Plant and Gardening Info

Just like us, plants can suffer from too much sun. When they get too much direct sunlight, their leaves can turn white or pale yellow, sometimes in irregular patches. They might even wilt or become brittle and crisp around the edges. And the fruit? They might develop whitish and leathery lesions or patches on the skin and lose flavor and texture.

By taking these proactive steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of sunscald and ensure the health and vitality of your plants.

To mitigate sunscalds, you can relocate the plants in containers where they receive plenty of morning sun and afternoon shade when temperatures are the highest.

If your plants are in a garden bed, you can also use shade cloth, a lightweight fabric specifically designed to protect plants from sun damage. You can purchase shade cloth at most garden retailers, and it comes in various sizes to suit your needs. To use it, simply drape the fabric over the plant, ensuring it covers the top and sides but leaves enough space for the necessary sunlight to filter through.

The foliage of pepper plants also acts as a protective sunshade for the fruit. To utilize this natural protection, we recommend gently tucking the fruit underneath the foliage as much as possible. This involves carefully lifting the leaves and placing the fruit underneath.

English lavender varieties, while cold hardy, are native to drier Mediterranean climates and are typically grown annually in northern states. The issue with harsher, colder winters and slower evaporation rates is that thawing, damp, cold soils retain lots of moisture around the lavender roots, leading to root rot. This condition will often kill lavender, rather than the chilly air.

One way to prevent this is by planting lavender on mounds. These mounds, when properly constructed, can help drain excess water away from the roots, reducing the risk of root rot. Consistently removing the snow from the dormant plants is also important to allow the water from melting snow to drain through the soil past the roots. Even with these precautions, we cannot promise that plants will survive the winter.

Most herbs are low maintenance, thriving with just the right balance of sunlight and evenly moist soil.

However, when the leaves start wilting or turning another color (yellow/brown), it's a good indication that something is affecting the plant's health. If the leaves are turning yellow, it could be a sign of overwatering, while brown leaves could indicate underwatering. Both can prevent the roots from absorbing essential nutrients from the soil, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. We recommend watering only when the top inch of the potting mix is dry to the touch, and no more, as herbs are very susceptible to overwatering.

White flesh and unpleasant-tasting tomatoes are not inherent characteristics of tomato plants. White flesh, a common tomato condition, is caused by environmental factors, such as heat, sunscald, and stink bugs that extract juices from the tomato and inject yeast into the flesh, halting production in that area of the tomato.

Importantly, tomatoes with white flesh are still safe to use as food, despite the taste being a bit bland.

Tomato cracking is mainly caused by uneven watering. The fruit suffers when the plant attempts to cope with the transition from dry, drought-like periods to wet, soggy moments. Adding too much moisture, significantly when the plant has set fruit, may inadvertently flood your tomato plant with water it doesn’t need. This can predispose the plant to fungal diseases and cause premature cracking and splitting in nearly ripened tomatoes.

The soil should be kept consistently and evenly moist, never dry, and not oversaturated with water. A soaker hose and mulch around the plant’s base will help retain and distribute moisture evenly. Mulch acts as a protective layer, reducing evaporation and maintaining soil moisture.

Another key factor that can lead to tomato cracking is calcium deficiency. Calcium is essential for cell wall formation in plants, and a lack of it can result in weaker cell walls, making the fruit more susceptible to cracking. To address this, it's important to consider adding calcium-rich amendments to the soil. This solution is effective and can significantly reduce the risk of tomato cracking, giving you peace of mind about your plant's health.

We understand the disappointment when tomato and pepper plants don't meet your expectations. However, it's essential to recognize the resilience of these plants. Despite the challenges of gardening, tomato and pepper plants are remarkable in their ability to adapt and produce fruit under favorable conditions. However, environmental factors like temperature extremes and fluctuations, excess nitrogen from fertilizers, inadequate sunlight, pollination issues, inconsistent watering, pests, and soil conditions can disrupt this and lead to a common phenomenon: "blossom drop. " This is a plant's physiological response to an environmental stressor that causes plants to produce little to no flowers and fruit. Blossom drop occurs when the plant, in response to stress, drops its flowers before they can develop into fruit, conserving energy for survival.

To help your plants recover and mitigate blossom drop, ensure they receive at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. If temperatures consistently rise above 85 degrees F, use shade cloth to protect plants from long days in the sun, or if the plants are in containers, relocate them to an area that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. Also, watch those evening temperatures. Anything below 55 degrees F will cause tomato and pepper plants to abort production and redirect energy to survival.

Keep the soil consistently and evenly watered but not overly saturated.

Excess nitrogen from fertilizer or soil can be harmful to your plants. While nitrogen is essential for healthy foliage, too much can lead to excessive vegetative growth at the expense of flower and fruit production. Once plants have flowered and set fruit, we suggest switching to a fertilizer higher in potassium and less nitrogen or a more balanced NPK blend, such as a 10-10-10 formulation with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.

Bees or hand pollination can then help kickstart the fruiting process. Bees are natural pollinators and are crucial in tomato and pepper plant production. In the absence of beneficial pollinators, hand pollination can be effective. To hand-pollinate, gently shake the plant's stem or use a small brush to transfer pollen from one flower to another. Our website has an article explaining how to hand-pollinate your plant in more detail, including the best time to do it and the techniques for effective pollen transfer. Here's the link: Got Pollination Problems? Give Hand-Pollination a Try! – Bonnie Plants.

While gardening can be challenging, it's also a journey of learning and adaptation. Growing tomatoes and peppers may require patience, but with the proper adjustments and diligent care, your plants can thrive and produce as expected. Remember, success is within your reach.

