Gardening News & Tips

Easy Growing Indoor Plants

Plants can make your home more colorful, inviting, and purify the air by removing harmful toxins. Tender, loving care involves regular watering, feeding, and transplanting when necessary. However there are easy growing indoor plants that require less maintenance than others. We have listed below some of the easiest to grow as well as notes on their care.

Types of Easy Growing Indoor Plants

For people who do not have a lot of free time, carefree leafy plants provide decorative greenery without the fuss.

Indoor Office Plants

The popularity of indoor office plants continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Having a plant as part of your workspace helps give a hectic place a calming effect. It is a good idea to be selective when choosing your indoor office plants since some may rapidly outgrow a small space or smaller sized ones may be dwarfed in a large area.

Plants for the office have been scientifically proven to aid boosting employee morale and increasing concentration levels. A recent study indicated that employees stayed on-task with faster response times when living plants were placed in their work areas. Scientists attribute the heightened productivity to the plants' capability of reducing excess carbon dioxide from the air.

Plants help a growing problem affecting many office building around the world known as Sick Building Syndrome. It is caused by toxins created from man-made materials such as paint, plastics, furniture, insulation, synthetic fibers, carpet, cleaners, and plywood.

Indoor Houseplant Varieties

Indoor houseplant varieties vary as much as their owners do. However, there are really only five major categories of houseplants.

The first is the flowering traditional varieties. These include some of the more exotic plants like rare orchids but also include simple bulbs planted in the winter and forced into bloom. The second category is the cactus and succulents. The third category of houseplants is plants used for the beauty of their foliage.

Bonsai plants make up the fourth category of houseplants. Finally, there are practical houseplants. These plants provide herbs and vegetables for dinner. Some of the plants fit into several categories.

How to Grow Indoor Plants

How to grow Indoor plants and planting indoor houseplants depends on the type of plant you have. Some indoor houseplants need a humid atmosphere and lots of moisture while others thrive in arid, dry conditions. Growing indoor plants depends on the plant itself. Before you begin, you have to take the time to learn about the plant and the conditions it loves.

Tips for How to Grow Indoor Plants

Soil

The type of soil necessary for plants varies with the plant itself. Some plants like a sandier soil with little organic matter. Other plants thrive on soil with a lot of organic matter. They require a heavier almost bog type of soil.

The pH of the soil also varies from plant to plant. Some plants require a highly acidic soil to grow at their best. This same acid level could impede the growth of other plants or even kill the plant.

Harvesting Herbs

One of the first guidelines in harvesting herbs is to harvest early in the morning. Right after the morning dew dries is the ideal picking time. However, you want to pick them before the sun has risen very high in the sky and warmed the herbs considerably. The timing is important because the necessary oils that give herbs its fragrance and flavor lose their characteristic qualities when overexposed to heat.

A cool, sunny, dry morning is best for herbs harvesting. Wet leaves require a longer drying period before you can store them. If you plan to use fresh herbs, pick and use those as needed.

The intended use, climate, and maturity of the plant are all influences on the timing of the harvest. Cold climate gardeners have fewer chances to harvest and often elect to grow herbs indoors. Herb gardens grown in warmer regions have the advantage of a longer growing season.

Avoid heavy harvests of perennial herbs during the first year of growth. This allows them to establish themselves and to encourage root growth. You may trim them slightly to promote bushiness.

Tips for Drying Herbs

Drying herbs is one of the most convenient and simplest ways to preserve herb flowers and leaves. It is so simple to discover how to dry herbs that you can keep a full winter's supply for yourself and have plenty left over to give as gifts. We have gathered useful information for you on how to dry herbs.

Most people use one of the following three drying herbs methods: air drying on raised screens, hang the herbs to air dry, or drying in a dehydrator.Your choice of how to dry herbs depends on use of the herb and on its particular characteristics. For instance, for drying the herb Angelica: hang leaves and enclosed seed heads to air dry. Alternatively, cut roots into 2 inch pieces and dry in a dehydrator.

