Gear & Reviews ·
Best Cheap Outdoor Security Camera: What Matters Under $100
Under a hundred, the trade-offs are storage fees, night range and power. Five types compared on what they cost to own, not just to buy.
Salma
Editor — planting, harvest and kitchen garden
Austin, Texas — USDA zone 8b · Growing 7 years
Salma leads the planting, harvesting and seasonal rhythm of the garden. Drawing on seven years of intensive edible gardening and formal permaculture design training, she turns bare beds into productive kitchen staples. Her guides focus on heat-tolerant heirloom tomatoes and peppers, year-round culinary herbs, succession sowing for the shoulder seasons, and keeping pests in balance without reaching for chemicals.
Permaculture Design Certificate, 2020; trained in residential horticulture
Writes about
- Heirloom vegetables
- Culinary herbs
- Seed starting and succession sowing
- Organic pest control
- Kitchen greens
- Companion planting
Guides by Salma
The 24 most recent of 172. Browse the rest by topic below.
Gear & Reviews ·
Water Hose Storage Ideas That Stop the Kinking and Rot
A hose dies from UV, kinks and freezing, not from use. Storage that prevents all three, from a $15 hook to a reel, and what to do before winter.
Growing Guides ·
Cucumber Types: Slicing, Pickling, Burpless and Greenhouse
Cucumbers split into four groups that need different handling. Which to grow outdoors, which need glass, and why some turn bitter.
Growing Guides ·
Tall Hedges for Privacy: What to Plant and How Fast It Grows
Screening height in two years or ten, depending on what you plant. Growth rates, spacing, final size and the species that become a liability.
Outdoor Living ·
Cheap Fencing to Keep Dogs Out of Garden Beds
Dogs go over, under or through, and each needs a different fix. Low-cost barriers that work, heights by dog size, and what to skip.
Outdoor Living ·
Cheap Ways to Block a Neighbour's View Into Your Garden
Screening that works without a six-foot fence or a planning row. What blocks a sightline fastest, what it costs, and the height rules to check first.
Outdoor Living ·
Front Yard Landscaping With Ornamental Grasses
Grasses carry a front yard for three seasons on almost no work. Which to plant where, the clumping-versus-running trap, and when to cut them back.
Outdoor Living ·
Landscaping Ideas on a Budget: Where the Money Actually Goes
Most budget landscaping advice ignores the two costs that dominate: hard surfaces and plant size. What to spend on, what to phase, and what to skip.
Outdoor Living ·
Landscaping Under Trees: What Survives Dry Shade
Under a mature tree the problem is root competition and drought, not shade. Plants that cope, how to plant without damaging roots, and what never works.
Outdoor Living ·
Outdoor Metal Wall Decor: What Survives a Winter Outside
Most metal wall art is indoor stock sold for gardens. Which metals last, how to hang it without staining the wall, and where it actually works.
Outdoor Living ·
Patio Roof Ideas Attached to the House: Types and Rules
Attaching a roof to the house raises ledger, flashing, drainage and permit questions. The options compared, and what decides which one you can build.
Outdoor Living ·
Pea Gravel Landscaping: Where It Works and Where It Fails
Pea gravel is cheap and drains well, but it migrates, sinks and is hard to walk on. Where to use it, what goes underneath, and the sizes that matter.
Outdoor Living ·
Succulent Garden Ideas for Small Spaces and Containers
Succulents fail from wet feet, not from neglect. The grit mix, the containers that work, and which species survive a winter outdoors.
Backyard Animals ·
Do Frogs Attract Snakes? Yes, and What That Means
Frogs are a staple food for several common snakes, so a frog population does draw them. What it means in practice, and what to change if you mind.
Backyard Animals ·
Do Lizards Eat Other Lizards? Yes, More Often Than You Think
Cannibalism and predation between lizards is common, including adults eating hatchlings of their own species. When it happens and what it means in a garden.
Backyard Animals ·
Frog Eggs in Your Pool: What to Do With Them
Frog spawn in a swimming pool will not survive the chlorine. How to move it to water that works, and how to stop frogs laying there next spring.
Backyard Animals ·
Frog Holes in the Yard? They Are Almost Certainly Not Frogs
Frogs do not dig burrows in most of the world. What the holes in your lawn actually are, how to read them, and which ones need dealing with.
