Seed starting is easy when you follow along with Wyse Guide! Bundle up your seeds this winter with Espoma Organic Seed Starter, and by the time it’s warm enough to put them outside, you’ll already have beautiful, strong root growth. Watch the full video below for a step-by-step introduction to spring your seeds into action!
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/How-to-Start-Seeds-3-scaled.jpg25601644Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/espoma-organic-logo.pngMatt Dauphinais2023-02-15 16:18:562023-02-15 16:23:07VIDEO: Seed Starting for Spring with Kaleb Wyse!
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/trees-thumbnail.jpeg360480Stephanie Muczykhttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/espoma-organic-logo.pngStephanie Muczyk2021-05-17 11:26:162021-06-11 12:10:55Video: Planting New Trees with Garden Answer
Laura from @Garden Answer is packing up her truck with some annual plants and trusty Espoma products to revamp her driveway and spruce up her local church! Follow along to see how she gets it done.
The weather is getting warmer, which means it’s time to start thinking about sowing spring veggies and planning ahead! Cool season crops can be directly sown into the ground as soon as the soil temperature is at or above 40˚F, but ensure you’re not working with wet or muddy soil since those are not favorable conditions for plant growth. Don’t forget to include Espoma OrganicGarden-Tone to give your new vegetables the nutrients they need to grow big and delicious!
1. Spinach
Fresh baby spinach is not only delicious, but it’s also loaded with vitamins and minerals. This vegetable is versatile because you can eat it alone in a springtime salad or mix it into something like a smoothie! Now is a great time to sow spinach since it usually sprouts quickly and is somewhat frost-resistant in the face of unpredictable spring weather.
2. Swiss Chard
You may not be familiar with this beet relative, but it’s another amazing plant that is easy to grow from seed in the early springtime. You can eat chard raw or cooked and feel good knowing it contains 3 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K and 44 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin A! Remember to harvest only the outer leaves during the spring and leave the inside for a later harvest.
3. Lettuce
Lettuce may seem simple, but did you know it actually comes in a variety of colors, species, shapes, and sizes? Gardeners love this plant lettuce because harvesting the baby greens is quick and easy — sometimes it can be ready after just 30 days! Lettuce is low in calories, fat, and sodium and is also a good source of fiber, iron, folate, and vitamin C. You can use your lettuce in a traditional salad, or spice things up by putting it in soup, making a wrap, or even grilling it.
4. Radishes
Radishes are the quickest vegetable to grow on this list if you truly want an early spring harvest. They’re also rich in antioxidants and minerals like calcium and potassium. Did you know these nutrients can help lower high blood pressure and reduce your risks for heart disease? You can put radishes in salads or even add them to stir fry or tacos.
5. Kale
Kale is the perfect vegetable if you want to produce a lot of food with little effort. It’s known as a “super food” for a reason — because cooked kale actually produces more iron than beef! It grows easily from a seed, so all you have to do is harvest the outer leaves for baby kale and let the rest of the foliage grow to full size. Kale, like spinach, is a great ingredient to add to your next salad or smoothie. Try a kale salad, or add it to a smoothie to make it healthier!
6. Peas
If you want to get your kids interested in gardening, the simplicity of planting peas is a great start. Fresh grown peas are a sweet and delicious side for any dish, or you can use them to make pea soup. They’re a good source of vitamins C and E, zinc, and other antioxidants that strengthen your immune system. You’ll want to read the seed packets closely to see if there are any specific growing directions and to get an idea of how tall this plant will grow. If you don’t want to do all the shelling regular peas require, you should opt for sugar snaps or snow peas.
It’s much easier than you may think to grow delicious and nutritious veggies in your own backyard. Plus, it’s fun and simple enough for the whole family to help! Which ones are you going to include in your early spring garden?
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/inigo-de-la-maza-s285sDw5Ikc-unsplash-scaled.jpg17072560Stephanie Muczykhttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/espoma-organic-logo.pngStephanie Muczyk2021-03-16 12:03:252021-03-16 12:03:256 Vegetables to Sow During Early Spring
With the arrival of spring just around the corner, it’s time to learn how you can properly prepare your seeds for the best outcome possible! Seed starting is most commonly used by flower and vegetable farmers to get the best variety of plants while saving time and money. By allowing the seeds to germinate inside before transferring them to your outside garden, there is a greater chance of a successful outcome. Read more to learn how to get started!