How to Dry Herbs

Bunches of herbs are decorative as they dry, long before they can be used in arrangements. Hang drying is an excellent way for you to preserve herbs, especially in large quantities. You need a dark, well-ventilated, dry place to hang the herbs. A spare room or attic could be an ideal spot by covering any windows to block sunlight from entering.

Harvest herbs for hang drying as early in the day as possible. You do not have to bother with washing them. If you must rinse the herbs, let the surface moisture completely evaporate before bunching the herbs. Spread the rinsed herbs on a slatted drain rack to allow the air to circulate, which speeds drying.

Tie small bunches of herbs using elastic thread, rubber bands, or twist ties. Hang the bunches so that air circulates freely around them. If you are drying cooking herbs, enclose the bunches in paper bags. This will keep insects off your herbs and prevent them from getting dusty as they dry. The herbs take a bit longer to dry using this method but remain dust and insect free.

It may take up to 3 weeks under the proper conditions to drying herbs when they are enclosed in paper bags. If your drying conditions are somewhat humid, drape cheesecloth over herbs drying on a screen. The open weave of cheesecloth permits adequate air circulation around the herbs while keeping most of the dust out as well.

Hang the herbs at least 12 inches from the wall. Leave about 6 inches between bunches. An expandable laundry rack makes a handy and portable dryer when you only have a few bunches to dry. You can arrange the drying rack in a permanent location by screwing small hooks into the ceiling at 3 foot intervals in rows across the room. Afterward, run strings down each row of hooks. Tie the herb bunches to the strings.

After trying your hand at how to dry herbs, most herbs will be dry in a couple of weeks after being hung in dark, well-ventilated, dry conditions.

When they are completely dried, the herbs feel crackly crisp. You can either use them immediately or store for later uses. When your cooking herbs are dried, remove the leaves from the stems. Store in tightly sealed jars, bottles, or other containers in a dark cabinet. Since nearly all the moisture has been removed, dried herb flavors are more concentrated than freshly harvested ones.

It is recommended to decrease the amount to one-third of what you would normally add if using fresh picked herbs in your homemade recipes.

Go to herb gardening tips from Drying Herbs

Homemade Potting Soil

Your garden soil may be top of the line but making homemade potting soil is a good idea when starting seeds. No matter how rich your topsoil is, it can harbor organisms that put seedlings at risk. Bagged seed-starting mixes are widely available but you can save money by using our easy to make homemade potting soil recipe below.

Soil is made up of inorganic particles such as clay, sand, and silt. As well as minerals, organic matter, water, and air. The quality of soil is judged by the proportions of these ingredients. Organic matter is an essential part of the soil makeup because it supplies nutrients to the plants and can help to improve drainage.

Homemade Potting Soil Recipe

1. Combine equal parts of fine vermiculite and milled peat moss for a seed starting mix. Wear a disposable mask to avoid breathing in the fine particles.

2. Add hot water to the potting soil until it is moist enough to stick together. On the other hand, you do not want it dripping wet. The hot water keeps seeds warm.

3. Fill your containers or flats to within about

Pro Mix Potting Soil

Lightweight Pro Mix potting soil is a real heavyweight when it comes to its multi-uses for outdoor plots or indoor container gardens. You can use the potting mix for seed beds, transplants, or re-potting. A special ingredient of Pro Mix potting soil is sphagnum peat moss that helps it retain moisture longer. The mix aids in providing soil aeration and drainage for supplying optimum growth to your plants. This pro formula is preferred by many seasoned gardeners throughout the world.

The ingredients list for Pro Mix potting includes: Sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, limestone, perlite, and a wetting agent. The mix is highly recommended for seed bed trays, container gardens, houseplants, and hanging baskets. For the best results: fertilize plants a few weeks after seeding or potting.

Pro Mix soil & seeding mix is suggested for growing plants requiring a soil pH of 5.5 -7.0. The following steps are how to effectively use Pro Mix potting soil:

Rosemary Herb

The highly scented Rosemary herb is used often to season roasted meat, fish, and poultry. You can use both the leaves and flowers for cooking and garnishing. In ancient Greece, students wore garlands of rosemary herb in their hair because it was a popular belief that it strengthened memory. Whether it boosts your mind power or not, the flavor of this herb is indispensable in the kitchen.

