Your garden is a haven for fruits, vegetables, flowers, and more. It can be quite a beautiful ecosystem, but you might notice a few potted greens turning brittle or not growing. While you can always work on having a green thumb, there’s another hidden factor you need to think about — or a couple.
Many harmful pollutants that kill your vegetation can go undetected, even if you’re vigilant in caring for your greenery. The best thing to do is to identify these elements and prepare your yard.
1. Weed Killers
It’s common knowledge that pesticides are unsuitable for the environment and your garden. However, many people tend to forget its by-product — herbicide or weed killers. These are meant to kill the smaller plants that may hinder the growth of your central plant. While this can initially seem good for your plants, their primary function is to kill greens.
Because of the herbicide’s composition, it evaporates and travels through the air, resulting in the particles drifting onto your garden plants and killing them as an aftereffect. Consider using a safer alternative rather than a spray-on product that’s harder to control. For instance, you can put salt and vinegar in direct contact with weeds.
2. Car Exhaust
Cars are practically a necessity today, but their exhaust emissions can affect the world’s air quality and deteriorate the air surrounding your garden. Car exhaust releases dangerous levels of nitrogen oxide pollution which can halt plant growth or even kill the plants directly.
One fundamental way to take care of this factor is to switch wheels. The United States recently hit 5% of electric vehicle car sales, showing support for automobiles without internal combustion engines. This fast adoption of sustainable vehicles will hopefully lead to an overall reduction of smog. In the meantime, planting nitrogen-leveling plants in your garden can help to counteract the effects.
3. Cold Weather
Cold weather can be quite a joy since you can bundle up and watch the snowfall. However, it puts your plants in quite a precarious position. Be wary if your garden reads 32° Fahrenheit, as it signifies the possible presence of frost.
Many plants don’t do well in freezing temperatures, especially if they aren’t in a temperature-regulated greenhouse. It’s best to bring those plants indoors or shelter them with plastic covers to keep them safe.
4. Sunlight Exposure
Yes, all plants need sunlight, but there’s also such a thing as overexposure. Too much sun can break down leaf chlorophyll and turn your greens brown. Plants like ferns and hydrangeas grow better in the shade.
Too much light can also cause excessive humidity, which isn’t ideal for your plants, so keep an inventory of which ones need sun or require shade. That way, you can give your greens the optimum sunlight they need.
5. A Lack of Space
Have you ever been guilty of crowding your plants? Many gardeners may do this to accommodate more sprouts in their space, but it can do more harm than good.
Plants with a lot of roots need space to absorb water and breathe. When multiple greens are fighting under the soil, many of them don’t get the adequate amount of nutrients. Try to check the labels of your plants to know how much ground you should dedicate to them. You can also eyeball it, keeping the tips of the leaves around 4 centimeters apart.
6. Overwatering
You might think you can solve overcrowding problems by adding more water to your soil, but it doesn’t work that way. If the roots are too entangled, they will still be unable to absorb the water.
Overwatering in and of itself is also a factor that can harm your garden. It can drown the plant and hinder it from taking its air. Too many liquids also change the soil quality — and draining the water from your land can be hard.
7. Overfertilization
Another tendency to avoid when gardening is overfertilization. While adding compost provides your plant with extra nutrients, make it a point not to overdo it. Like water, too much of a good thing is bad for your greenery.
Adding too much soluble fertilizer with little to no leaching slows or stops the growth of your plants. You can also overwhelm your seedlings and cease any possible development since they can’t adapt to that environment quickly.
8. Tiny Insects
Your garden can attract several pests, including tiny insects you may be unaware of. They tend to leave traces, though — such as chewed leaves or nests — if you look hard enough.
It can be dangerous to engage with these pests directly, but there is a safe way to do so. Consider cultivating a few plants that can drive insects away naturally. For instance, mint and eucalyptus tend to repel wasps with their smell.
9. Wild Creatures
Another type of critter that might go unnoticed is wild animals, such as raccoons, possums, and birds. Unfortunately, this can be quite inevitable, especially if you live in an area that’s closer to the wilderness. However, seeing them trample and snack on your vegetation can still hurt.
Just like with insects, you should do your best not to apprehend these little creatures directly. Instead, try to add some garden fencing that will deter them from making any visits. You can also look into planters that keep your fruits, vegetables, and other delectables off the ground.
10. Pet Feces
Domesticated animals may not impact your garden, especially if you’ve trained them to steer clear of this part of your home. However, being wary of their fecal matter coming close to your vegetation’s soil is important.
Dog and cat poop contain parasitic pathogens and roundworms that are harmful to humans and garden plants. It’s essential to pick droppings up and remove them as soon as possible. You can also work on potty training them to go number two in a different part of the yard.
Clear Those Hidden Garden Pollutants
While some of these hidden factors are out of your reach, there are still measures you can take to keep your vegetation thriving. Be on the lookout for the points listed above and protect your garden as best as you can.
Author Bio
Jack Shaw is a freelance writer specializing in home improvement, gardening, and caring for the outdoors. He’s the senior writer of Modded.com, and has contributed his advice through sites like CAD Details, House 2 Home Organizing, Log Cabin Hub, and more.
Living a sustainable and self-sufficient life in the suburbs is not easy but it is a fulfilling way of life. It’s about using your resources and skills to meet your needs, especially when it comes to food and home maintenance. Growing your vegetables, learning how to fix things yourself, and upcycling are great ways to save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
Being able to fix things yourself before buying new, or paying somebody to fix them for you is the foundation of self-sufficiency. Knowing how to handle simple plumbing, electrical, and carpentry tasks can save you both time and money and also add to your self-reliance.
Even little things like buying a knife that lasts a lifetime require you to know how to sharpen it. A sharp knife is a safe knife so get a sharpening stone and learn how to keep your knife and ax blades sharp at all times.
For plumbing, start by learning to fix a leaky faucet or unclog a drain. With electrical work, begin with understanding how to safely change a light fixture or replace a faulty switch. Carpentry skills can start with fixing a loose hinge or patching up a small hole in the wall.
2 – Set up a home garden
Another pillar of self-sufficiency is to have a garden that supplies you with fresh fruit and vegetables. The first step is to plan your garden space. Look for a spot in your yard that gets plenty of sunlight, as most vegetables and fruits need about six to eight hours of sun daily. Ensure the area has good drainage.
Check your area’s hardiness zone to help you understand which plants are suitable for growing where you live. Research which plants do well in your local area and consider the timing for planting. Some plants may thrive in cooler temperatures, while others need more heat. Starting with easy-to-grow options like tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs like basil and mint can be a good strategy for beginners.
3 – Raise chickens
If your town allows it, raising chickens can go a long way toward self-sufficiency. Chickens can provide a steady supply of fresh eggs, and they also contribute to pest control and produce valuable compost material. They’re an integral part of trying to live with a closed-loop system.
Chickens need a balanced diet, fresh water, and regular care. You’ll need to provide them with chicken feed, which is available at most farm supply stores. Change their water regularly to make sure it is clean and fresh to keep them healthy.
Their feed should come from the scraps from the garden so they have fresh veggies in addition to their pellets. This will give you the tastiest eggs as well as keeping your flock healthy.
I adore my umbrella plant, the groupings of umbrella-like leaves always catch my eye as I walk through my house.
Part of what I love about them, beyond the fabulous foliage, is that they need little maintenance.
Schefflera species have been reclassified into the Heptapleurum genus, but most of us still refer to them as “schefflera,” and you’ll commonly find them listed this way at plant nurseries and garden centers.
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In this guide, we’re going to cover when and how to prune your scheff – sorry, Heptapleurum plants!
It’s not difficult, a little bit of trimming now and then to provide the shape you want and to remove any damaged branches, and you can basically sit back and enjoy them.
Still, just because umbrella trees aren’t demanding, it doesn’t mean they never require some attention. Specimens that become leggy, misshapen, have broken branches, some thin areas, or just need a little opening up will benefit from a little pruning.
Here are the topics we’re going to cover to help you make your umbrella tree look its best:
The best time to prune specimens grown as houseplants is in the spring or summer.
Prune in spring or fall for outdoor umbrella trees. Make all your cuts right above a leaf bud or a branch using a clean pair of pruners.
It’s vital to clean your tools before you use them, or you run the risk of spreading disease. Wipe your tools down with one part bleach to nine parts water (a 10 percent bleach solution).
You might want to wear gloves, since umbrella trees will ooze sap that contains oxalate crystals, which can irritate some people’s skin.
But before you make your first cut, let’s talk about growth habits.
Schefflera Growth Habits
Umbrella plants are woody shrubs, though we often grow them in tree-like forms in our yards and gardens. As shrubs, they naturally put out multiple branches and trunks.
A large shrub can be cut back dramatically because it has a robust root system from which to send out new growth. Smaller specimens need more judicious treatment, as they can’t recover as easily from a serious prune.
Some houseplant specimens are sold already trained into a tree-like habit. These will need to be cared for a bit differently since they don’t send out lots of stems to work with.
There are two species commonly grown as houseplants: H. actinophylla and H. arboricola. Both have the same growth habit, they just differ in how large they grow, with H. arboricola remaining much smaller.
The umbrella tree will send out new branches at the nearest node to anywhere you make a cut.
Keeping this in mind can help you make your cuts to encourage growth where you want it.
How to Prune
Before you start cutting, inspect your umbrella plant carefully. Are there any overgrown areas? Branches that are much longer than all the others? Do you like the shape? Is there any evidence of damage or disease?
To prune your schefflera, start by removing any branches that are dead, dying, diseased, or deformed. Then, take off any branches that are rubbing against each other or crossing.
Once those are removed, you can provide some shape to the specimen by pruning off any extra long branches or removing a little on one side if it’s looking unbalanced.
Be sure to rotate the pot or walk around your specimen and look at it from all angles. It’s amazing how quickly a schefflera can grow lopsided or crooked.
As I mentioned earlier, you should make the cut either at the nearest stem or just above a leaf bud. Wherever you make the cut, new branches will sprout.
So anywhere that the umbrella tree is looking a bit thin can be gently pruned to encourage branching. The goal isn’t to take off the length but to cut the branch to encourage new growth.
For a younger specimen, you can take off a third of the leaves and up to half in the case of older, more established specimens.
Topping
Umbrella trees can also be “topped,” a method where you remove all of the foliage from the top of the main trunk, and the plant will respond by sending out more branches just below where you cut.
Not all species can do this, and it’s a handy technique if you want to reduce the height of a specimen.
I had a 20-year-old schefflera bonsai that grew a bit too tall and leggy over the years, so I made the tough decision to prune the trunk down by two-thirds.
It took a few months, but eventually, new branches appeared from the area where I cut, and it eventually looked better than ever.
It takes a leap of faith and some patience, but you don’t have to live with a houseplant that has a shape that you don’t love.
If your schefflera is looking leggy and bare, you can top it to encourage bushier growth lower down on the plant. To do this, choose a spot at the height you’d like to encourage growth.
Try not to cut off more than half of the plant at a time, though if you don’t mind taking the risk of potentially losing your specimen, you can prune even more severely.
Make the cut just above a branch or leaf node. You can then propagate a new plant from the top that you removed by placing it in in potting medium, or just toss it.
If you choose to propagate it, place the cutting in potting medium in its own pot and keep it in a spot with bright, indirect light. Keep the medium moist.
Keep your topped umbrella tree in its usual location and slightly reduce the amount of water you provide.
The umbrella tree won’t be able to take up as much water as it used to now that it has fewer leaves. Don’t fertilize while you’re waiting for the new growth to develop.
