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I started gardening indoors many years ago when I moved into my first apartment. Of course, at the time, I only had a few houseplants that were easy to care for (a sansevieria and spider plant). But now I have an entire garden indoors. I just love indoor gardening, from tropical house plants to fruit trees – it’s a great way for me to get my gardening “fix” during the cold winter months. There are so many different kinds of plants that you can grow indoors – it’s impossible to provide a single list of dos and don’ts. But there are some general how-to houseplant guidelines you can follow.
 Pots and soil
When I’m planting (or transplanting), I use a pot that is slightly larger than the plant’s root ball. If the pot is too small, the plant will be rootbound, and if too big, it will tend to retain too much water. It’s best to have a drainage hole, but if your pot doesn’t have one, you can add an inch or so of small pebbles at the bottom for drainage.
I especially like to grow dwarf-sized fruit trees. They do well in containers, and are easy to prune to keep their height and shape under control. Some of the trees are native to my area and can remain on the patio even for the winter months. But I bring the tropical fruit tree containers indoors for protection during winter months.
I generally use a plant mix that is made especially for houseplants – then I know it is the right mix for indoors. Be sure to check the individual requirements of your plants though – some may require a specialized mix for best results, especially for those that flower or produce fruit.
What’s the difference?
So you want to grow tomatoes, but you don’t know where to start. With so many different varieties, it can be a bit confusing at first. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be planting tomato seeds and plants with ease in no time!
 First things first, what the heck is a Hybrid tomato, what is an heirloom tomato, and what’s the difference? A “hybrid” plant is when plant breeders cross-breed compatible types of plants, usually in an effort to create something better or distinctive. Most modern vegetables are the result of cross-breeding, which is a good thing, because horticultural experts, especially the ones here at Gurney’s, are always coming up with great new plant breeds.
An “heirloom” plant is one that has been saved, grown for a period of years, and passed down from generation to generation, remaining genetically intact.
Some people favor heirloom tomatoes, and swear by their diversity and distinct, flavorful taste. Others champion hybrid tomatoes, citing their improved disease resistance, reliability and consistency. Here at Gurney’s, we like ‘em both! We carry tons of different hybrid and heirloom tomato seed and plants in order to give you, the customer, a choice. After all, it’s your garden, and you know what’s best!
“Where’d you get it? I’ve Gotta Have It!” That’s what my friends and family always ask me when they taste the fresh Gotta Have It sweet corn I grow in my vegetable garden. We’ve been growing it here at Gurney’s for several years and we still stand behind or claim that it’s the best tasting corn available. If you like sweet corn, this is sure to be your new favorite.  Picture the richest, sweetest, most flavorful corn you’ve ever tasted. Got it? Now add a whole lot of sugar – that’s what Gotta Have It tastes like. You’ve never had corn this sweet!
This spring, we are introducing a new sweet corn variety: Gotta Have It White! It has all the same outstanding taste and qualities of the extremely popular bicolor favorite in a new white corn variety. Juicy kernels, long shelf life, and of course, incredibly sweet flavor!
Our customers have always raved about our Gotta Have It sweet corn. It’s been a customer favorite since its introduction! And now, due to its popularity and versatility, we are expanding our Gotta Have It options for those who prefer a white variety without losing any of the great flavor.
If you’ve ever grown our Gotta Have It sweet corn, feel free to leave a comment and let everyone know what you think! Is it as sugar-sweet as we claim?
Full-Size Apples from Miniature Trees!
In the new Spring catalog, we talk a lot about Li’l BIG Trees, but I often forget that the concept is still fairly new. So what is a Li’l BIG Apple Tree? It’s how the average gardener with limited space grows full size, full flavored apples! Bearing fruit just 16 months after planting, Li’l BIG Apple Trees only grow to about 6 ft. tall, while a regular apple tree can grow up to 25 ft. tall. By the time they reach full maturity, Li’l Big Trees Will yield over ½ a bushel or more each year!
 Best of all, you don’t need a ladder to prune, spray or harvest them. And they need no special care beyond what you would give ordinary apples. Many commercial growers are switching to this popular type of tree because they can get more production per acre. Li’l BIG Trees are also grown on specific root-stock that makes them resistance to fire blight, a nasty disease common to fruit trees.
