How to Grow Watermelon in Containers Successfully growing watermelons in pots starts before you even plant your watermelon seed. You need to choose a pot that will be large enough for your container watermelon to thrive. Watermelons grow rapidly and require plenty of water, so it is recommended that you go with a 5-gallon (19 kg) or larger size container. Make sure that the container you will be growing watermelons in has enough drainage holes....

To some it may be known as “buckvine” and “cow itch” but to others it may be known as an expletive because it is very invasive due to its vigorous root system. Once it takes hold, it will overtake a garden and choke out plants in its path. Read on to learn more about peppervine control. What is Peppervine? Peppervine is a close cousin of grapes but, as we alluded to earlier, it gives whine instead of wine....

Seed Library Info The benefits of a seed lending library are many: it is a way to have fun, build community with fellow gardeners, and support people who are new to the world of gardening. It also preserves rare, open-pollinated or heirloom seeds and encourages gardeners to save quality seeds that are suitable for your local growing area. So how does a seed library work? A seed library takes some time and effort to put together, but the way the library works is very simple: gardeners “borrow” seeds from the library at planting time....

Given suitable conditions and proper drainage, nearly anything can be grown in unusual hanging planters. Quirky Hanging Indoor Planters When fashioning DIY planters, some people exclude the drainage hole. This is sometimes an option, but in most cases, you’re risking the health and possibly the life of your plant when using a container without drainage. With succulent plants especially, water that keeps soil wet around the root system quickly leads to root rot....

When choosing herbs for your culinary herb garden, be careful to check the flavor of the herbs before purchasing the plants. There are many varieties of different herbs and some have stronger flavors than others. To be sure you’re getting the flavor you desire, pinch off a leaf and taste it. It’s best to keep a culinary herb garden in close range of your kitchen, just outside your back door for example, or even in a few pots on the kitchen windowsill....

Fish Tank Terrarium Ideas Here are some ideas for converting a fish tank into an aquarium: Bog terrarium with carnivorous plantsDesert terrarium with cacti and succulentsRainforest terrarium with plants such as moss and fernsHerb garden terrarium, leave the top open and snip as often as you likeWoodland terrarium with moss, ferns, and plants such as ginger or violets Creating Aquarium Terrariums Here are simple steps for making a miniature, self-contained ecosystem....

What is Organic Gardening? Only in an organic garden can you literally pluck a tomato from the vine and eat it right there and then, savoring the flavor of fresh and sun-ripened. It isn’t unusual to see an organic vegetable gardener eat the equivalent of a full salad while tending the garden — a tomato here, a few leaves of lettuce there, and a pea pod or two. An organic vegetable garden is free of chemicals and grows naturally, making this a healthier, safer way to grow your plants....

What are Cranberry Plants? Cranberry plants, or Vaccinium macrocarpon, are woody, low growing perennial vines. Native to the temperate zones of the east coast, the central U.S., and from southern Canada in the north all the way to the Appalachian mountain range in the south, cranberries are often harvested commercially in water, but contrary to popular belief, actually flourish when grown on dry land. Cranberry plants grow runners measuring from 1 to 6 feet (31 cm....

How to Grow Chili Peppers Growing chili pepper plants is similar to growing bell peppers. All peppers grow best in warm soil when the ambient temperature remains above 50 degrees F. (10 C.). Exposure to cooler temperatures inhibit flower production and impedes proper fruit symmetry. As many climates don’t afford a sufficient growing season to direct-seed peppers into the garden, starting chili peppers indoors or purchasing seedlings is often recommended. Start chili pepper plants 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last frost date....

How to Prevent Forked Parsnips Parsnips germinated indoors in typical germination trays are almost guaranteed to have deformed roots. Trays used to germinate other seeds are too shallow for parsnips. When a parsnip seed germinates, it first sends down its deep taproot (single plunging root) and only later sends up a tiny shoot with its first leaves. This means by the time you see the seedling emerge from the soil, its root has already hit the bottom of the tray and begun to coil or fork....