Once new branches emerge and start to grow, you can return to your typical care routine.
Pruning Outdoor Plants
Outdoor specimens can be pruned a lot more aggressively than those kept indoors.
Instead of shearing the plant, make judicious cuts, but feel free to prune hard if you need to. Make the cuts in front of a leaf bud to encourage branching.
You can prune back by over half if you need to reshape a plant, though you shouldn’t do this every year.
In the years in between heavy prunings, just provide shape and remove those four Ds: dead, diseased, deformed, or dying branches.
Give ‘Em the Chop
Umbrella trees can be aggressive growers. Once they become established, you turn your back, and the next thing you know, you have a towering shrub taking over the room.
Pruning is your friend! By trimming, you can change the shape of your plant, making it shorter, bushier, thinner, or whatever you want.
What are your pruning goals? Are you wanting to provide some shape? Remove some damaged branches? Fill us in on your plans in the comments section below.
Rachel found an article on yams that makes Time Cube seem almost comprehensible in comparison:
“Ñame veggie might amaze you that it’s not a sweet potato. Sweet potato is completely different from Ńame. Although, In the united states, the two terms are used interchangeably regardless of their nature, taste, and appearance.
Ñame
Pronunciation: “nyah-may”
(Wait, What My whole life was a lie?)
So, What is it then?
Well. not really, As it’s still a mystery. Some count yam in several varieties of sweet potato while others call it a completely separate vegetable.
Fun Fact: In Asia, we find many carts selling yams as sweet potatoes, boiled and cut in finger-chips shape with a variety of local seasonings. That makes a simple yam a YUM!
Its Ńame, also known as Yam in Africa (from the word name) and Greater Yam in Asia. And it’s because the Dioscorea genus has a variety of plant species with a common name and that is Yam. This species of plant forms edible tubers.
The Ńame is grown in tropical and highly humid regions as a major cultivar. Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean are the major home of Ńame. All continents have different scientific names for species of this family, Dioscorea Rotundata, Dioscorea alata, and Dioscorea trifida.”
Some of the writing is completely bizarre:
“The Ńame is a tuber that is shaped like a bark itself. It has rough skin as compared to sweet potatoes. And yam is pointed like tipped from both edges. “
Or this:
“Here are some counted steps to personalize a yam plant.”
Or this:
“Another shock to your throat, it’s not a fattening veggie. Besides the rumor often attributed to Yams that they are sweet potatoes and are full of calories and fatten up the body a lot.”
It’s hard to find useful information on the web anymore. It’s all broken.
I think it’s only going to get worse as AI takes over and copies nonsense.
On Thursday I’ll share what happened when I asked an AI to write an article comparing yams and sweet potatoes. I think you’ll find it amusing.
For foragers (and anyone whose spirit is entwined with day-length) facing down a steel-bleak Northern January can be daunting. The brighter days of spring’s promise lie far behind the winter months to come. There is good news, though: Every night is now a little shorter, every day, a little longer. And a small therapy that counters the seasonal gloom can be helpful: Looking back encourages us look forward. It is easy to forget, or dismiss, the good things past. But taking a moment to review your year will reveal episodes of delight. Every person’s retrospective will be different, and the pictorial glimpse below is a small taste of what makes my forager’s heart beat more strongly, just when it needs a boost. An image recalls a rainstorm, the scent of flowers, the sound of laughter. Even the cold months offer solace and surprise.
Above: Dinner plate-sized oyster mushrooms gathered from a log on a frozen January day. Above: And…inhale. Fir sugar made from our organic holiday tree’s needles, destined for pistachio cookies.
Above: A winter breakfast of sugar-broiled grapefruit with a whisper of chopped fir needles.
February
Above: Intrepid New Yorkers gathering with me for a frigid February forage picnic. Photograph by Jenny Hamp. Above: Chickweed’s corn-silk-tasting tips and ground ivy’s herbal leaves atop eight-minute eggs. Above: Smoked sardines under a comforter of winter-hardy field garlic.
March
Above: The first daylily shoots, destined for blanching, and bruschetta. Above: Optimistic deviled eggs with the earliest cherry blossoms (Prunus x subhirtella).
Today we’ve got photos from Christine Callwood’s garden, sent in by her daughter, Jinger.
Christine with her roses in her “Joy Garden,” named after one of her twin daughters. All of the photos were taken in her front yard. She is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Zone 7, where the Carolina sunshine presides over her flowers keeping them blossoming and thriving.
A blend of lantanas (Lantana camara, Zone 8 – 10 or as annual) and a few knockout roses (Rosa ‘Radrazz’, Zone 5 – 9). Christine has been gardening for 3 years. She started out taking gardening classes and soon progressed toward growing her own home garden. She’s appreciative of local gardeners and Witherspoon Rose Culture for tips and tricks on maintaining a successful garden and hopes to pass along some of the gardening wisdom she’s picked up over the years.
Christine’s favorite flower is the hibiscus because it’s characteristic of Caribbean tropical locales where she is originally from. She plants them in a variety of colors including, red, yellow, and orange, and pink. These are hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus hyrid, Zone 5 – 9)
A vigorous rose standing at 6 feet tall, a family favorites. A gardening obstacle she’s overcome has been poor soil quality. At one point, the soil was deteriorating the plants, and she had to remix the soil to include compost and soil conditioner, which prepared the plants for healthy growth.
Christine’s biggest success is her nearly 15-foot banana tree which took nearly a year to grow. She and her husband were surrounded by banana trees on the Caribbean island she’s from, so it’s symbolic having a piece of their native territory right in their backyard.
Christine’s King German Shepherd Darwin, loves being out in the garden. Oftentimes, when she’s watering the plants, Darwin leaps up and drinks water from the hose. Every single time without fail when he sees the water hose come out, he attempts to block the path between the flowers by jumping in front. It’s become one of his favorite past times.
Gorgeous roses in bloom.
A bright orange canna lily (Canna hybrid, Zone 8 – 10 or as tender bulb)
A swallowtail butterfly on a white butterfly bush (Buddleia, Zone 5 – 9)
I’ll be reading through the Bible in a year over 2024, using this plan.
My bible is the Douay-Rheims with St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate alongside.
2023 was the first year I read all 73 books, instead of the truncated 66-book version I grew up with. The extra reading was fascinating and I look forward to doing it again.
Learning how to grow tomatoes may feel overwhelming. Entire books have been written about growing tomatoes, but these 10 tips will fast-track you to tomato-growing success.
The taste of homegrown tomatoes is the reason many people begin a garden. In the United States, it is said that more gardeners grow tomatoes than any other vegetable.
Wondering about how to grow tomatoes in Arizona, the low desert, and other hot climates? Keep reading; there is plenty of information for you too!
Low desert includes elevations below 3500 ft in the Southwest, such as the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links See my disclosure policy for more information.
10 Tips for How to Grow Tomatoes
Tip #1 for Growing Tomatoes: Choose a tomato variety suited for your tastebuds and climate
Decide which type of tomato you want to eat. Different types of tomatoes are suited for eating fresh, canning, making salsa, or cooking.
Choose a type of tomato suited to your climate for the best chance of success. Because of the heat of Arizona summers, we have a short growing season. Look for plants with short (60-90) days to maturity. These are often types with small to medium fruit or Roma or paste varieties.
Varieties highly recommended for desert climates like Arizona include: Punta Banda, Celebrity, Pearson, Speckled Roman*, Black Krim*, Atomic Grape*, Sungold, Sweet 100, Yellow Pear, Canestrino*, and Cherokee Purple.
(* Local Master Gardener Carol Stuttard recommended varieties.)
Florida gardeners battle high heat and humidity. The Everglades tomato does well in those conditions.
Different climates have other considerations and growing conditions. Ask a local grower for varieties that do well in your area.
Tip #2 for How to Grow Tomatoes: Plant tomatoes at the correct time
To give tomato plants the best chance for success, plant tomatoes right after the last spring frost date. This is usually around February 15th – March for the low desert of Arizona. For this planting, start seeds indoors from December – January.
Once planted, if necessary, protect plants from cold nighttime temperatures. Plant tomatoes in the morning, so tomatoes have the day to settle in before cooler nighttime temperatures.
There is a second (monsoon) planting window for planting tomatoes in Arizona’s low desert from July through September. For this planting, start seeds indoors from May – July.
Once planted, protect plants from high daytime temperatures with a shade cloth. Plant tomatoes in the evening so tomatoes have a cooler evening to settle in before hot daytime temperatures.
Tomatoes grow best in temperatures of 70℉ to 90℉, with nighttime temperatures consistently above 55℉. In Arizona, you want tomatoes to flower and set fruit before it gets too hot. Once temperatures reach 90℉, tomato pollen is not viable. Fruit that has set will continue to mature, but new fruit will not set if pollen is not viable.
Tip #3 for Growing Tomatoes: Plant tomatoes in the right location
The most important requirement for productive tomatoes is plenty of sunshine.
Give tomatoes full sun for the entire plant with adequate growing space around each plant for air circulation.
Allow 2 feet between each plant for healthy and productive plants.
Do not plant tomatoes in the same location year after year. Rotate the location to prevent the build-up of disease in the soil.
Tip #4 for How to Grow Tomatoes: Prepare soil correctly
Tomatoes need soil rich in organic matter; make a habit of amending your soil with compost. Good drainage is important as an area with standing or puddling water invites disease. Prepare your soil correctly, and your plants will thank you. If you are growing tomatoes in raised beds, this article talks about the best soil for raised beds.
Tip #5 for Growing Tomatoes: Plant tomato seedlings deeply
Planting deeply encourages a more extensive root system and a healthier plant.
Remove the bottom 2/3 of the leaves on the tomato transplant.
Dig a shallow trench or deep hole (depending on the depth of the planting bed) and plant transplant so that only the top leaves are above the ground.
Roots will grow along the entire stem of the plant.
Bear in mind that plants may appear to do nothing for a bit after planting the tomato- but they are growing roots.
Tip #6 for How to Grow Tomatoes: Mulch tomato plants well
Use compost, straw, leaves, or pine needles to reduce evaporation and insulate the soil from extreme hot and cold temperatures; soil will stay at a more even temperature.
Mulching helps control weeds, and plants will not have to compete with weeds for water and nutrients. Most mulch ultimately becomes fertilizer as it decomposes into the soil around the plant. Learn more about how to mulch in this post.
Tip #7 for Growing Tomatoes: Water tomato plants correctly
Water early in the day to prevent excessive evaporation.
It’s best to water at the soil level, so leaves do not get wet. Wet leaves encourage disease.
Water to a depth of at least 12 inches to encourage roots to grow deep in the soil to find nutrients and moisture.
Water slowly and deeply.
Deep, extensive roots help plants withstand dry spells.
Water regularly as needed, but do not allow plants to become soggy as plant roots need oxygen. How often you water depends on your soil and the weather conditions. Water deeply each time you water and then let the top few inches dry out before watering again. During the hottest months of the summer, that might mean every day. During the winter, that often means every 7-10 days.
Tip #8 for How to Grow Tomatoes: Feed tomato plants
When planting, if your soil is low in phosphorus it’s important to provide a source of phosphorus (bone meal or rock phosphorus) and again as plants begin to bloom and produce fruit. A soil test can determine if your soil is low is phosphorus. Without proper fertilization, plants do not produce well and are prone to weeds (which invite pests and other diseases).
The prolific vines of Passion Flowers produce elaborate flowers. The vines and flowers of this warm-region perennial vine attract pollinators and are a host plant for Gulf Fritillary Butterflies. Learn how to grow Passion Flower Vine, when to harvest the fruit, and how to save Passion Flower seeds so you can add it to your garden.
