Garden Care

High Stress Training - Complete HST Guide

High stress training your plants sounds counterintuitive - why would you purposely induce harm to your garden?

However, this plant training technique has garnered more and more interest over the years, as it becomes a more mainstream gardening tactic.

Those who HST their plants can manipulate the way their grow room looks, getting the most out of their space and pushing as much yield as possible.

Some growers also claim they increase potency and overall quality (terpenes, flavonoids, bag appeal, etc.) with this method.

There are a few different ways you can induce high levels of stress in your plant to achieve these benefits, each of which will be covered in depth throughout this complete guide.

Before we get into the how, though, we want to cover what exactly these techniques entail - and exactly why you need to give it a try!

Garden Companion Planting - The Complete Guide

Garden companion planting - it’s like spending all day, every day, with your very best friend. This is one of the smartest things you can do to improve the health of your garden, while increasing the variety of plants you grow.

Not only can it reduce the likelihood of diseases and pests, but when done correctly, it can even help improve the nutrient content of your soil. 

The end result? Happier, healthier crops that grow well no matter what you throw at them. And, a diverse selection of crops, too!

In our garden companion planting guide, we are going to help you add this technique to your IPM strategy so that you can cultivate happy, healthy, problem-free plants this year!

Low Stress Training: Step By Step LST Guide

For growers looking to increase yields and make the most of a limited growing space, low stress training, or LST, is a must learn tactic.

This is one of the two types of plant training out there, and a better approach for newer growers or those looking to manipulate the way in which their plants grow.

Whether you’re growing indoors or outdoors, you can implement this approach to your next grow and watch in amazement as you dictate the direction of your plant’s growth, while increasing yields per plant.

In this complete guide, we’ll explain why so many growers swear this is the best ‘hack’ in the garden, along with when and how to do it. Before all that, we need to explain what exactly it is!

How to Eradicate the Tomato Hornworm from the Garden

If you’re looking for tips on how to get rid of tomato hornworms in the garden, you’ve come to the right place. 

They might look plump and innocuous - but really, these pests are quite menacing. Tomato hornworms are large green caterpillars that can wreak havoc on many of the most common garden plants. 

It’s not just tomato plants that can be plagued by these bugs, either. They’re known to attack any plant in the nightshade family, including tobacco, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes.

Fortunately, there are several easy ways you can get rid of these pests for good. 

Ready to learn more about how to get rid of hornworms on tomatoes? Keep reading to find out more.

Tomato Leaf Curl: Why Are My Plant Leaves Curling Up?

At one point or another, you’re going to walk into your grow room or garden and notice your tomato plant leaves curling up.

You may not know exactly what is causing this, but one thing is for sure - it doesn’t look healthy, and it certainly indicates a more serious underlying problem.

The foliage of our plants tells us a lot about them - it’s where we can look to identify nutrient or pH problems, for example. It’s also the place where you’ll identify common pests and diseases, as bugs love to feast on these.

When our plants are suffering from environmental stress, either by heat or changes to their atmosphere, the leaves may start changing as well. With so many different plant problems being related to the leaves, it can make diagnosing the root cause of the issue difficult.

Worry not, because in the coming minutes, we’ll teach you everything that could be causing your plant’s leaves to start curling up. Then, we’ll explain how to remedy each potential cause.

Springtails: Get Rid of Them Fast

While they are less known than aphids or mites, it’s important that you understand how to get rid of springtails on plants too.

Dealing with these bugs on your plants can be frustrating, but you’re not alone. They are commonly found indoors but also lurk in the garden. Anywhere in which they can find tasty plants to munch on, they will make their home.

They are secretive little buggers, too, often hiding signs of infestation until it’s too late - when the plant starts showing serious symptoms.

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to prevent springtail infestations.

By knowing exactly what these pests are and how to get rid of springtails in plants, you’ll be able to get on top of the situation before it ever becomes a problem.

How To Identify & Treat Heat Stress In Plants

Whether you grow indoors or grow outdoors, you need to learn how to identify and treat heat stress in plants.

When warm weather hits, you might think your plants would be jumping for joy. To some extent, that’s true. 

Most plants need lots of warmth and light in order to perform photosynthesis and grow to their full potential. 

However, when the temperatures reach a certain threshold and it gets too hot, many plants suffer.

Extreme heat can cause serious stress for your plants, a detrimental condition that left untreated can kill your plants.

If you’re wondering how to identify and fix heat stress in plants, you’ve come to the right place.

These tips will help you get back on the right foot in the garden so you can help them cope with the rising temps.

How To Use Diatomaceous Earth In The Garden

If you want to prevent pests from infiltrating your soil from the jump, you need to learn how to use diatomaceous earth in the garden!

This is one of the most underutilized pest prevention methods in the horticulture industry, and we believe the reason for this is lack of knowledge. 

Because once you learn all the benefits of using diatomaceous earth in the garden, you’ll be implementing this approach for life. 

We’ll cover all these in just a moment. And then we’ll actually teach you everything you need to know about how to use diatomaceous earth in the garden, and keep crawling insects at bay for good!

Let’s start by covering what exactly this mouthful of a phrase actually is.

Container Gardening: Growing In Fabric Pots

Thinking about starting a garden this year? If so, you might want to consider container gardening.

Container gardens are vastly underutilized by most mainstream gardeners, as they tend to opt for a raised bed. But these present tons of advantages over traditional planting systems. 

Not only can a container garden make it easier for you to grow large amounts of plants in a small space, but it can also help you save time and money. This is critical when it comes to watering, fertilizing, weeding, and even pest control.

If you’re interested in getting started, you've come to the right place. Here’s what you need to know.

Annual vs Perennial Plants: What's The Difference?

If you’re planning out your garden for the season, you might be wondering what kinds of plants you should include - and part of this will be understanding annual vs perennial plants. 

In this article, we will explain what are perennials and are annuals. By the end, you will be confident in the differences.

The decision in which plants you’ll grow will probably come down to your preferences of color, texture, and bloom time. 

However, understanding the difference between these two classifications of plants is incredibly important. It will be even more important if you’re wanting to grow plants that continue to bloom year after year.

Each is best suited to various growing conditions, and there’s no single best kind of plant for everyone. We’re going to teach you everything you need to know about both annual and perennial plants in this blog post.