{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"categoryState":{"relatedCategories":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2022-06-27T18:31:12+00:00"},"categoryId":33916,"data":{"title":"Garden & Green Living","slug":"garden-green-living","image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916}],"parentCategory":{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","slug":"home-auto-hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"}},"childCategories":[{"categoryId":33917,"title":"Gardening","slug":"gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33926,"title":"Landscaping","slug":"landscaping","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33926"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33927,"title":"Lawn Care","slug":"lawn-care","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33927"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33928,"title":"Sustainability","slug":"sustainability","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33928"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0}}],"description":"Plant the seeds for a beautiful garden and a greener lifestyle with easy-to-adopt advice.","relatedArticles":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles?category=33916&offset=0&size=5"}},"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"}},"relatedCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{"count":10,"total":501,"items":[{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:45:25+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-05-04T14:26:28+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:40+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Lawn Care","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33927"},"slug":"lawn-care","categoryId":33927}],"title":"How to Mow a Lawn the Right Way","strippedTitle":"how to mow a lawn the right way","slug":"mowing-your-lawn-the-right-way","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Keep your little patch of green picture perfect. Learn about lawn mower safety, proper grass height, and how to protect your trees.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"How to mow a lawn or grass the right way is one of the most important practices in keeping your lawn healthy. Grasses are like most plants — if you clip off the growing points (for grass, it's in the crown, where the new leaves develop), the plants branch out and become denser, which in this case, turns thousands of individual grass plants into a tightly woven turf or a lawn. If you didn't mow at all, your yard would look more like a prairie than a lawn. But the mere act of mowing isn't what makes a lawn look good. Mowing height and mowing frequency determine how healthy and attractive your lawn looks. After all, cutting a lawn is stressful for the grass. The leaves make the food for the roots — and how would you like it if someone kept cutting off your food?\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Height does count when you mow a lawn</h2>\r\nMost grasses have a range of recommended mowing heights. Stay at the upper end of that range when the lawn is under stressful conditions, such as hot weather or drought, or if you have a shady lawn. In cooler weather, you can cut the grass a little lower.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Follow the one-third rule. For a thriving lawn, never cut away more than one-third of the grass blade in any one mowing. If the grass \"gets ahead of you\" because of wet weather or your busy schedule, move up the cutting height of your mower to the highest possible setting and mow. If clippings are too long and heavy, even at that cutting height, catch them with the bagging unit or clean up after mowing with a leaf rake. Then move the cutting height back to your normal range and cut the lawn again a few days after that first mowing.</p>\r\nTable 1 shows suggested mowing heights for different grass types.\r\n\r\n<strong>Table 1: Ideal Mowing Heights</strong>\r\n<table class=\"article-table\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"7\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong><em>Grass type</em></strong></td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong><em>Height</em></strong></td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Bahia grass; fescue, tall; blue grama; buffalo grass</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">2 to 3 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Bent grass</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1/4 to 1 inch</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Bermuda grass, common</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">3/4 to 1-1/2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Bermuda grass, hybrid</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1/2 to 1 inch</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Centipede grass; zoysia grass*</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1 to 2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Fescue, fine; St. Augustine grass</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Kentucky bluegrass</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1-3/4 to 2-1/2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Ryegrass, annual and perennial</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1-1/2 to 2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\"><em>*You can mow some newer, dwarf varieties lower.</em></td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\"></td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\nEdging and trimming are the finishing touches of mowing, kind of like getting a shave after you've had a haircut. Edging and trimming are pretty close to being the same thing. Some tools are called edgers because they're designed to trim the lawn along a hard surface like a driveway or sidewalk. Edgers cut a nice clean edge, but leave some dirt and grass debris that you need to clean up. On the other hand, you can use trimmers anywhere — along a hard surface, in tight spaces, next to planting beds, and so on. Trimmers also leave some clippings on paths and driveways that you need to sweep up.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Never put grass clippings in a plastic bag and send them off to the dump. (In some areas, sending grass clippings to the dump is illegal.) Grass clippings are valuable organic matter, chock-full of nitrogen and other nutrients. As long as you mow often enough to remove no more than one third of the grass blade, the easiest thing to do is just to leave clippings on the lawn. The pieces break down quickly and reduce the amount of fertilizer you have to use by as much as 25 percent. And research has proven that the clippings don't cause thatch to build up.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Lawn mowing safety when you mow a lawn</h2>\r\nEvery year, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people get injured when using lawn mowers. Power lawn mowers can be dangerous even when used properly. Be proactive when it comes to safety and follow these tips to avoid injuries:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Know the equipment.</strong> Read the owner's manual. Become familiar with all the safety features and don't disconnect any of them. Keep all nuts and bolts properly tightened. Never pull a walking mower.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Check the lawn before mowing and wear proper clothing.</strong> Pick up any rocks or debris. Heavy shoes and long pants provide the best protection from flying debris. If you're using a reel mower, don't wear loose clothing.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Protect your hearing.</strong> Doing yard work can get pretty noisy. In addition to the lawn mower, high-decibel noise comes from trimmers, edgers, and blowers. Use earplugs or earmuff-type hearing protection.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Keep pets and children away from the lawn as you mow.</strong> Don't let children operate a lawn mower unless they're strong enough, responsible, and understand all the operating and safety features. Even then, supervise them. Never give a young child a ride on a ride-on mower. Sudden stops, flying objects, or an excited child can spell disaster.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Be careful when fueling.</strong> Stop the mower and let the engine cool for 10 minutes before fueling. Never fill the tank with the mower on the lawn. Avoid spills by using a gas can with an adequate pouring spout. Clean up spills immediately and put the used rags in a covered metal can. (Gasoline-soaked rags are a fire hazard.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Turn off the mower.</strong> Never leave the mower running unattended, or work on a motor that is running. Turn off the power when you cross nongrass areas.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Be careful on hills.</strong> Steep slopes are always dangerous because a mower can flip over or go out of control. Plant a ground cover other than turf in these areas. On gentle slopes, mow across the slope, not up and down. Use a walk-behind mower.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Lawn mowers — a tree's worst enemy</h2>\r\nRepeatedly banging a mower against a tree trunk or whipping it senseless with a weed whip each week can seriously damage the bark and the sensitive tissues underneath. The damage can restrict the growth of young trees to the point where the base of the trunk is so weak and girdled that the tree just snaps off in the slightest wind.\r\n\r\nTo protect the tree, leave a ring of grassless soil at least 3 feet wide around the trunk. Put in a nice brick or stone edging around the outside. Better yet, cover the open soil with a thick layer (3 to 6 inches deep) of organic mulch, such as compost or bark. (Keep the mulch a few inches away from the base of the tree.)\r\nYou can also go to a garden center to buy trunk protectors, plastic sleeves that encircle the trunk, if you have to have the grass right up against the tree.","description":"How to mow a lawn or grass the right way is one of the most important practices in keeping your lawn healthy. Grasses are like most plants — if you clip off the growing points (for grass, it's in the crown, where the new leaves develop), the plants branch out and become denser, which in this case, turns thousands of individual grass plants into a tightly woven turf or a lawn. If you didn't mow at all, your yard would look more like a prairie than a lawn. But the mere act of mowing isn't what makes a lawn look good. Mowing height and mowing frequency determine how healthy and attractive your lawn looks. After all, cutting a lawn is stressful for the grass. The leaves make the food for the roots — and how would you like it if someone kept cutting off your food?\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Height does count when you mow a lawn</h2>\r\nMost grasses have a range of recommended mowing heights. Stay at the upper end of that range when the lawn is under stressful conditions, such as hot weather or drought, or if you have a shady lawn. In cooler weather, you can cut the grass a little lower.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Follow the one-third rule. For a thriving lawn, never cut away more than one-third of the grass blade in any one mowing. If the grass \"gets ahead of you\" because of wet weather or your busy schedule, move up the cutting height of your mower to the highest possible setting and mow. If clippings are too long and heavy, even at that cutting height, catch them with the bagging unit or clean up after mowing with a leaf rake. Then move the cutting height back to your normal range and cut the lawn again a few days after that first mowing.</p>\r\nTable 1 shows suggested mowing heights for different grass types.\r\n\r\n<strong>Table 1: Ideal Mowing Heights</strong>\r\n<table class=\"article-table\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"7\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong><em>Grass type</em></strong></td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong><em>Height</em></strong></td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Bahia grass; fescue, tall; blue grama; buffalo grass</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">2 to 3 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Bent grass</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1/4 to 1 inch</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Bermuda grass, common</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">3/4 to 1-1/2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Bermuda grass, hybrid</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1/2 to 1 inch</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Centipede grass; zoysia grass*</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1 to 2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Fescue, fine; St. Augustine grass</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Kentucky bluegrass</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1-3/4 to 2-1/2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\">Ryegrass, annual and perennial</td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\">1-1/2 to 2 inches</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\"><em>*You can mow some newer, dwarf varieties lower.</em></td>\r\n<td valign=\"top\"></td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\nEdging and trimming are the finishing touches of mowing, kind of like getting a shave after you've had a haircut. Edging and trimming are pretty close to being the same thing. Some tools are called edgers because they're designed to trim the lawn along a hard surface like a driveway or sidewalk. Edgers cut a nice clean edge, but leave some dirt and grass debris that you need to clean up. On the other hand, you can use trimmers anywhere — along a hard surface, in tight spaces, next to planting beds, and so on. Trimmers also leave some clippings on paths and driveways that you need to sweep up.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Never put grass clippings in a plastic bag and send them off to the dump. (In some areas, sending grass clippings to the dump is illegal.) Grass clippings are valuable organic matter, chock-full of nitrogen and other nutrients. As long as you mow often enough to remove no more than one third of the grass blade, the easiest thing to do is just to leave clippings on the lawn. The pieces break down quickly and reduce the amount of fertilizer you have to use by as much as 25 percent. And research has proven that the clippings don't cause thatch to build up.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Lawn mowing safety when you mow a lawn</h2>\r\nEvery year, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people get injured when using lawn mowers. Power lawn mowers can be dangerous even when used properly. Be proactive when it comes to safety and follow these tips to avoid injuries:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Know the equipment.</strong> Read the owner's manual. Become familiar with all the safety features and don't disconnect any of them. Keep all nuts and bolts properly tightened. Never pull a walking mower.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Check the lawn before mowing and wear proper clothing.</strong> Pick up any rocks or debris. Heavy shoes and long pants provide the best protection from flying debris. If you're using a reel mower, don't wear loose clothing.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Protect your hearing.</strong> Doing yard work can get pretty noisy. In addition to the lawn mower, high-decibel noise comes from trimmers, edgers, and blowers. Use earplugs or earmuff-type hearing protection.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Keep pets and children away from the lawn as you mow.</strong> Don't let children operate a lawn mower unless they're strong enough, responsible, and understand all the operating and safety features. Even then, supervise them. Never give a young child a ride on a ride-on mower. Sudden stops, flying objects, or an excited child can spell disaster.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Be careful when fueling.</strong> Stop the mower and let the engine cool for 10 minutes before fueling. Never fill the tank with the mower on the lawn. Avoid spills by using a gas can with an adequate pouring spout. Clean up spills immediately and put the used rags in a covered metal can. (Gasoline-soaked rags are a fire hazard.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Turn off the mower.</strong> Never leave the mower running unattended, or work on a motor that is running. Turn off the power when you cross nongrass areas.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Be careful on hills.</strong> Steep slopes are always dangerous because a mower can flip over or go out of control. Plant a ground cover other than turf in these areas. On gentle slopes, mow across the slope, not up and down. Use a walk-behind mower.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Lawn mowers — a tree's worst enemy</h2>\r\nRepeatedly banging a mower against a tree trunk or whipping it senseless with a weed whip each week can seriously damage the bark and the sensitive tissues underneath. The damage can restrict the growth of young trees to the point where the base of the trunk is so weak and girdled that the tree just snaps off in the slightest wind.\r\n\r\nTo protect the tree, leave a ring of grassless soil at least 3 feet wide around the trunk. Put in a nice brick or stone edging around the outside. Better yet, cover the open soil with a thick layer (3 to 6 inches deep) of organic mulch, such as compost or bark. (Keep the mulch a few inches away from the base of the tree.)\r\nYou can also go to a garden center to buy trunk protectors, plastic sleeves that encircle the trunk, if you have to have the grass right up against the tree.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9156,"name":"The National Gardening Association","slug":"the-national-gardening-association","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9156"}},{"authorId":9163,"name":"Bob Beckstrom","slug":"bob-beckstrom","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9163"}},{"authorId":9164,"name":"Karan Davis Cutler","slug":"karan-davis-cutler","description":" <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association.<br/> <b>The National Gardening Association</b> is the leading garden&#45;based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at www.garden.org and www.kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9164"}},{"authorId":9165,"name":"Kathleen Fisher","slug":"kathleen-fisher","description":" <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association.<br/> <b>The National Gardening Association</b> is the leading garden&#45;based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at www.garden.org and www.kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9165"}},{"authorId":9166,"name":"Phillip Giroux","slug":"phillip-giroux","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9166"}},{"authorId":9167,"name":"Judy Glattstein","slug":"judy-glattstein","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9167"}},{"authorId":9168,"name":"Michael MacCaskey","slug":"michael-maccaskey","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9168"}},{"authorId":9169,"name":"Bill Marken","slug":"bill-marken","description":"Bill Marken is the author of the first edition of Container Gardening For Dummies and coauthor of the second edition.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9169"}},{"authorId":9170,"name":"Charlie Nardozzi","slug":"charlie-nardozzi","description":" <p><b>The National Gardening Association </b>is the leading garden-based educational organization in the United States. Visit http//:garden.org.</p> <p><b>Charlie Nardozzi</b> is a nationally recognized garden writer, radio and TV show host, consultant, and speaker. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun, and accessible to everyone.</p> ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9170"}},{"authorId":9171,"name":"Sally Roth","slug":"sally-roth","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9171"}},{"authorId":9172,"name":"Marcia Tatroe","slug":"marcia-tatroe","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9172"}},{"authorId":9157,"name":"Lance Walheim","slug":"lance-walheim","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9157"}},{"authorId":9173,"name":"Ann Whitman","slug":"ann-whitman","description":" <b>Ann Whitman</b> is the author of the first edition of <i>Organic Gardening For Dummies</i>. <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association, the leading garden-based educational nonprofit organization in the U.S. NGA's programs and initiatives highlight the opportunities for plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the country. These include award-winning Web sites garden.org and kidsgardening.org.</p> <p><b>The National Gardening Association (NGA)</b> is committed to sustaining and renewing the fundamental links between people, plants, and the earth. Founded in 1972 as &#8220;Gardens for All&#8221; to spearhead the community garden movement, today&#8217;s NGA promotes environmental responsibility, advances multidisciplinary learning and scientifi c literacy, and creates partnerships that restore and enhance communities.<br /> NGA is best known for its garden-based curricula, educational journals, international initiatives, and several youth garden grant programs. Together these reach more than 300,000 children nationwide each year. NGA&#8217;s Web sites, one for home gardeners and another for those who garden with kids, build community and offer a wealth of custom content.</p>","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9173"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33927,"title":"Lawn Care","slug":"lawn-care","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33927"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Height does count when you mow a lawn","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Lawn mowing safety when you mow a lawn","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Lawn mowers — a tree's worst enemy","target":"#tab3"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":205467,"title":"How to Lay Sod for a New Lawn","slug":"how-to-lay-sod-for-a-new-lawn","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","lawn-care"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/205467"}},{"articleId":202518,"title":"Replacing Powered Lawn Tools with Eco-Friendly Alternatives","slug":"replacing-powered-lawn-tools-with-eco-friendly-alternatives","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","lawn-care"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/202518"}},{"articleId":198634,"title":"Keeping an Eco-Friendly Lawn","slug":"keeping-an-eco-friendly-lawn","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","lawn-care"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/198634"}},{"articleId":181212,"title":"Choosing a Warm-Season Grass","slug":"choosing-a-warm-season-grass","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","lawn-care"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/181212"}},{"articleId":181211,"title":"Choosing Between Portable Sprinklers or In-Ground Irrigation Systems","slug":"choosing-between-portable-sprinklers-or-in-ground-irrigation-systems","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","lawn-care"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/181211"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[{"title":"Be a Rad Dad","slug":"be-the-best-dad","collectionId":293237}],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;lawn-care&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f8490b50\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;lawn-care&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f849127e\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-05-04T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":199814},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:58:30+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-27T20:44:48+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:39+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917},{"name":"Flowers","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33920"},"slug":"flowers","categoryId":33920}],"title":"Roses For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"roses for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"roses-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Picking the perfect rose for your garden involves finding a hardy plant for your growing zone (based on climate), deciding on a type of rose, and following a pl","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Picking the perfect rose for your garden involves finding a hardy plant for your growing zone (based on climate), deciding on a type of rose, and following a plan for rose care. Know your rose terminology and the most popular roses, and you'll sound like a gardening guru.","description":"Picking the perfect rose for your garden involves finding a hardy plant for your growing zone (based on climate), deciding on a type of rose, and following a plan for rose care. Know your rose terminology and the most popular roses, and you'll sound like a gardening guru.