Vegetable Gardening
Seed Starting and Indoor Growing
Here in the Midwest, outdoor conditions aren’t always ideal for plants to thrive – particularly during those first few months of seeding and sprouting in late winter and early spring. All it takes is an unexpected frost or heavy winds for your garden to suffer and then it’s Game Over. Luckily, with the help of a few tools from our garden centre, you can eliminate the risks of growing outside and start growing your plants safely indoors. It’s easier than you think!
Read MoreHerb Gardening
Fresh herbs are a valuable commodity in any chef’s kitchen! And they can be expensive if not homegrown. That’s why home herb gardening is growing in popularity, as the demand for fresh ingredients and bold flavors has skyrocketed the past few years! Although we carry a selection of herb plants year-round, our best variety is…
Read MoreTop Tips for Seed Starting
Before We Get Started, Get a Plan! What Type of Garden Do You Want? A vegetable garden requires full sun and plenty of water. A flower garden can be grown in sun or shade, depending on the plants you choose. No space, no worries! Container gardening allows you to grow veggies, fruit and flowers right…
Read MoreGive Grafted Tomatoes a Try This Season!
So What is Grafting Anyway? You may have heard lately about grafted tomato plants and you have begun to wonder what this means and why they might cost a little bit more than “standard” tomato plants. No, it’s not a weird GMO thing that we do to the plants. Basically, grafting is a centuries-old process…
Read MoreFebruary
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Read MoreWhat are Cool Season Crops?
These crops are cooler than you think! What is a cool season crop? Cool season varieties (often called “cole crops”) are best harvested in cooler temperatures of spring or fall (or winter for our mild climates gardeners). The temperature is important because heat can encourage bolting (prematurely flower), which…
Read MoreHere’s What a 22 Week Farm to Table CSA Subscription Looks Like
2017 Farm to Table CSA Subscriptions on Sale Now! Alsip Home & Nursery is proud to return our Farm to Table CSA program for the 2017 season! Last year we expanded to include the Frankfort, IL location as a pickup in addition to the St. John, IN store. It went very well and we are continuing…
Read MoreSeed Starting & Indoor Growing
WHAT? • WHERE? • WHEN? • HOW? Does this sound how you feel about seed starting? It doesn’t have to be by following a few easy guidelines to make you feel brave enough to try it on your own! Shop Indoor Growing supplies online! >>> Need for Seeds Alsip Nursery offers a wide variety of seeds and accessories…
Read MoreSimplified Seed Starting
When questioned about seed starting, you may ask; “Why on earth would I start my garden from seed myself?!” and “Shouldn’t I just get starter plants in the spring and summer like everyone else?” or “Well that just sounds like way too much work. Who has time for that?!” These are all great questions, and some of you…
Read More2014 Idea Book
Attract Butterflies
A garden that attracts butterflies all year long is full of surprises because it is constantly changing. With a little bit of planning you can make your landscape irresistible to these flying flowers while creating a colorful environment that is pleasing to your family as well. Planning Suggestions Use of Insecticides, Pesticides & Herbicides It…
Read MoreMay
When your lawn is healthy and properly maintained, you shouldn’t have enough weeds to require chemical treatment. If you have a persistent problem with crabgrass that you cannot control through cultural methods or spot treatment during the growing season, you can apply a crabgrass pre-emergent herbicide. This must be applied before the soil temperatures are…
Read MoreApril
Add 1 to 2 inches of good quality compost to your planting beds this spring. This will help break up heavy clay soils as well as adding fertility and beneficial nutrients to new or existing beds. Get a head start on summer bulbs now. Bulbs such as cannas, begonias, caladium, and dahlias can be potted…
Read MoreMarch
March is a good time to prune trees and shrubs while they are dormant. Without leaves; it is easy to see the framework of the plant. Complete pruning before buds break. Wounds from pruning heal faster during this time. Shrubs that bloom in the spring like lilacs, spirea and forsythias should not be pruned. Pruning…
Read MoreVegetable Gardening
Start off your vegetable garden with nutrient rich, well draining soil, as most problems with vegetables and herbs can be linked back to soil preparation and nutrient deficiencies. Begin planting early with Cole Crop vegetables from the cabbage family. These early season vegetables can be planted outside approximately five weeks before the danger of frost…
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