Should You Join a Garden Club?
Over 100 years ago in Athens, Georgia, 12 friends came together to share their plants and cuttings with each other. […]
Over 100 years ago in Athens, Georgia, 12 friends came together to share their plants and cuttings with each other. […]
A rainy week calls for an awesome indoor activity like this one! Remember: Anything that contains something is a potential planter. Watch as Laura from Garden Answer makes the most of her old tea tins using Espoma Organic Cactus Mix!
Featured Products:
Have you thought ahead to your fall harvest yet? August is prime time to plant delicious and nutritious vegetables that will come to life in the cooler months. And there’s nothing better than being able to spice up your home-cooked dishes using your very own garden — no need to run to the supermarket! Read on to find out which veggies you should be planting right now.
Lettuce
Did you know lettuce cannot be frozen, dried, pickled, or canned? That’s why you have to eat it fresh! Luckily, planting it right now means you’ll be able to enjoy it in just a few months. A fall harvest is ideal as lettuce’s sturdiness prevents any frost from destroying it. These leafy greens are a good source of vitamin C, calcium, iron, and copper — making it the perfect base for a healthy salad. Keep an eye out for the dark green leaves when harvesting as they’re even healthier than the light green ones.
Spinach
Spinach is well known for its low-calorie count and high levels of vitamin A, C, and iron — making it the perfect addition to that healthy salad. This veggie also gives you the highest turnover out of all the others. If collected in small quantities, you can keep harvesting them late until May! The best time to start planting them is now, at the tail end of summer.
Parsley
Ready for another healthy addition to that salad we’re working on? Parsley is a rich source of Vitamin K, C, and A, and minerals like magnesium, potassium, iron, and calcium. It’s no wonder this veggie has been used in dishes since ancient Rome! It’s also believed to have anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, and antifungal properties. Plant your parsley now to make sure you can reap all these benefits in the fall.
Carrots
If you’re planning on sowing some veggies that aren’t leafy greens, carrots should definitely be your first choice! As this vegetable grows into the fall season, the cool weather turns the starch to sugar, making them extra delicious. This sweet flavor makes them the perfect side or snack — sauteed, roasted, or even raw! Keep in mind that this plant does need a little extra care compared to some of the others on this list, so be sure to use vegetable food like Garden-tone to provide them with the energy they need to grow.
Beets
Last but not least, beets should definitely be on your August to-plant list. Did you know beets are edible from the tip of their green leaves to the bottom of their brown roots? They also help capture some hard-to-catch toxins and flush them out. These same antioxidants provide anti-inflammatory agents that provide a wide array of health benefits. Still not convinced? Since beet juice helps cleanse your liver, it’s thought that it can even help cure hangovers! If you want to make use of the entire plant and enjoy all these delicious benefits, make sure to sow the seeds now — about 8 weeks before the first frost.
*****
Just because summer is winding down, doesn’t mean it’s time to pack up your gardening supplies. August is the perfect time to plant some of your favorite vegetables! Cooking primarily with these veggies straight from your garden will give you some of the freshest and tastiest dishes. So get your family together, head outside, and get planting!
Featured Products:
Are your tomato plants growing out of control? Time to tie them up with Bloom and Grow Radio‘s Tying and Fertilizing Tomatoes video featuring Tomato-tone!
Featured Products:
A little vitamin boost from Bio-tone Plus before amending your soil is key when planting up a fresh tomato path. More great tips from Bloom and Grow Radio in the full video!
Products Featured
Hoya have been popular house plants for decades and with good reason. They are extremely long-lived, have a classic, deep green, vining foliage and produce fragrant, light pink and red star-shaped flowers. Because of their thick waxy, foliage they are often called wax plants or sometimes porcelain flower referring to the unique texture of the flowers.
These tropical vining plants have a few requirements in order to thrive but nothing too hard. Give them bright, indirect light, humidity and a light touch when it comes to watering. Use a potting mix that allows for good air circulation around the roots. Read on for the best recipe for success.
Light
Select a place that gets bright, indirect light. Don’t let their waxy foliage fool you. They are not succulents and can’t take harsh afternoon light. They will grow in lower light situations but it’s unlikely they will bloom.
Soil and Repotting
Potting soil with good air circulation is very important for Hoya. To create a perfect blend mix equal parts of Espoma’s organic Cactus Mix, Orchid Mix, and Perlite. Hoya like to be pot-bound or crowded in their pots. They will only need to be repotted every two or three years.
Water
Water regularly with room-temperature water, spring through summer. Let the top layer of soil dry between watering. In the fall and winter growth naturally slows down and they won’t use as much water. Water sparingly during fall and winter, give them just enough that the soil doesn’t dry out completely. Too much water can cause flowers to drop.
