-Mike Weeks- Growing organically has always been a passion for us, and we love learning and teaching the best methods to do so. Since it's cold, and none of us are really spending much time out in the garden, I thought I would bring you to one of our off-site, indoor hemp gardens, because there’s plenty of action happening there. I have been practicing a gardening method known as “no-till”, a term well-known in the outdoor gardening community, but there are ways to apply this to an indoor … [Read more...] about Blumats and No-Till Gardening
Caring for Christmas Cactus
-Pam Scott- Winter can seem pretty bleak on the plant front, but there are a lot of beautiful, colorful holiday plants for inside the home or office. Unusual varieties of poinsettia, lush green Norfolk Island Pines, and blooming exotic Christmas cactus are the perfect plants to brighten these dark leafless winter days. The decorative holiday plant we get the most questions about this time of year is the Christmas cactus, or Schlumbergera. We might assume that all cacti prefer sunny, dry … [Read more...] about Caring for Christmas Cactus
Get Ready for Cold & Flu Season with Elderberry Syrup
-Tracey Broome- Winter is approaching, which means it’s time to prepare for cold and flu season. Time to slow down, take a breath, rest, and nourish our bodies with natural and organic foods, teas, and natural remedies that help stave off sickness. Elderberry (Sambucus Nigra) syrup is one tried-and-true way to help support the immune system during the winter months. Elderberries are naturally high in immune-boosting compounds that are known to help relieve cold and flu symptoms and … [Read more...] about Get Ready for Cold & Flu Season with Elderberry Syrup
Carbon Filters for the Win
-Gabrial House- Here at Fifth Season Gardening Co. we sell everything you might need for an indoor grow setup, for either the hobbyist or the commercial grower. That includes everything from grow tents, to commercial lighting systems, plus everything in-between. There is one particular piece of equipment that I want to discuss today, however, and that’s an indoor grow air filtration system. When you hear a grower talking about their filtration system, they are almost always referring … [Read more...] about Carbon Filters for the Win
Compost: Yes, You Can Make it Yourself (and compost tea too!)
-Sally Watkins- Compost is all the rage in the sustainability and permaculture communities, but what can compost do for you and your home garden, and how can you produce it on a small scale? In this blog post, we are going to discuss how to get your compost tumbler or pile to create rich, nutritious compost as efficiently as possible, and finish up with a great recipe for compost tea. If you have a yard with some space away from your house, the simplest way to compost is to create a basic … [Read more...] about Compost: Yes, You Can Make it Yourself (and compost tea too!)
Happy Houseplants
-Gabrial House- Today on the blog I wanted to take a look at the basics of caring for your houseplants. Too often we hear people say “I have a black thumb” or “I killed that aloe plant within a week.” If you follow these basic practices you will have a house full of beautiful lush plants that make you happier and healthier. The first piece of advice I have is to know your plants – different plants require different amounts of water and light, so knowing what you are caring for is really … [Read more...] about Happy Houseplants
Grain Crush
-Peter McMindes- It’s not the size of the crush; it’s how you use it. The crush of the grist results in different size particles that give the brewer the range between the speed of sugar extraction and the ability to extract overall. A small or fine crush will allow sugars to be converted faster by enzymes but can create a stuck mash or unwanted husk tannin extraction. A coarse crush will allow for a better flow of wort and lauter but will not be converted as quickly. While the degree of … [Read more...] about Grain Crush
Pumpkin Spice Kombucha
-Gabrial House- With fall in full effect, this week on the blog I wanted to share one of my favorite kombucha recipes. This time of year I am a sucker for crisp cool days, cozy sweaters, and everything pumpkin spice. It only makes sense for us to enjoy all the wonderful benefits of kombucha with the delicious taste of pumpkin spice. To make this recipe, we’ll start off by fermenting a batch of kombucha from green tea. Then we will be adding the Pumpkin Spice flavor during our second … [Read more...] about Pumpkin Spice Kombucha
It’s Soil, Not Dirt… And It’s Alive!
-Patrick Metz- This past weekend we had the folks from Mountain Gate Organics over at the Charlottesville store talking worms, soil, and biology. In anticipation of the day, we had made a couple hundred gallons of compost tea and were giving it away to any interested gardeners. Even more exciting was a little display we had set up with a microscope connected to a computer screen. Underneath the microscope two drops of the tea (made from worm castings and molasses introduced into water and … [Read more...] about It’s Soil, Not Dirt… And It’s Alive!
Forcing Bulbs For Winter Blooms
-Pam Scott- As the days become shorter, we start to see signs that the outdoor growing season is coming to an end. Summer annuals and perennials set seeds for the birds and other wildlife to eat. The trees shed their leaves. As gardeners, many of us still have the urge to nurture color, scent, and life into the slowly greying pallet of the shortening winter days. In this week’s blog, I’m going to talk about how you can do just that by forcing spring-blooming bulbs for a succession of fabulous … [Read more...] about Forcing Bulbs For Winter Blooms