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33920,"title":"Flowers","slug":"flowers","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33920"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":242896,"title":"How to Care for an Orchid","slug":"how-to-care-for-an-orchid","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/242896"}},{"articleId":209249,"title":"Orchids for Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"orchids-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209249"}},{"articleId":205435,"title":"How to Grow Perennials from Seed","slug":"how-to-grow-perennials-from-seed","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/205435"}},{"articleId":201174,"title":"Identifying and Controlling Insects that Prey on Roses","slug":"identifying-and-controlling-insects-that-prey-on-roses","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/201174"}},{"articleId":201169,"title":"Identifying Rose Classifications","slug":"identifying-rose-classifications","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/201169"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;flowers&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f83dc5b9\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;flowers&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f83dcd20\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":195919,"title":"Know Your Rose Lingo","slug":"know-your-rose-lingo","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195919"}},{"articleId":195918,"title":"Ten Popular Roses","slug":"ten-popular-roses","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195918"}},{"articleId":195917,"title":"USDA Hardiness Zones for Plants","slug":"usda-hardiness-zones-for-plants","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195917"}},{"articleId":195916,"title":"Foolproof Tips for Growing Roses","slug":"foolproof-tips-for-growing-roses","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195916"}},{"articleId":195925,"title":"Types of Roses","slug":"types-of-roses","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195925"}}],"content":[{"title":"Know your rose lingo","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>To grow roses successfully, you need to know the lingo. These rose terms describe parts of the rose plant, petal forms, color types, and more! Get to know these terms and start sounding like a master gardener:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Bareroot: </b>Sold in winter to early spring while dormant and without soil on their roots.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Bicolor: </b>A two-colored rose, usually with two or more colors on opposites sides of the petals.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Blend:</b> A multicolored rose with two or more colors blending together on both sides of the petals.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Bud: </b>An unopened flower. A bud eye is dormant vegetative growth that forms in the upper angle where a leaf joins a cane.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Bud union: </b>A swollen or knobby area on the lower trunk of a rose plant, usually near the soil surface, where the flowering variety joins the rootstock.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Cane:</b> A structural branch of a rose plant, usually arising from the base of the plant.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Deadhead: </b>To remove spent blossoms from a bush and channel more energy into new flowers.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Double flower:</b> A rose with more than one row of petals.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hardiness: </b>The capability of a rose to withstand cold temperatures without being killed or injured.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hip:</b> The seed pod that forms after a rose’s petals fall off. Some may turn bright orange or red and are quite colorful in fall and winter.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Leaflet: </b>A part of a leaf. Rose leaves are usually divided into 5 to 7 leaflets, but some have as many as 19 or as few as 3.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Own-root roses: </b>Roses that grow on their own roots and are not budded onto a separate rootstock.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Reverse: </b>The underside of a rose petal.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rootstock: </b>The roots onto which a rose variety is budded. A rootstock increases the adaptability of the rose, giving it increased hardiness, vigor, soil tolerance, and other advantages.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Semi-double:</b> A rose having two or three rows of petals.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Single: </b>A rose having a single row of petals.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Sucker:</b> A vigorous cane that arises from the rootstock of a rose. Its leaves look different from the rest of the plant, and you should remove it.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Variety: </b>A specific type of rose. For example, &#8216;Mister Lincoln&#8217; is a variety of hybrid tea with fragrant red flowers.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"10 popular roses","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Looking for popular rose varieties? For the past several years, these ten roses have been popular among home gardeners:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Ballerina: Pink and white shrub</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Blaze: Red climber</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Bonica: Pink shrub</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Chrysler Imperial: Red hybrid tea</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Double Delight: Red and white hybrid tea</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Iceberg: White floribunda</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Mister Lincoln: Red hybrid tea</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Olympiad: Red hybrid tea</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Queen Elizabeth: Pink grandiflora</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Scentimental: Red and white floribunda</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"USDA hardiness zones for plants","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>If you live in a cold-winter area, choose roses that can survive with minimum damage. This plant hardiness zone chart (based on average annual minimum temperatures) is from the USDA; it helps you figure how cold it gets in your area. Choose roses suitable for your climate zone.</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Temperature in ° C</th>\n<th>USDA Zone</th>\n<th>Temperature in ° F</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–45.6 and below</td>\n<td>1</td>\n<td>Below –50</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–42.8 and below</td>\n<td>2a</td>\n<td>–45 to –50</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–40 to –42.7</td>\n<td>2b</td>\n<td>–40 to –45</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–37.3 to –39.9</td>\n<td>3a</td>\n<td>–35 to –40</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–34.5 to –37.2</td>\n<td>3b</td>\n<td>–30 to –35</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–31.7 to –34.4</td>\n<td>4a</td>\n<td>–25 to –30</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–28.9 to –31.6</td>\n<td>4b</td>\n<td>–20 to –25</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–26.2 to –28.8</td>\n<td>5a</td>\n<td>–15 to –20</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–23.4 to –26.1</td>\n<td>5b</td>\n<td>–10 to –15</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–20.6 to –23.3</td>\n<td>6a</td>\n<td>–5 to –10</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–17.8 to –20.5</td>\n<td>6b</td>\n<td>0 to –5</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–15 to –17.7</td>\n<td>7a</td>\n<td>5 to 0</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–12.3 to –14.9</td>\n<td>7b</td>\n<td>10 to 5</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–9.5 to –12.2</td>\n<td>8a</td>\n<td>15 to 10</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–6.7 to –9.4</td>\n<td>8b</td>\n<td>20 to 15</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–3.9 to –6.6</td>\n<td>9a</td>\n<td>25 to 20</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>–1.2 to –3.8</td>\n<td>9b</td>\n<td>30 to 25</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>1.6 to –1.1</td>\n<td>10a</td>\n<td>35 to 30</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4.4 to 1.7</td>\n<td>10b</td>\n<td>40 to 35</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4.5 and above</td>\n<td>11</td>\n<td>40 and above</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"},{"title":"Foolproof tips for growing roses","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Planting your roses is just the beginning of care. Follow these basic rose-growing guidelines to help keep your plants growing vigorously and producing fabulous blooms:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Roses are tough; you don&#8217;t need to baby them.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">After they&#8217;re established, water deeply once a week if it doesn’t rain.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Fertilize every four to six weeks.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Whack &#8217;em back in late winter or early spring.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If a rose isn&#8217;t growing as well as you&#8217;d like, yank it out and replace it with something better.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Ask questions. Find a rose society meeting near you and join up; they can help. And don&#8217;t forget your local nursery or master gardener association.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Types of roses","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Picking a rose plant is a matter of personal preference. Do you want fragrance, a climber, lots of blooms, a certain bloom size, or a compact plant? Here are the types of roses and their basic differences so you choose the type that fits your gardening plan:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Climbers:</b> Vigorous, sprawling rose plants that need the support of an arbor, fence, or trellis to stay upright.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Floribundas:</b> Free-blooming shrubs that produce tons of flowers, usually borne in large clusters. One of the best types of roses for landscaping.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Grandifloras:</b> Vigorous bushes producing large, beautifully formed flowers that are more likely to be borne in clusters than one to a stem. &#8220;Queen Elizabeth&#8221; is a classic grandiflora.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hybrid teas:</b> The most popular type of rosebush, with beautiful long-stemmed flowers that are ideal for cutting.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Miniatures:</b> Small in leaf and stature but big in amount of bloom. Grow only 4 to 36 inches high but make great landscape plants, especially as edgings and in containers.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Old garden and species roses (antique roses):</b> A huge group of roses varying in plant habit and flower type. A larger number bloom only once a year. Many have extremely fragrant and/or uniquely formed flowers.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Polyanthas:</b> Small, compact shrubs producing large clusters of flowers. Good landscape plants.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Shrubs:</b> A diverse group of quite varied plants, includes many new excellent landscape varieties known for their easy care and abundant bloom. Also includes some of the hardiest roses.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-27T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209458},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:56:28+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-18T17:44:11+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:37+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917},{"name":"General Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"},"slug":"general-gardening","categoryId":33925}],"title":"Gardening Basics For Canadians For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"gardening basics for canadians for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"gardening-basics-for-canadians-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn the basics of growing plants in the Canada's cold climates, including regional frost dates and how to prepare perennials for winter.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Gardening in Canada presents specific challenges due to our cold climate and short growing season. This cheat sheet offers tips for getting the most out of your Canadian garden.\r\n\r\nStart by checking the frost dates in your region and consult some of the many online gardening resources that are available. Protect your perennials through the winter and choose the best grasses for Canada’s climate to maintain a beautiful, thriving lawn and garden year after year. Read on to see how.","description":"Gardening in Canada presents specific challenges due to our cold climate and short growing season. This cheat sheet offers tips for getting the most out of your Canadian garden.\r\n\r\nStart by checking the frost dates in your region and consult some of the many online gardening resources that are available. Protect your perennials through the winter and choose the best grasses for Canada’s climate to maintain a beautiful, thriving lawn and garden year after year. Read on to see how.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33925,"title":"General Gardening","slug":"general-gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":236815,"title":"How to Grow and Care for Succulents","slug":"grow-care-succulents","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/236815"}},{"articleId":209364,"title":"Sustainable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"sustainable-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209364"}},{"articleId":209195,"title":"Gardening Basics For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-basics-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209195"}},{"articleId":208914,"title":"Gardening All-in-One For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-all-in-one-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208914"}},{"articleId":206147,"title":"How to Divide Perennials","slug":"how-to-divide-perennials","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206147"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;general-gardening&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f810fecb\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;general-gardening&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f8110607\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":192821,"title":"Canadian Gardening Frost Dates by Region","slug":"canadian-gardening-frost-dates-by-region","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192821"}},{"articleId":192811,"title":"Online Resources for Gardening in Canada","slug":"online-resources-for-gardening-in-canada","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192811"}},{"articleId":192820,"title":"Preparing Perennials for Cold Canadian Winters","slug":"preparing-perennials-for-cold-canadian-winters","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192820"}},{"articleId":192810,"title":"The Best Grasses to Plant in Canada","slug":"the-best-grasses-to-plant-in-canada","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","landscaping"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192810"}}],"content":[{"title":"Canadian gardening frost dates by region","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Canadian gardeners need to know when the growing season in their area begins and ends so they can avoid losing plants to frost. This chart provides frost dates across Canada.</p>\n<p>To be extra careful, plant or transplant temperature-sensitive plants ten days after the dates below. For more Canadian locations, go to <a href=\"http://tdc.ca/canadian_frost_dates.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tdc’s FarmGate</a>.</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Location</th>\n<th>Last Frost Date</th>\n<th>First Frost Date</th>\n<th>Typical Number of Frost-Free Days</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>St. John’s</td>\n<td>June 2</td>\n<td>October 12</td>\n<td>132</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Halifax</td>\n<td>May 6</td>\n<td>October 20</td>\n<td>167</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Montreal</td>\n<td>May 3</td>\n<td>October 7</td>\n<td>157</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Toronto</td>\n<td>May 9</td>\n<td>October 6</td>\n<td>150</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Winnipeg</td>\n<td>May 25</td>\n<td>September 22</td>\n<td>120</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Regina</td>\n<td>May 21</td>\n<td>September 10</td>\n<td>112</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Calgary</td>\n<td>May 23</td>\n<td>September 15</td>\n<td>115</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Yellowknife</td>\n<td>May 27</td>\n<td>September 15</td>\n<td>111</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Whitehorse</td>\n<td>June 11</td>\n<td>August 25</td>\n<td>75</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Vancouver</td>\n<td>March 28</td>\n<td>November 5</td>\n<td>222</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Victoria</td>\n<td>March 1</td>\n<td>December 1</td>\n<td>275</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"},{"title":"Online resources for gardening in Canada","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>If you’re looking for reliable Canadian gardening websites, you’ve come to the right spot. The following sites offer interesting Canadian gardening blogs, excellent gardening tips, Canadian gardening communities, upcoming regional gardening events, and more.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"https://www.rbg.ca/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Canadian Botanical Conservation Network</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><i></i><a href=\"http://www.cwf-fcf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Canadian Wildlife Federation</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.coldclimategardening.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cold Climate Gardening</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.communitiesinbloom.ca/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Communities in Bloom</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.compost.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Compost Council of Canada</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.growarow.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Plant a Row; Grow a Row</a></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.seeds.ca/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Seeds of Diversity Canada</a></p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Preparing perennials for cold Canadian winters","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>In Canada, tender perennials like geraniums, impatiens, and gerbera need to be kept alive with good winter protection — otherwise they become one-hit wonders. To overwinter your tender perennial plants during Canada’s cold winter months, follow these steps:</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Dig up the roots or entire plant.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Bring them indoors to a nonfreezing spot for the next few months (where they will become dormant or semidormant houseplants).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Pot the plants in any good soil, and grow them in a cool (5°C-10°C, or 40°F-50°F) and bright area.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Keep them barely moist through the winter, just keeping them alive.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Once replanted in the spring, they’ll spring back to life with the help of warmer temperatures and brighter light.</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n<p class=\"Tip\">You can also trim and prune your perennials and use mulch to protect them through the winter.</p>\n"},{"title":"The best grasses to plant in Canada","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Growing and maintaining a lush green lawn in Canada can be a challenge. It starts with choosing the best type of grass. The best types of grasses to grow in Canada are cool-season grasses because our summers are short and our winters are cold – and usually snowy.</p>\n<p>Cool-season grasses grow actively in spring and fall, slow down in summer, and go dormant in the winter. They do best at temperatures between 16°C and 27°C (60°F and 80°F) and can survive freezing winter temperatures. The following cool-season grasses thrive in Canada’s cooler climate.</p>\n<table>\n<caption>Cool-Season, Northern Grasses</caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Type of Grass</th>\n<th>Appearance</th>\n<th>Ideal Mow-to Height</th>\n<th>Description and Care</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kentucky bluegrass</td>\n<td>Fine to medium texture.<br />\nCanoe-shaped.<br />\nDark blue-green.</td>\n<td>6 to 8 cm</td>\n<td>Hardy but not drought-tolerant so water generously.<br />\nDisease resistant.<br />\nNeeds more fertilizer.<br />\nShallow roots make it a good showpiece lawn but unsuitable for<br />\nheavy foot traffic.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fescues, fine and tall</td>\n<td>Fine texture.<br />\nBristle-leaved.<br />\nMedium green.</td>\n<td>6 to 8 cm</td>\n<td>Water deeply and infrequently (do not soak or make soggy).<br />\nShade-tolerant.<br />\nTolerates foot traffic very well.<br />\nCan perform well in poor soil.<br />\nIs often mixed with other grasses.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bent grass</td>\n<td>Fine texture.<br />\nBlades begin to bends at a couple of centimeters tall (hence the<br />\nname).</td>\n<td>3 to 4 cm</td>\n<td>Needs generous watering (weekly during the height of the<br />\ngrowing season).<br />\nCut regularly to avoid stems from forming thick mats and<br />\nthatching.<br />\nPopular for golf and tennis courses.<br />\nUse a mower with very sharp blades.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Perennial ryegrass</td>\n<td>Fine texture.<br />\nGlossy.<br />\nDark green.</td>\n<td>6 to 8 cm</td>\n<td>Has shallow roots, likes consistent water.<br />\nDisease resistant.<br />\nTolerates foot traffic well.<br />\nNice in full sun or shade (but not reliably hardy).<br />\nGerminates and grows quickly and is often used in blends.</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-18T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209067},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:58:00+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-08T19:00:38+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:35+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917},{"name":"General Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"},"slug":"general-gardening","categoryId":33925}],"title":"Sustainable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"sustainable gardening for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"sustainable-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Discover what tools you need to create a sustainable garden, and learn some tips to make your garden grow.