Humidity
Hoya are tropical plants that thrive in humid conditions. Use a humidifier to bring the humidity levels up, especially in winter when indoor air tends to be dry. A saucer with gravel and water also provides humidity as the water evaporates. Misting with room-temperature water also helps but avoid spraying the flowers.
Temperature
Keep the room temperature warm year-round, try not to let it drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also best to keep plants from touching cold windows and away from heating and cooling vents.
Pruning
Prune in spring before vigorous growth begins. The stems with no leaves are called spurs and shouldn’t be removed. Flowers are produced on the same spurs year after year. Hoya are vining plants that will happily cascade from a shelf or window sill. Conversely, they are often trained onto trellises that are either vertical or circular, giving the impression of a more robust plant.
Fertilizer
Espoma’s Orchid! liquid fertilizer is perfect for Hoya. Feed once a month from spring through fall.
Here are links to other blogs and videos we hope you will enjoy:
Hoya Tips and Propagation from Homestead Brooklyn
A Healthy and Happy New Year with Plants
Espoma Products for Hoyas
Many people wonder when they’ll find the time for self-care. It turns out that plant parents have been doing it all along. Many report their thoughts slow, they breathe more calmly, feel less stressed and they find happiness in the practice of gardening. Caring for another living thing is a positive intention that keeps us grounded in the present.
Plants Improve Our Health and Well-Being
Calming Effect
Plants help to reduce stress and promote feelings of wellbeing. Research in hospitals shows that patients surrounded by plants and flowers recover faster, take less pain medication, and have lower heart rates and blood pressure.
Focus and Productivity
Several studies have shown that keeping plants at work improves focus and productivity. Large plants or large groups of plants at work can also lessen background noise making it easier to concentrate.
Natural Mood Boost
Soil contains microbes called M. vaccae or “outdoorphins”. New science suggests the interaction between the microbes and our immune systems can improve gut health and act as a natural antidepressant.
New Age Therapy
Horticultural Therapy has been used for centuries and is seeing a revival, especially with people that have experienced trauma or mental health issues. In Scotland, doctors are prescribing long walks in nature.
Memory Booster
A study from Texas A&M shows that being around plants at home or work helps improve memory and attention span by 20 percent and improves accuracy as well.
Heightened Creativity
A 2015 Human Spaces report found that employees whose offices include plants scored 15 percent higher for creativity. Another theory suggests that looking at nature or plants can shift the brain into a different processing mode, making people feel more relaxed.
Self-Care for the Holidays
The winter holidays can be a busy and stressful time. Planting a mini Christmas tree, or Norfolk Island Pine might be a wonderful way to relax, refocus and inhale some stress relievers from the soil. They would also make a lovely, air-purifying holiday gift. These easy-care houseplants can be potted up in Espoma’s Organic Potting Mix and decorated for the season. They like medium to bright light and moist but not wet soil. Make sure to keep them healthy with a dose of Espoma’s Indoor! organic fertilizer every two to four weeks.
Here are some of our other blogs and videos we think you will enjoy.
Give Some Green for the Holidays
Parenting Advice for New Plant Parents
Poinsettia Care Guide from Garden Answer
Products for Happy Houseplants
The brightest part of winter may just be decorating your home for the season. While hot cocoa, holiday lights and a cozy fireplace are traditional ways of warming your space, try thinking tropical this year. Your decorating doesn’t have to be the same every year and holiday houseplants aren’t just limited to poinsettias.
It’s not a secret that many houseplants are tropical by nature. They feel right at home in places with year-round warmth and jungle-like conditions. So, bring some warmth and tropic flair to your space by adding one of these houseplants.
Anthurium
Anthuriums are elegant, easy-care plants with cheery blooms that last a long time. This show-stopping plant is a favorite for any romantic with its glossy heart-shaped, pink leaves. Anthurium stands out of the crowd with blooms on and off all year. This exotic plant loves warmth and humidity.
Bromeliad
This easy-to-grow houseplant makes for a perfect gift. It provides an exotic touch of red, orange, pink or purple to any home. Even with the thick foliage and wide leaves, it gives off a radiance that anyone will fall in love with. Be sure to use Espoma’s Orchid Potting Mix to allow proper drainage.
Palms
Majesty palms practically whisk you away to somewhere tropical. They thrive in the humidity and like to be kept evenly moist. Fertilize regularly with Indoor! Liquid plant food for faster growth. These are easy to grow and don’t require any pruning except for an occasional old frond.
Orchids
Orchids can bloom for up to four months, making them great fir add some color and flair to any home. They love indirect light, a little bit of water and to be away from any drafty windows, air vents or ducts.
Plus, they will continue to rebloom every year with a little love and patience and fertilizer.
An organic fertilizer, such as Espoma’s Orchid! liquid plant food, will help keep your blooms looking fresh and colorful year after year.
