Basics

Whether you're new to gardening or experienced, everyone needs some gardening basics to get going!

In this category, you'll find a wealth of information that spans a wide number of topics. From seed starting to grow bag gardening, pruning tips to raised bed tricks, you'll find the fundamentals of gardening awaiting you here.

While it's optimized towards new gardeners, even a pro can find useful tips in our Basics category. We all need to get back to basics sometimes, and there are always useful tools and tips that other gardeners have developed along the way to add to your own practices.

Our Basics category can inspire you to new gardening heights, too. Those who have experience with in-ground planting can learn about other techniques such as raised beds or vertical gardening.

Seed-sowing tips. Close-up of several starting trays with young seedlings on a wooden table. There is also a plastic glass on the table with several sticks for labeling.

Seeds

15 Best Tips for Seed-Sowing Success This Season

From labeling and taking notes to watering carefully and fertilizing early, there are many ways to boost your seed sowing success. Gardening expert Madison Moulton breaks down 15 of her best tips for seed sowing this season.

short growing season. Krupnyy plan pripodnyatoy gryadki s rastushchimi buryakami i morkovkoy ryadom s gryadkoy rastushchikh ogurtsov v solnechnom sadu. Beets obladayet kruglymi, gladkimi korneplodami purpurno-bordovogo ottenka. Beets have leafy green stems, featuring deep green, slightly crinkled leaves attached to reddish stems. Carrot leaves, attached to the edible root, are feathery and fern-like in appearance, growing in a rosette from the top of the root. Carrots are root vegetables with a distinctive appearance characterized by their long, slender, tapering shape and vibrant orange color, although they can also be found in shades of yellow, purple, red, or white, depending on the variety. The smooth skin is typically glossy and may have fine root hairs, while the flesh is crisp, crunchy, and ranges from pale orange to deep orange. Carrot leaves, attached to the edible root, are feathery and fern-like in appearance, growing in a rosette from the top of the root. Carrots are commonly cultivated for their sweet flavor, crunchy texture, and versatility in culinary dishes, making them a popular ingredient in salads, soups, and side dishes. Показати більше ​ 1 150 / 5 000 Результати перекладу Результат перекладу short growing season. Close-up of a raised bed of growing beets and carrots next to a bed of growing cucumbers in a sunny garden. Beets has round, smooth, purple-burgundy roots. Beets have leafy green stems, featuring deep green, slightly crinkled leaves attached to reddish stems. Carrot leaves, attached to the edible root, are feathery and fern-like in appearance, growing in a rosette from the top of the root.

Gardening Tips

13 Ways to Make the Most of Your Short Growing Season

One of the most challenging parts of gardening in a cold climate is dealing with the short time between the last spring and first fall frost. While you can’t change your climate, you can take steps to work with your limited frost-free days. Join former vegetable farmer Briana Yablonski as she shares 13 ways to make the most of your short growing season.

drip irrigation schedule. Close-up of young garlic plants growing in a garden with drip irrigation. The garlic plant displays a distinctive appearance characterized by its upright, slender stalks and elongated, linear leaves. Growing from a bulb buried in the soil, the plant's leaves are a rich green color and have a slightly flattened, strap-like shape. Drip irrigation is a water-efficient system characterized by a network of tubing and emitters that deliver water directly to the base of plants.

Basics

How Often and How Long Should I Run Drip Irrigation?

Adding a drip irrigation system to your garden allows you to apply water to your plants’ roots easily. However, installing a drip irrigation system is just the first step. Join former vegetable farmer Briana Yablonski as she explains how often and how long to run drip irrigation.

Best wood raised beds. Close-up of two raised beds in a sunny garden. Raised beds are made of wooden, smooth planks in a light shade. Cucumber and radish plants grow in the garden bed.

Gardening Tips

What’s the Best Wood for Raised Garden Beds?

Before you grab some lumber to construct a raised bed or order a wooden garden bed online, remember that not all wood is the same! Choosing the proper type of wood is the difference between a garden bed that crumbles within a year and one that lasts for over a decade. In this article, Briana Yablonski will introduce some of the best types of wood for raised beds.

A beige, blue, and rock-walled home features beautiful rock bed gardens.

Gardening Tips

How to Find the Right Plants For Your Home’s Style

Looking for plants that are right for your home but not sure where to begin? Wondering what style of architecture you have and what kind of plants will best enhance it? In this article, certified master gardener Liz Jaros takes a look at the home styles that apply to most residences and suggests plants that are well-suited to each.

Green tray rests next to a sturdy cardboard box, both cradling young life. Within the tray and box, delicate, budding plants thrive in individual white yogurt pots, their leaves reaching out toward the light.

Seeds

27 Best Seeds to Start Indoors in Early Spring

Ready to get a head start on your spring garden? Former organic farmer Logan Hailey digs into the best vegetables and flowers to sow indoors in early spring to ensure robust, healthy transplants timed perfectly with your last frost date.

Seeds sink or float test. Pouring chia seeds into glass with water on a wooden table, on a blue background. Some seeds float while others remain at the bottom of the glass. The seeds are small, round in shape, and black in color.

Seeds

Soaking Seeds: What it Means if Seeds Sink or Float

If you want to produce healthy seedlings, you need to start with viable seeds. Some gardeners claim that testing whether seeds sink or float is a great way to determine if they’ll germinate. But is there any truth to this claim? Join gardener Briana Yablonski as she dives into the world of sinking and floating seeds.