Six Plants to Plant Now to Repel Mosquitoes Later!

In this cold weather I am sure you haven’t thought much about those pesky Mosquitoes that find you in the warmer months. But to prevent this from happening later this year, you will have to plan ahead… or should I say plant ahead. 

By planting the following plants in container plants or in your garden, you will repel mosquitoes! 

Some other plants you can consider using are Horesemint, Lemon Balm, Citronella, and Ageratum! Be sure to try this and tell us if it works!

5 Tips for Growing Succulents

Succulents are great plants to grow inside and out. Not only are they easy to maintain, but they have a fun modern look as well! If you are looking for a way to add some nature to your home, take a look at these five tips for growing succulents like a pro!

1. Look for the light!

Succulents need lots of light, so try placing or planting them on the south for  exceptional sun and warmth. If the leaves begin to change colour and turn brown or white, then it’s time to move them somewhere with less sun as it can be too overpowering. 

2. Don’t worry about the temperature.

Succulents can grow in temperatures anywhere between 50 and 90 degress. As long as they are given time to slowly adjust to the environment, they will flourish. So don’t worry about the temperature as long as you give your plants to gradually adjust to it.

3. Don’t let them get thirsty!

During the summer months, succulents need more water due to the warm weather. Although the soil should never be soaked, it should stay damp. During the colder months, the plant will slowdown in growth and won’t require as much water. You can even cut the watering down to half! 

4. Choose superior soil.

Make sure the soil you choose is designed specifically for cacti. Succulents will thrive in this soil as it fast draining and helps the root system. This type of soil will give your plants the nutrients it needs! 

5. Only fertilize in the warmer months.

You can fertilize your succulents like you would any other houseplant during the summer months. These plants do not need fertilization during the winter months though, as your succulents are in “hibernation” and do not need the extra nutrients. 

Growing succulents is very easy and even more enjoyable! They require a bit more care in the summer months, but they are pretty low maintenance during the winter months. These tips can work for growing succulents inside or out! Give it a try and see how easy it is to grow your own succulents!

Five Ways to Use Coffee Grounds in Your Garden

As an avid coffee lover, I am faced with one of the same problems as many of you. We finish brewing a pot of coffee and we are left with a pile of useless coffee grounds that end up tossed in the trash. But what if I told you, you could use those coffee grounds to make your gardening job easier. Coffee grounds can help your plants grow healthier and stronger. Here are five other ways to use coffee grounds in your garden:

1.       Make a worm farm.

Why do you want a worm farm? Well, worms will turn and aerate your soil for you which make less work for you! Take a bucket, add some soil, your coffee grounds and a few worms. Then add the mixture around your plants and the worms will do all the hard work!

2.       Pump up your compost.

Did you know coffee grounds are full of nitrogen? Nitrogen is what your compost needs to be its best. When you are done with you coffee grounds, simply put them in your compost bin and give it a good stir.

3.       Send your pests packing.

If you sprinkle coffee grounds around the perimeter of your garden and flower beds, pests won’t want to cross it. Slugs, snails, and other bugs won’t want to climb over the acidic mixture, leaving your gardens pest free.

4.       Make your own fertilizer.

To make your own fertilizer, add half a cup of coffee grounds per one gallon of water. Mix it well and allow the mixture to sit for about twenty-four hours and ferment. Pour the mixture around the base of your plants. The plants will love their homemade fertilizer and it is completely safe for children, and pets playing in the yard.

5.       Fight off fungus.

Coffee grounds are a great way to fight off various funguses that will grow on your plants. All you have to do is sprinkle the ground directly into your soil. As the grounds break down in the soil, it will help fight various molds and fungus that could be fighting your plants.

Coffee is my daily pick me up, and now it can be the same for your plants. Try using coffee grounds in your garden and see what results it gives!

19 Ways to Prepare for Your Garden for the Spring in the Dead of Winter

It might be hard to think about gardening when the wind is blistering and the snow is blowing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t! The cold weather is the perfect time for planning for the spring!

If your anything like I used to be, you’re probably thinking you can just grab a few packs of seeds from the local store, put them in the ground and hope for the best, but if you want your garden to be successful, and reap rewards in the early months of the year you need to do a little planning. Here’s how…

In the fall before it freezes:

1.      Remove and discard the dead parts of plants, but don’t stick them into the compost. This will cause weeds to sprout up wherever you use the compost in the future.

2.      Put Mulch eight inches deep over any plants that might not handle the cold very well, including over-wintering vegetables such as carrots, so they will be alive still in the spring.

3.      Make sure all your garden beds are composted or mulched.

4.      Clean up, maintain and store your garden tools and equipment properly. Make note of any tools that might need to be replaced. If any of these tool need repairs, take them in to be fixed.

Start planning:

5.      Order seed catalogs. There are multiple good catalogs from different companies so go ahead and order a few! Here’s a hint! If you want to save the seeds from the plants to grow new plants in the future, you will want to buy heirloom varieties.

6.      Decide if you want to use cold frames or another technique to lengthen your growing season. If so, be sure to plan and build accordingly.

7.      Start by diagramming and planning what you want where. Once you have a general plan with your vegetable garden, herb garden, annuals, perennials, bushes and trees planned out, it’s time to start getting more specific.

8.      Be sure to check the viability and test germination of any seeds you have on hand.

9.      When you’re planning, start with the plants that take the longest to mature and will be there the longest – the trees! Next add the bushes, then the perennials including any herbs, then the annuals including the vegetables and lastly any potted plants.

10.  Ask yourself these questions for the trees, bushes, perennials and annuals:

a.       Do you want to plant any new ones?

b.      What kinds?

c.       How will planting these affect the plants you’ll be putting nearby? If you are planting a tree that gets really wide, you won’t want to plant bushes or anything long-lasting near it, but annual flowers would be great and provide a nice pop of colour!

d.      Are there any other plants that cannot coexist with these plants?

e.       What plants do really well around these plants?

f.       Where do you want them in on your land? You may realize that you might want your vegetable garden near the driveway, but you might want to put some bushes between your garden and your teenage driver.

11. Now the fun part! Start picking out what you want!

Here’s some additional guidance on picking plants:

12.  Decide what you are looking for and why. I like the unusual varieties of common plants, but you might appreciate your traditional plants as well. 

13.  Don’t forget to check which grow zone you live in. Your country, province or state extension service might have more detailed information available, or ask at your local nursery to get the best information.

14.  Think about what you’ll actually use and eat. There are really no reason buying eight rosemary plants, if you don’t like using rosemary in your cooking.

Here are some steps to take mid-winter:

15.  Look at the weather: is it an unusually cold or snowy winter? Or is it mild? If it’s not overly cold or snow, then you probably don’t need to do anything extra to your plants. But if it is really cold or snowy then you might want to protect your plants better.

16.  Take advantage of the increased visibility due to the plants dying or being dormant and take a good look at your garden. Are there any areas of erosion? If so, you can make a project for the spring and begin to research and plan on how to best fix it.

17.  Can you see roots damaging any walls, foundations, pathways or anything else? In the spring have a professional take care of any problematic roots. Do you research now to find a good service and ask for referrals from friends and neighbours?

18.  Look at where the snow and ice melt first and where does it last? This will give you an idea of what spots naturally receive more sunlight.

19.  It is finally time to start planting – even with the ground frozen rock-hard! Start your early season plants indoors. In four to six weeks, you can put them in the ground and start the next group of plants inside. A grow zone map can help you determine what to plant and when, as the weather begins to warm up.

I hope these tips help you get excited for your garden for next summer and you’ll have a great growing season! Enjoy the planning and the planting!