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Plant Growing Tips

Tips and tutorials for growing a variety of plants including annuals and perennials including flowers, vegetables, trees, shrubs, and vines.

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How to Care for Christmas Cactus Year-Round

Top Strawberry Growing Tips

7 Best Tips for Growing Dahlias (Year After Year)

Powdery Mildew: How to Identify & Deal With It in Your Garden

Published on July 7, 2026 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Powdery mildew on squash leaves

Powdery mildew can damage garden plants, but catching the gray-white powder early helps. Learn how a milk solution may discourage the fungus from spreading. If you start plants from seeds indoors, … [Read more...]

Baking Soda in the Garden: Is it Really Harmless?

Published on June 30, 2026 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Tomatoes and a box of baking soda in the garden.

Baking soda is often touted for sweeter tomatoes and stronger plants, but most claims come from folklore, not science. Hereโ€™s what it is and whether it belongs in your garden. If you're interested … [Read more...]

Why Epsom Salt is Not Good For Your Garden (or the Environment)

Published on May 5, 2026 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Collage with roses in a garden and a bag of Epsom salt.

Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is frequently recommended as a plant fertilizer but it's rarely lacking in home gardens and the excess harms waterways. This is part of a series on common garden … [Read more...]

Popular Garden Myths We’ve All Fallen For

Published on December 11, 2025 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Examples of popular garden myths.

Garden myths spread fast, yet many are rooted in old folklore, not facts. See why popular fixes like Epsom salt and household remedies may do more harm than good. You can avoid a lot of … [Read more...]

Why Gardeners Are Going Peat-Free

Published on July 5, 2025 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Bowl of potting mix with peat.

Peat has long been a staple in commercial potting mixes, but growing environmental concerns are prompting gardeners to seek more sustainable, peat-free alternatives. We also have guides on … [Read more...]

12 Sweet & Juicy Tomato Growing Tips

Published on June 4, 2025 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Collage of images of tomato plants, fruits, and flowers.

A beginner-friendly guide to growing delicious tomatoes from seed to harvest. Discover everything you need to grow healthy plants and sweet, juicy fruit. If you want to grow tomatoes from seed, … [Read more...]

What to Do About Mealybugs on Houseplants

Published on May 26, 2025 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Mealybug infestation on houseplants

Learn how to identify, manage, and prevent mealybug infestations on your houseplants with practical tips for spotting signs early and keeping plants healthy. If you've got little jumping bugs, see … [Read more...]

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Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
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