Passiflora caerulea, commonly known as the Blue Passion Flower, is a beautiful and exotic vine that can add a unique touch to any garden. While native to South America, it has quickly become a favorite among gardeners everywhere (including me).
Passion Flower Vine (Passiflora caerulea)
This is what Passion Flower Vineflowers look like.
Passion Flower Vine fruit.
How to grow Passion Flower Vine
Passion Flower Vine planting information:
Direct sow seeds or start indoors 6-8 weeks prior to planting in the spring or fall. Plant seeds ¼” deep.
Seeds may take some time to germinate; be patient and keep soil hydrated.
Prefers full sun and deep, well-drained, rich soil.
Moderate moisture requirements can be somewhat drought-tolerant.
Size and spacing details for Passion Flower Vine:
Plant seeds and/or transplants 5 feet (1.5 m) apart.
Grows to 15-30 feet (4.5-9m) tall; provide a trellis for the long vines.
Passion Flower Vine growing tips:
Grows best in full sun. Water deeply. Allow the top several inches of soil to dry out before watering again. Mulch soil well. In my low desert Arizona garden, I provide shade during the hottest months of the year.
What about Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars?
Gulf Fritillary Butterflies love Passion Flower Vines. I love having a garden full of butterflies, and this is one of the reasons I grow this vine. The caterpillars may overtake the vine and cause severe damage. I allow this to happen and don’t intervene.
The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly and the Passion Flower Vine (Passiflora caerulea) share a fascinating yet intricate symbiotic relationship, demonstrating nature’s delicate balance.
The Passion Flower Vine is a host plant to the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly, providing a site for these butterflies to lay their eggs. Though this process may cause damage to the vine, it plays an essential role in the life cycle of the butterfly.
Once the eggs hatch, the emerging larvae feed on the vine. This process, while seemingly destructive, is a crucial part of their growth and development. Despite the harm, the vine often continues to flourish, demonstrating its resilience.
Although the vine is damaged, as the adult butterflies move from flower to flower, seeking nectar, they inadvertently facilitate pollination, helping the plant reproduce. This mutualistic relationship underscores the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the importance of each species’ role in promoting biodiversity.
Passion Flower Vine harvesting tips:
Flowers form first and then develop into fruit. Harvest the fruit when it is yellow or orange in color. The fruit should be soft to the touch. Allow harvested fruit to ripen for a few days at room temperature.
The fruit of the Blue Passion Flower is edible but not especially tasty. We like other varieties of passionfruit much better. My chickens, however, love to eat the fruit. Once harvested, the fruit should be kept in a cool, dry place.
How to save Passion Flower Vine seeds:
Saving Passion Flower seeds
I like saving the seeds from Passion Flower to plant again and share with others. Here’s how to do it:
Extract the Seeds: Start by extracting the seeds from a ripe passion fruit. Cut the fruit open and scoop out the pulp, which contains the seeds.
Begin Fermentation: Place the pulp and seeds into a small, transparent container. Add just enough water to cover the seeds and loosely cover the container. Leave this in a warm place.
Wait for Mold: Over the next 3-7 days, a layer of mold will form on the surface. This is a positive sign as it indicates the fermentation process is underway. The fermentation process helps to break down the hard seed coat and remove any germination inhibitors.
Rinse and Dry: Once the seeds have fermented, rinse them thoroughly under running water using a fine strainer. After rinsing, spread the seeds out to dry in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight.
Store Properly: Store the dried seeds in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to plant them next season. A paper envelope or a glass jar with a good seal works well for storage.
Saving Passion Flower Vine Seeds
Fermenting Passion Flower seeds has several benefits. It mimics the natural process if the fruit fell to the ground and decomposed naturally. The fermentation process can also help to protect the seeds from diseases and improve their overall health. As a result, you will be more likely to have strong, healthy plants in the coming growing season.
Are you looking for more information about how to grow vines?
This Arizona Vine Planting Guide shares some of my favorite vines that grow well in Arizona and gives growing and planting details for each one.
If this post about how to grow Passion Flower Vine was helpful, please share it:
Learn how to grow patty pan squash, from Sunburst to Gelber Englisher Custard varieties. It’s easy to care for and delicious! Patty pan squash was a surprise family favorite. Its round, saucer-like shape and delicate flavor make it perfect for grilling, roasting, or stuffing. The compact size and quick growth make this summer squash an easy addition to your planting list.
Try different varieties of patty pan squash
There are many varieties of patty pan squash to choose from. Popular types include:
Sunburst: Yellow with scalloped edges; tender and nutty tasting. (55 days to harvest)
Peter Pan: Green with scalloped edges; All-America Selections winner. (50 days to harvest)
Gelber Englisher Custard: Lemon-yellow fruit with excellent flavor. (60 days to harvest)
If you live in the low desert of Arizona, plant patty pan squash after the last frost (usually mid-February) through March and again from mid-August through September.
If you live in other areas, make sure the soil is at least 60°F (15.5°C) before planting and all danger of frost is passed.
How to plant
Amend soil with compost before planting. Large pattypan seeds are easy to direct sow in the garden. Plant seeds 1 inch (2.5cm) deep in well-draining soil, with 18-24 inches (45-60cm) spacing between seeds.
Patty pan squash also grows well in containers on a patio or balcony. Choose a container at least 18 inches (45 cm) wide and deep, and use well-draining soil.
Plant seeds in a sunny spot with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal. Provide shade once daytime temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
Caring for patty pan squash
Patty pan squash plants need consistent watering for proper growth and fruit production. Water deeply and mulch well.
The most common pest or disease problems with patty pan squash include squash bugs and powdery mildew. Monitor plants and check the undersides of leaves daily for squash bugs and their eggs. If powdery mildew is present, remove infected leaves.
The best time to harvest patty pan squash is when they are small, tender, and firm, about 2-4 inches (5-10cm) in diameter. Store harvested fruits in the refrigerator for up to a week.
When harvested young, there is no need to peel. If allowed to grow, the skin gets tough, and the seeds are large.
Grill or roast small patty pan squash and use it like other summer squash varieties. Larger fruits are better for stuffing. Scoop out the seeds before filling.
The prolific vines of Passion Flowers produce elaborate flowers. The vines and flowers of this warm-region perennial vine attract pollinators and are a host plant for Gulf Fritillary Butterflies. Learn how to grow Passion Flower Vine, when to harvest the fruit, and how to save Passion Flower seeds so you can add it to your garden.
Passiflora caerulea, commonly known as the Blue Passion Flower, is a beautiful and exotic vine that can add a unique touch to any garden. While native to South America, it has quickly become a favorite among gardeners everywhere (including me).
Passion Flower Vine (Passiflora caerulea)
This is what Passion Flower Vineflowers look like.
Passion Flower Vine fruit.
How to grow Passion Flower Vine
Passion Flower Vine planting information:
Soak seeds for 24 hours and direct sow or start indoors 6-8 weeks prior to planting in the spring or fall. Plant seeds ¼” deep.
Prefers full sun and deep, well-drained, rich soil.
Moderate moisture requirements can be somewhat drought-tolerant.
Size and spacing details for Passion Flower Vine:
Plant seeds and/or transplants 5 feet (1.5 m) apart.
Grows to 15-30 feet (4.5-9m) tall; provide a trellis for the long vines.
Passion Flower Vine growing tips:
Grows best in full sun. Water deeply. Allow the top several inches of soil to dry out before watering again. Mulch soil well. In my low desert Arizona garden, I provide shade during the hottest months of the year.
What about Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars?
Gulf Fritillary Butterflies love Passion Flower Vines. I love having a garden full of butterflies, and this is one of the reasons I grow this vine. The caterpillars may overtake the vine and cause severe damage. I allow this to happen and don’t intervene.
The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly and the Passion Flower Vine (Passiflora caerulea) share a fascinating yet intricate symbiotic relationship, demonstrating nature’s delicate balance.
The Passion Flower Vine is a host plant to the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly, providing a site for these butterflies to lay their eggs. Though this process may cause damage to the vine, it plays an essential role in the life cycle of the butterfly.
Once the eggs hatch, the emerging larvae feed on the vine. This process, while seemingly destructive, is a crucial part of their growth and development. Despite the harm, the vine often continues to flourish, demonstrating its resilience.
Although the vine is damaged, as the adult butterflies move from flower to flower, seeking nectar, they inadvertently facilitate pollination, helping the plant reproduce. This mutualistic relationship underscores the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the importance of each species’ role in promoting biodiversity.
Passion Flower Vine harvesting tips:
Flowers form first and then develop into fruit. Harvest the fruit when it is yellow or orange in color. The fruit should be soft to the touch. Allow harvested fruit to ripen for a few days at room temperature.
The fruit of the Blue Passion Flower is edible but not especially tasty. We like other varieties of passionfruit much better. My chickens, however, love to eat the fruit. Once harvested, the fruit should be kept in a cool, dry place.
How to save Passion Flower Vine seeds:
Saving Passion Flower seeds
I like saving the seeds from Passion Flower to plant again and share with others. Here’s how to do it:
Extract the Seeds: Start by extracting the seeds from a ripe passion fruit. Cut the fruit open and scoop out the pulp, which contains the seeds.
Begin Fermentation: Place the pulp and seeds into a small, transparent container. Add just enough water to cover the seeds and loosely cover the container. Leave this in a warm place.
Wait for Mold: Over the next 3-7 days, a layer of mold will form on the surface. This is a positive sign as it indicates the fermentation process is underway. The fermentation process helps to break down the hard seed coat and remove any germination inhibitors.
Rinse and Dry: Once the seeds have fermented, rinse them thoroughly under running water using a fine strainer. After rinsing, spread the seeds out to dry in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight.
Store Properly: Store the dried seeds in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to plant them next season. A paper envelope or a glass jar with a good seal works well for storage.
Saving Passion Flower Vine Seeds
Fermenting Passion Flower seeds has several benefits. It mimics the natural process if the fruit fell to the ground and decomposed naturally. The fermentation process can also help to protect the seeds from diseases and improve their overall health. As a result, you will be more likely to have strong, healthy plants in the coming growing season.
Are you looking for more information about how to grow vines?
This Arizona Vine Planting Guide shares some of my favorite vines that grow well in Arizona and gives growing and planting details for each one.
If this post about how to grow Passion Flower Vine was helpful, please share it:
African violets, Streptocarpus subg. Streptocarpella sect. Saintpaulia, are tender herbaceous perennials native to eastern Africa suited to outdoor cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 11 and 12 and grown as houseplants elsewhere.
They have thick, velvety, green or variegated foliage topped by frilly, single or double blossoms in blue, orange, pink, purple, red, white, or bi- and multicolor combinations. Rosette-style varieties are compact with a single crown.
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The rosette types are available in different sizes. There are miniature varieties of less than eight inches wide, standard types that measure eight to 16 inches wide, and large plants that are more than 16 wide at maturity.
Trailing varieties have multiple crowns and a loose, cascading growth habit.
This article discusses how to divide African violets for health, size management, visual appeal, and to propagate new plants.
Let’s get started!
Why Divide African Violets?
When we divide a plant, we either split an existing plant into one or more sections, known as “divisions” or we sever offsets – offshoots from the parent plant.
As an African violet matures, it produces one or more clones of itself called offsets or pups, which it feeds via the parent plant’s mature root system.
An offset is a baby plant. The point where the stems join the roots is called the crown. Once roots sprout from the crown, the pup is ready for division.
