Two Minutes in the Garden

Compost is great for your garden, but can you have too much of a good thing? What problems could there be if you use too much? Will it harm your plants ... or something else? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Bring Plants Inside: Timing & Debugging Tips

What can you add to your compost pile? Is it any organic material, or are there some things you may want to avoid? What about dryer lint or hair? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Hostas for Sun: Sun-Tolerant Options For Your Garden

Calculating C:N ratios? Regular turning? For anyone who's been put off from composting because it sounds too involved -- it really isn't as hard as it's sometimes made out to be. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Breaking the Eggshell Myth in Gardening

When it comes to building healthy soil, there may be no more important tool in the garden than compost. So what is compost, and how does it help our plants? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Propagate Sweet Potatoes to Grow New Slips

We've heard that humus is good for our garden, but do we know what it actually is? And, for that matter, does ANYONE know what it actually is? And why has humus become a controversial topic? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Why Frogs & Toads Are Good For Our Gardens

We're told not to overwater our plants, but some popular houseplants grow fine with their roots fully immersed in water and nearly all outdoor plants experience overwatering at times. How does that work? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Tips for Choosing the Right Clematis Trellis

No Mow May is a popular initiative that encourages people to stop mowing their lawns for a month to help bees and other pollinators. But does it really work? And what are the drawbacks? In this episode, we explore the pros and cons of No Mow May from a gardener's perspective. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: The Surprising Benefits of Moths in Your Garden

Frogs enrich your garden in many ways: they control pests, provide food for other wildlife, and indicate a healthy environment. In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of frogs and their role in the garden ecosystem. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Get Rid of Weeds: Easy Tips For Organic Gardeners

At the beginning of a new gardening season, temperatures are still low, but some vegetables thrive in cool weather and can be ready to eat in just a few weeks. Choose these vegetables and before you know it, you'll eating your first batch of produce fresh from your garden. MORE FROM Empress of Dirt: 20 Fast-Growing Vegetables in 4-6 Weeks (Spring or Fall)

Most bees don't live in hives and most don't live in hollow stems. They live in the ground and emerge from the soil in the spring and summer to join us in the garden. What can we do to make their winters easier? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Tea Time: How to Harvest & Dry Homegrown Herbs

Deer can cause a lot of damage to your garden, but there are ways to prevent or reduce it. Learn about different types of fences, repellents, deterrents and deer-resistant plants that can help you protect your plants from these hungry animals. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: The Complete Guide to Growing Delphiniums in Your Garden

Also known in many parts of the world as bicarbonate of soda or bicarb soda -- you see it recommended for dozens of uses in the garden. It sounds pretty harmless, but should we be using it around our plants? READ MORE at Empress of Dirt: Baking Soda in the Garden: Is it Really Harmless?

What's the advantage of starting seeds -- especially indoors? What do you need? What do seeds need to germinate? And how can you improve your odds against diseases? READ THE FULL GUIDE at Empress of Dirt: Seed Starting for Beginners: Sow Inside Grow Outside

Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in the garden, and you can get them in a range of sizes and a rainbow of colours. ALSO FROM Empress of Dirt: How To Grow Carrots Indoors At Home In Flower Pots AND: How To Grow Fairy Carrots In Jars

Does hitting the trunk of a tree with a baseball bat or or a stick make it produce more leaves -- or maybe more flowers or fruit? It sounds crazy, but is there anything to it? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Houseplants & Humidity: Tips That Help (& Those That Do Not)

In permaculture circles, they're called dynamic accumulators -- plants that accumulate above average levels of particular nutrients in their leaves, which we can then add to compost piles, use as mulch or in other ways make the nutrients available to our plants. Do they work? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Grow Leafy Greens Indoors at Home (Simple & Fast Method)

Humidity doesn't get as much attention as temperature, light and soil moisture, but it can have a big effect on our plants. Many houseplants prefer more humidity than we give them, especially over the winter. What can we do about that? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Homemade Peanut Butter Suet for Birds (Easy Recipe)

It's one of the world's most popular houseplants. Easy to grow and easy to propagate -- and maybe even a handy source of some skincare gel. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Irresistible Reasons to Grow Poppies

What makes the leaves of some trees change color? Is there a benefit to the trees? And what about deciduous trees that keep leaves over the winter? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Propagate African Violets (Step-By-Step Tutorial)

Many gardeners put paper overtop of a lawn to create a new garden bed. Or add paper to their compost pile. Is it safe? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How To Bring Plants Indoors For The Winter (Best Timing & Bug-Free Tips)

You hear it suggested a lot in gardening circles as a pesticide and maybe even to prevent diseases, but what is horticultural oil and how does it work? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Creative No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas (Quick & Fun)

Blue flowers do exist in nature, but not in many of our most popular flowers. And it's even been a struggle for scientists to create them. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Great Fall Weather? Get These Garden Jobs Done

It's not for everyone, but human urine in the garden has lots of enthusiasts. Urine contains lots of nitrogen and several other essential nutrients, but it also has some things that aren't so good for plants. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How To Welcome Dragonflies To Your Garden

We've all heard that we should be planting more milkweed to help a declining number of monarchs, but some reports say they're actually doing fine without our help. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How To Keep Houseplants Watered While On Vacation

They've become poster children for the global decline in insect numbers and they face significant threats. How might we be able to help monarchs in our garden? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Easy Houseplant Tagging System To Simplify Plant Care