Learn How to Grow Citrus Trees Indoors

A close up of an orange tree, laden with bright fruit and dark green leaves, in a pot on a stone surface.

Do you dream of growing your own tropical citrus fruits? Did you know that with just a little bit of love and care, you can grow your own lemons, limes, kumquats, and other types of citrus trees indoors, even in the northernmost climates? We share our top tips for growing citrus trees in containers. Read more now.

How to Grow Rhubarb from Seed

A close up of a rhubarb plant growing in the garden with bright red stalks and green foliage, in light sunshine, with rich earth around the base of the plant, fading to soft focus in the background.

Rhubarb is a stunning addition to everything from wine to pie to roasted chicken. Most gardeners know that you can propagate the tart, lightly sweet plant from crowns, divisions, and bare roots. But can you sow rhubarb seeds? Will they grow successfully? And if so, how do you do it? Read on to learn more now.

When and How to Plant Marigold Seeds

A close up top down picture of a variety of different colored marigolds growing in the garden, with soil in the background.

Ready to plant marigolds from seed for bright summer blooms? Planting marigolds from seed is easy, but you’ll want to know when you should start these annual flower seeds indoors – and when you can sow the seeds right into your garden soil. Learn more about how and when to plant marigolds from seed. Read more now.

How to Blanch Celery in the Garden (And Why You Should!)

A close up of a row of celery growing in the garden with newspaper wrapped around the stems for blanching purposes, to make the stalks white and tender.

Do you want to grow crisp and flavorful celery that’s perfect for adding to soups, salads, and smoothies? Our guide to blanching celery in the garden will teach you three of the best methods to grow your own crop that isn’t bitter, with a satisfying crunch. You don’t want to skip this step! Read more now.

Problems with Growing Zucchini: Troubleshooting 11 Potential Issues

A close up of a healthy courgette plant growing in the garden with dark green fruit and soil in soft focus in the background.

Zucchini are famously prolific, but that doesn’t mean they’re without their share of potential issues. You might be facing yellowing leaves, falling flowers, or pest problems. If you’re having trouble with your zucchini, learn about 11 common problems, how to identify what’s going wrong, and what to do to fix it.

How to Identify and Control Currant Fruit Flies

A close up horizontal image of bright red gooseberries growing in the garden.

Currant fruit flies can ruin a gooseberry or currant harvest in a hurry. That’s why it’s essential to know how to identify and get rid of these devastating maggots. Each larva can eat through an entire berry and each fly can lay hundreds of eggs. This guide has all you need to know to keep them under control.

How to Grow Rhubarb in Containers

A small rustic wooden table with three pots containing maturing rhubarb plants with pink stems and bright green foliage, pictured in bright sunshine with a garden scene in soft focus in the background.

Growing rhubarb in containers gives you a head start on enjoying sweet, tart stalks in pie, jam, ice cream, coffee cake, and even wine. It’s also a fun project to do indoors during the throes of winter, just when it seems as though spring is an eternity away. You don’t want to miss our step-by-step guide! Read more now.

How to Propagate Pear Trees from Cuttings

A close up horizontal image of a branch of a Pyrus communis tree laden with ripening fruit, pictured on a blue sky background.

If you want an orchard of pear trees but don’t want to spend a fortune, why not try growing them from cuttings? It takes time but with a bit of effort you’ll be planting out your own newly propagated trees. Learn how to start pear trees from cuttings in this guide and you’ll be on your way to enjoying a thriving orchard.

How to Attract Purple Martins to Your Garden

A close up horizontal image of purple martins in flight pictured on a soft focus background.

Purple martins are one of America’s best-loved birds. Do they call your yard home? To learn how to give them the proper environment to bring their beautiful song and aerial acrobatics to your property, read more now on Gardener’s Path.

Why & How You Should Lime Your Lawn and Garden

Top down 1st person perspective of using a push spreader to apply lime on a lawn.

Should you lime your lawn this year? Find out how this natural conditioning agent may be beneficial. Understand the difference between calcitic and dolomitic varieties. Learn about factors that affect soil’s pH balance and discover the only reliable method for making an informed decision, right here on Gardener’s Path.

How to Install a Deer Fence to Keep Wildlife Out of the Garden

Black net deer fencing alone a stone retaining wall, with grass and trees on the other side.

If you’re sick of shaking your head when you look at the damage deer do to your hostas, roses, and fruit trees, you aren’t alone. Installing a deer fence is the best option to keep those voracious critters out of your garden and yard. Read more now on Gardener’s Path to learn how to install your own DIY fence.

How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers

A close up of a large plastic pot with healthy tomato plants laden with ripe fruit, growing on the patio, pictured in bright sunshine.

