With its glossy-green foliage and abundant, golden fruit, this citrus tree is a great starter plant. If you’re new to growing citrus trees as houseplants, I highly recommend starting with an indoor/ patio-tolerant Calamondin Orange. Small but abundant, bright-orange fruits appear at regular intervals on this cross between a Kumquat and Mandarin Orange. Calamondin oranges are quite tart and a good substitute for Persian limes in most recipes. Their tangy juice and sweet zest is delicious in many drinks, desserts, & savory dishes.
When potting your newly acquired citrus tree, choose a ceramic, clay or plastic pot with adequate drainage. Ensure that the selected container has several holes at the bottom, and fill the drainage dish with gravel or stone to allow good moisture release and airflow. Well-drained soil is also critical. Buy pre-mixed potting soil and mix with compost to give it more nutrients.
Citrus trees need 8-12 hours of sunlight per day. During the fall and winter months, place your Calamondin in a draft-free, south-facing window with even temperatures (55-85°F is ideal). Avoid locating the tree where temperatures fluctuate radically: such as near wood stoves, ovens, radiators or exterior doors. Calamondin Orange Trees may be moved outside in late spring (after the last frost date in your area). Be sure to slowly acclimate your tree to outdoor conditions by placing it in a protected spot.
Water your tree regularly and cover the soil with mulch to help reduce evaporation and temperature fluctuation at the root zone. Soil should be kept on the drier side during winter months to avoid root rot and fungal infections. Like most tropical beauties, Calamondins enjoy humidifiers and/or regular misting as well.
Calamondin oranges take about one year to ripen from the time blossoms appear. However, because the tree will produce flowers and fruit at the same time, harvests can happen over a period of weeks or months. Snip bright orange fruit from branches with sharp snipsto avoid tearing the tender skin. You’ll know the oranges are ripe when they are just soft enough to give slightly under the pressure of your fingertips.
With proper attention and care, a Calamondin Orange Tree will provide many golden harvests of fruit and years of beauty, inside and out.
Planting up a mix of edible plants in a hanging basket can be a rewarding activity that you can share with your children or your loved one. Children of all ages can help plant and watch the plants grow in the summer and throughout the fall.
Getting started:
Plant combinations in one basket can create a delicious salad or a fruity snack. Such as a few strawberries, edible flower petals, feathery dill and leafy basil. To make caring for the planted basket even more child friendly, hang it eye- level so that everyone can see the plants growing. Children can also help with watering, collecting the petals, strawberries, or leaves from the basil.
Watering and feeding
The dill provides edible foliage and also grows quickly so is ready first and gives children a quick reward. A couple of marigolds will provide plenty of edible petals, which add a vivid orange color to any salad. Hanging baskets can dry out easily because of wind, sun, so adding compost soil to the dirt mixture can help. You can also hang your basket indoors in the kitchen for an easy way to add a few leaves or petals to any meal.
More edible suggestions
Tomatoes, such a single plant, can be planted ( cherry tomatoes) easy for little ones to pick and eat.
Lettuce needs plenty of moisture for the leaves to be sweet and tender.
Mint is one of the most popular herbs for kitchen gardeners because they can quickly harvest while cooking. You can grow most herbs from seeds or starter plants. If you’re starting from seeds, keep in mind that most herbs don’t like waterlogged soil, so it’s best to use a spray bottle instead of a nozzle to water your containers.
Most varieties of peas are easy to grow, and a great plant to start with your children. Peas grow quickly, providing an immediate reward. Plant peas in well-draining soil, and within just a few weeks you’ll be peas-fully shelling and snacking.
All of these plants are easy to grow, requiring little garden know-how and very little legwork. Keep in mind that these plants require well-draining soil. If you use a pot, make sure you have a tray underneath to collect water. Place your plants in areas with plenty of sunlight and remember to harvest regularly for the freshest and tastiest results.
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. The plant is stemless or very short-stemmed with thick, greenish, fleshy leaves that fan out from the plant’s central stem.
Aloe vera is gel from the leaves of aloe plants. People have used it for thousands of years for healing and softening the skin.
Planting tip for Aloe
Water aloe vera plants deeply, but infrequently. …
To ensure that you’re not overwatering your plant, allow the top third of potting soil to dry out between watering.
Aloes prefer dry soil conditions, and should be watered sparingly, particularly in winter when sunlight becomes scarcer. Watering once a week should be sufficient in warmer months, and about once every two weeks in winter.
Do you have any plant tips using or taking care of aloe? if so, post in the comments
Starting your own indoor compost bin ranks on the easier side of home projects. All you’ll need is a suitable compost bin and all those food scraps from the kitchen that would normally go to waste. Time and nature take care of the rest.
Knowing how to keep a well-balanced compost bin will be your first line of defense in creating a bin that has little to no smell. Adding items to the compost bin that certainly shouldn’t be there, or adding the wrong balance of organic materials, will create an unpleasant odor that could make indoor composting impossible.Your compost bin needs five major components: Greens, browns, water, air, and soil.
Example of Greens: could use veggie leftovers, fruit waste like apple cores and banana peels, eggshells and even old bread. Anything , as long as it’s somehow plant-based. Animal products like meat and dairy should be kept out of the bin, as those will immediately lead to a smell.
Example of browns:anything carbon-rich, like coffee grounds, tea leaves, dry grass/leaves and untreated paper (like coffee filters). A general rule is a 2:1 green to brown ratio, but ratio estimates vary dramatically. If your pile is slimy, add more browns. If your pile is dry and slow to compost, add more greens.
Example of water: should be slightly damp, but not soaking, to the touch. Usually, kitchen scraps can keep this level of moisture, but you should check to make sure the compost pile isn’t drying out. Spray with water if the pile is dry.
