Ethan Brooks, Author at Complete Gardening

Gardening Tips

Your Fig Tree’s Best Branches Root Into Whole New Trees — Here’s the Fall Cutting Move That Works

A productive fig tree can give you more than fruit – it can give you free trees. Dormant…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 22

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Broccoli Leaves Are Turning Purple Around the Edges – Here’s the Cold-and-Nutrient Slip Behind It

Noticing purple or reddish edges creeping across your broccoli leaves as fall settles in can feel alarming, especially…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 22

Gardening Tips

If Your Hydrangeas Keep Struggling Every Summer, These Flowering Shrubs Fill the Same Spot With Easier Color

Hydrangeas look amazing on a magazine cover, but if yours wilt by noon every July, you are not…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 18

Gardening Tips

Your Hostas Flop Over and Yellow as Fall Arrives — Here’s the Cutback That Brings Them Back Healthier

When hostas start flopping and turning yellow in fall, it can feel like something went terribly wrong in…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 18

Gardening Tips

Your Hummingbird Feeder Sits Untouched While Neighbors’ Are Busy — Here’s the Placement Slip Behind It

Hanging a hummingbird feeder and watching nothing happen is one of the more puzzling moments in backyard wildlife…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 18

Gardening Tips

Your Hydrangea Blooms Faded to Dull Green Instead of Staying Vivid – Here’s the One Cause Behind It

Watching your hydrangea blooms shift from bright pink, blue, or purple to a flat, dull green can feel…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Never Plant These Near Your Tomatoes or You’ll Watch the Harvest Quietly Shrink

Tomatoes are the star of most Southern summer gardens, but they can be surprisingly picky about who lives…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Deer Are Stripping Your Fall Shrubs Bare as the Forage Runs Out – Here’s What Actually Keeps Them Off

Walk outside on a cool October morning and you might find your favorite azalea or viburnum chewed down…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Spinach Turns Pale and Leggy Instead of Dark and Leafy — Here’s the Light Slip Behind It

Fall spinach should come in thick, dark, and low to the ground, so pale leaves and spindly stems…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Geraniums Are Slowing Down Before Frost – Here’s the Feeding Move That May Help

When your porch geraniums stop pushing out new blooms as fall approaches, it’s easy to assume something is…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Hydrangeas Grew Full and Leafy but Refused to Bloom – Here’s the Pruning Cut Behind It

Few gardening frustrations match a hydrangea that pushes out a thick flush of leaves every spring but never…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Hydrangeas Wilt by Afternoon Because of One Watering Mistake — Here’s How to Fix It

Watching your hydrangeas droop by midday is genuinely alarming, especially when you are sure you have been watering…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Potted Spider Plant Gets Brown Tips Because of One Watering Habit — Here’s the Balance It Actually Wants

Brown leaf tips on a spider plant are frustrating, especially when you feel like you’re already trying your…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Christmas Cactus Leaves Are Turning Red – Here’s the One Cause Behind It and Whether to Worry

Spotting red or purple tints creeping across your Christmas cactus can send you straight to Google looking for…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Spider Plant’s Leaf Tips Turn Brown and Crispy — Here’s the Watering Slip Behind It

Spider plants are tough, cheerful houseplants, but those brown, crispy leaf tips can make even a healthy-looking plant…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Fig Tree Still Has Time to Ripen a Real Harvest — Here’s the Move That Gets It There

Staring at a tree full of hard green figs as the calendar flips toward fall is one of…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Bringing Houseplants Inside for Fall? These Common Ones Sneak Pests and Trouble Indoors With Them

When the nights start cooling down here in the South, it’s tempting to scoop up your favorite potted…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Compost Tea for Tomatoes: A Modest Homemade Supplement, Not a Size Guarantee

Every summer, Southern gardeners are on the hunt for that one trick that will turn their backyard vines…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Hummingbird Feeder Draws Wasps Before the Birds Even Arrive — Here’s the Quick Fix That Sends Them Packing

