Learn the truth about gardening
Many people believe that all of a potato’s nutrients are locked inside the skin, while others believe that potato skins have no nutritional value. And then there is the belief that potato skins are toxic, especially the green ones. What is the real truth about potato skins? Should you be eating them? Watch the YouTube ... Read More The post Should You Eat Potato Skins? appeared first on…
Most fertilizer sold to gardeners uses urea as the nitrogen source, but most commercial greenhouses use nitrate as their main nitrogen source. Why? I have been spending time in the African violet (AV) community, and most growers, including the African Violet Society of America (AVSA), recommend using nitrate rather than urea. But Schultz African violet fertilizer ... Read More The post Urea vs…
Every summer, gardeners across North America brace themselves for the inevitable green-and-copper invasion. The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) arrives like clockwork in late June or early July, stripping rose bushes to lace, skeletonizing fruit trees, and turning prized hibiscus plants into ragged remnants. Over the decades, gardeners have tried everything to fight back. We’ve hung ... Read…
Growing African violets under lights allows you to control the amount of light the plants receive by changing the type of light, the distance between the plant and the light, and even the duration of light used. But how much is the best amount of light for growing and flowering African violets? I decided to ... Read More The post Best Light Level for African Violets appeared first on…
I have been growing houseplants for 50 years, and flushing is a critical step in the process. It makes plants grow better, it solves issues with hard/alkaline tap water and it reduces the number of times you need to replace potting media. So it saves money. Will it harm plants? If done correctly, it can t ... Read More The post Flushing Potted Plants is Important appeared first on gardenmyths.com…
It seems like every summer now, a familiar haze blankets large parts of North America. We check the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) or PM2.5 levels before stepping outside, grab an N95 mask to walk the dog, and worry about what this toxic soup is doing to our lungs. But as you stand in your ... Read More The post Does Wildfire Smoke Harm Plants? appeared first on gardenmyths.com .
African violets have been grown for many years, and I have been growing them more. They are very similar to my streptocarpus and require almost the same care. Unfortunately, the large interest in the hobby has resulted in several myths. Here are the ones I have identified so far. Watch the YouTube version of ... Read More The post African Violet Myths appeared first on gardenmyths.com .
Streptocarpus normally have 5 petals, two upper ones and three lower ones. In many cultivars and most species the color of both the upper and lower petals are the same, or at least very similar. Some newer cultivars are known as bicolors . In these plants, the upper petals have one color scheme and the lower ... Read More The post The Origin of Bicolor Streptocarpus appeared first on…
Fasciation is an abnormal growth found in over 100 vascular plant families that forms weird-looking roots, stems, and flowers. The science is not well understood, but citizen scientists can contribute to our body of knowledge. Become fascinated with fasciation. Key Takeaways Science does not know a lot about fasciation Hobbyists can contribute to our knowledge ... Read More The post Fasciation in…
I went shopping for some compost and was surprised at what I found on the label. Most of the contents in a bag of compost are NOT compost! Watch this post as a video: https://youtu.be/N4fTRkQJJOE Key Takeaways Bags of compost are only about 30% organic matter. You are buying mostly water and soil. Shopping for ... Read More The post Bagged Compost Exposed: What s Really in Your Compost? appeared…