over or end up with broken branches While you can let your tomato plants grow au naturel, for many tomato varieties trellising is important for healthy plants and abundant harvests....

Heading off on vacation? Don’t forget about your garden in your vacation planning! Planning for your garden’s care while you’re away will help ensure your plants stay healthy and keep on producing. Will my garden survive while I’m away? If you’re only going away for a couple days, your plants might be fine without any special attention. But, it can still be helpful to take steps to be sure your plants survive....

Weeds. They’re pesky and hard to manage, but crucial to deal with to have a successful garden. We put in so much work weeding our gardens, so making sure that we are actually removing weeds seems like the obvious but important step. Have you ever wondered whether you’ve confused a newly planted seedling with a weed? Spotting whether the plant in your garden was the one you intentionally planted is an important tool for gardeners to have....

Gardeners spend a good part of the year eagerly anticipating the prime growing season. All of a sudden the season sets in and it’s a sprint to get the first plants and seeds in the ground- and before we know it the early-season hustle is over. The growing season can sneak up on even the most enthusiastic gardener. New gardeners just getting inspired to start a garden might be discouraged to find out the season is already well underway....