Month: July 2023

Edible Garden expands distribution deal with Walmart

Belvidere-based Edible Garden is growing its retail partnership with Walmart.

In a July 20 press release, the hydroponic farming company announced an expanded distribution agreement with the big box retailer that will bring a wider variety of its products to Walmart stores across the Northeast, as well as see it enter new retail locations in other regions of the country.

Founded in 2015, the company’s locally grown, sustainable lettuce, organic herbs, hydro basil, salad kits and protein powders can be found at more than 4,000 stores, including ShopRite, Gristedes, D’Agostino, Weis Markets, Meijer and King Kullen.

Edible Garden Chief Executive Officer Jim Kras said the company is pleased to grow its relationship with Walmart, noting that the company is “the world’s largest fresh produce retailer” and “has long been one of our most significant customers.”

Edible Garden's Garden Starters can be planted in a consumer’s home garden.
Edible Garden’s Garden Starters can be planted in a consumer’s home garden. – EDIBLE GARDEN
… Read the rest

July 28 – Furniture manufacturer to invest, create jobs in Liberty County | Georgia Business News

July 28, 2023 – Westin Group LLC, a leader in the furniture industry that supplies both retail and e-commerce markets, is planning to construct a facility in Liberty County that is anticipated to create as many as 180 jobs, according to Liberty County Development Authority Board Chairman Allen Brown.

“We are so pleased to have Westin coming to Tradeport East Business Center,” Brown, who is also mayor of Hinesville, said. “Westin is the fourth company this year to announce plans to locate in the county’s premiere industrial park.”

… Read the rest

‘Why did I never think of this?’

One TikToker is changing the game with a hack to help your lettuce keep regrowing all season long.

The scoop

A TikToker named Sneji (@themodernnonna), who goes by The Modern Nonna, posts a number of food videos — featuring delicious-looking recipes and easy hacks for your garden. And one of her recent videos for growing lettuce has been earning lots of attention.

“This is the only lettuce hack and tip you need this summer,” she says in the clip.

The TikToker illustrates using a knife to cut the lettuce approximately an inch or two above where it hits the soil as opposed to pulling the whole thing out, including the roots.

If you harvest your lettuce this way, it will begin to grow back in just a week or so — meaning you’ll have fresh lettuce all season.

Commenters had a variety of tips to add. One suggested that instead

… Read the rest

12 things on sale this week that are worth the money

The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Don’t Waste Your Money may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer’s website.

Whether you’re putting together your shopping list for gift ideas, some last-minute summer items, or preparing for the fall season, you’ll want to check out this week’s deals on everything from fashion, outdoor furniture and even bedding.

This week we found some big savings at retailers from Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot and Nordstrom. While none of these deals require special coupons or discount codes, you must act quickly because these sale prices can disappear anytime. So, if you find something you like, put it in your cart and buy it without delay!

Here are the 12 best items you’ll find on sale this week that we think are worth the money.

… Read the rest

It’s too hot for your garden

The recent weather has been exceptionally humid and quite hot. This has been very uncomfortable for humans but also takes a toll of the garden. This will be most notable in the vegetable garden as you notice a decrease in your harvest in the next few weeks. Before you panic, looking for problems, be aware that it may just be the effects of the recent hot weather. Blossom drop, failure to flower, slow or stopped growth, dropped leaves and curling leaves are all symptoms of heat stress.

Tomatoes are a good example of plants that are affected by heat. Daytime temperatures between 85 and 95 F and nighttime temperatures above 75 F will cause flowers to drop — no flowers, no tomatoes. Remember, tomatoes are wind pollinated. High humidity will moisten the pollen, making it too heavy to pollinate.

Many other plants will experience similar problems. Blossom drop is common

… Read the rest

Gardening for You: DIY ollas

The nifty water delivery system of an olla was introduced in last week’s Gardening for You column (July 19). An olla (OY-yah) is a porous clay pot that supplies water directly to a plant’s root zone. Water molecules pass through the pores of the clay into the surrounding soil; it is passive movement, not requiring an external energy input.