ZZ plant
This tough houseplant can survive even with the brownest of thumbs. You can put it anywhere in your home or office and it will be happy to see you. It can even survive with only florescent lights and no natural light. Water when the top two inches of soil are dry. Don’t worry if you forget, it may start to drop some of its leaflets to conserve the water left and will rebloom after a good drink.
Try these lowlight houseplants if you want greenery, but lack light. https://youtu.be/SYXv_EcBdEA
Products for houseplants
Jungle cacti sounds like an oxymoron but in this episode of Plant One on Me, Summer Rayne Oaks talks in-depth about this strange branch of the family. When you hear “cacti,” most people generally conjure images of the desert Southwest and prickly plants. Even so, 10 percent of cacti are epiphytic and live in jungles. That means that the cacti live on other plants and use them for support, but not for food. They get moisture and nutrients from the air. Despite growing in a jungle, they don’t get much water or much light.
There are 38 species of Rhipsalis native to tropical and subtropical America. Sadly, many of these species are threatened or endangered in their native range. Some may have even gone extinct before they were discovered. Plant parents can play a role in conservation by growing these plants and buying them from reputable sources.
For people that are not familiar with Rhipsalis, they look very similar to the Christmas cactus. They like bright, indirect light. The soil should be well-drained but not allowed to dry out completely. Summer creates her own soil blend for repotting made from equal parts of Espoma’s organic Potting Soil Mix, Orchid Mix, and Perlite. Espoma’s Cactus Mix would also work well. They are not heavy feeders, a quarterly dose of Cactus! is all they require.
Rhipsalis are surprisingly easy to propagate. They do flower and produce small berries. The seeds of which may be planted and will germinate at temperatures between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. They will often produce a root at the natural junction between the modified leaves. Simply lay that down on top of the soil and it will root in. Another method is to cut off a ‘leaf’ and let the wound callus over for a day or two and then tuck it into the soil about halfway. Try not to get too much water on these new plants or they could rot. If that does happen, just try again. Gardening is really about experimenting.
Here are more videos from Homestead Brooklyn we hope you will enjoy:
Hoya Care Tips and Propagation
Houseplants are so much more than decorations. They help reduce stress and tension and create a relaxed and happy atmosphere. They absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen while purifying the air by removing toxins. They say we spend a third of our life sleeping, so let’s do it in the best possible environment, a room full of house plants.
Snake Plant
Snake plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen at night. It is also one of the easiest and most forgiving houseplants you can grow. Whether you have bright or low light, a snake plant will adjust to it. It doesn’t require much water and even if you forget to water it for a couple of weeks, it will still look great. Overwatering it is really the only way to kill it.
Golden Pothos
A study from NASA shows that pothos removes toxins, mainly carbon monoxide and formaldehyde from the air. This low-maintenance plant grows well in low light. Water it only when completely dry. Always pot your houseplants in quality potting soil like Espoma’s Potting Mix or a mixture of potting mix and Cactus Mix for plants like this that require excellent drainage.
Spider Plant
The spider plant removes formaldehyde from the air, which is a common carcinogen found in many household products and items. This is another easy to grow selection that enjoys bright light, but will adapt to low light situations. Like all house plants, a regular schedule of fertilizing will help keep spider plants in tip-top shape. Organic liquid fertilizer like Espoma’s Indoor! works beautifully and has an easy dose cap, meaning you’ll never use too much or too little.
English Ivy
English ivy has the unique ability to clean the air of mold. Ivy is a trailing plant that you can train to grow up a trellis or let it cascade down from a shelf. It can be an aggressive plant outdoors, but inside it’s well behaved. Keep the soil moist, but not wet, and give it a place with indirect light.
Aloe vera
Aloe has been used as a medicinal plant to heal: sunburn, cuts, insect bites, minor burns, and dry skin. It’s also an air purifier. Aloe likes bright light. Water it well every two weeks or when the soil feels very dry. Fertilize with Cactus! monthly to give it nutrients.
Peace Lilies
Peace lilies also made it on NASA’s list of toxin removing plants. They can absorb mold spores from the air into their leaves. It’s a pretty plant with calla-like flowers that likes bright light. Regular watering is a must (they’ll let you know when they’re thirsty by letting their leaves droop.)
Lavender
Lavender has been used for centuries for its soothing, sleep-inducing properties. Victorian ladies used to stuff their pillows with lavender to relieve stress. Today you can find a wide array of lavender products to help whisk you off to sleep. Lavender isn’t often sold as a houseplant but you can grow it outdoors and harvest the flowers for the bedroom.
*****
Ready for more relaxing? Check out these blogs for ideas.
How to Decorate for Thanksgiving with Plants
Featured Products: