Cold weather in Florida doesn’t usually sound dramatic—until it is. One night it’s a calm 62 degrees, the next morning growers are staring at wilted leaves and blackened tips after a surprise frost. That kind of overnight damage can wipe out weeks of work and hundreds of dollars in plants. This winter, though, many Florida…
Winter Garden
Why Your Raised Beds Might Be Harboring Pests Right Now—Even in Freezing Temps
Winter feels like a reset button for the garden, a clean slate where everything troublesome gets wiped out by cold. Yet raised beds often keep secrets through frost, snow, and ice, and some of them wriggle. While the surface looks quiet and frozen solid, life below can be surprisingly busy. Soil, wood, mulch, and compost…
7 Things Gardeners Regret Not Doing in January—Don’t Make These Costly Mistakes
January doesn’t look flashy in the garden, but it quietly decides who will be smiling come spring and who will be scrambling. While beds nap under frost and seed catalogs pile up on the coffee table, important opportunities are ticking by. This is the month where small choices ripple into big wins—or lingering regrets. Gardeners…
The Surprising Reason Your Garlic Isn’t Sprouting—And What to Do Before February
Your garlic bed is quiet. Too quiet. You planted those cloves with care, tucked them into the soil, waited patiently… and nothing happened. No green shoots. No signs of life. Just dirt staring back at you like it forgot the assignment. Before you assume total failure or start blaming the seed garlic supplier, take a…
6 Soil Additives That Could Backfire in Cold Weather—Experts Warn to Skip These in January
January gardening can feel bold, hopeful, and just a little rebellious. While frost glitters on the ground, it’s tempting to “get ahead” by amending soil and setting the stage for spring. That urge is understandable—and risky. Cold, often frozen soil behaves very differently than warm earth, and certain soil additives can do more harm than…
This Common Winter Weed Is Spreading Fast in Georgia—Here’s How to Stop It Naturally
It starts as a harmless-looking patch of green when everything else in your yard is brown and sleepy. A few weeks later, those patches explode into a mat of leafy stems topped with tiny purple flowers, and suddenly your lawn looks like it joined the wrong garden club. Across Georgia, homeowners are spotting the same…
Extension Agents Say This One Winter Habit Is Ruining Your Spring Garden
Snow crunches underfoot, breath fogs the air, and the garden looks asleep. It feels harmless to wander across dormant beds or cut a shortcut over the vegetable patch while everything is frozen solid. That innocent winter stroll, though, is exactly what makes extension agents groan every year. Long before seeds are sown, a surprising amount…
7 Mistakes That Are Killing Your Raised Beds Before Spring Even Starts
Spring is whispering around the corner, and your raised beds should be bursting with promise. Yet, despite all your planning and enthusiasm, some silent killers might be lurking, threatening to turn your garden dreams into a patch of regret. From soil disasters to sneaky moisture traps, there are errors that can decimate your beds before…
Why Gardeners in the Carolinas Are Skipping Mulch This Winter—And What Experts Say to Do Instead
Winter gardening in the Carolinas is suddenly breaking the rules, and it’s making backyard conversations a lot more interesting. Longtime gardeners who once swore by thick layers of winter mulch are quietly pushing the wheelbarrow aside and trying something different. This isn’t a lazy shortcut or a cost-cutting trick—it’s a calculated move shaped by changing…
Soil Test Warning: What North Carolina Gardeners Are Finding in Their Yards This January
January is not just a month for cozy sweaters and hot cocoa—it’s turning into a revelation for North Carolina gardeners. Across the state, backyard enthusiasts are rolling up their sleeves and digging into something a little less glamorous than snowdrifts: their soil. Soil tests done this month are yielding results that are both surprising and…