Author name: oliviajones

What keeps red hydrangeas red? If a hydrangea plant can pick up aluminum, then the flowers turn blue. If the hydrangea can’t pick up aluminum, then the flowers turn red. The solution involves keeping soil alkaline to prevent aluminum absorption. Tips to Keeping Hydrangeas Happy If it wasn’t too obvious by now, hydrangeas love moisture […]

What is a cheap alternative to a raised garden bed? For a low-maintenance raised garden bed alternative, simply use a plastic storage container. These boxes work well as a raised bed because they replicate purpose-built raised beds. However, you might need to make some adjustments to ensure you can grow successfully in them. Composting your

What is the cheapest way to make raised flower beds? The cheapest way to make a good raised garden bed is to use recycled materials such as pallets, wooden crates, or old tires. You can also use cinder blocks or bricks to build the walls of the bed. Preparing the bed optionally, consider lining the

What is the cheapest way to build a raised flower bed? Building raised beds from bricks, blocks, and pavers they were a fraction of the price! I used square patio stones to outline the garden where my galvanized raised beds sit, but these materials could easily be used to create a raised bed itself! This

What is the best moss for propagation? Sphagnum moss is an extremely popular propagation substrate because it has some fantastic benefits. It is light and fluffy and provides a good balance of moisture and oxygen, helping your cutting to grow roots without rotting. A common use of sphagnum moss is for seed starting or as

When to not use peat moss? Peat moss can make the soil too acidic for plants that need an alkaline or neutral soil ph. Before using peat moss in your garden, find out if your plants can tolerate acidic soil. Otherwise, you might end up killing them. Soil amendment it is key to thoroughly mix

Why is it called peat moss? Sphagnum likes acidic soil and grows in acidic marshes on the top of the peat bog. Thus, the dried and decayed material of Sphagnum in the peat bog gives it the name peat moss. Peat is a commonly used component in gardening and agriculture and has long been favoured

What does sphagnum peat moss do to soil? Harvested from peatlands and bogs, sphagnum moss adds essential nutrients to the soil, creating a rich layer that encourages the growth of living plant material such as trees and shrubs, while also promoting the activity of beneficial fungi and other microorganisms. A common use of sphagnum moss

What are the disadvantages of sphagnum peat moss? However, peat moss has drawbacks: it is low in nutrients, has a low pH and is not attractive to essential soil microbes. Compost offers an alternative that feeds microbes, improves drainage and retains water, though it decomposes more quickly, Brewer said. They certainly help, but don’t result

Where do you find sphagnum moss? There are numerous species of sphagnum moss that look very similar, so are usually grouped together as ‘sphagnum’ for easy description. These ‘bog-mosses’ form the amazingly multi-coloured, living carpets found in wet places like peat bogs, marshland, heath and moorland. Sphagnums are strongly associated with wetlands, wet, seepy rock