Okay, so this “bling” doesn’t adorn your plants with sparkle and shine, but it does enable them to glow with vitality from minimal effort on your part. The kind of crystals we’re talking about work deep in the soil at the plant’s root level. They are actually made of a high-quality, long-lasting acrylamide copolymer gel that absorbs up to 200 times its weight in water. The beauty of it, is that the water crystals slowly release the water into the soil surrounding the plant roots, providing life-giving moisture during dry weather.

So often our weather is a famine or a feast when it comes to rainfall. Sometimes the ground becomes over-saturated only to dry out during extended rainless spells. Of course, you can spend hours watering your plants and trees but how do you know when you’ve watered enough…or too much? Most plants benefit from consistent moisture and that’s where Terra-Sorb water saving granules come to the rescue. These crystals are not a top dressing for established garden beds or trees but are best used when preparing the soil for planting. They are useful for both in-ground plantings and container planting. Simply add 1 Tbsp per gallon of soil for containers and 1 lb per 100 square feet in gardens. A little goes a long way so don’t add more than recommended or the soil will become quite spongy. Adding the crystals at a depth of 8 inches is best so they will not work their way to the surface, providing little benefit to the roots.

Don’t worry about having to replenish the crystals every year since they continue to work for three to four years. And when their work is done don’t worry about unhealthy agents lingering in the earth either. Terra-Sorb water saving granules/crystals are completely non-toxic. Unlike some sodium-based polymers that leave damaging salts behind, these crystals are potassium-based and break down into a healthy fertilizer.

Make the most of Mother Nature’s watering or your own watering efforts. Buy your new plants some botanical bling and even the divas of your garden will be less “high maintenance!”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 at 11:48 am and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Everyone knows that vegetables are part of a healthy diet.  They’re also crucial ingredients in many recipes—yet fresh vegetables aren’t always available when you need them.  Canned vegetables are mushy and bland, and frozen veggies get freezer-burned quickly.  If you don’t garden, or you live in a climate with a short gardening season, or you don’t live right around the corner from a supermarket, you might have limited availability of the vegetables you need for the most basic meals.

Now there is a simple, practical and cost-effective way to have vegetables on hand at all times:  dehydrated!  You can store dehydrated carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, celery, spinach and potatoes in your pantry, ready for adding to soups and casseroles, stews, and most other recipes whenever you need them.  They’re even delicious rehydrated and eaten on their own.

There are several advantages to dehydrated vegetables.  They retain their color, so they look fresh and attractive, once they’re rehydrated.  They have great nutritional value, and most importantly, they maintain their fresh flavor, longer than canned or frozen vegetables.  The best part is they can be stored on a shelf until you’re ready to add them to your recipes.  They only need to be kept in a dark, dry place.

To use dehydrated veggies, simply boil them for 2 minutes, and they resume their original plump state.  Sprinkle on your favorite seasoning and enjoy them alone, or add them to recipes as you’d add fresh ingredients.  Or, if you just pour the dried veggies into cooking soups and stews, they will absorb the broth or fluids of the recipe and the flavors meld as the dish cooks.

The best part of dehydrated vegetables is that they’re pre-cut.  No more dicing and slicing!  Now you can pour your desired amount of pre-chopped veggies right into your cooking foods, and instantly add all the color, flavor and texture of fresh vegetables, but without the work! Ounce for ounce, dehydrated vegetables are less expensive than fresh, store-bought produce…because there’s no waste, and because of the time saved in preparation.  Once you’ve tried them, you’ll agree they’re certainly more convenient!

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 at 3:34 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

With their beautiful glossy leaves and colorful fruits, Bell Boy Pepper Plants look equally at home on the patio or in the vegetable garden. All-American selections winner, the Bell Boy Pepper is considered a first class ‘all rounder’ and its popularity with chefs has exploded within the last ten years. The vigorous growing plants will thrive in full sun and need to be protected from strong winds. They are reasonably sturdy and are a popular choice of children or young budding gardeners. They have a crisp fresh taste when eaten raw and are both a colorful and tasty addition to many cooked dishes.

