THE GROWING LIBRARY

A little knowledge.
A lot to grow.

Find your next project, solve a growing problem, or learn the basics one pot at a time.

Find a guide

81 growing guides

Spinach plants growing in a broad charcoal planter on a patio, with a small bowl of picked leaves beside it.

Vegetables

Spinach in pots: a cool-season crop for small spaces

Decide when to sow spinach in your climate, distinguish a seasonal harvest from overwintering, then plan spacing, care and leaf picking in pots.

8 min read·Grow at your own pace

Papery garlic cloves and a bulb on a potting bench beside a deep olive-colored container filled with potting mix.

Vegetables

Garlic in pots: plan the planting and the winter

Plan garlic in pots with a sunny growing position, suitable planting stock, generous clove spacing and a winter location suited to your climate.

7 min read·Grow at your own pace

White frost fabric supported over two patio planters, with its front lifted to show leafy greens and weighted edges.

Plant care

A frost-night plan for your container garden

Protect a container garden when frost threatens: decide which pots to move, how to secure covers, when to harvest, and what to check the next morning.

6 min read·Grow at your own pace

One compact curly kale plant in a deep terracotta pot raised on small pot feet on an autumn patio.

Vegetables

Kale in pots: choose your harvest before you plant

Grow kale in pots with the right container, realistic fall timing, careful spacing, and a simple routine for picking leaves without stripping the plant.

6 min read·Grow at your own pace

Herbs

Bringing herbs indoors: a practical plan for winter

Move a few healthy herbs indoors with a plan for light, pest checks, watering, and modest winter harvests. Includes a first-month checklist.

6 min read·Grow at your own pace

A tray of used potting mix with perlite, a separate pile of removed roots, a trowel, and an empty terracotta pot showing its drainage hole.

Plant care

Can you reuse potting mix? Sort it before you save it

Decide which used potting mix to keep, refresh, or retire. Learn why plant history, drainage, nutrients, and clean seed-starting supplies matter.

7 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative tray of young radish microgreens beneath a white grow light, with clean scissors beside it.

Vegetables

Your first tray of microgreens: a small indoor project

Set up one tray of microgreens, choose suitable seed, manage moisture and light, and harvest with a useful record for your next batch.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative bean seeds on a moist paper towel in a clear container, some with emerging white roots; not a measured test result.

Plant care

Will leftover seeds grow? Run a small germination check

Test a counted sample of leftover seeds, calculate germination correctly, and decide what the result means for a small container garden.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative green, blushing and red tomatoes arranged in one layer in a shallow box during sorting.

Vegetables

Ripen the last tomatoes indoors: sort before you store

Sort late tomatoes by maturity, choose an indoor ripening spot, and keep a simple inspection record before frost ends your container crop.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative empty plastic and terracotta plant pots beside a brush and basin of soapy wash water.

Plant care

Clean empty plant pots: a reset between crops

Sort, wash and disinfect empty growing containers with a clear workflow, careful dilution checks, and a useful record before the next crop.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative potted indoor herb with a yellow monitoring card, magnifying glass and notebook; no diagnostic insects are shown.

Plant care

Fungus gnats around indoor herbs: inspect the pot first

Identify likely fungus gnats, track sticky-card captures, correct excess moisture, and check edible-crop labels before considering a treatment.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative young arugula plants with lobed green leaves in a broad patio planter; not a measured spacing diagram.

Vegetables

Arugula in pots: plan a small harvest of peppery leaves

Plan a small pot of arugula with a measured two-row layout, climate-aware timing, careful thinning, pest checks and a young-leaf harvest.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative sealed glass jar containing separate paper seed envelopes beside blank labels and an inventory notebook.

Plant care

Store leftover seeds so next season starts with a plan

Sort leftover seed packets, choose dry storage, avoid condensation, and build a simple inventory before planning your next container crop.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative single red-stemmed Swiss chard plant with crinkled green leaves growing in a broad patio pot.

Vegetables

Swiss chard in pots: leave room for leaves and stalks

Grow one pot of Swiss chard with a clear harvest plan, sensible spacing, careful thinning, and outer-leaf picking that protects the crown.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative indoor herb shelf beneath a white grow-light bar, with a notebook and calculator on a separate dry desk.

Getting started

What does a grow light cost to run? Start with watts

Calculate a grow light’s kWh and energy charge from input watts, hours, days and your rate. Compare flat or two-period pricing and download the arithmetic.