The flavor of homegrown tomatoes is an experience no one should miss. Even if you don’t have the real estate for a vegetable patch, you can still enjoy their rich taste with fast growing and prolific container plants on your deck or patio. Learn how to grow tomatoes in containers and pots with this guide. Read more now.

Learn How to Use Coconut Coir Products in the Garden

Strawberry plants in a hanging basket lined with a coconut coir mat.

Coconut coir is a fibrous material used to manufacture products like brooms and mats, as well as a host of soilless growing products. In its various forms you can use it to line planters, improve soil water retention and aeration, and support tropical plants like orchids. Learn its pros and cons now on Gardener’s Path.

How to Use Trichoderma to Control Fungal Diseases

A micro view showing light green Trichoderma Fungi.

Trichoderma harzianum T-22 is a highly developed fungal strain that effectively controls a number of fungal pathogens of plants. This fungus colonizes plant roots and does not affect other beneficial microbes like mycorrhizae or Rhizobium. Read on to learn more about this fascinating organism now on Gardener’s Path.

How to Make and Use Comfrey Tea Fertilizer

A close up of freshly harvested leaves to make comfrey tea fertilizer set on green grass.

If you don’t like the idea of pouring expensive and harmful chemical fertilizers all over your garden then try making a homemade liquid fertilizer using comfrey. Homemade comfrey tea fertilizer is an organic, easy, and completely free way to feed your plants and recycle nutrients back into your soil. Read more now.

Get Them Deer Out of Here with These Tips

Closeup of the head of a deer with large ears, caught eating plants in the garden, among small pink flowers with a white picket fence in the background.

Battling deer set on destroying our work in the garden doesn’t need to be as challenging as we might think. Approaching the situation with knowledge, the right game plan, and a good set of tools is the solution to preventing this frustrating pest. Read on to learn more about how to keep the deer away from your yard.

Your Ultimate Guide to Square Foot Gardening

A close up horizontal image of a gardener transplanting seedlings into a raised bed square foot garden.

Square foot gardening is a beginner-friendly way of cultivating healthy, super local, homegrown produce, but this space-saving method has more to it than just growing in raised beds. Keep reading to discover the roots of square foot gardening and learn what steps to take to get started with it in your own backyard.

Spend Less Time Weeding and More Time Gardening with These Tips

Two large dandelions are growing in the center of a garden. The weeds are well established and ready to compete with the vegetables in the garden for valuable sunlight and nutrients.

Weeds – they’re every gardener’s struggle. But you may be creating more work for yourself. Find out how they work and key tips to keep them at bay, as well as the best way to pull them and what to do with the debris. If you want to save time in the garden and minimize this seemingly endless chore, read more now.

Keep Your Containers Looking Great With These 6 Simple Tricks

You don’t have to be disappointed with planters that fizzle out by mid-summer again this year. For outstanding results, follow our basic steps to create containers full of vibrant, healthy plants – and use our easy trick to produce a fantastic display of color and form from spring right through to fall! Read more now on Gardener’s Path.

How to Start a Worm Farm at Home: Learn About Vermiculture

Top-down view of red wriggler worms in a vermiculture compositing bin.

Are you looking to recycle your food trash and improve your garden soil at the same time? Try vermicomposting, aka worm farming. Using worms to break down kitchen scraps provides you with worm castings and valuable compost that can be applied straight to your plants. Learn how to start your own worm farm in this guide.

How to Control and Eradicate Flea Beetles

Three green flea beetles crawling on a wheat stem.

Do you have an infestation of flea beetles? These nasty little critters attack all kinds of produce and ornamentals, particularly nightshades and brassicas. Learn how you can defeat these little insects through various organic methods, or chemical herbicides if worse comes to worst. Read our comprehensive guide now!

Ground & Wood Nesting Bees: Learn to Identify Common Species

Macro photo of a bumble bee on a red clover flower.

Do you ever watch your backyard bees? Busy collecting pollen and sipping nectar, these benign little creatures pollinate our crops and flowers as they peacefully fly about. But when they nest nearby, it’s a smart idea to know how they’ll behave around your home. Join us now to learn about some common native species.

How to Grow and Care for Succulents

A succulent arrangement in a round, shallow, white ceramic planter with a bamboo base, on an aqua and white diamond-patterned tray with gray and green garden gloves, a shovel with a gray and green handle, and scattered pebbles, with a brown wooden outdoor chair with a white cloth seat cushion in the background.

Want to become a succulent gardening pro? We share our top tips for planting, watering, fertilizer needs, dealing with winter weather or warm spells, pests and diseases, and more. Whether you’re planting outdoors in Zone 11 or growing a few potted plants in a sunny windowsill, read our guide now on Gardener’s Path.

