PlantersPlace Archives

DIY Mushroom Logs Part 3: Spawn Run

To be honest, the title "spawn run" for this DIY mushroom growing post sounds like the latest release in a horror movie franchise. It’s not! In fact, it’s a whole lot of nothing, at least to the naked eye. We’ll get into that in a moment. But first, to review the previous two phases: Phase ...

My Story With Houseplants

As a child, I loved plants. I remember my grandma’s jade pothos trailing around her kitchen and rows of strawberries in my grandfather’s meticulously kept garden. I can still picture the macrame-hung spider plant in my aunt’s apartment. Rays of light reached between the ropes like sunbeams through church windows; it was peaceful. My story ...

Using Biochar In the Vegetable Garden

My mostly-cleaned-up fall vegetable garden awaits one last task—applying biochar. What’s biochar? Great question. Let me tell you all about it. What Is Biochar? Biochar is a 100% pure carbon that has been burned in the absence of oxygen. It’s as burned as burned can be. This material’s secret power is that it holds moisture ...

Hand Pollinating Squash, Zucchini and Cucumber Flowers

Hand pollinating squash or zucchini or cucumbers in order to get a crop might seem like a lot of work. But in a few instances, it may be your only chance to produce a squash crop. In a previous Just Veggies blog post I explained the reasons why baby cucurbit fruits—things like summer squash, zucchini ...