Growing Fish and Vegetables Together Aquaponics is the combining of hydroponics (growing plants in water without soil) and aquaculture (the raising of fish). The water the fish are growing in is recirculated to the plants. This recirculated water contains waste from the fish, which is full of beneficial bacteria and nutrients that feed the plants without using fertilizers. There is no need for pesticides or herbicides. Soil-borne diseases and weeds are not a worry....

Are Onions Good for You? The simple answer is yes! Eating onions has health benefits. For one thing, onions are low in calories and sodium, and contain no fat or cholesterol. This makes them a healthy option to flavor foods versus adding salt, sugar, or fat. Onions are rich in vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids, and phytochemicals. We have all heard about the benefits of vitamin C, but what about the other nutrients?...

Backyard BBQs, potlucks, and picnics. These are the standards of human social interaction. We gravitate towards each other like moths to a flame. One of the most joyous of social occasions is a garden to table dinner party. It features the best of the garden harvest, combined with time spent enjoying the outdoors, provided the weather is cooperating. Garden to Table Dinner Ideas Small farms have been introducing backyard farm to table party events as a way to boost interest in their produce and provide a new revenue stream....

Balancing Gardening and a Job If your job is a full-time occupation, you’ll only have part-time hours to do your gardening. Set a realistic goal of the hours each week you want to spend in the garden. Are you a gardener who enjoys working outside as much as possible, or do you prefer just growing only a few plants here and there? The answer to the question of how to balance work and a garden begins with identifying how much time each week you want to devote to your gardening pursuits....

About Hollyhock Bare Root Plants Healthy bare root plants don’t have the susceptibility to the dreaded rust disease as those started in other ways. Seed-grown hollyhocks and those started from cuttings often start life in a weaker form and are more prone to develop rust disease, a disease that plagues long-time hollyhock growers. Plants grown from seed may not be true to the parent plant either. More than 60 species of bare root hollyhock plants are available....

What is a Bearberry? Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a low-growing ground cover that usually tops out between 6 and 12 inches (15-31 cm.). The flexible stems sport teardrop-shaped, leathery leaves in dark green. You’ll find a small amount of white or pale pink waxy flowers between March and June. Bearberry grows groups of cherry red berries that measure just under ½ inch (1 cm.) across. A lot of wildlife will eat these berries, but the plant gets its name because bears absolutely love them....

Benefits of Companion Planting with Cabbage Companion planting in general has the benefit of saving space, properly utilizing soil nutrients, pest management, and mutual support as in the case of the three sisters, a trio comprised of squash, beans and corn. Cabbage Companion Plants Many strongly scented plants are used as companion plants. This may be because the blooms from the plant attract beneficial predators or the plant provides habitat for these good bugs or the heightened aroma may repel detrimental insects....

Identification of Black Medic Weed Black medic (Medicago lupulina) is considered an annual clover (but is not part of the clover genus). It has the teardrop-shaped leaves that are often found on clovers but, unlike other clovers, has yellow flowers. It is normally an annual, but in some warmer areas it can survive for several years before dying. Like many clovers, the leaves grow in groups of three and are oval shaped....

If you happen to be a lucky recipient of a piece of a friend’s bleeding heart, you may question how to plant a bleeding heart rhizome. Continue reading to learn about growing bleeding hearts from tubers. Bleeding Heart Rhizome Planting Bleeding heart plants are usually sold as growing container perennials, bare root plants, or in packages as tubers. As growing container plants, they are already leafed out, may be flowering, and you can plant them in the garden whenever you purchase them....

Blueberry Stem Blight Info Blueberry stem blight starts insidiously with just a few dead leaves in a single part of the plant. Over time it spreads and soon stems are exhibiting signs of the disease as well. The disease is most common in areas with poor soil or where excess growth has occurred. It is a fungal disease that lives in soil and discarded plant debris as well as several wild hosts....