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Gardening sustainably just makes sense in our fragile world. Doing it in your own backyard takes a little effort, but more and more gardeners are finding that every step is worth it to create a sustainable garden that not only looks after your plants and you, but also helps the whole planet.","description":"Gardening sustainably just makes sense in our fragile world. Doing it in your own backyard takes a little effort, but more and more gardeners are finding that every step is worth it to create a sustainable garden that not only looks after your plants and you, but also helps the whole planet.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33925,"title":"General Gardening","slug":"general-gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":236815,"title":"How to Grow and Care for Succulents","slug":"grow-care-succulents","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/236815"}},{"articleId":209195,"title":"Gardening Basics For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-basics-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209195"}},{"articleId":209067,"title":"Gardening Basics For Canadians For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-basics-for-canadians-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209067"}},{"articleId":208914,"title":"Gardening All-in-One For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-all-in-one-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208914"}},{"articleId":206147,"title":"How to Divide Perennials","slug":"how-to-divide-perennials","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206147"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;general-gardening&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7f24542\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;general-gardening&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7f24d5b\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":194884,"title":"Reducing Your Environmental Footprint in the Garden","slug":"reducing-your-environmental-footprint-in-the-garden","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194884"}},{"articleId":194866,"title":"A Few Essential Tools for Your Sustainable Garden","slug":"a-few-essential-tools-for-your-sustainable-garden","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194866"}},{"articleId":194828,"title":"Some Sustainable Plants for a Coastal Temperate Climate","slug":"some-sustainable-plants-for-a-coastal-temperate-climate","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194828"}},{"articleId":194859,"title":"Top Tips for Small Sustainable Gardens","slug":"top-tips-for-small-sustainable-gardens","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194859"}}],"content":[{"title":"Reducing your environmental footprint in the garden","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Switching over to sustainable gardening practices goes a long way to building a garden that you can enjoy, admire and even eat. At the same time, you reduce your environmental footprint, by increasing carbon storage, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and contributing to plant and animal biodiversity. Here are a few tips to create your sustainable garden:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Plant trees.</b> Planting trees helps to store carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. Trees can also cool your home in summer and let in the winter sun. If you don’t have room for trees at your place, volunteer with a local landcare group.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Grow your own organic food. </b>Not only does this help to reduce the distance your food travels before it hits your plate, but it also helps to save water and fossil fuels.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Compost your waste. </b>The less green garden waste and food scraps going into landfill the better, and you get to use the compost in your sustainable garden.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Take responsibility for your gardening practices.</b> Think very carefully before you reach for the bug spray or synthetic fertiliser! So many good, sustainable alternatives exist — use your compost to help feed your plants, and get worms and insects working for you.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Help stop the spread of environmental weeds.</b> Find out what plants have become weeds in your area and, if you have them or they pop up, either get rid of them safely or contain them.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Minimise your use of powered tools. </b>Mowers, blowers and brush-cutters can make life easier, but think about their environmental impact. Buy an energy-efficient mower, mow less often and keep the grass height to about 4 to 5 centimetres — it’s better for your sustainable lawn as well.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Start a list of groups of like-minded people you can join or learn from.</b> Local knowledge goes a long way in establishing sustainable practices.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Get the kids into sustainable gardening.</b> At home, at school or in the community, if kids learn the right way from the beginning, they’re sure to keep gardening sustainably into the future.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Only use renewable resources in the garden. </b>Check the source of gardening materials, and make sure you reuse, recycle and renew. Think about where your pavers, sleepers and mulch come from and how they’re manufactured.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Create a haven with a diverse range of plants.</b> Not only do you help increase plant biodiversity, but you also provide a habitat for animals, beneficial insects and birds.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Build your garden for the future, not for fashion.</b> Make your garden climate-friendly and water-wise. Understand your environment, weather patterns and the plants that thrive where you live, not what the magazines dictate.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"A few essential tools for your sustainable garden","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>To create your sustainable garden, some things are just too good to pass up. Compost, mulch and worms all help to condition your soil and retain moisture, and you can get beneficial insects to work with you to keep your plants healthy, sustainably.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>A compost heap or bin: </b>Choose whatever type suits your garden — a three-bay heap for a large property, a classic upside-down-bin style to place in an average garden, a tumble-type bin that neatly sits on a paved area or a bokashi bucket to keep in your kitchen. Mature compost ends up as a delightful humus to use as a soil conditioner in your sustainable garden, or, for the bokashi method, a delicious pickle your plants love.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>An insectary:</b> A garden plot, or even a series of pots on a balcony, with at least seven different plant species of varying heights attracts various beneficial bugs to your sustainable garden. Good candidates to plant include amaranthus, coriander, cosmos, dill, lemon balm, parsley, tansy and yarrow.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Mulch:</b> To help keep in precious moisture, cover the soil around your plants with the finished humus from your compost or an organic mulch, such as matured manure, pea straw, pine bark, seaweed or sugar cane. Inorganic mulch, such as pebbles or granitic sand, should be use sparingly in a sustainable garden.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Worms: </b>You can buy or build a worm farm or simply attract earthworms to your soil. Either way, worms produce a fantastic by-product, commonly known as worm castings, or vermicasts, that attracts microorganisms, such as good bacteria and fungi, to your soil so your plants thrive. If you have a worm farm, the worm wee, actually the liquid that accumulates at the bottom, is an added bonus for your garden.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Some sustainable plants for a coastal temperate climate","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>These plants are climate-friendly (that is, sustainable) in a Victorian seaside garden in the temperate climate of Australia’s southern coast. Some are indigenous to that region, some are native to Australia and some come from elsewhere.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Blue fescue (<i>Festuca glauca</i>):</b> These small, blue, tufted grass plants provide a nice contrast in the garden and lizards love to hang around them.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Common correa (<i>Correa reflexa</i>):</b> This lovely little shrub grows wild in the region, with little hanging bell flowers all over it, some red and others a dusty pink.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Common heath (<i>Epacris impressa</i>):</b> The dark green, short pointy leaves and clusters of narrow little bell flowers along the stem, which are sometimes pink, sometimes white, are a Victorian classic.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Geraldton wax (<i>Chamelaucium uncinatum</i>):</b> This magnificent Western Australian shrub, with its masses of pale pink, waxy flowers in spring also suit this region of Victoria.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Grampians thryptomene (<i>Thryptomene calycina</i>):</b> Tiny, tiny aromatic leaves and weeny white flowers packed on the stem in spring make this a favourite in many gardens in the area.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hebe, particularly the ‘Icing Sugar’ variety:</b> This shrub is tough as old boots and grows all over the place, and the tough green leaves and pink and white flowers make it stand out in any sustainable garden.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Liriope (<i>Liriope muscari</i>):</b> A clumping, strappy plant with shiny green leaves that always deserves a spot in the garden; the flower spikes in blue or white are an added bonus.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>New Zealand Christmas tree (<i>Metrosideros excelsa</i>): </b>A New Zealand favourite, this great tough tree, with bright red flowers in summer, is just right for a garden near the sea.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Sage, or salvia: </b>All kinds of salvia in all kinds of colours, some tougher than others, are terrific in just about any sustainable garden — you can find at least one, if not six or seven, for your garden.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Toothed lancewood (<i>Pseudopanax ferox</i>):</b> Another Kiwi plant, this one starts off with long-toothed narrow leaves pointing downward, and then matures into a large, rounded, spectacular tree — often loved for its weirdness.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Top tips for small sustainable gardens","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Modern urban living poses many challenges, not the least being how to create and maintain a sustainable garden in a small space. If you’re a gardener at heart and only have a small backyard or even just a balcony, here are a few tips to get you growing, sustainably.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Grow beans, peas or cucumbers on a trellis or tripod in large decorative pots.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Plant dwarf fruit trees.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Espalier your trees along a fence or a wall.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Grow herbs and cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Pay attention to detail; it’s easy to make a small garden look cluttered.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"One year","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209364},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:58:29+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-07T16:15:34+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:34+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Sustainability","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33928"},"slug":"sustainability","categoryId":33928},{"name":"General Sustainability","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33932"},"slug":"general-sustainability","categoryId":33932}],"title":"Wind Power For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"wind power for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"wind-power-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn about the basic parts of wind-electric systems, evaluate how much energy your home needs and explore how much wind your site gets.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"After you decide that your home is a good candidate for wind power, you need to understand the basic parts of wind-electric systems and how they fit together. In addition, you need to evaluate how much energy your home needs and how much wind your site actually gets — a realistic wind resource assessment is key. You also want to make sure to steer clear of \"too good to be true\" energy estimates from the pros who want to sell you their goods and services.","description":"After you decide that your home is a good candidate for wind power, you need to understand the basic parts of wind-electric systems and how they fit together. In addition, you need to evaluate how much energy your home needs and how much wind your site actually gets — a realistic wind resource assessment is key. You also want to make sure to steer clear of \"too good to be true\" energy estimates from the pros who want to sell you their goods and services.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":10583,"name":"Ian Woofenden","slug":"ian-woofenden","description":" <p><b>Ian Woofenden</b> is a Senior Editor with Home Power magazine, the Northwest &amp; Costa Rica Coordinator with Solar Energy International, and a wind-energy author, consultant, and instructor. He has been living off-grid with his family and several wind generators for almost 30 years.</p>","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10583"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33932,"title":"General Sustainability","slug":"general-sustainability","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33932"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":195899,"title":"Verify Energy Claims from Wind Generator Professionals","slug":"verify-energy-claims-from-wind-generator-professionals","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195899"}},{"articleId":195898,"title":"Do You Get Enough Wind for a Wind-Energy System?","slug":"do-you-get-enough-wind-for-a-wind-energy-system","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195898"}},{"articleId":195894,"title":"The Major Parts of a Wind-Energy System","slug":"the-major-parts-of-a-wind-energy-system","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195894"}},{"articleId":195895,"title":"Assess Your Energy Usage to Determine Your Wind-Energy Needs","slug":"assess-your-energy-usage-to-determine-your-wind-energy-needs","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195895"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":208379,"title":"Alternative Energy For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"alternative-energy-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208379"}},{"articleId":208344,"title":"Green Cleaning For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"green-cleaning-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208344"}},{"articleId":206672,"title":"How to Set Up Your Own Community Environmental Project","slug":"how-to-set-up-your-own-community-environmental-project","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206672"}},{"articleId":206671,"title":"Eco-friendly Driving Tactics","slug":"eco-friendly-driving-tactics","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206671"}},{"articleId":206670,"title":"Cutting Back Consumption and Aiming for Zero Waste","slug":"cutting-back-consumption-and-aiming-for-zero-waste","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206670"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282674,"slug":"wind-power-for-dummies","isbn":"9780470496374","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470496371/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0470496371/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/0470496371-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470496371/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/0470496371/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/wind-power-for-dummies-cover-9780470496374-201x255.jpg","width":201,"height":255},"title":"Wind Power For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><b data-author-id=\"10583\">Ian Woofenden</b> is a Senior Editor with Home Power magazine, the Northwest &amp; Costa Rica Coordinator with Solar Energy International, and a wind-energy author, consultant, and instructor. He has been living off-grid with his family and several wind generators for almost 30 years.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":10583,"name":"Ian Woofenden","slug":"ian-woofenden","description":" <p><b>Ian Woofenden</b> is a Senior Editor with Home Power magazine, the Northwest &amp; Costa Rica Coordinator with Solar Energy International, and a wind-energy author, consultant, and instructor. He has been living off-grid with his family and several wind generators for almost 30 years.</p>","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10583"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;sustainability&quot;,&quot;general-sustainability&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470496374&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7e9c943\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;sustainability&quot;,&quot;general-sustainability&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470496374&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7e9d0aa\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":195894,"title":"The Major Parts of a Wind-Energy System","slug":"the-major-parts-of-a-wind-energy-system","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195894"}},{"articleId":195895,"title":"Assess Your Energy Usage to Determine Your Wind-Energy Needs","slug":"assess-your-energy-usage-to-determine-your-wind-energy-needs","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195895"}},{"articleId":195898,"title":"Do You Get Enough Wind for a Wind-Energy System?","slug":"do-you-get-enough-wind-for-a-wind-energy-system","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195898"}},{"articleId":195899,"title":"Verify Energy Claims from Wind Generator Professionals","slug":"verify-energy-claims-from-wind-generator-professionals","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","general-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/195899"}}],"content":[{"title":"The major parts of a wind-energy system","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>When it comes to power, a wind generator by itself will do absolutely nothing for you. You need a wind-energy <i>system</i><i>,</i> which consists of most or all of these components:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Batteries (for off-grid and backup systems)</b> provide energy storage for periods of calm or during utility grid outages.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>A</b> <b>charge controller and/or voltage clamp</b> take raw energy from a wind generator and condition it so it can charge batteries safely and effectively or interface with an inverter and the utility grid.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Disconnects and overcurrent protection</b> provide safety from overloaded circuits and allow you to isolate different parts of the system.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>A</b> <b>dump load</b> is a place to divert excess energy in off-grid systems or when the utility grid is down, it&#8217;s windy, and your batteries are full.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>An</b> <b>inverter</b> converts direct current (DC) electricity to conventional household alternating current (AC) electricity, and it may &#8220;sell&#8221; surplus electricity to the utility grid.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Loads in a system </b>are energy-using devices, such as lights, appliances, and other electricity users.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">*<b>Metering</b> gives you data display and logging so you can tell what your system is doing and whether it&#8217;s performing well.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>A</b> <b>tower</b> supports a wind generator, getting it up into the smooth, strong wind that&#8217;s needed to generate meaningful amounts of electricity.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Transmission wiring and conduit</b> allow you to transfer energy from where it&#8217;s made to where it&#8217;s stored and used.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Wind generators (or turbines) </b>collect the energy in the wind and use it to make electricity.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Assess your energy usage to determine your wind-energy needs","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Doing a usage assessment to determine how much energy you need is a vital step toward getting a successful wind-electric system that meets your power expectations. These steps help you calculate how much energy you&#8217;re using:</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Review all energy bills so you can determine your overall energy use.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">List all <i>loads</i> (electrical appliances) with wattage and run time to see specifically where you&#8217;re using energy and how much you&#8217;re using.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Measure <i>phantom</i> <i>loads</i> (loads that use energy when turned off) using a watt meter.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Inspect your <i>building envelope</i> (the shell of your house), sealing, windows, and so on by having a professional do a blower door test (which pressurizes your house and measures how leaky it is).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Have an HVAC professional inspect your space and water heating systems.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Consider your energy use habits and goals so you can look for ways to reduce your energy use and plan for future energy use.</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n"},{"title":"Do you get enough wind for a wind-energy system?","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Analyzing your wind resource (your site&#8217;s average wind speed, measured in miles per hour) is one of the hardest jobs you face when selecting a wind-electric system; no single method gives you exact numbers. To come up with a good estimate of your site&#8217;s average wind speed, combine as many of the following strategies as possible:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Put up a recording anemometer </b>at the proposed wind generator height to measure your actual wind resource; you often need to do it over the course of a year or more.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Use a small test turbine with a watt-hour meter </b>to give you some data while giving you a bit of energy; you can learn important lessons from the experience.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Consult wind maps and roses, </b>which show generalized wind resource information for your area.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Sift through local weather data, </b>which may be an excellent source of wind resource information.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Live on site with eyes and ears open</b> to note seasonal variations in wind.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Climb something tall (like a tree that&#8217;s on a high point on your property) </b>and look at topography and obstructions; this can help you determine your optimum tower height.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Study vegetation, </b>which<b> </b>may reflect how much wind you have; by reading the deformation of trees, you may be able to estimate your wind resource.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Talk with neighbors; </b>they<b> </b>may give you valuable perspective on wind in your neighborhood, especially if your neighbors are wind-energy users.