The Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Soil Mites

A close-up photograph of a soil mite crawling on the ground. Fascinating Facts About Soil Mites: Discover the tiny world beneath our feet!

Learn about the essential role of soil mites in soil and plant health. Discover the different types of soil mites and their functions, as well as how to manage them. Soil mites are beneficial to the soil ecosystem and killing them would require killing the soil.

Japanese Beetles Stop Them in Their Tracks

A close-up image of Japanese beetles on a leaf, highlighting the need to stop Japanese beetles from causing damage. Stop Japanese Beetles: Effective strategies to protect your plants.

The Japanese beetle has become a significant plant pest hazard to American agriculture and turf. Adults skeletonize the leaves and consume the fruit of several types of fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, and vegetable crops, while larvae feed mainly on turf roots.

Why Do Plant Leaves Have Holes in Them?

A close-up photo of leaves with holes in them, raising the question: "Why do plant leaves have holes in them?"

Plant leaves have holes because they consist of cells. The cell walls are composed of chitin, which is a polysaccharide. Chitin is what makes leaves so strong. When the cells break down, the chitin breaks down. When plant leaves have holes, it makes them very brittle and can cause damage to the plant’s health.

Is Greywater Good For Vegetables?

A photo of a dish soaking in dishwater, demonstrating the question "Is greywater good for vegetables?"

Greywater is indeed good for your vegetables. But if you misused this water, it can cause more harm than good when given to edible plants like vegetables and crop plants. The misusing of water stated in this context does not mean its usage but rather its collection and treatment process.

A Step-by-Step Look at How Plants Grow

A visual representation showcasing the remarkable process of how plants grow, progressing from a tiny seedling to a vibrant sprout.

From seed to sprout, sprout to vegetative, vegetative to budding, budding to flowering, and flowering to ripening, several stages are involved in plant growth. And to ensure their proper growth, they require adequate water, nutrients, air, water, light, temperature, space, and most importantly, time.

How many hours of daylight do plants need?

Various plants thrive under the warm glow of daylight, soaking in the sun's energy and displaying vibrant shades of green.

A plant may need at least six hours of direct sunshine, where most of them survive with roughly three to six hours of direct sunshine every day. At the same time, the plants need protection from the intense sun, so don’t leave them directly out in the sun for too long.

Do Seeds Need Light or Dark to Germinate?

A close-up photo of a seed germination process, showcasing a sprouting seedling emerging from the soil. The seedling is bathed in soft, natural light.

Most seeds prefer to germinate in a wholly dark environment. However, some species, including some flowering plants, like at least some light to successfully incubate. It is, in fact, safe to say that different plant species require varying light conditions to activate favorable seed germination.

Am I Overwatering My Plants? A Practical Guide!

A woman tending to her houseplants, being careful not to overwater them.

A sure sign that you are maybe overwatering your plants is when growth stops, leaves turn yellow in color, and the plant starts to wilt. You can see this; what you cannot see is that the root system will start rotting, which prevents the plant from taking up the feed and green mold that grows across the soil surface.

How to Prevent Seedlings from Damping Off?

A healthy seedling with vibrant green leaves and roots growing in nutrient-rich soil, demonstrating effective measures to prevent seedlings from damping.

Soak pots and trays in a 10% bleach solution for 30 minutes to sterilize them.
Use pots with proper drainage holes.
Warm soil to 70-75ËšF or 21-24ËšC
Use clean, warm (68–77˚F) or (20-25˚C) water to hydrate seeds and seedlings.
Fill trays with fresh potting soil. Don’t reuse old soil and never use garden soil.
Sow seeds thinly to prevent overcrowding which leads to humid conditions.
Use a potting mix that drains well.
Avoid over-watering. Keep the soil moist but not sodden with water.
Sterilize all tools that you will use in seedling planting and maintenance.
When not in use, store plant containers, and tools in a clean environment.
It would be best if you kept hoses and water heads up off of the floor.
When sowing indoors, make use of a small fan for proper air circulation.
Consider a systemic, broad-spectrum fungicide as a soil additive or soil drench.
When direct sowing, check your seed packet for optimal soil temperatures

How To Get Rid Of Aphids From Your Garden Plants.