Small, medium, and large pots can be made into ollas by plugging the drain holes and fitting terra cotta saucers for lids. Small ollas are suitable for container-gardening, medium and large pots for raised beds and in-the-ground gardens.

Small, medium, and large pots can be made into ollas by plugging the drain holes and fitting terra cotta saucers for lids. Small ollas are suitable for container-gardening, medium and large pots for raised beds and in-the-ground gardens.

Water moves from a higher concentration in the pot to a lower concentration in the soil, seeping slowly into the soil until the water concentration in the pot is the same as in the soil. Water movement ceases when this equilibrium is reached. As surrounding soil dries, water movement from the pot resumes.

… Read the rest

Tips and tricks for keeping garden critters at bay

As she browsed the outdoor aisles of 380 Auction in Murrysville, Plum resident Marilyn Covert lamented the loss of her homegrown tomatoes to a deer.

“They’re terrible,” she said of the deer, as she pushed her cart stacked with gardening supplies. “There’s nothing like a homegrown tomato.”

Covert uses deer repellent to keep her garden safe, but she and other gardeners still are plagued by garden pests attacking during the summer months.

The Sharpsburg Community Garden recently lost 100 crops to a groundhog invasion, and it isn’t the only garden to have suffered losses at the jaws of local wildlife.

Covert says she researched ways to keep critters from getting into her garden — and even found one home remedy that involved using human hair to ward off wildlife.

According to Matt Beacom, manager of 380 Auction, most customers prefer to go a more traditional route when it comes to

… Read the rest

I turned old Ikea shelves into a high-end credenza – people say it’s ‘the most stunning furniture flip’ they’ve seen

AN Ikea fan turned DIY designer has shared how she took old shelves from cheap to chic.

The TikToker (@liveandgatherco) showed viewers how she transformed old, cutout shelves from Ikea into something much more chic with some at-home-carpentry work.

A Tiktoker takes followers on her DIY journey where she transformed an Ikea shelf into a sleek credenza

4

A Tiktoker takes followers on her DIY journey where she transformed an Ikea shelf into a sleek credenzaCredit: TikTok/liveandgatherco
The original IKEA piece before it underwent a full makeover

4

The original IKEA piece before it underwent a full makeoverCredit: TikTok/liveandgatherco

The credenza-making process commenced with this first step: “I started by getting my wood for the doors from Home Depot. They cut it right to size,” she said.

Next, she can be seen standing at a table with the doors lined up and equipment laid out.

“Then we just sanded it down at home. I used half-moon trim to create the design for the trim pieces,” she recalled.

The budget designer then made sure to

… Read the rest

Furniture store closes without warning, customers want their money back

ST. LOUIS – “I’ve shopped with those people for years. My first living room set I had from there. I just bought a dining room set from there last year,” said south St. Louis resident Kim Gray.

That’s why Gray didn’t think twice about returning to the Home Decor Outlets store on South Kingshighway earlier this year. Kim says she picked out the furniture in January and put it on layaway, making payments when she could, with the goal of having it fully paid for and in her possession before moving into a new place later this month.

Gray made her final payment in late April – for a total of $1,300. She says she didn’t know the store closed until she drove past the building last week.

“When I saw the homeless people sitting out there, it just dawned on me. I got out the car and I’m like,

… Read the rest

How to extend the growing season in your garden and get multiple veggie harvests

I harvested my hardneck garlic crop earlier this month, which opened up some prime real estate in the garden, leaving me with an entire 4-by-4-foot raised bed to replant.


This July 14, 2023, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows recently planted summer squash growing near more mature plants to ensure a continued harvest on Long Island, N.Y. (Jessica Damiano via AP)(AP/Jessica Damiano)

I harvested my hardneck garlic crop earlier this month, which opened up some prime real estate in the garden, leaving me with an entire 4-by-4-foot raised bed to replant.

As I was settling Eight Ball squash seedlings into the space, it occurred to me that I was inadvertently practicing what is known as “succession planting,”

… Read the rest