Have you wondered if all the hype surrounding grow lights is true and if these lights will help your seedlings grow better?  Chances are, your online quest for answers left you tangled in contradictory advice. (I've been there myself while delving into this topic for Master Gardeners.) Perhaps you're now teetering between abandoning the idea altogether or impulsively snagging lights adorned with all the persuasive catchphrases, hoping for the best.  Today, I hope to explain the cases where supplemental lighting is beneficial and guide you through the key specifications to con ..read more

Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' All photos by Amy Norwood Outdoor flower pots are a joy of summer.  As with all plants, the rule “right plant, right place,” applies to flower pots.  Your flower pots will look their best if they are planted with flowers that match the pot's location in sun or shade.  Here is a suggestion for a pot in each place. For shade: The shady place flower, Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender,’ is commonly known as Mona Lavender, Lavender Spur Flower, or Swedish Ivy.  It is not a lavender at all.  It is in the mint family, Lamiaceae.  Mona Lave ..read more

Photo:Suncore As March brings 50-60°F warm days combined with all the winter snows, our yards are showing slight signs of life. For many of us, this tinge of greenness ushers forth images of what our 2024 gardens will hold.  What will we grow – vegetables, annuals, perennials?   We know the last frost date is two months away and now is the time to start seeds indoors.  As you eagerly grab your seeds, pots, and soil to start your best garden ever, take a moment to think about heat mats. Let’s start with some benefits associated with heat mats. 1. The consistent warm ..read more

Graphic: Phys Org I’ve always loved the smell of a freshly mowed lawn. Little did I know that this smell is produced by the blades of grass signaling distress from being injured. Research has shown that plants emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere upon mechanical damages or insect attacks. Undamaged neighboring plants sense the released VOCs as danger cues to activate defense responses against upcoming threats. The idea of “talking” trees started to take root in the 1980s. Two ecologists placed hundreds of caterpillars and webworms on the branches of willow and a ..read more

  Photo: Artem Meletov Snow indirectly contributes to nitrogen input in the soil through a process called atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for plant growth, and it can be added to the soil in various forms, including through precipitation like snow. Here's how the process generally works: Atmospheric Nitrogen: The Earth's atmosphere is composed mostly of nitrogen gas (N2), which makes up about 78% of the air we breathe. Nitrogen Fixation: Nitrogen gas is relatively inert and cannot be directly utilized by most plants. However, certain bacteria and ..read more

photo: joegardener®          I thought that plastic mulch would make my gardening easier, and it can… but only if you do it correctly. It is typically used to increase the temperature of the soil to improve the yield of warm weather plants like tomatoes and peppers. I wanted the additional benefit of fewer weeds and less wind erosion since my community garden is in a very windy location. Next year, I will use it again, but I do things very differently based on what I’ve learned. First, let’s talk about why it is beneficial. The plastic traps solar heat an ..read more

Dieffenbachia  I found a drop of water on the tip of one of my dieffenbachia's leaves.  What?  I checked to see if there was a ceiling leak.  Thank goodness no, but... then what caused this water drop?   If you find some water drops on some of your houseplant’s leaves, it is usually caused by one of three things: 1. Transpiration:  It is the process of water moving through the plant and its evaporation from the leaves.  Leaves drip when they have as much moisture as they can hold.  This is the main cause of water drops on plants ..read more

Winter sowing is a method of starting seeds outdoors in winter. This method takes advantage of natural temperatures. You will not need to refrigerate seeds to satisfy cold stratification. Winter sowing involves sowing seeds in an enclosed container outside during winter, allowing them to germinate in spring.  What are the advantages? It’s simple to do. It’s effective. You don’t have to start seeds indoors or invest in a lot of expensive equipment. It allows someone who doesn’t have the room, nor the space available indoors to start seeds. Winter sown seedlings are hardier. There is no n ..read more

Photo:  FreeImages  Blooming houseplants are the best during the Winter months!  Gardeners and bulb lovers like to force bulbs to bloom during the winter holidays to brighten the days.  Paperwhite narcissus bulbs are one of the easiest to force for cut flowers or ornamental displays in the home during the Holidays as they don’t need a chilling period to bloom, unlike tulips and hyacinths.   Photo:  Pinterest You can force them to bloom in either soil or water: • fill a bulb pan (or other container) with about one to two inches of pot ..read more

  Utah Juniper All photos by Charlotte Coles The Utah Juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, is one of nature's caretakers. Utah Juniper is a multi-trunked tree or shrub. Roots are vast and shallow growing in gravelly loam or clay alkaline soil (pH 7.4-8.0). The Utah Juniper grows 0.5 inch per year and may live up to 600 years. They are best suited for elevations of 3000-8000 feet. This monoecious tree or shrub is able to reproduce in distant areas by wind or animals. Each berry contains 1-2 seeds and the staminate are small soft cones. The heartwood is durable cedar used for fence p ..read more