Bell Boy peppers can be planted in pots but if planting in the earth should ideally be spaced 18 inches apart. The time between planting out and harvesting is normally 70 days and the fruit will at first appear green and although safe to eat at any size, it is best to wait until it is 3-4 inches long and comes away easily from the plant. The fruit will eventually turn from a deep green to a deep red and the longer Bell Boy peppers are left to ripen, the sweeter they become so your decision to harvest will be based purely on taste. Allowing the peppers to ripen will also prevent you causing the plant any damage as you remove the fruit.

The two most important things to remember when growing Bell Boy Peppers are space and soil. They do not thrive if there is too much nitrogen in the soil and do best if the ph level is 6.5 to 7. Do not guess the acidity of your soil. A soil tester is inexpensive, easy to use and can save you a lot of wasted time and money. If you do grow the Peppers in pots, make sure the container is big enough and there is plenty of space to allow the plant to grow and spread. If the growing space is restricted this can seriously reduce the amount of fruit produced.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 2:25 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

If your garden decided to throw a party, Double Impatiens would be the first guest invited, one of the first to arrive, and one of the last to leave. They light up the shady corners of your yard with their vibrancy, are low maintenance, and clean up after themselves. What more could you ask?

Double Impatiens will bloom their little hearts out from mid-spring to mid-fall. They need light but not direct sunlight, so plant them in partial to full shade about 15 inches apart and they will virtually glow with radiance. Other than a once-a-month sprinkling of flower food such as Espoma Flower Tone, Double Impatiens are perfectly happy to receive just plain old water. Do keep them evenly moist for the best blooms. No need for back-breaking dead-heading as these beauties naturally drop their spent blossoms on their own.

With their double petals, they resemble miniature roses but without the hassle of those higher maintenance divas of the garden. They average about 10 inches in height and colors include such beauties as pure white (Musica “Pearl,”) peachy-pink (Silhouette “Appleblossom,”) light pink (Summer Ice “Pink Ice,”) dark and light pink variegated (Musica “Bicolor Pink,”) salmon (Musica “Pastel Salmon,”) red and white variegated (Musica “Spicy Red,”) and purple (Rosebud “Purple Magic,”) just to name a few. For dramatic impact, plant several of the same color together forming a drift of vivid color. For a fiesta of a garden, plant colors together such as pink, purple, and orange. For a refreshing, cooling affect, plant whites and light pinks. Whites are also beautiful for a “night garden,” in which they will glow beneath the moonlight or your soft garden lights.

Double Impatiens are versatile garden guests, happy in many different settings. They may be planted in the ground as clouds of color or lovely borders, grown in deck boxes, window boxes, or planters, and are perfect in hanging baskets.

So give your garden a party and invite the lovely Double Impatiens for lasting, carefree beauty.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 2:31 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

So, you’re ready to grow lantana? We have several tips for you to ensure the best lantana experience possible.

General Location

First, pick out an ideal spot for your lantana plants. This plant loves the heat so it needs at least four hours of direct sunlight daily. Nighttime temperatures need to range between 55 and 60 degrees F, with daytime temps of 68 degrees F or higher. Humid or dry heat is fine, and lantana is hardy in USDA Zones 8-11. It reaches six feet high and eight feet across, depending on which variety you choose, so it can be used as a tall shrub or a low-level groundcover. It works best in mixed beds and borders or as part of a grouping of shrubs or as a container plant. Consider mixing it with ornamental plants if you prefer, but it also can grow well alone. It’s tolerant of a range of conditions such as dry, rocky sites, or sandy, seaside conditions. It can be planted in almost any site as long as it receives full sunlight.

Soil Conditions and Preparation

Opt for well-drained, slightly acid soil for lantana. You’ll want a soil pH of about 6.5 or lower. You can use any soil suitable for bedding plants. It’s fairly drought resistant and can adapt to most soil conditions. For instance, if the soil has a clay texture, add sand coarse bark. It’s best to prepare the beds a few weeks before planting if lantanas are to be planted in new beds. Use a power tiller to work the soil and add amendments as necessary. You can use a commercial potting soil if lantanas are used in hanging baskets or as potted plants.