Guide to Backyard Birds and How to Attract Them to the Garden

A black and white chickadee perched on a branch with small yellow flowers, on a tan background.

Backyard birds are a gardener’s buddies. We’ve put together an expert guide on what to expect in your area, complete with a list of favorite feathered friends throughout the US. Learn all about what they’re looking to eat to help encourage them to call your garden home. Read more now on Gardener’s Path.

How to Identify, Prevent and Treat Gummosis on Fruit Trees

Close up of gummosis on an apricot tree trunk.

Is your apricot, peach, plum, cherry, or apple tree oozing a lot of gum? If so, it may be infected with the fungus Leucostoma that causes apricot gummosis and cankers. This fungus only infects stressed trees and enters through wounds, so you may be able to avoid it entirely. Read more about how to prevent this disease and ways to treat it.

11 of the Best Soil Test Kits for Evaluating Garden Soil

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Awareness of soil metrics such as pH and macronutrient concentrations can make a huge difference in your gardening efforts. In our roundup of the best soil test kits, we go over 11 of the top options currently available on the market and explain how to make the best selection for you and your plants. Read more now.

How to Battle Colorado Potato Beetles in Your Garden

A Colorado potato beetle perched on a leaf.

Are Colorado potato beetles devouring your potatoes, tomatoes, or eggplants? Left unchecked, these pests can destroy entire crops. Learn natural ways to stop an infestation with help from the experts at Gardener’s Path, plus tips on how to use pesticides against these beetles as a last line of defense. Read more.

Weed Your Garden Less with Stale Seedbed Cultivation

A gardener reaches a long wooden handle with a sharp hoe on the end into her garden to cut out all of the weeds that are growing near her vegetables.

Every gardener would love to spend less time weeding their garden and more time enjoying it. But how? Stale seedbed cultivation is a tried and true method that will dramatically reduce the number of weed seeds in the soil that are just waiting for the chance to out compete your vegetables. Read more on Gardener’s Path.

Chickens in the Garden: What You Need to Know

Learn about whether you should fence your chickens in or let them roam in your garden | Gardener's Path

Have you been inspired to allow your chickens to help in the garden? While the results can be amazing, there are some common pitfalls to the practice. Get the truth about what it takes for your feathered friends to be truly cooperative this season – read more now on Gardener’s Path.

How to Identify, Prevent, and Control Cedar Apple Rust

Cedar apple rust fungus on a juniper tree.

Although cedar apple rust won’t kill the junipers or apples and crabapples it infects, it can surely debilitate them. What can you do if you are faced with this complex disease? Read more now on Gardener’s Path to discover how to identify and learn how to control cedar apple rust on either of its hosts.

Easy Bulb Propagation for the Home Gardener

A hand in a beige and off-white gardening glove holds a bulb with rootlike offsets, with a blue ceramic dish, a paring knife, and more bulbs in the background, on a surface covered with smooth gray pebbles.

Bulbs add beautiful blooms to the garden, and many of them will happily multiply and naturalize on their own. But some, usually the expensive ones, are more reluctant to divide and need manual manipulation for offspring to form. Join us now for all the details on how to successfully propagate your own bulbs at home.

23 of the Best Defensive Plants for Your Landscape

A hedge of pyracantha outside a home makes an impenetrable barrier.

If you want to feel more secure in your home, consider Mother Nature’s finest biological razor wire. We take a look at 23 of the best thorny, spiky, and downright scary plants to add to your landscape for the ultimate intruder deterrent. Learn how to use defensive plants in your garden for home security. Read more now.

How and When to Prune Morning Glory Vines

A horizontal image of a large morning glory vine growing on a tall fence with marigolds growing at the bottom.

Morning glory vines can grow over 10 feet tall with colorful displays of flowers through the summer. Left unmanaged, they can quickly grow out of control. Plants should be pruned throughout the season to keep the aggressively growing vines in check and encourage blooming. Read on to learn how to trim morning glories.

How to Identify and Treat Anthracnose on Hydrangeas

A close up of a hydrangea leaf suffering from a fungal infection called anthracnose causing dark brown lesions to appear on the foliage.

Hydrangeas can fall prey to anthracnose, a virulent fungal disease which can cause damage to the leaves, flowers, and even the stems. This fungus spreads quickly in hot, wet weather, but there are steps you can take to limit an infection. Read on to learn how to prevent, diagnose, and manage anthracnose in hydrangeas.

How to Grow Elderberry in Pots and Containers

A close up of a mature elderberry plant, growing in a container with ripe, dark purple fruit hanging in clusters, pictured in bright sunshine with blue sky in the background.

