Most tomato plants are finicky, from soil to weather conditions. It takes a little bit of practice to grow them. But once you start to harvest, you will surely feel... Read more
- September 05, 2021
- 0 Comment(s)
What I do.
My advocacy
Inspiring every Filipino to grow a home garden in a safe, effective and eco-friendly way.
Environment friendly
Safe and non-toxic
All-natural
Sustainable
News & Updates
My Latest Blogs
I know how frustrating it is to make all those newbie mistakes. I am sharing my gardening experience with you, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes that I did before.
What’s new.
UGM recommends
I am featuring here some products that I find very useful in my gardening.
You may order here or through my online store at Shopee and Lazada: The Urban Gardening Shop
SHOPEE: shopee.ph/urbangardeningmom
LAZADA: lazada.com.ph/theurbangardeningshop
General Tips
Ask UGM. Frequently Asked Questions
For newbies, there are 3 things that you need to remember, and they all start with “S”. First is SUNLIGHT. You need to check if your growing area gets exposed to sunlight, and for how long. In general, 4 – 6 hours of sunlight is needed, depending on the type of plants that you want to grow.
Second is SOIL. Do you intend to grow your plants directly on the ground or in pots? For beginners, I suggest that you start with container gardening. Use quality potting mix to allow your seeds and seedlings to grow properly, with enough air and space to allow their roots to grow properly.
Third is SEED. Always use good reliable seeds from reputable local seed producers. Their seeds have been tested to withstand our tropical environment, therefore greater chance of germination.
To learn more about seed starting, check out my blog How to Start Seeds in a Seedtray: A Step-by-Step Guide.
Second is SOIL. Do you intend to grow your plants directly on the ground or in pots? For beginners, I suggest that you start with container gardening. Use quality potting mix to allow your seeds and seedlings to grow properly, with enough air and space to allow their roots to grow properly.
Third is SEED. Always use good reliable seeds from reputable local seed producers. Their seeds have been tested to withstand our tropical environment, therefore greater chance of germination.
To learn more about seed starting, check out my blog How to Start Seeds in a Seedtray: A Step-by-Step Guide.
Some plant varieties are slow- starters. For example, most herbs and greens take a while to get their roots to establish properly. As they develop more leaves and get more sunlight exposure, they tend to grow faster. As soon as the seedlings develop their 4th leaf (around 2-3 weeks), you can start adding vermicast, rabbit manure or any organic fertilizer , to add more nutrients that would hasten the growth process. Then you may begin to transplant the seedlings into a larger container, to give more room for their roots to grow. Gradually expose them to sunlight, starting with 2 hours per day, increasing to at least 4 hours after a week.
Check out this blog post Guide to Transplanting Your Seedlings .
Check out this blog post Guide to Transplanting Your Seedlings .
Your plants tend to become leggy (which means that the main stem is thin and tall, with sparse leaves or flowers), it’s most likely due to lack of direct sunlight (or light rays). Different plant varieties have different light exposure requirements. Generally, most flowering and fruit-bearing plants benefit from 6-8 hours of sunlight per day, while most herbs and leafy greens can thrive well with a minimum of 4 - 5 hours of sunlight. To know more about the basic principles of sunlight for growing plants.
check out this blog post All about Sunlight: Basic Principles a Gardener Needs to Know.
check out this blog post All about Sunlight: Basic Principles a Gardener Needs to Know.
Plants turn yellow for a lot of reasons. One is from moisture stress- either from too much water or underwatering. If yellowing happens during summer, it’s probably because of under-watering. The solution is simply to water deeply and more often. When the cause of stress is addressed, their color goes back to normal. Plants can also turn yellow due to over-watering, which usually happens during the rainy days. This yellowing usually goes away when the rainy season is about to end. To prevent this, make sure you use a well-draining potting mix and pots.
Another reason is because of lack of nutrients. Applying vermicast or any organic matter usually cures this problem. Sunlight deficiency also causes plant leaves to turn yellow. Leaves tend to look pale and droopy. Expose the plants to sunlight or add more grow lights if sunlight is limited.
After eliminating all of the above possible causes and the yellowing of leaves still occur, it could be due to a viral infection. The signs include the leaves turning yellow and falling off their branches. Eventually, the plant itself starts to wither and die. In this case, there is not much that we can do. Discard the plant entirely, and consider changing the type of crop to grow when using the same pot or soil.
Another reason is because of lack of nutrients. Applying vermicast or any organic matter usually cures this problem. Sunlight deficiency also causes plant leaves to turn yellow. Leaves tend to look pale and droopy. Expose the plants to sunlight or add more grow lights if sunlight is limited.
After eliminating all of the above possible causes and the yellowing of leaves still occur, it could be due to a viral infection. The signs include the leaves turning yellow and falling off their branches. Eventually, the plant itself starts to wither and die. In this case, there is not much that we can do. Discard the plant entirely, and consider changing the type of crop to grow when using the same pot or soil.
