Tag Archive for: winter

VIDEO: Prepare Your Plants for Winter Storage with Wyse Guide!

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Preparing outdoor container plants for winter is a seasonal challenge for gardeners in colder climates. Watch Kaleb Wyse of Wyse Guide as he shares a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at his winter plant storage techniques.

Preparing Plants for Winter Storage

Kaleb demonstrates the process of transitioning plants like figs, succulents, and cacti from outdoor containers to indoor pots. His method emphasizes:

  1.  Removing root-bound plants gently and trimming where necessary.
  2. Using the proper sized container and balancing root space and top-heaviness.
  3. : Using the right soil mix for specific plants.

One standout product Kaleb uses for his succulents is an organic potting soil mix like Espoma Organic Cactus Mix, which provides an ideal growing medium for succulents, cacti, and citrus plants.

The Plant Room

Kaleb’s storage room is a converted, insulated space tailored to meet the needs of plants during Iowa’s cold winters in Zone 5B. Equipped with radiant heaters, LED grow lights and fans, this room mimics outdoor conditions while protecting plants from frost.

Key features include:

  • Grow Lights: LED grow lights ensure proper light distribution for optimal growth.
  • Temperature Control: Maintains optimal ranges—70-75°F for warm-zone plants.
  • Air Circulation: Fans reduce pests such as scale and spider mites.

Additional Tips and Tricks

  • Pest Prevention: Organic sprays like neem oil and horticultural oil are applied to eliminate pests before bringing plants indoors.
  • Succulent Care: Kaleb repots succulent arrangements into individual containers and propagates new plants through cuttings.

Whether you’re overwintering succulents, ferns, or citrus plants, Kaleb’s method, enhanced by tools like Espoma Organic Potting soils, ensures a healthy and thriving indoor garden all winter long.

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Learn more about Wyse Guide here:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WyseGuide 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WyseGuide/

Website: https://www.wyseguide.com/

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Potting Mix Bag Espoma Organic Indoor! liquid fertilizer Espoma Organic Cactus! liquid fertilizer Espoma Organic Cactus Mix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: Fall Garden Refresh with Wyse Guide

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Watch Kaleb Wyse from Wyse Guide tackle some fall gardening projects at his mom’s house. In this video, Kaleb transplants boxwoods that aren’t doing well and repots agave plants from outdoor containers that need to be brought indoors for the winter. When transplanting the boxwoods, Kaleb recommends using a high-quality organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to ensure strong root growth. He also uses Espoma Organic Potting Soil when repotting the agave plants to give his plants a fresh growing medium for the winter months.

Learn more about Wyse Guide here:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WyseGuide 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WyseGuide/

Website: https://www.wyseguide.com/

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus bagEspoma Organic Potting soil Mix Big bag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: Pumpkins & Pots Overwintering tips with Wyse Guide

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Join Kaleb Wyse of Wyse Guide as he shares his top tips for overwintering plants that are potted in outdoor containers. Not one to let a pot sit empty, Kaleb demonstrates a fantastic way to repurpose it for the fall season – by crafting a vibrant pumpkin arrangement.

When it comes to the transplant process, Kaleb trusts  Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix to ensure his plants have the best growing medium as they transition indoors for the colder months. 

Learn more about Wyse Guide here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/WyseGuide

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WyseGuide/

Website: https://www.wyseguide.com/

 

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Video: Indoor Plant Care with Garden Answer!

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Hang out with Laura @Gardenanswer as she gives her plants some TLC and provides some essential indoor plant care tips!

Laura feeds her indoor plants with Indoor! Espoma Organic liquid plant food.

 

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/gardenanswer 

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gardenanswer

https://www.instagram.com/gardenanswer/

 

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Video: Stone Raised Bed Prep. with Summer Rayne Oakes || Flock Finger Lakes

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Need a winter project?

Check out the awesome stone raised bed Summer Rayne Oakes @homesteadbrooklyn and the Flock Fingerlakes team are building/prepping for the next growing season. Espoma’s Raised Bed Mix and Land and Sea Compost are the perfect growing medium for their future plants!

 

Learn more about Flock Finger Lakes here:

Website: flockfingerlakes.com

Instagram – @flockfingerlakes

YouTube –Flock Finger Lakes

Twitter – @flockny

Facebook –Flock Finger Lakes

 

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10 Ways to Repurpose Your Christmas Tree

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Photo by Jimmy Chan from Pexels

Now that the holiday season is coming to a close, you’re probably wondering what to do with that giant, luscious tree in your house. Don’t toss it just yet! There are plenty of earth-friendly ways to dispose of or repurpose it. Here are our top 10 ways to repurpose your Christmas tree!

1.) Mulch

Before having your tree picked up by your usual garbage crew, do a quick Google search to see if there are any mulching programs in your area. Old trees can be great to use as barriers against sand and soil erosion, and can also be used for local water-way stabilization. It’s a great way to help your environment!