6 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative compact bok choy plant with pale green stalks and dark leaves growing alone in a sage-colored patio pot.

Vegetables

Bok choy in pots: choose the harvest before you sow

Grow a small pot of bok choy with a clear harvest goal, sensible spacing, regional timing, and a plan for early flowering.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative rosemary pot with a small chalky deposit on terracotta beside a blank care notebook; the scene is not a diagnosis.

Plant care

White crust on potting mix: check the water and fertilizer

Investigate white deposits on pots and growing mix, review fertilizer and water, and learn when careful leaching or a media test may help.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative parsley frozen in water cubes beside a freezer bag, tablespoon and fresh parsley on a clean kitchen counter.

Herbs

Freeze small herb harvests in portions you will use

Freeze small amounts of culinary herbs as wrapped sprigs or water cubes, with measured portions, useful labels, and safe freezer handling.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative row of five beet plants with burgundy stems in a deep terracotta planter; two small root shoulders show above the mix.

Vegetables

Beets in containers: make room for the roots

Grow a small container of beets with a measured planting layout, seed-cluster thinning, even moisture, and a realistic plan for roots and greens.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative mint plant beside white paper and a magnifying lens for a leaf-pest inspection; no diagnosed infestation is shown.

Plant care

Spider mites on indoor herbs: inspect the leaves first

Check indoor herbs for spider mites with a hand lens and white paper, then choose a careful response and track whether new damage is appearing.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative mint root ball on a potting tray beside its nursery pot, fresh mix and a larger terracotta pot showing a bottom drainage hole.

Herbs

Does your herb need a bigger pot? Check the roots

Decide whether an established potted herb needs more root space, better care, or simply more time, then repot gently when the evidence supports it.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative green onion plants in a single row in a sage-green patio planter; this is not a measured growing trial.

Vegetables

Green onions in pots: plan a small row for the kitchen

Grow green onions in a manageable container row: choose seeds or sets, measure spacing, keep moisture steady, and harvest for the meals you cook.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative thyme sprigs spread on a mesh drying tray beside empty spice jars; the scene does not establish finished dryness.

Herbs

Dry a small herb harvest without rushing it into a jar

Choose a drying method for a small herb harvest, check real dryness, and pack labeled jars while avoiding moisture and oversized drying bundles.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative empty terracotta pots stored upside down on an indoor shelf beside dry plastic pots and saucers.

Plant care

Store empty pots for winter: sort by material first

Protect empty containers through winter with a material-based storage plan, dry preparation, stable shelves, and a useful inventory for next season.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative common thyme growing in a terracotta pot on a sunny patio; this is not a documented growing trial.

Herbs

Thyme in pots: give a small herb its own watering routine

Grow culinary thyme in a sunny container with drainage, a separate watering routine, careful harvesting, and a winter plan matched to your climate.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative hand pruners, brush, cloth and empty tray on a workbench; the scene does not demonstrate completed disinfection.

Plant care

Clean pruning tools before the next plant job

Clean and disinfect hand pruners with a clear sequence, recognize limits of alcohol and household cleaners, and finish with dry, careful storage.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative blank notebook and plant tags beside potted herbs and greens; no real harvest records or measurements are shown.

Getting started

Keep a container garden journal that helps with the next crop

Keep simple records of each pot, plant, care change and harvest, then use a worked example and review checklist to plan the next container crop.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative dill foliage in a deep terracotta pot; the scene is not a measured spacing plan or a documented harvest.

Herbs

Dill in pots: choose leaves, flowers or seeds

Grow dill in a container with a clear harvest goal, a suitable variety, direct sowing, realistic spacing, and timing matched to your local climate.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative elongated vegetable seedlings in separate tray cells; this generated image is not a disease diagnosis or a recovery trial.

Plant care

Leggy seedlings: check the stem before trying a fix

Assess stretched seedlings, distinguish warning signs of damping off, check grow-light coverage, and decide whether to keep, pot on or restart them.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative reservoir planter with lettuce, a fill tube and overflow opening; this is not a measured construction plan or a tested product.

Getting started

Self-watering containers: check the reservoir before you plant

Understand reservoir planters, check their overflow and usable root space, establish the planting, and track refill needs before relying on stored water.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative oregano foliage in a terracotta pot; this image does not verify a cultivar or document a harvest.

Herbs

Oregano in pots: choose the culinary plant first

Choose culinary oregano, set up a draining pot, harvest lightly, and plan winter care for the exact plant and growing conditions you have.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative blank seed envelopes, loose seeds and a potting tray; no actual product label, variety or germination result is shown.

