General Gardening
What Is Potting Soil?
As balcony container gardeners, we buy some plant containers and bags of potting soil from our local garden center, and then we grow our favorite container plants. Simple. But when we purchase bags of dirt, what are we getting exactly, and why can’t we just dig up some dirt from the ground and use that instead?
The Benefits of Mulch
There are many different types of garden mulch that fit into one of two categories: organic and inorganic. Organic mulch attracts wildlife (such as insects and wild birds) and will eventually decay. Inorganic mulch will not break down, and it does not attract garden pests.
7 Must-Have Tools for the Balcony Container Garden
There are seven garden tools that every balcony container gardener should have on-hand to perform routine gardening maintenance. A container garden is relatively simple compared to large landscapes, and balcony container gardeners are lucky that they don’t need a whole storage shed filled with shovels, spades, lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, etc. With just seven tools, you can have a beautiful garden that is easy to care for.
When to Harvest Pinto Beans
Growing and harvesting beans in a balcony container garden is easy. Unlike underground foods (like garlic), it's easy to tell how many beans your plant has produced and when they are ready to be picked. You can have green snap beans or dry pinto beans from this one container plant - you just have to choose which you'd like to eat, and then wait the appropriate amount of time before harvesting your bean crop (which is about 70 to 100 days after sowing the seeds).
How to Start Seeds Indoors
February and March is usually the time when people start their spring seedlings indoors. This way the plant seeds can sprout in warmer conditions and get a good start on life before being planted outside in the balcony container garden. About a month after starting your container plant seeds, they will be ready for planting.