Li’l BIG Trees may not be for everyone, especially if you have plenty of growing space that can accommodate a standard apple tree. If you plan on stocking your shelves with homemade apple sauce or apple butter and if you have enough room, you may want to stick with a standard tree that will bear fruit 3-6 after planting and produce 5-10 bushels at full maturity.
Li’l BIG Trees do require support, as the fruit they produce often tends to weigh down the tree. We offer special Deluxe Li’l BIG Tree packages, which come with a free tree support, tree fertilizer, calcium, and a tree guard.
If you have limited space or simply want a little tree with big benefits, Li’l BIG is for you. Try it this year – we’re sure you’ll love it!
Click here to check out our YouTube Video about Li’l Big Apple Trees, featuring Felix, one of our horticultural experts!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday. It’s 2010, and a new year of gardening is before us. I don’t know about you, but I am ready to get back into my garden!
 Last summer, I had the chance to grow some new tomato varieties. I officially have a new favorite tomato: Nonna’s Prize (VFF). It’s a new Gurney’s Choice tomato seed variety that we are introducing in our spring 2010 (request your copy of our new catalog here!).
Take my word for it; this is the richest-flavored tomato you will ever grow! It resembles an heirloom tomato in looks, but grows like hybrid, which is something I’ve personally always looked for in a tomato seed.
I think what I like most about this new tomato variety, aside from the taste, is the color and shape. It has the distinct, ribbed teardrop shape of a traditional Italian heirloom type, but it yields as well as our finest hybrids. It has a meaty texture and a tangy flavor, which is simply perfect for sauces and fresh eating. And did I mention they are highly disease resistant, and won’t crack or scar like many heirlooms? Simply put, if you love growing tomatoes like me, you’ll love growing Nonna’s Prize!
How to care for Amaryllis – The Flower of Christmas!
Christmas is my favorite holiday. Getting together with family, eating great food, giving and receiving gifts…speaking of which, last year, my mother-in-law gave my wife and I an amaryllis for Christmas. I’ve been familiar with amaryllis in the past, as we’ve sold amaryllis flower bulbs at Gurney’s for a while now, but I’d never got one for myself for some reason. Since receiving one last Christmas, I’ve been in love with amaryllis ever since. It’s an iconic Christmas flower, and since Christmas is my favorite holiday, amaryllis has become one of my favorite flowers!
 The striking display of huge red flowers will impress either as a gift or as a centerpiece on your holiday table. Put simply, no other indoor flower compares with amaryllis for beauty and ease of growth.
When you order amaryllis from Gurney’s Seed & Nursery, it will arrive as a dormant bulb. Snap it out of this sleepy condition by placing it in a warm, well-lit area (68-70F). Water the bulb sparingly until it stems and leaves emerge, then gradually increase the amount of water you give it. Six weeks after its arrival, you’ll have blooms!
When the blooms fade, continue regular watering and feeding to maintain the foliage, which will feed the bulb for next year’s bloom. Then, about 16-18 weeks before you want to see blooms (around Labor Day for Christmas bloom), stop watering and let the foliage die back. Six to eight weeks before you want it to bloom, remove the bulb from the soil, cut off the dead foliage, and strip off any loose scales from the bulb. Repot in a clean container with the upper two-thirds of the bulb above the soil.
Repeat steps as provided above to draw the plant out of dormancy; about six weeks later, your amaryllis will reward you with stunning blooms!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from your friends at Gurney’s Seed & Nursery!
All Gurney’s Pea and Sweet Corn Seed Varieties Are Now Treated!
Some people don’t know what to think when they hear the words “treated seed.” Is that a good thing? Is it bad? What does “treated” mean? Why is this blogger pretending that I am vicariously asking questions through him?
Well, folks, I’m here to dispel any predispositions you may have about treated seed. The truth is this: treated seed is a very good thing! It simply provides extra protection against less than ideal growing conditions. That means you can plant earlier without the worry of rotting seed from cold, wet early spring weather. This treatment also ensures better germination as well as enhanced resistance to soil-borne diseases and fungi.
When I heard that we were introducing treated seed in our spring 2010 catalog, I was very excited. Treated seed is so much easier to grow, because it has a hard coating to enhance germination and plant strength. This hard coating protects the seed until soil temperatures reach the proper temperature, which allows you to plant the seed earlier than you normally would. The coating also protects against diseases and fungus.