Backyard Animals ·
How to Get Rid of Skinks, and Why You Might Not Want To
Skinks eat the insects you are already fighting. If you still want them gone, here is what moves them — and why no skink repellent on sale actually works.
Lawn & Soil ·
Yellow Fungus in Grass: Slime Mould, and It Is Harmless
Yellow fungus in grass is almost always dog vomit slime mould, which harms nothing. How to tell it from the 2 lawn diseases that do need action.
Backyard Animals ·
Do Chipmunks Live Underground? Yes, in 30 ft Burrows
Do chipmunks live underground: yes, in burrow systems up to 30 ft long with separate chambers. What that means for your lawn, and why the entrance has no soil pile.
Backyard Animals ·
How Many Squirrels Are in the World? Nobody Counts Them
How many squirrels are in the world has no census answer, but 285 species and known densities give a defensible estimate. Why the round numbers online are invented.
Backyard Animals ·
How to Catch a Rabbit in Your Backyard, Safely
Catching a backyard rabbit depends on whether it is wild or an escaped pet. How to tell, the pen method that works, and why chasing one is the worst option.
Backyard Animals ·
How to Get Rid of an Armadillo Under Your House
Armadillos dig under slabs and decks for grubs and shelter. One-way exclusion, the burrow check that stops you sealing one in, and what to do about the lawn.
Backyard Animals ·
How to Keep Birds Out of a Barn or Open Outbuilding
Sparrows and starlings in a barn mean fouled feed, blocked vents and fire risk. Exclusion at the openings, timing around nesting, and what to do about feed.
All 172 guides
Growing Guides 108
- Cucumber Types: Slicing, Pickling, Burpless and Greenhouse
- Tall Hedges for Privacy: What to Plant and How Fast It Grows
- Peperomia Varieties — 12 Worth Growing, in 3 Care Groups
- Stonecrop Varieties — 10 Sedums and Where Each Belongs
- Types of Gardening Methods — 8 and What Each Suits
- Types of Worms in Potted Plants — 6 and Which Harm Roots
- Do You Pick Mint From the Top or the Bottom?
- How Big Do Peach Trees Get? 8 to 25 Feet by Rootstock
- How Long Can Succulents Live? Months to Centuries
- How to Grow Broccolini: Cut the Crown to Get the Stems
- How to Grow Loofah: A 200-Day Crop You Start Indoors
- How to Grow Persimmon: Astringent and Non-Astringent
- How to Grow Tarragon: French or Russian Makes the Difference
- How to Harvest Amaranth: Grain and Leaves From One Plant
- How to Make Pothos Bushier Instead of Long and Bare
- How to Propagate Dieffenbachia From Stem Cuttings
- How to Propagate Elephant Bush From Cuttings
- What Herbs Grow Well Together in the Same Container
- When to Plant Hollyhock Seeds: Autumn Beats Spring
- Beech Tree Bark: How to Identify It and What Damages It
- Best Way to Store Squash: Cure It, Then Keep It Cool
- China Doll Plant Care: Why It Drops Leaves, and the Fix
- Eastern White Pine Growth Rate: Two Feet a Year, and Why
- Heart Leaf Philodendron Care: Why Yours Has Gone Leggy
- How Much Sun Do Cucumbers Need? Six Hours Minimum
- How to Cut Rosemary: Where to Cut So It Grows Back Bushy
- How to Grow a Tree From a Branch: Which Species Root
- How to Grow Chayote: Plant the Whole Fruit
- How to Grow a Jade Plant: Underwater It and Give It Sun
- How to Grow Oregano: Poor Soil and Full Sun Make It Taste
- How to Grow Shiitake Mushrooms on Logs: A Two-Year Project
- How to Grow Spaghetti Squash: Space, Sun and a Hard Rind
- How to Plant Basil: Warmth First, and Pinch From Week Three
- How to Preserve Willow Branches: Glycerine, Drying or Both
- How to Propagate Kalanchoe: Leaves, Cuttings or Plantlets
- How to Propagate Peperomia: Leaf Cuttings That Work
- How to Prune Cilantro: Cutting Outer Stems Delays Bolting
