Gardening Archives - Thriving Yard

Water-Based Growing Systems – Alternatives To Soil Gardening

Due to concerns about pesticides and unsustainable growing methods, many people have decided to grow their own veggies. In an effort to conserve water, space, energy, and materials, a variety of soilless, water-based systems have evolved: Hydroponics Aquaponics Vermiponics Bioponics Aeroponics These systems all have impressive yields, lower water needs, better environmental control, and efficient …

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Will Food Decompose In A Vacuum? Lessons From A Body In Space

By Paul Brown

I’ve been researching active vs. cold composting and the slower decomposition of organic material in an anaerobic environment. This got me to wondering what would happen if there were a complete absence of oxygen. Food can be vacuum sealed, after all. Is it feasible that a vacuum situation in which no oxygen was present would …

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Pine Straw As Mulch: Pros, Cons, And Alternatives

By Paul Brown

When deciding on a weed barrier for a flower bed or garden, one idea that comes up often is the use of Pine Straw. This offers quite a lot of appeal for me personally since I live in the “Big Thicket” of Southeast Texas where Pine trees are everywhere. I could literally rake my yard …

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Does Peat Moss Expire? Here’s What You Need To Know

By Paul Brown

Do you have old bags of peat moss lying around in your garage or greenhouse? Have you wondered if was still good to use? It stinks throwing something away that can be reused or that has sat in a bag unopened. I’ve been looking into this and actually reached out to Miracle-Gro to get an …

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Desert Gardening: A Success Story (And Lessons Learned)

By Sydney Bosque

My Journey On An (Almost) Desert Island. Last year, our family moved to an island off the coast of Los Angeles, California. I was excited to learn that they had a garden because the Mediterranean climate meant year-round vegetables. When we arrived, I explored my soon-to-be veggie paradise only to find a fenced-in plot with …

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DIY automatic watering for garden, lawn, or flowerbed

EASY DIY Automatic Watering System For Flower Garden Or Lawn

By Paul Brown

If you are on a tight budget and looking for a simple way to automatically water your garden or lawn, I found an inexpensive and easy to use device that has worked for me like a charm. I realize this is not an epiphany for many people. Lots of homeowners have been using some form …

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Can you compost rotting fruits and vegetables? Maybe

Can You Compost Rotting Fruits & Vegetables? It Depends

By Sydney Bosque

A common question posed by those new to composting is Can I compost rotten fruits and vegetables? While this seems like a simple question, the answer is quite complicated. Why? Because it all depends on how you define rotten, and what caused that specific rot in the first place. A bruised apple, a bag of …

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Can Compost Go Bad? Here’s What You Need To Know

By Sydney Bosque

Compost is a literal pile of crap and a load of garbage. Compost is the black gold of the gardening world, and it is the prime solution to any soil problem. Because its main purpose is to heal and improve soil, it does a good job of self-correcting if the decomposition process gets off track. …

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The Complete Guide to Active Compost

By Sydney Bosque

There are two different composting strategies, and they have much more to do with your personality type than they do with desired outcomes. If you want to be able to throw garden waste into a pile and one day, maybe, use it as a soil amendment, then you should skip this article. Any organic material, …

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How To Shred Newspaper For Compost, Mulch, And Weed Barriers

By Sydney Bosque

Newspaper is a versatile, beneficial material in your garden or landscape. It is also a material that can cause many problems if it is not prepared properly. Newspaper will have different uses in your garden depending on how, or if, it is shredded. The smaller the size, the quicker it will decompose. So, how you …

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