3 Common Container Garden Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Creating a container garden is more than just beautiful design. In order for your container garden to thrive and look its absolute best you need to make sure the plants are happy and healthy. Here we’ll go over some of the most common mistakes and problems in container gardening and how to avoid them.

Combining Plants With Incompatible Needs

Think of your container plants like roommates: without compatible traits, they won’t enjoy living together in a small space. While plants are luckily far less complex than humans, it still requires some careful planning when choosing plants to go together in a container garden. It’s crucial to choose plants with similar needs when it comes to sunlight and water. We should not combine plants that need partial shade with those that need full sun, for example. Drought-resistant plants don’t pair well with moisture-craving tropicals.

To avoid this issue, try using a garden planner or “companion” plant guide. You can also base your decision off of a single plant and build a design around it. If your ideal focus flowers require full sun, then you’ll know to look for other plants who need the same. Research before you buy your plants to make sure everything will thrive in the same container conditions.

Watering Too Much

The number one reason house plants die is because of over-watering and container plants often have the same problem. Planting in a container compared with planting in the ground limits the plants’ access to natural water supply. This means the soil in a container will dry out more quickly. The container itself might also contribute to the moisture issues: terra cotta, for example, can absorb excess moisture and cause the soil to dry faster.

To avoid over-watering, try making a schedule. Rather than planning to water every single time, just make a note to check the soil. If it feels dry, it’s time to water. If it feels damp, it might be better to wait. This will depend on the specific plants you choose, as well. Some plants are happy with more frequent watering than others, especially in the warmer summer months.

Forgetting to Fertilize

Regular fertilizing is crucial to the success and health of your container garden. Adding fertilizer will help your blooming plants produce more flowers and look their absolute best all season. Fertilizer can also benefit non-flowering plants by boosting new growth and helping to maintain color. Look for a liquid fertilizer with the important macronutrients plants need. A simple way to add fertilizer into your plant care routine is to dilute it with water and add it as part of your watering schedule. Keeping your container garden fed will keep it looking vibrant and healthy as long as possible.

These are some of the most common issues gardeners have with container gardens. However, all have simple solutions. The key to happy plants is knowing what they need—therefore, the more you can learn about your plants, the more healthy and vibrant they will be.

How to kill weeds naturally

A common concern for organic gardeners is finding ways to kill weeds naturally. If you’re trying to avoid synthetic weed killers and keep your garden as healthy as possible, there are many natural alternatives.

From common household items to clever gardening practices, this guide can help you find the best way to manage the weeds without hurting your garden environment.

Corn gluten meal

If you’ve spent time removing weeds and want to make sure they don’t come back, try sprinkling corn gluten meal on exposed areas of the garden. This will prevent the weed seeds from germinating and becoming pesky plants.

Vinegar

Apply regular household vinegar directly to unwanted weeds to kill them off. Use a spray bottle, pump sprayer or even a paint brush to add the vinegar carefully, as it can harm more than just the weeds. Try applying vinegar on a dry day, so there’s no chance of water washing it away.

Newspaper

Have old newspapers to spare? You can use them to smother the weeds and prevent new ones from popping up. Create a thick layer of newspaper to block the sun and prevent photosynthesis. This method works best if you remove existing weeds first and lay the newspaper directly onto damp soil.

Mulch

Mulch is not only an excellent natural weed killer, but one of the best ways to keep your garden healthy in general. Cover the soil with a few inches of mulch – made of organic matter like leaves, wood chips and grass clippings – to help retain moisture and prevent new weed growth.

Ground cover plants

For a low maintenance and long-term weed control, leave no space in your garden uncovered. Ground cover plants like creeping thyme, clover and bugleweed spread out over the surface of the ground to form a natural shield against weeds. As a bonus, you’ll enjoy the lush aesthetic and protection against soil erosion.

These are only a few ways to kill weeds naturally, but some of the simplest. Keep these household items and garden strategies in mind when maintaining your green spaces to keep them free of pesky weeds.

5 Groundcover Plants That Won’t Take Over Your Life

If you’re searching to replace your lawn or simply fill in an empty space in your garden, there are many groundcover plants you can choose from. Some produce flowers while others have attractive foliage, but regardless of expressions you can benefit from planting something in the space to keep out opportunistic weeds. However, it’s important to consider how much time and effort you’re willing to spend on a groundcover plant, especially if you’re going to have a large area. Here we’ve put together a guide to some of the best low-maintenance groundcover plants for your landscaping project.

