If you have been having trouble keeping your garden weed free, are having a tough time fighting compaction, and aren’t all that excited about having to regularly till your garden area to get the most out of it the odds are pretty good that raised bed gardening is for you. There are a lot of…
Successful gardening commences and ends with clean, healthy soil. Test it for nutrient content, alkalinity, acidity, and pH levels as part of your pre-planning. Add natural fertilizers per the soil report, and you have the perfect aid for harvesting healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables. Acid-Loving Plants If cultivating acid-loving plants like gardenias or rhododendrons, your soil pH…
Worm composting is the method of utilizing worms into turning food scraps and other organic matter they eat into “vermicompost.” The entire process is called vermin-composting or vermi-culture. Bacteria is also a vital element for the decomposition process of the vermicompost. The end product is a nutrient-rich, soil conditioner and natural fertilizer. Additionally, worm composting…
Pathogen-free soils are available in garden centers, but sterilizing potting soil will help assure you of safe, chemical-free mixes for your plants. Clean everything associated with sterilizing potting soil before and after treatment. Your purpose is to kill contaminants and to avoid re-infection. Remove any large pieces and debris prior to sterilization. Sterilizing potting soil…
A water conservation garden helps us all toward improving our economy. Everyone can conserve water, and we must do our best to do so. Container Plants As important as keeping your plants healthy by not over irrigating is the water you conserve by watering properly. A water conservation garden is also for container plants. Container…
Plant your spring bulbs abundantly in the fall, and you can have a beautiful display come spring. There is a wide variety of spring bulbs. The available shapes, sizes, and colors will simply delight you! The Big Three The tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are very big on spring colors. There are wide varieties of tulips.…
Square foot gardening explains just what it is – square foot beds, raised or otherwise. Add clean, healthy soil, compost, and advice from knowledgeable neighbors and local nurseries if you need it. Combined with your personal experiences, you are on your way! Two Major Ingredients Two major ingredients of a successful square foot gardening are the amount…
A soilless potting mix comes with two major advantages for your garden. First, unlike garden soil, where you may have disease spores, insect eggs, weed seeds, etc., you know exactly what you have. Second, you do not have to worry about drainage problems when using a soilless potting mix. Fertilizing, however, is completely up to…
Chicken manure as garden fertilizer is a natural soil additive that is high in nitrogen content. Learn how to compost your chicken manure. You will have healthier plants, and at the same time prevent the problems caused by accumulated droppings. Chicken Manure Not a Mulch Chicken manure abounds in NPK (N = nitrogen, P =…
If you want to improve your soil, learn how to make aerobic compost tea, meaning with oxygen, and use it regularly. It is an effective system, and is safe for your family and pets. You can use compost tea as either a foliar spray or as a soil drench. Materials You Need for Making Compost…
