305 useful answers · Page 13 of 13
Start seeds, grow in containers, and learn what your garden needs.
Search this topicThe rootstock influences a grafted tree’s vigor and eventual size, while the named variety identifies its fruit. Look for both on the label and ask for a combination suited to containers and your climate. Putting a vigorous tree in a pot is not equivalent to starting with an appropriate compact tree.
Do not count on different kinds of fruit trees as each other’s pollination partners. Select compatible varieties within the relevant fruit type, with overlapping flowering periods and suitable local growing requirements. A container does not change those biological requirements. Check the specific varieties rather than assuming that any two flowering fruit trees make a pair.
Inconsistent moisture is one possibility because container roots have limited access to water. Check the pot through warm weather and water thoroughly when needed, allowing drainage. Avoid prolonged drying and standing water. Fruit drop has other causes too, so inspect conditions before assuming a fertilizer shortage.
A very heavy crop can leave individual fruits small and put excessive weight on branches. Thinning reduces that load and helps the tree support the remaining fruit and future growth. It is particularly relevant to young trees and heavily loaded branches. Use crop-specific guidance; the right retained spacing is not identical for every fruit.
For a beginner, waiting until the normal early-summer fruit drop finishes makes it easier to judge what remains, while malformed fruit can be removed earlier. The timing is often called June drop in northern climates, but local seasons vary. Check crop-specific guidance because useful thinning windows differ among apples, peaches, and other fruit.
Start with damaged, misshapen, noticeably small, or poorly positioned fruit, then reduce crowded clusters to the spacing recommended for that crop. Keep well-formed fruit with room to develop. Work carefully so removing one fruit does not tear the branch or dislodge all its neighbors; small pruners can help where pulling would cause damage.
Taste a few berries from a suitably identified edible variety and check their softness and sweetness. Color alone can be misleading. Grapes do not ripen further after picking, so harvest when their flavor is ready. Cut whole bunches with their stalks attached and handle them gently rather than pulling individual clusters off forcefully.
Let the vine establish before asking it to support a large harvest. RHS recommends removing flowers during its first two years and allowing only a small crop afterward, increasing with vigor. Local practices and varieties differ, so use regional guidance. Strong roots and a useful trained framework matter more than maximizing the earliest bunches.
Worms need air, and excess liquid must be able to leave their bedding. EPA’s two-container design puts screened air and drainage holes in the inner bin while the outer bin catches drainage. Do not drill the catch container. Keep the bedding damp rather than flooded, and check accumulated liquid.
Moisten the shredded-paper and soil bedding without leaving puddles. EPA’s setup starts with a shallow moist layer and gives the worms time to settle before feeding. Check moisture regularly rather than pouring in water on a fixed schedule; a sodden, airless bin is not the same as suitably damp bedding.
Keep meat, bones, dairy, fats, and animal waste out. Collect suitable fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and staple-free tea bags instead, following the bin’s feeding guidance. Add manageable amounts and cover food with bedding; using worms does not make every kitchen leftover suitable for an indoor compost system.
Choose a well-drained place you can reach throughout the year, with water available nearby. EPA says decomposition can work in sun or shade and advises against placing the pile directly against a fence. Allow access to add materials and turn the pile instead of hiding it in an inaccessible corner.
Finished compost should be dark, crumbly, and earthy smelling, with most starting materials unrecognizable. When mixing no longer heats the pile and visible food scraps are gone, EPA recommends at least four weeks of curing. Stop adding fresh scraps to that batch so the finishing material is not continually reset.
Not automatically. EPA lists compostable bags and foodservice ware among materials generally unsuitable for ordinary backyard piles, which may not reach the needed conditions. Check the product’s certification and a commercial facility’s acceptance rules. Compostable packaging also does not belong mixed with conventional plastic recycling.
Put a young basil plant in a draining pot with suitable potting mix, give it a warm bright position, keep the mix evenly moist, and harvest shoot tips as it grows.
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In “How to grow basil in a pot”
Yes, if it receives enough light and warmth. A dim kitchen corner is less suitable than a bright growing spot.
In “How to grow basil in a pot”
RHS recommends removing flower stems to prolong leaf quality when growing basil for its leaves.
Source checks for these answers: September 21, 2026 – September 22, 2026. Product instructions and local requirements can vary.