- Irish Moss vs Scotch Moss: Same Plant, Different Colour
- New Guinea Impatiens Care: Sun Tolerant, But Never Dry
- Prickly Pear Cactus Propagation: Pads, Callus, Patience
- Purple Passion Plant Care: Keeping the Velvet Purple
- Propagating Pothos in Water: The Node Is What Matters
- When to Harvest Dill: Leaves Before Flowers, Seed After
- When to Harvest Kale: Bottom Leaves First, and Why Frost Helps
- When to Harvest Radish: Pull at 1 Inch, Not by the Calendar
- When to Plant Blackberry Bushes: Late Winter On
- When to Pick Tomatillos: The Husk Tells You, Not the Colour
- How to Dry Oregano (And Why It Beats Fresh)
- How to Grow Rice in a Backyard Bucket
- What Potato Plants Look Like When Ready to Harvest
- When Does Lavender Flower? Timing by Type and Age
- How to Propagate Lavender From Cuttings (Free Plants)
- Tradescantia Zebrina Care: Light, Pinching, and Legginess
- How to Grow Figs: Sun, Restraint and a Hard Prune
- How to Grow Parsley: Slow Seed, Long Season
- How to Grow Blueberries: It Is All About Soil pH
- How to Grow Grapes: Prune Hard, and Prune in Winter
- How to Grow Mint Without It Taking Over the Garden
- How to Grow Rosemary: Drainage First, Water Almost Never
- When to Harvest Pumpkins: Three Signs, Not the Calendar
- When to Pick Jalapeños: Green, Red, and Corked
- How Deep to Plant Potatoes (And Why Hilling Matters More)
- How to Grow Garlic in Pots: Depth, Size and Overwintering
- Rubber Tree Plant Care: Light, Water, and Why Leaves Drop
- Types of Hot Peppers, Ranked by Heat and What They Taste Like
- How to Grow Asparagus: Three Years to the First Real Cut
- How to Grow Blackberries: Planting, Pruning and Picking
- How to Grow Carrots: Stones, Thinning, and Carrot Fly
- How to Grow Ginger From a Piece of Supermarket Root
- How to Grow Potatoes: Chitting, Depth, and Earthing Up
- How to Harvest Basil So the Plant Gets Bushier
- How to Store Garlic So It Keeps Until Next Summer
- Elephant Ear Plant Care: Light, Water and Overwintering
- How to Grow Tomatoes: Determinate or Indeterminate First
- Outdoor Plants in Pots: What Survives, and What Kills Them
- How to Grow Peppercorns: A Tropical Vine in a Pot
- When Is Corn Harvested? The Milk Test, Not the Calendar
- When to Harvest Butternut Squash: Three Signs, Not One
- When to Harvest Potatoes: Two Crops From One Plant
- Can You Eat Crab Apples? Yes, and They Make Better Jelly
- Growing Cucumbers in Pots: Size, Support, and Water
- How Do Pineapples Grow? On the Ground, One Per Plant
- How to Grow Basil: Pinch It Early, Pinch It Often
- How to Grow Onions: Day Length Decides Your Bulb Size
- How to Prune Lavender — 3 Cuts, Never Into Old Wood
- How to Grow Cabbage: Firm Soil, Wide Spacing, Mesh
- How to Grow Cilantro Without It Bolting in Three Weeks
- When to Plant Dahlias, and Whether to Lift Them
- How to Grow Aloe Vera: Underwater It and Give It Sun
- How to Grow Beans: Bush or Pole, and Never Sow Early
- How to Grow Lavender: Drainage, Sun, and Almost Nothing Else
- How to Grow a Lemon Tree in a Pot, Anywhere
- When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes, and Why Curing Matters
- How to Grow Strawberries (And Get Fruit the First Year)
- Companion Plants for Tomatoes (And 5 to Keep Away)
- How to Grow Garlic: Plant in Fall, Harvest in July
- How to Grow Peppers: Start Early, Then Keep Them Warm
- How to Harvest Lettuce So It Grows Back Again
- How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors After the Season
- When to Harvest Garlic (Count the Brown Leaves)
- Companion Plants for Potatoes, and What Ruins the Crop
- How to Grow Peas: Sow Cold, Support Early, Pick Often
- How to Grow Cucumbers: Heat, Water, and Bitter Fruit
