Two Minutes in the Garden: Gardening Tips, Science, Myths - Test

They're sold as an alternative to pesticides to kill a wide range of insects. But will they make a difference to your garden or lawn? And are they safe to use?

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Why Your Garden Needs Mulch & How To Do It Right

You can buy nematodes to apply to your lawn or garden to control a wide range of insects. How do beneficial nematodes control pests?

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Clever Ways to Fill Tall Raised Beds & Save On Soil

We know the unhappy limp look plants give us, especially on hot, dry days. Should we reach for the watering can or is there something else at work here?

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: 2022 Handy Garden Checklist (What To Get Done Each Month)

We know the properties we'd like the soil in our raised beds to have -- what should we put in the mix to get them?

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: 7 Unfortunate Garlic Growing Mistakes You Can Avoid

Is there such a thing as ideal soil for raised beds? If there is, how do you know you're actually getting it when you place an order or go to the garden center?

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Best Small Pond Ideas for Patios & Gardens

There are lots of lighting options -- especially with LEDs -- and we may feel uneasy about whether we're providing our plants the right kind of light.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Clone Orchids With Keiki Paste

The oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, and most of the dry weight of the plants in our garden -- they all come from photosynthesis, which depends on plants getting the light they need.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: Using Heat Mats For Seed Starting

Leaf mold is a favorite organic addition to garden soil, and one that you can have at almost no cost just by keeping your fall leaves and letting them rot.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How to Properly Store Herbs & Spices (Are They Still Good?)

Even if you plan on sticking with soil, hydroponics tells us a lot about plants -- and soil. And if it appeals to you, then it's a way to grow plants year-round.

NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: How To Grow Swiss Chard Indoors (Seed to Harvest)

Fall is peak garlic planting time. What do we need to know to grow garlic in our garden ... and whatever happened to garlic seeds?