How to Plant Blueberries in Containers
Laura from Garden Answer shows how to plant blueberries in containers and fertilize with Espoma’s Holly-tone. Watch the video below to see just how easy it is!
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The April Garden Checklist
Spring is here! Shed off those winter blues and head outdoors to restore your lawn and garden. The days are getting longer and your soil is beginning to wake up. April is a great time to get out in your yard and begin again.
Wondering where to start? We’ve got 6 tasks you can accomplish this month in your own yard.
April Garden Checklist:
1. Start tomato seeds.
The best way to get a head start on growing tomatoes is to start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost date in your region. See our Guide to Growing Tomatoes. Start your seeds with Espoma Organic Seed Starter and feed your tomatoes with Espoma Organic Tomato-tone.
2. Get planting.
Hydrangeas embody everything we love about gardening. They have billowy textures, come in bright colors, and are easy to care for. Plant some this month for the best blooms. Feed your Hydrangeas with Espoma Organic Holly-tone fertilizer.
3. Grow berries.
Did you know blackberries have almost as many antioxidants as blueberries? And raspberries make the perfect addition to jam, cobblers, and pies. Berries are just so delicious, scrumptious, and oh-so-juicy. Plus, many berries are easy to grow and care for. Find out when, where, and how to plant your favorite berries. Feed your berry-producing plants with Espoma Organic Berry-tone fertilizer.
4. Revitalize lawns.
Perform a soil test to find out what your lawn needs, then amend and choose organic. Organic lawns need less watering, fertilizing, and mowing all summer long. Yes — that means you get to spend more time enjoying your beautiful lawn and less time caring for it! Plus, as natural lawn foods break down, your soil becomes stronger on its own and needs less help. Feed your lawn with Espoma Organic All Season Lawn Food.
5. Plant blooms.
Azaleas and Rhododendrons are some of the most popular flowering shrubs. Blooming from late spring to early summer, these shrubs thrive in almost any garden. Plus, they come in virtually every color of the rainbow — from bold pinks, purples, and reds to soft, muted yellows and whites. Make sure you’re adding these bloomers to your garden this year. Feer your beautiful Azaleas and Rhododendrons with Espoma Organic Azalea-tone fertilizer.
6. Feed roses.
Your roses are waking up now, they’ve made it through a long winter and they are starving! Choose Espoma’s organic Rose-tone. It includes more nutrients than any other rose food. Most rose fertilizers contain three nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K). Here’s how to feed with Rose-tone.
Sit back and relax once you’re done.
April showers will give way to May flowers in no time at all.
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Three signs your orchid needs to be repotted
Orchids make the perfect houseplants — they’re stylish, long-lasting and easy to care for. They’ll continue to bloom for years with minimal effort.
After years of living in the same space, things might get cramped. And the same can be said for your moth orchid. Refresh your orchid – and let it spread its roots – by giving it a new home and repotting it.
Orchids generally need to be repotted once a year. The best time to repot is just after flowering, or when new growth appears.
You’ll know it’s time to repot if any of these reasons apply to you:
- Your orchid has tightly tangled roots. It’s normal for Phalaenopsis orchids to have loosely tangled roots. This is a surefire sign your orchid needs to be repotted. Give plants breathing room by placing it in a larger pot every year or two with fresh potting soil.
- It’s been a while since you’ve repotted. Orchids need fresh potting mix every year or so.
This continues to provide plants with the best nutrients and encourages proper air circulation. Soil that is not replaced can retain more water, leading to root rot and leaving your orchid vulnerable to fungal diseases. - Your orchid’s roots are soft and brown. If you truly waited too long to repot, you’ll notice that your orchid is holding too much water. The roots will appear brown and feel soft to the touch. Fresh orchid potting mix will provide your plant with the environment it needs to stay happy and healthy.
Think it’s time to repot? Follow the steps below to give your orchid the space and soil it needs to keep growing happy and healthy.
How to repot orchids:
- Choose the right medium. We suggest using Espoma Organic Orchid Mix. For best results, pre-soak orchid mix for 24 hours and allow water to drain.