Dividing African violets serves several purposes:
Keeping the parent plant healthy
Propagation
Reduction of size
Restoration of visual appeal
Let’s consider each of these in more detail.
Keeping the Parent Plant Healthy
When a mature African violet produces a clone of itself, part of its nutrient intake is diverted to sustain the offset.
And when the new plant grows its own roots, the parent faces competition for food and water as they are growing in close proximity.
Separating a pup from a parent plant and potting it up separately enables the parent to obtain all available nutrients in the potting soil without competition.
Propagation
An African violet is unlikely to produce “true” if it’s grown from seed because these plants are generally hybrids.
The only ways to replicate a favorite African violet and ensure identical traits are by dividing or propagating leaf cuttings.
Removing and potting up pups is a budget-friendly way to start new plants that are clones of your favorite specimens.
Reduction of Size
An African violet with multiple offsets may become too large for its pot.
In addition to competing for nutrients and water, it may become rootbound and unable to absorb nutrition from the soil.
Separating and removing pups can restore a parent to a manageable size for optimal care and feeding.
Restoration of Visual Appeal
A single rosette-style specimen has one crown from which a whorl of leaves sprouts, the signature shape of the typical African violet.
When it puts out offsets, the result is a specimen with multiple crowns, the loss of the compact form, and a visually unappealing display.
The removal of offsets restores a single rosette focal point.
Cascading varieties have multiple crowns by nature, but benefit from the division of older crowns to make way for new growth.
Now, let’s learn how to divide!
How to Separate Offsets
The best time to remove an offset is when it has its own roots. It’s ready when it is approximately three to four months old or when the leaves are at least dime- or nickel-sized.
If you have started a sprout from a leaf cutting, this age and leaf size are also appropriate benchmarks for separating it from the old parent leaf.
The best time to divide African violets is just after flowering so that the plant’s energy is directed towards root production.
To be sure that roots have developed, you’ll need to unpot the entire plant.
Prepare to unpot by watering the specimen a few days before so the soil is moist but not soggy.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Slip a round-edged dinner knife between the soil and the edge of the pot to loosen the contents, and ease the plant out of the pot.
Examine the soil below the pups for evidence of roots. A division is most likely to thrive when it has roots attached to the green stems and foliage.
If you are unable to separate it with the roots attached, you can repot and wait a bit longer, or dip the rootless pup into rooting hormone before planting.
You may be able to gently tease an offset’s roots away from those of the parent. Otherwise, use sanitized scissors to sever the roots connecting the two.
Take care not to detach the tender young roots from the offset.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Lay the separated baby plant aside and return the parent to its original container. Backfill with additional African violet potting soil as needed.
Cascading types have multiple crowns and loose, airy growth.
To encourage offset formation, you can remove large, older crowns by dividing them as above, or pinch off individual large, old leaves.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
A quick way to remove a substantial pup from a cascading or rosette species is to skip the unpotting and simply slice through the crown at the base of the stem cluster and lift the pup out of the pot.
This is a useful technique if you are in an office setting where making a mess isn’t feasible, and you want to reduce a plant’s size and/or share pups with colleagues.
Because it’s likely that the pup won’t have intact roots, to propagate the offset, you’ll need to dip the bottom of the severed crown into rooting hormone powder before planting as above.
Potting Up
An African violet likes a fairly snug pot at all stages of its life. When transplanting an offset, a three-inch plastic or biodegradable seedling pot is a suitable size.
Fill the pot three quarters full of a light African violet potting soil. Do not tamp it down. Instead, keep it loose and airy.
Alternatively, you can use a mix of equal parts peat, perlite, and vermiculite.
Make a wide, shallow depression in the soil.
Place the rooted crown on top of the depression. Set it so that the undersides of the lowest leaves are just above the pot rim and the roots are splayed out sideways if possible. Make the hole deeper or shallower as needed.
Gently backfill with soil to hold it firmly in place at the appropriate depth.
Tamp lightly around the little plant to secure it in an upright position.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
If you accidentally break the roots off, dip the rootless crown into rooting hormone powder and bury it about a quarter of an inch deep. It will likely grow new roots.
Moisten the potting soil but do not soak it, and be sure to avoid wetting the leaves.
Cover the pot with a cloche or plastic bag to increase the ambient humidity around the new plant.
Going Forward
Place the pot in bright, indirect sunlight near a south- or east-facing window. Avoid direct sunlight through window glass that may scorch the foliage and overheat the plant.
Take the cloche or bag off for a few hours daily to avoid oversaturation. Remove it when new foliage appears.
Provide a growing environment with a room temperature of 65 to 80°F with about 80 percent humidity if possible.
To increase the humidity, place pea gravel or small stones in a single layer on a tray and fill the tray with just enough water to cover them. Place the pot on top of the stones.
Water when the potting soil dries out completely. You can also use the bottom-watering method by setting the pot into a pan of water for about 20 minutes to ”drink” what it needs.
African violets are prone to rotting in oversaturated soil, so this technique is a worthwhile preventative measure.
Give your plant a month or more to become established before instituting a monthly regimen of fertilizing with a liquid plant food diluted to one-quarter strength.
Act swiftly to address infestation and infection with an insecticide and fungicide like organic neem oil. Please note neem oil has a strong, garlicky odor.
As the baby plant grows, it will eventually need a larger pot.
A good rule of thumb for container selection is to choose one that is one-third the size of the diameter or width of the leaf span. For example, if the leaf rosette measures nine inches across, a pot with a diameter of three inches is suitable.
And because African violets have shallow roots, it’s best to choose a shallow pot rather than a deep one because the soil in a deep container stays wet for too long and can promote rotting.
African violets do best when repotted annually in fresh soil to remove fertilizer salt buildup that inhibits water uptake. Unglazed ceramic and terra cotta pots are prone to salt buildup on the outside, so consider glazed or plastic containers when you need to go up in pot size.
If repotting litters the foliage with soil, don’t wash it off, as the leaves are very prone to fungal disease that proliferates in moist conditions. Instead, use an artist’s paintbrush or microfiber duster to sweep the debris gently away.
Showing to Best Advantage
To recap, we divide to support the parent plant’s health, propagate pups, reduce overcrowding, and restore visual appeal.
Dividing allows us to display our plants to the best advantage, a requirement for gardeners who show at garden society events that require a single rosette variety to have only one crown and a trailing type, at least three.
Add dividing to your African violet care regimen today and keep yours looking and feeling their best.
Do you grow African violets? Do you divide them regularly? Please tell us in the comments section below.
If you found this article helpful and want to learn more about houseplants in general and specifically African violets, we recommend the following:
Before the internet, or even the printing press, we relied on the knowledge passed down through to learn about gardening. While there is so much to know from our ancestors, some old wives’ tales about gardening just aren’t true. There are still a handful of gardening myths that people still use today. Instagram and TikTok are full of them! Let’s get to the truth behind these common gardening misconceptions.
Bees are only attracted to the colour yellow.
Peeing on a jellyfish sting will alleviate the pain.
Turkey makes you sleepy.
If you swallow gum, it will take 7 years to digest.
These are just a handful of old wives’ tales I’ve heard over the years.
When it comes to gardening, some of these old wives’ tales about gardening can have a hint of truth to them. They’re all rooted in some science, even if they didn’t realize it.
BUT (and this is a big but), most of them are said to work better than they actually do. Or they at least started with good intentions. You’ll see what I mean when you keep on reading!
Here are the gardening myths I’ll be talking about today…
A Note on Listening and Experimenting
When it comes to old wives’ tales about gardening, some of them can actually be true. Making them not an old wives’ tale at all!
I’ve always sought to find a balance between science-based and grandmother methods that have been passed down.
While writing Garden Alchemy, I analyzed permaculture, herbalism, indigenous learning, and current science to develop organic concoctions for the garden. It’s all about striking a balance between these claims and fact-based evidence.
This review from Frau Zinnie sums it up. “[Garden Alchemy] empowers the reader to experiment with ways to fix common garden problems with minimal effort — and showing how there are so many things the home gardener can do before deciding to buy a “problem-solving” product at the store.”
From peat-free soil alternatives to using alfalfa as a fertilizer, there are many ways you can use organic elements effectively in the garden using Garden Alchemy as your guide.
And now, onto some myth busting!
Adding Coffee Grounds to Soil
The gardening myth: coffee grounds are a great soil amendment, and you can mix them right into your soil.
While coffee grounds do have plant nutrients, they’re not a significant source. People add them directly to the soil; while you can do this, it’s better to use them as a compost ingredient. They’re a great compost ingredient and will provide more benefits to your plants once decomposed.
Coffee grounds are a great addition to the compost pile, but not right in the garden.
Vinegar as a Weed Killer
The gardening myth: vinegar is a natural herbicide that is better for the garden than commercial herbicides.
Vinegar burns plants upon contact, and it is gentler than most commercial herbicides. BUT it doesn’t discriminate against which plants it will harm, burning anything it comes into contact with. It also may kill the leaves, but not the root system below. So, while it may be a weed killer, it’s not as effective as you might like and could hurt your neighbouring plants.
The gardening myth: you can soak bananas in hot water to create a potassium-rich fertilizer tea to pour on your houseplants and in the garden.
Very little of the banana peel decomposes when you soak it in water. As a result, the water doesn’t have much nutritional value. If you put a banana peel directly in the soil, it will take a long time to break down before it becomes useful to your garden. They’re not an immediate nutrient boost and work best when added to the compost pile.
The gardening myth: eggshells are a calcium-rich garden amendment that can help prevent blossom end rot from occurring.
Calcium deficiency is actually quite rare for soil. While blossom end rot occurs due to the plant’s lack of calcium, it’s not because there’s a lack of calcium in the soil but rather the plant’s ability to absorb the calcium. Furthermore, eggshells need to be fully broken down to provide calcium, and following a theme here, it takes a while to break down. They’re better off in the compost or in your worm bin.
The gardening myth: dish soap works as an insecticide spray.
Most commercial dish soaps are actually detergents, which contain ingredients that aren’t actually that healthy for the garden and your soil. Instead, you want to use fragrance-free castile soap. When mixed with water and other pest deterrent ingredients, it can help make your deterrent more sticky and useful when spraying it on pests.
The gardening myth: you can sprinkle cinnamon in your potting soil to prevent damping off from affecting your seedlings.
Cinnamon is actually quite a powerful spice and has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Many studies have proven these properties in combating illnesses for humans, and some show this for plants as well. However, many of the studies use cinnamon from different species and in different forms than the powdered version we get at the grocery store.
The gardening myth: if you speak kind words to your plants, they can actually grow better.
Sound vibrations are proven to affect plant growth positively. Does it have to be a positive affirmation? No. Your plant won’t know whether your words are good or bad. Music can actually have a greater effect on your plants. All in all, it doesn’t matter what kind of sound plants listen to, but they like noise!
The gardening myth: Epsom salts can prevent and cure blossom end rot and stop pests and other fungal diseases.
Epsom salts won’t help your plant when there’s a calcium deficiency, which is why your plant has blossom end rot. In fact, Epsom salts are a high source of magnesium and that can actually hurt your plant when it’s trying to get more calcium. There is also no real evidence to support that it can stop other pests and diseases.
I love to use Epsom salts in the bathtub after a long day out in the garden.
Houseplants as Air Purifiers
The gardening myth: having houseplants in your home can help to purify the air and improve air quality.