Planting and Blooming

Plant lantana when days are long and hot. You’ll find that many varieties will return from the roots and main stems in early spring. You’ll get gorgeous blooms until frost. The flowers are in dense clusters, one to two inches across, near the top of the stem. The colors vary from yellow, orange, red, white and pink to purple. They gradually change colors during the blooming period. It’s quite possible to see different colors of flowers on the same cluster. The foliage is lovely, with a yellow-green color and a serrated edge. They are aromatic when crushed. The stem is brittle and woody. With care, it can be trained to grow in a shape similar to a tree, featuring great heads of foliage and flowers above a single stem that is two to three feet tall. Induce repeated flowering throughout the blooming season by frequently pruning the tips. It’s easy to care for lantana. Once the flowering season is over, clusters of green, fleshy, berrylike drupes will appear in the fall. They turn black as they mature and are poisonous if eaten. Each berrylike fruit contains one seed for a possible self-seeding option for the next blooming season.

Watering and Fertilizing

It’s necessary to water lantana often to get a good blooming experience. Water frequently in well-drained soil. If you over-water, then the number of blooms will be reduced and the plant will be more susceptible to diseases and root rot. Try to modify the watering schedule according to growth and the outside temperature. Don’t use heavy fertilizer. Instead, fertilize in early spring with a complete, all-purpose garden fertilizer. Depending on which variety you’ve planted, lantana may need more fertilizer through the middle of summer. This will encourage faster growth. You can fertilize every two weeks if you’ve planted a faster growing, heavy feeding type of lantana. But too much fertilizer will prevent the plant from flowering and will make it more susceptible to disease.

Mulching

Don’t forget to mulch. Mulching is essential if you are growing lantana as a perennial. It serves many purposes, including maintaining soil moisture and keeping weeds under control. It’s not necessary to mulch during the summer, but it will help with weed control and reduce the amount of watering needed. It’s best to also mulch after the first frost, when the lantana has been killed down to the roots, to keep the roots hardy to return the next spring.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 11:29 am and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Feeding wild birds is a good thing to do. It’s good fun, good for the planet, educational for young and old, inexpensive, and nearly trouble free. You just put out the food, which comes in a variety of styles, and watch the colorful and interesting feathered friends flock in. In the winter, when birds that eat a lot of insects are having a hard time, you can offer suet. That is a high-energy supplement that can really help them make it through.

Suet mixes can be home made. There are even vegetarian formulations if your principles are so directed. But maybe an afternoon of rendering globs of fat isn’t your idea of a good time. It’s not for everyone. So, good news, we have modern suet cakes that work just fine. With the modern no-melt formulations, you can offer suet all year long. It attracts species that you might not see around a seed feeder. The cakes don’t melt; they don’t spoil in warm weather. They are convenient to use. It’s easy. What could go wrong?

Well, there is one thing that can go wrong. Squirrels. That can be a lot of things, actually. Squirrels are great, no doubt. They have their place in the world, and a right to their share of the food. Problem is, if left to it, they’ll take all the food, not just their share. Squirrels will get into the suet supply, and they don’t need much time to get it all gone, leaving none for birds you were hoping to attract. You can make a separate squirrel feeding area, and offer those squirrel chunks that take the arboreal rodents a lot of time and work to dispose of. But they may make short work of the high energy suet treats before they start work on their designated food supply. So what can you do?

You can use the Heath hot pepper suet cakes, is what you can do. They have all the good qualities of a no-melt suet cake. They are easy to use. They don’t melt or spoil when the temperature is high, so they can be used year-round. They are a great deal too. But the best thing is, the hot pepper is appealing to birds, but not liked by the squirrels. The hot pepper suet cakes attract a large variety of desirable species, including Goldfinches, Cardinals, Juncos, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Kinglets, Siskens, Purple Finches, Thrushes, Tanagers, Warblers, Titmice, Wrens, and Woodpeckers.

