plant supports

6 Ways to Reuse Bamboo Stakes Before Putting Them Away

August 16, 2026 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Bamboo stakes rarely deserve a one-season retirement. Before tossing a bundle into the shed until next spring, gardeners can put those slender poles to work supporting plants, protecting seedlings, organizing garden spaces, and even helping with small outdoor projects. That matters because a bamboo stake can do far more than prop up a tomato. Its…

8 Cheap Materials for Building Temporary Plant Supports

July 29, 2026 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

A garden does not need a trip to the garden center every time a tomato flops sideways or a young pepper plant starts leaning like it has had a very long day. Temporary plant supports can come from surprisingly ordinary materials, and many of the best options already sit in a garage, shed, recycling bin,…

How To Get Free Seeds From The Government by Amanda Blankenship Seeds might seem like a small expense, but any seasoned…
Should I Use Enviro Ice On My Plants? by Kathryn Vercillo Every week, I receive food from Hungryroot. It's a great…
From Trash to Treasure: Transform Shredded Paper Into Garden Gold by Amanda Blankenship Should you use shredded paper as garden mulch? It might…
What Happens to Plants If You Use Enviro Ice on Them? by Amanda Blankenship About a year ago, I wrote our first article about…

8 Garden Materials to Stock Up on When Stores Clear Summer Shelves

Summer garden displays have a funny way of disappearing just when gardeners start thinking about next season. As stores make room for fall and holiday merchandise, garden centers often mark down supplies that still have plenty of useful life left in them. That creates a tempting opportunity, but the trick involves knowing what deserves precious…

5 Cheap Materials for Screening Finished Compost

Finished compost can look wonderfully dark and crumbly right up until a half-rotted twig, avocado pit, or mystery chunk of bark lands in the middle of it. Screening finished compost removes those stubborn bits and gives the material a more consistent texture, and the good news is that a fancy commercial sifter does not need…

Can Crushed Oyster Shells Help Garden Soil?

Crushed oyster shells can help garden soil, but they work more like a slow-moving soil amendment than a magical garden cure-all. Because oyster shells contain calcium carbonate, they can add calcium while gradually raising the pH of acidic soil, much like agricultural limestone. That makes those leftover shells more interesting than they look after dinner….

Should You Pick Apples as Soon as They Change Color?

An apple can put on its red, yellow, or golden outfit and still need more time on the tree. Color offers a useful clue, but it does not automatically mean the fruit has reached its best eating stage. Picking too early can leave apples starchy and lacking flavor, while waiting too long can lead to…