 Like the human body, plants will limp along despite poor nutrition, but they will thrive and grow best with optimal nutrition, which is why we fertilize—to add nutrients. Fertilizers typically include the soil-supplied nutrients that plants use in largest quantity.
 Plants grow using energy from the sun combined with nutrients taken from the soil. Because the organic matter in soil holds nutrients like a sponge until they are needed by plants, soil that is fertile, well drained, and regularly enriched with compost often holds a reasonable supply of plant nutrients.
 What are the differences among the many forms of fertilizer that you see on shopping aisles? What is a granular fertilizer? What about water-soluble? What are slow-release, timed-release, and controlled-release? What is an organic fertilizer?
 In a nutshell, the soil is brimming with living organisms that help release nutrients, among other good things, from organic matter present in the soil.
Parsley isn't just a flavorful herb; this hearty plant makes a great landscape edging. Use double-duty parsley plants to border your vegetable garden or flower beds for edible edging that will last year-round in milder climates. A successful vegetable garden takes the right combination of sun, soil and water. If you're new to vegetable gardening, read this helpful article to get started on planting your first garden. When growing basil, be sure to pinch the flowering blooms as they appear. This will keep your basil plant leafy and lush long into the season. Take good care of your garden soil and you'll be rewarded with a lush, healthy garden. Working the soil too early can do more harm than good, so make sure to look for these signs before you begin.  Bonnie peat pots are better for your plants and the environment. Follow these simple steps when planting with Bonnie peat pots and you won't have to worry about transplant shock.
Growing vegetables in pots is easy if you take care to use the right combination of watering and fertilizing. Container gardening will give you great results if you follow this helpful advice.  Compost promotes healthy plant growth, and homemade compost is wonderful to add to your garden soil each season. Here are some secrets to turning organic matter into benefit-rich compost.
 John Richardson and Jasmine Hodges share the story of planting their first vegetable garden. Any gardener will love their endearing story of the challenges and rewards they encounter when growing tomatoes and other vegetable plants.
 When growing tomatoes, peppers, melons and eggplant, there's a risk of blossom-end rot destroying your vegetables. You can work with the soil in advance to prevent rot, and use a stop-gap measure to salvage an affected plant.
Garden watering is an important element in plant growth. There are certain times when vegetable plants are most sensitive to watering. Use this guide to make sure you're giving your vegetables adequate water.  Don't let a drought ruin your vegetable or herb garden! Bonnie gardeners share their favorite tips for conserving water and keeping your garden healthy even in dry conditions.
Without adequate water, your vegetable or herb garden is in jeopardy. But how do you get enough water during drought conditions? Try these water-saving tips in your garden. Plant a fall garden with these cool-weather crops and you'll enjoy fewer insects, less sweat and great-tasting vegetables. Fall is the perfect time of year to grow broccoli, kale, spinach and other hearty plants. Keeping your herb and vegetable plants watered is important, but sometimes nature doesn't cooperate. Set up a drip irrigation system that conserves water and hydrates plants naturally. If you're growing tomatoes but tired of waiting until it's time to pick your first juicy, homegrown tomato, use these techniques to speed up your harvest. Cheat the calendar with these simple steps for speedy tomato plants. These five simple gardening tips will help you clean your garden and eliminate insects and diseases. Keeping your garden healthy from season to season is easy if you take the time to prevent problems in advance.  Growing tomatoes using a stake or support system helps prevent diseases and makes it easier to care for and harvest your tomatoes. Try these techniques for growing tomatoes on single stake, circular cage or wire trellis structures.
Turn your garden soil into black gold, even if your site has hard soil or debris. Nutrient-rich top soil makes for more productive herb and vegetable plants. These tips will help you tackle common garden soil challenges. Having key garden tools that are comfortable and effective make a big difference. A few good gardening tools, such as gloves and a garden fork, will make planting your herb or vegetable garden a better experience. Know when to pick your broccoli, cabbage or other fall garden vegetables using this guide to cool-season vegetables. Picking these plants at their peak will yield lush, tasty vegetables this season. All herbs will grow in containers, so planting your herb garden in a large pot is a great option. A container herb garden takes some special considerations, but works especially well for people who have trouble bending over a normal bed. You may be surprised to know that you can grow herbs even in cool weather. Plant a pot of hardy, cool-weather herbs by your kitchen and enjoy fresh parsley, rosemary and mint late into the year. Strawberry jars feature pockets big enough to hold individual herb plants. Plant these jars in stages using these recommended herbs and you'll enjoy a perfectly sized herb garden for cooking use.  Knowing how much potting soil to use when filling your pots can be tricky. This simple chart helps you learn how many pots you can fill with each bag of garden soil.
Better plan your vegetable garden by determining the yield to expect from your plants. This guide will help you estimate how much you can expect to harvest so you know how much to plant in your vegetable garden. Either by rain or watering, your vegetable or herb garden needs about an inch of water per week. In hot climates, your plants need even more. Here's how to figure out how much water your herb plants and vegetable plants require based on average temperatures in your area.  Any plant material is prime for composting. Whether you choose a compost bin, compost pile or other composting method, composting is a great way to recycle kitchen and garden waste. Plus, nutrient-rich compost is great for your garden.
Overcome your garden soil challenges by opting to plant raised beds for growing vegetables, herbs and flowers. Raised beds allow you to increase your depth of good garden soil and allow for better drainage, plus you'll have more room than in traditional rows. No garden pest quite wreaks havoc on cabbage like cabbageworms. If the leaves of your cabbage plants, broccoli, collards, kohlrabi or Brussels sprouts look like they're getting eaten, kill the pests before they ruin your harvest.  If your cat is going crazy for your catnip plant, you can easily prevent them from causing damage. Catnip plants are relatively fragile, so use this easy method to protect the plant from being rubbed to death by your eager kitty.
