Taking small steps towards these goals will ensure that new homesteaders are able to begin the process of building their own sustainable space safely and efficiently, without becoming overwhelmed. How to Start Homesteading Learning how to start homesteading sounds wonderful. However, it will actually involve hours upon hours of hard work and effort. For many, starting a homestead means the production of their own food as well as activities like preserving the harvest and rearing animals....

Creating Winter Window Boxes The first thing to remember when creating winter window boxes is that some plants will keep producing and even perform better after a frost. Swiss chard, kale, parsley, and mint will all thrive through a frosty autumn. You can plant them in late summer when hotter weather plants start dying. Alternatively, if you plant everything in grow bags, you can start them indoors earlier and switch them out to your urban window box gardens when the temperatures start to drop....

What are the Causes and Symptoms? The impatiens fungus is caused by the pathogen Plasmopara obducens, which is very difficult to control. The fungus on impatiens plants forms in cool moist or humid conditions, generally in spring or fall. Ornamental impatiens and downy mildew go hand in hand in 30 states of the Union with only a few resistant varieties available. It affects both cultivated and wild impatiens, but not New Guinea impatiens....

What is Internal Tipburn? Problems with vegetables caused by cultural and environmental situations are common. Even professional growers may be beset by nutritional deficiencies, irrigation issues, or even excess fertilization which causes damage to their crops. In the case of internal tipburn, any one of these can cause the situation. Internal tipburn in cole vegetables can be managed, however, and is considered a moderate crop plant concern. The initial signs of internal tipburn in cole vegetables are at the center of the head....

Is Ironweed Invasive? Ironweed establishes in neglected and disturbed areas. It is common throughout the United States, especially in the central prairies. This herbaceous plant produces multiple branches and bright purple flowers. Once mature, ironweed can grow 10 feet (3 m.) in height with densely fibrous taproots and rhizomes. The entrenched rooting system makes hand pulling nearly impossible and leaving any part of the root behind will result in regrowth. In large fields, herbicides combined with mowing are the recommended methods to ironweed plant control....

Citronella Geranium Poisoning in Dogs and Cats Citronella geraniums have deeply lobed, green leaves and small, pinkish or lavender flowers that grow on multiple stems. They grow 2 to 3 feet (0.5 to 1 m.) tall and thrive in sunny situations. When crushed, the “mosquito” plant’s leaves smell like citronella, an essential oil cultivated from lemongrass varieties. Oil of citronella, which is a naturally occurring insect repellent, is a main ingredient in many pesticides....

Is it Safe to Pick Juniper Berries? Those blue berries coated with a white powder are the source of the flavoring in gin. You don’t have to be a gin lover to want to learn when to harvest juniper berries. Is it safe to pick juniper berries? Make sure you can recognize the bush that is the source of the safe seasoning or some very unpleasant experiences may await from harvesting juniper berries off the wrong plant....

Are Sphagnum Moss and Peat Moss the Same? The products known as sphagnum moss and sphagnum peat moss come from the same plant, which is also known as sphagnum moss. There are over 350 species of sphagnum moss, but most of the varieties harvested for sphagnum moss products grow in wetlands of the northern hemisphere – mainly Canada, Michigan, Ireland, and Scotland. Commercial sphagnum peat moss is also harvested in New Zealand and Peru....

What is a Japanese Eggplant? Eggplants have been cultivated for centuries. There are writings from the 3rd century referencing the cultivation of this wild fruit. Much of the breeding was done to remove the prickles and astringent flavor of wild forms. Today’s Japanese eggplant is silky smooth, sweet and easy to use. The original eggplants were small, round, green fruits with a slight bitterness to the flesh. Over time, Japanese eggplant varieties have evolved into primarily purple skinned, long, slender fruit, although there are still green forms and even some heirloom varieties that are white or orange....

If you are looking to plant an easy-care hedge in a mild region, Japanese holly can work well. These pretty evergreen shrubs have small green leaves, shiny and spineless, and require very little maintenance. It’s easy to learn how to care for Japanese holly if you plant it in the right hardiness zone in an appropriate garden location. Read on to find out everything you need to know about growing Japanese holly shrubs....