Getting started

Read a seed packet before planning your container

Turn a vegetable seed packet into a container plan: decode maturity timing, sowing depth, final spacing, variety labels and the information still missing.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative small yellow mushrooms beside an herb in potting mix; this generated image cannot identify a species, edibility or plant disease.

Plant care

Mushrooms in potting mix: inspect the pot before reacting

Find a mushroom beside an indoor herb? Separate mushrooms from surface mats and plant symptoms, check drainage, and avoid unsupported treatments.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative culinary sage with gray-green leaves in a terracotta pot; not a record of a trial or a plant-identification reference.

Herbs

Sage in pots: harvest the leaves, protect the woody plant

Grow culinary sage in a draining pot, choose safe cutting points, harvest lightly, and plan winter care for your plant and local conditions.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative single collard plant with broad leaves in a large draining pot; no harvest or yield is documented by this generated image.

Vegetables

Collards in pots: make room for one productive plant

Choose a container for one collard plant, check local planting dates, manage water and feeding, and harvest outer leaves while keeping the center growing.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative seedling tray with some crowded cells and some single plants beside scissors; this is not a before-and-after experiment.

Getting started

How to thin seedlings without disturbing the plants you keep

Choose which seedlings to keep, snip crowded extras without pulling nearby roots, and use crop-specific spacing for nursery cells and final containers.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative bay laurel shrub in a terracotta pot beside a bright indoor window; not a plant identification key.

Herbs

Bay laurel in pots: plan its winter home before you buy

Grow culinary bay laurel in a movable pot, choose a suitable winter location, and adjust moisture checks for a cool room or a warm, bright window.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative deep patio planter with spaced turnip plants and small white root shoulders at the soil surface.

Vegetables

Turnips in containers: choose small roots or leafy greens

Choose turnips for small roots or greens, plan spacing in a broad container, and use local cool-season timing instead of a fixed national planting date.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative lettuce seedlings in nursery pots standing in shallow tray water during a brief bottom-watering step.

Plant care

How to bottom-water seedlings and know when to stop

Use a shallow tray to bottom-water seedlings, check that the mix wets evenly, drain excess water, and recognize when a shared tray is the wrong choice.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative culinary lemongrass clump with narrow arching leaves in a deep blue-green patio pot.

Herbs

Lemongrass in pots: summer stalks and a smaller winter plant

Grow culinary lemongrass in a sunny pot, harvest outside stalks, and choose between overwintering the whole clump or saving a small rooted division.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative green kohlrabi plants with small swollen stems above the potting mix in a broad patio planter.

Vegetables

Kohlrabi in containers: spacing for crisp, small stems

Choose a draining planter, space ordinary or giant kohlrabi correctly, and harvest swollen stems at the right size for your local cool season.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative tray of newly emerged seedlings with its clear humidity dome fully removed and resting beside the tray.

Getting started

When to remove a seedling humidity dome—even if some cells are empty

Remove the seedling dome at first emergence, handle uneven germination, and adjust light and moisture checks without waiting for every cell to sprout.

3 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative French tarragon with narrow green leaves growing in a terracotta patio pot.

Herbs

French tarragon in pots: buy the right plant and keep roots draining

Start with true French tarragon, choose a draining pot, water for the growing conditions, and plan for winter dormancy and spring division.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative young broadleaf mustard greens spaced apart in a wide charcoal patio planter.

Vegetables

Mustard greens in containers: plan for baby leaves or cooking greens

Grow mustard greens in a draining container, choose baby-leaf or larger harvests, use local cool-season timing, and keep each plant’s growing center intact.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative evening flashlight inspection beside a lettuce pot, with a small brown slug on the patio.

Plant care

Slugs in container gardens: inspect first, then protect new growth

Find slug hiding places around pots, track fresh damage, improve watering and cleanup, and understand why copper tape and home remedies can disappoint.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustration of a green garden sorrel clump in a blue patio pot

Herbs

Sorrel in Pots: Choose the Right Plant and Keep Leaves Coming

Grow culinary sorrel in a draining pot. Compare common and French sorrel, manage moisture, harvest tender leaves, and plan for winter.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustration of four small mâche rosettes spaced in a cream patio planter

Vegetables

Mâche in Containers: Start With Cool Soil, Not Just Cool Nights

Grow mâche, or corn salad, in a small planter. Check soil temperature, sow shallowly, space the rosettes, and plan a realistic cool-season harvest.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative cucumber inspection setup with a hand lens beside a trellised patio pot