And now, for the first time, all of our pea seed and sweet corn seed varieties are treated, including customer favorite, Gotta Have it Hybrid Sweet Corn! Check out all of our pea seed varieties here, and all of our sweet corn varieties here.
Winter has arrived! Here in the Midwest, we’ve reached freezing temperatures, and even have some snowfall! I love winter, but there certainly is a lot to do in the garden to prepare for the cold.
Winterizing is the best thing you can do to ensure that your tree or shrub stays healthy through the cold season and comes back full force next spring, especially if you’ve recently added some young flowering trees or shrubs to your landscape this year.
 Colorado Blue Spruce As fall turns to winter the temperature drops and the soil freezes, making your trees and shrubs uncomfortable and unstable. The root system of a young tree can become seriously damaged by the fluctuating temperatures of winter. Additionally, the bark that protects your tree becomes prone to splitting. There are only a few steps you have to take to winterize your trees and shrubs and make sure they come back thriving.
1. Mulching
Mulching is the cheapest and easiest way to protect your plants through winter. I recommend mulching all of your perennials, shrubs and trees, and anything else you want to return next year. Mulching keeps the roots warm and provides much-needed nutrients.
2. Pruning
Get rid of all the excess dead, diseased and over-bearing branches in late fall. This encourages new growth in the spring, decreases the threat of storm damage and discourages disease and insects.
3. Fertilizing and Aerating
Make sure you fertilize your trees and shrubs with all the essential nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen. Also, aerate your soil, especially if it is compacted and not very well drained. Compacted soil suffocates the roots and retains water, which can drown your plant.
4. Wrapping
If you live in a region with cold, windy and long winters, you may want to consider wrapping or covering your tree. You can either cover the entire tree with a protective burlap tree cover, or you can wrap the trunk in tree wrap plastic.
Trees are a wonderful addition to any landscape. A small amount of planning and care is an investment that will yield a big return next season.
I’ll admit it, I love starting seeds. It’s a lot cheaper than buying transplants, and there’s nothing better to us gardeners than watching something grow from a tiny speck into a full mature plant. I’ve always considered it the “second” or intermediate stage of gardening. If you’re a new gardener, chances are, you’re starting with plants and flower bulbs, because they’re so simple.
Seed starting is admittedly more complicated, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult. It’s actually quite the opposite, especially when you have the right resources and a little ambition! So for those of you who are hesitant to try seed starting, fear not! There is a way to make seed starting simple, quick and fun. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t need an elaborate basement operation with fluorescent lights and elegant light fixtures!
 I’m really excited about Gurney’s new Seed Starting Kit. We’ve assembled the absolute best way to start seeds. You’ll get healthy and hearty plants every time! The best part is it’s clean…no fussing with messy potting soil or Dixie cups.
Our Seed Starting Kit allows you to quickly, easily and successfully start all kinds of seeds. Each kit contains everything you need for fast germination and vital root growth. The soil-less grow plugs are made of natural, biodegradable materials so that each plug can be directly transplanted into the garden greatly reducing transplant shock. Each grow plug contains beneficial bacteria to aid in maximum seed germination.
The lightweight 55-cell growing tray wraps each grow plug in warmth and floats them in the water-filled reservoir tray, allowing each seed to get the perfect water-to-air ratio. The humidity dome holds in the warmth and moisture, ensuring early and uniform seed germination
I recently had the opportunity to give the Seed Starting Kit a try, and let me tell you, it works! This is by far the easiest method I have ever used. It allows me to do more – and easily. Give it a try today!
Well, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I know I did – I’m stuffed!
We’re all excited here at Gurney’s, because just a couple days ago, we launched our own YouTube channel!
Hosted by Felix, one of our leading horticultural experts, the new YouTube channel will have tons of videos on topics ranging from detailed plant information, gardening tips, planting guides, how-to videos, and expert gardening advice. Plus, we’ll use YouTube when we have any announcements about breakthrough horticultural developments!
Below is one of our videos about the benefits of growing a Li’l Big Apple Tree. I’ll be posting some more videos here soon, so make sure you check back often, or bookmark our new channel!
Lil BIG(TM) Apple Tree
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