- Remove orchid from current container and trim dead roots from the plant.
- Fill container to one third full with orchid mix.
- Position single stem plants in the center of the new pot. Position multi-stem plants against the pot wall. Staking may be required until the plants are fully established.
- Gently cover roots with additional mix and fill pot to 1/2 inch below rim.
- Water thoroughly. Add more mix if setting occurs.
Is your orchid telling you it needs to be repotted? Watch this video to learn how!
VIDEO: Orchid Care 101 with Garden Answer!
Laura from Garden Answer demonstrates how to care for moth orchids, also known as Phalaenopsis orchids. Repot, fertilize and give orchids exactly what they need to help them thrive.
For this project, you will need:
- Moth orchid
- Organic orchid mix
- Orchid pot with holes
- Watering can
- Orchid! Bloom Booster
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Test And Amend
A soil test measures how acidic or alkaline your soil might be. If your soil has too much of either, plants won’t absorb the nutrients they need. Most plants grow best when the soil pH is in near-neutral, between 6.0 and 7.0, but there are exceptions. Blueberries and potatoes, for example, love acidic soil, so a pH above 7.0 will not make them happy.
With a soil test, the guess work is gone. You’ll know just what your soil needs. So, you’ll add the right amount of lime or sulfur, and you’ll select the best plant food, too.
While fall is for planting, it’s also about for prepping for next season.
Test And Amend Soil’s pH:
1. To solve your soil mystery, grab a trowel and get diggin’! Dig 6-8” deep if sampling garden soil, or 4” if testing your lawn’s soil.
2. Either DIY it with an easy to use, at-home soil test from your local garden center, or call in the professionals and send your soil sample to the County Extension Office.
3. Fix soil’s acidity and alkalinity in a way that’s good for the planet and your home. Go organic! Espoma soil amendments are 100% natural, safe to use around pets and children, and contain no fillers whatsoever.
4. Apply Espoma Organic Garden Lime to raise the pH of very acidic soil. Poke holes in the soil’s surface and scatter on the lime. Rake lightly into the top inch of soil.
5. Apply Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier to lower the pH of extremely alkaline soil.
6. Compost also helps push the pH of any soil neutral.
7. Wait until spring to test your soil for positive changes.
Want to turn pink hydrangeas blue? Learn how to amend your soil and work magic in the garden.
How to Treat Chlorosis
Yellow leaves mean plants aren’t producing enough chlorophyll. This common garden problem is known as chlorosis. Laura from Garden Answer shows you how to turn leaves green again.
Transplant Hydrangeas in Fall
You’ve had an amazing hydrangeas season. But by now, they may have outgrown their spot in your yard. Or, they might need a new spot to thrive.
Luckily, it’s easy to transplant hydrangeas.
7 Steps to Transplanting Hydrangeas
1. Transplant at the right time. Plan to transplant before the ground freezes over. Wait until hydrangeas have finished flowering or gone dormant for the year before moving them.
2. Find a new home. Pick a place for the hydrangea that doesn’t receive too much sun. Hydrangeas prefer semi-shade. Make sure your location can accommodate the size of the rootball.
3. Dig carefully. Use your shovel to make cuts around the hydrangea before actually digging it up. When pulling the plant up, remove with it as much of the rootball as possible. The rootball, dense with fibrous roots and soil, may be very heavy, so enlist help if you need it.
4. Plant right. Move the plant to its new home. When digging the hole for the transplant, be sure to leave enough room for the rootball. Add Bio-Tone Starter Plus to help reduce transplant shock and establish roots. After the plant is moved, fill in the hole with Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil and compost.
5. Give them a drink. Dormant transplanted hydrangeas need a deep watering. Water thoroughly once transplanted using a hose, rather than a watering can or sprinkler, to quench the hydrangeas’ thirst.