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Verify energy claims from wind generator professionals","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Many wind generator inventors, manufacturers, and installers make claims about how much energy you can get from their idea or product, but how can you know whether those energy claims are realistic, ambitious, or outright scams? In all cases, you should seek real-world confirmation of estimates and check your wind power professional&#8217;s numbers.</p>\n<p>To test for &#8220;enthusiastic&#8221; estimates from inventors, manufacturers, or installers, do the following:</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Verify the average wind speed the professional or manufacturer is using as the basis of the claim.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Without an accurate average wind speed from your actual tower height, you can&#8217;t get an accurate prediction of wind energy on your site.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Verify the <i>swept area</i> (the area that the blades sweep) of the wind generator.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">For horizontal-axis machines, the swept area equals the rotor radius (half of the diameter) squared times Pi (3.14 if your calculator doesn&#8217;t have a Pi button). For vertical-axis wind generators, take height times width for swept area; multiply that total by 0.65 for Darrieus-style vertical-axis turbines.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Multiply the swept area (in square feet) by the average wind speed cubed (in miles per hour), and divide that total by 32,000 for an estimate of average daily kWh production from a typical machine.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Multiply your final total by 30 to get your average monthly energy in kWh and 365 for annual energy in kWh.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Check this prediction against manufacturer claims or installer production estimates.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\"><b></b>If the manufacturer or installer claim is 50 percent or more above your estimate, the machine may possibly be <i>very</i> efficient, but you&#8217;re probably looking at an exaggerated claim.</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"One year","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-07T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209451},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:57:05+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-01T13:13:34+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:33+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917},{"name":"General Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"},"slug":"general-gardening","categoryId":33925}],"title":"Gardening Basics For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"gardening basics for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"gardening-basics-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Get ready for gardening with this handy Cheat Sheet, which includes plant hardiness zones, measurement conversions, fertilizers, and more.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"To have the garden of your dreams, make sure you pick the right plants for your hardiness zone and select the right fertilizers for your plants. If your garden is shady, this Cheat Sheet offers a list of plants made for the shade. When you're planning and measuring your garden use the handy conversion chart for metric and standard measurements.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_275476\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-275476\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/gardening-basics.jpg\" alt=\"gardening\" width=\"556\" height=\"344\" /> © Bobex-73 / Shutterstock.com[/caption]","description":"To have the garden of your dreams, make sure you pick the right plants for your hardiness zone and select the right fertilizers for your plants. If your garden is shady, this Cheat Sheet offers a list of plants made for the shade. When you're planning and measuring your garden use the handy conversion chart for metric and standard measurements.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_275476\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-275476\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/gardening-basics.jpg\" alt=\"gardening\" width=\"556\" height=\"344\" /> © Bobex-73 / Shutterstock.com[/caption]","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9155,"name":"Steven A. Frowine","slug":"steven-a-frowine","description":"Steven A. Frowine is a noted professional horticulturist and a longtime avid gardener and communicator. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9155"}},{"authorId":9156,"name":"The National Gardening Association","slug":"the-national-gardening-association","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9156"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33925,"title":"General Gardening","slug":"general-gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":206147,"title":"How to Divide Perennials","slug":"how-to-divide-perennials","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206147"}},{"articleId":200692,"title":"Choosing the Right Vines for Your Garden","slug":"choosing-the-right-vines-for-your-garden","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/200692"}},{"articleId":200542,"title":"Deciding Where to Put Your Water Garden","slug":"deciding-where-to-put-your-water-garden","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/200542"}},{"articleId":199075,"title":"Understanding the Benefits of Garden Mulch","slug":"understanding-the-benefits-of-garden-mulch","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/199075"}},{"articleId":199017,"title":"How to Choose a Garden Hose","slug":"how-to-choose-a-garden-hose","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/199017"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":236815,"title":"How to Grow and Care for Succulents","slug":"grow-care-succulents","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/236815"}},{"articleId":209364,"title":"Sustainable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"sustainable-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209364"}},{"articleId":209067,"title":"Gardening Basics For Canadians For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-basics-for-canadians-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209067"}},{"articleId":208914,"title":"Gardening All-in-One For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-all-in-one-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208914"}},{"articleId":206147,"title":"How to Divide Perennials","slug":"how-to-divide-perennials","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206147"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282222,"slug":"gardening-basics-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119782032","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119782031/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119782031/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119782031-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119782031/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119782031/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/gardening-basics-for-dummies-2nd-edition-cover-9781119782032-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Gardening Basics For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"","authors":[{"authorId":34784,"name":"","slug":"","description":" The <b>National Alliance For Youth Sports</b> provides a wide range of programs for coaches, administrators, officials, parents, and young athletes. <p><b>Greg Bach</b> is the Director of Communications for the Alliance.</p>","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/34784"}},{"authorId":35029,"name":"Steven A. Frowine","slug":"steven-a.-frowine","description":" <p><b>Steven A. Frowine</b> is a professional horticulturalist who grows more than 200 orchids in his Connecticut home. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/35029"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[{"title":"Making Things Grow","slug":"making-things-grow","collectionId":291872}],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;general-gardening&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119782032&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7d8586e\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;general-gardening&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119782032&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7d85fb0\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":193575,"title":"Gardening by USDA Plant Hardiness Zones","slug":"gardening-by-usda-plant-hardiness-zones","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/193575"}}],"content":[{"title":"Gardening by USDA Plant Hardiness Zones","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>When choosing plants for your garden, select the plants best suited to your climate. Know your <a href=\"https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zone</a> and use this chart to determine the time and length of your growing season. Of course, the climate is changing, and apparently, warming up, so you may be able to move a half or 1 zone colder and still be safe.</p>\n<table width=\"727\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Zone</strong></td>\n<td><strong>Minimum Temperature</strong><br />\n<strong>(°F/°C)</strong></td>\n<td><strong>Last Frost Date</strong></td>\n<td><strong>First Frost Date</strong></td>\n<td><strong>Typical Number of<br />\nFrost-Free Days</strong></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>1</td>\n<td>Below –50°F<br />\nBelow –46°C</td>\n<td>June 15</td>\n<td width=\"95\">July 15</td>\n<td>30</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2</td>\n<td>–50°F to –40°F<br />\n–46°C to –40°C</td>\n<td>May 15</td>\n<td width=\"95\">August 15</td>\n<td>90</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3</td>\n<td>–40°F to –30°F<br />\n–40°C to –34°C</td>\n<td>May 15</td>\n<td width=\"95\">September 15</td>\n<td>120</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4</td>\n<td>–30F to –20F<br />\n–34° to –29°C</td>\n<td>May 10</td>\n<td width=\"95\">September 15</td>\n<td>125</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5</td>\n<td>–20°F to –10°F<br />\n–29°C to –23°C</td>\n<td>April 30</td>\n<td width=\"95\">October 15</td>\n<td>165</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6</td>\n<td>–10°F to 0°F<br />\n–23°C to –18°C</td>\n<td>April 15</td>\n<td width=\"95\">October 15</td>\n<td>180</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7</td>\n<td>0°F to 10°F<br />\n–23°C to –12°C</td>\n<td>April 15</td>\n<td width=\"95\">October 15</td>\n<td>180</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8</td>\n<td>10°F to 20°F<br />\n–12°C to –7°C</td>\n<td>March 10</td>\n<td width=\"95\">November 15</td>\n<td>245</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9</td>\n<td>20°F to 30°F<br />\n–7°C to –1°C</td>\n<td>February 15</td>\n<td width=\"95\">December 15</td>\n<td>265</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10</td>\n<td>30°F to 40°F<br />\n–1°C to 4°C</td>\n<td>January 20</td>\n<td width=\"95\">December 20</td>\n<td>335</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>11</td>\n<td>40°F and up<br />\n4°C and up</td>\n<td>Frost free</td>\n<td width=\"95\">Frost free</td>\n<td>365</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n"},{"title":"Plants That Grow in the Shade","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Don’t fret if your garden gets more shade than sun; plenty of plants thrive in the shade. This chart names annuals and <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/flowers/how-to-grow-perennials-from-seed-205435/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">perennials</a> that do well in the shade, so keep this list handy and you can decide which plants you want for your shady garden oasis.</p>\n<table width=\"727\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Annuals</strong></td>\n<td><strong>Perennials</strong></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Wax begonia (<em>Begonia semperflorens-cultorum</em>)</td>\n<td>Bear’s breeches (<em>Acanthus mollis</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Amethyst flower (<em>Browallia</em>)</td>\n<td>Beebalm (Monarda didyma)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Canterbury bells (<em>Campanula medium</em>)</td>\n<td>Bellflower (<em>Campanula portenschlagiana</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Coleus (<em>Coleus spp.)</em></td>\n<td>Bergenia (<em>Bergenia crassifolia</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Impatiens <em>Impatiens spp</em>.)</td>\n<td>Bleeding heart (<em>Dicentra spectabilis</em>, recently changed to <em>Lamprocapnos spectabilis</em> )</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lobelia (<em>Lobelia ssp.)</em></td>\n<td>Columbine (<em>Aquilegia</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Monkey flower (<em>Mimulus</em>)</td>\n<td>False spirea <em>(Astilbe</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Forget-me-not (<em>Myosotis sylvatica</em>)</td>\n<td>Globeflower (<em>Trollius</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Flowering tobacco (<em>Nicotiana alata</em>)</td>\n<td>Hosta (<em>Hosta spp</em>.)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Love-in-a-mist (<em>Nigella damascena</em>)</td>\n<td>Lady’s mantle (<em>Alchemilla mollis</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Scarlet sage (<em>Salvia splendens</em>)</td>\n<td>Lungwort (<em>Pulmonaria</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Black-eyed Susan vine (<em>Thunbergia alata</em>)</td>\n<td>Meadow-rue (<em>Thalictrum</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Wishbone flower (<em>Torenia fournieri</em>)</td>\n<td>Siberian iris (<em>Iris sibirica</em>)</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n"},{"title":"Key Measurement Conversions for Gardening","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Surprisingly, a great deal of measuring goes into garden planning. If you need to change between metric and English (U.S. standard) units, use this basic conversion chart to make sense of it all when planning your garden.</p>\n<table width=\"727\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>T<strong>ype of Measurement</strong></td>\n<td><strong>Metric to English</strong></td>\n<td><strong>English to Metric</strong></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Distance</td>\n<td>1 centimeter = 0.4 inch</td>\n<td>1 inch = 2.5 centimeters</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>1 meter = 39 inches = 1.1 yards</td>\n<td>1 yard = 0.9 meter</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>1 kilometer = 0.6 mile</td>\n<td>1 mile = 1.6 kilometers</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Volume</td>\n<td>1 liter = 1.1 quarts</td>\n<td>1 quart = 0.9 liter</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mass/weight</td>\n<td>1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds</td>\n<td>1 pound = 0.4 kilogram</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td></td>\n<td>1 gram = 0.04 ounce</td>\n<td>1 ounce = 31 grams</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n"},{"title":"Fertilizers for Your Garden","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Fertilizing is an important part of gardening because given at the right time, fertilizers can really give your plants a boost. When you’re trying to decide on which fertilizer to use, keep this list handy to make sense of fertilizer terminology:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Complete fertilizers:</strong> These fertilizers contain all three macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).</li>\n<li><strong>Incomplete fertilizers:</strong> Incomplete fertilizers are missing one or more of the macronutrients, usually the P or the K.</li>\n<li><strong>Chelated micronutrients: </strong>If your plants don’t get nicely green (they remain mottled yellow and green, or just yellow), no matter how much nitrogen you apply, you probably have a deficiency of micronutrients — iron, manganese, or zinc. These fertilizers are in a form that allows a plant to absorb them more quickly than the more commonly available sulfated forms.</li>\n<li><strong>Organic fertilizers:</strong> <em>Organic</em> means these fertilizers derive their nutrients from something that was once alive. Examples include blood meal, fish emulsion, and manure.</li>\n<li><strong>Slow-release fertilizers:</strong> These fertilizers provide nutrients to plants at specific rates under particular conditions. Some slow-release fertilizers can deliver the benefits of their nutrients for as long as eight months.</li>\n<li><strong>Foliar fertilizers:</strong> Apply this plant food to leaves rather than to the roots (ground). You can use most liquid fertilizers as foliar fertilizers, but make sure the label says you can.</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-03-29T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209195},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T18:54:00+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-31T16:52:56+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:33+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917},{"name":"Flowers","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33920"},"slug":"flowers","categoryId":33920}],"title":"Month-By-Month: Chores for Northern Flower Gardeners","strippedTitle":"month-by-month: chores for northern flower gardeners","slug":"month-by-month-chores-for-northern-gardeners","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"If you live in the northern part of the United States, flower gardening involves different chores than for other regions of the country.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Gardeners in northern regions deal with warm summers and cold winters. But there is work to do in your garden through most of the year. Here is a month-by-month guide that keeps you in the gardening frame of mind, even through the dreary months of winter.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Winter</h2>\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>January:</b> Settle next to the fire with a stack of new seed catalogs. As you order seeds, think about where you want to plant new annuals and what color combinations you find appealing.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>February:</b> Prepare a space for starting seeds. Clear an area in a sunny window or set up fluorescent lights for seedlings to sprout and grow. Buy seed-starting trays or use old trays that you’ve cleaned with a dilute bleach solution and rinsed well. Providing bottom heat maintains an even, warm soil temperature and improves germination.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>March:</b> March through mid-April is seed-starting time in cold climates. Plan a seeding schedule — essential in short-season climates where you want to make every day count. Start by figuring when you want to move plants into the ground, and work backward to calculate the best time to sow the seeds indoors — four to eight weeks ahead of transplanting time, in most cases.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"article-tips tip\">Also see these month-by-month chores for gardeners in other U.S. regions: <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/general-gardening/month-by-month-chores-for-southern-gardeners-180823/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">southern</a>; <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/general-gardening/month-by-month-chores-for-gardeners-in-the-pacific-northwest-180824/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pacific Northwest</a>; <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/general-gardening/month-by-month-chores-for-desert-gardeners-at-extreme-altitudes-180858/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">desert at extreme altitudes</a>.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Spring</h2>\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>April:</b> You still have time to sow seeds indoors for transplanting next month. If your last-frost date falls around Memorial Day, sow seeds for all annuals, except fast-growing, tender plants (cosmos and zinnias, for example), by mid-April. If you live in warmer areas with milder winters, you can start sowing seeds of hardy annuals directly into the ground a couple weeks before the last frost date in their region.</p>\r\nIf it’s still cold in April where you live, wait until next month to direct-sow seeds. If you plant nothing else, sow sweet pea seeds as soon as the ground can be worked. Depending on your region, late April or May is the time to lay out beds and prepare the soil. Adjust the soil pH based on soil tests done in the fall. Amend the soil with a 2- or 3-inch layer of organic matter and a complete fertilizer.</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>May:</b> Early May is generally the best time to plant hardy annuals (seeds or transplants) in most areas — 10 to 14 days before the last frost is usually safe. Check local garden centers for ready-to-plant, cool-season annuals. Look for stocky, green plants when shopping at garden centers. Avoid plants with dead lower leaves and brown, overcrowded roots, as well as plants that are already flowering. Start transplanting tender annuals, such as impatiens, lobelia, and petunias, into the ground when frost danger has passed, the soil and air have warmed up, and the nights are no longer cold.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>June:</b> Continue planting tender annuals, and remember that newly planted seeds and transplants are vulnerable. Gardeners in cold, mountainous areas often wait until June 10 to plant the most tender plants, such as impatiens. Water if June is dry. Mulch to conserve water and slow weed growth. Pull off or pinch back fading blooms of cool-season annuals to extend their season of color.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>July:</b> Plants require extra water and nutrients to keep them at their peak in hot, dry weather. Container-bound plants, particularly, suffer from heat stress and usually need daily watering if they’re located in the sun. Container gardens quickly deplete soil nutrients; feed window boxes and pots with a liquid fertilizer every couple weeks. Continue feeding annuals to promote steady growth for the remainder of the summer. Stake taller plants. Deadhead flowers regularly. In hot climates, cool-season annuals probably have peaked, so pull them out.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>August:</b> In northern regions where the growing season is 90 to 110 days long, late July through early August is the garden’s peak. Continue to deadhead, water, and weed. Containers still need to be fertilized. Tidy beds and containers by pulling out plants that have passed their peak. Harvest flowers for drying and enjoy fresh-cut bouquets</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Autumn to Winter</h2>\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>September:</b> Be ready with row covers or blankets if an early frost is predicted and you still have tender plants in bloom. Use pots of asters, calendulas, and flowering kale to replace frosted or dying annuals. Collect seed pods, dried flowers, and grasses to make arrangements.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>October:</b> Pull out dead plants and add them to your compost pile. Take soil samples in the fall to know how to amend soil next spring. Use the results of the soil tests to gauge any adjustments that you need to make in soil pH and fertility.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>November through December:</b> Sharpen, clean, and oil your tools. Keep a record of any extra seed you have. Store the extra seed in an airtight container in a cool location; add packets of silica gel to absorb any moisture in the container. Build your own window boxes or trellises for next year. Build a cold frame for growing and hardening off your transplants. Seek inspiration for next year’s garden in books and magazines.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","description":"Gardeners in northern regions deal with warm summers and cold winters. But there is work to do in your garden through most of the year. Here is a month-by-month guide that keeps you in the gardening frame of mind, even through the dreary months of winter.