Heres what you’re gonna wanna know about cutting orchid stems. Should You Cut Off the Orchid Stem After the Flowers Die? Want more gardening tips? Gfed / Getty Images Orchids That Bloom Once The stems of most orchids only flower once. Remove any dried, brown, or yellow parts above the nodes and continue watching the stem. The second flush of flowers is often not as strong as the first and the flowers are smaller....

But what about when those flowers are spent? Should you deadheadzinnias, or leave faded flowers on the plant? Here’s how to deadhead zinnias to keep your garden looking tidy and promote fresh blooms all summer long. bgwalker / Getty Images Should You Deadhead Zinnias? Short answer: Yes, it’s a good idea todeadheadyour zinnias. Removing spent flowers from your zinnia plants can help promote reblooming and extend bloom time. Leaving that dying material on the plant will take up nutrients it could otherwise use to rebloom....

A good rule of thumb is to watch how well the bulbs are blooming. Want more gardening tips? Every three to five years should give you enough new bulbs to keep your patch in bloom. The Spruce / Jayme Burrows Note that flower bulbs can bebought onlineyear-round if it’s crucial that you supplement your supply for fall planting. Dividing depends on thetype of bulband how well it is growing.Daffodilswill live for generations without any help from us....

Doubling the work just doesn’t seem very productive. Get thechores and cleaningdone and move on to other activities. That’s why following thecorrect cleaning sequenceand routine will produce the most satisfying results. The Spruce / Meg MacDonald They also solve the question of which should be done firstdust or vacuum? The quick answer: dust first, thenvacuum. Dust or Vacuum First? The Spruce / Meg MacDonald The dust that flies into the air will eventually settle at a lower point....

In most years, the buzzing is more like white noise. This rare event only occurs every 221 years, but not every region with cicadas will experience it. The farther south you live, the sooner they’ll appear. Joseph Squillante / Getty Images The Impacted Regions According to Harlow-Ellis, there two broods of cicadas that will emerge this year. The first brood are cicadas that were born in 2007, known as the Northern Illinois Brood....

But as beautiful as these shrubs can be, they also require very specific conditions to flourish in. The answer requires a little more digging, and gardening experts are here to weigh in. Some varieties of rhododendron are fussy about temperature and moisture," gardening expert Craig Wilson explains. Marcus Lindstrom / Getty Images Want more gardening tips? Which Is Better: Containers or the Garden? If you’re considering planting some, plant expert Tammy Sons adviseschecking the soil’s pHand composition first....

And one of the best parts about growing tomatoes is how versatile they are. From sprawling vegetable gardens totiny patio gardens, tomatoes can withstand various growing conditions. However, is one method of growing inherently better than the other? Sergey Mironov / Getty Images Is growing tomatoes in the ground better than growing them in containers? We turned to the gardening pros for a definitive answer. A basic understanding of how tomatoes grow and thedifferent varieties availableis the first step in any gardeners toolbox....

Due to some room layouts, mounting atelevision above the fireplaceis the bestor onlyoption. There are other options to design your living room layouttelevision includedthat check off comfort and safety. The center of the screen should be at eye level when you are sitting and facing the screen. The Spruce / Almar Creative Consult your TV manual for how high the TV should bemountedover a fireplace. The manual should include the best viewing angle and the distance you should maintain from the screen....

Tile and its accessory materials like thinset mortar or grout cannot flex. That’s why mitigating materials like cement board are important for tile installed on flex-prone wood floor systems. But what about when you already have a hard and solid masonry base in the form of concrete? Michael Holley/Wikimedia/Public Domain Is it necessary to install a layer of cement board between the tile and the concrete? If not, what is a better solution?...

They can also be a little intimidating, as garden pests go, due to their large size. A tomato hornworm can grow up to 5 inches long and as fat as your index finger. They have V-shaped, yellowish-white markings and a black ‘horn’ or spur on their posterior segment. Robert Kramer / 500px / Getty Images A mature caterpillar can easily kill a large tomato plant in a couple of days....

The short answer is no. To make your succulents thrive, just follow the tips for watering succulents at the bottom of this article. Should You Mist Succulents? The Spruce / Sanja Kostic Want more gardening tips? Not only is it unnecessary to mist succulent, but it may backfire. Use only well-draining soil, ideally a specialsucculent potting mix, and a pot with adequate drainage holes. The Spruce / Cori Sears Whenwatering succulents, dont follow a rigid schedule but let the soil guide you....

Here’s why a master gardener days you should. Why Mulch Before Winter? You should mulch your beds, trees, and shrubs before winter. annick vanderschelden photography / Getty Images Mulch will help control the upcoming temperature drops, stabilizing it against freezing. “It’s also great for the soil’s aesthetic appearance.” Mulch may alsoprevent or delay frost heave. Frost heave is when soil repeatedly expands and contracts because of freezing and thawing. Frost heave can be dangerous for plants, especially perennials, because it damages the soil and severs roots....

MementoImage / Getty Images Should I mulch my vegetable garden? What mulch should I use and when should I apply it? Garden experts almost always recommend adding an annual tool of natural organic mulch to vegetable beds. MementoImage / Getty Images But how exactly does mulch work and how do you use it to your advantage? This helps to keep the soil cooler, conserves moisture, and blocks weed growth, Goossen says....