Hanging a hummingbird feeder should be a reward, not a headache, but bees and wasps can show up…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Hummingbird Feeder Turns Cloudy and May Ferment Within Days – Here’s the Cause Behind It and How to Keep the Nectar Fresh

Hummingbird feeders are a rewarding addition to any Southern backyard, but cloudy nectar can show up faster than…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 17

Gardening Tips

Your Hummingbird Feeder Keeps Emptying but the Birds Won’t Come — Here’s the Hidden Thing Scaring Them Off

Refilling a hummingbird feeder every few days feels rewarding until the nectar keeps disappearing and you rarely spot…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Cilantro Bolts to Seed and Turns Bitter Almost Overnight — Here’s the Warmth Slip Behind It

Fall cilantro is one of the most rewarding cool-season herbs a Southern gardener can grow, right up until…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Potted Hydrangea Looks Limp and Worn Out — Here’s the Quick Move That Perks It Right Back Up

A drooping hydrangea in a pot can feel like a small emergency, especially when the leaves go limp…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Why Your Peace Lily Leaves Are Turning Black at the Tips and Edges – and How to Diagnose the Problem

Few things are more alarming than watching the edges of your peace lily slowly turn black, especially when…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Hydrangea Looks Tired and Droopy This Fall — Here’s the Simple Recovery Move It’s Been Waiting For

A drooping hydrangea can stop a gardener cold, especially when the plant looked fine just a few weeks…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

The Worst Time to Water Your Garden Is Wasting Half of Every Drop — Here’s When to Do It Right

Most gardeners in Florida and Texas have heard some version of the rule: never water in the middle…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Cauliflower Heads Turn Loose and Ricey Instead of Tight and White — Here’s the Heat Slip Behind It

Pulling back a cauliflower leaf to find a grainy, separated head instead of a smooth, dense curd is…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Crabgrass Keeps Taking Over Your Lawn Because of One Condition Underneath — Here’s How to Stop It for Good

Every summer, the same patchy invader shows up in the same spots, and pulling it out barely slows…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

These 8 Easy Perennials Fill Your Beds With Color and Barely Ask for Any Work

If you love a colorful garden but hate the endless upkeep, perennials are your best friends. These plants…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Hummingbirds Suddenly Stopped Visiting This Fall — Here’s the Feeder Change Driving Them Off

One day your feeder is buzzing with tiny wings, and the next it sits untouched for a week.…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Christmas Cactus Isn’t Dying – Here’s the Recovery Routine That Loads It With Holiday Blooms

Few things are more disheartening than watching a holiday plant go limp right when you want it looking…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Hummingbird Feeder Sugar Water Is Driving Birds Off — Here’s What to Fill It With Instead

Plenty of backyard gardeners in Florida and Texas hang a hummingbird feeder, fill it up, and then wait…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Clematis Barely Bloomed This Year – Take These Semi-Ripe Cuttings Now and You May Have New Vines to Pot by Spring

A clematis that barely flowered this year is frustrating, but it can still give you something valuable before…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Fig Tree Puts Out Leafy Branches but Barely Sets Fruit — Here’s the Fall Pruning Cut That Fixes It

A fig tree covered in lush leaves but producing almost no fruit is one of the more frustrating…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

If Weeds Keep Filling the Shady Ground Under Your Trees, This Flowering Cover Blankets It Beautifully

Bare, weedy dirt under a mature tree is one of the most stubborn spots in a Southern yard.…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 16

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Swiss Chard Leaves Get Chewed to Lace Overnight – Here’s the Slug Trail Behind It

Walking out to your fall garden and finding Swiss chard leaves riddled with holes can feel alarming, especially…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Kohlrabi Grows a Woody, Cracked Bulb Instead of a Crisp One — Here’s the Watering Swing Behind It

Pull a kohlrabi from your fall garden and find a cracked, fibrous mess instead of a crisp, tender…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Your Kale Leaves Are Curling Under and Getting Sticky as Aphids Pile Up on the Undersides This Fall

Curling kale leaves and a sticky, tacky film on the foliage can stop a Southern gardener cold, especially…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Mums Fade Fast Because You Planted Them at the Wrong Time — Here’s the Window That Keeps Them Blooming