Without a doubt, plants are powerful tools to combat pollution and filter through harmful toxins. Many large studies (like the famous NASA one) proved that plants effectively filter air. However, most of these studies were done in small, enclosed spaces. Large, open houses will make it difficult for a few houseplants to purify the air to a point where it’s positively affecting your health. But they certainly don’t hurt!
If you’re a crazy plant lady like me, you might have enough houseplants to have better air quality.
Gardening by the Moon Phases
The gardening myth: the lunar cycle can affect plant growth and can be a useful tool for planning planting and maintenance.
Since the moon can affect the earth’s tides, some believe it can also affect the water intake in plants. Depending on the moon’s phase, you can determine the best time to plant, cultivate, and harvest plants. There’s no real evidence to support this, but that hasn’t stopped other old wives’ tales about gardening and the moon to pop up.
Get inspired by planting a moon garden, a garden that is designed to be enjoyed in the moonlight.
Using Compost Tea
The gardening myth: diluting compost and using compost leachate can be useful ways to improve soil and plant health.
There’s a big debate about whether or not compost tea is actually helpful for the garden. Compost tea is something I use in my own garden, and I have written about it quite a bit in Garden Alchemy. Those who are against compost tea say there’s not enough evidence to support the positive claims behind compost tea.
The gardening myth: like us, plants experience aging and will eventually die as they get old.
Plants do not age the same way that we do. In theory, plants have infinite growth potential as they produce more leaves, flowers, stems, and roots. A plant can keep producing new parts to replace their old ones as long as they like. But as they age, they often get damaged over time and become weaker. This means the older a plant is, the more likely it is to fall victim to a pathogen.
The gardening myth: when you snip or damage a plant, you’re hurting it.
Plants have no pain receptors; they don’t feel the same way we do. However, they do experience stress and will react to poor conditions. For instance, I’ve seen how my garden reacts after lots of forest fire smoke has been in the air. Plants will respond to their environment but don’t have feelings.
Don’t worry about cutting your plants. They’re not going to feel pain.
Plants Don’t Need Oxygen
The gardening myth: plants take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
This one isn’t actually a myth per se, but only half of the full story. During photosynthesis, plants take carbon dioxide from the air alongside water from the ground to turn it into sugars and oxygen. The plant uses the sugars, and the oxygen is a by-product. However, during the photosynthesis process, plants do use some oxygen. They just need a fraction of it compared to us.
What is the old wives’ tale about thanking someone for a plant?
An old gardening superstition is that when you thank someone for gifting you a plant or a flower from someone’s garden, the original plant will die or won’t bloom again.
What other old wives’ tales about gardening have you heard? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to add to this list and do some more digging.
Make enough money with the plant nursery to pay us back for the greenhouse
Raise meat birds
Add 12 Leghorns to the chicken flock
Raise 5,000 lbs of food
Produce 100 consecutive YouTube videos in the spring
Fill up the rest of the fenced garden area with crops
Plant pumpkins on top of compost piles
Continue the landrace corn, watermelon, cucumber and daikon experiments
Plant the death hedge
Get my nursery into the Palafox Market in Pensacola
Fill in the food forest gaps
Plant a row of ultra-dwarf apples in the Grocery Row Garden
Release Minimalist Gardening
Release Florida Bullfrog’s Survival Chickens
Finish writing The Good Guide to Food Forests
Finish writing Alabama Survival Gardening
That ought to keep us busy.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Remember us, O God; from age to age be our comforter. You have given us the wonder of time, blessings in days and nights, seasons and years. Bless your children at the turning of the year and fill the months ahead with the bright hope that is ours in the coming of Christ. You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever. Amen.
The best laid plans for the garden are usually made in the dead of winter, when short days give us long, cozy evenings to dream up a new project or pore over seed catalogues in anticipation of next summer’s borders. In a similar way, it’s a good time to make some resolutions and to implement changes to not only what you’ll plant but how you’ll maintain it all, too. Here then are some of my garden resolutions for 2024.
1. Keep a garden notebook.
Above: Making a note of key flowers to grow with floral designer Milli Proust’s cottage window. Photograph by Eva Nemeth, from Milli’s debut book From Seed to Bloom.
How many times do you make a mental note and then very swiftly forget all about it? In the garden it’s all too easy to forget six months later, say, the exact position where you wanted to plant a swathe of spring bulbs, or the spot you were hoping to relocate a plant, or the name of the shrub you wanted to buy. A notebook is arguably the most underestimated tool for the gardener; making notes, lists, and sketches through the gardening year, both in your own garden and when visiting others, will keep plant names and plans all in one place.
2. Ditch the impulsive plant shopping.
Above: South Wood Farm in Devon, England, designed by Arne Maynard. Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
In my garden there is always a table through the growing season of plants that have not yet found their spot—a collection of impulse purchases, bought during over-excited, under-planned visits to the plant nursery, that are then neglected there was never a set plan for them. As the season comes and goes, those plants stay on the table, an embarrassing reminder of my failure to properly plan. So this year I’m vowing to eradicate this habit and buy only the plants I already have a spot for.
3. Make more space for messiness.
Above: The dovecote at Old-Lands in Wales. Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
As my garden margins have become messier—with nettles, brambles, wildflowers and weeds—the insect and bird life has boomed. It doesn’t take much to create habitats for wildlife: Undisturbed corners, dead hedges, log piles, fallen wood, leaf mounds will all provide useful hiding places and habitats for the creatures that are fundamental to the health and life of your garden. By leaving a variety of weeds to grow, you will also boost biodiversity too.
I can get a bit lazy in my approach to the annual mulch, but this past summer, while comparing my borders to pictures taken a few years ago, it became clear that it needed a significant boost come winter. I expect a lot from my garden, which features borders planted successionally so that there is something always in flower from late winter right through until November, and a rich mulch with organic matter will give it much needed nutrients for the growing season ahead. As I have very sandy, free draining soil in my garden, I prefer a rich mulch, either manure or Dalefoot’s Double Strength compost; both, of course, are peat-free.
5. Invest in naturalizing bulbs.
Above: Narcissus ‘Pheasant’s Eye’ is planted in swathes in the meadow at Sissinghurst Castle, Kent. Photograph by Clare Coulson.
Happy New Year! It is your GPOD editor Joseph here, and today I’m sharing some of my New Year’s Resolutions… for my garden. Some things that I’m thinking I want do to in the garden this year.
What are yours? We’d love to hear about them!
Learn to use my new cold frame. A neighbor was throwing away old storm windows, so I grabbed them and used them to make myself a cold frame in the back garden. I’m so excited, I’ve never had a cold frame before. So… I need to learn to make the most of it. Right now my plans include using it to overwinter border-line hardy plants, force bulbs, and grow veggies for winter harvest. We’ll see what all I can pull off.
A related resolution… start my winter lettuces sooner! I built the cold frame late and then sowed a bunch of things in it. The lettuce here are growing great, but they are romane and I didn’t start them soon enough to head up before winter arrived. Next year I’m going to get my seed-starting timing better! The same applies to my pepper seedlings… I never get them going soon enough and end up with runty little plants to put out in the garden.
More fall interest! This shot is from my home office window, looking out at the incredible sugar maple (Acersaccharum, Zone 3 – 8) in my front yard. It looks AMAZING every fall. But the rest of the garden doesn’t. I mean, I do have some things that look good in fall, but not enough! Time to fix that. I put in a bunch of asters last year… but the rabbits ate all of them. Time to figure something else out.
This photo is from Oklahoma State University Botanic Garden. I just loved this incredible creative container made from an old plow disc, and it is inspiring a resolution to get more creative with my containers this year, especially in combining them with cactus and succulents.
This beautiful rose bush is one I pass walking my dog through my neighborhood regularly. It looks so amazing! So my resolution is to get one for my garden. But I don’t know the variety, so I’m going to have to meet that neighbor, get the name, or see if they’ll let me take cuttings.
Grow more penstemon! This is Penstemonheterophyllus ‘Zuriblau’ blooming in my front garden last summer. I just love the color, and it seems to love my sandy soil. More! More! I want more penstemons! Penstemon huge genus with hundreds of species, all only native to North America, so lots and lots to explore.
My last resolution is to take good care of this terrarium I made. It was a lot of fun to make, using some mini orchids and moss, but I know that I typically am terrible about taking care of my houseplants once the outdoor gardening season gets underway. But not this year! I’m going to keep this watered and happy!
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Another good reason for urgent repotting is if the container it’s growing in is much too large for the specimen.
Of course, even for species that tolerate being rootbound, there will come a time when you’ll eventually need to repot. I’ll provide some repotting tips for you at the end of the article.
But first you’ll want to learn what to look for as signs that you do indeed need to repot, so let’s learn more about these 17 houseplants that don’t mind being rootbound:
1. Alocasia
Our first selection is Alocasia, which doesn’t need frequent repotting.
Known for their supersized heart- or arrowhead-shaped leaves and high contrast coloration, alocasias (Alocasia spp.) are dramatic looking houseplants that will command your visual attention.
Alocasia.
When it comes to care, alocasias need bright, indirect light and moderate watering.
These striking houseplants don’t mind being slightly rootbound and can keep growing in the same container until roots start emerging from drainage holes.
Once you witness those emerging roots, or the potting medium is drying out too fast, it’s time to repot.
‘Polly’ is a hybrid cultivar that has glossy, dark green leaves with purple undersides and ruffled edges, and contrasting white to light green leaf veins. It reaches two feet tall and wide at maturity.
Next on our list is aloe vera, a succulent which thrives in rootbound conditions and shouldn’t be repotted often.
With long, tapering, fleshy leaves, Aloe vera is a staple in the DIY medicine chest because of the skin-soothing gel that is contained within its foliage.
Aloe vera.
Aloe vera needs six hours of direct sunlight per day to thrive, and should be watered when the top two to three inches of growing medium are dry.
When it comes to repotting aloe vera, it will only need to be transplanted every few years.
You can let it go somewhat potbound, but it may be time to repot when roots are poking through the drainage holes, or the specimen is top heavy and prone to falling over.
Have you been living without one of these succulents?
Amaryllis doesn’t need to be repotted frequently, it prefers rootbound conditions.
You may think of the flower amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) as something to be discarded after it’s done blooming, but it can certainly be kept as a houseplant for the long term. They can actually live for decades!
Amaryllis.
With showy blooms held on long, thick stems that emerge from large bulbs, amaryllis plants are right up there with poinsettias and Christmas cacti as “must have” living flora for the winter holidays.
Amaryllis thrives with six hours of direct sunlight per day and should be watered when the top few inches of the growing medium are dry.
Take care to use a houseplant watering can with a narrow spout to water only the growing medium, not the bulb.
This amaryllis kit comes in a burlap gift bag and includes a ‘Spartacus’ amaryllis bulb, a decorative white ceramic pot, complete instructions, and growing medium.
You’ll find it at the Daylily Nursery Store via Amazon.
This next selection, Chinese money plant, shouldn’t be repotted often. Instead, it should be allowed to grow in the same container until somewhat rootbound.
In the houseplant world, Chinese money plant(Pilea peperomiodes) is instantly recognizable – it has long, thin, arching stems, each of which bear a single, round green leaf, held like baubles on the plant.
Chinese money plant.
These cute green pileas are nontoxic, so they make a good fit for households with kids and pets.
Good care for Chinese money plants includes offering bright, indirect sunlight, and watering when the soil is dry half way down the growing medium.
Related to watermelon pilea aka aluminum plants, Chinese money plants don’t like to be repotted, so it’s better to allow them to become somewhat rootbound before transferring to new containers – approximately every two years.
