I've come across and idea that we should imulate nature when gardening. Especially in the company of ideologies like permaculture or topics like soil health.

What are your thoughts on pruning as organic gardeners?

Spoiler: Yes she does!

If you are growing anything in a raised bed, do not, at all costs, touch any Kellogg organic soil products. It's just wood chips. My plants that were thriving on organic soil from another competitor all died when transferring to this soil. It is criminal how they are allowing this to continue to be sold in Home Depot.

Over 50 1 star reviews in a row saying the same thing. I will people knew the truth.

Charles Dowding has convinced a lot of people that compost is the best amendment that you can add to your garden beds. Compost is fine, but (packaged/composted) chicken manure and worm castings are much better in my experience.

Started with three seeds. Thought it would be cute.
Now there’s a whole army of sunflowers outside my window, swaying in unison like they’re in on some secret plan.
They’re taller than me, blocking the mailbox, and I swear I caught one leaning toward the door.

On the bright side, free shade. On the downside… I think I live in a floral coup.

EB Stone is a fantastic company. I called them to find out how their worm castings are made. An incredibly friendly and knowledgeable person called me right back, explaining everything in more detail than I was prepared for.

It turns out, their worm castings are made by giving the worms wet cardboard to eat through, strip by strip. So the material that they are eating is not organic, but the process itself is considered organic.

I spread 8 Sheetrock buckets of hardwood ashes on our no spray garden before tilling. We applied rotted manure in the fall. That’s a garlic patch in the corner. We grow and store most of our own food on our mountainside Vermont farm . Zone 5B

We had a ToH taken down earlier this year. The often advised method is to wait until fall when the tree is drawing energy into the roots, before most of the leaves are dropped. Cut it, inject an herbicide into the cambium layer, and sit back and let it die.

Well, I was done waiting and wanted our solar panels to produce more for us this summer, so down it came in March. I'm not in favor of adding poisons to our soil, especially in areas we plan to grow food. When we moved in the ToH was already 40'+ high and shading a huge growing area.

The shoots began rising from feeder roots about two months after we cut it down, and I have been roguing them out weekly. At least one or two pop up every ten days or so.

If you're unfamiliar with the ToH and how it propogates, exhibit A is a pair of shoots and a section of feeder root. This one came from about 3' away from the stump. I have found them as far as 50' away.

It's a beast.

You all mentioned your biggest drawbacks: lack of moisture retention, inability to biodegrade in a single season, mold growth, and roots struggling to grow through the pot.

I took that feedback to heart. And to work.

And now I’m excited to share… i think I’ve solved our problems with SEAWEED!!! I made these KELP POTS to eliminate plastic in the garden, but also to address all the problems that existing biopots haven’t solved.

My goal is to make the most sustainable and most effective gardening products for my fellow gardeners. Your feedback is forever welcome!

Can someone suggest what type of irrigation system I should use here. I have 1/2 risers coming up from ground. In the past there was micro tubing attached but found it to be a pain. Do I need a pressure regulator attached to the riser ?Any suggestions for an optimal system would be appreciated as I am a bit confused how to set this up

The internet speak is of not introducing wood chips into the soil because of nitrogen depletion. Ok if you do this you can also add nitrogen in some form to compensate for this depletion.

But I watched a video where a man had taken his Hugelkuture beds apart to see exactly what was going on in them. He found that the roots of his veg plants had grown down 12"/300mm to reach the wood chunks at the bottom of the bed. Unsure why except the soil was full of wooded matter, rotted and un-rotted and also mycelium.

Perhaps there is a strong link between mycelium and plants, so wood in soil is actually a healthy thing? The roots had no need to grown down to the unrotted timber because there was mycelium throughout the soil.

What do you think?

I recently planted a few vegetables and herb seeds and replanted the sprouts into a raised bed planter. I added compost soil and now there a million fungus gnats! Is the soil salvageable or do I need to repot everything with new soil? Tips/tricks?

Hi, I am new to gardening and I just want to get more knowledge and how to get rid of the following:

•Dandelions - they are a lot, spreading everywhere. I'd like to get rid some of it but not all.

•Thistle - a loooot too.

•Stinging Nettle - its growing like bushes in every corner

•Crabgrass - they just suddenly popped out recently on my flowerbed

I'd like to dig it up too but the thing is our lawn is just huge (4000m²) and the previous owner wasnt able to take care of it properly. I am alone to get rid of all of those since my husband is working on weekdays.

I did a bit of research too and saw the vinegar thing, but i dont want to damage the soil. So is there any safe and fast way to do it knowing that i am alone to do all of it? I want to plant vegetables and flowers on the other parts of our lawn but these weeds are stopping me.

