Nuri has a whole class about this. Leaves are a good start, but there are several plant characteristics you should examine. Let me see if I can find an electronic version of the thing, because it’s a pretty good overview.
1 Like
iNaturalist is a good resource for identifying plants and animals. If you use the app, you can take a picture with your phone and it will pull up a database. You can also talk to other users and discuss your findings with them.
It’s like pokemon go, but real nature, and probably a useful resource for actual work.
Find someone who knows and have them give you a tour. Is there a local garden club? The one in my town is super friendly.
I highly recommend container basil, mine has been going strong since spring. We have to make a point to eat it weekly or it grows up and hits the light 
5 Likes
I’d love to do some indoor hydroponics but my one cat tries to eat every plant.
…and it’s done. Got some kind of blight, maybe fusarium wilt? I’ll have to disinfect and replant in fresh soil.
2 Likes
My chive plant died. I need a new chive plant. Should I get seeds or should I get an existing plant? Also, which variety of chive should I get? The primary purpose of the plant is for food. I cut off some sprigs when I want to use them for cooking. So flavor matters. Also, a plant that will keep living even when I cut from it once in awhile.
Growing from seed isn’t difficult but is additional hassle if you just want a plant to take clippings from. That being said, you might be out of luck getting a pre-existing plant unless you can find a farmers market selling them.
As for clippings, the chives type doesn’t matter, just find one with a flavor you like and make sure you clip any flowers (and any woody stalks) and don’t clip anything lower than like an 1", it will continue to grow back otherwise.
Correction on the flowers: I was confusing chives with garlic and onions. Chives flowers are edible, just make sure to deadhead them but you don’t need to preemptively prune them.
I’d get a plant. If you know anyone local who has one, it’s easy to take off a piece. Otherwise, you can taste them in the nursery. In addition to normal onion chives, there are also garlic chives that taste like garlic and have flat leaves instead of round.
Did the basil get wet feet?
I don’t think so, I was pretty careful with it. It died slowly from the bottom up.
Finished all the bushes for my front yard this weekend. Doesn’t look like much now, but that juniper should fill in most of the yard.
Not that it’s much yard.
Update:
2 Likes
I have some biblical smiting to do in my yard as the heat plus pregnancy means my wife hasn’t been gardening and I’ve been busy with other things that Ive let things go this summer despite being WFH the entire time.
Anyone know of good gloves to handle thorny plants? Lots of gloves are marked cutproof which unfortunately has not translated to puncture proof
Project Farm to the rescue!
1 Like