Gardening Tips Archives - Page 2 of 34

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

Box Turtles Keep Showing Up in North Carolina Garden Beds Because Your Soil Is Doing Something Right

Finding a box turtle tucked into your garden bed feels like a sign that you are doing something…

By Jasmine Hughes · 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

Spotted Lanternfly Is Spreading Through North Carolina Yards Because of One Tree Already Growing There

A colorful but destructive insect called the spotted lanternfly has been turning up in North Carolina yards, and…

By Jasmine Hughes · 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

The Crape Myrtle Spacing Mistake North Carolina Gardeners Make That Turns a Row Into a Tangled Mess

A row of crape myrtles looks tidy and promising the day you plant it, but give those trees…

By Jasmine Hughes · 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

Gardening Tips

What Those Red Seed Pods on Your North Carolina Magnolia Are Really Telling You This September

Walk under a Southern magnolia in late summer and you might spot something that looks almost alien: a…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Carrots Come Up Forked and Twisted Instead of Long and Straight – Here’s the Soil Slip Behind It

Pulling your first fall carrots and finding a tangle of forked, twisted roots instead of smooth, straight ones…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Broccoli Forms Tiny Buttons Instead of One Big Head – Here’s the Cold-Shock Slip Behind It

Pulling back the leaves on your fall broccoli to find a cluster of tiny heads the size of…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Onion Sets Sprout Green Tops but Never Bulb Up Underneath — Here’s the Spacing Slip Behind It

Planting fall onion sets and watching those green tops shoot up feels like a win, but digging underneath…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Feeding Your Fall Peppers the Wrong Thing Now Gives You Big Leaves and Almost No Fruit

Your pepper plant looks incredible, with thick stems and leaves the size of your hand, but the fruit…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your ZZ Plant Grows Tall and Leggy Instead of Full and Bushy — Here’s the One Change That Fixes It

If your ZZ plant has started sending up long, spindly fronds that lean toward the window or space…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Cabbage Heads Split Wide Open Right Before You Cut Them — Here’s the Watering Swing Behind It

You watched your fall cabbage all season, and just when the head finally felt solid and ready to…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Store Your Fall Sweet Potato Harvest Wrong and It Rots in Weeks — Here’s the Curing Step Everyone Skips

You put real work into growing sweet potatoes all season, and harvest day feels like a win. But…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

What North Carolina Gardeners Do to Get Native Perennials That Come Back Stronger After a Drought Year

A dry summer can leave your perennial bed looking ragged, but the plants you wrote off might not…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Gravel Weeds Keep Pushing Through Your Path No Matter How Often You Pull Them — Here’s How to Stop Them at the Root

Gravel paths look clean and low-maintenance right up until the weeds start pushing through, and then it feels…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Christmas Cactus Quietly Stalls Through Summer Because of One Care Habit — Here’s the Fix Before the Holidays

If your holiday cactus sits quietly all summer without a single flower, you might worry something has gone…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

The Pine Straw Mistake North Carolina Gardeners Make That Leaves the Door Wide Open for Fall Weeds

Pine straw is one of the most popular mulches in North Carolina, but a thin or uneven layer…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Clematis Grew Tall but Barely Bloomed – Here Is the Fall Diagnostic Move That Can Help Next Season

A clematis that shoots up six feet of lush green growth and then produces almost no flowers can…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

How North Carolina Gardeners Rescue Potted Porch Plants Before the Next Heat Wave Cooks Them in Their Pots

Summer heat in North Carolina hits fast, and a porch pot full of flowers or herbs can go…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Lettuce Turns Bitter and Shoots Up a Tall Stalk Before You Can Harvest – Here’s the Heat Slip Behind It

Fall lettuce is supposed to be one of the easier wins in a Southern garden, but many gardeners…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Take Late-Season Cuttings From Bedding Geraniums for More Plants Next Season

If you have a bedding geranium with flower color or leaf markings you love, you can use one…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

The One Thing North Carolina Squash Plants Need Before Vine Borers Hit or You Lose the Whole Crop

Every summer, North Carolina gardeners watch their squash plants collapse almost overnight, and a small moth larva tunneling…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Hydrangea Blooms Are Browning at the Edges This Fall – Here’s the Cause and How to Stop It

Hydrangea flowers turning brown at the edges this fall can send a gardener straight into panic mode, but…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Your Hostas Turn Yellow and Fade as Fall Sets In — Here’s the One Cause Behind It and How to Reverse It