 

2.) Compost

There’s always a way to turn your old organic material into compost! Cut the branches to fit the inside of your bin, and layer them in a criss-cross pattern about 6–8 inches high to ensure good airflow through the bottom of the pile. Then add your vegetable scraps, leaf litter, and any other compostable materials. Over time, the branches will break down and turn into compost themselves.

 

3.) Replant

If you live in a mild climate, you probably purchased your living tree either balled and burlapped or in a pot. If you can’t seem to let it go, just plant it in your yard! Dig a large hole in the ground and water it thoroughly. Then add a thick layer of mulch with either wood chips or leaves. Add some extra nutrients to help it get through the rest of winter with Espoma Evergreen-tone.

 

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Photo by Devin Justesen on Unsplash

4.) Chip it
If you have access to a chipper (which usually can be rented), feed your tree through it. Come springtime, you can use the wood chips to bring nutrients to your soil!

 

5.) Feed the birds

Did you know that you could turn your old tree into a bird feeder? Remove all of the non-organic decorations like ornaments, hooks, and tinsel. Then place it outside while still in the stand and place it in a spot where you’ll be able to see it from indoors. Next, decorate it again by adding things like orange slices, strung popcorn, little bunches of bird feed, and anything else a bird would like to nibble on. Now you have a wonderful haven for birds to eat and shelter themselves that you can watch all season long from the warmth of your home.

 

6.) Make a wreath

Gather some wire, scissors, and any other pieces of decoration you’d like to add. Snip off individual branches and create a beautiful decorative wreath for your front door! You can keep this up all winter long — no need to take it down after the holidays have gone.

Photo by Kieran White on Unsplash

christmas tree with christmas lights

Photo by Kieran White on Unsplash

 

 

7.) Chop firewood

Have a fireplace? Put your tree to good use and heat up the house using the wood! All you have to do is chop it up and keep it handy for when you’re ready to light a fire.

 

8.) Get crafty

There are so many different ways to use the trunk of your tree for crafts! Cut thin slices and turn them into rustic coasters. Cut up multiple slices and add it to your wreath. If it’s big enough, slice it, write a fun saying on it, and turn it into a sign! The possibilities are endless.

 

9.) Make stakes

Got leggy plants? Stake them up with small branches from your tree! No need to go out and buy wire stakes when you can make your own right from home.

 

10.) Toss it properly

If you just want to throw out the tree, start by contacting your local waste provider as they usually pick up trees in the weeks that follow Christmas.

 

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Keep in mind plastic or flocked trees unfortunately cannot be recycled, and need to be cut into small pieces and disposed of in the regular trash. But if you have a live tree you’re no longer using, consider using some of these nature-friendly tips to give them more uses before finally getting rid of them at the end of the season!

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Video: Winter Seed Sowing with Garden Answer

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Interested in trying your hand at the winter seed sowing method? Follow along with @Garden Answer in this new video for some tips, tricks, and other learnings!

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4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Poinsettias

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red poinsettias

‘Tis the season of poinsettias! These jolly red plants are a classic holiday gift and household decoration all across the country during the winter months. Unfortunately, for many people, the leaves quickly turn lackluster and the plant dies soon afterward. But you can avoid this outcome with proper care and maintenance! Here are 4 ways yours can thrive this holiday season, as told by Garden Answer.

1. Get a healthy start

Did you know poinsettias are actually tropical plants? These festive spurges have somehow become a staple during the colder months, but they very much still appreciate their native climate! That means you should try to avoid the ones that are placed near the entrance of your local grocery store, since the draft from outside and the dry heat from inside are already harming the plants’ health. If you find them elsewhere, be sure to check that the foliage has solid colors and is not showing any green as this could mean they’re finished flowering for the season.

2. Give them a loving home

Since poinsettias appreciate that tropical climate, be sure to place them somewhere with lots of light that’s away from cold glass. As mentioned before, keep them away from any drafts — warm or cold. Be sure to check their soil moisture regularly as heated homes often lack moisture in the air. You can water them when the top layer of soil feels dry. As a finishing touch, feel free to mist them regularly and use Espoma Bloom! to give them a boost.

Red poinsettias, organic

3. Stay safe this holiday season

A widely believed myth is that poinsettias are incredibly toxic to pets and humans. But the truth is that you would have to ingest an exorbitant amount of it for it to actually be dangerous! You should still err on the side of caution since the white sap that’s produced when the stems break can be a skin irritant, and it’s best to set them somewhere pets and kids can’t reach as with all houseplants.

4. Start anew next year

No matter how devoted you are to your beloved poinsettias, you should still think of them as annual plants that need to be replaced each year. It can be very difficult to get them to bloom again a year later and it involves much stricter care than the tips listed above. 

 

Check out this video from Kevin @Epic Gardening for some additional tips and tricks to get the most out of your poinsettias.

 

 

Now that you have all the necessary knowledge, go find the biggest and brightest poinsettias you can locally buy — and rest assured that they’ll last much longer than last year’s!