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Winter</h2>\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>January:</b> Settle next to the fire with a stack of new seed catalogs. As you order seeds, think about where you want to plant new annuals and what color combinations you find appealing.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>February:</b> Prepare a space for starting seeds. Clear an area in a sunny window or set up fluorescent lights for seedlings to sprout and grow. Buy seed-starting trays or use old trays that you’ve cleaned with a dilute bleach solution and rinsed well. Providing bottom heat maintains an even, warm soil temperature and improves germination.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>March:</b> March through mid-April is seed-starting time in cold climates. Plan a seeding schedule — essential in short-season climates where you want to make every day count. Start by figuring when you want to move plants into the ground, and work backward to calculate the best time to sow the seeds indoors — four to eight weeks ahead of transplanting time, in most cases.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"article-tips tip\">Also see these month-by-month chores for gardeners in other U.S. regions: <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/general-gardening/month-by-month-chores-for-southern-gardeners-180823/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">southern</a>; <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/general-gardening/month-by-month-chores-for-gardeners-in-the-pacific-northwest-180824/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pacific Northwest</a>; <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/general-gardening/month-by-month-chores-for-desert-gardeners-at-extreme-altitudes-180858/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">desert at extreme altitudes</a>.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Spring</h2>\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>April:</b> You still have time to sow seeds indoors for transplanting next month. If your last-frost date falls around Memorial Day, sow seeds for all annuals, except fast-growing, tender plants (cosmos and zinnias, for example), by mid-April. If you live in warmer areas with milder winters, you can start sowing seeds of hardy annuals directly into the ground a couple weeks before the last frost date in their region.</p>\r\nIf it’s still cold in April where you live, wait until next month to direct-sow seeds. If you plant nothing else, sow sweet pea seeds as soon as the ground can be worked. Depending on your region, late April or May is the time to lay out beds and prepare the soil. Adjust the soil pH based on soil tests done in the fall. Amend the soil with a 2- or 3-inch layer of organic matter and a complete fertilizer.</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>May:</b> Early May is generally the best time to plant hardy annuals (seeds or transplants) in most areas — 10 to 14 days before the last frost is usually safe. Check local garden centers for ready-to-plant, cool-season annuals. Look for stocky, green plants when shopping at garden centers. Avoid plants with dead lower leaves and brown, overcrowded roots, as well as plants that are already flowering. Start transplanting tender annuals, such as impatiens, lobelia, and petunias, into the ground when frost danger has passed, the soil and air have warmed up, and the nights are no longer cold.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>June:</b> Continue planting tender annuals, and remember that newly planted seeds and transplants are vulnerable. Gardeners in cold, mountainous areas often wait until June 10 to plant the most tender plants, such as impatiens. Water if June is dry. Mulch to conserve water and slow weed growth. Pull off or pinch back fading blooms of cool-season annuals to extend their season of color.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>July:</b> Plants require extra water and nutrients to keep them at their peak in hot, dry weather. Container-bound plants, particularly, suffer from heat stress and usually need daily watering if they’re located in the sun. Container gardens quickly deplete soil nutrients; feed window boxes and pots with a liquid fertilizer every couple weeks. Continue feeding annuals to promote steady growth for the remainder of the summer. Stake taller plants. Deadhead flowers regularly. In hot climates, cool-season annuals probably have peaked, so pull them out.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>August:</b> In northern regions where the growing season is 90 to 110 days long, late July through early August is the garden’s peak. Continue to deadhead, water, and weed. Containers still need to be fertilized. Tidy beds and containers by pulling out plants that have passed their peak. Harvest flowers for drying and enjoy fresh-cut bouquets</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Autumn to Winter</h2>\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>September:</b> Be ready with row covers or blankets if an early frost is predicted and you still have tender plants in bloom. Use pots of asters, calendulas, and flowering kale to replace frosted or dying annuals. Collect seed pods, dried flowers, and grasses to make arrangements.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>October:</b> Pull out dead plants and add them to your compost pile. Take soil samples in the fall to know how to amend soil next spring. Use the results of the soil tests to gauge any adjustments that you need to make in soil pH and fertility.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>November through December:</b> Sharpen, clean, and oil your tools. Keep a record of any extra seed you have. Store the extra seed in an airtight container in a cool location; add packets of silica gel to absorb any moisture in the container. Build your own window boxes or trellises for next year. Build a cold frame for growing and hardening off your transplants. Seek inspiration for next year’s garden in books and magazines.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9156,"name":"The National Gardening Association","slug":"the-national-gardening-association","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9156"}},{"authorId":9163,"name":"Bob Beckstrom","slug":"bob-beckstrom","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9163"}},{"authorId":9164,"name":"Karan Davis Cutler","slug":"karan-davis-cutler","description":" <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association.<br/> <b>The National Gardening Association</b> is the leading garden&#45;based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at www.garden.org and www.kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9164"}},{"authorId":9165,"name":"Kathleen Fisher","slug":"kathleen-fisher","description":" <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association.<br/> <b>The National Gardening Association</b> is the leading garden&#45;based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at www.garden.org and www.kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9165"}},{"authorId":9166,"name":"Phillip Giroux","slug":"phillip-giroux","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9166"}},{"authorId":9167,"name":"Judy Glattstein","slug":"judy-glattstein","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9167"}},{"authorId":9168,"name":"Michael MacCaskey","slug":"michael-maccaskey","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9168"}},{"authorId":9169,"name":"Bill Marken","slug":"bill-marken","description":"Bill Marken is the author of the first edition of Container Gardening For Dummies and coauthor of the second edition.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9169"}},{"authorId":9170,"name":"Charlie Nardozzi","slug":"charlie-nardozzi","description":" <p><b>The National Gardening Association </b>is the leading garden-based educational organization in the United States. Visit http//:garden.org.</p> <p><b>Charlie Nardozzi</b> is a nationally recognized garden writer, radio and TV show host, consultant, and speaker. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun, and accessible to everyone.</p> ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9170"}},{"authorId":9171,"name":"Sally Roth","slug":"sally-roth","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9171"}},{"authorId":9172,"name":"Marcia Tatroe","slug":"marcia-tatroe","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9172"}},{"authorId":9157,"name":"Lance Walheim","slug":"lance-walheim","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9157"}},{"authorId":9173,"name":"Ann Whitman","slug":"ann-whitman","description":" <b>Ann Whitman</b> is the author of the first edition of <i>Organic Gardening For Dummies</i>. <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association, the leading garden-based educational nonprofit organization in the U.S. NGA's programs and initiatives highlight the opportunities for plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the country. These include award-winning Web sites garden.org and kidsgardening.org.</p> <p><b>The National Gardening Association (NGA)</b> is committed to sustaining and renewing the fundamental links between people, plants, and the earth. Founded in 1972 as &#8220;Gardens for All&#8221; to spearhead the community garden movement, today&#8217;s NGA promotes environmental responsibility, advances multidisciplinary learning and scientifi c literacy, and creates partnerships that restore and enhance communities.<br /> NGA is best known for its garden-based curricula, educational journals, international initiatives, and several youth garden grant programs. Together these reach more than 300,000 children nationwide each year. NGA&#8217;s Web sites, one for home gardeners and another for those who garden with kids, build community and offer a wealth of custom content.</p>","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9173"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33920,"title":"Flowers","slug":"flowers","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33920"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Winter","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Spring","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Autumn to Winter","target":"#tab3"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":242896,"title":"How to Care for an Orchid","slug":"how-to-care-for-an-orchid","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/242896"}},{"articleId":209458,"title":"Roses For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"roses-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209458"}},{"articleId":209249,"title":"Orchids for Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"orchids-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209249"}},{"articleId":205435,"title":"How to Grow Perennials from Seed","slug":"how-to-grow-perennials-from-seed","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/205435"}},{"articleId":201174,"title":"Identifying and Controlling Insects that Prey on Roses","slug":"identifying-and-controlling-insects-that-prey-on-roses","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","flowers"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/201174"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[{"title":"Making Things Grow","slug":"making-things-grow","collectionId":291872}],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;flowers&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7d703bd\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;flowers&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7d70be8\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-03-29T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":180857},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T18:54:01+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-31T16:48:38+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:33+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917},{"name":"General Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"},"slug":"general-gardening","categoryId":33925}],"title":"Month-by-Month: Chores for Desert Flower Gardeners at Extreme Altitudes","strippedTitle":"month-by-month: chores for desert flower gardeners at extreme altitudes","slug":"month-by-month-chores-for-desert-gardeners-at-extreme-altitudes","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"The Southwest deserts encompass mild-winter climates of the low-elevation deserts of Arizona and California. (The mountains of Arizona and New Mexico, as well a","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"The Southwest deserts encompass mild-winter climates of the low-elevation deserts of Arizona and California. (The mountains of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as west Texas, have a more typical cold-winter, summer-only season for growing annuals.)\r\n\r\nGlory time for annuals is late winter and early spring in low-desert Arizona, primarily around Phoenix and Tucson, and California’s Coachella Valley. This calendar starts in September to reflect the true beginning of the planting season:\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">If you live in a temperate, high-altitude climate, follow the <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/flowers/month-by-month-chores-for-northern-gardeners-180857\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">calendar recommendations for Northern gardeners</a>.</p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>September:</b> Prepare planting beds. Midmonth or later, set out nursery transplants for winter and spring bloom — maybe even by Christmas. Provide temporary shade during the hottest weather. Early in the month, you still have time to start annual flower seeds in flats or pots to transplant into the ground later in the fall. If summer annuals are still going strong, keep them watered thoroughly and fertilize every two or four weeks.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>October:</b> Continue to set out annuals for blooms before the end of the year. Water thoroughly after planting and provide temporary shade during extra-hot spells. Sow seeds of low-spreading annuals to cover bare spots in bulb beds. If your timing is good, everything will bloom all at once. Start regular feeding a few weeks after planting annuals.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>November:</b> You still have time to plant for winter and spring bloom. Cooler weather encourages a new crop of aphids, plus slugs and snails.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>December:</b> You still have time to plant seedlings. Watch your soil for signs of dryness, and water as needed.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>January:</b> After the holidays, nurseries stock up with blooming annuals in small pots. Shop for color that you can use right away in pots or in gaps in planting beds. Watch for aphids and take steps to control them. Pull or hoe seasonal weeds, or mulch beds with a layer of organic matter to smother weeds and weed seeds.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>February:</b> Cool-season annuals are peaking this month in the low desert. Maintain top performance by removing dead flowers, watering thoroughly, and feeding regularly. Start seeds of warm-season annuals indoors to transplant into the garden in four to six weeks. Prepare beds for spring planting.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>March:</b> In the low desert, transplant warm-season annuals. Pinch back at planting time and snip off flowers to encourage bushier growth. A few weeks after planting, fertilize young annuals and begin a regular (bi-weekly or monthly) fertilizing schedule.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>April:</b> Plant heat-loving annuals, such as marigolds and zinnias. Adjust the frequency of sprinkler systems as the weather heats up.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>May:</b> Spring flowers are winding down. Pull them out and replace them with heat-lovers. Pinch tips of young annuals for bushier growth.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>June:</b> This is your last chance to plant for summer blooms. Make sure that you choose from among the true heat-lovers: globe amaranth, salvia, and the most reliable of all, vinca rosea.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>July and August:</b> Water and mulch. You don’t do any planting at this time of year. Feed summer annuals regularly. Remove faded flowers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","description":"The Southwest deserts encompass mild-winter climates of the low-elevation deserts of Arizona and California. (The mountains of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as west Texas, have a more typical cold-winter, summer-only season for growing annuals.)\r\n\r\nGlory time for annuals is late winter and early spring in low-desert Arizona, primarily around Phoenix and Tucson, and California’s Coachella Valley. This calendar starts in September to reflect the true beginning of the planting season:\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">If you live in a temperate, high-altitude climate, follow the <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/garden-green-living/gardening/flowers/month-by-month-chores-for-northern-gardeners-180857\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">calendar recommendations for Northern gardeners</a>.</p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>September:</b> Prepare planting beds. Midmonth or later, set out nursery transplants for winter and spring bloom — maybe even by Christmas. Provide temporary shade during the hottest weather. Early in the month, you still have time to start annual flower seeds in flats or pots to transplant into the ground later in the fall. If summer annuals are still going strong, keep them watered thoroughly and fertilize every two or four weeks.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>October:</b> Continue to set out annuals for blooms before the end of the year. Water thoroughly after planting and provide temporary shade during extra-hot spells. Sow seeds of low-spreading annuals to cover bare spots in bulb beds. If your timing is good, everything will bloom all at once. Start regular feeding a few weeks after planting annuals.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>November:</b> You still have time to plant for winter and spring bloom. Cooler weather encourages a new crop of aphids, plus slugs and snails.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>December:</b> You still have time to plant seedlings. Watch your soil for signs of dryness, and water as needed.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>January:</b> After the holidays, nurseries stock up with blooming annuals in small pots. Shop for color that you can use right away in pots or in gaps in planting beds. Watch for aphids and take steps to control them. Pull or hoe seasonal weeds, or mulch beds with a layer of organic matter to smother weeds and weed seeds.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>February:</b> Cool-season annuals are peaking this month in the low desert. Maintain top performance by removing dead flowers, watering thoroughly, and feeding regularly. Start seeds of warm-season annuals indoors to transplant into the garden in four to six weeks. Prepare beds for spring planting.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>March:</b> In the low desert, transplant warm-season annuals. Pinch back at planting time and snip off flowers to encourage bushier growth. A few weeks after planting, fertilize young annuals and begin a regular (bi-weekly or monthly) fertilizing schedule.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>April:</b> Plant heat-loving annuals, such as marigolds and zinnias. Adjust the frequency of sprinkler systems as the weather heats up.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>May:</b> Spring flowers are winding down. Pull them out and replace them with heat-lovers. Pinch tips of young annuals for bushier growth.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>June:</b> This is your last chance to plant for summer blooms. Make sure that you choose from among the true heat-lovers: globe amaranth, salvia, and the most reliable of all, vinca rosea.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>July and August:</b> Water and mulch. You don’t do any planting at this time of year. Feed summer annuals regularly. Remove faded flowers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9156,"name":"The National Gardening Association","slug":"the-national-gardening-association","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9156"}},{"authorId":9163,"name":"Bob Beckstrom","slug":"bob-beckstrom","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9163"}},{"authorId":9164,"name":"Karan Davis Cutler","slug":"karan-davis-cutler","description":" <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association.<br/> <b>The National Gardening Association</b> is the leading garden&#45;based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at www.garden.org and www.kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9164"}},{"authorId":9165,"name":"Kathleen Fisher","slug":"kathleen-fisher","description":" <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association.<br/> <b>The National Gardening Association</b> is the leading garden&#45;based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at www.garden.org and www.kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9165"}},{"authorId":9166,"name":"Phillip Giroux","slug":"phillip-giroux","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9166"}},{"authorId":9167,"name":"Judy Glattstein","slug":"judy-glattstein","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9167"}},{"authorId":9168,"name":"Michael MacCaskey","slug":"michael-maccaskey","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9168"}},{"authorId":9169,"name":"Bill Marken","slug":"bill-marken","description":"Bill Marken is the author of the first edition of Container Gardening For Dummies and coauthor of the second edition.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9169"}},{"authorId":9170,"name":"Charlie Nardozzi","slug":"charlie-nardozzi","description":" <p><b>The National Gardening Association </b>is the leading garden-based educational organization in the United States. Visit http//:garden.org.</p> <p><b>Charlie Nardozzi</b> is a nationally recognized garden writer, radio and TV show host, consultant, and speaker. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun, and accessible to everyone.</p> ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9170"}},{"authorId":9171,"name":"Sally Roth","slug":"sally-roth","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9171"}},{"authorId":9172,"name":"Marcia Tatroe","slug":"marcia-tatroe","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9172"}},{"authorId":9157,"name":"Lance Walheim","slug":"lance-walheim","description":"","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9157"}},{"authorId":9173,"name":"Ann Whitman","slug":"ann-whitman","description":" <b>Ann Whitman</b> is the author of the first edition of <i>Organic Gardening For Dummies</i>. <p><b>Suzanne DeJohn</b> is an editor with the National Gardening Association, the leading garden-based educational nonprofit organization in the U.S. NGA's programs and initiatives highlight the opportunities for plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the country. These include award-winning Web sites garden.org and kidsgardening.org.</p> <p><b>The National Gardening Association (NGA)</b> is committed to sustaining and renewing the fundamental links between people, plants, and the earth. Founded in 1972 as &#8220;Gardens for All&#8221; to spearhead the community garden movement, today&#8217;s NGA promotes environmental responsibility, advances multidisciplinary learning and scientifi c literacy, and creates partnerships that restore and enhance communities.<br /> NGA is best known for its garden-based curricula, educational journals, international initiatives, and several youth garden grant programs. Together these reach more than 300,000 children nationwide each year. NGA&#8217;s Web sites, one for home gardeners and another for those who garden with kids, build community and offer a wealth of custom content.