This Week's Bounty: DIY Soil Testing, Indoor Gardening Activities, Grow Edible Flowers Indoors, and More!

Our weekly roundup of advice and tips for growing good food at home. [Food Gardening Network Weekly]( April 2, 2023  Enjoy this newsletter? Please forward it to your friends [Freebie Text-Ad]( [Stop Bugs from Eating—and Ruining—Your Garden!]( [GET THIS FREEBIE NOW!](  Featured Weekly Video [DIY Soil Testing for Vegetable Gardens]( [DIY Soil Testing for Vegetable Gardens]( Before you start applying fertilizers and lime treatments to your soil, take a sample and have it tested, either at home or professionally. Soil tests are like DNA kits for your gardens. So many people amend their soil without even knowing what they’re trying to fix. DIY soil testing can often prevent the need for additional “fixing” later on down the road, as healthy soil is ultimately key to success. Every three to five years is a good testing timeline. [Read More...](  [Kitchen Gardening Kit]( [FREE Printable Kitchen Garden Collection Kit!]( Download this kit when you join the Food Gardening Network Gold Club Membership: - Best plants for a kitchen garden! - How to make best use of space. - Organize your kitchen garden with two optional companion-planting plans. - 18 fresh-from-the-garden recipes! [Read More ...](  Indoor Gardening [5 Fun Indoor Gardening Activities for Kids]( [5 Fun Indoor Gardening Activities for Kids]( “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do.” Sound familiar? I’m pretty sure every parent or caregiver has heard this on at least a few occasions. Some of us might be able to send our kids outdoors to wander, but that’s not the case for everyone. Nor is it the case all the time. That’s one reason I like to have a stash of ideas to work with, and these indoor gardening activities have been a hit so far. [Read More...](  [grapes]( [The Great Grapes Gardening Guide Available Now!]( What’s the most popular fruit in the world? If you guessed oranges, apples, or bananas, you’d be wrong—it’s the fabulous grape! Because of its many uses (hello, wine!) and the number of countries that can grow grapes, the world totals some 72 million tons of grapes grown annually. In the Great Grapes Gardening Guide, you’ll learn everything you need to grow this versatile fruit. [Read More ...](  Indoor Gardening [3 Ways to Grow Edible Flowers Indoors]( [3 Ways to Grow Edible Flowers Indoors]( Remember dinner parties? Sigh. Me too. I’m optimistic that they’re making a comeback soon, though and I want to be ready. I was looking for different ways to level up my hosting abilities and remembered the bonus points earned through edible flowers. Adding edible flowers to any dish as garnish or flavor enhancer is sure to wow the crowd. In the fall and winter, you may be forced to source them from the store. But why not try to grow edible flowers indoors? [Read More...](  [Thyme]( [It's about Thyme Gardening Guide Available Now!]( If you’ve never grown thyme, or have only grown one kind, you’re missing out on one of the most versatile and easy-to-grow herbs in the garden. With the It's About Thyme Gardening Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this versatile herb. [Read More ...](  Growing Fruits & Berries [10 Care Tips for Keeping Indoor Citrus Trees Alive in the Winter and Beyond]( [10 Care Tips for Keeping Indoor Citrus Trees Alive in the Winter and Beyond]( Your indoor citrus trees have a thing or two to say about your relationship. Don’t take this the wrong way; they appreciate what you do for them. But unless you make some changes, this isn’t going to last. [Read More...](  [Oranges]( [Juicy Oranges Gardening Guide Available Now!]( You don’t have to live in a subtropical climate to grow your own orange tree—container-grown trees can produce excellent fruit! Prepare to pick your ideal orange tree—for snacks, for juice, for homemade marmalade, and more! Learn how to get started growing your own orange trees in our Juicy Oranges Gardening Guide. [Read More ...](  Soil & Fertilizer [5 Mistakes to Avoid When Adding Manure to Garden Beds]( [5 Mistakes to Avoid When Adding Manure to Garden Beds]( I might be dating myself here, but anytime I think about adding manure to garden beds, I have a vision of the scene from Back to the Future. You know the one – Marty (played by Michael J. Fox) is on a skateboard and getting chased by the bully Biff and his cronies. Biff is in his convertible car (top down) when Marty makes a quick turn. Biff tries to follow, but the car slams into a dump truck full of… you guessed it: manure. The manure falls out and fills the car. Talk about a smelly situation! [Read More...](   Container Gardening [The Challenges of Growing Vegetables in Containers and How to Overcome Them]( [The Challenges of Growing Vegetables in Containers and How to Overcome Them]( I love growing vegetables in containers. Don’t get me wrong; I couldn’t be happier to have the space to grow a big garden in my backyard, but I’ve always loved having a few or more containers full of vegetables on the porch or decorating the front steps. Flowers are nice, but I’ll take a planter full of [rosemary]( any day. [Read More...](  [Magazine Issue]( [April 2023 Issue Available Now!]( Get in-depth articles and videos all about Edible Perennials, including “How to Create an Edible Perennial Garden,” “Regrowing Green Onions, Carrot Greens, and Celery in Water,” and we’ll dive deep into growing asparagus in “Four Years in a Homegrown Asparagus Garden.” Plus, “Grilled Rosemary Asparagus” and enjoy the start of planting season in “The Best Things to Plant in April.” and close-ups on growing sunflowers, lettuce, and peas! [Read More ...](  Member Favorites - [How to Store Seeds Long-Term]( - [How to Make a DIY Tower Garden for Vegetables and Herbs]( - [How to Grow Herbs in Mason Jars]( - [How to Make a Homemade Garden Irrigation System]( - [The Best Heirloom Vegetable Plants to Grow]( - [5 Different Types of Vegetable Vines You Can Grow]( - [How to Make a Mediterranean Herb Box Garden for Greek Cooking]( - [The Best Vegetables to Plant Together for an Unbelievable Harvest]( - [7 Solutions for Improving Garden Drainage in Vegetable Gardens]( Premium Recipes of the Week - [Brussels Sprouts with Honey Balsamic Glaze]( - [Brussels Sprout Slaw]( - [Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples]( - [Light & Lovely Lettuce Soup]( - [BLT Boat]( [GP]( [FREE for You Now: Printable Butterfly Garden Planting Chart!]( Download this FREEBIE now and get: - Beautiful full-color printable chart. - Which plants attract butterflies? - Best flowers for your garden. - Fun facts about each of the 24 plants. [Read More ...](  [FREEBIES: Get Them Now!]( [Planting chart]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ]( [Bug Control Chart]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ]( [Seed Germination Chart]( [ GET MY FREEBIEÂ](     You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to email updates from Food Gardening Network. If you no longer wish to receive this update as part of your free subscription, please click the unsubscribe link below. [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [Unsubscribe]( Help us be sure your email update isn't filtered as spam. Adding our return address [Support@foodgardening.mequoda.com](mailto:support@foodgardening.mequoda.com) to your address book may 'whitelist' us with your filter, helping future email updates get to your inbox. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( [Send us a message]( Did a friend send this to you? 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