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Gardening tips

42 free skill tips with unique step photos — plus long-form guides with FAQ and trusted sources. Every tip links to a full photographed course.

Gardening tips

🌱 Gardening · Step 1/11

Choose pot size variety and sunny spot

Choose pot size variety and sunny spot — step 1 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Determinate or patio types for smaller pots. Confirm 6+ hours of direct sun.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 2/11

Fill with potting mix and plant at the right depth

Fill with potting mix and plant at the right depth — step 2 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Bury stem deeper than nursery level — tomatoes root along the stem. Water in well.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 3/11

Install cage or stake the same day

Install cage or stake the same day — step 3 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Do not wait until the plant flops. Soft ties; leave room to thicken.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 4/11

Water when the top inch is dry

Water when the top inch is dry — step 4 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Containers dry fast in heat. Deep soak until water exits drainage — skip daily sips that wet only the surface.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 5/11

Feed on a simple schedule

Feed on a simple schedule — step 5 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Follow label for tomato fertilizer every 1–2 weeks after first flowers, or use slow-release at planting.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 6/11

Prune suckers lightly if plant is crowded

Prune suckers lightly if plant is crowded — step 6 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Especially on indeterminates. Keep airflow; do not strip the plant bare.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 7/11

Watch for pests and blossom end rot

Watch for pests and blossom end rot — step 7 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Remove damaged leaves. Even watering reduces blossom end rot; calcium myths are often really water stress.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 8/11

Harvest when color is full and fruit gives slightly

Harvest when color is full and fruit gives slightly — step 8 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Snip with stem. Indoor finish is OK if frost threatens — pick mature green and ripen inside.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 9/11

Keep a one-line weekly care log

Keep a one-line weekly care log — step 9 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Water days, feed days, first ripe date — makes next season easier.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 10/11

End-of-season clean pot for reuse

End-of-season clean pot for reuse — step 10 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Pull roots, refresh mix or replace top third, scrub pot if disease was present.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 11/11

Pass criteria

Pass criteria — step 11 of 11 in Grow Tomatoes in Containers. Review your result against this course checklist and note what you finished.

From course: Grow Tomatoes in Containers

🌱 Gardening · Step 1/4

Design and cut list

Design and cut list — step 1 of 4 in Build a Raised Planter Box This Weekend. Example: 24×48 in inside, 12 in tall. Long sides, short sides, four corner posts. Write every piece length before cutting.

From course: Build a Raised Planter Box This Weekend

🌱 Gardening · Step 2/4

Cut and dry-fit

Cut and dry-fit — step 2 of 4 in Build a Raised Planter Box This Weekend. Cut all pieces. Dry-fit corners on a flat driveway. Diagonals should match within ~1/8 in when squared.

From course: Build a Raised Planter Box This Weekend

🌱 Gardening · Step 3/4

Screw it square

Screw it square — step 3 of 4 in Build a Raised Planter Box This Weekend. Assemble corners with exterior screws into posts or overlapping boards. Recheck diagonals.

From course: Build a Raised Planter Box This Weekend

🌱 Gardening · Step 4/4

Soil and pass criteria

Soil and pass criteria — step 4 of 4 in Build a Raised Planter Box This Weekend. Fill with potting/raised-bed mix + compost. Water to settle, top up. Plant herbs or salad starts.

From course: Build a Raised Planter Box This Weekend

🌱 Gardening · Step 1/7

Fill the tray with 1–2 cm of moist potting mix

Fill the tray with 1–2 cm of moist potting mix — step 1 of 7 in Grow Microgreens on the Counter. Dampen the mix first — grab a handful and squeeze. A few drops should come out, not a stream.

From course: Grow Microgreens on the Counter

🌱 Gardening · Step 2/7

Sow densely — seeds almost touching

Sow densely — seeds almost touching — step 2 of 7 in Grow Microgreens on the Counter. Scatter seeds across the entire surface so they are nearly shoulder to shoulder. For radish: about 1–2 tablespoons per 10×20 tray.

From course: Grow Microgreens on the Counter

🌱 Gardening · Step 3/7

Cover with a second tray or lid — total darkness for 2–4 days

Cover with a second tray or lid — total darkness for 2–4 days — step 3 of 7 in Grow Microgreens on the Counter. Place an inverted tray or a piece of cardboard directly on top, resting on the seeds (light weight is fine — it encourages straight stems).

From course: Grow Microgreens on the Counter

🌱 Gardening · Step 4/7

Uncover when stems are 2–3 cm tall

Uncover when stems are 2–3 cm tall — step 4 of 7 in Grow Microgreens on the Counter. When you lift the lid and see a forest of pale stems 2–3 cm tall, move the tray to the windowsill.

From course: Grow Microgreens on the Counter

🌱 Gardening · Step 5/7

Mist the soil, not the canopy

Mist the soil, not the canopy — step 5 of 7 in Grow Microgreens on the Counter. Once a day, aim the spray at the base. Wet leaves in a dense tray invite mold — the air between microgreen stems has no circulation.

From course: Grow Microgreens on the Counter

🌱 Gardening · Step 6/7

Cut at soil level when the first true leaves open

Cut at soil level when the first true leaves open — step 6 of 7 in Grow Microgreens on the Counter. The first two leaves are cotyledons — round and generic. The next pair are true leaves — shaped like the adult plant.

From course: Grow Microgreens on the Counter

🌱 Gardening · Step 7/7

Pass criteria: one tray from seed to plate

Pass criteria: one tray from seed to plate — step 7 of 7 in Grow Microgreens on the Counter. You pass when you have harvested at least one full tray of microgreens and eaten them — on a sandwich, in a salad, as a garnish.

From course: Grow Microgreens on the Counter

🌱 Gardening · Step 1/4

Pothos + snake plant

Pothos + snake plant — step 1 of 4 in Houseplants That Live. If these die, it's almost always water or a pot with no hole. Don't start with calathea.

From course: Houseplants That Live

🌱 Gardening · Step 2/4

Finger or stick two knuckles down

Finger or stick two knuckles down — step 2 of 4 in Houseplants That Live. Dry? Water until it drains. Wet? Walk away. Snake plants want to dry more than pothos. Winter: less often.

From course: Houseplants That Live