</p>","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9173"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33925,"title":"General Gardening","slug":"general-gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":236815,"title":"How to Grow and Care for Succulents","slug":"grow-care-succulents","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/236815"}},{"articleId":209364,"title":"Sustainable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"sustainable-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209364"}},{"articleId":209195,"title":"Gardening Basics For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-basics-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209195"}},{"articleId":209067,"title":"Gardening Basics For Canadians For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-basics-for-canadians-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209067"}},{"articleId":208914,"title":"Gardening All-in-One For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"gardening-all-in-one-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","general-gardening"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208914"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;general-gardening&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7d6a037\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;general-gardening&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7d6a7db\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-03-31T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":180858},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:45:44+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-31T15:38:47+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:33+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Sustainability","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33928"},"slug":"sustainability","categoryId":33928},{"name":"Composting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33929"},"slug":"composting","categoryId":33929}],"title":"Making Compost ― Black Gold for Your Organic Garden","strippedTitle":"making compost ― black gold for your organic garden","slug":"making-compost-black-gold-for-your-organic-garden","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Compost is like black gold because, if tended to properly, is free, organic and the best way to create healthy garden soil.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"The best and most refined of organic matters is <i>compost,</i> which is organic matter and/or manures that have decomposed until they resemble loamy soil.\r\n\r\nThoroughly decomposed compost contains lots of <em>humus</em> — the beneficial, soil-improving material your plants need. Whether the original source was grass clippings, sawdust, animal manure, or vegetable scraps from your kitchen, all organic matter eventually becomes compost.\r\n\r\nMaking your own compost is probably the simplest way to ensure high quality compost and save some money. It's really not as complicated as you may think: The many commercial composting bins and containers on the market make it a mess-free and hassle-free process.\r\n\r\nA well-constructed compost pile — built with the proper dimensions and maintained correctly — heats up fast; decomposes uniformly and quickly; kills many diseases, insects, and weed seeds; doesn't smell; and is easy to turn and maintain. Conversely, a pile just thrown together rarely heats up and, therefore, takes longer to decompose. This type of <i>cold composting</i> doesn't kill any diseases, insects, or weed seeds; may smell bad; and definitely looks messy.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Containing your compost pile makes it look neater, helps you maintain the correct moisture, and prevents animals from getting into it. You can build your own, as shown in Figure 1, or buy a commercial home composting unit.</p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"figure\"><img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/0-07645-5320-8_0402.jpg\" border=\"0\" /></div>\r\n<span class=\"caption\"><b>Figure 1:</b> Build a simple wooden bin to hold your compost pile.</span>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">The advantages of a commercial composter include the availability of a wide range of attractive sizes and shapes and ease of use. Choose from box-shaped plastic and wooden bins and barrels or elevated and easy-to-turn tumblers, as shown in Figure 2.</p>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Store-bought bins are costly, however, and produce only small quantities of compost at a time, especially compared to a homemade bin that's built from scrap lumber or wire.</p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"figure\"><img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/0-07645-5320-8_0403.jpg\" border=\"0\" /></div>\r\n<span class=\"caption\"><b>Figure 2:</b> Commercial composters help you make compost yourself.</span>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >How to build a good compost pile</h2>\r\nHere's how you build a good compost pile:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Choose a shady location. </strong>Make it out of the way, but still within view so that you don't forget about the pile. The soil under it should be well drained.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Make a bin</strong>. Create a wire cylinder that's 3- to 4-feet in diameter or build a three-sided box (similar to the one in Figure 1), that's 4 to 5-feet high and wide.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Add brown materials</strong>. Add a 6-inch layer of \"brown\" organic matter — such as hay, straw, old leaves, and sawdust — to the bottom of the container.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Add green materials.</strong> Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of \"green\" organic matter, such as green grass clippings, manure, table scraps, or even high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as cottonseed meal, on top of the brown layer.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Repeat these layers. </strong>Water each layer as you go, until the pile is 4 to 5-feet tall and fills the bin. A smaller pile won't heat up well and a larger pile can be difficult to manage.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Within two days, mix the layers together thoroughly</strong>. Particle size should be varied, smaller particles hasten decomposition.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Cover the pile with a tarp. </strong>This keeps rain away and preserves moisture. If the pile gets too soggy or too dry, it won't heat up.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >What to add, and what not to add</h2>\r\nNot all organic matter is good for the compost pile. Following, is a look at what to add to a pile, including ratios, and what not to add.\r\n<h3>What to add to the pile or composter</h3>\r\nWhat you put in the compost pile is up to you — just remember that it needs to be from an organic material. Here's a short list of possibilities:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Hay, straw, pine needles</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Leaves</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Kitchen scraps (egg shells, old bread, vegetable and fruit scraps)</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Animal manure, except for dog, cat, pig, or human</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Old vegetables, flowers, or trimmings from trees and shrubs</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Sawdust</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Wood chips</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Weeds</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Shredded black-and-white newspaper. (In the past, color printing used heavy metals in the ink. Most color printing now uses soy-based inks, but it's better to avoid them in the garden altogether to be on the safe side.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>What not to add</h3>\r\nSome items don't belong in your compost pile. While hot compost piles can kill off many diseases, weed seeds, and insects, it's not a sure thing, and some of these unpleasant guests may survive to invade your garden again. Certain materials can also invite unwanted wildlife to the pile or spread human diseases.\r\n\r\nAvoid adding the following to your compost bin:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Kitchen scraps like meats, oils, fish, dairy products, and bones. They attract unwanted animals, such as rats and raccoons, to the pile.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Weeds that have gone to seed or that spread by their roots, such as quackgrass</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Diseased or insect-infested vegetable or flower plants</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Herbicide-treated grass clippings or weeds</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Dog, cat, or pig feces</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Ratios for adding materials to the compost pile</h3>\r\nIn composting corners, you often hear about the c<i>arbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio.</i> Basically, all organic matter can be divided into carbon-rich (brown stuff) and nitrogen-rich (green stuff) materials. Using the right mixture of brown to green stuff when building a compost pile encourages the pile to heat up and decompose efficiently.\r\n\r\nAlthough nearly any combination of organic materials eventually decomposes, for the fastest and most efficient compost pile in town, strike the correct balance (C/N ratio) between the two types of material — usually 25 to 1 (that is, 25 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen).\r\n\r\nTable 1 shows which common compost materials are high in carbon and which materials are high in nitrogen. Notice that the softer materials, such as fresh grass clippings, tend to be higher in nitrogen than hard materials, such as sawdust. Mix these together to form a pile with an average C/N ratio of 25-to-1 to 30-to-1, and you'll be well on your way to beautiful compost.\r\n\r\nUse the following carbon/nitrogen ratios as guidelines. Actual ratios vary depending on the sources of the materials and other factors. And speaking of sources — be sure that your compost materials haven't been contaminated with pesticides or other chemicals.\r\n<table class=\"article-table\" border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"7\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\"><b><i>Material and C/N Ratio</i></b>\r\n\r\nTable scraps, 15:1\r\n\r\nGrass clippings, 19:1\r\n\r\nOld manure, 20:1\r\n\r\nFresh alfalfa hay, 12:1\r\n\r\nFruit waste, 25:1\r\n\r\nCorn stalks, 60:1\r\n\r\nOld leaves, 80:1\r\n\r\nStraw, 80:1\r\n\r\nPaper, 170:1\r\n\r\nSawdust, 500:1\r\n\r\nWood, 700:1</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Quick and easy compost recipes</h2>\r\nTo make the most compost in the shortest amount of time, try some of these proven recipes. For each recipe, mix the ingredients thoroughly and follow the directions in the next section. Depending on weather and compost ingredients, you should have ready-to-use compost within one to two months.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Recipe #1:</b> Four parts kitchen scraps from fruits and vegetables, 2 parts chicken or cow manure, 1 part shredded newspaper (black ink only), and 1 part shredded dry leaves.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Recipe #2:</b> Two parts kitchen scraps, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Recipe #3:</b> Two parts grass clippings, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab4\" >Keeping your compost pile happy</h2>\r\nA hot pile is a happy pile. If you follow the method of just throwing everything together, the pile will rarely heat up. If you follow the method of building the pile carefully with a balanced C/N ratio, the pile will start to cook within a week. Now you need to keep it cooking. Here's the procedure:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Keep the pile moist by periodically watering it</strong>. Dig into the pile about 1 foot to see if it's moist. If not, water the pile thoroughly, but not so that it's soggy. The pile needs air, too, and adding too much water removes air spaces. If you built the pile with moist ingredients, such as kitchen scraps, it won't need watering at first.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Turn the pile when it cools down</strong>. Using a garden fork, remove the outside layers and put them aside. Remove the inside layers into another pile and then switch. Place the outside layers in the center of the new pile and the inside layers along the outside of the new pile.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Let it cook again</strong>. How hot it gets and how long it cooks depends on the ratio of C/N materials in the pile and whether you have the correct moisture levels.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>When it's cool, turn it again</strong>.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p class=\"article-list\">You should have finished compost after two to three turnings. The finished product should be cool, crumbly, dark colored, and earthy smelling.</p>\r\nSometimes, a compost pile never heats up, smells bad, or contains pieces of undecomposed materials. Chances are that one of the following conditions occurred:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The pile was too wet or dry.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>You added too many carbon materials and not enough nitrogen materials.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The pieces of material were too big or packed together. Shred leaves, branches, and pieces of wood to decompose more quickly.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The pile was too small.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nYou can find lots of compost aids on the market. <i>Bioactivators</i> — packages of concentrated microbes — are one of the most popular because they can speed the decomposition process. These microbes occur naturally, however, and many are already present in a well-constructed compost pile. Save your money and use microbe-rich compost materials instead.","description":"The best and most refined of organic matters is <i>compost,</i> which is organic matter and/or manures that have decomposed until they resemble loamy soil.\r\n\r\nThoroughly decomposed compost contains lots of <em>humus</em> — the beneficial, soil-improving material your plants need. Whether the original source was grass clippings, sawdust, animal manure, or vegetable scraps from your kitchen, all organic matter eventually becomes compost.\r\n\r\nMaking your own compost is probably the simplest way to ensure high quality compost and save some money. It's really not as complicated as you may think: The many commercial composting bins and containers on the market make it a mess-free and hassle-free process.\r\n\r\nA well-constructed compost pile — built with the proper dimensions and maintained correctly — heats up fast; decomposes uniformly and quickly; kills many diseases, insects, and weed seeds; doesn't smell; and is easy to turn and maintain. Conversely, a pile just thrown together rarely heats up and, therefore, takes longer to decompose. This type of <i>cold composting</i> doesn't kill any diseases, insects, or weed seeds; may smell bad; and definitely looks messy.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Containing your compost pile makes it look neater, helps you maintain the correct moisture, and prevents animals from getting into it. You can build your own, as shown in Figure 1, or buy a commercial home composting unit.</p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"figure\"><img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/0-07645-5320-8_0402.jpg\" border=\"0\" /></div>\r\n<span class=\"caption\"><b>Figure 1:</b> Build a simple wooden bin to hold your compost pile.</span>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">The advantages of a commercial composter include the availability of a wide range of attractive sizes and shapes and ease of use. Choose from box-shaped plastic and wooden bins and barrels or elevated and easy-to-turn tumblers, as shown in Figure 2.</p>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Store-bought bins are costly, however, and produce only small quantities of compost at a time, especially compared to a homemade bin that's built from scrap lumber or wire.</p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"figure\"><img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/0-07645-5320-8_0403.jpg\" border=\"0\" /></div>\r\n<span class=\"caption\"><b>Figure 2:</b> Commercial composters help you make compost yourself.</span>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >How to build a good compost pile</h2>\r\nHere's how you build a good compost pile:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Choose a shady location. </strong>Make it out of the way, but still within view so that you don't forget about the pile. The soil under it should be well drained.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Make a bin</strong>. Create a wire cylinder that's 3- to 4-feet in diameter or build a three-sided box (similar to the one in Figure 1), that's 4 to 5-feet high and wide.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Add brown materials</strong>. Add a 6-inch layer of \"brown\" organic matter — such as hay, straw, old leaves, and sawdust — to the bottom of the container.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Add green materials.</strong> Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of \"green\" organic matter, such as green grass clippings, manure, table scraps, or even high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as cottonseed meal, on top of the brown layer.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Repeat these layers. </strong>Water each layer as you go, until the pile is 4 to 5-feet tall and fills the bin. A smaller pile won't heat up well and a larger pile can be difficult to manage.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Within two days, mix the layers together thoroughly</strong>. Particle size should be varied, smaller particles hasten decomposition.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Cover the pile with a tarp. </strong>This keeps rain away and preserves moisture. If the pile gets too soggy or too dry, it won't heat up.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >What to add, and what not to add</h2>\r\nNot all organic matter is good for the compost pile. Following, is a look at what to add to a pile, including ratios, and what not to add.\r\n<h3>What to add to the pile or composter</h3>\r\nWhat you put in the compost pile is up to you — just remember that it needs to be from an organic material. Here's a short list of possibilities:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Hay, straw, pine needles</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Leaves</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Kitchen scraps (egg shells, old bread, vegetable and fruit scraps)</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Animal manure, except for dog, cat, pig, or human</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Old vegetables, flowers, or trimmings from trees and shrubs</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Sawdust</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Wood chips</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Weeds</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Shredded black-and-white newspaper. (In the past, color printing used heavy metals in the ink. Most color printing now uses soy-based inks, but it's better to avoid them in the garden altogether to be on the safe side.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>What not to add</h3>\r\nSome items don't belong in your compost pile. While hot compost piles can kill off many diseases, weed seeds, and insects, it's not a sure thing, and some of these unpleasant guests may survive to invade your garden again. Certain materials can also invite unwanted wildlife to the pile or spread human diseases.\r\n\r\nAvoid adding the following to your compost bin:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Kitchen scraps like meats, oils, fish, dairy products, and bones. They attract unwanted animals, such as rats and raccoons, to the pile.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Weeds that have gone to seed or that spread by their roots, such as quackgrass</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Diseased or insect-infested vegetable or flower plants</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Herbicide-treated grass clippings or weeds</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"article-ul2\">Dog, cat, or pig feces</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Ratios for adding materials to the compost pile</h3>\r\nIn composting corners, you often hear about the c<i>arbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio.</i> Basically, all organic matter can be divided into carbon-rich (brown stuff) and nitrogen-rich (green stuff) materials. Using the right mixture of brown to green stuff when building a compost pile encourages the pile to heat up and decompose efficiently.\r\n\r\nAlthough nearly any combination of organic materials eventually decomposes, for the fastest and most efficient compost pile in town, strike the correct balance (C/N ratio) between the two types of material — usually 25 to 1 (that is, 25 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen).\r\n\r\nTable 1 shows which common compost materials are high in carbon and which materials are high in nitrogen. Notice that the softer materials, such as fresh grass clippings, tend to be higher in nitrogen than hard materials, such as sawdust. Mix these together to form a pile with an average C/N ratio of 25-to-1 to 30-to-1, and you'll be well on your way to beautiful compost.\r\n\r\nUse the following carbon/nitrogen ratios as guidelines. Actual ratios vary depending on the sources of the materials and other factors. And speaking of sources — be sure that your compost materials haven't been contaminated with pesticides or other chemicals.\r\n<table class=\"article-table\" border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"7\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr class=\"article-table-row\">\r\n<td valign=\"top\"><b><i>Material and C/N Ratio</i></b>\r\n\r\nTable scraps, 15:1\r\n\r\nGrass clippings, 19:1\r\n\r\nOld manure, 20:1\r\n\r\nFresh alfalfa hay, 12:1\r\n\r\nFruit waste, 25:1\r\n\r\nCorn stalks, 60:1\r\n\r\nOld leaves, 80:1\r\n\r\nStraw, 80:1\r\n\r\nPaper, 170:1\r\n\r\nSawdust, 500:1\r\n\r\nWood, 700:1</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Quick and easy compost recipes</h2>\r\nTo make the most compost in the shortest amount of time, try some of these proven recipes. For each recipe, mix the ingredients thoroughly and follow the directions in the next section. Depending on weather and compost ingredients, you should have ready-to-use compost within one to two months.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Recipe #1:</b> Four parts kitchen scraps from fruits and vegetables, 2 parts chicken or cow manure, 1 part shredded newspaper (black ink only), and 1 part shredded dry leaves.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Recipe #2:</b> Two parts kitchen scraps, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Recipe #3:</b> Two parts grass clippings, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab4\" >Keeping your compost pile happy</h2>\r\nA hot pile is a happy pile. If you follow the method of just throwing everything together, the pile will rarely heat up. If you follow the method of building the pile carefully with a balanced C/N ratio, the pile will start to cook within a week. Now you need to keep it cooking. Here's the procedure:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Keep the pile moist by periodically watering it</strong>. Dig into the pile about 1 foot to see if it's moist. If not, water the pile thoroughly, but not so that it's soggy. The pile needs air, too, and adding too much water removes air spaces. If you built the pile with moist ingredients, such as kitchen scraps, it won't need watering at first.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Turn the pile when it cools down</strong>. Using a garden fork, remove the outside layers and put them aside. Remove the inside layers into another pile and then switch. Place the outside layers in the center of the new pile and the inside layers along the outside of the new pile.