As the weather warms up and the growing season draws nearer, it’s important to not get so excited by the prospect of spring planting that you neglect properly preparing your garden beds! A well-prepared garden bed will be more productive, so it’s worth taking the time to do things right from the start. But what needs to be done to prepare garden beds in spring? Warm up the soil before planting Even once the warm weather arrives, garden soil can be stubbornly slow to reach warm enough temperatures for seeds to germinate and plants to grow....

When it comes to food preservation, there are countless methods to choose from. Canning, freezing, and drying are all popular options, but there’s one technique that often gets overlooked: root cellaring. Now, you might be thinking, “But I don’t have a root cellar!” Fear not, dear reader, for we are here to share with you the art of root cellaring without a root cellar. Yes, it is possible to store your fresh produce for months without the need for a traditional dedicated root cellar....

Cultivate Nostalgic Vibes with Planter’s New TV Mode! Gear up for a gardening experience that’s both familiar and fresh with Planter’s exciting new feature: TV Mode! Immerse yourself in a wave of vintage charm as your app transforms into a classic television interface, complete with a unique visual and auditory twist. TV Mode! Step back in time: Remember the warm glow of an old-school TV? TV Mode brings that nostalgic aesthetic to your fingertips....

Most gardeners know that it’s a good idea to add compost to the garden. Compost helps improve soil structure, feeds beneficial organisms in the soil, and provides a slow-release source of nutrients. The tricky part about ‘compost’ is it’s a catch-all term for many types of decomposed organic materials. Compost isn’t just a homemade compost pile with kitchen scraps and yard waste, there’s also manure compost, municipal compost, worm compost, and more....

What is a Cover Crop? The term “cover crop” is often used as a catch-all for plants whose main purpose is not to yield a food crop but rather to provide desirable benefits to your soil and the actual food crops planted after them. Cover crops are commonly used and associated with industrial farming operations but in recent years gardeners have started to realize their usefulness in personal gardening. Benefits of Using Cover Crops The most important benefit gardeners get from cover crops is that they act as a natural weed suppressant....

Greeting fellow gardeners! You’ve asked for it and we’ve listened. Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re rolling out flowers in Planter! Some of the new flowers in Planter 🌼 About Me My name is Pam, and I’m one of the newest members of the Planter team. I’ve been adding flowers to Planter over the last few months, and I’m thrilled to finally share them with you! A little about myself- I’ve gardened my entire adult life, always perennial/herbaceous beds and vegetables when my kids were growing up....

A good herb garden has herbs that can be used in cooking and herbs that can be used as traditional medicine. A lot of these same herbs can also be used in the spa (or bathroom of course). Check out these herbs for some inspiration: Aloe Aloe deserves a top spot in our herbal body care garden lineup. Many of us reach for aloe after getting too much sun. It’s great at soothing irritated and sun burned skin....

Many of us gardeners start getting the urge to get something growing as the gardening season draws nearer. We start to wonder to ourselves ‘When should I start my seeds indoors?’…all the while knowing the answer is more than likely not yet. While it’s a common gardening question, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for when you should start seeds indoors. There are several factors to consider in deciding when to start your seeds indoors....

Known for its warm and spicy flavor, ginger is a very popular spice and herb. It’s native to Asia, but it has been enjoyed all over the world for a very long time. It’s a tropical plant that loves heat and humidity, growing conditions that many of us don’t have, especially in the northern hemisphere. Those of us in the colder climates can still grow our own ginger at home....

As you’re planning your garden in Planter, you’ve likely included some pepper plants in the mix. While many gardeners opt to grow the classic bells, there’s a plethora of pepper options available that might be more productive and even easier to grow! On top of that, experimenting with different pepper varieties - spicy or mild - opens up more culinary possibilities. So as you’re thinking about which peppers to grow this year, we hope you’ll take inspiration from our Top 10 Pepper Picks to add some new pepper varieties to your garden!...