Photo via @rebeccamaterasso on Instagram
1. Read the Packet
Seed starting allows you to get a head start on your warm weather gardening. When you purchase your desired seeds, the packet will instruct you when you can start your plants indoors and when you must move them outside. If you’re still unsure about specifics, you can double check with Epic Gardening’s guide to seed starting methods. Make sure to only start a project that is achievable within your space!
Photo via @jazzybutterflygarden on Instagram
2. Gather Your Supplies
You can develop a seed starter in any type of container that has drainage (some people even use egg shells!), but there are also kits that can be purchased to help you start. Once you have your seed starter tray, you’re going to need soil. We recommend our Organic Seed Starter Potting Mix.
Photo via @jeradtb on Instagram
3. Plant Your Seeds
Once the starter soil is in the container, the seeds will be pressed down into the soil or placed on top to be able to germinate (the seed packet should indicate how far under the soil the seed needs to be placed). You want to make sure that your seeds aren’t too compact in the tray, so be sure to add Vermiculite to help with loosening heavy soil for better root growth. If you’re a visual learner, check out this step-by-step video!
Photo via @sowinginsuburbia on Instagram
4. Label Your Seeds
You want to make sure that all of the seeds get labeled during the starter process so that you can identify them when it’s time to move them outside. Once the plants develop, it can be difficult to tell them apart while you transfer them. When you’re ready to move them, be sure to add our Bio-tone Starter Plus to the soil to help your new plants stay strong during the transfer process.
Photo via @living.life.zerowaste on Instagram
5. Double Check Everything
Ensure you know which types of seeds can be started indoors and when the correct time will be to relocate them outdoors. It’s important to always read the instructions as different seeds may require different care. For example, vegetable seeds have different care than flower seeds! Consulting The Old Farmer’s Almanac can help you figure out what’s best for your seeds if you’re still unsure.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/joshua-lanzarini-Vct0oBHNmv4-unsplash-scaled.jpg17072560Stephanie Muczykhttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/espoma-organic-logo.pngStephanie Muczyk2021-02-23 17:04:332021-02-23 17:04:33Seed Starter Tips for a Successful Spring Harvest
Everyone
loves corn on the cob. It’s a staple of summer picnics and barbeques. Everyone
loves popcorn too, but most people don’t realize you can grow your own. This is
a fun and easy way to get kids involved in gardening. Seeds are relatively
large and easy for kids to handle. It’s fast growing and making your own popcorn
is a real treat.
You’ll Need Fertile Seed
No, you
can’t open a bag of popcorn from the grocery store and plant it. Most store
bought popcorn isn’t fertile because of the heating and sterilization processes
it undergoes. You’ll need to buy fertile
popcorn from your local garden center and there are plenty to choose from on
the internet. There are a few heirloom varieties that make great popcorn and
are beautiful too, you’ll want to use them for fall decorating.
Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds/ RareSeeds.com
Strawberry Popcorn?
One heritage
variety named ‘Strawberry’ has short cobs, just 2-4 inches long with ruby red
kernels. ‘Dakota Black’ has 6-8 inch long cobs with kernels so deep purple they
look almost black. Think Halloween decorations! Perhaps the most beautiful is
called ‘Glass Gem’. The kernels are yellow, orange, pink, purple, green and
orange with a glossy, glass-like transparency. They are as beautiful to look at
as they are to eat!
Choose a Bright, Sunny Spot
Plant corn
in full sun, with well-draining soil. Mix in some of Espoma’s All-Purpose Garden Soil
and Bio-tone Starter Plus to refresh your soil. While these varieties of corn are somewhat smaller
than eating corn, they still need plenty of room. Space the seeds, 2 per hole,
eight to ten inches apart with 18-24 inches between rows.
They’re
Thirsty
Popcorn is a
thirsty plant. They will drink about 2 inches of water a week if it doesn’t
rain.
Add a layer
of mulch after planting to help hold moisture in the soil. Using soaker hoses
is a very efficient way to water, very little evaporates and the water is taken
up slowly and deeply. You should begin to taper off watering when you near the
harvest time, about 100 days.
Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds/ RareSeeds.com
They’re
Hungry!
Feeding your
popcorn is just as important as watering it. All corn needs nitrogen. Using a
product like Espoma’s Plant-Tone is a great choice. It’s an organic,
long lasting, slow release fertilizer. It’s a good idea to feed popcorn when
it’s about knee high, when the silk forms or if the leaves start turning
yellow. Or, simply feed plants once a month.
Protect the Kernels
If you
garden with kids, making a scarecrow is an absolute must! And, it may actually
help to keep the birds away. If birds are overly interested in your sprouting
corn, you could try using a chicken wire tunnel over each row.
Let the Corn Dry on the Stalks
In a dry
autumn, leave the corn on the stalks until they are dry. The husks should be
papery and dry and the kernels should feel hard. If it’s a wet fall, harvest
the corncobs and bring them indoors to finish drying. Simply pull back the
husks and spread them out on newspaper, out of direct sunlight. Popcorn is
generally harvested in October, 85-120 days after planting depending on weather
and when it was planted.
Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds/ RareSeeds.com
Pop Quiz
If you’re
not sure if your popcorn is dry enough, do a pop test. Put a few kernels of
corn into a hot pan with a little bit of oil. If it pops, it’s ready. If it
sticks to the pan, it’s not ready and needs to be dried longer. You can either
pop your corn the old fashion way, in a pan with oil or put one cob in a paper
bag and pop it in the microwave. Keep a close eye on your microwave cooking
time, until you know how long it takes for your popcorn to cook. Unpopped popcorn
can be stored in an air tight container all winter.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Corn-plant.jpg331500espomahttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/espoma-organic-logo.pngespoma2019-05-01 08:00:272019-05-07 09:56:08Grow Your Own Popcorn
Pansies and violas look delicate but are in fact, tough as nails. They liven up our gardens and decorative pots in early spring and late fall, unfazed by cold weather or even snow. The first and last flowers of the year are the most precious and their “faces” shine even on the grayest days. Treat yourself to these little sunshines.
All pansies are violas but not all violas are pansies. Think of the smaller flowered varieties like the good old Jonny Jump Up as violas and the larger flowered varieties as pansies. Some violas are perennial, but they are mostly used as cool season annuals. Whichever you choose, they’ll provide seasonal color for weeks, and even months on end!
Today’s violets are descended from a European wildflower. In the Victorian language of flowers they were used to convey feelings of love and admiration or “I’m thinking of you.” Sentiments not openly shared in that time. The pansy was also the symbol adopted by the Free Thinkers Society, as the word pansy is from the French verb pensée, meaning to think. Wouldn’t you like to send a secret message to someone special?
Another charm of this family of flowers is that they are edible. In the simplest form, you could float one small flower on top of a cocktail. Decorate cakes and salads with their fresh blooms, add them to herb butters or suspend them in honey or jellies. Just one petal of the larger flowered pansies looks heavenly when garnishing appetizers. They even go with grilled meat. When consuming, it’s always best to use your own organically grown flowers and give them a quick rinse before eating.
Both pansies and violas can be planted in the ground, accentuating the edge of borders or growing up together with your spring bulbs. They are marvelous in containers too. An early season container combination could include a closely planted base of violas with pussy willow branches stuck into the soil between them for height. In the autumn, look for the orange and black varieties for a Halloween theme.
When assembling your container, make sure to use good quality organic potting soil like Espoma’s Organic Potting Mix and feed your container plants once a month with a Espoma’s Bloom! Liquid Fertilizer. This foundation will ensure that your plants have everything they need to thrive and bloom and be safe to eat. If you’re planting your violas in garden beds give them a feeding of Plant-tone, an organic, slow release fertilizer.