The Rosemary is a perennial plant that is typically grown in containers throughout cooler regions. The plants grow 2 to 6 feet tall. The herb grows tiny pink to purple flowers that bloom in clusters along the branches in late winter to early spring. The evergreen leaves of the rosemary are needlelike and leathery, measuring up to 1

Growing Herbs

Growing Herbs gardens are delightful to the senses by being not only beautiful to look at; they have wonderful aromas, and taste good as well! Herbs planting can also save you a lot of money because instead of buying expensive store brands, you can walk right outside to pick your own. With a small bit of preparation, growing herbs is largely care-free.

How to Grow

Some herbs are best to buy as plants instead of growing from seed. For example, Golden sage should be grown from a young plant or cutting. However, culinary sage grows true from seed. Additionally all mints cultivated from seed share a minty taste. Although, if you want a particular variety like orange mint, you will have to purchase a plant to ensure receiving the correct flavoring.

Black Krim Tomato

By growing the Black Krim tomato in your garden, you are sure to come out the neighborhood winner as sometime growing tomatoes seems to cause an outbreak of friendly competition between neighbors to see who can grow the best tasting produce.

The Black Krim tomato gets its name not only from its coloring but its origin from the Black Sea on the Isle of Krim. The rare purple-black color and slight salty flavor make this fruit a stand out in any garden. The dark colored, beefsteak tomatoes are a great choice for anyone not wanting to add salt to their veggies before eating.

Soil

Its best to start your Black Krim seeds indoors in pots 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost. Cover them

Better Boy Tomatoes

Better Boy tomatoes are a hybrid that ruggedly resists many bacteria, parasites and fungi but does not do well when you plant it in the garden before the cold weather ends.

Like most tomatoes, it does require some nurturing but this popular tomato pays you back with succulent fruit well known for its flavor.

How to Grow

Most people use tomato starts rather than beginning the Better Boy from seed. However, if you prefer to start your own tomato seedlings, you have to begin approximately six to eight weeks before the first frost. You'll need to use sterile potting soil in either flats or containers and plant the seeds

Black Tomatoes

Black tomatoes such as the wonderful flavored and ample sized indeterminate Cherokee Purple tomato are ready for harvest in 75 days.

If you have put off planting a garden because you fear your two black thumbs will get in the way from digging in wholeheartedly, we have a unique and tasty project for beginners and avid gardeners alike. The heirloom tomato originally hails from Tennessee. The productive plants bear 10 to 12 ounce dusky rose/purple fruit with deep red interiors in 80 days.

Varieties of Black Tomatoes

Growing black tomatoes like the heirloom variety;

Miracle Grow Potting Soil

Whether you are planting vegetables, flowers, shrubbery, or trees, Miracle Grow potting soil will help your plants grow bigger and lusher than you ever dreamed possible!

Miracle Grow make plants double in size over ordinary planting soil. The mix can be used for successful outside gardening or container gardens grown indoors.

You can use potting soil of miracle grow to start plants inside before transplanting them outdoors. On the other hand, you may use the soil mix in individual pots for potting indoor houseplants. Typically, within a week of using the mixture, your plants will grow twice as big as when you initially plant them.

Miracle Grow potting is ideal for starting an herb garden. You can buy a seed starter kit that includes containers as well as packages of herbs. Generally, the herbs will sprout in a manner of a few days. Then you can transplant them into larger pots filled with the soil mixture.

You can add Miracle Grow time release plant food to the potting soil to continuously feed plants up to 3 months. Miracle-Grow fertilizer is made of rich organic materials for strong, vigorous plant development and excellent drainage. You can purchase a 10 quart bag to fill three 8 inch wide containers or even smaller sized pots.

An added bonus to using Miracle Grow potting soil is it provides low maintenance tending for your plants. By aiding the plants to grow larger and healthier, they require less care. With ordinary soil, your plants may appear wilted and lifeless.

