It’s no question that we all like raises and your garden is by no means an exception! You may have had a curiosity about raised beds but it seemed too daunting of a task or that you are not mechanically inclined enough.  Maybe you are not sure of the advantages to raised bed gardening. Let’s investigate how easy it can be and how it will not only increase your yields, save your back and wallet but also extend your season! Raises for all, eh?. One of many advantages of raised bed gardening is being able to get an earlier start in the spring due to the fact that raise beds ... [More]

We recently hosted a photo contest through which we were gifted with the story of William, a hobby aquaponic gardener. He has allowed us to see his awesome garden, which is located within his home. His home, however, happens to reside inside a ridiculously cool cave! Let's look at the details of his setup and get a feel for how aquaponic gardens work and the efforts involved, shall we? [More]

Why would someone want to purposefully cut away from and potentially harm their plants? The most common reason for pruning a plant is to control its growth pattern. When the tip of a branch is cut, new growth will split at that location and what once was one branch now becomes two. To the grower who keeps stock (or mother) plants, pruning can greatly increase potential cloning sites and reduce the amount of time it takes to get the required number of clones. [More]

This otherworldly type of plant with a vast range of species produces an amazing array of color and texture combinations that make you wonder how they landed on earth. Besides desktop Zen gardens and windowsill companions, succulents often make good ground cover outdoors and some species can grow quite large, given time. If you haven’t ever made friends with a potted succulent and are not quite sure where to start, or just love to read everything you possibly can on the subject because you have hundreds, read on!

[More]

In the coming articles, we’re going to investigate some of the top choices for your hydroponic growing medium. We will look at the advantages and disadvantages of each, and how to properly prepare and use them to maximize your results. Whether you’re on the fence about going hydro or a veteran, stick around as there is something for all to learn!Rock What? What do you get when you melt sand and rock down and then spin it into a fibrous material, much like a favorite fair food? A tummy ache? No. A highly efficient support system for your plants? Yes! Stonewool (or more commonly call... [More]

Let’s face it, growing in soil is great but it comes with a lot of work! The majority of that work is watering all your precious babies. If I had a dollar for every watering can I’ve prepared for those babies, I’d have put in for early retirement a long time ago. Anyone doing five or more plants in three gallon or larger pots knows watering is a time-consuming and back-breaking process. Each watering can needs to be properly mixed with nutrients and then pH adjusted so our plants don’t freak and become unhealthy, sending us down the all-too-familiar path of question mar... [More]