Violas and pansies will grow in sun or part shade but will do best with about 5-6 hours of light per day. Pansies will bloom longer if they get late afternoon shade. They don’t really like the heat. They both do best in moist but well-drained soil. In general violas tolerate both cold and heat better than pansies. Deadheading spent flowers is well worth your time and will keep plants flowering longer.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/pansies.jpg6671000espomahttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/espoma-organic-logo.pngespoma2019-04-03 08:00:002019-05-07 09:56:09Plant Some Pansies to Celebrate Spring’s Arrival
Spring has sprung and it’s time to get outside and plant up some early spring containers. A trip to the local garden center will surely inspire you. Plant big pots of brightly colored bulbs and annuals to liven up entryways, patios and balconies. Laura from Garden Answer shows you just how easy it is to do.
Laura fills her containers with tulips and violas, true harbingers of spring. Alternatively, you could also use daffodils and other cold hardy annuals like Iceland poppies or nemesia. In cold climates, it’s important to select plans that are hardy enough to withstand a cold snap.
These early spring containers will flower for a month or so, bridging the gap from early spring to the frost free date. When it’s time to plant summer containers, replant the tulips out into the garden where they’ll bloom again next spring. The violas may also be moved to a lightly shaded area of the garden.
Four Easy Steps to Early Spring Containers
Prep Containers. Fill containers three quarters full with good, quality potting soil like Espoma’s Potting Mix and prepare to plant bulbs at the depth they were in the nursery pot.
Add Nutrients. Add Bulb-tone fertilizer to the soil, following package directions.
Get ready to plant. Gently remove the plants from their pots and loosen roots. Add plants.
Finish it up. Back fill containers with more potting soil and water deeply.
Enjoy flowers for even longer by choosing tulips or daffodils that are not yet in full bloom. When finished blooming, just remove the flower stem. The leaves will still provide a vertical accent and the bulbs need the foliage to replenish themselves.
Taking time to deadhead the violas will extend their bloom time. If temperatures are cool, you may only need to water containers once a week.
Check out these videos from Garden Answer about tulips and early spring planting.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Thumbnail.jpg10801920espomahttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/espoma-organic-logo.pngespoma2019-03-19 14:13:302019-05-07 09:56:09Spring Flowers Melt the Winter Blues
While most plants need only need some sunshine throughout the day, others love being in the sun all day. Sun loving plants can fill spots where you need some life or color in the garden. Know where the sun hits the most in your garden before picking plants out and then head over to your local garden center for the best choices.
Sun Loving Plants:
1. Sunflower
As the name states, this flower was made for the sun. It screams summer the way no other flower can. Since they are native to the United States, they will grow well and easy pretty much anywhere there is sun while bringing along pollinators to help. Your climate will determine how big and tall your flowers get.
2. Black-eyed Susan
Named for their dark brown centers peeking out of the gold or bronze petals, black-eyed susan’s thrive in the sun. These daisy-like blooms are perfect for the long summer days. They tend to grow to about 2 feet tall and handle high heat and drought conditions well. Hardy in zones 3-9.
3. Catmint
This perennial is drought tolerant, and has a long flowering period through summer into fall. They can sprawl throughout the garden, which makes this a fun groundcover. It comes in a large variety of colors. It is a powerhouse in the garden and is easy to grow. Hardy in zones 3-9.
4. Peonies
Another fan favorite, peonies make the most amazing cut flowers. When growing them in a cutting garden, be sure to get them into full sun. With so much texture, color and fragrance, there is no shortage of reasons no to include them in your garden this year. Hardy in zones 3-8.
5. Dwarf Fountain Grass
Fountain grass is a perfect ground cover anytime you want to add texture to your garden. Planting a dwarf variety will help you add texture in smaller areas. This pant does well in both dry and wet areas, so as long as you give it sun, it will do well. Hardy in zones 5-9.
6. Sedum
This is a plant that will keep on giving. Every year, sedums tend to grow bigger, so it is a perfect plant for a border or an area that needs filling. Depending on the variety it will either hug the ground or grow up to 3 feet tall. Hardy in zones 3-10.
Since these plants will be hanging out in the sun all day, be sure to keep them watered and give them a boost they deserve with Espoma Organic’s Bloom! liquid fertilizer. After planting, mix it with water and give them a good drink! See the back of the bottle for directions.
Once you’re done in the garden, try making a hanging basket for your porch.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/peony.jpg6671000espomahttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/espoma-organic-logo.pngespoma2018-05-18 14:00:482019-05-07 09:58:08Hello Sunshine – Plants that Love the Sun
