How-To Guides
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10 guidesHow to Install a Soaker Hose in a Small Garden
A soaker hose is the simplest way to water a small garden efficiently. It weeps water slowly along its length, soaking roots while keeping leaves dry.
Read guideHow to Build Drip Irrigation for Raised Beds
Drip irrigation delivers water precisely to each plant, reducing waste and disease. A starter kit plus tubing makes it approachable for raised beds.
Read guideHow to Build Raised Garden Beds: Benefits, Materials, and Mistakes to Avoid
Raised garden beds can make vegetable gardening easier by defining the growing area, improving access, reducing foot traffic on planting soil, and allowing you to build a controlled soil mix. A well-built bed needs a sensible location, safe materials, good drainage, realistic dimensions, and enough soil volume for the plants you want to grow. The goal is not simply to build a box, but to create a productive garden space that is easy to maintain.
Read guideHow to Safely Use Home-Canning Equipment
Home canning is rewarding but must follow tested processes to be safe. Always use current, tested recipes.
Read guideHow to Pressure Can Tomatoes Safely
Pressure canning is the most reliable way to preserve tomatoes for the pantry. Because tomatoes sit right on the line between high- and low-acid foods, adding acid and processing them in a pressure canner protects against spoilage and Clostridium botulinum. This guide walks you through preparing, packing, and processing tomatoes the tested, safe way.
Read guideHow to Harvest, Blanch, and Freeze Potatoes
Freezing is a simple way to store a potato harvest for months — but raw potatoes turn mushy and dark, so blanching first is the key. This guide covers digging and curing your crop, then blanching and freezing potatoes so they cook up firm and flavorful later.
Read guideHow to Build Garden Biomass With Cover Crops
Cover crops can help a garden build organic matter, protect bare soil, suppress some weeds, and support healthier soil structure between food crops. High-biomass crops such as sorghum-sudangrass can produce substantial aboveground growth in warm weather, while mustard and daikon-type radishes can be useful brassica cover-crop options. The best choice depends on season, climate, available time, the next crop, and whether you plan to mow, winter-kill, tarp, or incorporate the crop.
Read guideHow to Care for Blueberry Bushes: Soil pH, Fertilizer, Watering, Mulch, and Pollination
Blueberries grow best when their soil stays consistently acidic, well-drained, and evenly moist. The most important starting point is a soil test because blueberries generally prefer a pH around 4.5–5.5, and trying to grow them in strongly alkaline soil can become an ongoing struggle. Choosing compatible varieties, using mulch, watering during dry periods, and fertilizing carefully can help blueberry bushes establish and produce better over time.
Read guideHow to Use Wildflowers and Pollinator Plants to Support Beneficial Garden Insects
Wildflowers and other flowering plants can make a garden more welcoming to pollinators and many beneficial insects by providing nectar, pollen, shelter, and seasonal habitat. Bee balm, native wildflowers, and a variety of flower shapes and bloom times can help support a more diverse garden ecosystem. Planting flowers does not guarantee that ladybugs or other beneficial insects will solve every pest problem, but a diverse planting can support beneficial-insect habitat and reduce reliance on broad-spectrum pesticide use.
Read guideHow to Use Herbs for Companion Planting and Practical Garden Pest Management
Herbs can add flavor to the kitchen while also bringing flowers, scent, and diversity to a vegetable garden. Basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, lavender, oregano, and other herbs can be selected based on sun, soil, watering needs, plant size, and whether they return each year. Companion planting can support a healthier, more diverse garden, but herbs do not guarantee protection from insects, deer, or rabbits; use them as one part of a broader garden-management plan.
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4 guidesHow to Patch and Paint a Drywall Hole
Small drywall holes are quick to fix with compound, mesh tape, and a little sanding before painting.
Read guideHow to Choose and Apply Caulk for Interior Trim
The right caulk gives trim a crisp, finished look and seals gaps against dust and drafts.
Read guideHow to Weatherproof a Drafty Door
Sealing a drafty door improves comfort and lowers energy bills with inexpensive materials.
Read guideHow to Paint a Room: Prep Walls, Patch Damage, Caulk, Prime, and Paint
A good paint job depends more on wall preparation than on the final coat of paint. Light sanding removes burrs and rough spots, patching repairs holes and seams, paintable caulk closes small gaps, and primer helps create a more even finish where it is needed. Taking time to prepare the room helps the final paint coat look smoother and last longer.
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