Close-up of aphids infesting a garden plant. Learn how to get rid of aphids in your garden.

Insecticides, herbicides, and pesticides have been linked to cancer, congenital disabilities, autism, brain damage, and depression, to name a few. If you plant organically, you will not want to treat insects with any type of chemical. Fortunately, there are several ways to keep aphids naturally away from plants. These are some of the best natural ways to get rid of aphids.

Reliable Vegetable Garden Cost According To You!

A colorful assortment of fresh vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, and lettuce. Discover how much does a vegetable garden cost.

How much does a vegetable garden cost? It can vary greatly as no garden is identical, and also the resources required can vary on location, soil quality, preparation required, and what you wish to grow. But to answer this further, I asked 24 other gardeners to see what they spent when starting their vegetable gardens.

How To Stop Cats Using The Garden As A Toilet.

A gray cat exploring a lush garden, showcasing measures to prevent cats from using it as a toilet.

Stop cats fouling in your garden with one or a combination of the following.

Prevent access with plastic spikes, or roller fence tops, stopping them from getting a grip.
Grow herbs such as Thyme, Rosemary, Wintergreen, Mint (Smells Cats Hate).
Spray down areas cats have defecated with DIY sprays to prevent them from returning
Set up motion detection sprinklers (Cats hate water).
Set up motion detection noisemakers
Set up ultrasonic cat scarers
Add netted balls of human hair around the garden.
Protect growing areas with wire mesh to put cats off fouling.
Use river rock as a mulch to prevent cats from burying their feces.
Place citrus peel around your garden. Cats’ senses are many times that of ours. Citrus is overbearing,

Proven Methods, How To Get THRIPS Off Your Plants

A close-up photo of a thrip insect crawling on the leaves of a houseplant. Get thrips off your plants.

How To Get THRIPS Off Your Plants? Thrips can be controlled by timely pruning, good husbandry, good soil nutrition, along with ensuring good ventilation and watering habits. But one of the very best ways to get rid of thrips is to use predatory insects.

How To Control Allium Leaf Miner. Protect Your Plants!

Close-up photo of an Allium leaf miner larva, a pest that damages Allium plants, positioned on a decaying leaf. Learn effective methods to control Allium leaf miner and protect your plants from infestation.

How to control allium leaf miner? The only surefire way to control allium leaf miner is to cover the plants before they are affected. Enviromesh, insect mesh or even fleece can be used with great effect. Prevention is much better than cure. If crops do have allium leaf miner the safest bet is to burn and destroy the plant to prevent its spread.

What Causes Powdery Mildew? How to get rid of it?

Close-up of hands holding a spray bottle, treating powdery mildew on a plant leaf. The hands are spraying a solution to combat the causes of powdery mildew.

What Causes Powdery Mildew? Powdery mildew is a fungus caused by micro-organisms. It is problematic when there are damp humid conditions. This fungal disease can affect a wide range of plants leaving behind powdery substances that block the leaves from photosynthesizing.

Deal With Septoria Leaf Spot On Tomatoes Leaves

A person's hand holds a tomato leaf with septoria. Learn how to deal with septoria on tomato leaves.

Tomatoes suffer from all sorts of diseases. Septoria Leaf Spot on tomatoes is no exception. Caused by a fungus called Septoria lycopersici. It is very destructive to the foliage of your tomato plants. It is caused by damp humid conditions and is more persistent when this sort of weather persists for long periods of time.

60 Top Gardening Tips For New Gardeners

A joyful woman with a wide smile tending to her garden, sharing valuable tips on new gardener.

My number one tip for new gardeners. Is to NEVER USE A Tiller until you have removed all the perennial weeds. New gardeners are usually told by well-meaning gardeners to use a Tiller to till the soil. This is a huge mistake as you will cut up perennial weeds making your issue a hundred times worse.

Gardening Jobs To Do in January

Gardening Jobs to Do in January on a snow-covered garden

{“statusCode”:401,”message”:”License key missing”} If you’re making resolutions, let adding small activation steps to dreams be one of them. Small wins can build up to success; they are more potent than un-actuated big dreams. I’m including myself in this pep-talk. So the action points in this piece are for me as much as for the Simplify … Read more

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