Plant care

Powdery Mildew on Container Vegetables: Check Before You Treat

Compare powdery mildew with downy mildew and normal leaf markings. Inspect container vegetables, improve spacing, and decide when treatment is worthwhile.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustration of delicate green chervil foliage in a deep olive patio pot

Herbs

Chervil in Pots: Sow Small Batches for Fresh Leaves

Grow chervil in a deep pot with light shade. Learn how to sow, thin, water and plan replacement batches as this short-lived culinary herb flowers.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustration of curly endive and broadleaf escarole growing in separate terracotta pots

Vegetables

Endive and Escarole in Containers: Baby Leaves or Full Heads?

Choose curly endive or escarole for pots. Plan baby-leaf or full-head spacing, manage cool-season growth, and decide whether blanching is worthwhile.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustration of three small pots of salad greens inside a cedar cold frame with its clear lid propped open

Getting started

Cold Frames for Potted Greens: A Daily Ventilation Routine

Use an unheated cold frame for small pots of greens. Check lid clearance, track temperature, vent on sunny days, and plan for cold-weather limits.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative balcony garden with herbs, lettuce, and tomatoes in pots

Getting started

Your first container garden: start with three simple decisions

Plan your first container garden with a site card, a complete shopping list, and a simple first-week routine for one manageable crop.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative cherry tomato plant supported in a terracotta container

Vegetables

Growing tomatoes in pots without the daily guesswork

Plan a container tomato from variety and pot size through support, watering, feeding, harvest, and common blossom-end-rot questions.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Sweet basil growing in a terracotta pot beside closed pruning scissors on a balcony table.

Herbs

A pot of basil, a little sunshine, and better dinners

Choose a pot for basil, protect it before chilly nights, and harvest above leaf pairs with practical measurements and a clear cutting routine.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative watering can beside a container garden in morning light

Plant care

How to water a container garden: check the pot, not the clock

Use moisture checks, a troubleshooting table, and a simple watering record to handle dry mix, wet pots, heat, and changing container needs.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative planting supplies and a terracotta pot on a workbench

Getting started

What size pot does your vegetable plant need?

Compare crop needs with inside pot dimensions, see how taper changes capacity, and use the right measurements to estimate potting mix.

6 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative green and burgundy lettuce leaves growing in a balcony planter

Vegetables

Grow a little salad: lettuce in containers

Choose baby leaves or mature lettuce, compare two measured planter layouts, and follow practical thinning, watering, and harvesting steps.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative balcony garden showing sun and shadow across containers

Getting started

How much sun does your balcony really get?

Measure direct-sun hours at one growing spot. Add intervals without double-counting, download the record, and use the result to compare crop needs.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative potting mix with perlite, a trowel, and a seedling

Getting started

Potting mix, garden soil, or compost: what goes in the pot?

Compare potting mix, soil, and compost; read product labels; and estimate how much growing medium your containers actually need.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

An empty terracotta pot on its side with an open drainage hole beside loose potting mix and a scoop.

Getting started

Do rocks belong at the bottom of your vegetable pots?

See why rocks do not improve pot drainage, compare container types, and check outlets, usable depth and runoff before planting.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

A fabric grow bag, an olive plastic pot, and a terracotta pot arranged on a stone patio.

Getting started

Grow bags, plastic pots, or terracotta: choose for your routine

Compare grow bags, plastic, and terracotta by drying, heat, handling, and storage, then choose a container that fits your crop and care routine.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

Young lettuce seedlings in a small cell tray beneath a white grow-light bar on an indoor shelf.

Getting started

Starting seeds for a container garden: keep the first batch small

Plan a small seed-starting batch with crop-specific starting choices, a checked tray count, light setup, labels, and a sensible outdoor transition.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Young kale seedlings in individual pots on a sheltered porch bench, with a sunny garden beyond.

Getting started

Hardening off seedlings: make the move outdoors gradually

Move seedlings outdoors with a flexible exposure plan, crop-specific weather checks, clear stopping points, and a simple daily observation record.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

A bell pepper plant with red and green fruit supported by a cage in a deep olive patio pot.

Vegetables

Peppers in pots: one plant, plenty of possibility

Choose a pepper pot by plant size, verify the five-gallon starting plan, compare seasonal timing, and set up support and practical care records.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative freshly harvested radishes and carrots beside a container

Vegetables

Grow radishes in a pot without the crowded roots

Check sunlight, mark a 16-position layout for small radishes, thin seedlings, and use practical moisture and harvest checks.