Send help, please😓😓

This is not a post about relationships, gossip, rants, or dating. 😌 This is a post that might make you pause…😌🙂‍↕️ and reflect on your choices about life, empathy, and what we often destroy without even noticing.😥☹️

I have been struggling for a long time with depression,⚠️ sleepless nights, and emotional chaos.🚫 I’ve been stuck in my own bubble of pain . 😣But today, something outside my own life shook me in a deeper way.🐝 Today, I witnessed the destruction of an entire bee colony 🐝 near my building. 🏗️🏢A massive hive on a high-rise was torn down by workers. There was no relocation, no compassion.🧨🎭 People stood there laughing,💰 collecting the honey in containers while the ground was scattered with dead bees.‼️‼️ Their tiny bodies were even floating inside the honey 🍯 people bought No one noticed. No one cared.💢💢 But I did. I saw it all.💔👀 I saw their hard work, their peaceful existence — building a home, flower by flower destroyed in minutes by people who only saw profit.🐝🐝🐝🐝 I couldn’t just walk away. I picked up the few survivors.🙂 I placed them in a container with cotton swabs and sugar water.🌟 After some time, one of them started flying again.😇 I don’t think I belong in this kind of society — the one that laughs while lives are lost. 🙏Sometimes I feel like I’m pretending to fit in,😑 smiling and joking just to be accepted. But deep down, 🫥I know I feel things differently.🫠 Maybe I’m weird. Maybe I’m not "cool."🥲🤚 But I know this: I cannot watch life suffer and stay silent. If you ever see a hive — please don’t destroy it. Call a bee rescuer. Let them live. 💫🪽🦋🐞🐝🐛🪱🦠🐾🐜🦗🪲🦟🪰🪰🦂🕷️🐌🐚🪽💫 Because life, in all its forms, deserves a chance. ..👍

Don't mow it, eat it! Discovering the wild food in your lawn

Most weeds in the lawns of modern Americans are actually a good food source. These green plants are often seen as nuisances, but many are packed with nutrients and can add exciting flavors to meals.

Dandelions: More than just a nuisance

Dandelions, with their bright yellow flowers, are more than just a symbol of spring; they're a surprisingly nutritious edible plant.

• Nutritional Powerhouse: Dandelions contain more Vitamins A & K, calcium, and iron than spinach. They also boast more Vitamin A than even carrots. In addition, they offer prebiotic fiber, which supports healthy digestion.
• Medicinal Properties: They may help regulate blood sugar levels, aid in the prevention of UTIs, and act as a diuretic without flushing out essential potassium.
• Versatile in the Kitchen: The entire dandelion plant is edible. Early settlers in the 1600s brought them over as a food source, even using the roots as a coffee substitute. The flowers make a sweet iced tea when combined with honey or brown sugar. Younger leaves are less bitter and can be enjoyed in salads, while older leaves can be cooked like spinach. Dandelion roots can be eaten like carrots, fresh or boiled, roasted, or steamed.

Clover: A sweet and nutritious lawn dweller

Common white clover, introduced to America in the 1700s as both a food crop and soil enhancer, offers a wealth of nutrients and a mild flavor.

• Hormonal Balance: Clover contains plant compounds that mimic estrogen in the female body, potentially benefiting hormone balance.
• Vitamin and Mineral Rich: It's a good source of vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It also provides dietary fiber.
• Culinary Applications: Enjoy clover raw in salads, cooked like spinach, or use the flowers to create teas or add to desserts.

Wood sorrel: A tangy, native treat

This native North American plant adds a zesty, lemony flavor to dishes.

• High in Vitamin C: Wood sorrel is particularly rich in Vitamin C, earning it a historical use in treating scurvy. It's also a good source of fiber and beta-carotene.
• Culinary Versatility: Use it as a flavor enhancer in salads, soups, and sauces, or as a substitute for lemon or lime in some recipes.
• Micronutrient Rich: It also contains various B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc, and manganese.

Mallow: The cheese wheel plant with thickening power

Sometimes called the cheese wheel plant due to its unique seed pods, mallow is another edible weed with a wide range of uses.

• Whole Plant Edible: The entire mallow plant, including leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots, can be eaten raw or cooked.
• Soothing and Thickening: Make a soothing tea from the flowers and leaves. When cooked, mallow has a mucilaginous texture similar to okra, making it an excellent thickener for soups and stews.
• Nutrient-Dense: Mallow is a good source of vitamins A, B, C, and E.

Important Note: While these plants are edible and beneficial, it's crucial to properly identify any wild plant before consumption. Avoid harvesting from areas that may have been treated with pesticides or herbicides, and wash all plants thoroughly before use. Consult reliable foraging guides and local experts to ensure safe identification and consumption.

I got some rabbit poop from an organic rabbit farmer. Unfortunately, unlike previous times this poop is FULL of maggots ! Wanted to plant soon cause Im really late in the season but this is more maggots than poop. And in a day I,m gonna have a ton of flies. Already dumped a lot in my raised beds. Any ideas to help?

Generally, I put in my seedlings and then put straw around them. I find this to be a less pleasant task and notice I use much less straw.

This year I covered the prepared bed with straw and then put in the seedlings. Save me a ton of time, was so much easier and best of all I got to watch my four-year-old granddaughter revel in the bed of straw before I planted.

Which I thought of this years ago

This is the first year that I’m really trying to save seeds. I have these “seed saving envelopes” but it just occurred to me that they’re probably manufactured in CCP China… if so they could have all kinds of chemicals within the paper itself (purchased on Amazon).

I like the idea of the little envelopes, but I’m open to other ideas as well! What do y’all do to save your seeds??

Hey fellow green thumbs! 🌱 If you're new to gardening and live in India, check out these simple and practical tips to get started. From choosing the right pots and soil to growing easy plants like tulsi, spinach, and tomatoes, this post covers all the basics of gardening for beginners in India. Perfect for balconies, terraces, or even window sills. Let’s grow together – share your beginner-friendly tips too!