Angelina Sedum

Sedum is a genus of succulent plants often called stonecrops. Angelina sedum in particular makes excellent groundcover because the flowers will spread efficiently to cover a large area, but won’t grow out of control. The foliage and flowers are golden yellow and easy to propagate by rooting. The only real maintenance required for this plant is to chop the longest stems to prevent self-rooting if you’re worried about it spreading beyond its designated area.

Nepeta

Nepeta is a plant in the catmint family with purple flowers that can bloom all summer long with practically no human intervention. Some nepeta varieties are natural spreaders and can quickly take over a large area of your landscape. Others are more bushy and take up space with their volume rather than covering the ground. Either way, nepeta is excellent for keeping the weeds out of your garden and is happy with only occasional watering in the growing season.

Creeping Thyme

Creeping thyme stays very low to the ground—only 3 inches tall—and will spread naturally over an area with deep pink flowers and fragrant leaves. While related to the variety of thyme used in cooking, it is not edible. However, the flowers are great for attracting bees, butterflies to your yard. Creeping thyme does best in areas with full sun and well-draining soil.

Periwinkle

Periwinkle is such an efficient and aggressive spreader that many gardeners consider it a nuisance. However, its resilience and charming purple flowers make it an excellent choice of ground cover that does not require a lot of maintenance. The leaves are dark green and glossy and grow on vines that spread at ground level. This plant loves the shade, so if you have space with little sunlight during the day periwinkle may be a perfect fit.

Rockrose

Rockrose is an evergreen shrub with hardy, colorful flowers. This tough plant is common in coastal regions as it can stand up to strong winds and salt spray without care. When grown as groundcover, all you need is a few shrubs to start with and you’ll have an area full of established roots and bright green foliage. It’s best to water them regularly after planting them but once they’ve lasted one season, they can thrive with no ongoing maintenance.

As for any type of plant, it’s crucial to research what will grow best in your particular climate. You also need to consider the specific landscape you’re working with and whether there is a significant amount of shade, full sun or combination. Regardless, you’ll find there are plenty of options for ground cover that will keep out the weeds and look attractive with only the most basic of care.

4 Plants that repel bugs from your garden

There are few greater pest control solutions than a garden full of plants that repel bugs – naturally. Many plants like mosquito-warding citronella grass have scents or other features that bugs can’t stand, encouraging them to give your garden a wide berth. Not only can these plants keep you more comfortable, they can help protect your other plants from hungry pests.

If you’re interested in natural insect repellents, try these insect-repelling plants:

Lavender

The scent of lavender has been shown to have a calming effect on humans, but it can also deter mosquitos. The potent essential oils found in lavender can repel most mosquito species for six to eight hours. Filling your garden with lavender or planting it around your home will encourage the biting, buzzing bugs to stay away while helping attract butterflies and honeybees.

Marigolds

Though they don’t have a strong scent, marigolds are another flower that keeps mosquitoes away. Marigolds contain insecticidal properties called phytotoxins that repel other insects like whiteflies, grain beetles and aphids.

From a gardening perspective, marigolds are low maintenance plants with vibrant blooms you can enjoy all summer.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a versatile herb beloved by home gardeners because of its ability to thrive in a variety of climates and situations. When grown in the garden, window boxes, containers or as part of your landscaping, you can count on the essential oils in rosemary leaves to repel mosquitoes.

When in bloom, rosemary also attracts bees and other pollinators to help your garden at the same time.

Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are a popular flowering vine you can use to protect your vegetable garden or outdoor living space through diversion. Nasturtiums actually attract mosquitoes and other pests like aphids, carrot flies and squash bugs to keep them off your veggies.

For this reason, it’s recommended to use nasturtiums for companion planting in organic vegetable gardens for natural pest control.

These are only a few insect-repelling plants to consider for your organic garden. Whether you’re growing vegetables, flowering plants or just want to keep annoying insects out of your space, these plants are the perfect place to start.

How to Make Your Front Yard Low-Maintenance

Not everyone has extra time to spend taking care of their front yard. While outdoor spaces are important, it’s easy to let yard upkeep fall by the wayside. Luckily there are lots of things you can do to make your yard attractive and inviting without spending hours working on it every week. Here are some of the best tips for creating and maintaining a low-maintenance front yard:

Always Research Your Plant Choices Beforehand

Grass lawns are notorious for requiring time and effort to maintain, but other plants can be just as bad. It’s easy to plant a lot of beautiful flowers and shrubs only to find that it’s a full-time job to keep them alive and looking good. The best way to avoid this is to research and plan your plant choices before you buy.