My rule of thumb is when your seedling grows its 4th new leaf, you can start to transplant the seedling to a bigger pot.
Check out my blog post Guide to Transplanting Your Seedlings to learn more about how and when to transplant the seedlings.
Check out my blog post Guide to Transplanting Your Seedlings to learn more about how and when to transplant the seedlings.
Flowers that fall without setting fruit can be a sign of plant stress. Like us, plants also get stressed – usually from the weather or from pest infestation. Check which of these factors is contributing to the stress- whether pests, or perhaps the weather (either too hot in summer or too much water during the rainy days). Once the cause of stress is eliminated, then the flowers will start to set.
Another reason is due lack of pollination. This happens usually in places that can not be reached by bees or other natural insect pollinators, like in high-rise apartments. You can help them to pollinate by giving the branches a gentle shake everyday.
Another reason is due lack of pollination. This happens usually in places that can not be reached by bees or other natural insect pollinators, like in high-rise apartments. You can help them to pollinate by giving the branches a gentle shake everyday.
7. What is the best way to control aphids, ants and other common pests that are attacking my plants?
Spraying the leaves or foliage regularly with a neem oil solution helps control at least 90% of common pests, including aphids, caterpillar, white flies, snails, nematodes, gnats, moth worms etc. It does not harm beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs or earthworms, so it’s safe to use for the environment. For ants, I simply use baking soda, sprinkled on the soil along the ant’s path, up until the nest.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is also an effective way to treat soft-bodied pests, like those worms that feed on leafy vegetables, or ground crawlers like snails. Dust the leaves with DE powder to get rid of these worm pests, or sprinkle on the soil around the plants to get rid of parasitic nematodes and tiny snails.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is also an effective way to treat soft-bodied pests, like those worms that feed on leafy vegetables, or ground crawlers like snails. Dust the leaves with DE powder to get rid of these worm pests, or sprinkle on the soil around the plants to get rid of parasitic nematodes and tiny snails.
Seeds are not germinating for varied reasons, like the following
(1) Seeds are already stale or expired;
(2) The temperature is not conducive for the particular seeds to germinate;
(3) Fungus causing the seeds to “dampen off”. The use of good quality seedling mix or potting media helps improve the germination rate of most seeds, in most cases. To learn more about seed germination, check out my blogs on Seeds and Seed Germination ,How to Start Seeds…
(1) Seeds are already stale or expired;
(2) The temperature is not conducive for the particular seeds to germinate;
(3) Fungus causing the seeds to “dampen off”. The use of good quality seedling mix or potting media helps improve the germination rate of most seeds, in most cases. To learn more about seed germination, check out my blogs on Seeds and Seed Germination ,How to Start Seeds…
Testimonials
What they say about Urban Gardening Mom
Since I started my blog, the feedback that I’ve received from various readers had been truly inspiring. Here are just some notable ones that I’d like to share with you.
I chanced upon your blog when I was searching for tips for taking care of rosemary during wet season. It was so helpful! I am so glad I found your blog! Please keep it up! Loveeettttt!!
LIZA ORLINA-TAY
Hi Mommy Glo, I LOVE YOUR BLOG! It is packed with helpful information. Thank you for patiently documenting your knowledge and sharing to us. I recently planted tomatoes, basil, eggplant, and few flowering/ornamental plants. Hope they will grow beautifully and bear flowers and fruits. More power to you and to urban gardening!!
JANEL8988
Hi Ms. Glo! I just want to say that this has been THE MOST HELPFUL BLOG I’ve seen! I’m so glad you’re doing this because I can’t seem to find helpful info online that’s specific to the Philippines - google is mostly worried about winter and frost haha. Your blog seems to answer every question I have and I look forward to seeing more posts!
CATHY
My son and I found your blog site last week. Finally, we found an urban gardening blogger in the Philippines! We are just starting with our urban gardening and hydroponics project at home and we are totally clueless about a lot of things! We hope to learn a lot from your experiences.
AUTUMN 2030
Hi Mam! I’m so happy to find your page. I am a real estate practitioner also and love to plant my own herb. I am living in the rural area but planning to move to city next year. And I am preparing myself like planting herbs on container although I have space on my backyard at the moment. Will surely go crazy reading most of your posts haha. I used to grow my own basil, mint, rosemary and oregano. Thanks!
BELLE DIZON
Hello! I was trying to find advice on starting a balcony garden in Manila and I found your site. It has a lot of really helpful information and I was hoping you could give me more advice on planting a cottage style garden in my balcony I’m a super beginner so specific information would be really really helpful! I’m not even sure what the best place to buy potting soil in Manila. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this! Will keep reading your blog for more inspiration and tips
STEPHANIE
I just discovered your blog and I'm soooo thankful to have stumbled into it! I'm trying to start an herb garden with my 7-year-old daughter and it's been quite difficult to get information since most of the resources online are about growing urban/container gardens in colder regions. Your blog is heaven-sent! :) Thank you!
RK RODRIGUEZ