One of the fun things about being a home gardener is getting to be creative with the tools and supplies we use in our gardens. Using recycled paper is a staple in my garden because it’s so versatile and provides many benefits to my plants. The best ways to use shredded paper in the garden…
There’s nothing worse than getting ready to plant your seeds or seedlings only to find that the soil in your beds has become hard and compacted and is less than ideal for planting. Despite your best efforts, no trowel or dibbler is getting through that tough soil. So, how do you fix this? The best…
You may have heard about the miracle-working properties of sand as more and more people ditch traditional horticultural materials for simple builders sand in their garden. With promises of better drainage and improved native soils, you might be ready to make the switch too.
As gardeners, we’re always warned not to allow invasive plants to take hold of our gardens. This mostly goes for weeds, but there are certain beneficial herbs and plants that spread more than we’d like. Comfrey is definitely one of them. Despite it being invasive, people still grow comfrey. Well, there’s actually more to comfrey…
Mulches are essential in most gardens and are useful for a variety of reasons. Their primary functions are to regulate temperature, conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Bonus features include building up the soil and adding appeal to the overall design of your garden. There are several types of mulches that can be used, each with…
Mycorrhizae (plural for mycorrhizal fungi) are ubiquitous in garden soils. People often see the long thread-like filaments entangling flowers and vegetable roots and mistake them for plant roots. Let’s take a more detailed examination of the use and benefits of these good fungi. Adding granular or water-soluble mycorrhizae inoculant to the soil immediately after transplanting…