The Heath hot pepper suet cakes will please your bird friends, while re-directing the appetites of the local squirrel population. If your conscience bothers you, go ahead and rig up some squirrel feeders too. Make it hard for them, if you wish. They enjoy a challenge. Let them work it out, while you enjoy watching the bright birds enjoy their healthy energy-boosting suet treat.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 12:08 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Growing your own produce, whether it’s a small home garden or a large spread of acreage generating crops, now makes more sense than ever.  Besides the cost savings over buying expensive produce in the supermarket, you can control the quality of your food.  You know exactly what products have or have not been used to control insects and diseases.  And, you know your food has been picked at the peak of ripeness, rather than being harvested green and shipped halfway around the globe.

It’s immensely satisfying to start your plants from seeds and watch them sprout through the surface of the soil and become a future food source.  It’s also the most economical way to garden.

Jiffy has long been the trusted name in starting seeds indoors.  Jiffy offers a huge range of seed starter supplies, from simple to sophisticated, and no one has come up with a better way to get your garden going.  The Jiffy system has been trusted by knowledgeable growers for years.  Their mini-greenhouses are lightweight, durable, and well designed for annual reuse.

Jiffy’s peat pellets are the ideal starter medium.  They will maintain the best moisture-to-air ratio and pest-free contents, but more important, they transplant easily into the soil without damaging delicate new roots.

Peat pellets are available in economical lots of 25 for use in your own pots or trays.  They can also be purchased with seed starter kits as basic as windowsill greenhouses that hold 6 or 12 pellets and can be placed in a sunny window to allow the light to nurture the new plants.   The reusable black trays and clear tops are sized just right for Jiffy pellets—and for your windowsills.

Jiffy also has a greenhouse system with growing tray, clear domed top, and 72 cells for Jiffy peat pellets.  Other tray sizes hold 25 or 50 pellets, and heating pads are available.  The heat gently coaxes seeds to sprout and it also helps control the moisture level. 

Jiffy pellets are so simple to use that even young children can begin developing their gardening skills with great success every time.  You just drop your seeds onto the pellet and add water, and when they’re at the right height to take outdoors, you plant the entire ball into the soil and let nature do the rest.

These pellets contain sphagnum peat, mineral lime, and a special fertilizer to stimulate growth.  With a pH level of around 5.3, the medium is designed to ensure that your seeds will produce healthy, happy plants that will be ready to transplant to the garden after the last frost.  A thin biodegradable netting around the root ball keeps the entire mass intact for removal from growing trays and transfer into the ground.  Nothing could be cleaner or easier!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 4:58 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

As an amateur bird watcher that can spend hours just watching the birds that flock to my feeders, I’ve spent many frustrated hours wondering how I could feed both the smaller songbirds, as well as the larger birds in need of winter sustenance. It seemed like every single time one of those pretty little guys would arrive, one of the larger gluttons, like a house sparrow, blue jay, cardinal or red-winged blackbird would arrive and chase the orioles, titmouses, nuthatches, or gold finches away. I love all the birds, even the raucous blue jay, but enough is enough! Those little guys need to eat too!

I found the answer in the Duncraft® Cling-A-Wing Songbird Feeder. I found that only certain birds have the ability to cling and that there is a bird feeder that the larger, more aggressive birds cannot adapt to. This spherical bird feeder is designed JUST for the small clinging songbirds. The larger songbirds are not able to cling; therefore, they cannot partake of the goodies inside. It holds that yummy Black Oil Sunflower Seed that is the favorite of so many birds and critical for their winter good health.  The globe design also keeps the sunflower seed dry, so I don’t worry about snowy, sleety or rainy weather.

With four feeding ports, there is plenty of space, so I’ve added to my backyard feeding stations by including one of these for each of the regular feeders that the larger birds use. I’ve actually separated the large bird feeding stations from the smaller ones, with plenty of space in between so that the little ones aren’t intimidated by the flight of the large ones through their feeding area. Even though fall is just beginning its fade and winter is a month away, at least, the colder temperatures in the north seem to have hurried the migration, so I am already seeing many of my favorite visitors back at their feeders in my central Oklahoma home.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 5:13 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Imagine leaving for your long-awaited vacation with no worries.  Your work is caught up, your home is secured, your plants are cared for without a plant-sitter.  Yes, it’s possible.

