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In this Beginner’s Guide to Compost, you will find the basics of composting for beginners in the garden and advanced techniques for others, including how to start, what to use and more. Getting Started with Compost How Composting Works Benefits of Composting Starting a Compost Pile How to Keep Compost Over Winter Making Indoor Compost Choosing Compost Bins Turning Your Compost Pile Heating Up the Compost Pile Tips for Storing Compost...

About Blue Elf Succulents An intergeneric hybrid developed by the innovative growers at Altman Plants, Blue Elf succulents are one of the latest to hit the market but are by no means the only one they’ve developed. Beautiful and bountiful blooms are what gives this hybrid its cheery nickname of happy plant. Blooming multiple times per year, the flowers make it a showstopper. Teal-green leaves with pink to red tips, this small rosette forming plant usually reaches no more than 3 inches (8 cm....

Importance of Healthy Roots The importance of healthy roots can’t be stressed enough. Roots hold plants in place. They also carry water and essential minerals to the rest of the plant. It’s how the plant eats and drinks. It’s important to keep healthy roots in plants that are already established, of course, but it’s even more important to check for healthy roots in plants you buy in the store. If you buy a plant with a bad root system, at best, it will take it a long time to adjust to transplanting....

Flowers of nicotiana, flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata), are tubular shaped and grow moderately to quickly. Too much fertilization when growing nicotiana can lead to excessive growth of the petite plants causing them to get leggy and cease flowering or flop. Growing the Nicotiana Plant Nicotiana flowering tobacco is most often grown and sold as an annual plant although some species of the nicotiana flower are really short lived perennials. Plant seeds or seedlings into a sunny or partially shaded area of the garden with well-drained soil in late spring....

Coffee Grounds Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, plus they add organic matter to the soil, aerate it, and help with water retention. After brewing your coffee, simply add a few spoonfuls of grounds directly to the top of the soil around your plant. (Don’t use grounds that haven’t already been brewed – these are too acidic and can hurt your plants). Eggshells Eggshells are packed with calcium, which is essential for plants....

Plant Spacing for Hops Hops plants are no shrinking violets. Although the bines die back at summer’s end, they begin all over again the following spring. In one growing season, they can get 25 feet (7.5 m.) in length, with each plant up to 12 inches (30.5 cm.) in diameter. It’s necessary to allow the plants to shoot up like this. If you try to keep the bines under 10 feet (3 m....

Horsenettle Identification Like most seedlings, horsenettle begins life as two small, rounded leaves sitting opposite of each other on a short stem. The first true leaves come as a cluster. Although it still has smooth leaf margins at this point, the plant is beginning to show its true nature because it has prickly spines along the vein on the undersides of the leaves. As they mature, some of the leaves develop lobes and numerous hairs and spines....

What is the Lifespan of a Tree? So exactly how long do trees live? Much like animals, the average age of trees depends on its species. If a tree has enough water, food and sunshine throughout its life, then it can live to the end of its natural lifespan. That said, no amount of care can make an elm live as long as a sequoia. Some of the shorter-lived trees are include palms, which can live around 50 years....

How to Plant Showy Milkweed Seeds Also known as Asclepias speciosa, showy milkweed plants are hardy to USDA growing zones 3-9. Once established, these perennial plants will return and bloom seasonally. Though much of the milkweed habitat is threatened by development, individual plants are able to quickly spread through rhizomes. Still, milkweed is most commonly known for its production of seed. After showy milkweed flowers complete bloom, each plant produces uniquely shaped pods....

How to Grow Fuchsia Indoors Plant your fuchsia in a container filled with any good quality commercial potting soil. Place the fuchsia in bright, indirect light, as fuchsias don’t do well in hot, intense sunlight. The room should be cool – about 60 to 70 F. (15-21 C.) during the day and a few degrees cooler during the night. The plant won’t bloom in temps above 75 F. (24 C.). Water the plant regularly during spring and summer, providing water as needed to keep the potting mix lightly moist but not soggy....