If you love the blossoms and fruits of the beautiful elderberry but don’t have space in the garden, why not grow it in containers instead? Elderberry is a vigorous grower and will thrive in pots as long as you keep a few tips in mind. Learn how to grow and care for elderberry shrubs in containers. Read more now.

What Causes Yellowing and Thinning of Kale Leaves?

Close up of kale leaves turning yellow while growing in a veggie garden.

Although kale plants are usually healthy, yellowing and thinning leaves can be signs of potentially fatal bacterial infections. These diseases rapidly spread to nearby plants and can destroy whole fields. Read on to learn how to prevent leaf spot bacteria and black rot from infecting your plants.

How to Deadhead Blooming Plants in the Garden

A close up horizontal image of a hand from the left of the frame holding a pair of secateurs snipping off a spent rose.

Are you familiar with the type of pruning known as deadheading? If you are a gardener, we invite you to join us as we define deadheading, and discuss how this technique varies with different plants. Learn the benefits of the practice, and ways to build it into your busy schedule with minimal effort. Read more now.

Stop Watering Unnecessarily: How to Use a Rain Gauge

A decorative rain gauge with a clear canister that is almost full of water, market with measurements in inches and centimeters, with a green resin frog sitting in a brown Adirondack chair and reading a blue book beneath a pink umbrella, set on a cement surface with rain gently falling on a cloudy day.

It’s all too easy to overwater your garden without realizing it – until it’s too late. Cheap and easy to use, rain gauges can help. An inch of rain a week can spare you an unnecessary watering session, saving you time and money, and protecting your plants from too much of a good thing. Read more now on Gardener’s Path.

How to Grow Morning Glory Vines in Containers

A close up horizontal image of a purple morning glory flower with water droplets on the petals pictured on a soft focus background.

Morning glories are rapidly growing vines with attractive foliage and showy flowers that open each morning through the summer. Learn to grow them in containers and enjoy these colorful blooms without worry about the vines taking over your garden. Read on for more about growing and caring for potted morning glory vines.

How and When to Do the Chelsea Chop

A close up horizontal image of a gardener pruning flowers in the gardener using the Chelsea chop.

The Chelsea chop isn’t some fashionable new haircut. It’s a tried-and-true way to prune your plants in the spring to maximize blossoms, extend bloom times, and help prop up droopy flowers. It’s simple to do, but timing is key – it can only be done during a few weeks in the spring or you risk doing more harm than good.

How to Use Elderflowers for Food and Medicine

Harvested elderflowers in a wooden bowl and a wooden mortar and pestle.

Did you know that like the berries, elderflowers are both edible and medicinal? These tiny aromatic blossoms have a myriad of interesting uses. Head to Gardener’s Path for harvesting tips, as well as suggestions on ways to prepare and use elderflowers. Read more now.

When and How to Plant Borage Seeds

A close up of a mature Borago officinalis plant with delicate blue, star-shaped flowers growing in the garden with blue sky and sunshine in the background.

Borage is an easy to grow herb with tasty leaves and pretty, edible blossoms that attract a variety of pollinators. It can also be used as a cover crop in the garden. It’s easy to start from seed, if you keep a few points in mind. Learn how and when to plant borage seeds to enjoy this herb in your landscape.

How to Propagate Basil

A close up of herb seedlings in small white pots, ready for planting out into the garden on a soft focus background.

Do you love adding fresh basil to everything from pasta to pho to cocktails? If you’ve never tried growing this flavorful, versatile herb yourself, now is the time to start. Discover three easy ways to propagate basil and add this fragrant plant to your own indoor or outdoor garden. Get the tips and tricks now.

How to Harvest Wild Berries: Foraging for Beginners

Human hands picking wild blackberries.

What’s even better than just-picked berries from the garden? The ones you harvest yourself from a wild source. With some basic how-tos, attention to detail, and a keen appreciation for the outdoors, you can take a trip back to our hunter-gatherer days and safely consume wild foods. Read more now on Gardener’s Path.

Get Your Garden Off to the Best Possible Start with a Soil Test

A human hand holds freshly dug soil.

Does your garden face the same issues year after year? The answer could be in your soil. Nutrient deficiencies, pH imbalances, texture, and the percentage of organic matter can all be revealed through a simple test. Collecting a sample and sending it off for professional analysis and advice is easier than you think.

How to Stop Carpenter Bees from Attacking Your Home

A carpenter been sitting on small branch that has had a hole drilled for nesting.

Carpenter bees are docile insects with the important task of pollinating our food supplies. But they nest in old wood and often choose inappropriate sites – like our fences, garages, and homes. If you’re experiencing problems with an infestation, join us now for a look at how to prevent and be rid of existing nests.