The formulated ingredients in Miracle Grow potting include compost, sphagnum peat moss, perlite, a wetting agent, and fertilizer. The company that manufactures these gardening products has many other beneficial applications available such as a shake and feed for plants, garden weed preventer, indoor plant care, and an organic line.

soil of Miracle Grow Potting

Moisture control potting mix has an exclusive formula that absorbs 33 percent more water to protect against two of the greatest difficulties gardeners face when indoor gardening which is overwatering and underwatering!

Easy Instructions for Use

Termite Resistant Mulch

The need to use termite resistant mulch is to help you avoid termites in your garden.Mulch is also very important for your garden to keep weeds at bay, prevent the soil from overheating and protect the earth from water evaporation. However, many types of mulch tend to attract and feed colonies of termites and can pose a threat to your house and outbuildings if this occurs.

Two studies, Duryea et al. 1999; Duryea et al. 1999, investigated the potential hazards for termites in various types of mulches in the southern area of the United States. They looked at the activity of the dark southern subterranean termite and the eastern subterranean termite on six different types of mulch. These pests build nests underground at areas that provide plenty of food material. Of course, a garden with lots of wood mulch is just that type of place. What the studies revealed was both interesting and helpful to homeowners and gardeners alike.The study involved the collection of colonies of termites in the Gainesville, Florida area. The scientists wanted to find if not only the termites would consume wood mulch, but also whether they favored heartwood or sapwood and specific types of wood mulch.

Tomato Blight

When plants suffer from tomato blight, leaves suddenly wither, stop growing, and die. Later, plant parts may rot.

Infectious plant diseases are often classified by the type of symptom they cause.Common diseases include early and late blights that are caused by fungi and attack tomatoes and their relatives.

Causes

If leaves of your tomato plants have dark, ringed spots, the cause may be early blight. Lower leaves and stems are generally affected first by tomato blight. This fungal disease is also known as Alternaria blight. The disease occurs when plants are loaded with fruit and during warm, humid temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees.

Late tomato blight often causes foliage with water-soaked patches that turn brown, dry, and papery. In wet weather the patches may develop a ring of white mold. Additionally, stems may have blackened areas. Infected fruit have large, firm, greasy, irregular brown spots. This fungal disease frequently occurs during humid weather with cool nights below 60 degrees and warm days of 70 to 85 degrees.

Other indications of tomato blight:

Fruit with green, water soaked spots is often caused by late blight. Spots expand into large brown areas but remain firm. Spots that appear near the stem while fruit is green are symptoms of early blight.

Best organic control

For early and late tomato blight: Spray infected plants with sulfur and/or copper to halt further blight development. Sulfur is one of the oldest pesticides known. It has been used for centuries to control plant pathogens like blight. Sulfur is mined from natural deposits as a yellow solid that is nearly soluble in water. It is available in solution form or as a finely ground dust.

Horsetail Spray

Some organic gardeners use the common weed horsetail spray as a botanical fungicide to prevent and control plant diseases such as tomato blight. Although, the spray has not been scientifically tested for fungicidal properties, it is popular among backyard gardeners as a protectant fungicide.

Spray infected plants once every week to 2 weeks. Sometimes a fungal disease outbreak can be anticipated due to forecasted and current weather conditions. It is good advice to begin a preventive spray routine before any symptoms are even spotted. Experiment to determine which plants and diseases the spray works best on and keep records for future reference.

Non-organic methods

Sulfur can be mixed with inorganic fungicides to use as a protectant fungicide against blight, powdery mildews, rusts, and other plant diseases effecting tomatoes.

Precautions

Even though sulfur is probably the most commonly used organic fungicide, it is moderately toxic to humans and other mammals. Use carefully or it can irritate lungs, skin, or eyes. Always wear protective clothing when applying sulfur.

Prevention

By selecting a well-drained, uphill gardening site, you can reduce the time your plant leaves remain wet from rain or watering. Choosing a bed that is basking in sunlight and gentle breezes can keep your plants high and dry. Pruning helps air to circulate freely among the plants allowing the sunshine to rapidly dry foliage and branches after the morning dew or seasonal rains. Crop rotation can stamp out soil borne pathogens.

