Using pallets for building and growing You can’t build outside with untreated pallets. These treated pallets are lined so that there would be no contact between the plants and the treated pallet wood. You can build a worm bin using them too.      ...

Turk's Cap        A Deciduous Perennial Shrub            Malvaviscus arboreus    Malvaviscus is from a Greek word meaning "sticky mallow". mal-vah-VISS-kus  ar-BOR-ee-us      Turk’s cap was designated a 2011 Texas Superstar because when it comes to climate and soils,...

Packed with nutrients and cancer-fighting compounds, blueberries are tasty and so easy to grow. Blue Crop blueberries take frigid winters and produce huge crops in July. The healthiest and one of the tastiest fruits, the blueberry, is simple to grow. Chandler is the...

                                         Tips for Growing Tomatoes  Remember that most tomatoes are vines!  Pass up overgrown transplants. Choose a bright, airy spot of rich soil. Put stakes in when transplanting to avoid damaging roots. Feed the soil washed dried...

POTATOES    7 ways to plant potatoes 1. Hilled Rows 2. Straw Mulch 3. Raised Bed 4. Grow Bag 5. Garbage Bag 6. Wood Box 7. Wire Cylinder     If you don't have garden space for potatoes, don't worry -- you can grow them in towers! Potato towers are a productive and...

FIGS  Figs provide more fiber than any other common fruit or vegetable.  The fiber is both soluble and insoluble and both types of fiber are important for good health. ¼ cup serving = 5 grams fiber, 6% iron, 6% of calcium, and 7% of the Daily Value for potassium. They...

THE ASPARAGUS Asparagus are coming up now and they are delicious! I like to eat them raw right out of the garden. They are easy to care for and produce every year. It is a perennial vegetable rich in B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Asparagus is one of the...

     Horseradish has a clear, fresh taste and packs more zing than the store-bought variety, and it must rank in the top five easiest-to-grow food plants, because it thrives in almost any condition. Horseradish is a rugged, cold-hardy (to Plant Hardiness Zone 3)...

HOW TO HAVE SUPER YIELDS FROM THE GARDEN Build up your soil. Building up the soil is the single most important factor in better yields. A deep, organically rich soil encourages the growth of healthy, extensive roots that are able to reach more nutrients and water. The...

Five of the most effective mosquito repelling plants 1. Citronella is a common natural ingredient in mosquito repellents. The aroma is a strong smell that masks other attractants to mosquitoes. It is used in scented candles and torches. The living plant is more...

Beneficial Garden Insects 1. Ladybug adults and larvae feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Adults are attracted to flower nectar and pollen, which they must eat before they can reproduce. 2. Lacewings feed mainly on flower nectar. The larvae are voracious...

Steps for Making a Straw Bale Garden Straw Bale Selection Selected a bale of wheat straw, but oat and alfalfa will work.  Hay has seeds and the seeds may sprout. Pine straw won't work because it sheds water and is slow to break down.  A bale bound with synthetic twine...

Garlic is planted in the fall and tolerates some shade but prefers full sun. It responds best in well-drained, rich, loamy soil amended with lots of organic matter. Raised beds are ideal, except in very dry regions.     Plant the cloves, the sections of the bulb; each...

SOIL – The benefits of high organic content in soil: Increased supply of oxygen available to plant rootsEnrichment of the micro-flora and fauna of the soil Increased microorganisms that improve plant nutrition Increased supply of raw material for earthworms Improved...

                                   BLACK GOLD Soil PH      PH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is, and soil acidity or alkalinity (soil pH) influences how plants take up nutrients. Most plants   tolerate a fairly wide range of soil pH.  Plant roots...

Making a Worm Bucket for Your Garden Get a plastic 5 gallon bucket with a lid. These are cheap at most home centers.       Cut the bottom out of your bucket, and, if you have a large drill bit, drill several 3/4" to 1" holes all around the bottom quarter of your...

Compost is what you get when organic materials have completely broken down into a rich, dark, crumbly material - “black gold”. Finished compost is often called humus. Nature creates compost all the time without human intervention. Gardeners can speed up the composting...