Foam pots are often used in container gardening because they are convenient and provide excellent insulation for plant roots. It's crucial to consider the type of plant when choosing containers. Foam pots are typically made from polyethylene, not Styrofoam, an expanded polystyrene that can leach harmful chemicals into the potting mix over time.

While recycled Styrofoam containers can be a good choice for some plants, especially with added drainage holes, it's best to consider ornamental plants, not edibles. Our article on recommended containers for gardening does not include Styrofoam, and we at Bonnie Plants do not recommend its use.

Here is a link to the article that you may find helpful: Different Types of Pots & How they are Made | Bonnie Plants.

Whether you’re working with old or new garden soil, we’ve prepared a link to our tutorials on garden soil preparation for you: “rejuvenate garden soil” – Bonnie Plants.

 Are raised bed gardens a good alternative to traditional gardens?

Raised bed gardens are the best way to avoid all the issues associated with amending the ground soil. They provide better drainage, allow for easier weed control, and can be more productive than traditional gardens.

With a quality garden soil mix like Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil for Vegetables & Herbs, you can be confident that your garden has the best chance for a big harvest. As a new or experienced gardener, you might find our advice and tips helpful for soil preparation, plant selection, and watering techniques. I encourage you to explore them here: "raised bed gardens" – Bonnie Plants.

Container gardening offers you the freedom to grow any tomato plant you desire. The key is to ensure you grow your plants in well-drained pots 18" in diameter for determinate varieties (compact and bushy, ideal for smaller spaces) and at least 24" in diameter for indeterminate plants (vining and needing more space).

Our Tomato Chooser tool is designed to make your selection process a breeze. You can access it directly at [Tomato Chooser Tool]. Simply check the boxes next to the most desirable characteristics, and a selection of varieties will appear. While many of the tomato varieties should be available in your area, if you have trouble finding the plants you are looking for, please contact us. We're here to help.

Growing herbs indoors is an excellent way to explore their versatility. From the soothing aromas of aromatherapy to the culinary creativity in your kitchen, indoor herb cultivation offers many benefits.

To help you get started, we offer tutorials on growing herbs indoors:  "indoor herb gardens"—Bonnie Plants. These articles are tailored to provide ample guidance for beginners and experienced gardeners, inspiring you to explore the world of indoor herb cultivation.

Our retail pots are not designed for long-term use. Leaving plants in these pots for more than two days can result in root-bound, rot, and fungal issues. Plant roots require space for air exchange and expansion. To ensure the well-being of your plants, it's essential to transplant them into the ground or appropriately sized pots within two days of purchase or receiving an online order.

Container gardening is fascinating, inspiring, and rewarding. It allows you to enjoy the benefits of producing your own food in a space-saving, economical way. However, pot size does matter when it comes to container gardening.

Size is not a minor detail in container gardening; it's as important as finding the right shoe for your foot. Just as your foot needs the correct size shoe, your plants need the right size pot to thrive. When a plant becomes 'root-bound,' it means the roots have filled the pot and are circling the sides, which can lead to stunted growth, root rot, fungal issues, and decreased yield. Understanding and choosing the right pot size is a key piece of knowledge for successful container gardening.

To help you determine the correct size pot for your new transplants, here is a link to our article on the appropriate pot sizes for herbs and vegetables: Sizes of Pots for Different Vegetables & Herbs | Bonnie Plants. This knowledge should equip you with the necessary insights to grow your container garden successfully.

Days to maturity is the estimated time it takes for a vegetable plant to grow from a transplant to harvest-ready under favorable environmental conditions. Your care and attention are key in managing the plant's growth. Factors such as temperature fluctuations, nutrient deficiencies, soil conditions, insufficient daily sunlight, and inadequate pollination can prolong the maturation process, but with your commitment, these can be minimized.

Bonnie Plants offers high-quality, non-GMO conventional, and USDA-certified organically grown vegetables and herbs. Organic products are currently only available at select regional Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart stores in the Northeast, Midwest, and Western coastal states.

We want you to feel secure in your choice, which is why our top priority is the safety of our products. We achieve this by maintaining stringent safety measures in our production process, ensuring that you can trust the quality of our plants.

While many herbs offer us health benefits, it's crucial to be aware that certain plants and spices can be harmful, even toxic, to pets. If you suspect your dog or cat has been in contact with or ingested something poisonous and your pet is experiencing gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea and vomiting, it's important to act immediately. Call your veterinarian or seek advice from a veterinary poison hotline, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, or the Pet Poison Helpline.

Being proactive and responsible, it's always a good practice to know what plants are safe around pets before purchasing.

Our plants are available in various pot sizes and containers at participating garden retailers. Among our most popular vegetable and herb plant pot sizes are our 3.5"(11.8 oz), 4.5" (19.3 oz), 5" (25 oz), 8" (.94-gal), 11" (2.5-gal cage), and 6-packs. These sizes are popular among our customers, reflecting their quality and demand.

It's important to note that our multi-cell packs, a seasonal offering, are only available in the early spring. This information will help you plan your garden, ensuring you get the plants you want when you need them.

Spearmint, Mentha spicata, produces dark green foliage with spear-like, serrated leaves and is considered one of the least spicy mint varieties but more robust than sweet mint. Its flavor, derived from the chemical compound carvone, offers a unique taste experience. On the other hand, sweet mint, Mentha x suavis, a close relative of peppermint, produces lighter-colored, rounder leaves and a flavor that's less cooling than peppermint but sweeter, inviting you to explore its unique flavor profile.

Both sweet mint and spearmint are not just versatile, but also incredibly popular among gardening enthusiasts. Their wide range of uses, catering to various culinary, aromatic, and even medicinal needs, makes them popular choices.