Expert Advice on Home Improvement

Growing flowers in pots is a very satisfying way to brighten up your porch or yard, and it’s a great way to get started with gardening. From choosing pots and flowers to how to plant your container, here’s everything you need to know to get started. Read in full.

Julie asks: “Our outdoor potted ivy plant has holes in the leaves. How do we solve this problem?”

If you don’t have any other visible evidence of disease or infestation, it sounds like something is simply eating the leaves. Read more to find out the likely culprits and how to get rid of them. Read in full.

Dispensing tiny seeds for planting can be a tedious task. Watch this video to see out how to pick up and plant small seeds individually. Watch this video.

To grow new African violets, use a sterile knife and cut off a healthy leaf as near the base as possible. Dip the stem in rooting hormone then push it through a piece of paper and place the stem in water until it develops roots. Watch this video.

Starting your own plants from seed is a great idea and here’s a trick for simplifying the process of transplanting them to the garden. Save your old eggshells and situate the empty half shells in an egg carton. Watch this video.

For a quick and easy way to paint clay pots give them a spin! Before you begin, you’ll need to cut a wooden disk with a hole saw. Place a carriage bolt in a drill (one with a speed adjustment knob works best) and attach the wooden disk on top of the bolt. Watch this video.

A good way to increase humidity around potted seedlings is to set a couple of seedling pots in a larger container of pebbles. The pebbles should be about fingernail size, and there should be just a small amount of water in the pebble container- enough to create humid conditions but not enough to touch the bottom of the pots. Watch this video.

Helping your plants make the transition from the pots or containers you buy them in to the garden is an important step to developing a healthy landscape. Begin by digging a hole large enough to accommodate the plant, its root ball and some additional material. Watch this video.

Moss covered planting pots can give your garden an old world charm. But if you live in a dry climate you may be out of luck. Here’s a trick to help out Mother Nature. Watch this video.

Looking for a place to start your seeds? How about in 2-liter plastic bottles? To keep the roots from being exposed to direct sunlight use colored bottles. Measure up 6-inches from the bottom of a 2-liter bottle and make a mark. Watch this video.