Some things to consider when looking for plants include:

  • Climate Zones – Most plants are labeled according to their respective USDA Hardiness Zones. You can use this information to make sure your choices of plants have a chance of surviving in your climate. While it’s possible to grow plants outside of your zone, it’s definitely not an effortless task. Choosing plants for your zone will keep your workload smaller.

  • Compatible Needs – It’s important to stick with plants that need similar amounts of sunlight and water. This will save you time and potential frustration over patches of your yard perishing in the heat while others thrive. For example, if you have lots of shade in your yard, group shade-loving plants together rather than mix in those requiring lots of sun.

  • Upkeep Requirements – Some plants simply require more attention than others. Many flowers need pruning and dead-heading every week during the growing season in order to stay beautiful and fresh. It might not sound like much, but that time can add up especially if you have a lot of plants to take care of.

Plant Perennials Wherever Possible

Perennials are plants that go dormant in the winter and spring back to life every year when the weather gets warmer. All perennials have slightly different growing seasons, so you can plan strategically to stagger them and always have some color in the yard. Perennials will save you a lot of time and money—you only need to buy and plant them once for years worth of foliage or blooms. Hardy perennial flowers like coneflower, geranium and chrysanthemums are excellent choices for low-maintenance color in your front yard.

Don’t Forget Mulch

Mulching your yard will keep your plants healthy and keep your work to a minimum. Mulch has several different benefits, primarily helping the soil maintain the right moisture and temperature levels. It also deters pests from preying on your plants and also keeps weeds from growing. Weed-prevention alone is a huge time-saver, but you’ll find that with proper mulch application you won’t need to water as frequently or worry about many common pests.

These are some basic guidelines to help you create and keep a low-maintenance front yard that still looks healthy and beautiful. As long as you stick to these tips and do your research you’ll be able to save time and money while having the best looking yard in the neighborhood.

Beginners Guide to Creating a Mini Hydroponics System

A mini hydroponics system serves as a fun way to grow all your favorite fruits and vegetables all throughout the year. The plants get their nutrients from flowing water instead of soil, letting you skip the dirt in favor of something a little fancier. You can then control every aspect of their nutrient intake and grow a ton of plants in a small footprint. Ready to get started? Here’s what to do.  

What You Will Need

Although it is easy enough to operate, a mini hydroponics system requires many supplies and a couple hours of setup time.

You will need:

  • 20-gallon fish tank or plastic tote

  • Submersible water pump

  • Air stone and pump

  • PVC pipe with end caps

  • Rubber tubing

  • Indoor grow lights

  • Surge protector

  • Hydroponics pots

  • Growing medium (coco chips, rocks, oasis cubes, etc.)

  • Nutrient solution

  • Seeds

Also, grab a drill with a hole saw and several large bits, so you can create spaces for your pots in the PVC pipe plus inlet and outlets for the water.  

How to Get Set Up

Once you have your supplies, you will need to follow these steps to create your mini hydroponics system.

  1. Find a place near an electrical outlet to set up your mini hydroponics system.

  2. Place the tote or fish tank in its permanent position and put the air stone on the bottom.

  3. Run tubing from the air stone to its pump and hook up the surge protector.

  4. Put the water pump in the other side and suction it to the side of the tank.

  5. Fill up the tank halfway with distilled water and mix in the nutrient solution.

  6. Cut holes in the PVC pipe to fit up to six pots along its length.

  7. Cut a smaller hole in the upper surface of the pipe near the last pot.

  8. Cut a hole along the bottom of the tube on the other side to create a drain.

  9. Place the tube from the water pump into the hole in the upper surface.

  10. Plug in the air and water pump to the surge protector.

Once you plug in the pumps, the air pump will aerate the water to give your plants oxygen as they grow. The water pump will send water through the PVC pipe, which will then flow back down into the tank through the drain hole. This system needs to run constantly to keep your plants thriving.

After completing your steps, your mini hydroponics system is ready for plants. Add the pots to the pipe, place growing medium inside and plant your seeds. Leafy greens work the best in this type of system, but you can experiment with different plants to see what you like to grow. Also, don’t forget to install your LED grow lights about 12- to 24-inches above the tank.