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How to Prepare Your Garden for the Winter Season

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frost covering flowers, winter

Winter is afoot! With the nights becoming chilly, now is the time to start thinking about what to do with your garden until springtime. Soon enough soil will freeze and many plants will stop growing or die. But there are steps you can take to preserve what you have! Read on to find out how to prepare your garden and save any vegetables you might’ve been growing.

 

 

 

 

1. Take care of your root crops

 

If you have root crops like carrots, beets, or turnips in your garden, you’re in luck! These require less maintenance because they are able to stay inside the ground after a frost. However, make sure you’re taking them out before the ground freezes over or they may die. Some root crops like parsnips even taste better when kept buried in near freezing weather for 2 to 4 weeks!

 

greens, organic, kale

 

 

2. What to do with your leafy greens

 

If you’ve been following us for a while and took our advice in August to plant these leafy vegetables, you now get to reap the rewards! It’s time to harvest those sweet greens for some fresh homemade salads and dishes. If you’re willing to wait a little bit, veggies like kale and collards get sweeter with a little light frost. Cabbages and Swiss chard can handle the frost, if you want to harvest them all at once, but their outer covering may get a little damaged. Lettuces, however, cannot withstand the cold. Take them out before the frost hits.

 

 

 

3. Reduce irrigation

 

If you’re someone who has their sprinklers on overnight or all hours of the day, we have some good news! You can lower the use of sprinklers if you’re in a warmer weather and stop it altogether if you’re in a cooler weather. Now you can save your water usage and lower your water bill without compromising the quality of your lawn. Win-win!

 

small cuttings of plants

 

4. Herbs for winter

 

Herbs may seem like very delicate plants that would be unlikely to survive winter, but that’s not true! Herbs like sage, thyme and chives are hardy perennials that will survive the harsh weather with no problem. Some other herbs like rosemary and basil need to be dug up and brought inside where they will happily continue to grow.

 

 

 

5. Preparing the soil for spring

 

Preparing your soil in advance will make your work much easier come spring. Adding things like compost, manure, bone meal, and kelp will add nutrients to your soil and keep it healthy until spring. You can start working on it right as spring comes instead of having to fill it up with nutrients and wait for them to get incorporated! Add a layer of organic mulch for extra protection from winter rains and keeping your enriched soil safe.

Winter doesn’t have to mean everything dies until the spring! Taking the proper precautions and using the right products can help keep your favorite herbs and veggies growing throughout the colder months. Get started on these steps while the weather is still mild — and if you haven’t already, make sure you’re also caring for your tools and keeping them safe from the icy cold.

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Plant Parents: Add These Tropical Houseplants to Warm Your Soul

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The brightest part of winter may just be decorating your home for the season. While hot cocoa, holiday lights and a cozy fireplace are traditional ways of warming your space, try thinking tropical this year.  Your decorating doesn’t have to be the same every year and holiday houseplants aren’t just limited to poinsettias.

It’s not a secret that many houseplants are tropical by nature. They feel right at home in places with year-round warmth and jungle-like conditions. So, bring some warmth and tropic flair to your space by adding one of these houseplants.

Photo courtesy of Costa Farms

Anthurium

Anthuriums are elegant, easy-care plants with cheery blooms that last a long time. This show-stopping plant is a favorite for any romantic with its glossy heart-shaped, pink leaves. Anthurium stands out of the crowd with blooms on and off all year. This exotic plant loves warmth and humidity.

Photo courtesy of Costa Farms

Bromeliad

This easy-to-grow houseplant makes for a perfect gift. It provides an exotic touch of red, orange, pink or purple to any home. Even with the thick foliage and wide leaves, it gives off a radiance that anyone will fall in love with. Be sure to use Espoma’s Orchid Potting Mix to allow proper drainage.

Palms

Majesty palms practically whisk you away to somewhere tropical.  They thrive in the humidity and like to be kept evenly moist.  Fertilize regularly with Indoor! Liquid plant food for faster growth. These are easy to grow and don’t require any pruning except for an occasional old frond.

Image courtesy of Costa Farms

Orchids

Orchids can bloom for up to four months, making them great fir add some color and flair to any home. They love indirect light, a little bit of water and to be away from any drafty windows, air vents or ducts.

Plus, they will continue to rebloom every year with a little love and patience and fertilizer.

An organic fertilizer, such as Espoma’s Orchid! liquid plant food, will help keep your blooms looking fresh and colorful year after year.

Photo courtesy of Costa Farms

ZZ plant

This tough houseplant can survive even with the brownest of thumbs. You can put it anywhere in your home or office and it will be happy to see you. It can even survive with only florescent lights and no natural light.  Water when the top two inches of soil are dry. Don’t worry if you forget, it may start to drop some of its leaflets to conserve the water left and will rebloom after a good drink.

Try these lowlight houseplants if you want greenery, but lack light. https://youtu.be/SYXv_EcBdEA

Products for houseplants

Espoma Organic Orchid Mix
Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix
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