- How to Grow Watermelon: Heat, Space, and Knowing When
- How to Store Cilantro So It Lasts More Than Two Days
- Companion Plants for Cucumbers, and What to Keep Away
- How to Grow an Avocado: From a Pit, and From a Tree
- How to Grow Broccoli Without It Bolting or Buttoning
Backyard Animals 23
- Do Frogs Attract Snakes? Yes, and What That Means
- Do Lizards Eat Other Lizards? Yes, More Often Than You Think
- Frog Eggs in Your Pool: What to Do With Them
- Frog Holes in the Yard? They Are Almost Certainly Not Frogs
- How to Get Rid of Skinks, and Why You Might Not Want To
- Do Chipmunks Live Underground? Yes, in 30 ft Burrows
- How Many Squirrels Are in the World? Nobody Counts Them
- How to Catch a Rabbit in Your Backyard, Safely
- How to Get Rid of an Armadillo Under Your House
- How to Keep Birds Out of a Barn or Open Outbuilding
- How to Keep Birds Out of Trees Without Harming Them
- Best Goats for Meat — 4 Breeds and Why Crosses Win
- Best Goats for Clearing Brush — 4 Breeds and 1 to Avoid
- Can You Eat Bass From a Lake? Yes, With One Real Caveat
- Do Hummingbirds Know Who Feeds Them? What the Evidence Says
- Do Snakes Like Sand? Some Live in It, Most Avoid It
- Do Wind Chimes Scare Hummingbirds? Mostly No, With Caveats
- Is It Illegal to Kill a Possum? Usually Yes
- The Most Common Backyard Birds, and How to Tell Them Apart
- Non-Lethal Squirrel Deterrents: What Works and What Doesn't
- Pros and Cons of Feeding Squirrels: An Honest Accounting
- Dairy Goat Breeds — 6 Compared on Yield and Butterfat
- Will Tortoises Eat Poisonous Plants? Often Yes
Lawn & Soil 8
- Yellow Fungus in Grass: Slime Mould, and It Is Harmless
- What Is Corn Gluten Meal? A Pre-Emergent That Also Feeds
- Centipede Grass vs St Augustine: Which Southern Lawn Wins
- How to Add Calcium to Soil Without Changing the pH
- How to Level a Lawn by Hand: Topdressing Without Machinery
- How to Make Compost Step by Step: Greens, Browns and Air
- Too Much Lime on Lawn: Signs, Damage and How to Fix It
- Waiting Too Long to Mow New Grass: What It Costs You
Outdoor Living 12
- Cheap Fencing to Keep Dogs Out of Garden Beds
- Cheap Ways to Block a Neighbour's View Into Your Garden
- Front Yard Landscaping With Ornamental Grasses
- Landscaping Ideas on a Budget: Where the Money Actually Goes
- Landscaping Under Trees: What Survives Dry Shade
- Outdoor Metal Wall Decor: What Survives a Winter Outside
- Patio Roof Ideas Attached to the House: Types and Rules
- Pea Gravel Landscaping: Where It Works and Where It Fails
- Succulent Garden Ideas for Small Spaces and Containers
- What Causes Algae in a Pool? 4 Failures, Always
- Rectangular Pool Landscaping Ideas — 10 That Suit the Shape
- Dry River Bed Landscaping: Drainage That Looks Deliberate
Gear & Reviews 5
Garden Problems 16
- How to Get Rid of Foxtails Before They Hurt a Dog
- White Fly on Plants: Why Spraying Keeps Failing
- Home Remedies for Mosquitoes: What Works, What Is Folklore
- How to Get Rid of a Stump Without Grinding: Four Methods
- What Does Irish Spring Soap Repel? The Evidence, Honestly
- Black Spots on Tomato Leaves: Which Disease You Have
- Fungus Gnats: Kill the Larvae, Not the Flies You See
- Tomato Blight: Telling Early From Late, and What to Do
- What Smells Do Mosquitoes Hate? What Works and What Does Not
- How to Use Neem Oil on Plants Without Burning Them
- What Do Rolly Pollies Eat? Mostly Dead Things, Occasionally Yours
- Does Vinegar Kill Weeds — 4 Checks on What It Misses
- Powdery Mildew: Why It Spreads and What Actually Stops It
- Why Are My Tomatoes Splitting? Water, Almost Always
- Plants That Repel Mosquitoes — 4 Fixes That Beat Them
- Tomato Plant Leaves Curling: 7 Causes, and Which Matter