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>Let it cook again</strong>. How hot it gets and how long it cooks depends on the ratio of C/N materials in the pile and whether you have the correct moisture levels.</li>\r\n \t<li class=\"number\"><strong>When it's cool, turn it again</strong>.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p class=\"article-list\">You should have finished compost after two to three turnings. The finished product should be cool, crumbly, dark colored, and earthy smelling.</p>\r\nSometimes, a compost pile never heats up, smells bad, or contains pieces of undecomposed materials. Chances are that one of the following conditions occurred:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The pile was too wet or dry.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>You added too many carbon materials and not enough nitrogen materials.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The pieces of material were too big or packed together. Shred leaves, branches, and pieces of wood to decompose more quickly.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The pile was too small.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nYou can find lots of compost aids on the market. <i>Bioactivators</i> — packages of concentrated microbes — are one of the most popular because they can speed the decomposition process. These microbes occur naturally, however, and many are already present in a well-constructed compost pile. Save your money and use microbe-rich compost materials instead.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33929,"title":"Composting","slug":"composting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33929"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33922,"title":"Organic Gardening","slug":"organic","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33922"}},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"How to build a good compost pile","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"What to add, and what not to add","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Quick and easy compost recipes","target":"#tab3"},{"label":"Keeping your compost pile happy","target":"#tab4"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":209266,"title":"Composting For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"composting-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","composting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209266"}},{"articleId":194188,"title":"Benefits of Adding Compost to Your Garden","slug":"benefits-of-adding-compost-to-your-garden","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","composting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194188"}},{"articleId":194186,"title":"Mix in Brown and Green Compost Ingredients","slug":"mix-in-brown-and-green-compost-ingredients","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","composting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194186"}},{"articleId":194184,"title":"Surefire Tips for Speedy Compost","slug":"surefire-tips-for-speedy-compost","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","composting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194184"}},{"articleId":194180,"title":"Items to Keep Out of Your Compost","slug":"items-to-keep-out-of-your-compost","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","sustainability","composting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194180"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[{"title":"Making Things Grow","slug":"making-things-grow","collectionId":291872}],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;sustainability&quot;,&quot;composting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7d556f3\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;sustainability&quot;,&quot;composting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7d55e75\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-03-30T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":199862},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:39:17+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-30T17:42:30+00:00","timestamp":"2022-06-22T19:37:32+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917},{"name":"Organic Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33922"},"slug":"organic","categoryId":33922}],"title":"Using Botanical Pesticides in Your Garden","strippedTitle":"using botanical pesticides in your garden","slug":"using-botanical-pesticides-in-your-organic-garden","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn about botanical pesticides that can be used in your garden, including their potential hazards to people and animals.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Insect and disease killers that come from plant extracts are called <i>botanical pesticides</i> or <i>botanicals.</i> Although derived from natural sources, botanicals are not necessarily safer or less toxic to non-pest insects, humans, and animals than synthetically derived pesticides. In fact, most botanicals are broad-spectrum insecticides, which kill both good and bad bugs indiscriminately.\r\n\r\nSome botanicals cause allergic reactions in people, others are highly toxic to fish and animals, and some may even cause cancer. All pesticides — including botanicals — should be used only as a last resort after thoroughly reading the label on the package. The pesticides in this section are listed from least to most toxic to humans.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Hot pepper wax and powder: </b> The chemical <i>capsaicin</i> causes the heat in hot peppers and it's the active ingredient in these useful botanical products. In low doses, such as found in ready-to-use sprays and dusts, hot pepper wax repels most common insect pests from vegetables and ornamental plants. It doesn't cause the fruit or vegetables to become spicy hot, but instead stays on the surface of the plant where it remains effective for up to three weeks. Stronger commercial formulations kill insects as well as repel them. Hot pepper wax is even reportedly effective in repelling rabbits and tree squirrels.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Neem:</b> This pesticide is made from the seeds of the tropical neem tree, <i>Azadirachta indica,</i> and it comes in two forms — azadirachtin solution and neem oil. Unlike the other botanical insecticides in this section, neem does not poison insects outright. Instead, when insects eat the active ingredient, it interrupts their ability to develop and grow to their next life stage or lay eggs. It also deters insects from feeding and is effective against aphids, thrips, fungus gnats, caterpillars, beetles, leafminers, and others. Amazingly, plants can absorb neem so that any insects that feed on them may be killed or deterred from feeding.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>Neem breaks down in the presence of sun and soil within a week or so. To discourage insects from eating your plants, spray neem before you see a large infestation. The product Safer BioNeem contains azadirachtin solution.</ul>\r\n<ul>Neem oil, the other seed extract, also works against some plant leaf diseases, such as black spot on roses, powdery mildew, and rust diseases. Mix the syrupy solution with a soapy emulsifier to help it spread and stick to the plants. The neem oil products called Rose Defense and Fruit & Vegetable Defense (from Green Light) control insects, mites, and leaf diseases.</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Pyrethrins:</b> These insecticidal compounds occur naturally in the flowers of some species of chrysanthemum plants. The toxins penetrate the insects' nervous system, quickly causing paralysis. In high enough doses or in combination with other pesticides, the insects die. Powerful synthetic compounds that imitate the natural chrysanthemum compounds are called <i>pyrethroids.</i> Pyrethroids are not approved for use in organic farms and gardens. Also avoid any pyrethrins that list \"piperonyl butoxoid\" on the label. This additive is not approved for organic use.\r\n\r\nThe compound breaks down rapidly when exposed to sun and air and becomes less effective if stored for longer than one year. Many commercial products contain pyrethrins.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"article-tips warning\">Although relatively harmless to humans, pyrethrins are very highly toxic to fish and bees and moderately toxic to birds. It kills both beneficial and pest insects. To keep bees safe, spray pyrethrins in the evening after bees have returned to their hives for the night and avoid spraying blooming plants.</p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Ryania:</b> This pesticide comes from the tropical <i>Ryania speciosa</i> plant. Although it controls fruit and codling moths, corn earworm, European corn borer, and citrus thrips, it is also moderately toxic to humans, fish, and birds. It is very toxic to dogs. Seek other botanical pesticides before considering ryania.</li>\r\n \t<li><b>Sabadilla:</b> Made from the seeds of a tropical plant, sabadilla is a powerful broad-spectrum insect killer. It's especially useful for controlling thrips, aphids, flea beetles, and tarnished plant bugs, but it also kills bees and other beneficial insects, and some people have severe allergic reactions to the chemical. Use it only as a last resort.</li>\r\n</ul>","description":"Insect and disease killers that come from plant extracts are called <i>botanical pesticides</i> or <i>botanicals.</i> Although derived from natural sources, botanicals are not necessarily safer or less toxic to non-pest insects, humans, and animals than synthetically derived pesticides. In fact, most botanicals are broad-spectrum insecticides, which kill both good and bad bugs indiscriminately.\r\n\r\nSome botanicals cause allergic reactions in people, others are highly toxic to fish and animals, and some may even cause cancer. All pesticides — including botanicals — should be used only as a last resort after thoroughly reading the label on the package. The pesticides in this section are listed from least to most toxic to humans.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Hot pepper wax and powder: </b> The chemical <i>capsaicin</i> causes the heat in hot peppers and it's the active ingredient in these useful botanical products. In low doses, such as found in ready-to-use sprays and dusts, hot pepper wax repels most common insect pests from vegetables and ornamental plants. It doesn't cause the fruit or vegetables to become spicy hot, but instead stays on the surface of the plant where it remains effective for up to three weeks. Stronger commercial formulations kill insects as well as repel them. Hot pepper wax is even reportedly effective in repelling rabbits and tree squirrels.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Neem:</b> This pesticide is made from the seeds of the tropical neem tree, <i>Azadirachta indica,</i> and it comes in two forms — azadirachtin solution and neem oil. Unlike the other botanical insecticides in this section, neem does not poison insects outright. Instead, when insects eat the active ingredient, it interrupts their ability to develop and grow to their next life stage or lay eggs. It also deters insects from feeding and is effective against aphids, thrips, fungus gnats, caterpillars, beetles, leafminers, and others. Amazingly, plants can absorb neem so that any insects that feed on them may be killed or deterred from feeding.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>Neem breaks down in the presence of sun and soil within a week or so. To discourage insects from eating your plants, spray neem before you see a large infestation. The product Safer BioNeem contains azadirachtin solution.</ul>\r\n<ul>Neem oil, the other seed extract, also works against some plant leaf diseases, such as black spot on roses, powdery mildew, and rust diseases. Mix the syrupy solution with a soapy emulsifier to help it spread and stick to the plants. The neem oil products called Rose Defense and Fruit & Vegetable Defense (from Green Light) control insects, mites, and leaf diseases.</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Pyrethrins:</b> These insecticidal compounds occur naturally in the flowers of some species of chrysanthemum plants. The toxins penetrate the insects' nervous system, quickly causing paralysis. In high enough doses or in combination with other pesticides, the insects die. Powerful synthetic compounds that imitate the natural chrysanthemum compounds are called <i>pyrethroids.</i> Pyrethroids are not approved for use in organic farms and gardens. Also avoid any pyrethrins that list \"piperonyl butoxoid\" on the label. This additive is not approved for organic use.\r\n\r\nThe compound breaks down rapidly when exposed to sun and air and becomes less effective if stored for longer than one year. Many commercial products contain pyrethrins.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"article-tips warning\">Although relatively harmless to humans, pyrethrins are very highly toxic to fish and bees and moderately toxic to birds. It kills both beneficial and pest insects. To keep bees safe, spray pyrethrins in the evening after bees have returned to their hives for the night and avoid spraying blooming plants.</p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Ryania:</b> This pesticide comes from the tropical <i>Ryania speciosa</i> plant. Although it controls fruit and codling moths, corn earworm, European corn borer, and citrus thrips, it is also moderately toxic to humans, fish, and birds. It is very toxic to dogs. Seek other botanical pesticides before considering ryania.</li>\r\n \t<li><b>Sabadilla:</b> Made from the seeds of a tropical plant, sabadilla is a powerful broad-spectrum insect killer. It's especially useful for controlling thrips, aphids, flea beetles, and tarnished plant bugs, but it also kills bees and other beneficial insects, and some people have severe allergic reactions to the chemical. Use it only as a last resort.</li>\r\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33922,"title":"Organic Gardening","slug":"organic","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33922"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":208347,"title":"Organic Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"organic-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","organic"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208347"}},{"articleId":202614,"title":"Fertilizing Naturally and Organically with Compost","slug":"fertilizing-naturally-and-organically-with-compost","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","organic"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/202614"}},{"articleId":202597,"title":"Natural Alternatives to Garden Chemicals","slug":"natural-alternatives-to-garden-chemicals","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","organic"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/202597"}},{"articleId":202521,"title":"Produce without the Pesticides: Organic Gardening","slug":"produce-without-the-pesticides-organic-gardening","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","organic"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/202521"}},{"articleId":202363,"title":"Explaining Organic Standards","slug":"explaining-organic-standards","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","organic"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/202363"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[{"title":"Making Things Grow","slug":"making-things-grow","collectionId":291872}],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;organic&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7cc7f42\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;garden-green-living&quot;,&quot;gardening&quot;,&quot;organic&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62b36f7cc86b0\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-03-30T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":198875}],"_links":{"self":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916/categoryArticles?sortField=time&sortOrder=1&size=10&offset=0"},"next":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916/categoryArticles?sortField=time&sortOrder=1&size=10&offset=10"},"last":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916/categoryArticles?sortField=time&sortOrder=1&size=10&offset=491"}}},"objectTitle":"","status":"success","pageType":"article-category","objectId":"33916","page":1,"sortField":"time","sortOrder":1,"categoriesIds":[],"articleTypes":[],"filterData":{"categoriesFilter":[{"itemId":0,"itemName":"All Categories","count":501},{"itemId":33917,"itemName":"Gardening","count":296},{"itemId":33926,"itemName":"Landscaping","count":15},{"itemId":33927,"itemName":"Lawn Care","count":48},{"itemId":33928,"itemName":"Sustainability","count":142}],"articleTypeFilter":[{"articleType":"All Types","count":501},{"articleType":"Articles","count":465},{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","count":19},{"articleType":"Step by Step","count":16},{"articleType":"Videos","count":1}]},"filterDataLoadedStatus":"success","pageSize":10},"adsState":{"pageScripts":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2022-06-27T18:59:03+00:00"},"adsId":0,"data":{"scripts":[{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"<!--Optimizely Script-->\r\n<script src=\"https://cdn.optimizely.com/js/10563184655.js\"></script>","enabled":false},{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"<!-- comScore Tag -->\r\n<script>var _comscore = _comscore || [];_comscore.push({ c1: \"2\", c2: \"15097263\" });(function() {var s = document.createElement(\"script\"), el = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; s.async = true;s.src = (document.location.protocol == \"https:\" ? \"https://sb\" : \"http://b\") + \".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();</script><noscript><img src=\"https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=15097263&cv=2.0&cj=1\" /></noscript>\r\n<!-- / comScore Tag -->","enabled":true},{"pages":["all"],"location":"footer","script":"<!--BEGIN QUALTRICS WEBSITE FEEDBACK SNIPPET-->\r\n<script type='text/javascript'>\r\n(function(){var g=function(e,h,f,g){\r\nthis.get=function(a){for(var a=a+\"=\",c=document.cookie.split(\";\"),b=0,e=c.length;b<e;b++){for(var d=c[b];\" \"==d.charAt(0);)d=d.substring(1,d.length);if(0==d.indexOf(a))return d.substring(a.length,d.length)}return null};\r\nthis.set=function(a,c){var b=\"\",b=new Date;b.setTime(b.getTime()+6048E5);b=\"; expires=\"+b.toGMTString();document.cookie=a+\"=\"+c+b+\"; path=/; \"};\r\nthis.check=function(){var a=this.get(f);if(a)a=a.split(\":\");else if(100!=e)\"v\"==h&&(e=Math.random()>=e/100?0:100),a=[h,e,0],this.set(f,a.join(\":\"));else return!0;var c=a[1];if(100==c)return!0;switch(a[0]){case \"v\":return!1;case \"r\":return c=a[2]%Math.floor(100/c),a[2]++,this.set(f,a.join(\":\")),!c}return!0};\r\nthis.go=function(){if(this.check()){var a=document.createElement(\"script\");a.type=\"text/javascript\";a.src=g;document.body&&document.body.appendChild(a)}};\r\nthis.start=function(){var t=this;\"complete\"!==document.readyState?window.addEventListener?window.addEventListener(\"load\",function(){t.go()},!1):window.attachEvent&&window.attachEvent(\"onload\",function(){t.go()}):t.go()};};\r\ntry{(new g(100,\"r\",\"QSI_S_ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN\",\"https://zn5o5yqpvmvjgdoun-wiley.siteintercept.qualtrics.com/SIE/?Q_ZID=ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN\")).start()}catch(i){}})();\r\n</script><div id='ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN'><!--DO NOT REMOVE-CONTENTS PLACED HERE--></div>\r\n<!--END WEBSITE FEEDBACK SNIPPET-->","enabled":false},{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"<!-- Hotjar Tracking Code for http://www.dummies.com -->\r\n<script>\r\n (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){\r\n h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)};\r\n h._hjSettings={hjid:257151,hjsv:6};\r\n a=o.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];\r\n r=o.createElement('script');r.async=1;\r\n r.src=t+h._hjSettings.hjid+j+h._hjSettings.hjsv;\r\n a.appendChild(r);\r\n })(window,document,'https://static.hotjar.com/c/hotjar-','.js?sv=');\r\n</script>","enabled":false},{"pages":["article"],"location":"header","script":"<!-- //Connect Container: dummies --> <script src=\"//get.s-onetag.com/bffe21a1-6bb8-4928-9449-7beadb468dae/tag.min.js\" async defer></script>","enabled":true},{"pages":["homepage"],"location":"header","script":"<meta name=\"facebook-domain-verification\" content=\"irk8y0irxf718trg3uwwuexg6xpva0\" />","enabled":true},{"pages":["homepage","article","category","search"],"location":"footer","script":"<!-- Facebook Pixel Code -->\r\n<noscript>\r\n<img height=\"1\" width=\"1\" src=\"https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=256338321977984&ev=PageView&noscript=1\"/>\r\n</noscript>\r\n<!-- End Facebook Pixel Code -->","enabled":true}]}},"pageScriptsLoadedStatus":"success"},"navigationState":{"navigationCollections":[{"collectionId":287568,"title":"BYOB (Be Your Own Boss)","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-entry-level-entrepreneur-287568"},{"collectionId":293237,"title":"Be a Rad Dad","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/be-the-best-dad-293237"},{"collectionId":294090,"title":"Contemplating the Cosmos","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/theres-something-about-space-294090"},{"collectionId":287563,"title":"For Those Seeking Peace of Mind","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-those-seeking-peace-of-mind-287563"},{"collectionId":287570,"title":"For the Aspiring Aficionado","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-bougielicious-287570"},{"collectionId":291903,"title":"For the Budding Cannabis Enthusiast","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-budding-cannabis-enthusiast-291903"},{"collectionId":291934,"title":"For the Exam-Season Crammer","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-exam-season-crammer-291934"},{"collectionId":287569,"title":"For the Hopeless Romantic","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-hopeless-romantic-287569"},{"collectionId":287567,"title":"For the Unabashed Hippie","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-unabashed-hippie-287567"},{"collectionId":292186,"title":"Just DIY It","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/just-diy-it-292186"}],"navigationCollectionsLoadedStatus":"success","navigationCategories":{"books":{"0":{"data":[{"categoryId":33512,"title":"Technology","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/technology-33512"},{"categoryId":33662,"title":"Academics & The Arts","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/academics-the-arts-33662"},{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/home-auto-hobbies-33809"},{"categoryId":34038,"title":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/body-mind-spirit-34038"},{"categoryId":34224,"title":"Business, Careers, & Money","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/business-careers-money-34224"}],"breadcrumbs":[],"categoryTitle":"Level 0 Category","mainCategoryUrl":"/category/books/level-0-category-0"}},"articles":{"0":{"data":[{"categoryId":33512,"title":"Technology","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/technology-33512"},{"categoryId":33662,"title":"Academics & The Arts","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/academics-the-arts-33662"},{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/home-auto-hobbies-33809"},{"categoryId":34038,"title":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/body-mind-spirit-34038"},{"categoryId":34224,"title":"Business, Careers, & Money","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/business-careers-money-34224"}],"breadcrumbs":[],"categoryTitle":"Level 0 Category","mainCategoryUrl":"/category/articles/level-0-category-0"}}},"navigationCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"searchState":{"searchList":[],"searchStatus":"initial","relatedArticlesList":[],"relatedArticlesStatus":"initial"},"routeState":{"name":"ArticleCategory","path":"/category/articles/garden-green-living-33916/","hash":"","query":{},"params":{"category":"garden-green-living-33916"},"fullPath":"/category/articles/garden-green-living-33916/","meta":{"routeType":"category","breadcrumbInfo":{"suffix":"Articles","baseRoute":"/category/articles"},"prerenderWithAsyncData":true},"from":{"name":null,"path":"/","hash":"","query":{},"params":{},"fullPath":"/","meta":{}}},"sfmcState":{"newsletterSignupStatus":"initial"}}
Logo
  • Articles Open Article Categories
  • Books Open Book Categories
  • Collections Open Collections list
  • Custom Solutions

