185 guides and counting.
Buying guide The best rain barrel for a garden is a dark, screened, food-grade barrel of about 55 gallons with a spigot, an overflow and a solid stand. Here is how to choose.
September 13, 2026
Buying guide Soil test kit types compared: probe meters, color kits, digital pH meters and mail-in lab tests, with what each measures, how accurate it is and what it costs.
September 13, 2026
Buying guide Determinate tomatoes need a short cage or a 4 foot stake. Indeterminate tomatoes need a 5 foot wire mesh cage or a 6 to 7 foot stake. Sizes and setup.
September 13, 2026
Yes, you can compost weeds with roots if you sort them first. Annual roots go straight in. Perennial roots, rhizomes and seed heads need 140°F, drying or drowning.
September 13, 2026
Which cover crops suit a few home garden beds, how many ounces of seed to sow per 100 square feet, and how to end the crop in spring by cutting or tarping.
September 13, 2026
Early blight vs. late blight on tomato plants: compare leaf spots, speed, weather and fruit symptoms side by side, then decide whether to prune or pull.
September 13, 2026
Add 1/4 to 1 inch of compost a year to an existing garden bed and 3 to 4 inches to a new one. Includes a volume chart by bed size, per-acre figures and manure rates.
September 13, 2026
How to water plants from the bottom: stand the pot in about an inch of water, lift it out when the surface is moist, then drain. Plus when to top water.
September 13, 2026
Cabbage worms are the green caterpillars of a white butterfly. Learn the life cycle, tell them from loopers, and control them with row cover, hand-picking and Bt.
September 13, 2026
Cilantro bolts in heat and long days. Sow in early spring and late summer, repeat every 2 to 3 weeks, give afternoon shade, and grow slow-bolt varieties.
September 13, 2026
Tomatoes need 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water a week, soaked deep at the base in the morning. How to check the soil, water pots, and prevent cracking.
September 13, 2026
Hydrangea not blooming? Pruning at the wrong time, winter bud damage, too much shade and excess nitrogen are the four usual causes. How to tell and what to change.
September 13, 2026