Most houseplants do fine with window light from spring through early fall. Once you have a dim room, a north window, or the short days of a Northeast or Midwest winter, a grow light makes up the difference. For most homes, I’d pick a full-spectrum white LED grow light, set 6 to 12 inches above … Read more >>
A shady yard can still grow food. Plenty of shade tolerant vegetables will produce real harvests on 3 to 6 hours of sun, especially leafy greens, root crops, peas and a handful of herbs. The trick is matching each crop to the light you actually have. In this guide, I’ll show you how to read … Read more >>
Few things are more frustrating than reaching for fresh basil and finding brown, crispy, or mushy leaves instead. The good news is that basil leaves turning brown almost always point to a specific cause. Once you know what to look for, the fix is usually simple. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to … Read more >>
New York is a big, varied state for growing food. A tomato that thrives in Brooklyn in May could freeze solid in the Adirondacks the same week. That’s why knowing your gardening zone New York location and your local frost dates matters so much before you plant a single seed. In this guide, I’ll walk … Read more >>
Fresh ginger is one of the most rewarding crops you can grow at home. It looks like a lush tropical plant all summer, and it gives you spicy, tender rhizomes that taste far brighter than anything you’ll find shrink-wrapped at the store. Best of all, growing ginger in pots works for almost any US gardener, … Read more >>
Organic gardening is one of the simplest ways to grow food you feel good about. You skip synthetic sprays and fertilizers, feed the soil instead of just the plant, and let nature handle more of the work. The benefits of organic gardening show up in your soil, your harvest, your wallet and the wildlife in … Read more >>
Gardens should give back more than they take. Yet many yards send bags of leaves, plastic pots and food scraps to the landfill every year. Zero waste gardening flips that habit by treating “waste” as a free resource you can use again. You don’t need a big budget or a perfect plan. In this guide, … Read more >>
Few things are more frustrating than heading out to snip some basil and finding pale, washed-out leaves. Basil leaves turning white usually point to one of a handful of problems: too much sudden sun, a fungal coating, tiny pests, a nutrient issue, or something as simple as residue from your water. The good news is … Read more >>
Curling leaves on an oyster plant almost always mean the plant is short on water at the leaf level. That shortage comes from dry soil, rotting roots, harsh sun, cold air, or sap-sucking pests. Most curling oyster plant leaves are thirsty: check the top inch of soil, water deeply if it’s dry, and move the … Read more >>
Few things are as frustrating as walking out to your herb bed and finding basil leaves turning black overnight. One day the plant looks lush and fragrant, and the next it has dark spots, slimy patches, or whole leaves gone limp and inky. The good news is that black basil leaves almost always point to … Read more >>