When To Plant Bulbs

Some people like to use fine gravel from the pet store instead, but anything works as long as roots can get through.Don't forget to be kind to your bulbs. In fact, flowers from bulbs grown without soil last longer than cut flowers and do a great job of...

Keep cut tulips well away from direct sunlight or a heat source, as this will cause them to droop sooner. The denser the bouquet, the more sturdily your tulips will be held upright.

Windflowers are an anemone, and are popular for their hardiness and wide availability. They grow in clumps of flowers that look like small daisies, and are useful in landscaping and as ground cover.

Dig, then gently separate the bulbs from the main bulb at the bottom end, using a sharp knife if needed. These sunny flowers propagate themselves two ways, and they'll even tell you when it's time to divide the bulbs.Keep the leaves on the daffodils until...

Allium and agapanthus flowers tower over garden beds or make eye-catching accents in sunny gardens. Agapanthus plants, however, produce thickened rhizomes and not true bulbs. They also produce their blooms in summer and are not North American natives,...

To reduce moisture, avoid getting the dahlia plant leaves wet when you water, and water the plant early in the day so it will be dry by the evening. If the leaves are covered in a dry, white mold, chances are they are infected with powdery mildew, not...

Paperwhites are a type of narcissus that is sold in the winter for indoor forcing. Add 3 inches of compost and mix it to a depth of 6 inches.Dig a hole wide enough to accommodate the paperwhite bulb and 6 inches deep.

To store, pack lily bulbs in damp peat moss and place them in a plastic bag. Lily (Lilium) bulbs multiply continuously, hidden under the soil. Keep the bulbs in the refrigerator until you are ready to plant.You can replant all the lily bulbs in the original...

There are over 100 species of tulips and many more hybrids. Tulip bulbs flower from early to late spring in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Letting species tulips go to seed increases your stock as new bulbs eventually grow from the seeds.

If the bulbs freeze in the ground during the winter, then the bulbs rot after the ground thaws out. Freesias are commonly used as cut flowers.Freesias are available in many different color varieties.Freesias tolerate winters in U.S. Department of Agriculture...

Butter daisies are practically disease and insect free. After snuggling some pine needle mulch around the tiny plants, we resumed the laborious task of learning about prepositional phrases.As we continued our studies, the little plants grew and filled...

After a few months in the fridge, the replanted roots are ready to bloom like crazy and produce an abundance of seeds. If you replant them in spring, most of the new growth will emerge from secondary buds along the main stem.

Carefully dig out the resurgents with a trowel or fork, taking care to remove all of the roots. Fast-growers like mustards may be sown as late as autumn to cover over the soil surface in a matter of weeks.

I find the benefits outweigh the drawbacks however – a weekly hoeing before adding more mulch helps keep it under control. Vary the kind of mulch you use depending on the time of year and what's available in the garden Free and Easy Leaves and Leafmold...

Retaining wall blocks that mimic stone are easy to work with, and their uniform size simplifies bed construction. Very steep slopes that require steps to navigate need beds that sit atop one another and must be maintained from the sides, while more moderate...

Sweet Corn Stubble for Fall Crop Protection Every situation doesn't merit wholesale renewal. Fall-sown legumes like winter peas boost soil nitrogen when allowed to grow until they begin to bloom in spring 3.

Once consistently cooler weather arrives it's time to bring all of the fruits indoors, whether they're ready or not. Ripening Tree Fruits Indoors Most tree fruits will naturally ripen up on the tree.

This is healthier for the tree, unless there is a recurring issue with silver leaf or other diseases. Environmental stress can cause a similar silvering, but it's likely to affect the whole tree, not just selected branches as with silver leaf.

Photo by Christopher Holden Fine, smooth fishing line is the best thread for your ristra because it offers least resistance, enabling the chilies to slide on with ease. Plants Related to this Article Chili Pepper Grow Guide Bugs, Beneficial Insects and...

Once you're done sowing, cover the seeds back over but don't water again until after germination. Get around this problem by simply placing the end of the hose in a watering can so that it fills as you pour.

Plants Related to this Article Potatoes (Early) Grow Guide Potatoes (Maincrop) Grow Guide Bugs, Beneficial Insects and Plant Diseases Colorado Potato Beetle Guide Wireworm Guide Slug Guide < All Guides

But thinning further can help trees to stay in good shape and produce a more useful crop. Fewer, bigger fruits are generally more useful than many tiny fruits. Apples and other trees are already full of young fruits, which will grow on to give a delicious...

It's that time of year again, when wafts – nay, clouds – of whitefly lay siege to summer favorites like tomatoes and cabbage. Yes, really! In a bad outbreak a handheld vacuum can be very effective at sucking up clouds of whitefly from disturbed leaves.

Keep Plants Warm to Extend the Harvest into Fall Later on in the season stragglers can be encouraged to keep producing for a week or two longer by adding the thermal comfort of a floating row cover.

Despite my tongue-in-cheek warfare references, it's important to remember that we're not really in a war against pests. Improve the Garden Environment Many pest predators, such as hoverflies (syrphid flies) are also nectar lovers and pollinators, so grow...

Thin the seedlings once they're up to one every couple of inches (5cm). Leave about 18in (45cm) between each seedling. Additional rows of spring or summer cabbage should be set around the same distance apart, while fall and winter types need a little...

It's a great low-tech way of refrigerating drinks and somehow seems the ideal gardener-focussed solution for quenching thirst and cooling off on a hot summer's day. Choose a clump-forming variety, so it doesn't spread through your garden like wildfire.