Houseplants and landscape plants that are accustomed to TLC when you’re home can now be left unattended in your absence.  There is a product called Vacation All-Natural Anti-drought Treatment that takes all the worry out of watering while you’re away—whether it’s a once-a-year vacation or regular business trips. Vacation gives plant lovers peace of mind.

Vacation All-Natural Anti-drought Treatment works this way:  it sends your plants into a state of temporary hibernation.  Your plants will be able to go up to two weeks without watering, because they’re dormant until they receive water again.  Once you water them or they receive rain or irrigation, the effects of Vacation wear off and your plants return to their normal behavior.

You simply mix Vacation with water and apply the solution to the soil of your indoor and outdoor plants.  Then, they can go up to two weeks without another drop of water.   For all your plants, once you return home and give them a good drink, they “wake up” and slowly return to their normal moisture requirements.

Vacation is all-natural, biodegradable, and safe for use around children and pets.  The dormancy effects gradually wear off as plants once again receive watering.  Nothing could be easier to use, and it’s way more cost-effective than hiring someone to water your plants as you travel.  If you’re like many people, it’s a comfort to know no one is in your home while you’re away.   And it most certainly beats having to move your plants to someone else’s home to be cared for.

Indoor plants have varying water needs, depending on the season, the amount of sunlight, and the moisture level in the air.  With Vacation Anti-drought Treatment, those fluctuations don’t matter.  You’ll find your plants exactly the same way you left them when you return.  If plants are in bloom, the flowers should be intact for that two-week period, as well.

Vacation is available in 8-ounce bottles and a little goes a long way, since it’s mixed with water before application.  It’s safe to use outdoors around wildlife.  Vacation Anti-drought Treatment can even be used on lawns.  Basically any plant that requires regular watering can benefit from this amazing and practical product.  Should it rain while you’re gone, the effects of Vacation wear off and your lawn returns to normal moisture needs.  Consider Vacation for your cut Christmas trees, too.  It eliminates the need for adding water to the reservoir daily for up to three weeks!  Vacation Anti-Drought Treatment is one product that no plant lover should be without.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 8:17 am and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Anyone who has ever attempted to germinate their own seedlings, indoors, for a head start on their garden has probably had a great number of failures, sometimes equal to or greater than their successes. Unfortunately, starting seeds outside in the garden can be just as unfulfilling. Weather conditions, especially in early spring, can greatly affect the number, if any, of seeds that will grow to healthy plants.

Seeds require specific conditions for optimal growth, and those conditions can be hard to meet when germinating seeds in egg cartons on your windowsill. Temperatures fluctuate, cloudy days occur, humidity is not constant, especially when the weather is still cold outside, and it is so easy to over water or under water. Basically, if you just miss one day of careful attention to those babies…well, you know….you’ve been there.

Jiffy-7® products have taken much of the guess work out of seed germination. The Jiffy-7 products optimize growing conditions, resulting in a much higher, sometimes as high as 100%, germination rate. The heat mats or heated germination units provide a constant, thermostatically controlled temperature, so important to starting seeds on their growth cycle. The domed greenhouse-like lids insure that the humidity remains high and stable, something which is almost impossible to achieve without a greenhouse. Jiffy has thought of everything. Even the Jiffy-7 peat pellets, specifically designed to fit their trays, have been enhanced with the necessary minerals and vitamins necessary for seed germination. Jiffy-7 trays are re-usable and recyclable. They come with complete instructions so even the novice can succeed at this delicate task.

Make your life easier! We all get great pleasure from watching those seeds sprout and grow into healthy plants to be transplanted to our springtime gardens. Quit wasting money on seeds that never sprout and on growing medium that goes to waste. Jiffy-7 makes it easy to maintain the proper growing conditions!  Insure your success by investing in these Jiffy-7 products; you will find them invaluable in terms of your success and the productivity and beauty of your gardens.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 at 2:53 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.