Luckily, moving flower bulbs may be a simple solution to this problem. Should You Move Bulbs? Once planted, many bulbs do not need to be moved. However, in some cases, it will become necessary for bulbs to be transplanted. Moving flower bulbs is most often needed when a plant becomes too dense. As bulbs multiply throughout the years, the space needed for adequate root growth of the bulbs diminishes. One important sign of dense plantings is the lack or decreased number of flowers produced during the bloom period....

Bunny Grass Plant Info Bunny grass is a small, clumping grass with soft, ivory to white, oval flowers. They have a soft, touchable texture that is irresistible to both little and big hands. The blades are a soft, green color and 1 to 2 feet (0.5 m.) long. Unlike many ornamental grasses, hare’s tail grass has thin, bendable foliage. Bunny tail grass is a novice gardener’s dream because it’s so forgiving, and bunny grass plant info wouldn’t be complete without noting its drought-tolerance....

How to Plant Caladiums Caladiums can be purchased as potted plants or dormant tubers. Their size depends on the variety. For the most part, each tuber has a large bud, which is often surrounded by smaller ones. To make it easier for these smaller buds to grow after planting caladium bulbs, many gardeners find it helpful to lift out the large bud with a knife. Of course, this is up to the individual and will not adversely affect the overall growth of your caladiums....

Are Calathea and Maranta the Same? There are many members of the Marantaceae family. Both Maranta and Calathea are each a separate genus within this family, and both are tropical understory plants. There is some confusion about Calathea vs. Maranta. They are often lumped together, with both being called ‘prayer plant,’ which isn’t true. Both plants belong to the arrowroot family, Marantaceae, but only the Maranta plants are true prayer plants....

Best Time for Camellia Pruning The best time to prune a camellia plant is right after it has stopped blooming, which will most likely be in May or June depending on the variety. Pruning the plant at other times will not harm the plant, but it may remove some of the blossom buds for the next year. Pruning Camellias for Disease and Pest Control Camellia pruning to control disease and pests consists of thinning out some of the inner branches to improve airflow and allow more light to reach deeper into the plant....

Can Plants Grow in Compost Only? Can plants grow in compost only? Not nearly as well as you’d think. Compost is an irreplaceable soil amendment, but that’s just what it is – an amendment. Some of the essentials in compost are only good in small amounts. Too much of a good thing can lead to problems, such as ammonia toxicity and excessive salinity. And while compost is rich in some nutrients and minerals, it’s surprisingly lacking in others....

Can You Eat Asters? Asters are gorgeous autumn perennials that can be found wild in North America and southern Europe. Also called starworts or frost flowers, the genus Aster includes about 600 species. The word ‘aster’ is derived from the Greek in reference to the multi-hued star-like blooms. The aster root has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine. How about eating the rest of the aster plant? Are asters edible?...

Ginseng (Panax sp.) is an extremely popular herb, with medical uses dating back many hundreds of years. The plant has been a valuable herb in the United States since the days of the early settlers, and today is outsold only by ginkgo biloba. Is ginseng edible though? Read on to learn more. Edible Parts of Ginseng Can you eat ginseng? The herb’s therapeutic uses are widely studied but most claims of the herb’s curative qualities are unsubstantiated....

About Growing Jujube in Containers Jujubes thrive in USDA zones 6 through 11 and love the heat. They require very few chill hours to set fruit but can survive temperatures down to -28 degrees F. (-33 C.). They do need lots of sun in order to set fruit, however. Generally, more suited to growing in the garden, growing jujube in pots is possible and may even be advantageous, as it will allow the grower to move the pot into full sun locations throughout the day....

About Growing Peppers Indoors Fruit from a pepper plant grown inside will never get as large as those grown outdoors; however, they will still pack the same amount of heat. The best pepper plants to grow inside are smaller peppers such as pequins, chiltepins, habaneros, and Thai peppers, or small ornamental varieties. Indoor pepper plants need the same requirements as those grown outside. They need enough space in a container for their roots to grow....