Whether you’re drawn to these pileas for their perky appearance or their Feng Shui symbolism of wealth, you can bring home one of your own!
You’ll find a live Chinese money plant in a four-inch nursery pot available for purchase from the California Tropicals Store via Amazon.
5. Christmas Cactus
This next selection, the well-loved Christmas cactus, doesn’t require frequent repottings and grows well when rootbound.
Known for their bright blooms that appear during the dark months of the year Christmas and other holiday cacti (Schlumbergera spp.) make excellent, easy-care houseplants.
Provide Christmas cactus with bright, indirect light, and water when the top inch of the growing medium is dry.
As epiphytes, Christmas cacti don’t need a lot of growing medium for their root system and prefer to be slightly potbound. On average, holiday cacti should be repotted approximately every three years.
Want to add one of these to your home to liven up your holiday decor?
Our next selection, epiphyllum, grows better when rootbound and only repotted infrequently.
Jungle cacti like their relative the Christmas cactus, Epiphyllum houseplants produce large, showy flowers, and have long, flattened, succulent stems.
Also known as orchid cacti, epiphyllums are safe for households with pets and young children.
Epiphyllum.
Indoors, epiphyllums should be grown primarily in bright, indirect light, though a couple of hours of direct sun in the morning will please these succulents too, as long as you habituate them to direct exposure gradually.
Water when the top third of the growing medium is dry.
As epiphytes, epiphyllums only need small pots compared to the massive amounts of foliage they produce, and they don’t mind being rootbound.
Plan on repotting every five to seven years or when the specimen becomes unstable in its pot.
E. hookeri subsp.guatemalense, also known as “curly Sue” or “curly locks” is an epiphyllum with twisting and curling stems.
I’m an avowed epiphyllum fanatic and this is one of my personal favorites.
Like many succulents, this next houseplant on our list also prefers to be rootbound rather than undergoing frequent repottings. I’m talking about jade plant.
Jade plant.
Jade plant (Crassula ovata) is a classic among succulent houseplants.
With egg-shaped, bright green leaves, an upright growth habit, and stems that turn woody, mature specimens often resemble miniature trees.
Jade plant grows best in direct sun for part of the day, complemented by bright, indirect light, and the soil should be allowed to dry out almost completely between waterings.
Don’t repot your jade plant until it is cracking its container or until its foliage is so heavy that it’s tipping over – approximately every four to five years.
Do your other succulents need a little jade tree to watch over them?
Our next selection, kalanchoe, also favors rootbound conditions and shouldn’t be repotted often.
There are many different types of kalanchoes (Kalanchoe spp.) – but one thing these succulents have in common is that they don’t mind being snug in their containers.
But perhaps one of the most well-known is K. blossfeldiana, commonly known as florist’s kalanchoe or flaming Katy, a houseplant popular for its brightly colored flowers and fleshy green foliage.
Grow kalanchoes in bright, indirect light, and water when the soil is dry three to four inches down.
As noted, these succulents don’t mind being rootbound, but look for roots emerging from drainage holes as a sign that it’s time to repot.
‘Calandiva Red’ is a kalanchoe cultivar that has dark green foliage and red, double blooms.
These make great gifts for that special someone – and maybe that special someone is yourself!
Whether it’s a gift to give or a gift to get, you’ll find live specimens of ‘Calandiva Red’ kalanchoe in four-and-a-half-inch nursery pots, available for purchase from the Succulents Box Store via Amazon.
This next selection, lipstick vine, performs beautifully when allowed to become rootbound rather than repotting it frequently.
Nontoxic and related to African violets, lipstick vines (Aeschynanthus spp.) are epiphytes that have elliptical, green or variegated leaves, and reddish flowers that look like little tubes of lipstick.
Lipstick vine.
Lipstick vines grow best in bright, indirect light. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry between waterings.
These houseplants don’t require frequent repotting, usually every two to three years is sufficient. In fact, they actually produce more flowers when somewhat potbound.
Black pagoda plant (A. longicaulis) is a type of lipstick vine with gorgeously patterned foliage and orangish-red flowers.
Do you have just the perfect spot for a hanging basket with lipstick vines trailing down?
Speaking of flowers, keep this next selection rootbound rather than repotting it for a more floriferous hoya.
When picking a houseplant you often have to choose between either eye-catching foliage or showstopping blooms – but hoyas (Hoya spp.) give you both.
Hoya.
Safe for households with pets and small children, there are many, many different types of hoyas, and not all have the same light and water preferences.
But a good rule of thumb when you don’t know what kind you have is to offer bright, indirect light and to let the growing medium dry out completely between waterings.
Many Hoya species are epiphytes so they have small root systems, and they produce blooms more generously when rootbound. These are often grown in smallish pots compared to the large masses of foliage they produce, and only need to be repotted infrequently.
H. latifolia ‘Variegata’ (formerly known as H. macrophylla ‘Variegata’) is a beautiful hoya with large, thick, spear-shaped leaves, prominent veins, and outer variegation – that’s to say variegation on the margins of its leaves.
Need one of these to start off your hoya collection?
Our next selection, Norfolk Island pine, can be allowed to grow in rootbound conditions rather than repotting it to keep it from outgrowing our homes.
There aren’t many conifer trees that can grow happily indoors as houseplants, but Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla) take to the indoor environment like superstars.
Norfolk Island pine.
With green needles and softly drooping branches, these pyramid-shaped trees can serve as stand-in Christmas trees, or create a stately presence in a large space.
These nontoxic trees will thrive with a few hours of direct sunlight, supplemented with bright, indirect light. Water when the top inch of the growing medium is dry.
Repotting your Norfolk Island pine may be a chore you should put off – by repotting less often, it’s possible to keep this tree – which outdoors, can grow to 200 feet tall! – at a manageable size.
These conifers make gorgeous living Christmas trees that you can decorate – with lightweight baubles only, please! – year after year.
Ready to bring one of these home for some holiday cheer?
Our next selection, Peperomia, is a genus with many indoor-friendly species that grow well when rootbound, and don’t need frequent repotting.
Peperomia houseplants come in many shapes and sizes, but most of them are known for their attractive, fleshy foliage.
Peperomia.
Peperomias thrive in bright, indirect light and need their growing medium to dry out slightly between waterings – the top inch of soil should be allowed to dry.
With small, fine roots, these nontoxic houseplants don’t require frequent repotting and it’s fine to let them get a little rootbound.
Once the potting medium starts to dry out too often, or you check the roots and they are filling up the pot, that’s a good sign that it’s time to repot.
Watermelon peperomia (P. argyreia) is a species of peperomia whose leaves are patterned with stripes reminiscent of those on a watermelon rind.
Do you have a home office or tabletop in need of some peperomia joy?
The next houseplant on our list, rex begonia, should be allowed to become rootbound to prevent transplant shock from repotting.
With brightly colored foliage, hypnotizing patterns, beguiling leaf shapes, and somewhat fussy care requirements, rex begonias (Begoniaxrex-cultorum) are often thought of as divas in the houseplant world.
Rex begonia.
These houseplants need very bright, indirect light and consistently moist soil, accompanied by excellent drainage.
Rex begonias don’t care for being repotted, so they should be allowed to grow in the same container until their roots fill their pot completely.
You can pull a plant out of its container to check for this – if any loose soil remains in the pot when you lift out the plant, it’s not time to repot yet.
Harmony’s ‘Love Potion’ is a cultivar that has green and purple leaves with splatters of white dots.
Ready to bring one of these fascinating rex begonias home?
Our next selection, snake plant, benefits from somewhat negligent care, which includes allowing it to become rootbound rather than repotting frequently.
If you want a live houseplant that will put up with being treated as part of the decor, snake plant (Dracaena spp.) makes a great option.
Snake plant.
With their long, leathery leaves, snake plants can get by with low light and very little water.
However, growth will be better if they are provided with bright, indirect light. The growing medium should be allowed to dry out almost completely between waterings.
Snake plants make excellent starter houseplants, and when it comes to repotting, they will happily keep growing in the same container until the overgrown roots cause it to crack.
You will need to refresh the growing medium every five years if you don’t repot sooner than that.
What’s better than one snake plant? A grouping of more than one!
This next selection, spider plant, is a resilient, adaptable option that remains happy and healthy when rootbound and infrequently repotted.
Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are perhaps one of the most widely kept houseplants and are easy to recognize – they look like a pot of pale green or green and white grass.
Spider plant.
Mature specimens often have spiderettes extending from long thin stems, and they may be the quintessential hanging basket houseplants.
There’s a reason for their popularity – these nontoxic houseplants are supremely easy to care for.
Spider plants can be grown in bright, indirect or medium light and should be allowed to dry out somewhat between waterings. They are fairly adaptable to different watering routines, as long as you don’t overwater.
Growing thick white roots that gradually fill up their pots, there’s no need to repot spider plants until they are bursting out of their containers or until they start drying out too frequently.
In fact, being rootbound will encourage spider plants to produce spiderettes.
‘Ocean’ is a cultivated variety of spider plant that is more compact than the species plant, with leaves reaching eight to 12 inches long at maturity.
Don’t leave this trusty standby of the houseplant world off your wish list – there’s a reason they’re so popular!
This next option on our list, tree philodendron, is best kept somewhat rootbound to keep it from getting too big.
With large, green, lobed leaves, tree philodendron (Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum) is a giant of the jungles that will provide a tropical vibe when you bring one into your home.
Tree philodendron.
Tree philodendrons thrive in low light to bright, indirect light, and have moderate water needs.
These houseplants thrive with potbound roots, but you’ll need to refresh the potting soil periodically and the roots to keep it in check.
Our final selection, weeping fig, is a sensitive option that would rather be rootbound than repotted.
Often appearing with braided trunks or variegated foliage, weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) is another classic houseplant.
Weeping fig.
Thriving with bright, indirect sun and moderate watering, weeping figs don’t like changes – and repotting definitely counts as a change!
Weeping figs can be allowed to become rootbound, these shouldn’t be repotted until there are roots coming out of their drainage holes, or circling the surface of the soil.
With their lofty heights and lush foliage, these trees help brighten up corners and soften edges in our homes. Sound like the perfect decorating fix?
Once you determine that your houseplant finally needs to be repotted because it is far too rootbound – its roots are emerging from the surface of the soil or the drainage holes, there’s no soil left in the pot, or it’s drying out much too quickly between waterings – here are a few tips to follow:
Water the rootbound specimen first, pot up only one size, and while transplanting, be sure to untangle the outer layer of roots.
Gently tease them away from the root ball – you can do this by rubbing the palm of your hand against the ball of roots. If they are too tightly tangled and you can’t loosen them with your hand, you can rub the tines of a fork along the root ball instead.
Untangling its mass of roots will help them spread into their new potting medium more easily, otherwise they may just remain in a tangled ball and won’t get the benefits of new soil and more room.
Now that you know which houseplants will be happy living rootbound in their plastic, ceramic, or terra cotta “homes” for long stretches of time, which ones will you pick to add to your own home? Let us know in the comments section below!
Are you wondering if any of your other favorite houseplants will be happy to live a rootbound life too? If so, feel free to pose your questions in the comments section as well.
It’s time again for the annual “Year in Review” post. We started this tradition in 2012, and by golly, we ain’t about to stop now.
2023 was the first year we spent on our new homestead and it was quite productive. We’ll get to the yield numbers shortly, but first, let’s see how we did on meeting the goals set at the beginning of the year.