Prevent problems of tomato blight by planting resistant cultivars and spraying transplants with an anti-transpirant. Although they are usually not thought of as fungicides, anti-transpirants and oil sprays may help prevent fungal infections. Both of these products form a coating on leaves that seems to prevent spore germination and penetration. For late blights: Spray plants with compost tea to help avoid further symptoms from developing.

Go to Identifying-Garden-Pests from Tomato Blight

Tomato Fungus

Prevention is your best defense against plant diseases such as tomato fungus because once your plants are infected it is nearly impossible to eradicate.

Disease symptoms are caused by pathogens which include: fungi, bacteria, and viruses.

Causes

Fungal diseases like tomato fungus result in plant symptoms seen on roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. Generally they are caused by fungi that live in the soil or in the air. Some of the most common signs caused by fungal disease are: damping off, root rot, wilts, club root, blights, mildews, rusts, and leaf spot.

Types of fungus

Blights including early and late blight, attack tomatoes and their relatives. The fungus can damage or kill leaves and cause rot in the fruit. Early blight causes leaves with dark, ringed spots on leaves and fruit.

Leaf spot symptoms are caused by a wide range of fungi, which includes Septoria and anthracnose. Fruit infected by tomato fungus anthracnose has ringed sunken spots. Infected tomatoes eventually rot. Septoria symptoms start as small yellow spots that slowly turn brown. Whole leaves may yellow and drop.

Best organic method

Purchase stocky, disease-free plants or start your own seed indoors. Soak seed in a 10 percent bleach solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water for 10 minutes. Then rinse in clean water before planting to reduce seed-borne diseases.

Experiment with the homemade controls below to find the organic method that works best for you. First, make a test application by treating only a few leaves and then wait a few days to check for effectiveness or any damages before continuing to use.

Compost tea sprayed onto tomato plants can prevent fungal disease. Mix one part compost with five parts water. Allow to stand for 1 week. Then strain before spraying.

Soak 3 ounces minced garlic in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain. Add 1 pint water and 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap. Mix thoroughly. Spray plants with a mixture of 2 tablespoons soap mix and 1 pint water to control the fungus on tomatoes.

Non organic treatments

Fungicide use dates back to the late 1800s when sulfur was used to kill fungi and other disease-causing organisms on both people and plants.

To control fungus on tomatoes, spray plants with a solution of 1 teaspoon baking soda mixed with a few drops of dish soap and 1 quart water. This prevents spores from germinating and may help stop infections already started.

A through spray of vegetable oil coats plant surfaces acts as a barrier to infection. Oils seem to prevent fungal rusts.

Preventions

Avoid anthracnose fungus by selecting resistant varieties when available. Using proper sanitation techniques are the best prevention method for avoiding tomato fungus. Plant in well-drained soil and do not touch plants when they are wet. Remove and destroy infected plants.

Prevent Septoria leaf spot by removing and destroying infected leaves. Clean up plant debris in the fall. Use disease-free seed. Crop rotation reduces the chance of the fungus.

If you have experienced difficulties in past years with tomato fungus, avoid infection by most fungi with applying organic fungicide treatments like sulfur or copper every 5 to 10 days.

Applying fungicides on a regular basis is often recommended to prevent disease such as tomato fungus. To use efficiently, keep records of the disease problems that occur in your garden. Learn about diseases common to your area to help reduce fungicide use.

Go to Identifying-Garden-Pests from Tomato Fungus

Tomato Bugs

Few foods are as delicious as ripe, freshly picked garden tomatoes.

However, there are numerous tomato bugs that have the same appetite for your juicy produce! We want to help you in identifying and eradicating these uninvited guests to your garden party. For example, you can control insects such as the tomato worm by companion planting the herb borage with your tomatoes.

Types of tomato bugs

Aphids

Adults are pear shaped insects with two short tubes projecting backward from the tip of the abdomen. They have long antennae and are variously colored dusty gray, pink, green, or black. They may be wingless or have transparent wings. Aphids pierce leaves and suck plant sap. Feeding causes distorted leaves, buds, and flowers. Some species spread viruses as they feed. Large numbers of aphids are killed by native predators and parasites. Attract these to the garden by planting pollen and nectar plants.

