STUFF WE LIKE: Vivosun Grow Bags

We grow many vegetables in containers as well as raised beds. Forever tiring of pulling weeds, combined with the desire to move veggie plants inside during occasional cold nights in early Autumn, we gave these recycled material grow bags a try.

After rolling out a layer of weedblock, the grow bags were filled with a quality potting/garden/compost mix and plants inserted. The five gallon size is just right for Chile Peppers, but a little small for tomatoes (seven gallon size will definitely be ordered for the next growing season).

These things are great - lightweight with handles making them easy to move about. Instead of heavy clay pots, or plastic pots that sunfade and crack, the grow pots are darned nice. Several brands were researched before we landed on the ones from Vivosun - nothing fancy but they work. Its even possible to use tomato cages in the simply by bending the ends that would normally penetrate the ground - they stayed put pretty well.

Future seasons will certainly see more of these wonderful containers in our garden. Hope you'll try them!

From Amazon

ARTICLE FIND: Chrysanthemums Are Not Just for Autumn

You see them every year: Chrysanthemums flooding garden centers for fall planting. But learn how they can be year-round assets to your landscape and accent plant desires in this article from Gardenista:

Gardening 101: Chrysanthemums

Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer

Got Bugs? This stuff will wipe them out!

I recently discovered mealybugs on my Hoya plant. Grrrrrr. I couldn't understand how they got into my pristine plant environment: I hadn't added anything new in that room for a while yet there they were, sticky white remnants where the leaves met branches.

After hosing down the plant in the sink, I immediately ordered a container of "Systemic Houseplant Insect Control" and got to work, adding it in the prescribed amount to all of the plants in the environment. After a few weeks, no more infestation.

Now you don't want to go using a product like this on food you're going to eat, nor do you want pets or kids getting into the stuff. But it works, and works well, eradicating the little buggers by poisoning them from the inside of the plant. "Systemic" insecticides work by introducing itself via the roots and circulating throughout the entire plant, killing off various bugs that dare dine on it.

Highly recommended that you keep an eye on your plants, for apparently infestations can hit you even after a few years of a clean environment.  Here's the product I purchased:

From Amazon.Com