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Home » Complete Guides » Page 5

Complete Guide to Soil pH Testing

Updated : February 25, 2015

25 Comments

Soil pH is very important for optimum plant growth.  The term pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is, in this case, the soil.  It ranges from 1.0-14.0, with 7.0 being called neutral. The lower the number the higher the acidity.  The higher the number the more alkaline, or less acidic,… Click here to read more…

How to Get Rid of Slugs in Your Garden

Updated : December 18, 2014

6 Comments

If you love Hostas, you also know the damage caused by slugs.  Besides eating large holes in all the pretty leaves they also leave long silver slime trails as they move across the leaves feeding. Here are four simple home-made traps to show you how to get rid of slugs in your garden.  There is… Click here to read more…

DIY Sawbuck Bench

Updated : February 4, 2015

9 Comments

How To Build A Folding Sawbuck Bench A sawbuck bench makes it easier to cut long pieces of wood by getting the wood at an ideal height off the ground. This article shows you how to build a sawbuck bench that folds for easier storage. TOOLS What tools you will need: Saw (power or hand)… Click here to read more…

Simple Bat House Plans

Updated : February 25, 2015

27 Comments

Why would anyone want to build a bat house?  Because bats are the primary predator of those  annoying, flying nighttime insects like mosquitoes, moths and beetles.  One bat can eat thousands of insects in one evening! And if you build a bat house for them, they will stay out of your chimneys, rafters and attics. … Click here to read more…

How to Create a Hydroponic Garden

Updated : February 4, 2015

26 Comments

Hydroponics is simply growing plants in water without soil. In commercial settings liquid nutrients are utilized for this style of growing plants. This is a step by step guide for creating a very simple and extremely effective hydroponic garden system. You can use this system to create a miniature indoor hydroponic garden or to propagate… Click here to read more…

DIY Raspberry Trellis

Updated : December 18, 2014

11 Comments

Raspberries will grow happily without any support at all, but having a raspberry trellis /support system makes gardening easier for you!  If left to their own devices, raspberries will form an arching plant about 7 to 9 feet tall. Making a support keeps these plants neat and tidy, enables easy walking between rows, and makes… Click here to read more…

How to Heat a Greenhouse Without Electricity

Updated : January 17, 2019

114 Comments

How To Heat A Greenhouse Without Electricity There are two main concepts concerning heating a greenhouse without electricity. The first is by collecting the sun’s warmth as sunlight hits upon a dense material called thermal mass, such as rock and water. Thermal mass will absorb a lot of heat throughout the day and release that… Click here to read more…

How to Amend Clay Soil

Updated : December 1, 2014

8 Comments

Clay soil can be black or red, is as fine as dust, and is hard for plants to move through. Clay soil is waterlogged in wet months and rock hard in summer. If water does reach a plant’s roots, the plant will drown because water can’t escape. This is called root rot.  Clay soil does… Click here to read more…

How to Care for a Potted Amaryllis

Published : January 23, 2015

1 Comment

Amaryllis bulbs are often given as gifts for the holidays, later producing their large, spectacular flowers to brighten the recipient’s home or office. Potted amaryllis bulbs can be found in many stores in December, or in mail-order catalogs. Amaryllis bulbs are sometimes also sold without a pot so they can be planted in a pot… Click here to read more…

How to Regrow Vegetables

Updated : December 1, 2014

50 Comments

How to regrow vegetables During the winter months I enjoy making home made soup.  I always use leeks and green onions, and have discovered that I no longer have to buy them!  I simply regrow them! Step 1: After chopping up the leeks and green onions, I saved about a one and a half inch… Click here to read more…

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Mike’s Big Perennial Bed by the Month.

Posted On April 27, 2023 By Mike

$180.00 per Square Foot? Is it really possible?

Posted On March 28, 2023 By Mike

Rooted cuttings of variegated weigela in bunches to harden off.

Over Wintering Rooted Cuttings.

Posted On January 8, 2023 By Mike

Mike's Big Perennial Bed.

Mike’s Big Perennial Garden

Posted On January 8, 2023 By Mike

A Profound Thank You from Mike.

Posted On September 1, 2022 By Mike

Finnegan keeping the sun off his head.

An Old Guy, Two Donkeys, a Puppy and a Hammock. What could possibly go wrong?

Posted On July 17, 2022 By Mike

This upside down donkey is a hoot!

An Upside Down Donkey and Cute Puppy.

Posted On July 14, 2022 By Mike

'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm.

‘Rockin Raspberry’ Bee Balm.

Posted On June 26, 2022 By Mike

'Bubblegum Blast' Bee Balm.

‘Bubblegum Blast’ Bee Balm

Posted On June 26, 2022 By Mike

Blue Angel Hosta.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta.

Posted On June 25, 2022 By Mike

Complete Guides

Growing, Rooting and Propagating Dappled Willow in Tree Form from Cuttings.

Growing Seeds, Winter Sowing, in Milk Jugs and Kitty Litter Jugs.

The Correct Way to Pot Rooted Cuttings, Nursery Stock Liners and other Plants.

Training Arborvitae and other Conical Evergreens to Grow with a Single Leader.

How to Propagate, Root Cuttings, of Dwarf Alberta Spruce.

Recent Posts

'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm.

‘Rockin Raspberry’ Bee Balm.

Wow! I planted four of these 'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm in the perennial garden at the nursery last summer and look at them now. They are in bloom right now, end of June here in northern, Ohio and every person that sees them asks about them. This beauty … Read Full Article

'Bubblegum Blast' Bee Balm.

‘Bubblegum Blast’ Bee Balm

This beautiful Bee Balm is part of the 'Sugar Buzz' series. I planted these in my perennial bed last summer and this year they are beautiful and blooming like crazy! They grow from 16" to 24" tall, are hardy from zone 4 through zone 8. They love full sun … Read Full Article

Blue Angel Hosta.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta.

'Blue Angel'hosta is by far one of my favorite blue hostas. A big hosta like this in a perennial bed covers a lot of area and that keeps a ton of weeds at bay! These giant heart shaped leaves are very slug resistant. We have this plant in full sun. With … Read Full Article

Big Daddy Hosta.

‘Big Daddy’ Hosta

'Big Daddy' hosta is one of my favorite big hostas, mostly because it's big, it's blue and it has very interested leaves that are a bit dimpled. Big Daddy hosta gets about 24" tall and 36" wide. It's hardy in zones 3 through 9, the flowers are blends of … Read Full Article

'Humpback Whale' hosta.

‘Humpback Whale’ Hosta.

We sold out of 'Humpback Whale' hosta pretty early this year. Humpback Whale is pretty impressive hosta and this one really hasn't matured yet because they can get three feet high and 7 feet wide. I've also seen photos of them that show them to be a lot … Read Full Article

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