 You may be surprised to learn that your compost pile needs just as much water as your live plants. There are several ways to ensure your compost is getting the adequate amount of water needed to do its job.
Growing cucumbers is even better if you use a trellis to get your cucumber plants off the ground. Cucumbers make an excellent climbing vegetable plant because they will grab a trellis, and you'll get better results. It's important to write down your observations each growing season so you can apply your knowledge to your next herb garden or vegetable garden. Your notes are a valuable resource for garden planning. Finding the right sized pot is key when planting a container garden. Depending on what vegetable and herb plants you are growing, there are several container options to choose from. Growing tomatoes breaks the common gardening rule that you shouldn't plant too deeply. Tomato plants should be planted so that a full 80% of the plant is underground, creating a better root system.  Growing broccoli, cabbage, collards or other cole crops is easy when you plant using these illustrated, step-by-step instructions.
 Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to plant your pepper plants, from preparing your garden soil through mulching your plant. Plus, these color photos let you see exactly how your pepper plant should look at each step.
 If you're growing tomatoes this season, be sure and take a look at these illustrated, step-by-step instructions to make sure and give your tomato plants a healthy start. Whether your tomato plant is in a Bonnie peat pot or plastic container, these tips help you get it in the ground properly.
 Learn which vegetable plants give you the greatest yield per square foot with these handy ratings from the National Garden Bureau. Be sure and check this list when planning your vegetable garden.
In some regions of the country you can enjoy growing tomatoes well into the fall. Here's what you can do to revitalize your tomato plants for a late-season harvest. A must for any herb garden, a rosemary plant gives you a fresh herb that is easy to snip and makes a flavorful addition to any meal. Rosemary plants will grow in containers or beds, and they are evergreen in some zones. 
When planning your garden, make sure your garden site has these three essentials. Picking the right place to plant your herb or vegetable garden is an important part of gardening.  Compost provides your garden with rich, organic material to help your plants grow. If you want to add to your garden soil or get your compost pile started, these four types of store-bought compost can help.
 Learn how a freeze affects your fall vegetable garden and what to do when one happens. You can protect your plants, especially during early freezes, and still look forward to a full harvest.
Growing broccoli can be a little tricky because this cole crop is especially sensitive to temperature. Check the planting dates for your area to find out the prime time for broccoli.  Hardy and semi-hardy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, English peas, and spinach are great choices for fall plants. You can enjoy gardening well into the fall depending on your region, with great-tasting results.
You decide. Although many peppers are strong plants that hold themselves upright, they sometimes need a little help. If you live in an area where the growing season is long, peppers often get taller than expected, maybe three feet tall. Also, in places prone to thunderstorms, a good wind or rain will quickly level a pepper-laden plant. Finally, varieties that produce large peppers appreciate the extra support under the weight of their bounty. Do you like a sandwich whose tomato peeks out from the edges of the bread? If so, grow the big ones such as Big Beef, Better Boy, Parks Whopper, Brandywine, German Johnson, and Super Fantastic. Plant these deeply so that 80% of the plant is underground. Containers can be placed anywhere convenient as long as there is a source of water and plenty of sunshine. When selecting tomato varieties, you must choose between plants with different types of growth habits called determinate or indeterminate. All tomatoes are either one or the other. Peppermint and spearmint are wonderful herbs that no kitchen and therefore garden should be without. Mint is an important ingredient in Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine and, of course, in various iced summer drinks. However, in areas where mint is perennial, it can creep farther than you like, crowding adjacent plants, especially in a pot. To keep mint under control, limit its roots by planting it in a pot and sinking the pot into the ground or into another pot. Every few weeks, give the pot a quarter turn to keep roots from escaping through the drainage holes. When possible, use a plastic pot, since it won't dry out as much as clay and will be easier to turn. Pots are made from a variety of materials, and some will suit your situation better than others.  All America Selections (AAS) is an evaluation program that has recognized exceptional new varieties throughout the United States since 1932.
 Decomposed organic matter called compost improve your garden by feeding the soil with life and nutrients.
Cilantro easily grows into a leafy rosette of aromatic fresh flavor that just can't be replaced by the dried leaves in the grocery spice rack. As days lengthen in spring, the plant will quickly stretch up to about 2 feet tall with white flowers on top.  Compost can be fast or slow depending on what goes into it, the temperature, and you.
Because a vegetable needs either warm or cool weather, crops sort themselves into two distinct categories: cool season (for spring and fall) and warm season (for summer). Planting in the proper season is the first step to a bountiful garden. All soils have a measure of acidity called pH that affects the soil’s release of essential nutrients to plants. Vegetables need a soil pH between 6.2 and 6.8 (most herbs prefer a pH near 7.0, which is called neutral). If lower or higher, needed nutrients can get tied up in soil chemistry, making them less available to plants. So, pH matters for vegetable plants to grow their best. If you do not have room to grow lots of vegetables, grow pots of vegetables. Why grow vegetables in pots? The reasons are many, but here are a few: convenience, sun, soil... When you look at the root system of a Bonnie plant, you’ll find a “soil” mix that grows healthy roots. You may be surprised that it is not real soil from the earth—it is a potting mix (also called potting soil) made from composted bark, peat moss, and other ingredients that do not include earthen soil. Previous Page | Next Page |
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