6 min read·Grow at your own pace

Young carrot foliage growing in a deep charcoal planter on a patio, with a trowel beside it.

Vegetables

Carrots in containers: match the root to the pot

Choose carrot varieties that fit your pot, measure usable depth, compare two planting layouts, and plan sowing and thinning for your local season.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

A cucumber vine with yellow flowers and two green fruits climbing a twine frame above a charcoal patio pot.

Vegetables

Cucumbers in pots: plan the climbing space first

Plan a cucumber pot and support, understand monoecious, gynoecious, and parthenocarpic labels, and check planting and harvest conditions.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Compact bush bean plants with green pods growing without a trellis in a terracotta-colored rectangular planter.

Vegetables

Bush beans in pots: a compact summer experiment

Measure a bush-bean planter, use a four-position spacing diagram, calculate usable depth and volume, and plan sowing and tender-pod harvests.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Edible garden pea vines with tendrils and green pods climbing a twine frame above an olive patio planter.

Vegetables

Peas in containers: make room for a cool-season climb

Compare snow, snap, and shelling peas, check your planting season, and measure a container and support that suit the variety you choose.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Strawberry plants with white flowers and three red berries growing in a wide terracotta patio bowl.

Vegetables

Strawberries in pots: a small-space fruit project

Plan strawberry spacing, set bare-root crowns at the correct level, keep useful care notes, and make a realistic winter plan for your pots.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

A modest potato plant with compound leaves and pale purple flowers growing in an opaque charcoal fabric bag.

Vegetables

Potatoes in grow bags: keep the project realistic

Compare potato grow-bag sizing plans, check seed-piece spacing and fill depth, and distinguish tender new potatoes from a mature storage harvest.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Spearmint growing alone in a charcoal-gray pot on a clear concrete patio surface.

Herbs

Mint belongs in its own pot

Keep mint contained with a separate pot, an escape-check routine, sensible moisture checks, and clear steps for dividing a crowded healthy plant.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Young leafy cilantro plants growing in a deep olive-green planter on a stone patio ledge.

Herbs

Cilantro in pots: plan for a short, leafy season

Plan container cilantro with leaf-versus-seed spacing, a measured one-row layout, and a weather-qualified succession schedule for small harvests.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Curly parsley growing in a terracotta pot on a patio table.

Herbs

Parsley in pots: a steady supply for the kitchen

Choose a deep pot for parsley, measure its usable root space, and follow a clear outer-stalk harvest routine while planning for its second year.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Upright rosemary in a terracotta pot and dry saucer beside a bright window.

Herbs

Rosemary in pots: sunny days, well-drained roots

Keep potted rosemary through winter with a location comparison, moisture checks, and realistic harvesting guidance for a slow-growing evergreen.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Common chives growing as a single clump in a terracotta pot on a patio table.

Herbs

Chives in pots: a useful perennial herb in a small space

Grow chives with room for each clump, a measured planter example, careful harvesting, and step-by-step spring division and winter planning.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative potting bench with container mix and a garden scoop

Plant care

How to fertilize container vegetables without guessing

Create a container fertilizer record, distinguish product types, and scale label mixing instructions with clear worked examples.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative watering inspection in a container garden, not a diagnostic plant image

Plant care

Yellow leaves in pots: what to check before you act

Investigate yellow leaves with a pattern table, moisture and drainage checks, and a photo checklist for a useful extension-service question.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative herb container garden; this image is not an aphid identification photograph

Plant care

Aphids on container plants: inspect before you spray

Identify possible aphids with extension photo references, recognize beneficial insects, and use a repeatable pot-by-pot check before choosing a treatment.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Separate pots of parsley, lettuce, and rosemary beside a watering can and blank clipboard on a sheltered patio.

Plant care

Vacation watering: test the plan before you leave

Prepare a pot-by-pot watering handoff, rehearse timers or reservoirs, check delivery with simple arithmetic, and plan for weather while you are away.

5 min read·Grow at your own pace

Illustrative green and burgundy lettuce in a cool-season container

Plant care

Plan a fall container garden around your own weather

Plan a fall container garden with checked sowing-date examples, crop choices for short windows, and adjustments for local frost, heat, and light.

4 min read·Grow at your own pace

A little knowledge.A lot to grow.

A little knowledge.
A lot to grow.