Growing Borage as a Cover Crop and for Green Manure

A close up of the delicate blue flowers of Borago officinalis growing in the garden on a soft-focus background.

Ready to learn some new gardening uses for your beloved borage? This blue-flowered herb can be grown as a cover crop to improve your garden in a number of ways, from soil amendment to pest protection, and it can even be used as a green manure. Discover how to grow borage as a cover crop in your garden. Read more now.

How to use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to Control Insect Pests

A Colorado potato beetle belly up from being infected with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a microbial insecticide that is highly specific for certain kinds of insects and safe against people and non-target animals. Certain strains control caterpillars, mosquitoes, black flies, and a few kinds of beetles. Read on to learn how to use this novel but natural insecticide.

Spring Care Tips for Your Herb Garden

A close up horizontal image of a spiral herb garden.

Herbs are wonderfully low maintenance plants. And with just a little bit of care and attention in the spring, these aromatic, tasty, and healthful edibles will flourish for your enjoyment. From top-dressing to propagating, join us for all the details you need on how to care for your herb garden!

Integrated Pest Management: What It Is and How to Use It

Close up of a human hand holding a soybean leaf that has been damaged by insect activity.

Interested in finding out how to grow more while doing less? Want to encourage biodiversity to flourish alongside your favorite plants? Read on to find out all about what Integrated Pest Management is and how it could help you in your garden!

What is “Damping Off” and How Do You Prevent It?

Close up of seedlings dying from damping off.

“Damping off” is a phrase that is enough to strike fear into the heart of any grower. A must-read for anyone wanting to grow their own seedlings, learn everything you need to know about this devastating disease and how you can prevent this pathogen from pestering your seedlings, check out our guide now!

Quick Guide to Understanding Seed Packets

A human hand olds a cluster of seed packets of different varieties | Gardener's Path

Seed packets are loaded with important growing information, like sowing, spacing, and thinning. To help make sense of it all, your friends at Gardener’s Path have put together this quick guide. Check it out before planning, purchasing, and digging. Your plants will thank you.

A Plant Pick-Me-Up? Tips for Composting and Gardening with Coffee Grounds

A close up horizontal image of a gardener applying coffee grounds to a compost pile in the garden.

Coffee makes an outstanding hot drink, but what about using the spent grounds in the garden? These dregs are touted as a great fertilizer, mulch, and compost ingredient, but what does the science say? To find out if your notions about gardening with coffee grounds are on target – or a bit off center – keep reading now.

5 Tips You Need to Navigate Seed Catalogs

Five packets of newly purchased seeds are piled on top of The Rare Seed Catalog. The purple slices of the roots can be seen on the cover of the catalog. The seed packets each contain several small seeds, an image of the delectables it will grow, and some short quotes. The seeds are for various plants including peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and others. Next to the pile of seeds is a pen and a notepad with the names of seeds to look for in the catalog. All of this is resting on a lightly stained wooden table.

Who can resist a mailbox full of seed catalogs? Browsing them is the dreamy pastime of many a gardener waiting for snow to melt and the growing season to begin. These interesting publications have been guiding gardeners for over 300 years. Get tips for navigating their colorful pages, right here on Gardener’s Path.

How to Identify and Manage Glassy-Winged Sharpshooters

A close up horizontal image of a glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) resting on a branch pictured on a soft focus background.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter is a sap-sucking pest that feeds on over 300 types of plants. Its presence in the landscape poses a fatal threat to them all. Discover how this sapsucker can be responsible for the death of crops and ornamental species. Learn how to recognize it, deter breeding, and treat an infestation.

Full Sun Doesn’t Always Mean Full Sun

Full Sun Doesn't Always Mean Full Sun

Sometimes full sun doesn’t really mean full sun. Before buying plants, gardeners in hot and dry regions of the southern United States should take our expert advice into consideration, to learn where and what to plant. Read more about hot weather gardening now on Gardener’s Path.

13 Flowering Plants Rabbits Will Leave Alone

A close up of a rabbit nibbling on a plant, pictured in light sunshine on a soft-focus background.

Want to close down the bunny salad bar in your garden? Grow flowering plants rabbits don’t like to eat! These annuals and perennials are beautiful, colorful, and rabbit-resistant. A few, like thyme and chives, are also delicious – to humans. Hop along, bunny, the flowering plants in this garden taste bad to rabbits.

How to Create a Fragrant Garden Plan

A close up horizontal image of a wooden bench set in the garden amongst flowers and other plants.

Are you interested in growing a fragrant garden? Adding aromatics can help promote your well-being by relaxing and rejuvenating you. Create the fragrant garden of your dreams with a seasonal plan, and feel inspired by scent-sational plants highlighted in our guide. We give you the framework to make it your own!

