Characteristics of Well-Drained Soil The spaces between the solid particles of any soil are filled with oxygen and water, both of which are necessary for healthy plant growth. When it rains or irrigates your garden, these pore spaces fill with water. As the water moves downward through the soil, it’s replaced by air. This movement is referred to as soil drainage, and how fast it happens is what’s important. Determining how well your soil drains is pretty easy....

Sifting flour through a sieve or sifter helps break up clumps and aerates the ingredients. In the past, sifted flour also allowed for more accurate measuring results. Read on to learn about sifting flour for cookies and what baking steps you should follow to produce the perfect results you want. Should You Sift Flour for Cookies? Fortunately, our Test Kitchen says you can skip the extra step of sifting flour when making cookies....

2 large red onions chopped (4 cups) 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup red wine vinegar 2 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme crushed 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic or 4 cloves garlic minced

1. Know Your Apple Trees When apple picking from your own backyard orchard, you’ll more easily be able to predict when to harvest the fruit if you know the varieties you’re growing. Use the variety name to research the harvest window for the tree. This provides a general time when the fruit should be ripe. Keep in mind that the harvest window can vary by several weeks, depending on the weather....

1 6 ounce carton plain fat-free Greek yogurt 2 tablespoon light agave nectar or 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla These slightly sweet cupcakes can double as morning muffins with a simple drizzle of honey. * For 1 cup cooked quinoa, rinse 1/3 cup quinoa. Place in a small saucepan with 2/3 cup water. Cook according to package directions. Cool. Measure out 1 cup. Use any remaining cooked quinoa in salads....

How to Care for a Fiddle-Leaf Fig Fiddle-leaf figs became the must-have houseplant in the mid-2010s, because the tree is big, dramatic, and can instantly enhance a dull room. “They’re still fan-favorites, but they tend to require a bit more extra care,” says Mast. The fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is a tropical plant native to rainforests in central and western Africa. In nature, a fiddle-leaf fig ($249, Bloomscape) can grow up to 50 feet tall, but don’t worry—your houseplant won’t break through your ceiling....

Dwarf fruit trees: Mature to about 8–10 feet tall and wide. Produce an abundance of fruit in a minimal amount of space. Semidwarf fruit trees: Mature to about 12–15 feet tall and wide. Produce maximum fruit yield per square foot. Most fruit can be harvested while standing on the ground. Standard fruit trees: Mature to at least 18 feet tall and wide (some fruit types are smaller). Standard-size fruit trees function as both shade trees and fruit producers in the landscape....

How Do Mushrooms Grow? Mushrooms grow from spores (not seeds) that are so tiny you can’t see individual spores with the naked eye. Rather than soil, these spores rely on substances like sawdust, grain, straw, or wood chips for nourishment. A blend of the spores and these nutrient sources is called spawn. Mushroom spawn acts a bit like the starter you need to make sourdough bread. Buy It: Oyster Mushroom Mycelium Plug Spawn ($25, Etsy) The spawn supports the growth of mushrooms’ tiny, white, threadlike bodies, called mycelium....

How to Plant Potatoes Potatoes love the sun, so plant your potato patch in a spot with full sun (where the plants will get at least six hours of sunlight each day) for the best results. Potatoes are planted with pieces of tubers called seed potatoes. Plant seed potatoes in spring around the time of the last expected frost. Buy It: Marketside Organic Gold Potatoes ($5, Walmart) Small potatoes can be planted whole, but larger potatoes (bigger than a golf ball) should be quartered with a clean knife ($95, Williams Sonoma) before planting....

What You Need Pry barUtility knifeTape ruleCircular saw or handsawOne pair sawhorsesClampsHammerJamb sawNail setLaminate flooring (glueless installation)Underlayment (one roll covers approximately 100 square feet)Installation kitFinishing nails Step 1: Acclimate the Flooring Flooring should sit in the room for at least 48 hours prior to installation, giving it time to expand or contract in relation to the room’s temperature and humidity. This prevents buckling and other problems after installation. Ultimate guide to laminate flooring...

Read on to learn how to light a gas grill and your next blue ribbon barbecue dinner will be mere minutes away. Plus, discover how to light a gas grill with a lighter if the gas grill won’t light as usual. How to Light a Gas Grill Your grill’s instruction manual should walk you through how to light a propane grill. But here’s a general guide for lighting a gas grill no matter what model you own....

Editor’s Tip: A few days before you begin any digging project, call 811 or visit call811.com. A locator service will come and mark the position of underground utility lines in the work area.

How to Build a Tiered Strawberry Planter After cutting the wood to size, it’s all about assembly. For a sturdy structure that fits together perfectly, follow the same formula to put together the three boxes. Supplies Needed: Chop saw or miter boxCedar boards (see cut list, below)1 1/4-inch exterior screws2-inch exterior wood screwsDrill with Phillips bit and pilot hole bitExterior wood glueSoil and plantsOptional exterior wood sealer or stain Cut List: Bottom Box: Finished box dimensions: 32 x 32 inches...

As a professional organizer who’s packed up plenty of clients’ belongings and personally relocated three times in the past year, I understand the power of a good packing plan. With solutions for clunky shoes, fragile stemware, and everything in-between, I’ll share the correct way to load your things into boxes before moving day arrives. These tips not only help your items make it onto the truck safely, but also keep them protected throughout the trip and make for no-nonsense unpacking upon your arrival....

We found a way to capture everything you love and recreate the look with a marble paint wall treatment. Our easy how-to will show you the materials and techniques needed to get a marbleized finish on an accent wall. As a bonus, this DIY project won’t break the bank. All you need are a few buckets of paint and some crafts supplies. What You Need Step 1: Prep for Painting Prepare the room by laying down drop cloths and applying painters tape to the trim....

After planting, you can enhance your container even more with cocktail-themed accents. Try using wine corks as mulch and labeling the plants with signs made from slices of tree branch, supported with a skewer, to resemble drink coasters. What You Need Large containerPotting mixBasil plantLavender plantRosemary plantWine corksTree-slice labelsPermanent marker Step 1: Pot Plants Fill the bottom half of the container with potting soil; plant basil, lavender, and rosemary (or other herbs of your choice)....

Where to Plant an Avocado Tree Grow your avocado seedling indoors from the big brown seed from the center of the fruit. You can grow the tree outside if you live in one of the warmest parts of the U.S. Although they grow in plant hardiness zones 8-11, in the U.S., avocados only thrive in southern parts of Florida or California, and in Hawaii. Avocado trees are subtropical plants native to southern Mexico....

Varieties of Double Tulip Ad Rem Tulip Among the tallest of all tulips, Darwin Hybrids offer big, showy flowers that stand out in spring gardens. Blooms can reach 6 inches in diameter when fully open! They bloom in almost every color, including bicolors with striping, speckling, and edging. Their long stems make them great cut flowers, but that also means they need to be protected from wind so strong breezes don’t snap the flowers off the stems....