Fall mums are one of the easiest ways to add color to a Southern porch or garden bed,…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Zinnias Are Blooming Now but a Powdery White Film Is Creeping Across the Leaves – Here’s What Stops It

If your zinnias look great from a distance but show a chalky white coating up close, you are…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Before You Toss That Woody Sage Plant, One Fall Cut Brings It Back Full and Fragrant

That leggy, woody sage plant in the corner of your herb bed may look like a lost cause,…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Your Amaryllis Bulb Sends Up Leaves but Never a Flower Stalk Indoors — Here’s the Rest It’s Missing

Watching your amaryllis push up a flush of green leaves while the flower stalk never appears can feel…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Overseeding Your Fall Lawn but the Grass Seed Just Won’t Sprout — Here’s the Planting Slip Behind It

Spreading grass seed over your lawn in fall feels like a smart move, but watching bare patches stay…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Green Slime Keeps Coming Back on Your Porch and Patio Every Season — Here’s the Cheap Fix That Clears It

That slick green coating creeping across your porch or patio is more than an eyesore. It can make…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Your Houseplant Leaves Are Turning Purple This Fall – Here’s the One Cause Behind It and How to Reverse It

Noticing purple leaves on your houseplants this fall can feel alarming, especially when the color seems to appear…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Digging Up Your Fall Radishes Only to Find Cracked, Split Roots Instead of Smooth Ones? Here’s Why

Pulling up a row of fall radishes only to find them split open is one of those frustrating…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Warning Signs Snakes May Have Passed Through Your Yard – What to Look For Before You Ever See One

Most people never see a snake before it startles them, but the yard itself sometimes holds clues that…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Yellow Jackets Are Swarming Your Grape Harvest and Feasting Before You Can Pick — Here’s How to Drive Them Off

If you grow grapes in your backyard, spotting a cloud of striped insects around your clusters during ripening…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 15

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Carrots Split Down the Middle Right as You Pull Them — Here’s the Watering Swing Behind It

Pulling a carrot out of the ground and watching it split apart is one of those frustrating harvest…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Ethan Brooks

Your Hummingbird Feeder Sits Ignored – Here Is How to Troubleshoot It and Improve Your Yard

Your Fig Tree’s Best Branches Root Into Whole New Trees — Here’s the Fall Cutting Move That Works

Your Fall Broccoli Leaves Are Turning Purple Around the Edges – Here’s the Cold-and-Nutrient Slip Behind It

If Your Hydrangeas Keep Struggling Every Summer, These Flowering Shrubs Fill the Same Spot With Easier Color

Your Hostas Flop Over and Yellow as Fall Arrives — Here’s the Cutback That Brings Them Back Healthier

Your Hummingbird Feeder Sits Untouched While Neighbors’ Are Busy — Here’s the Placement Slip Behind It

Your Hydrangea Blooms Faded to Dull Green Instead of Staying Vivid – Here’s the One Cause Behind It

Never Plant These Near Your Tomatoes or You’ll Watch the Harvest Quietly Shrink

Deer Are Stripping Your Fall Shrubs Bare as the Forage Runs Out – Here’s What Actually Keeps Them Off

Your Fall Spinach Turns Pale and Leggy Instead of Dark and Leafy — Here’s the Light Slip Behind It

Your Geraniums Are Slowing Down Before Frost – Here’s the Feeding Move That May Help

Your Hydrangeas Grew Full and Leafy but Refused to Bloom – Here’s the Pruning Cut Behind It

Your Hydrangeas Wilt by Afternoon Because of One Watering Mistake — Here’s How to Fix It

Your Potted Spider Plant Gets Brown Tips Because of One Watering Habit — Here’s the Balance It Actually Wants

Your Christmas Cactus Leaves Are Turning Red – Here’s the One Cause Behind It and Whether to Worry

Your Spider Plant’s Leaf Tips Turn Brown and Crispy — Here’s the Watering Slip Behind It