How to Propagate Roses from Cuttings

A close up horizontal image of freshly clipped stems for propagating roses from cuttings.

Do you want to clone a rose plant that you adore? Taking cuttings is an easy way to make it happen. By snipping a stem from the parent plant and putting it in soil, you can encourage it to root and create a new rose plant. But of course, there’s more to it than that! In this guide, we’ll explain the entire process.

Promoting Pollination by Design: How to Attract Pollinators

A close up of a path through a garden flanked on both sides by a dazzling array of flowering plants. In the background is a bench seat and a house in soft focus.

Do you want to garden with a purpose, one that goes beyond ornamental enjoyment? When you choose your next plant, make it a nectar-rich flowering variety that’s endemic to the US. Read on to discover a host of choices, and start attracting pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects to your yard.

How to Use Cold Frames in Spring

A horizontal image of a cold frame with the lid closed, set outside a brick structure.

Can’t wait to start your garden in the spring? We get it, neither can we! A cold frame is a versatile tool that can extend the spring growing season significantly. Great for starting seeds, hardening off plants, or growing cold-tolerant plants, our comprehensive guide explains how to use cold frames in the spring.

4 Easy Ways to Compost Banana Peels

A close up horizontal image of a bunch of bananas ripening on the tree pictured on a soft focus background.

Using kitchen scraps like nutritious banana peels to feed your plants is smart, easy, and a sustainable step toward zero waste. Breaking down quickly in compost bins, worm farms, and garden mulch, they can be brewed into a liquid fertilizer or dried for slow-release flakes. Discover 4 easy ways to compost banana peels.

How to Grow Grass Indoors

A close up horizontal image of a cat and a kitten munching on grass growing in a pot indoors.

Striking in the garden and yard, many varieties of grass can be grown successfully as indoor houseplants too. From green, lawn-like grains to fiery-colored carex and quirky rushes, they’re easy to cultivate, low maintenance, and suit a myriad of interior settings. Join us for a look at how to grow grass houseplants.

How to Create a Hotbed Garden to Extend Your Growing Season

A close up horizontal image of a gardener constructing a raised hotbed garden from old timber and windows.

A hotbed extends the growing season for months so you can harvest fresh veggies in the middle of winter. These also enable you to start seedlings much earlier than you might otherwise. Our guide explains how to build, fill, and use hotbeds inside cold frames, greenhouses, or tunnels for year-round gardening. Read more.

How to Create a Mini Indoor Greenhouse Garden

A close up horizontal image of a variety of different glass indoor greenhouses or terrariums pictured on a soft focus background.

Attempting to grow tropical plants or start seeds inside a cold and drafty house can be a challenge. A mini indoor greenhouse offers a cheap and easy way to create the perfect environment for growing plants inside your home. Read more now for tips to create the perfect DIY mini greenhouse to fit your needs.

13 of the Best Grow Lights for Indoor Plants and Seedlings

A close up horizontal image of a collection of houseplants growing under grow lights indoors.

For vigorous indoor gardens, grow lights can provide what plants need – a reliable energy source to mimic the spectrum of colors found in natural sunshine. An economical solution to cultivate greens, herbs, houseplants, and seedlings, here’s our list of 13 of the best grow lights for strong and healthy indoor plants.

How to Identify and Manage Common Greenhouse Pests

A horizontal image of a greenhouse in the backyard with pots and cold frames outside it.

Greenhouses are great places to grow plants, whether they need extra heat and humidity or to keep them growing during the winter. Insects love the warm, humid, food-rich environment too, and they can do some real damage. Learn all about common greenhouse pests and how to deal with them in this guide. Read more now.

How to Heat Your Greenhouse

A horizontal image of a garden greenhouse filled with tomatoes and other vegetables pictured in light sunshine.

A greenhouse’s internal temperature has to be kept warm enough to keep the plants within alive. In our guide to heating up greenhouses, we’ll cover several different types of heating, along with the basics of keeping a greenhouse warm enough and factors to consider when choosing one or more types of heating.

How to Overwinter Plants in a Cold Frame

A close up horizontal image of cold frames set on gravel with pots and trays of plants inside and out.

Cold frames offer versatility and convenience, allowing gardeners to overwinter plants inexpensively. In this guide to overwintering plants in a cold frame we’ll provide all the necessary know-how for getting started, including info on how cold frames work and their benefits, along with placement and assembly tips.

How to Grow Plants Year-Round in an Unheated Greenhouse

A horizontal image of the inside of a greenhouse with rows of vegetables growing.

Greenhouses don’t need to be heated to help you extend the growing season. It’s possible to grow all kinds of plants year-round without supplemental heat. We’’ll help you figure out how to use an unheated greenhouse to its fullest potential, including which crops work best. Read more now in this comprehensive guide.

