The Gardners Path

Avocados are one of the wonderful fruits of summer. High in nutrition and flavor, nothing signals the start of summer like a zesty lime guacamole dip with tortilla chips. The next time you’re making guacamole or slicing an avocado for a salad, try saving your pits to grow into avocado trees. If you’ve been trying to root avocado seeds by suspending them over a glass of water with toothpicks, there is an easier way. I’ll show you a no-fuss way to root avocado pits to create new houseplants. It’s surprisingly easy to grow your own avocado tree from seed, and it makes a great educational project for homes and classrooms.  I recommend this method because it takes little effort and shows you exactly which seeds will germinate before planting them in pots. Growing an avocado from a pit starts with sprouting. The only skill you need to coax that hard avocado seed (aka the pit) to crack is patience — because it usually takes six to eight weeks to get a sprout. REMOVE & CLEAN PIT You’ll...

If you grow only one vegetable other than tomatoes, it should be lettuce. Growing lettuce is so easy, takes up little space, and you can even grow it among flowers. here are a few things to think about when adding lettuce to your garden. Since lettuce is a cool weather plant it’s best to plant them in the spring or fall. You can also do succession planting to be able to have lettuce harvest all season long. To succession plant, you’ll want to plant a few seeds and then a week or two later plant a few more. This way your lettuce will be ready to harvest at different times, so you don’t have a huge harvest of all at once. When to Plant Lettuce is a cool weather plant and does well in most areas when planted in the spring and fall. Lettuce seeds can be started indoors 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. Lettuce seeds can be direct sown into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. Lettuce usually grows well at temperatures between 45 and 65 degrees. Hotter weather tends to make l...

There’s nothing quite like the experience of going out into your own backyard and picking fresh fruit right off the tree. But fruit trees can be discouraging to many gardeners who like to see a quick turnaround in yield. Many fruit trees can take years to start bearing fruit, and represent a significant time and space investment in any garden. Some citrus trees can take between six and ten years before you see the first piece of fruit! For those of us that like to see a quicker turnaround from our gardens but still don’t want to give up the idea of fresh fruit, there are several types of fruit trees that will bear fruit fairly quickly. Figs, mulberries, peaches, and even limes can all give you a successful fruit harvest within the first year they are planted when well cared for. The key to getting a quick first harvest from many fruit trees is to purchase grafted stock. Grafting is a technique where a budding stem of one tree is inserted into the rootstock (roots and some portion of th...

Growing Bell Peppers In Containers Peppers are a complete joy to grow if you live in a continuous hot weather climate that is! If you don’t have the space to grow them in a garden, it gets a little trickier, but don’t fret, a pot is all red peppers need to grow! It’s container gardening at it’s finest! After you’ve got your hands on some pepper seeds or a plant from the local nursery, the next step is, yep you guessed it, you need to find a pot! Time to start growing bell peppers! Pots Or Containers : When browsing for suitable pots, make sure its at least 10 inches deep and 10 inches in width. Drainage holes at the bottom are definitely recommended, a pot of this size can easily grow and maintain 2-3 plants. Avoid place pots if you’re already in a hot climate for your plants will attract a little too much sun. Seeds: If you choose a plant from a nursery you can skip to the next section, however, if you simply purchased some seeds you’ll want some seed food or potting mix as well. Fill...

Carrots make for a healthy snack, and they are a vegetable that even children can’t wait to get their hands on. If you want to try growing carrots in your garden this year, take a peek below at these helpful growing tips. Below you will find tips for growing carrots in your own garden, so you can enjoy their sweet and crunchy taste all season long. Here is what you need to know! Tips for Growing Carrots in the Garden How to start carrots from seed: When planting carrot seeds, you want to head outdoors about 4 weeks before the final frost of the season. There is no need to wait until the threat of frost has passed. Choose a spot that offers full sun. Be sure when planting your seeds the soil is fine and free from foreign matter. Carrots have deep roots (the vegetable itself), so you want to be sure they have plenty of room to stretch. If anything blocks their way (such as rocks in the soil) their growth could be stunted. When planting, seeds should be placed at least 4 inches apart. Try...

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, but you really should do a whole lot more than that. This little citrus fruit not only offers a multitude of health benefits, but they’re also one of the most alkaline-forming foods on Earth, which makes them great for balancing an acidic body. Lemons were first created as a cross between a lime and a citron. It was the Arabs that first introduced them to the Europeans, and Christopher Columbus himself brought them to the New World during his second voyage in the late 15th century. A few centuries later during the California Gold Rush, lemons were commonly eaten by the miners to protect themselves against scurvy, a disease that results from a lack of vitamin C. While lemons are well known for their high level of vitamin C, they also contain riboflavin, thiamin, iron, magnesium, pantothenic acid, fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, copper, calcium, and folate. EATING LEMONS REGULARLY IS A GREAT WAY TO:  Boost your immune system Keep your...

Christmas cactus plants (Schlumbergera bridgesii_) are epiphytes that grow naturally in trees in Brazil. They absorb moisture and nutrients from debris that gets caught in the tree branches. Commonly grown as houseplants, they can also be grown outdoors in pots in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, as long as they are brought indoors if the weather gets too cold. They can survive temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but their stems will be severely damaged. Rooting a New Christmas Cactus To root a brand new cutting of a Christmas Cactus, be sure to plant in a mixture of moist peat and sand soil. You'll want to place the cactus into the soil about a quarter of an inch. Also, be sure not to overwater your newly rooted cactus to avoid rot. Once fully rooted, you can move your plant to a pot with potting soil for a permanent home. Light and Temperature Place indoor Christmas cactus plants in bright, indirect light. Right next to south-, west- or east-f...

Ginger is one of the best tremendous and helpful root plants you can purchase, but what if you could own an endless supply grown right at the house? Ginger can be costly to buy, and that's why getting your personal is highly valued. Not only that but growing your ginger guarantees that there are no pesticides or extra unhealthy ingredients. Now we'll tell you how to grow ginger in containers or pots and receive an endless supply! HOW TO GROW GINGER IN CONTAINERS or POTS 1. SOAK THE GINGER Most ginger roots in markets are treated with a germination inhibitor, which limits them from growing. So first, soak your ginger root in water for 24 hours to get rid of that issue. 2. LOOK FOR GROWTH BUDS After having soaked them for 24 hours, bring them out from the water and see for growth shoots. The sprout will begin on the indention of the cover of the root. If your ginger doesn't enhance some buds, place it near a window sill till shoots begin growing. This process may demand for s...

Sweet potatoes are grown in the Southern U.S. They are planted in the springtime by slips of sweet potatoes. Did you know you can harvest a small crop of sweet potatoes with a single sweet potato? You'll need to start this plan with one sweet potato – market-bought is accepted for optimal outcomes, around mid-March. Varieties of Sweet Potatoes : Thre are two types of Sweet potatoes in general: vegetable varieties bred for their delicious roots, and other varieties bred primarily for their ornamental trailing foliage. Both varieties relate to the Ipomoea batata varieties, and both edible and ornamental varieties are relatively easy to grow in containers. HOW TO GROW SWEET POTATOES This whole process is too easier than you might imagine. To get started, look for firm sweet potatoes without any major bad spots. It's more helpful if they haven't been refrigerated. SIX EASY STEPS FROM BEGINNING TO HARVEST… Step 1. Get a sweet potato and leave it in a glass of water almost mid o...