Your Fall Fig Tree Still Has Time to Ripen a Real Harvest — Here’s the Move That Gets It There

Bringing Houseplants Inside for Fall? These Common Ones Sneak Pests and Trouble Indoors With Them

Compost Tea for Tomatoes: A Modest Homemade Supplement, Not a Size Guarantee

Your Hummingbird Feeder Draws Wasps Before the Birds Even Arrive — Here’s the Quick Fix That Sends Them Packing

Your Hummingbird Feeder Turns Cloudy and May Ferment Within Days – Here’s the Cause Behind It and How to Keep the Nectar Fresh

Your Hummingbird Feeder Keeps Emptying but the Birds Won’t Come — Here’s the Hidden Thing Scaring Them Off

Your Fall Cilantro Bolts to Seed and Turns Bitter Almost Overnight — Here’s the Warmth Slip Behind It

Your Potted Hydrangea Looks Limp and Worn Out — Here’s the Quick Move That Perks It Right Back Up

Why Your Peace Lily Leaves Are Turning Black at the Tips and Edges – and How to Diagnose the Problem

Your Hydrangea Looks Tired and Droopy This Fall — Here’s the Simple Recovery Move It’s Been Waiting For

The Worst Time to Water Your Garden Is Wasting Half of Every Drop — Here’s When to Do It Right

Your Fall Cauliflower Heads Turn Loose and Ricey Instead of Tight and White — Here’s the Heat Slip Behind It

Crabgrass Keeps Taking Over Your Lawn Because of One Condition Underneath — Here’s How to Stop It for Good

These 8 Easy Perennials Fill Your Beds With Color and Barely Ask for Any Work

Your Hummingbirds Suddenly Stopped Visiting This Fall — Here’s the Feeder Change Driving Them Off

Your Christmas Cactus Isn’t Dying – Here’s the Recovery Routine That Loads It With Holiday Blooms

Your Hummingbird Feeder Sugar Water Is Driving Birds Off — Here’s What to Fill It With Instead

Your Clematis Barely Bloomed This Year – Take These Semi-Ripe Cuttings Now and You May Have New Vines to Pot by Spring

Your Fig Tree Puts Out Leafy Branches but Barely Sets Fruit — Here’s the Fall Pruning Cut That Fixes It

If Weeds Keep Filling the Shady Ground Under Your Trees, This Flowering Cover Blankets It Beautifully

Your Fall Swiss Chard Leaves Get Chewed to Lace Overnight – Here’s the Slug Trail Behind It

Your Fall Kohlrabi Grows a Woody, Cracked Bulb Instead of a Crisp One — Here’s the Watering Swing Behind It

Your Kale Leaves Are Curling Under and Getting Sticky as Aphids Pile Up on the Undersides This Fall

Your Fall Mums Fade Fast Because You Planted Them at the Wrong Time — Here’s the Window That Keeps Them Blooming

Zinnias Are Blooming Now but a Powdery White Film Is Creeping Across the Leaves – Here’s What Stops It

Before You Toss That Woody Sage Plant, One Fall Cut Brings It Back Full and Fragrant

Your Amaryllis Bulb Sends Up Leaves but Never a Flower Stalk Indoors — Here’s the Rest It’s Missing

Overseeding Your Fall Lawn but the Grass Seed Just Won’t Sprout — Here’s the Planting Slip Behind It

Green Slime Keeps Coming Back on Your Porch and Patio Every Season — Here’s the Cheap Fix That Clears It

Your Houseplant Leaves Are Turning Purple This Fall – Here’s the One Cause Behind It and How to Reverse It

Digging Up Your Fall Radishes Only to Find Cracked, Split Roots Instead of Smooth Ones? Here’s Why

Warning Signs Snakes May Have Passed Through Your Yard – What to Look For Before You Ever See One

Yellow Jackets Are Swarming Your Grape Harvest and Feasting Before You Can Pick — Here’s How to Drive Them Off

Your Fall Carrots Split Down the Middle Right as You Pull Them — Here’s the Watering Swing Behind It