MORE INFORMATION

Are you ready to take your gardening skills to the next level? Get ready to learn about the best herbs for beginners, and create a thriving garden using companion planting. Plus, we'll show you how to propagate your favorite plants and deal with pesky garden pests. Dive into the amazing world of plants and watch your garden flourish like never before!

COMPANION PLANTING

Companion planting is the act of growing different crops closer together that benefit from each other in a variety of different ways.

This is an example of the Three Sisters method. This method is a traditional agricultural practice used by Native Peoples, where the three sisters are; corn, beans and squash. They are referred to as such because of how they nurture each other like family when planted together. The corn provides a structure for climbing beans to grow on. The beans fertilize the corn and squash by releasing Nitrogen into the soil. The broad leaves on the squash prevent the growth of weeds, as well as retaining moisture in the soil.

Peppers and Marigolds are one more example of companion planting that can really make a huge difference. Marigolds attract helpful pollinators while also deterring pests, and even repelling nematodes through their roots.

Tomatoes and Basil not only work well together in the kitchen, but they are also a perfect pair for companion planting. They do not compete for nutrients, as well as basil attracting helpful pollinators when it flowers, and repelling pests.

HERBS FOR BEGINNERS

OREGANO

Requires full sun.
Use a well draining soil.
Water when soil is completely dry to the touch.
Cut back the Oregano a few inches after it flowers.
Harvest before it flowers for strongest flavor.
Oregano has a strong scent that repels pests, such as aphids.

SAGE

Requires full sun.
Use a well draining soil.
Water when soil is completely dry.
Remove flower buds for more flavorful leaves for use in cooking.
Leaves harvested in spring are more flavorful then when harvested in fall.
Sage works well for companion planting, as it deters Cabbage Moths as well as ticks.

MINT

Full sun to partial shade.
Use a well draining soil, however can grow in most soil types
Prefers soil to be kept moist.
Harvest sprigs of young leaves regularly to promote more growth
Mint grows and spreads vigorously so plant in containers if possible.
Mint repels pests like flies, fleas and spiders.

PARSLEY

Full sun to partial shade.
Use a well draining soil.
Likes consistent watering, so water when the top inch of the soil is dry.
Harvest Parsley stems weekly or every other week starting from the outside and removing the lower leaves, removing the stem at the base
Do not harvest more than 1/3 of the plant at a time.
Parsley repels Asparagus Beetles, so it works well for companion planting with asparagus.

BASIL

Full sun to partial shade
Use a well draining soil, however Basil prefers consistently moist but not soaked soil.
Prune branches back to their first set of leaves once they have grown 6-8 leaves on that branch.
Basil works well for companion planting with tomatoes, its strong smell repels hornworms, which are a common pest for tomato plants.
Basil is also a natural repellant for flies and mosquitos!

ROSEMARY

Requires full sun.
Use a well draining soil, can develop root rot if soil is too wet or waterlogged.
Rosemary is drought tolerant, and can even tolerate occasional under watering. However it should be watered thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch.
Rosemary responds well to pruning, and can even be pruned into topiary shapes.
Rosemary benefits from being planted with carrots, as they loosen the roots around the rosemary, allowing it to take in more water and nutrients.

Watering Tip:

Water your plants thoroughly, don't be afraid to soak them. Then let at least the first inch of soil dry out before watering again. Remember there's no such thing as watering too much, only watering too frequently.

PROPAGATION

The three main ways to propagate a plant are; cutting, division, and replanting of offsets. Cuttings should be taken a few centimeters below a node*. You can also propagate the leaves of a succulent by removing them at the stem and placing them in a shallow tray of soil. Division is used for plants the grow in clusters or have multiple stems coming from the roots, you can gently separate these at the root and repot the separated plants. Replanting of offsets, also called pups, is when a mother plant essentially produces babies around itself that can be removed once they've mature enough to be able to take in nutrients on their own.

*Nodes are the place where the leaves connect to the stem of a plant

How to Repot your Plants.

Plants should be repotted once they have taken up all of the viable space in the pot that they're in along with taking in all of the available nutrients in the soil. When repotting a plant, gently loosen the roots with your hands or a chopstick and place into a pot that is about 1inch bigger all the way around then the root mass. Use a well draining soil, and shimmy the plant in along with watering it down to allow the soil to fully surround the roots.

Common Pests

Here we would like to provide an overview of some common pests, along with a variety of ways to get rid of these pests by using natural remedies and beneficial insects. Say goodbye to aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs and get ready to enjoy a thriving garden!

APHIDS

Spray or knock them into a bucket of soapy water. (2 tsp. water to 1 gallon of dish soap)
Use natural predators like Ladybugs or Green Lacewings.

MEALYBUGS

Use a dish soap and water solution.
Spray with Neem Oil.
Use Isopropyl Alcohol and wipe off any visible mealy bugs.

THRIPS

Use water to spray them off.
Wipe leaves with Diluted Isopropyl Alcohol.
Use a lint roller on the back of leaves.

FUNGUS GNATS

Vinegar, baking soda, water and dish soap solution.
Parasitic wasps are a natural predator for fungus gnats in the garden.

SPIDER MITES

Spray Neem oil.
Use vinegar, baking soda and water with a few drops of dish soap. (3 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp baking soda and a few drops of liquid dish soap in 1ltr of lukewarm water in a spray bottle)

SCALE INSECTS

Spray with Neem oil.
Use Isopropyl Alcohol on scale insects and wipe off any visible insects.
Parasitic wasps are a natural predator.