When your hostas start turning yellow as the weather cools, it can feel like something has gone seriously…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Where You Are Most Likely to Find Large Fire-Ant Mounds in North Carolina Yards and How to Spot Them Before You Step In

Fire ants have been quietly building their colonies across much of North Carolina, and the mound you do…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

These 8 Houseplants Quietly Cause Problems Indoors – Here’s Why to Keep Them Outside

Some plants look great on a windowsill but slowly turn into trouble once they settle into your living…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 14

Gardening Tips

Woody Lavender Doesn’t Mean the Plant Is Dead — Here’s the Cut That Brings It Back

Lavender can look pretty rough after a few seasons, with sprawling bare stems and a base that seems…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

That Woody, Sprawling Rosemary Bush Still Bounces Back if You Cut It This One Way

Rosemary has a reputation for being tough, and most of the time it earns that reputation. But when…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Overwintering Rosemary Indoors Kills It Fast Unless You Move It Before the First Frost

Every fall, gardeners across the South face the same question: does rosemary need to come inside before cold…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Your Geraniums Are Quietly Telling You It’s Time to Deadhead — Here’s the Sign That Wakes Up More Fall Blooms

Most gardeners walk right past a spent geranium bloom without realizing it is signaling a simple task that…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Coneflowers Never Reach Full Size Because of Where You Planted Them – Here’s the Spot They Actually Thrive In

Purple coneflower is one of the most cheerful plants you can grow in a Southern yard, but plenty…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

The Watering Mistake North Carolina Gardeners Make in Late-Summer Heat That Quietly Cooks Their Vegetables

Late summer in North Carolina is brutal on vegetable gardens, with temperatures staying high well into September across…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Raised Beds Grow Weak Crops Because the Soil Is Missing These Three Ingredients

Fall is supposed to bring relief to Southern gardeners, but sometimes the cooler weather arrives and the crops…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

The One Thing North Carolina Collards Need Right After a Heavy Fall Rain or the Leaves Turn Bitter

Fall collard season in North Carolina is one of those satisfying stretches when the garden finally cools down…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Your Potted Lavender Turns Woody and Stops Blooming – Here’s a Common Fall Care Slip Behind It

Potted lavender is one of those plants that looks effortless in a garden center but can turn stubborn…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Your Fig Tree Grows Leafy Branches but Barely Sets Fruit — Here’s the One Move That Loads It Up

A fig tree that pushes out thick, dark-green branches all season but drops almost no fruit is one…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Bring Your Houseplants Back Inside for Fall Without Dragging Pests In – Here’s What to Check First

When the weather starts cooling off, it’s time to move your leafy friends back indoors before the first…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

What It Really Means When Robber Flies Start Patrolling Your North Carolina Vegetable Garden This Summer

Spotting a large, bristly fly hovering around your tomatoes or pepper plants can catch any gardener off guard.…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Your Fall Mums Die Off After One Season — Here’s How to Get Them to Come Back Next Year

Every fall, garden centers fill up with those bright, rounded mums, and every spring, a lot of gardeners…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

The Fall Garlic Bed Mistake North Carolina Gardeners Make That Leaves You With Tiny Cloves Next Summer

Planting garlic in the fall sets the stage for everything you pull out of the ground next summer,…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Your Hummingbirds Are Suddenly Swarming Your Feeder This September — Here’s the Fall Migration Reason Behind It

If your feeder has been unusually busy lately, you are not imagining it. September often brings a noticeable…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Gravel Or Mulched Garden Paths In North Carolina: Which One Actually Stays Clean After a Summer Storm

North Carolina summers bring pop-up thunderstorms that can turn a pretty garden path into a soggy mess in…

By Jasmine Hughes · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Something Is Punching Ragged Holes in Your Fall Zinnias Overnight – Here’s the Chewing Culprit Behind It

You walk out to your zinnia bed on a crisp fall morning and find ragged, irregular holes punched…

By Ethan Brooks · Sep 13

Gardening Tips

Spotted Lanternfly Is Spreading in North Carolina Yards, and Tree-of-Heaven Is One Reason They Keep Gathering

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

Box Turtles Keep Showing Up in North Carolina Garden Beds Because Your Soil Is Doing Something Right

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

Spotted Lanternfly Is Spreading Through North Carolina Yards Because of One Tree Already Growing There