How to Grow Herbs in a Greenhouse

A close up horizontal image of potted herbs growing in a greenhouse.

If you can’t imagine winter without heaps of fresh herbs to use in the kitchen, we get it. A sprig of fresh basil or chives makes all the difference, improving and adding flavor to homemade meals. Read more to learn about growing herbs in greenhouses so you don’t have to be without, even at the coldest time of year.

How to Use a Cold Frame for Fall Gardening

A close up horizontal image of a small wooden cold frame outside a brick residence surrounded by seedlings and potted plants.

You don’t have to stop gardening when summer ends. A simple cold frame will help you extend the harvest season for months. You can start seeds, protect tender veggies, and grow an autumn or winter harvest in a basic cold frame with minimal effort and financial output. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process.

11 Easy Ways to Extend the Harvest Season

A close up horizontal image of a basket of freshly harvested root vegetables set on the ground in the garden.

Not quite ready to put your garden to bed for the season? Learn how to keep your vegetable garden growing strong all through the fall, and enjoy the benefit of fresh garden produce for longer than ever this year. In this guide, we suggest 11 fun and easy ways to extend the harvest season. Read more now.

How to Identify and Treat 9 Common Rose Diseases

A close up of a rose bloom suffering from botrytis blight. The petals are going brown and drying out. The background is soft focus.

Lovely as roses are, they are prone to disease, and knowing what to do early on is key to protecting the health of your plants. Our guide describes the common rose diseases you are most likely to encounter and offers effective treatment plans for each. Check out our solutions to your roses’ woes now in this guide.

Should You Rotate Cover Crops?

A close up horizontal image of arugula growing in the garden covered by a dusting of frost.

Both farmers and home gardeners are likely to find cover cropping a valuable practice. Sowing dense, fast-growing plants to cover fallow soil helps to control weed growth and inhibit erosion. The decaying plants improve soil structure and replenish nutrients. Read on and learn if it is beneficial to rotate cover crops.

How and When to Prune Roses

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Roses add an inviting touch of romance to a landscape. Be sure to keep yours in top form by pruning the right way at the right time. Did you know that you can adjust the quantity and size of blossoms by varying your cutting technique? Learn this and more with 5 pruning tips in this guide. Read more.

How to Control Fruit Flies in the Garden and Indoors

A close up horizontal image of an apple sliced in half set on a glass plate on a wooden surface, infested with Drosophila fruit flies.

Fruit flies love fruits, no surprise there. One species targets rotting produce indoors, and another ruins perfectly healthy fruit in the garden by laying eggs inside the sweet flesh. This guide covers everything you need to know about these tiny, brown, red-eyed flies and strategies you can use to control them. Read more.

Plant Nutrients: What They Need and When They Need It

Side-view of eight small bean plants beginning to sprout up in well-tilled, dark, rich soil.

Did you know that appearance, disease, growth stage, and more reveal what nutrients plants need? Like us, plants need a wide range of nutrients, and they can gain them from many sources. Learn how to master plant nutrients, diagnose deficiencies, and restore balance here at Gardener’s Path!

How to Use Eggshells in the Garden for Soil, Compost, and as Pest Control

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Want to use eggshells in your garden? Learn the best techniques for breaking them down in your compost and using them as a soil amendment. And find out the truth about whether eggshells really repel garden pests. To learn more about turning eggshells into garden amendments instead of landfill waste, read more now.

How to Propagate Boysenberries

A close up of red ripening boysenberries surrounded by dark green foliage and pictured in bright sunshine in the summer garden.

If you want to grow boysenberries, you’ll need to know how to propagate them. There are various different methods: from planting bare roots and nursery starts, to cloning your own by taking cuttings, tip layering, sucker transplants, and root division. You’ll be on your way to a berry patch filled with fruit in no time.

How to Tell Fungus Gnats and Shore Flies Apart

A close up horizontal image of an adult shore fly on the surface of the soil.

Have you noticed little dark-colored flies hanging around your plants? If you’ve had trouble identifying which of the common nuisance insects they are, you may have noticed fungus gnats and shore flies are difficult to tell apart. From how they fly to how the larvae look, here’s how you can distinguish between the two.

How to Use Trap Crops as Decoys to Control Insect Pests

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Trap crops are plants that are more attractive to pest insects than your crops are, luring the bad bugs away from your vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and preventing damage. Once on these decoys, the pests are easy to find and kill, meaning less insecticides are needed. Read more about trap cropping in this guide.

How to Grow Tomatoes From Seed in 6 Easy Steps

A close up horizontal image of freshly harvested tomatoes on a wooden surface and in bowls.