2023 Goals
PLANT AN APPLE ORCHARD Done! We planted 10 trees in a small orchard where we run our ducks, and planted another 5 or so apple trees elsewhere. We also got six trees started from seed. (1)
BUILD A BIG CHICKEN COOP Yes. We now have a nice bamboo coop. (1)
HIT 500,000 SUBSCRIBERS ON YOUTUBE Nope. Youtube numbers were down this year. We did hit 300k, though. (0)
WRITE A POST FOR EVERY WEEKDAY IN 2023 Made it! (1)
FINISH WRITING MINIMALIST GARDENING Done. Just waiting on final print layout. (1)
FINISH WRITING ALABAMA SURVIVAL GARDENING Did not manage this. Did manage to edit Survival Chickens for Florida Bullfrog, though, and we’re putting that out soon. (0)
LAUNCH THE TACTICAL GARDENING KICKSTARTER No. Decided not to for now. (0)
GROW 1,000 POUNDS OF FOOD We more than hit double on this goal! (1)
LANDRACE EVERYTHING We did this, crossing corn, radishes, watermelons and cucumbers in 2023 and will be planting our crosses in the spring. The crossed daikons are already on their second generation, as we planted the first ones in spring, then planted the f1 generation this fall. (1)
GRAFT ALL THE BRADFORD PEARS We grafted quite a few, though not all. However, frosts and the cows damaged many of the grafts. We’ll have to try again on the ones that failed. (1/2)
HARVEST A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF FIREWOOD It looks like we harvested enough for winter. Not massive, but decent. (1/2)
MAKE THE COTTAGE A GUEST HOUSE We did it! Fixed the plumbing, patched the walls, painted the ceiling, floor and walls, and made it beautiful. (1)
PLANT A DEATH HEDGE We still didn’t manage to figure out our front property line – plus, we wanted to plant a hedge later in the year, but the drought stopped us. (0)
FINISH READING THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE Done! (1)
BUILD A GIANT WALL OF BOOKSHELVES Did it! (1)
Goals achieved: 10 out of 15. I could count “11”, if we counted hitting double the “1000lbs of food” goal, but we won’t get cocky.
Total Garden Yields
Now let’s take a look at how our food production went. The soil here is much better than at our former rented location, which helped immensely.
We did have a bad drought from July into November, however, which kept our vegetable production much lower than it should have been. We barely planted anything for fall, other then a few beds of daikons and other brassicas. Normally, the Grocery Row Gardens would be loaded with cool-season produce but the ground was hard and dusty even under the mulch so we didn’t plant anything.
3036lbs of meat and vegetables 2,467 eggs (as of Dec. 26th) 434 gallons of milk.
We tested multiple varieties of potatoes in the garden and found Red Pontiac and Adirondack Blue gave us the best yields, with Kennebec giving us the worst.
We had a poor year for sugarcane due to the drought, and the cassava was also much less productive than it should have been. I simply cut the cassava canes to the ground before the first frost and mulched over the roots so they can keep growing in the spring. Most of them were still too small to harvest.
Our tomatoes did horribly, as usual, with the exception of Everglades tomatoes and some small yellow pear tomatoes.
One nice success was Ezekiel’s mixed-up landrace watermelons, which functioned as a ground cover in the Grocery Row Gardens and gave us a remarkable supply of fresh melons through the summer. They were a huge portion of our yields this year, with 760lbs of watermelons produced.
The cows would have made more milk except that we dried them off at the end of July before heading to the Homesteading Life Conference. This was fine, as they were both pregnant and safely delivered two female calves in the fall. Now they are being milked again, so we’ll have plenty of butter and cheese and cream and yogurt and milk through the coming year.
Books Read: 56
The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity by Timothy Ware Lysistrata by Aristophanes Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on “Romanism” by “Bible Christians” by Karl Keating The Mini-Forest Revolution by Hannah Lewis Weekend Makeover by Don Aslett Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid (editor) Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne The Youtube Formula by Derral Eves An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by Blessed John Henry Newman The Case for Catholicism by Trent Horn Evangelical is not Enough by Thomas Howard Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton Edible Cities: Urban Permaculture for Gardens, Balconies, Rooftops, and Beyond by Judith Anger, Dr. Immo Fiebrig and Martin Schnyder Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church by H.W. Crocker III The Lost Art of Potato Breeding by Rebsie Fairholm Infiltration by Taylor Marshall Pasture Perfect by Jo Robinson The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin The Apostasy that Wasn’t by Rod Bennett Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett Bearing False Witness by Rodney Stark The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol VI by Edward Gibbon Hail, Holy Queen by Scott Hahn The Early Church was the Catholic Church by Joe Heschmeyer Crossing the Tiber by Steven Ray Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol VII by Edward Gibbon The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol VIII by Edward Gibbon Biological Transmutation by C. Lewis Kervan The Catholic Controversy by James R. White Memoirs by Edward Gibbon Organic Gardening: The natural no-dig way by Charles Dowding The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla The Bed of Procrustes by Nassim Taleb Reformation Myths by Rodney Stark The Sacrament of Confession by Very Reverend Canon Héctor R G Pérez Forest Gardening: Rediscovering Nature and Community in a Post-industrial Age by Robert Hart The Catholic Controversy by St. Francis de Sales Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics by Keith O. Mikkelson The Dead Came Knocking by Ib Meyer Restoring the Soil by Roland Bunch Stunned by Scripture by Dr. John S. Bergsma Leaf for Life Handbook by David Kennedy How to Make a Forest Garden by Patrick Whitfield Timeline by Michael Crichton Human Evolution: The Astonishing Record by John M. Wynne A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller 21st Century Greens by David Kennedy Edible Forest Gardens Vol. I by Jacke and Toensmeier Cottage Economy by William Cobbett More Food From Soil Science by V. A. Tiedjens The Autobiography of George Müller The Catechism Explained: An Exhaustive Explanation of the Christian Religion by Spirago/Clarke Yams: Botany, Production and Uses by Anthony Keith Thompson and Ibok Oduro The Bible (Douay-Rheims translation) by God.
That was a pretty good amount of reading this year, especially considering the density and length of some of the books involved. This was also my first time reading a Bible translation with all 73 books instead of the expurgated 66-book versions I had always read in the past.
Blog Posts
This year I made a goal of writing at least one post for every weekday of the year. It was met.
We managed 225 posts in 2022, so this is a big improvement. And despite the rest of the busted internet‘s approach, we still aren’t hiring third-worlders or using AI to write ’em.
YouTube:
70 videos posted (up through Dec. 20th).
We started the year at 254,402 subscribers, and last night we passed 300,000 subscribers, on the cusp of the new year.
Last year we gained over 100k subscribers, but this year our stats were much lower, with less than 50k subscribers added to the channel.
As of this morning (right before heading to church), we have 300,045 subscribers.
Other Successes
This year, we managed to start a new plant nursery.
We also built a gigantic greenhouse, thanks in large part to our friends James and Holly.
We also welcomed a new son into the world, which was the biggest success of the year!
We gained two new heifer calves, Sandy and Coffee.
We raised pigs and butchered them.
We added ducks to the homestead.
We bought a used Bobcat skid steer.
We planted a new food forest.
We built giant compost pile system.
Scrubfest II was a great success.
And finally, my wife and I researched the history of the Church and came to the conclusion that we could no longer remain Protestant. Instead, we converted to Catholicism and were received under the traditional Latin Rite into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church on the Feast of the Assumption. We now attend a Latin Mass and have been growing in our faith by leaps and bounds. So many pieces came together once we studied Catholicism and Church history (especially the writing of the early Church Fathers) with an open mind, instead of just reading mainstream and Protestant attacks against the original faith. Deo Gratias!
Failures
The drought was really tough this year. We had to buy hay for the cows and did not get to over-plant our pastures in fall. We also got poor yields on cassava and sugarcane, as well as some other crops.
The pond almost dried up due to the drought and is still quite low.
Our goats didn’t pan out so we sold them.
Our chickens have not been super productive.
We did not manage to plant our death hedge.
Youtube was only so-so on subscribers and views.
Book sales were less than half of last year.
We have not been able to figure out how to legally sell our nursery plants in the state of Florida.
We had a lot of hospital bills due to our son arriving early when our midwife was out of town.
I didn’t manage to finish many book projects.
We did poorly on live-streaming. We also produced less than half the YouTube videos I would have liked to have done.
We lost my dear sweet niece Julie.
We also lost my long-time friends Ray, Eric and Ian, as well as Rachel’s grandmother.
Rest in peace.
Final Thoughts
2023 was a good year overall, with some challenges and some terrible losses. We are grateful for our new baby, our new church, our own homestead, great garden yields, good friends, God’s protection and provision, and all of you sticking with us.
The most fun thing to do in the yard is plant pumpkin seeds. Just plant one tiny seed, and in a few months, you’ll have a bunch of fall’s most famous fruits. To increase your chances of success, learn how to plant pumpkin seeds.
This is true whether you’re growing small pumpkins for desk displays or big pumpkins for scary carving. It is also very important to know when to put pumpkin seeds, especially if you want a huge harvest.
Pumpkin seeds need a few things to grow, just like any other seed. The process starts with soil and water. After the leaves turn, light is very important. It’s hardest to figure out when to put pumpkin seeds.
Plant seeds between April 25 and May 15 if you want to grow a giant that will grow to be 140 days or more tall. Start seeds indoors if you plant in a place where it’s still cold. The seed coat on most big pumpkin seeds is very thick. If you file the sides of the seed, it will grow better.
Don’t touch the sharp end, though. Smooth out the sides of the seeds with sandpaper or a nail file. After you file the seeds, put them in hot water for an hour or two before planting. These steps make it easier for seedlings to come out from under the hard seed coat.
From May 15 to June 15, plant field pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns in your yard. You can start the seeds indoors up to two weeks before these dates if you want to harvest faster or get a slightly bigger pumpkin. To reach their full size, miniature pumpkins don’t need as long of a growth season. From May 25 to July, plant these seeds in the ground.
How To Plant Pumpkin Seeds
1. Prep Your Seeds.
There are some things you need to do before you plant pumpkin seeds that you took out of the pumpkin.
To begin, you will need to remove the seeds. Use a strainer to drain the seeds and run cold water over them. “Once you’ve rinsed all the seeds, separate and select the biggest seeds,” says Watson. “Their chances of growing and flowering are better. Leave some space between them on a paper towel so they can dry in the air.
Putting the seeds in an envelope and putting it in the back of the fridge will keep them fresh until you’re ready to plant them.
Watson says you should pick one of these three types of store-bought seeds: Autumn Gold if you want to grow pumpkins that you can carve; You can grow Dill’s Atlantic Giant if you want to grow big pumpkins that weigh up to 200 pounds, or you can grow Casper if you want all-white pumpkins.
2. Pick A Planting Site.
Watson says, “Pick a spot to plant that gets full sun to light shade.” “Keep in mind that the soil should be able to drain because pumpkins prefer soil that is not too soggy.”
They need a lot of space to grow, so clear out a big area in your yard. “Due to large vines, it is best to plant your pumpkin seeds five feet apart,” says Watson. “If you are growing a smaller variety of pumpkins, the spacing changes—instead, space them three feet apart.”
Make sure there are no bugs, weeds, or other pests in the area: You can put down weed block two weeks before you plant, and the weeds will die on their own.
3. Sow Pumpkin Seeds In The Soil.
Always do things the right way when it’s time to plant the seeds. The seeds of a pumpkin grow best when put straight into the ground, about an inch deep.
Planting Pumpkin Seeds Outdoors
If you grow pumpkins outside, remember that they need a lot of room to grow. Make sure you have enough space because each plant needs at least 20 square feet.