Upkeep of Your Garden Hydroponics System

You will need to regularly check the pipe to make sure that the roots are not clogging your pipe or drain. If so, you can trim the roots back slightly or remove that plant and put new seeds in its place.

You will also need to change the water about once every couple of months to keep the nutrient solution fresh enough for your plants. Make sure to clean the tank thoroughly when you do that to prevent mold, mildew and algae growth.

As you figure out which plants thrive in your system, you can treat yourself to fresh fruit and veggies of all kinds. Even herbs are worth trying to grow once you have a good understanding of gardening hydroponics.

How to Make Planters From a Wine Barrel

If you’re looking for a satisfying garden DIY project, try repurposing an old wine barrel. Wine barrels are made of sturdy materials and built to last even long after their original purpose has ended. This makes them excellent candidates for outdoor planters. Here we’ll go over the process and materials you’ll need to make your very own DIY wine barrel planter.

Materials

Wine barrel
Circular Saw
Pencil
Chalk line marker
Tape measure
Sand paper
Glasses or eye protection
Ear plugs
Protective gloves
Power drill & spade bit

Where to Find Wine Barrels

If you don’t already have a wine barrel sitting around, there are a few ways you can get them. First would be to look at any local thrift or second-hand stores, especially those with outdoor goods. If you have any vineyards or wineries nearby, you can contact them and inquire about helping them recycle. If all else fails you can always turn to online marketplaces to find the materials you need.

How to Build Your Planters

  1. First, turn the barrel on its side and use your tape measure to find the very middle. Once you have it, mark it with a pencil all the way around the barrel.

  2. Next, use the chalk line marker on the pencil line to mark where you’ll need to cut with the saw.

  3. Once the middle of the barrel is well-marked, carefully cut along the line using a circular saw. Make sure you and anyone helping you wear protective gear when using power tools. For extra stability, wedge the barrel between two cinder blocks or other heavy material as a brace.

  4. Once you have cut the barrel in half, use your power drill and a spade bit to cut drainage holes in the bottom of the new planters. For a planter of this size you should have at least 4 drainage holes.

  5. Carefully sand the edges of the barrel along where you cut it. This will help you avoid splinters, snags and other hazards when handling the planter.

  6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the other half of the barrel.

  7. Now you’re ready to plant! Add a layer of gravel to the bottom of your barrels before your choice of potting mix, then fill with your favorite flowers, plants or herbs. For a super easy gardening hack, place your plants right into the barrel, container and all. Nestled closely together the plants will appear lush and full but be much easier to transplant or remove if you ever need to make changes.

With this project you’ll have created not one but two wooden wine barrel planters. This is an excellent way to repurpose old materials and enjoy the satisfaction of DIY crafts. Now you can enjoy these planters in your garden, patio or even indoors for years to come.

3 Tips for Protecting Your Vegetable Garden From Frost

Cold weather can be bad news for vegetable gardens, especially if unexpected. While many plants are hardy and frost-resistant, most tender vegetables cannot survive sudden freezing temperatures. Luckily, there are some measures you can take to protect your garden from an unexpected frost. Here are some tips to remember:

Water During the Day

Adjust your watering schedule to ensure you’re watering during the day. The key is to saturate the soil rather than leave extra moisture on the leaves. Damp soil can trap heat and insulate the roots of the plant, protecting them from cold. As the water evaporates, it will keep the air slightly warmer near ground level.

Cover Crops With Blankets & Sheets

Old sheets and lightweight blankets can make great DIY frost protection. Use garden stakes, hoops or other supports to create a low tent over the veggies with the sheet or blanket. This will keep them insulated and protect the tender leaves from freezing. Another great tip is to use pillowcases on your tomato cages–just make sure to remove all of the fabric in the morning so the plants can get the light they need.

Shield With Plastic Containers

Plastic is an incredibly efficient insulator. Many gardeners build vegetable greenhouses out of plastic sheets to keep the plants safe and warm in cold climates. Plastic sheeting is a convenient option because you can cut it to size; however, using plastic bins, storage boxes, garbage cans or any other plastic container works just as well. Place them upside-down over your plants to shield them from the frost. This is especially effective for seedlings and tender greens.

These are just a few ways to protect your garden from freezing temperatures. For a thriving garden any time of year, make sure to research the specific needs of each plant so you know where to focus your efforts.