Want to grow tomatoes from seed? It’s easy to start these delicious summer vegetables from the comfort of home, and then transplant them to your garden. We explain when to start and what you’ll need, with step by step instructions. Learn how to start your own seeds and harvest a bumper crop of juicy ripe tomatoes now.

How to Grow Vegetables in Containers

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If you have only a small outdoor space and want to grow your own vegetables, container gardening is the perfect solution. Not sure where to begin? This guide will give you all you need to get started, including choosing and prepping containers, selecting appropriate plants, and routine care of your crops. Read more now.

9 Must-Have Succulent Planters

A large white planter is filled with various types of succulents.

Succulents are funky and fun to grow, especially in the trendy and functional containers we’ve gathered for you. Read on to discover 7 of our favorite pots and planters, plus key growing tips and a foolproof design scheme. Learn how to show off your water-wise plant collection now, right here on Gardener’s Path.

How to Identify and Control Fungus Gnats on Houseplants

A close up horizontal image of a yellow sticky trap used to catch fungus gnats.

Houseplants and fungus gnats go hand in hand, but one of them is not welcome in your home. Though usually just a nuisance insect, the larvae can turn from feeding on organic matter to chewing on plant roots. This guide covers everything you need to know about these tiny flies and strategies you can use to control them.

How to Force Branches to Bloom Indoors During the Winter

A close up horizontal image of spring blossoms in a vase indoors.

Late winter can be extremely dreary as we wait for the color, life, and joy of spring to return. But you can bring spring along early by forcing tree and shrub branches to blossom indoors. The process isn’t difficult, but there are a few tricks you should know to ensure that you can bring forth those cheery blossoms.

Treat Powdery Mildew Using Homemade and Organic Remedies

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Powdery mildew is a chronic problem in temperate climates throughout the world. Fortunately, it does not usually kill its hosts, but it can debilitate them. You can treat this fungal infection with a range of certified organic products and homemade treatments. Read more now to learn how to use these remedies in your garden.

How to Identify and Treat Common Viburnum Diseases

A horizontal image of a large viburnum growing in the garden.

Viburnums are versatile, low-maintenance shrubs that are usually disease-free, but under certain conditions, you may face issues. Many of these are fungal in nature, causing damage that is merely cosmetic, though others may be more serious. Learn how to identify and treat common viburnum diseases in this guide. Read more.

15 of the Best Flowering Ground Covers to Meet Landscaping Challenges

Purple creeping phlox and various grasses cover a rock garden.

Need an alternative to grass under a shady tree? Do you have a slope that’s hard to mow? Ground cover plants offer a low-maintenance alternative to the carpets of lawn to which we have become accustomed. Learn about 15 of the best flowering ground covers for your unique property in this guide. Read more now.

23 Beneficial Insects and Other Creepy Crawlies That Your Garden Will Love

A close up horizontal image of ladybugs on yellow flowers.

Did you know that not all insects are pests? Many beneficial varieties may already be living in your gardens, helping to control populations of bugs that enjoy feasting on veggies, herbs, and flowers. Read on to discover who your friends are, and how to encourage them to work and thrive in your yard.

How to Trim and Shape a Cascade-Style Bonsai

A close up horizontal image of a gardener training a cascade bonsai.

A cascade bonsai is a dramatic work of art that evokes the windswept trees that cling to life on the edges of a cliff. Creating one requires skill and patience, but you don’t need decades of practice to master making a cascade, or shaping your tree without leaving a mark. Get started now with this guide. Read more.

Healthy and Tasty: How to Grow Alfalfa Sprouts and Microgreens at Home

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Fresh alfalfa sprouts or microgreens grown at home are healthy and tasty. In the cold months, they’re a welcome source of fresh produce. And this indoor gardening project is simple enough for beginners and kids, with results in days. Here are the basic how-to’s, along with advice on food safety and some recipe ideas.

3 Foolproof Ways to Propagate Pothos Plants (And One That Doesn’t Work)

A close up horizontal image of a pothos plant spilling over the side of a pot.

Pothos plants are extremely straightforward to propagate. They lend themselves well to cloning via cuttings or dividing. Seeds, on the other hand, are a different proposition. If you’re curious about how to make lots of healthy new pothos babies, this guide shows you what you should know, and what doesn’t work.

Pruning Bonsai 101: How to Shape Your Plants

A close up horizontal image of a gardener pruning a bonsai tree.

Pruning a bonsai well requires equal parts technical skill and artistic vision. You need to know how to prune the plant without damaging it so you can bring the living piece of art that you dream of to life. In this guide, we’ll help you to achieve both goals with a little bit of technical and creative guidance.