If you live somewhere warmer, you can plant seeds right in the ground after the frost has gone away. Pumpkins do best in warm weather, so choose a spot that gets full sun to light shade. When the ground is at least 65°F (18°C), it’s safe to put the pumpkin seeds.
Planting Pumpkin Seeds Indoors
If you live somewhere cold where the frost lasts longer, you can start growing pumpkin seeds inside about two to three weeks before the frost ends.
In a pot full of potting soil, plant three to four pumpkin seeds. Plant them about an inch into the ground.
You can either put the containers under artificial lights or near a window that gets a lot of sunshine. A heated pad can also be put under the pot or container. After the seeds sprout, choose the one that is the best.
Once the frost has gone away, it is safe to move the sprouted seed to the dirt outside.
When Is Too Late To Plant Pumpkin Seeds?
If you don’t know when to put pumpkin seeds in colder places, it can be hard to grow a pumpkin. In general, after the last frost has gone away is the best time to put pumpkin seeds. People who live in colder places should start planting their pumpkin seeds indoors so that they are ready to move outside when the frost goes away.
Even if it’s the middle of July, you can still plant pumpkin seeds because they grow quickly when it’s warm outside.
Tips For Growing Pumpkins
In early summer, a little pumpkin grows on a bush. When the plants are about a foot tall, feed the pumpkin bushes. Because they eat a lot, feed them a nitrogen-based fertilizer every other week.
Every morning, drink water. Every day, use a drip hose to give your pumpkins a deep drink at the roots, under the leaves. It gets really hot in the summer, so pumpkins need a lot of water. If you wet the vine’s leaves, the plant could get a fungus disease. So don’t drink from above.
When pumpkins start to form, take them out of the ground to keep them from going bad. Put some cardboard or folded newspaper under it to keep it from touching the wet soil.
Cut back the vines once a few pumpkins have formed so that the plant can use its energy to make flowers and feed the young pumpkins.
Keep an eye out for squash bugs, powdery mildew fungus, and bacterial wilt disease, which is spread by striped cucumber beetles and kills plants. Neem or pyrethrum can be used to kill adult bugs. Foam killer spray can be used to treat white mildew on the leaves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does It Take To Grow A Pumpkin?
From the time the seeds are put until they are fully grown, a pumpkin takes about 90 to 120 days3. In other words, it takes three to six months to fully grow up. When you buy seeds at the store, the “days to maturity” number is written on the back of the package. If the pumpkin seeds come from a bought pumpkin, you’ll need to know what kind it is to get a more accurate number. If your pumpkin has a stiff stem, full color, and a hard rind, it’s ready to be picked.
Is Growing A Pumpkin Easy?
Pumpkins are a great choice for people who are just starting to grow. If you have a garbage pile and have ever thrown out the inside of a pumpkin that you carved for Halloween, you may have noticed that the seeds tend to escape on their own. Remember that the most important things are to water your plants and keep pests away.
How Many Pumpkins Can You Get From One Plant?
Standard-sized pumpkin trees will produce three to five pumpkins. Sugar pumpkins and other smaller pumpkins can grow up to ten pumpkins per plant. To get the most growth from each plant, it’s important to keep your yard free of weeds, water it well, and give the plants enough space to grow.
Philodendrons are popular flowers that are easy to care for and do well indoors. This makes them a great choice for people who are just starting to take care of plants in their homes. Its heart-shaped leaves are shiny and add color and light to the room. Its thin, trailing roots add texture and fill the room.
These plants are very easy to care for and quickly become a favorite among plant lovers. You can also make more plants by cutting or dividing a stem, so you can enjoy even more new plants while you train your old Philodendrons.
Because there are several ways to make new Philodendron plants, this guide will go over them all in more depth.
How To Propagate Philodendron From Cuttings
Taking a cutting from a Philodendron is a quick and easy way to grow new plants. If you have never done it before, it might look hard, but it’s actually a very simple way to grow indoor plants. Cuttings are an easy way to make new plants, and they can be used with tall Philodendrons like the Philodendron Hederaceum or the Philodendron Lemon Lime.
What Is A Philodendron Cutting?
To make a stem cutting, you cut off a piece of your Philodendron at the stem and grow it in water so you can plant it again and get a new plant. When you do this, you make an offset, which is a copy of the original plant. They will look just like the original plant, so you can add to your collection and enjoy the plant without having to buy a new one.
When To Take Philodendron Cuttings
It’s best to start spreading Philodendrons in early spring, around March. This will give your new plant the best light so it can grow into a strong, healthy plant. Later in the year, you can divide your plant, but there is a much greater chance that the new plant will not survive.
How To Take A Philodendron Cutting
To grow your Philodendron from a cutting, you only need to follow a few easy steps. In order to make a cut, you will need a small knife or scissors, potting soil, and water in a jug.
Pick The Spot Where You Want To Cut
Picking the right part of the plant to cut is an important first step. A lot will depend on how healthy the cutting was for how healthy the new plant will be. Pick an older stem that is tougher and has more wood. The leaves on the stem you choose should be shiny and free of any flaws. The stem should be a single color. When you cut a Philodendron with different colored leaves, make sure the different colors are all the same color and don’t turn yellow.
Take A Cutting
A Philodendron cutting’s roots will grow from the base of a stem piece. A Philodendron that is healthy will have many smaller shoots coming off of the main branches at places known as nodes. Along the node, you should make a clean cut that is about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long. If you can, you should make more than one cutting, but don’t cut too much or you’ll hurt the original plant.
Take Off Any Extra Roots Or Leaves
Once you have your cutting, you need to clean it up so it can grow right. Carefully take off the short stems and leaves from the cutting until you only have one stem and two or three leaves left. If you don’t protect the part of the cutting you want to plant from damage and growth, it will rot.
How To Grow A Philodendron Cutting
Getting new plants in dirt – Cuttings from stems need to be grown in the right soil. For Philodendron cuttings, the best way to grow new plants is to use moist potting soil that has been mixed with perlite or vermiculite. By adding these to the mix, you’ll make a light growth medium that the young roots can grow in. You can also help your young plant grow by adding rooting hormone to the dirt. You can get this at any good garden center; just be sure to carefully follow the directions on the package so you don’t kill your plant. Don’t press down too hard when you put your growth medium into a small pot.
To keep the cutting in place, water the dirt well and push it deep into the ground. Young plants can’t control how much water they take in, so put your pot on a warm windowsill that gets partial sunlight all day and cover it with plastic that lets air flow through. Once every four weeks, gently pull on your cuts to see if the roots are coming up. If the plant pushes back, it means it has roots.
Growing From A Cutting In Water
Put your cutting in a clean glass or bottle of water and put it on a shelf that gets some sun all day. Every three to five days, change the water. Only use water that is room temperature so as not to shock the plant. The root system will grow over the course of about two months.
Plant Your Philodendron Cutting In A Pot
Once the roots are strong, it’s time to plant the cutting. Gather a pot with soil that drains well and leave a space of about an inch or two from where you want the soil level to be. To take the cutting out of the growth tray or glass, be careful not to damage or tear the roots.
As you slowly pile the rest of the dirt around the cutting and rootball, it will cover it. Do not press too hard, and water well.
How To Propagate Philodendron By Dividing
A great way to get more plants is to divide a Philodendron that is too big or old. Each piece has its own set of roots, so new growth will show up in a few days, and your new plant has a good chance of living.
If you want to split your Philodendron, water it well in the morning to make the soil loose and moist. In addition to making it easier to split the plant, this will also give it plenty of water to help it handle the stress of being moved.
Take the plant out of its pot and carefully cut the roots into two or more parts, making sure that each section has at least two roots. Put your main plant back in its original pot and set the other parts away until you are ready to plant them again.
Propagation Through Air Layering
Taking cuttings and letting them root is the most usual way to spread Philodendrons, but air layering is another way. Usually, this method is used for woody trees and other species that are hard to root. However, it’s also a great and very low-risk way to spread Philodendrons.
Air stacking is a way to get your plant to grow roots on a stem before you cut it, instead of after. When used on Philodendrons with thick stems, it works best. Vining plants aren’t good choices, but that’s okay because they grow well in water.
Before you try, pick a spot on the stem where you want to cut it. Cover a close node with rooting hormone. Next, cover it with wet sphagnum moss and cling film to keep everything in place. Because of this, the node will think it has hit soil and start growing roots.
Check the moss often to see if it is still a little damp. After a lot of roots have grown, you can cut the stem right below it off. You now have a Philodendron cutting that has already roots and is ready to go into some nice aroid soil to grow!
Propagation in Water
It can be hard to get node cuttings in the right place for growing this way, but this should work well for stem cuttings.
To propagate Philodendron in water, all you have to do is:
Fill a glass or vase with clean water.
Make sure that at least one node of the cutting is underwater when you put it in the glass. This is where the roots will start to grow. There shouldn’t be any water on the leaves.
Put the glass somewhere in the house that gets bright light that comes from the side. The water can get too hot when it’s in direct sunlight.
Do not rush! You’ll be able to watch the roots grow live. It takes a few weeks for the first roots to show up. Every few days, change the water.
You can plant your brand-new Philodendron in dirt once the roots are about an inch or two long, which is about 5 cm. You can also leave it in water for a long time.
This method works especially well for Philodendrons that grow in groups, like Philodendron scandens or Philodendron micans.
Propagation In Soil
You can put cuttings in soil right away without having to root them in water first. If you don’t care about how the cuttings look in water and want to be able to see the roots grow, you can put them right in dirt.
Remember that if you grow the cutting directly in soil, you won’t be able to tell if the attempt to propagate worked until the first new leaves appear on the cutting. In soil, success rates can be a little lower than in water because it can be hard to keep the dirt moist enough until roots form.
If you’d like to root directly in soil, here’s how you do it:
Fill a planter with dirt that is good for aroids, like Philodendron, and make sure it has a drainage hole. You’ll need something that is airy and light and drains well.
Extra step: put some rooting hormone on the cutting and dip it down. It might be faster to root this way.
In order to cover at least one node, push the cutter into the ground. Don’t wet the dirt too much, but just a little. It turns out that your cutting doesn’t have roots yet.
As an extra step, put the pot with the cutting in a propagator. You can also use a clear plastic bag to make your own cheap propagator. This keeps some heat and moisture in, which these tropical plants like.
Leave the cutting in a place that gets bright but not direct light and let it do its thing. While you wait, keep the dirt just barely wet.
That’s okay if they wilt or droop at this point. Remember that the cutting still can’t take in water because it doesn’t have roots yet.
Hold on until new leaves come out. Once it does, you can be pretty sure that roots have grown and your brand-new Philodendron will live and do well. You can now take it out of the propagator or bag if you had it there.
Frequently Asked Questions
When’s The Best Time To Propagate My Trailing Philodendron?
Trailing philodendron can be spread almost any time of the year, but not in the winter because the roots will grow very slowly then. It is best to take roots from a mother plant that is at least a year old and has been established for a while. You should also do this in the spring, summer, or fall.
When Should I Repot My Trailing Philodendron?
Plant your hanging philodendron in a new pot every two years or when you see that the roots are getting tangled up or coming out of the bottom of the pot. In late spring or early summer, when the plant will be less stressed by its surroundings, is the best time to repot the plat.
How Often Should I Trim My Trailing Philodendron?
You can cut your trailing philodendron at any time of the year, or you can leave it alone if you don’t want it to get too big. You can take off any leaves that are turning yellow or brown as you see them. You can also do bigger cuts once a year in the spring, but never take off more than a third of the plant at once.