Example of air: allow aerobic breakdown of the scraps in a way that doesn’t lead to a foul odor. Estimates vary for when you should turn your compost pile, but a general estimate is that you should turn it once or twice per week for decent aeration.
Example of soil:You’ll only need one scoop from outdoor dirt.
Follow our simple directions to create a compost bin that can turn everyday waste into fertile soil for your garden or indoor plants.
Materials
Sealable container
Drill
¼-inch drill bit
Charcoal air filter (optional)
Tape or glue
Scissors
Decorative scrapbook paper
Instructions:
Locate a sealable container you can use as a kitchen compost bin. Coffee containers, metal tins, plastic ice cream containers and small buckets all make great options
Use your drill and ¼-inch drill bit to create a series of holes in the lid of the container to allow air to circulate
Measure the height and circumference of your container, and use scissors to cut scrapbook paper to the appropriate dimensions. Wrap the scrapbook paper around the container and glue or tape in place
Store your compost bin somewhere you’ll remember to fill it, like under the kitchen sink or in a closet, cabinet, pantry or garage. Every other day, give it a shake or a stir to help circulate air
BEST MATERIALS FOR COMPOST
Flowers
Leaves
Paper towel rolls
Egg shells
Nut shells
Seafood shells
Coffee grounds
Lint
Pencil shavings
Old spices
Stale bread
Tea bags and grounds
Fruit and vegetable peels
Shredded paper: napkins, mail, tissues, newspaper and paper towels
Ideas to use your compost by freshening up your garden from flowers to shrubs, mix your compost into the soil that surrounds the base of plants in your garden. Also you can use your compost to feed your houseplants. Provide a fresh dose of nutrients for houseplants by blending compost into the top 1-2 inches of soil. Flower boxes, hanging flowers and patio plants can also benefit.
Frogs and other amphibians are important creatures, essential to our ecosystem. Providing them with a safe space in your garden is a great way to support their numbers while also gain the benefits of their pest-eating tendencies.
The best way to encourage frogs to visit your garden is by building a pond. Ponds are vital for amphibians as they are where they reproduce. Frogs rely on a network of ponds so that they can move safely between habitats, so the more ponds in your neighborhood that are readily available, the better.
There are a few key things to remember when building a pond:
Build your pond in an area with partial sun/partial shade and make it around 60cm deep.
Ensure at least one side of your pond slopes to a shallow area, to allow frogs to enter safely. If this isn’t possible, adding a ramp or stones and rocks (which the frogs can use as ‘stepping stones’) works too.
Provide vital cover around the pond edges with plants, rocks and vegetation. These areas will also work as habitats for wildlife visiting the pond.
Steer clear of introducing fish into your pond – they eat frogspawn and tadpoles and therefore should be avoided if you’re looking to make a pond for frogs.
Toads/ Frogs like damp, cool spots and therefore need access to areas nearby the pond where they can hide away from the sun and potential predators. Give them places to hide by creating messy areas full of leaves, log piles and vegetation. Alternatively, placing some plant pots on their sides and partially burying them will provide much-needed shelter for any frogs visiting your garden. Chemicals are a big no-no if you want to attract frogs to your garden. This is because frogs breathe and drink through their skin, so they are particularly sensitive to toxic chemicals. As frogs eat the majority of pests anyway, there is no need for pesticides in a frog-friendly garden.
Why attract frogs/ toads to the garden?
By attracting frogs and other amphibians to your garden, you are effectively providing them with a place to live and breed. While frogs might seem in abundance in certain areas, their numbers are actually in decline due to loss of breeding habitat – many ponds are often filled for building development. By building a pond in your garden you can help bring those numbers up and encourage biodiversity.
Another benefit of attracting frogs to your garden is that they are excellent pest-eaters. Frogs, newts, and toads are all brilliant at gobbling up slugs, snails and other invertebrates, so you can count on them to keep your garden pest-free.
Adding a frog house to the garden can help keep your little frogs stay safe. Place it on bare ground out of direct sunshine, near a pond or damp area of the garden. Many amphibians will also appreciate the addition of moss or stones to the inside of the house to keep it cool and humid.
You can find several frog house ideas on Pinterest, you can follow our Gardening board to see ideas!
Frogs like damp, cool spots and therefore need access to areas nearby the pond where they can hide away from the sun and potential predators. Give them places to hide by creating messy areas full of leaves, log piles and vegetation. Alternatively, placing some plant pots on their sides and partially burying them will provide much-needed shelter for any frogs visiting your garden. Chemicals are a big no-no if you want to attract frogs to your garden. This is because frogs breathe and drink through their skin, so they are particularly sensitive to toxic chemicals. As frogs eat the majority of pests anyway, there is no need for pesticides in a frog-friendly garden.
Why attract frogs to the garden?
By attracting frogs and other amphibians to your garden, you are effectively providing them with a place to live and breed. While frogs might seem in abundance in the UK, their numbers are actually in decline due to loss of breeding habitat – many ponds are often filled for building development. By building a pond in your garden you can help bring those numbers up and encourage biodiversity.
Another benefit of attracting frogs to your garden is that they are excellent pest-eaters. Frogs, newts, and toads are all brilliant at gobbling up slugs, snails and other invertebrates, so you can count on them to keep your garden pest-free.
Adding a frog house to the garden can help keep your little frogs stay safe. Place it on bare ground out of direct sunshine, near a pond or damp area of the garden. Many amphibians will also appreciate the addition of moss or stones to the inside of the house to keep it cool and humid.
You can find several frog house ideas on Pinterest, you can follow our Gardening board to see ideas!