6. Watch closely. After transplanting, pay careful attention to the next two summers. Hydrangeas need plenty of water during these hot months. If the leaves wilt, but the soil seems moist enough, mist leaves. Fertilize hydrangeas twice each year with Espoma’s Holly-tone, once in early spring and a half feeding in fall.
7. Mulch. To prevent the rootball from drying out, apply mulch to the base of the hydrangeas.
Have any tips for transplanting hydrangeas? Let us know in the comment section!
Fall Gardening Checklist
September marks the turn of a new leaf. The hot summer weather is fizzling out in favor of cool, crisp fall breezes, prompting bonfires, football games and pumpkin everything.
For gardeners, fall can be one of the busiest seasons. Often, gardeners juggle wrapping up their summer harvests with the responsibilities of preparing for the coming seasons.
With this to-do list from Homestead Gardens, you’ll be ready to fall in love with fall; and with some extra preparation, you’ll be better prepared for winter and spring, too!
7 Things To Do in the Garden This Fall
1. Deadhead to get Ahead. Freshen up flowerbeds by deadheading and removing plants that have stopped blooming. Do maintenance in the morning before the weather gets too hot.
2. Don’t stop Planting. After you’ve harvested your remaining summer veggies, you can plant fall crops and begin transplants!
3. Serve… or Preserve. Have more vegetables and herbs than you know how to handle? Preserve your harvest. Experiment with making jams or pickles, and try freezing raw fruit, veggies or herbs. Make sauce out of your tomatoes, or slow-roast them.
4. Flower Power. Keep your annual flowers blooming as long as possible! The key to success? Use Espoma new Bloom! liquid fertilizer.
5. Watch out for Winter! Start winterizing your garden’s watering system. Keep an eye out for the first few frosts of the season, and cover plants when necessary. Gradually transition your summer houseplants back indoors.
6. Divide and Conquer. Divide and split your perennials, dig and store tender bulbs like dahlias and caladiums, and start planting spring flowering bulbs.
7. Red, Dead Ahead! Are your tomato plants lacking fruit? Producing dull leaves? Sprinkle some Tomato-tone to give them a final boost.
With these tips, your fall landscape will be looking better than ever. Have a picture of your fall garden that you want to share? Drop by our Facebook page!
Plant A Fall Container
Laura from Garden Answer shows you how to plant a fall container that will add beauty to your landscape all season long.
Grab Your Books for a Lesson in Gardening 101
Going back to school is equal parts nervous jitters and genuine excitement for what could be. Remember what it was like to have a new backpack, a fresh outfit that makes just the right statement and your stack of empty notebooks waiting to be filled?
It feels like anything is possible at this time of year!
Molbak’s Garden + Home is here to help teach you gardening basics. Already an experienced gardener? Now is the time brush up on your lessons.
Espoma’s Gardening School 101
1. Build a Foundation for Success. For a garden to be great, superior soil is a must! Perform a quick soil test, study the results and your garden will be A+ in no time!
2. Back to School Shopping. Examine your garden equipment to see what should stay — and what needs to go. Look for cracked handles, rust and missing or loose parts. Then, go shopping for replacements.
3. Get a Whole New Look. A new school year means it’s time to reveal your new look. Do you want to be refined? Edgy? Colorful and bold? Sweet and simple? Define your garden look and do your homework — then start pinning!
4. Make a Plan for Success. The only way to improve this year’s performance is to analyze the successes and failures of last year’s garden. Your assignment: create a new garden plan.
5. Meet the Teacher. Hi! It’s a pleasure to see you! At Espoma, we’ve been teaching organic gardening practices since 1929. Comment with questions below, post them to Facebook or tweet us. We’re here to make you the best gardener you can be.
6. Sharpen Pencils. Clean and sharpen your garden tools to get them ready for the new season! You can DIY or take them to your local garden center.
7. Find New Friends. Follow us on Facebook and check out our posts to find gardeners who are just as passionate about organic growing as you are.
Patio Party photo by Proven Winners
Throw your cap (or gardening gloves) up in the air! You passed the Back to Gardening School Class! Your garden will thank you for it later!
