Gardening – Page 5 – Clean Air Gardening

6 Easy Edible Mushroom Identification Tips

Mushroom hunting is not for the faint of heart, that we all can agree on. People are typically on guard when entering the uncharted territory of mushrooms, and quite reasonably so. For some, it’s moderate caution and for others, it’s fear blown out of proportions. Yet for most, one question looms large: Is the mushroom … Read more

How can I make my Christmas cactus grow faster?

christmas cactus houseplant growing and flowering

QUESTION: How can I make my Christmas cactus grow faster? My plant is very small and I’d like to have it bigger so it looks good on my dining room table. – Amanda C

ANSWER: Christmas cacti never truly stop growing unless they die, and as long as you provide a beneficial growing environment and take good care of your plants, they don’t really have a maximum size, and will continue growing and blooming for more than 20 years. With proper care and the help of a few tips, you can get your Christmas cactus to grow to a massive-sized houseplant.

Know Your Mushroom Names and Which Ones to Grow

Did you know mushrooms are some of the most sustainable crops on the planet? 26 million square feet of growing area can land 891 million pounds of mushroom produce. Staggering, right? There are even more reasons why you should consider growing mushrooms: The turnaround time for this fast-producing crop is just 8-10 weeks! This also … Read more

Gigantic List of Plants and Flowers that Attract Hummingbirds

By Erin Marissa Russell

Want to attract hummingbirds to your yard without messy feeders? One of the biggest thrills a gardener can experience is spotting a hummingbird flitting among the blooms of your plants. It’s easy to experience this thrill more frequently by planting the flowers hummingbirds love to feed on so they’ll visit your garden more frequently. If your garden is a hummingbird’s dream buffet, you may begin to have daily visitors. Some gardeners are even able to feed hummingbirds by hand once they’re accustomed to both the garden and the gardener’s presence. With so many flowers that attract hummingbirds, you’re sure to find plenty that will fit into your garden plans.

QUESTION: Are clay pots good for Christmas cactus? I am repotting mine from the plastic pot it came in. – Linda R

ANSWER: Christmas cacti are well suited to clay pots due to their quickly-draining nature. Clay is a porous material, which provides good air circulation and conductive conditions. Clay pots absorb water, which makes checking the moisture levels of the soil a much easier task, as you can tell just by looking at the planter if the soil is moist, as the clay will turn dark when it is wet.

3 Easy-to-Grow Plants Perfect for Your Tea Garden

A cup of homegrown herbal tea is a great way to start the day, right? However, organic herbal teas can be quite expensive. If you’re an ardent tea lover, planting a tea garden is a wonderful solution to this problem. Having a herbal tea garden in your backyard gives you a constant supply of your … Read more

How To Grow a Dog-Friendly Herb Garden Indoors

As pet owners, we want our homes to be a sanctuary, not just for us but for our pets as well. We all know that plants and pets, especially dogs, don’t mix all the time. As much as we’d like to keep them separate, both bring joy and healthy vibes to our homes. Giving up one for the other is simply unimaginable!

Taking care of plants and raising dogs are beneficial to us. Herbs like rosemary and mint, for example, purify the air indoors. Studies have even proven that having indoor plants improve concentration and productivity by up to 15 percent. Pets, on the other hand, help us manage depression and loneliness, keep us fit, and bring happiness. So without further ado, here are tips for creating a pet-friendly herb garden indoors.

Best Plants to Grow During Your Next Winter Gardening

Every year, winter brings colder weather, grey days, and maybe snow in your USDA zone. During this time, your garden will go into a slumber. Green turns to brown, upright plants wilt, and blooms stop flourishing. Many home vegetable gardens might lay empty waiting for the spring planting season. Unless you have a greenhouse, this … Read more

Loppers vs. Pruners, Explained

By Matt‌ ‌Gibson‌

What’s the difference between loppers and pruners, and when do you use one or the other? Pruners generally fit in your hand and are used to prune small branches. Loppers are larger tools with long handles that give you more leverage so you can prune (or “lop off”) branches that are larger. Here’s an outline of the differences between loppers and pruners, the two most commonly used pruning tools, and explain when exactly you should use each tool.

When it comes to pruning and trimming the shrubs, trees, and plants on your property, using the proper tool for the job can turn a tough task into a walk in the park. On the other hand, using a tool that is ill-suited to the task, can make a relatively simple project into a painful, arm and wrist-aching, back-straining chore that can take hours and even cause injury. Pruning should never be something to fear or avoid, and it should never lead to physical injury, but dull pruners and rusty loppers can be more harmful than helpful and could end up putting you on the sideline for weeks.

QUESTION: Do poinsettias bloom more than once? Ours looks terrible right now and most of the blooms have fallen off and I was going to throw it out, but my husband says it will bloom again if we take better care of it. – Lisa Y

ANSWER: Although many times poinsettias are treated as disposable holiday decor, there’s no reason to throw out your poinsettias after the holiday season has ended. With the proper care, you can keep your poinsettias so they’ll bloom again the next year. The plant needs to receive a certain amount of light in order to bloom again.