Taim.io author

Lars Nyman

Lars is Taimio's chief gardener

Latest from the Blog:

Vegetable scraps like green onion roots and lettuce bases sprouting new growth in water-filled jars.

Turning Kitchen Scraps into a Mini Edible Jungle

To regrow kitchen scraps, set scallion roots in a jar of water; new shoots pop in days. You can regrow kitchen scraps by placing lettuce cores in a shallow dish; leaves push from the crown. Regrow kitchen scraps from garlic cloves for greens, and tuck ginger knobs in soil for fresh growth. Build a tight, edible jungle on your sill—cheap, low-waste, full of flavor. Keep reading for timing, light, and the small tricks that make scraps earn their keep.

A small kitchen compost bin filled with fruit and vegetable scraps sits on a countertop beside potted plants.

Apartment Composting: From Food Waste to Fertile Soil Without the Smell

Apartment composting made simple: use a sealed 5-gallon bin and a 2:1 brown-to-green mix to cut odor. Apartment composting stays clean if you freeze scraps, cover each layer with shredded paper, and aerate weekly. Apartment composting: choose bokashi for 2–4 weeks or vermicomposting for castings in 8–12 weeks.Stick around for gear, steps, and a cook’s approach to apartment composting without the stink.

Various leafy greens and herbs suited for growing in low light, such as lettuce, spinach, and mint, arranged together in a garden setting.

Low-Light Edibles: Food Plants That Don’t Need Full Sun

Grow low light edible plants in shade: greens, herbs, and scallions thrive with 2–4 hours indirect sun. Start low light edible plants like lettuce, spinach, mint, chives, and parsley in pots; water evenly; harvest baby leaves in 3–4 weeks. Place low light edible plants where they catch morning light or bright shade; feed with diluted compost tea monthly; keep soil moist.These small-space staples taste clean, hit fast, and keep your kitchen humming—stick around for the short list and how to nail it.

Several common air purifying houseplants in pots on a desk in a home office setting.

Air-Purifying Plants for Workspaces and Home Offices

Pick air purifying plants shown to reduce VOCs: spider plant, pothos, peace lily, snake plant for desks. Set 2–3 air purifying plants within arm’s reach to help maintain 40–60% humidity and cut dust on your desk. Place air purifying plants in bright, indirect light, water when the top inch of soil dries, and wipe leaves monthly. Keep reading for a no-fuss guide to air purifying plants that actually earn space on your desk.

Diagram showing a plant with labeled arrows indicating auxins in the stem tip, cytokinins in the roots, and gibberellins in the stem.

Plant Growth Hormones Explained: Auxins, Cytokinins, and Gibberellins

Use plant growth hormones to control roots, shoots, and germination; direct your garden's growth now. For cuttings, dip stems in auxins; these plant growth hormones drive cell elongation and root initiation. Mist nodes with cytokinins; these plant growth hormones promote shoot formation and slow leaf senescence. Soak stubborn seeds in gibberellins to break dormancy and lengthen stems—keep reading for doses and timing.

A garden with plants at various growth stages and moon phases shown above.

Harnessing Moon Phases for Gardening: Fact or Folklore?

Moon phase gardening works best with facts: track soil temp, day length, and local frost dates. In moon phase gardening, use the full moon’s bright nights to scout slugs and cutworms; hand-pick after dusk. For moon phase gardening, skip lunar-gravity watering myths—tests show negligible soil pull inland; use a moisture meter instead. Curious where lore meets lab? This piece cuts the noise and calls what’s real, so you’ll keep reading—and grow better crops.