Learning more about Lenten rose care and requirements for indoor hellebore growth will reward gardeners with masses of long-lived blooms. Growing Indoor Hellebores Reaching just 20 inches (50 cm.) tall at maturity, Lenten roses produce flourishes of large blooms. Ranging in color, growers can expect intricately patterned flowers in shades of green, white, pink, and purple. Though each flower delicately nods downwards, their bright bursts of color are a welcome sign that spring is on the way....

Freesia Propagation Methods There are two main methods of propagating freesias: by seed and by corm division. Both have high success rates, so it’s really up to you and how you want to go about things. Freesias grown from seed usually take 8 to 12 months to bloom, while plants grown from divided corms will take a few years. Propagating Freesias from Seed Freesias are hardy in USDA zones 9 and 10....

Illinois Bundleflower Facts Prairie mimosa wildflowers are native perennial herbs. They can grow up to 3 feet (91 cm.) tall. The flowers are small and round with white petals. The leaves are like other members of the mimosa family – alternate, compound, and bipinnate, giving the leaves a fern-like appearance. It is a legume, so prairie mimosa enriches soil with nitrogen. You’ll mostly see Illinois bundleflower growing in meadows or prairies, in disturbed areas, along roadsides, and generally in any type of grasslands....

Leucospermum Growing Conditions Outdoors, Leucospermum hardiness is limited to growing in the warm climates of USDA plant zones 9 through 11. Leucospermum growing conditions include full sunlight and poor, well-drained, acidic soil. Drainage is so critical, in fact, that the plant is often placed on elevated mounds or slopes. Similarly, these plants may not survive in rich soil or in crowded conditions where air circulation is limited. For this reason, whether grown indoors or out, Leucospermum plants should not be fertilized....

Naturally occurring in many parts of the western United States, Limnanthes meadowfoam is just one example of a small plant that can make a big difference in the flower garden. What is Meadowfoam? Limnanthes meadowfoam, or meadowfoam for short, is an annual flowering plant which produces multitudes of small white and yellow flowers. These flowers are especially attractive to insects such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. Found growing in meadows and fields with consistently moist soils, meadowfoam has gained focus most recently for its potential use as a commercial oil crop....

How to Grow Mexican Tarragon Mexican tarragon is perennial in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. In zone 8, the plant is usually nipped by frost, but grows back in spring. In other climates, Mexican tarragon plants are often grown as annuals. Plant Mexican tarragon in well-drained soil, as the plant is likely to rot in wet soil. Allow 18 to 24 inches (46-61 cm.) between each plant; Mexican tarragon is a large plant that can reach 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm....

Why is My Cherry Tree Leaking Sap? Sap oozing from cherry trees can be brought on by a few different things. It’s so common in fruit trees, in fact, that it has its own name: gummosis. One very obvious cause is injury. Have you used the weed whacker a little too close to the trunk recently? If the tree looks otherwise healthy, but it’s leaking sap from a single fresh looking wound, it’s probably just been nicked by something metal....

How to Grow an Obedient Plant Obedient plant info tells us there is nothing obedient about the spread of the species. Newer cultivars, such as ‘Miss Manners’, tend to maintain a clumping form and not get out of hand, but the original variety with pastel flowers can take over the bed in which it grows. Obedient plant care often includes digging rhizomes and deadheading spent flowers before seeds can drop. If you’re wondering whether you can divide the obedient plant, the answer is a resounding yes....

Symptoms of Overwatering in Cactus Am I watering my cactus too much? Very possibly. Cacti aren’t just drought tolerant – they need some drought to survive. Their roots rot easily and too much water can kill them. Unfortunately, the symptoms of overwatering in cactus are very misleading. In the beginning, overwatered cactus plants actually show signs of health and happiness. They may plump up and put out new growth. Underground, however, the roots are suffering....

Painting with Dirt When using soil in art, try to get several varieties and different colors. You can collect in your yard, but you may also need to order soil online to get more range. Bake the soil in a low-temperature oven or leave out to air dry. Crush it with a mortar and pestle to get a fine consistency. To make art with dirt, follow these steps with the prepared soil:...