It sounds kind of gross, but it’s supposed to be really good for your indoor plants.

Take the piece of absorbent material you often see under your meat and put it in about a gallon of water. Leave it there until it reaches the approximate color of pink lemonade.

Use it to water your indoor plants. Do not use it on food plants, because there is the risk of E. coli. And of course wash your hands after handling it.

This provides your plants with a bunch of nitrogen, so you won’t need to go out and buy fertilizer.

Technorati Tags: fertilizer

Sprouting seeds indoors is certainly working well this year. We’ve had quite a few sprout already. Just have to hope that none of them get gnawed by a mystery bug again this year. Last year we lost a few to that.

I’m just delighted to see things growing already. The weather here is riduculously warm just now, although if we’re lucky we’ll get some rain this weekend. But in the meantime I’m taking advantage of not needing to heat the room the seeds are in to warm the soil. Air temperatures in that room are at about 80 degrees during the day with the window open right now. It’s pretty nice.

But I do know we need the rain. Even more, the mountains that supply much of our water need snow.

I’m starting out very hopeful that this year we will have a better garden than last year. That won’t take much, since last year so many plants just plain failed to thrive. But just take a look at this picture and say I should do anything other than enjoy!

Technorati Tags: seeds, sprouting, garden growing, warm weather

I’ve been neglecting this site for a while now. Just kind of lost interest for a time while we weren’t actively gardening, especially after such a disappointing year.

It’s been an interesting winter. We’ve had freezing weather, which is highly unusual for our area. I’m talking half inch of ice on the kids’s sandbox, which we had filled with water once we realized how much freezing we were getting. It was pretty amazing.

We also started throwing kitchen waste into the blender for quick compost. Hopefully our soil will be better this year. We’re also going to have to be more careful whenever a heat wave hits, so that maybe we won’t lose so many plants this year to it.

We’ve started planting seeds already. No, not outside; that wouldn’t be productive yet. Just like last year, we’re starting them inside, in a heated room. Not the most energy efficient way (I wish we had a greenhouse), but it should give us a nice head start on planting once the weather is sufficiently warm.

My husband started planting seeds last weeked. Today I took a look and one had sprouted already. Nice to see things off to a prompt start.

We’ll be keeping these guys indoors for at least a month to month and a half, depending on how fast the rest sprout and how the weather outside goes. We think a part of the problem last year was a slightly late start, so this should have us just a bit ahead of the game this time.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how it goes this year.

Technorati Tags: starting seeds, garden preparation

The challenge can be keeping your herb plants producing. If you don’t treat them right, they die.

It’s not too hard to keep herbs producing once you know how to treat the plants. This includes watering, pruning and harvesting.

Be aware of the amount of water your herbs need. If the leaves are drooping, the plants need water now! How often you water will depend on the time of year, whether you keep them indoors or out and the overall climate.

When your herbs flower it is generally a good idea to prune the flowers. Flower production means the plant is going to quit producing leaves. You can generally extend the leaf production of your herbs by pruning the flowers.

Harvesting your herbs correctly can also improve production. This varies by type of plant. Cilantro, for example, can be cut fairly low along the stem. Just grow enough that each plant can regrow. Basil, on the other hand, you can hand pick the individual leaves you need. Sweet basil is actually a favorite snack of my children.

Sage, thyme and rosemary remain green year round and need annual pruning because of it. Compare that with plants that die back in winter, such as oregano and mint, that you can chop right down in winter and have fresh plants in the spring.

Cilantro and basil are annuals, and so if you don’t let them flower and generate their own seed you will need to get more every year. These are personal favorites, so I consider them worth it.

While you may want to grow your herbs in your kitchen, this may not be the best spot unless you have a lot of sunlight there. Most herbs love the sun, and you just won’t get a good harvest without giving your herbs the light they need.

Herbs taste great and are a healthy way to flavor your cooking. They’re also pretty easy to grow almost no matter how little room you have for a garden. Plant some for yourself and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: herbs, herb gardening, kitchen garden, basil, cilantro

Fortunately, it’s not that hard to grow beautiful plants indoors. You may be somewhat limited in what you can grow – no tall trees or string beans, but you can easily beautify the inside of your home with plants.

An indoor garden helps to purify the air inside your home, so it’s quite beneficial in addition to being attractive. Plants also provide an atmosphere in which it is easier to relax.

There are many plants you can easily grow indoors. Just visit your local garden center and you’ll see plenty of plants suggested. They will include zebra plants, ferns, cacti, some varieties of roses, money plant and many others.

You’ll want to pay attention to the needs of your houseplants. Some will need sun, and you should place them near windows with the curtains or blinds open during the day, so that they remain healthy. Others can get by on whatever light they get in your house.

Most houseplants need watering about once a week. An easy test is to feel about an inch into the soil. If it’s dry, it’s watering time.

I strongly recommend avoiding chemicals on plants inside your home. Whatever gets into the air will be pretty much trapped inside your home, making the air less healthy. This can be particularly important for people who are sensitive to chemicals and may react.

Of course, an indoor garden doesn’t have to be strictly decorative plants. Indoor herb gardens are quite popular, and some vegetables are available in small enough varieties to grow indoors as well.

Whatever you decide to grow, you want to keep it in an appropriately sized pot. Too small a pot or too large a pot is unhealthy for a plant, as well as just looking awkward. You should repot your indoor plants every two years or so.

Technorati Tags: indoor gardening, herb garden, indoor plants, houseplants