Tomato Hornworm

These large caterpillars blend in very well with foliage and can do serious damage to leaves. Adults are gray, narrow winged moths with rows of orange dots along their abdomens. The green larvae are up to 4

Tomato Rot

Tomato rot or blossom-end rot often affects early season tomatoes. It starts as a tan patch on the bottom of the fruit and expands to a dark, sunken area.According to the United States Department of Agriculture, four out of every five people surveyed preferred tomatoes over any other homegrown vegetable. Garden-less Americans go so far as to grow tomatoes in backyards barrels, tubs, pots, or window boxes, anywhere they can cultivate a spot for the tasty fruit. The last thing anyone wants to see on the fruits of their labor is unsightly tomato rot.

Causes

The cause of rot is related to the way the fruit functions. This type of problem can range anywhere susceptible crops are grown. Tomatoes and peppers are affected by tomato rot.

A calcium deficiency in the plant causes of rot on tomato. Although, sufficient calcium may be present in the soil, not enough is reaching plant tissues. This may be caused by excessive nitrogen fertilization, extreme variations in the water supply made available to plants, or overly abundant plant growth. Watering extremes could be due to drought, floods, or injury to the root system. Tomato rot is worse in dry, hot temperatures.

Signs

A sign of tomato rot is when a water-soaked brown spot appears on the blossom end of the fruit. The spot will typically enlarge and turn into a black or leathery brown patch. If the problem is severe, the fruit will have a concave or somewhat flattened bottom end.

Best organic preventive method

Watering and mulching sufficiently during dry conditions prevents tomato rotting and wilts. Maintain an even supply of moisture with regular watering and deep mulches. Avoid over fertilizing with nitrogen. Protect roots by using mulch, rather than cultivation, to control weeds. Test your garden soil periodically and correct nutrient imbalances.At the first signs of tomato blossom rot, pay extra close attention to mulching and watering chores. Plants usually grow out of a problem later in the season when undesirable conditions are corrected. Spraying with seaweed extract may help provide the necessary calcium to affected tomato plants.

Non organic methods

A calcium deficiency may be corrected by the addition of agricultural lime to acid soils, aiming for a soil pH of 6.5. Add organic matter to the soil to improve its moisture-retaining capabilities. Avoiding plant damages is a lot simpler accomplished than attempting to adverse effects, so take corrective measures as soon as possible.

Botrytis Fruit Rot

This rot on tomato produces a fluffy, light-colored mold on a wide range of produce including greenhouse tomatoes. The fruit rot is caused by a fungus that affects crops worldwide. On tomato, infections appear initially as "ghost spots", small brown spots of dead tissue surrounded with an often slightly raised pale halo.

Other symptoms include the characteristic whitish, gray, or tan mold which grows on fruit that when disturbed causes a puff of gray spores to scatter. Infected fruits have water-soaked spots, which later appear light brown and crack as the fungus grows.

Prevention

Botrytis fruit rot develops under particularly moist and cool conditions. Typically where injury to tissues gives fungal spores an opening. Promote good air circulation by spacing and pruning plants in greenhouses. Increase ventilation and heating to dry leaves early in the day. To control the rot, destroy infected fruit or other plant material. Avoid injuring plants and control insect pests.

Go to indoor-gardening-light from Tomato Rot

Tomato Pests

Not only is the idea of growing vine ripened tomatoes attractive to you, but the juicy fruits attract tomato pests as well. In fact, a vegetable garden attracts wildlife, butterflies, birds, and insects by the score.

Seasoned gardeners are armed with the knowledge before the season ever starts to expect minor pest damage to their crops. When taking preventative steps becomes necessary, it is the best advice to deal with the problem in environmentally sound ways as possible.

Tomato crop pests and other garden creatures are a normal part of the balance of nature. Seeing a few bugs now and then on your tomato plants is to be expected. Certain insects like ladybugs and lacewings are desirable garden visitors.