It's seed starting season again for those of us in the southeast part of the country. At this time of year, you should be drooling over the seemingly infinite selection of vegetables, herbs and flowers in the horde of seed catalogs arriving in your mailbox. Keep in mind, you can buy many of those seeds at your local garden center. I know they'll appreciate your business and offer some great advice, if needed. Now, about seed starting. While you can start some seeds indoors, other plants are … [Read more...] about Seed Starting: Beyond the basics
gardening
Chelation: Crucial for hydroponic gardening
Chelation: the interaction between a metal ion and a chelating agent. Chelating Agent: Chemicals that form soluble, complex molecules with certain metal ions, inactivating the ions so that they cannot normally react with other elements or ions. Now that we've gotten the definitions out of the way, here's a quick explainer on why understanding chelation (key-LAY-shun) is vital for hydroponics gardening: The nutrients you mix up to form solutions in water are charged metal ions. … [Read more...] about Chelation: Crucial for hydroponic gardening
Are your hydroponic plants eating their nutrients?
In hydroponics gardening, plants get all of their nutrition from the minerals found in hydroponic nutrients. Getting your plants to eat their minerals is a bit more complicated than simply providing enough minerals, however. There are many types and brands of nutrients available on the market, but no matter what kind you choose, plants can only consume the minerals if the conditions are right. A grower can mix nutrients in a reservoir, but this doesn't necessarily make them available to the … [Read more...] about Are your hydroponic plants eating their nutrients?
Terrarium Components and Construction
Terrariums have been an on-again, off-again fad since the mid-1800's and have always sparked the human imagination. No matter their current popularity, these little curios are an interesting addition to any home decor, a great way to connect to nature during the cold months, and a very rewarding hobby. We have a lot of people come into Fifth Season Gardening in Carrboro looking for tips on how to build a terrarium, so here we will cover some basics everyone should know about the components used … [Read more...] about Terrarium Components and Construction
How to winterize your Smart Pot raised beds
Smart Pot raised beds are a good alternative to wood or plastic sided raised beds, especially in the colder months. A Smart Pot is a planting container made out of a breathable, synthetic fabric. They are lightweight and durable (mine have been up for over 3 years now), and have the unique ability to air prune the plants' root structure by allowing the roots to grow through the fabric sides, dry up, and prune themselves off. This allows your plants to get bigger and healthier, with a stronger … [Read more...] about How to winterize your Smart Pot raised beds
Houseplant Care Series Pt. 3: Basic Soil Choices
Plants have adapted to wildly different environments and, to some extent, you should endeavor to mimic their native soil when deciding what mixture to use. You can also alter a soil mixture depending on where you plan to grow it and to better suit your watering routine. It's often a daunting task to look at the myriad number of soils and choose the right one for your particular houseplant. To get started, there are a few basic questions to ask yourself: What type of plant are you … [Read more...] about Houseplant Care Series Pt. 3: Basic Soil Choices