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

The Crape Myrtle Spacing Mistake North Carolina Gardeners Make That Turns a Row Into a Tangled Mess

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

What Those Red Seed Pods on Your North Carolina Magnolia Are Really Telling You This September

Your Fall Carrots Come Up Forked and Twisted Instead of Long and Straight – Here’s the Soil Slip Behind It

Your Fall Broccoli Forms Tiny Buttons Instead of One Big Head – Here’s the Cold-Shock Slip Behind It

Your Fall Onion Sets Sprout Green Tops but Never Bulb Up Underneath — Here’s the Spacing Slip Behind It

Feeding Your Fall Peppers the Wrong Thing Now Gives You Big Leaves and Almost No Fruit

Your ZZ Plant Grows Tall and Leggy Instead of Full and Bushy — Here’s the One Change That Fixes It

Your Fall Cabbage Heads Split Wide Open Right Before You Cut Them — Here’s the Watering Swing Behind It

Store Your Fall Sweet Potato Harvest Wrong and It Rots in Weeks — Here’s the Curing Step Everyone Skips

What North Carolina Gardeners Do to Get Native Perennials That Come Back Stronger After a Drought Year

Gravel Weeds Keep Pushing Through Your Path No Matter How Often You Pull Them — Here’s How to Stop Them at the Root

Your Christmas Cactus Quietly Stalls Through Summer Because of One Care Habit — Here’s the Fix Before the Holidays

The Pine Straw Mistake North Carolina Gardeners Make That Leaves the Door Wide Open for Fall Weeds

Your Clematis Grew Tall but Barely Bloomed – Here Is the Fall Diagnostic Move That Can Help Next Season

How North Carolina Gardeners Rescue Potted Porch Plants Before the Next Heat Wave Cooks Them in Their Pots

Your Fall Lettuce Turns Bitter and Shoots Up a Tall Stalk Before You Can Harvest – Here’s the Heat Slip Behind It

Take Late-Season Cuttings From Bedding Geraniums for More Plants Next Season

The One Thing North Carolina Squash Plants Need Before Vine Borers Hit or You Lose the Whole Crop

Your Hydrangea Blooms Are Browning at the Edges This Fall – Here’s the Cause and How to Stop It

Your Hostas Turn Yellow and Fade as Fall Sets In — Here’s the One Cause Behind It and How to Reverse It

Where You Are Most Likely to Find Large Fire-Ant Mounds in North Carolina Yards and How to Spot Them Before You Step In

These 8 Houseplants Quietly Cause Problems Indoors – Here’s Why to Keep Them Outside

Woody Lavender Doesn’t Mean the Plant Is Dead — Here’s the Cut That Brings It Back

That Woody, Sprawling Rosemary Bush Still Bounces Back if You Cut It This One Way

Overwintering Rosemary Indoors Kills It Fast Unless You Move It Before the First Frost

Your Geraniums Are Quietly Telling You It’s Time to Deadhead — Here’s the Sign That Wakes Up More Fall Blooms

Coneflowers Never Reach Full Size Because of Where You Planted Them – Here’s the Spot They Actually Thrive In

The Watering Mistake North Carolina Gardeners Make in Late-Summer Heat That Quietly Cooks Their Vegetables

Your Fall Raised Beds Grow Weak Crops Because the Soil Is Missing These Three Ingredients

The One Thing North Carolina Collards Need Right After a Heavy Fall Rain or the Leaves Turn Bitter

Your Potted Lavender Turns Woody and Stops Blooming – Here’s a Common Fall Care Slip Behind It

Your Fig Tree Grows Leafy Branches but Barely Sets Fruit — Here’s the One Move That Loads It Up

Bring Your Houseplants Back Inside for Fall Without Dragging Pests In – Here’s What to Check First

What It Really Means When Robber Flies Start Patrolling Your North Carolina Vegetable Garden This Summer

Your Fall Mums Die Off After One Season — Here’s How to Get Them to Come Back Next Year

The Fall Garlic Bed Mistake North Carolina Gardeners Make That Leaves You With Tiny Cloves Next Summer

Your Hummingbirds Are Suddenly Swarming Your Feeder This September — Here’s the Fall Migration Reason Behind It

Gravel Or Mulched Garden Paths In North Carolina: Which One Actually Stays Clean After a Summer Storm

Something Is Punching Ragged Holes in Your Fall Zinnias Overnight – Here’s the Chewing Culprit Behind It