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Potting Soil. Does it really matter what you use?

 Potting Soil For many, a raised bed or in ground bed isn't an option where they live so they turn to container gardening. If you find yourself looking into container gardening you'll find a lot of different potting soils or potting mixes.  These potting soils will be different brands and varying prices, which can be overwhelming for some. So does it really matter what you buy and if so why? The answer to that question is yes, yes it DOES matter what you buy and I'll break down why it matters. For starters avoid buying any bag of soil that is labeled as top soil, as that's just for back filling holes or leveling ground and has no benefit to your plants. If you open a bag of top soil you can find chunks of wood, grains of sand, rocks, and even plastic or glass. The reason being is that the companies don't screen this soil before bagging it for sale. Another product you'll come across is garden soil which shouldn't be used for containers. Garden soil does have

5 Easy Crops to Grow for Beginners.

5 Easy Crops to grow for beginners. When starting your journey into the world of home growing you may wonder what should I grow and why? To ensure success in your garden I'm going to list 5 of the easiest crops to grow and why you should grow them. 1. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are everything you can ask for in a plant. They come in many different shapes, sizes and colors. Every different type of tomato has it's own unique flavor, be it heirloom or hybrid. If you don't know the differences between heirloom and hybrid follow this link  https://www.sowtheearth.com/2023/02/heirloom-vs-hybrid-whats-difference.html?m=1 .  The majority of tomatoes are going to give you an abundance of fruit to snack on all growing season. Tomatoes are a perfect candidate to any garden for their ease of growing.  2. Lettuce: Nothing screams easy like lettuce. A healthy spring crop, lettuce is a must in any garden. Lettuce is a crop that can be easily grown from seeds without any knowledge or seed starting

How to Grow Tomatoes for Beginners.

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 The tomato is the most common plant grown in gardens throughout the world. With that being said many new gardeners struggle to grow them. In this article we'll go over what you need to know so that you can grow fantastic tomatoes year in and year out.  We'll begin by briefly discussing the growing habits of tomatoes. We have determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. Determinate means that the tomato will have a determined amount of tomatoes and a determined height it'll grow to. On the other hand a indeterminate tomato will have a indeterminate height and will continue to grow until the first frost, same goes for the fruit. Depending on the type you grow it will slightly alter the care. We'll discuss that later in the article. When it comes to heirloom or hybrids that decision is yours. If you don't know the difference follow this link to learn more  https://www.sowtheearth.com/2023/02/heirloom-vs-hybrid-whats-difference.html?m=1 . Planting: Once you've decided w

How to Start a Window Sill Garden.

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Are you the type of person who loves to maximize every inch of space possible? How about a person who loves to save money on groceries? If you find yourself as one or both of these types of people then I have a wonderful solution for you, a windowsill garden.  Whether you live in an apartment or own a house, we all have a window that’s not being used for anything other than looking outside. So adding a windowsill garden is an extremely easy and beneficial thing to do. It can give a dull room or kitchen some life (quite literally). A way to maximize every inch of space available inside and a way to save some money when we’re shopping at a grocery store.  We’ll go over how we can get started on a windowsill garden and some of the things we can grow in one.  There’s a few different paths one can take when starting a windowsill garden. You’ll find many stores sell kits that include the container, potting mix, and seeds. They are extremely convenient for people who aren’t well experienced i

Guide to Watering.

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 New gardeners will often find themselves wondering if they are watering correctly. After all watering is a key factor in the success of your plant's health. In order for you the gardener to have a bountiful harvest you need to identify when a plant needs water and how much it needs. I’ll also discuss how we can minimize watering our gardens to save time and money. A common symptom for when a plant needs water is when the leaves are drooping, shown in the picture to the left. Plants take the water that's in the leaves and sends it down to the roots in order to survive. You will see this happen to plants on very hot days as well. So how do you tell if the plant needs water if this happens? Simply, take a look at your plants once the sun is down, if the plant still looks sad and droopy then water ASAP.  Another sign to see if your plant needs water is to stick your finger in the dirt up to the second joint. If you find that the soil is dry, you should water, if it's moist the

Gardening and the Environment

 Is gardening actually beneficial to the environment? The answer to that question can be quite complex, why? Well the choices a gardener makes can determine whether or not they have a positive or negative impact on the environment. We'll talk about no-till gardening, tilling, and chemical usage and what they do for the environment. Garden however you like, just consider this food for thought and enjoy your gardens and time outdoors.      We're gonna start at where it all begins, the soil. Soil management is key for a few reasons, look at it as a domino effect. A healthy soil means a healthy plant which contributes to a healthy environment. Our soil is one huge carbon bed, plants and trees pull carbon dioxide out of the air through photosynthesis. They then release the oxygen into the air and store the carbon. When you do the opposite of this and release carbon into the air and mix it with oxygen you get carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas as it absorbs

Heirloom vs Hybrid? What’s the difference?

 So you’ve found yourself starting a garden and happen to stumble upon tomato plants, one says heirloom and the other hybrid, so what exactly is the difference and how will it affect your garden?  Heirloom : An heirloom is simply a variety that has been passed down generation to generation for about 50+ years and hasn’t been altered. Heirlooms provide us with more unique looking and tasting options that grocery stores and farmers markets can’t. Heirlooms are perfect candidates for seed saving as well. As usual with every good thing comes bad and that’s no exceptions with plants. When growing heirlooms you may find that your yields are minimal and plants frequently dying or suffering from diseases. This won’t always be the case, some years yields will be high others not as good. No matter what you decide to grow it’s always worth saving some space for heirlooms.  Hybrids : A hybrid is the child of two different varieties, typically bred in greenhouses due to certain characteristics. Hyb