Japanese Maple Feeding and Care A Japanese maple brings such beautiful texture and color to your garden that you’ll want to take top care of the tree. It isn’t as picky as you might think, but it does have some definite preferences. Finding a good site for your Japanese maple is the single best thing you can do to keep that tree healthy. The placement of your tree will determine how attractive and lush it will look and even how long it will live....

Beautiful fall-blooming pollinator plants are available as both annual and perennial flowers. Though pollinator garden ideas are only limited by one’s imagination, it’s essential to focus on the production of blooms that are heavily nectar-rich. Many pollinator-attracting plants for fall feature vibrant colors and large flower sprays. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular options. Popular Fall Flowers to Plant Asters – Both annual and perennial asters are prized for their ability to attract fall pollinators....

Why Do Squirrels Dig in Flowerpots? Squirrels dig primarily to bury their cache of food, such as acorns or nuts. Flowerpots are ideal because potting soil is so soft and easy for squirrels to dig in. Chances are, you’ll find their tasty treasure trove buried a few inches (8 cm.) deep in your containers. Unfortunately, the critters may also dig up bulbs or chew on your tender potted plants. How to Protect Container Plants from Squirrels Protecting potted plants from squirrels is basically a matter of trial and error, but the following suggestions are certainly worth a try....

Why are Knock Outs not Blooming? Figuring out how to get Knock Out roses to bloom means finding out what’s causing them not to flower in the first place. Animal pests Are buds on the roses one day and by the next morning totally gone? Maybe they’re lying on the ground as if cut off, or perhaps missing all together. The culprits here are usually squirrels, deer, or elk. Deer and elk may eat just the buds off first with a small amount of foliage, returning another night to decimate the bush....

Propagating Lavender Plants You can start lavender from hardwood or softwood cuttings. Softwood cuttings are taken from the soft, pliable tips of new growth. Hardwood is thicker than softwood and resists bending. It may snap if you force it to bend. The best type of cutting to use depends on the type of lavender and the time of year. Softwood cuttings are plentiful in spring, and you can gather more of them without destroying the parent plant....

What Causes Zucchini Fruit to Fall Off the Plant? The most common cause of zucchini fruit falling off the plant is no or poor pollination. This means that for some reason, the flowers on your zucchini plant were not properly pollinated and the fruit was unable to produce seeds. Remember, a plant’s sole purpose is to produce seeds. When a fruit has shown it will not produce seeds, the plant will “abort” the fruit rather than invest precious time and energy in growing it....

Propagating China Doll Plant China doll cuttings are not always easy to propagate, as this is a finicky plant. Nonetheless, China doll plant starting is possible given the right conditions. When propagating China doll plant, use only the green stem cuttings, not the woody ones. These cuttings can easily be taken from the ends of the plant’s stems while pruning. Avoid using any long cuttings, sticking to those that are 3 to 6 inches (8-15 cm....

What is De Morges Braun Lettuce? Most lettuce varieties take up very little space in the garden and can be planted in succession or as companions with other garden plants, giving us the opportunity to grow several different varieties, which can be harvested over and over for fresh salad mixes throughout the growing season. Certain tasty lettuce varieties, such as ‘De Morges Braun’ lettuce, are also aesthetically pleasing to the eye and can be tucked in small spaces of ornamental beds or containers....

Does Lettuce Need to be protected from Frost? Growing your own lettuce is a beautiful thing. Not only is it rewarding to pick your own fresh produce, but once picked, lettuce will continue to grow, giving you successive harvests of fresh greens. But what happens when temperatures dip toward the freezing mark? Does your lettuce need to be protected from frost? Lettuce seedlings will generally tolerate a light frost and, unlike most vegetables, continue to grow through the fall when the possibility is a probability in some regions....

Light Requirements for Hibiscus How much light does a hibiscus need? As a rule, a hibiscus plant needs about six hours of full sun per day in order to bloom to its fullest potential. It will still grow perfectly well in partial shade, but it won’t fill in as fully or bloom as spectacularly. The more light a hibiscus gets, the better it will bloom, up to a point. There is such a thing as too much light, especially when it’s combined with hot and dry weather....