Choosing Hardy Vines for Zone 3 Growing vines in zone 3 gardens needn’t be frustrating. There are some zone 3 vines that can work in these cooler conditions if you know what to look for. Here are some of the best choices for vines that grow in cold regions of zone 3. Arctic kiwi– This impressive vine is hardy down to zone 3. It grows to 10 feet (3 m.) long and has very attractive pink and green variegated leaves....

Wreaths, floral arrangements, and even ornaments can be fashioned from materials in your backyard. So, this year, try holiday decorating with plants from your garden. How to Grow Your Own Christmas Decorations Creating holiday décor from the garden is simple and easy. You can collect materials from plants throughout the year. Flowers, like hydrangeas, are beautiful additions to a wreath or holiday floral arrangement. Hydrangeas don’t bloom in December, so the flowers must be collected and dried during the summer months....

What are Home Run Roses? Home Run is a nice bright red-blooming rosebush that was bred by none other than Mr. Tom Carruth, whose name is associated with many AARS (All-American Rose Selection) Award Winning roses. When Mr. Carruth saw Knock Out on the West Coast, he felt there was room for improvement. He felt the red color of the blooms could be brighter and that the disease resistance of Knockouts could be improved upon (like with powdery mildew and black spot issues)....

Hops Plant History As long as humankind has been brewing ale, someone’s been trying to improve it, but it wasn’t until 822 A.D. that a French monk decided to try wild growing hops plants. History tells us that it wasn’t until somewhere around 1150 A.D. that Germans began regularly brewing with hops. Flowering plants, however, weren’t introduced to the cultivated garden for another few hundred years. As a matter of fact, hops plant history records quite a controversy in 15th and 16th century England....

Harvesting Flowers from Cutting Gardens While these types of specialty gardens are popular with market growers, hobbyists also find considerable joy in the creation of their own flower arrangements. Success in arranging your own cut flowers will require knowledge and consideration for the harvesting process, as well as the conditioning needs for various types of blooms. When to pick cut flowers and how to harvest cut flowers can be one of the most difficult aspects of growing your own....

How and When to Prune a Grapevine Grapes should be pruned during their dormancy, usually in late winter. When it comes to pruning grapes, the most common mistake people make is not pruning hard enough. Light pruning doesn’t promote adequate fruiting whereas heavy pruning provides the greatest quality of grapes. Knowing how to prune grapes can make the difference between a good crop and a bad one. When pruning grapes, you’ll want to cut off as much of the old wood as possible....

Anthurium Plant Pests Anthurium, or flamingo flowers, are from South America and there are over 100 commercial varieties of the plant. The unique flowering structure of this species makes it a curiosity plant and has also made it a popular indoor houseplant. Flamingo flower is a shade-loving plant that needs well-draining, highly organic rich soil. Infestations of pests generally start in summer when the weather is warm and the temperatures are hot....

Prune trees produce five years after planting just as plum trees. However, their fruit has a much higher sugar content, making it preferable for drying with the pit inside without the risk of fermenting. Italian prune tree plantings are ready for harvest in early September. Early Italian prune plum trees mature around 15 days ahead of Italian prune trees, making it a good choice for regions prone to early frost that may damage ripening fruit....

How to Protect Strawberry Plants from Pests There actually are many ways of keeping pests away from strawberries, some of which I really did use…to no avail. The birds were the most obvious intruders. There are lots of things you can do to repel birds. Noise scares them off, but it’s so noisy. Fake predator birds will do the trick sometimes but, interestingly, our fake eagle is covered with bird manure....

About Forest Gardens What is a forest garden? A forest garden isn’t exactly a forest, and it isn’t quite an orchard or a vegetable garden. Rather, a forest garden is a planting method that takes advantage of beneficial relationships between plants, much like a woodland ecosystem. The result is a beautiful, highly productive garden that doesn’t require a lot of space. A basic edible forest garden consists of three layers: groundcovers, shrubs, and trees....