Sili-Seedlings seed starting tray review

Seeds & Seed Starting February 18, 2019 Monica Hemingway

Sili-Seedlings Seed Starting Tray: Product Review

Sili-Seedlings seed starting trays are made of FDA-approved, BPA-free, food-grade silicone (great for organic gardeners). They're well-designed, easy to work with, sterilizable (just wash them in the dishwasher) and crush-proof. Best of all, seedlings grow in them extremely well and, because the cells are a little larger (2" x 2"), don't need to be transplanted as quickly. I recommend Sili-Seedlings without hesitation and will be using them for nearly all my future seed-starting needs (I'll continue to Continue Reading →

How To... February 2, 2019 Monica Hemingway

Gardening Tips for January & February

For much of the country, January and February are months to reflect on last year’s gardening season and start planning for the new year. Here are the must-dos, should-dos, and nice-to-dos in the zone 6 garden. Practical advice that's easy to follow! Continue Reading →

Tool Maintenance and Repair October 24, 2018 Jack Hemingway

Bypass Pruner Care & Maintenance: Cleaning, Lubricating, Tightening & Sharpening

Keeping your bypass pruner in good working condition is relatively simple. Just focus on these four things and your pruning tool can give you a lifetime of use. Continue Reading →

Videos October 24, 2018 Jack Hemingway

How to Sharpen Pruner Blades with a Carbide Sharpener

If you want an easy way to sharpen bypass pruner blades, this brief tutorial is for you. It includes written instructions describing how to properly sharpen bypass pruner blades with a carbide sharpener, plus a video tutorial and the sharpener we recommend. Continue Reading →

Tool Maintenance and Repair October 1, 2018 Monica Hemingway

Fall Garden Tool Maintenance Tips

You're told to do so many things in fall to clean and protect your gardening tools. Here's our no-nonsense list of what you must do now and what can wait. Continue Reading →

Soil September 24, 2018 Monica Hemingway

State-by-State List of Soil Testing Labs at Cooperative Extension Offices

A state-by-state listing of soil testing laboratories associated with the state university's Cooperative Extension Service. Continue Reading →

Reviews April 7, 2018 Sarah Bohl

Lawn Care Tips from the Pros for a Healthy, Green Lawn

It is often said that grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, but we got to wondering – HOW do these mysterious Jones’s get their grass so green? So we went straight to the pros and asked them. Below are some tips that we got from Charles Aubry, Golf Course Superintendent at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, GA (host of the PGA Tour Championship each year) and from Continue Reading →

Month-by-Month April 1, 2018 Monica Hemingway

March & April Gardening Tips

April is a busy month in the garden. To keep things simple, here are the must do, should do, and nice to do gardening tasks for the April garden. The focus is on zone 6 gardens but the same tasks will generally apply to other zones - just do them earlier or later. Continue Reading →

Videos March 15, 2018 Sarah Bohl

Seed Starting, Part 2: What To Do After Germination

Check out our latest tutorial video below about what to do with your seeds after they have started to germinate (when they’ve started to grow). Then keep scrolling for some tips and links to help you out! If you missed the first video on How to Successfully Start Seeds, be sure to check that out […] Continue Reading →

Tool Maintenance and Repair November 28, 2017 Monica Hemingway

How to Winterize Your Lawn Mower in 5 Easy Steps

Before you put the lawn mower away for the winter, take these few simple steps to ensure that your lawn mower will start up easily in the spring. Continue Reading →

Seeds & Seed Starting February 19, 2017 Monica Hemingway

When to Start Seeds Indoors

Not all plants can or should be started from seed indoors. Some, like corn, simply don’t transplant well. Others, like sunflowers and cucumbers, grow so quickly that there’s little point in starting them early. But for those plants that need a little extra time to give them the best chance of maturing during the […] Continue Reading →

How To... October 6, 2016 Monica Hemingway

How to Plant and Grow Bulbs

Information for the home gardener about buying, planting, growing, and storing flower bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers of all kinds. Continue Reading →

Gardening Resources, FAQs & DIY May 25, 2016 Monica Hemingway

Seven Terrific Tomato Tips

Who doesn’t love those ripe, sweet/tart fruits fresh from the vine? Here are seven terrific tips to help you grow your best-ever tomatoes. Continue Reading →

Seeds & Seed Starting May 1, 2016 Monica Hemingway

Pop-Up Accelerator From Gardener’s Supply: Product Review

If you’re the impatient type like me, or just want to get heat-loving plants off to an early start, this is something to consider. It collapses flat for storage, is sturdy enough not to tear, and keeps tender plants protected from cold and wind. Continue Reading →

Month-by-Month May 1, 2016 Monica Hemingway

May Gardening Tips

Each month, there’s so much that could be done in the garden that it’s hard to know what must be done. So I’ve broken the May gardening tasks into three categories. If you only have time for a few things, focus on the ‘Must Do’ tasks. Add in the ‘Should Do’ and ‘Nice to Do’ tasks as time allows. Continue Reading →