Article Categories

Book Categories

Collections

Explore all collections
BYOB (Be Your Own Boss)
Be a Rad Dad
Contemplating the Cosmos
For Those Seeking Peace of Mind
For the Aspiring Aficionado
For the Budding Cannabis Enthusiast
For the Exam-Season Crammer
For the Hopeless Romantic
For the Unabashed Hippie
Just DIY It
  • Home
  • Home, Auto, & Hobbies Articles
  • Garden & Green Living Articles

Garden & Green Living Articles

Plant the seeds for a beautiful garden and a greener lifestyle with easy-to-adopt advice.

Browse By Category

Gardening

Landscaping

Lawn Care

Sustainability

Previous slideNext slide

Gardening

Landscaping

Lawn Care

Sustainability

Articles From Garden & Green Living

page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
page 6
page 7
page 8
page 9
page 10
page 11
page 12
page 13
page 14
page 15
page 16
page 17
page 18
page 19
page 20
page 21
page 22
page 23
page 24
page 25
page 26
page 27
page 28
page 29
page 30
page 31
page 32
page 33
page 34
page 35
page 36
page 37
page 38
page 39
page 40
page 41
page 42
page 43
page 44
page 45
page 46
page 47
page 48
page 49
page 50
page 51

Filter Results

501 results
501 results
Lawn Care How to Mow a Lawn the Right Way

Article / Updated 05-04-2022

How to mow a lawn or grass the right way is one of the most important practices in keeping your lawn healthy. Grasses are like most plants — if you clip off the growing points (for grass, it's in the crown, where the new leaves develop), the plants branch out and become denser, which in this case, turns thousands of individual grass plants into a tightly woven turf or a lawn. If you didn't mow at all, your yard would look more like a prairie than a lawn. But the mere act of mowing isn't what makes a lawn look good. Mowing height and mowing frequency determine how healthy and attractive your lawn looks. After all, cutting a lawn is stressful for the grass. The leaves make the food for the roots — and how would you like it if someone kept cutting off your food? Height does count when you mow a lawn Most grasses have a range of recommended mowing heights. Stay at the upper end of that range when the lawn is under stressful conditions, such as hot weather or drought, or if you have a shady lawn. In cooler weather, you can cut the grass a little lower. Follow the one-third rule. For a thriving lawn, never cut away more than one-third of the grass blade in any one mowing. If the grass "gets ahead of you" because of wet weather or your busy schedule, move up the cutting height of your mower to the highest possible setting and mow. If clippings are too long and heavy, even at that cutting height, catch them with the bagging unit or clean up after mowing with a leaf rake. Then move the cutting height back to your normal range and cut the lawn again a few days after that first mowing. Table 1 shows suggested mowing heights for different grass types. Table 1: Ideal Mowing Heights Grass type Height Bahia grass; fescue, tall; blue grama; buffalo grass 2 to 3 inches Bent grass 1/4 to 1 inch Bermuda grass, common 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches Bermuda grass, hybrid 1/2 to 1 inch Centipede grass; zoysia grass* 1 to 2 inches Fescue, fine; St. Augustine grass 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches Kentucky bluegrass 1-3/4 to 2-1/2 inches Ryegrass, annual and perennial 1-1/2 to 2 inches *You can mow some newer, dwarf varieties lower. Edging and trimming are the finishing touches of mowing, kind of like getting a shave after you've had a haircut. Edging and trimming are pretty close to being the same thing. Some tools are called edgers because they're designed to trim the lawn along a hard surface like a driveway or sidewalk. Edgers cut a nice clean edge, but leave some dirt and grass debris that you need to clean up. On the other hand, you can use trimmers anywhere — along a hard surface, in tight spaces, next to planting beds, and so on. Trimmers also leave some clippings on paths and driveways that you need to sweep up. Never put grass clippings in a plastic bag and send them off to the dump. (In some areas, sending grass clippings to the dump is illegal.) Grass clippings are valuable organic matter, chock-full of nitrogen and other nutrients. As long as you mow often enough to remove no more than one third of the grass blade, the easiest thing to do is just to leave clippings on the lawn. The pieces break down quickly and reduce the amount of fertilizer you have to use by as much as 25 percent. And research has proven that the clippings don't cause thatch to build up. Lawn mowing safety when you mow a lawn Every year, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people get injured when using lawn mowers. Power lawn mowers can be dangerous even when used properly. Be proactive when it comes to safety and follow these tips to avoid injuries: Know the equipment. Read the owner's manual. Become familiar with all the safety features and don't disconnect any of them. Keep all nuts and bolts properly tightened. Never pull a walking mower. Check the lawn before mowing and wear proper clothing. Pick up any rocks or debris. Heavy shoes and long pants provide the best protection from flying debris. If you're using a reel mower, don't wear loose clothing. Protect your hearing. Doing yard work can get pretty noisy. In addition to the lawn mower, high-decibel noise comes from trimmers, edgers, and blowers. Use earplugs or earmuff-type hearing protection. Keep pets and children away from the lawn as you mow. Don't let children operate a lawn mower unless they're strong enough, responsible, and understand all the operating and safety features. Even then, supervise them. Never give a young child a ride on a ride-on mower. Sudden stops, flying objects, or an excited child can spell disaster. Be careful when fueling. Stop the mower and let the engine cool for 10 minutes before fueling. Never fill the tank with the mower on the lawn. Avoid spills by using a gas can with an adequate pouring spout. Clean up spills immediately and put the used rags in a covered metal can. (Gasoline-soaked rags are a fire hazard.) Turn off the mower. Never leave the mower running unattended, or work on a motor that is running. Turn off the power when you cross nongrass areas. Be careful on hills. Steep slopes are always dangerous because a mower can flip over or go out of control. Plant a ground cover other than turf in these areas. On gentle slopes, mow across the slope, not up and down. Use a walk-behind mower. Lawn mowers — a tree's worst enemy Repeatedly banging a mower against a tree trunk or whipping it senseless with a weed whip each week can seriously damage the bark and the sensitive tissues underneath. The damage can restrict the growth of young trees to the point where the base of the trunk is so weak and girdled that the tree just snaps off in the slightest wind. To protect the tree, leave a ring of grassless soil at least 3 feet wide around the trunk. Put in a nice brick or stone edging around the outside. Better yet, cover the open soil with a thick layer (3 to 6 inches deep) of organic mulch, such as compost or bark. (Keep the mulch a few inches away from the base of the tree.) You can also go to a garden center to buy trunk protectors, plastic sleeves that encircle the trunk, if you have to have the grass right up against the tree.

View Article
Flowers Roses For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-27-2022

Picking the perfect rose for your garden involves finding a hardy plant for your growing zone (based on climate), deciding on a type of rose, and following a plan for rose care. Know your rose terminology and the most popular roses, and you'll sound like a gardening guru.

View Cheat Sheet
General Gardening Gardening Basics For Canadians For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-18-2022

Gardening in Canada presents specific challenges due to our cold climate and short growing season. This cheat sheet offers tips for getting the most out of your Canadian garden. Start by checking the frost dates in your region and consult some of the many online gardening resources that are available. Protect your perennials through the winter and choose the best grasses for Canada’s climate to maintain a beautiful, thriving lawn and garden year after year. Read on to see how.

View Cheat Sheet
General Gardening Sustainable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-08-2022

Gardening sustainably just makes sense in our fragile world. Doing it in your own backyard takes a little effort, but more and more gardeners are finding that every step is worth it to create a sustainable garden that not only looks after your plants and you, but also helps the whole planet.

View Cheat Sheet
General Sustainability Wind Power For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-07-2022

After you decide that your home is a good candidate for wind power, you need to understand the basic parts of wind-electric systems and how they fit together. In addition, you need to evaluate how much energy your home needs and how much wind your site actually gets — a realistic wind resource assessment is key. You also want to make sure to steer clear of "too good to be true" energy estimates from the pros who want to sell you their goods and services.

View Cheat Sheet
General Gardening Gardening Basics For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-01-2022

To have the garden of your dreams, make sure you pick the right plants for your hardiness zone and select the right fertilizers for your plants. If your garden is shady, this Cheat Sheet offers a list of plants made for the shade. When you're planning and measuring your garden use the handy conversion chart for metric and standard measurements.

View Cheat Sheet
Flowers Month-By-Month: Chores for Northern Flower Gardeners

Article / Updated 03-31-2022

Gardeners in northern regions deal with warm summers and cold winters. But there is work to do in your garden through most of the year. Here is a month-by-month guide that keeps you in the gardening frame of mind, even through the dreary months of winter. Winter January: Settle next to the fire with a stack of new seed catalogs. As you order seeds, think about where you want to plant new annuals and what color combinations you find appealing. February: Prepare a space for starting seeds. Clear an area in a sunny window or set up fluorescent lights for seedlings to sprout and grow. Buy seed-starting trays or use old trays that you’ve cleaned with a dilute bleach solution and rinsed well. Providing bottom heat maintains an even, warm soil temperature and improves germination. March: March through mid-April is seed-starting time in cold climates. Plan a seeding schedule — essential in short-season climates where you want to make every day count. Start by figuring when you want to move plants into the ground, and work backward to calculate the best time to sow the seeds indoors — four to eight weeks ahead of transplanting time, in most cases. Also see these month-by-month chores for gardeners in other U.S. regions: southern; Pacific Northwest; desert at extreme altitudes. Spring April: You still have time to sow seeds indoors for transplanting next month. If your last-frost date falls around Memorial Day, sow seeds for all annuals, except fast-growing, tender plants (cosmos and zinnias, for example), by mid-April. If you live in warmer areas with milder winters, you can start sowing seeds of hardy annuals directly into the ground a couple weeks before the last frost date in their region. If it’s still cold in April where you live, wait until next month to direct-sow seeds. If you plant nothing else, sow sweet pea seeds as soon as the ground can be worked. Depending on your region, late April or May is the time to lay out beds and prepare the soil. Adjust the soil pH based on soil tests done in the fall. Amend the soil with a 2- or 3-inch layer of organic matter and a complete fertilizer. May: Early May is generally the best time to plant hardy annuals (seeds or transplants) in most areas — 10 to 14 days before the last frost is usually safe. Check local garden centers for ready-to-plant, cool-season annuals. Look for stocky, green plants when shopping at garden centers. Avoid plants with dead lower leaves and brown, overcrowded roots, as well as plants that are already flowering. Start transplanting tender annuals, such as impatiens, lobelia, and petunias, into the ground when frost danger has passed, the soil and air have warmed up, and the nights are no longer cold. June: Continue planting tender annuals, and remember that newly planted seeds and transplants are vulnerable. Gardeners in cold, mountainous areas often wait until June 10 to plant the most tender plants, such as impatiens. Water if June is dry. Mulch to conserve water and slow weed growth. Pull off or pinch back fading blooms of cool-season annuals to extend their season of color. July: Plants require extra water and nutrients to keep them at their peak in hot, dry weather. Container-bound plants, particularly, suffer from heat stress and usually need daily watering if they’re located in the sun. Container gardens quickly deplete soil nutrients; feed window boxes and pots with a liquid fertilizer every couple weeks. Continue feeding annuals to promote steady growth for the remainder of the summer. Stake taller plants. Deadhead flowers regularly. In hot climates, cool-season annuals probably have peaked, so pull them out. August: In northern regions where the growing season is 90 to 110 days long, late July through early August is the garden’s peak. Continue to deadhead, water, and weed. Containers still need to be fertilized. Tidy beds and containers by pulling out plants that have passed their peak. Harvest flowers for drying and enjoy fresh-cut bouquets Autumn to Winter September: Be ready with row covers or blankets if an early frost is predicted and you still have tender plants in bloom. Use pots of asters, calendulas, and flowering kale to replace frosted or dying annuals. Collect seed pods, dried flowers, and grasses to make arrangements. October: Pull out dead plants and add them to your compost pile. Take soil samples in the fall to know how to amend soil next spring. Use the results of the soil tests to gauge any adjustments that you need to make in soil pH and fertility. November through December: Sharpen, clean, and oil your tools. Keep a record of any extra seed you have. Store the extra seed in an airtight container in a cool location; add packets of silica gel to absorb any moisture in the container. Build your own window boxes or trellises for next year. Build a cold frame for growing and hardening off your transplants. Seek inspiration for next year’s garden in books and magazines.

View Article
General Gardening Month-by-Month: Chores for Desert Flower Gardeners at Extreme Altitudes

Article / Updated 03-31-2022

The Southwest deserts encompass mild-winter climates of the low-elevation deserts of Arizona and California. (The mountains of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as west Texas, have a more typical cold-winter, summer-only season for growing annuals.) Glory time for annuals is late winter and early spring in low-desert Arizona, primarily around Phoenix and Tucson, and California’s Coachella Valley. This calendar starts in September to reflect the true beginning of the planting season: If you live in a temperate, high-altitude climate, follow the calendar recommendations for Northern gardeners. September: Prepare planting beds. Midmonth or later, set out nursery transplants for winter and spring bloom — maybe even by Christmas. Provide temporary shade during the hottest weather. Early in the month, you still have time to start annual flower seeds in flats or pots to transplant into the ground later in the fall. If summer annuals are still going strong, keep them watered thoroughly and fertilize every two or four weeks. October: Continue to set out annuals for blooms before the end of the year. Water thoroughly after planting and provide temporary shade during extra-hot spells. Sow seeds of low-spreading annuals to cover bare spots in bulb beds. If your timing is good, everything will bloom all at once. Start regular feeding a few weeks after planting annuals. November: You still have time to plant for winter and spring bloom. Cooler weather encourages a new crop of aphids, plus slugs and snails. December: You still have time to plant seedlings. Watch your soil for signs of dryness, and water as needed. January: After the holidays, nurseries stock up with blooming annuals in small pots. Shop for color that you can use right away in pots or in gaps in planting beds. Watch for aphids and take steps to control them. Pull or hoe seasonal weeds, or mulch beds with a layer of organic matter to smother weeds and weed seeds. February: Cool-season annuals are peaking this month in the low desert. Maintain top performance by removing dead flowers, watering thoroughly, and feeding regularly. Start seeds of warm-season annuals indoors to transplant into the garden in four to six weeks. Prepare beds for spring planting. March: In the low desert, transplant warm-season annuals. Pinch back at planting time and snip off flowers to encourage bushier growth. A few weeks after planting, fertilize young annuals and begin a regular (bi-weekly or monthly) fertilizing schedule. April: Plant heat-loving annuals, such as marigolds and zinnias. Adjust the frequency of sprinkler systems as the weather heats up. May: Spring flowers are winding down. Pull them out and replace them with heat-lovers. Pinch tips of young annuals for bushier growth. June: This is your last chance to plant for summer blooms. Make sure that you choose from among the true heat-lovers: globe amaranth, salvia, and the most reliable of all, vinca rosea. July and August: Water and mulch. You don’t do any planting at this time of year. Feed summer annuals regularly. Remove faded flowers.

View Article
Composting Making Compost ― Black Gold for Your Organic Garden

Article / Updated 03-31-2022

The best and most refined of organic matters is compost, which is organic matter and/or manures that have decomposed until they resemble loamy soil. Thoroughly decomposed compost contains lots of humus — the beneficial, soil-improving material your plants need. Whether the original source was grass clippings, sawdust, animal manure, or vegetable scraps from your kitchen, all organic matter eventually becomes compost. Making your own compost is probably the simplest way to ensure high quality compost and save some money. It's really not as complicated as you may think: The many commercial composting bins and containers on the market make it a mess-free and hassle-free process. A well-constructed compost pile — built with the proper dimensions and maintained correctly — heats up fast; decomposes uniformly and quickly; kills many diseases, insects, and weed seeds; doesn't smell; and is easy to turn and maintain. Conversely, a pile just thrown together rarely heats up and, therefore, takes longer to decompose. This type of cold composting doesn't kill any diseases, insects, or weed seeds; may smell bad; and definitely looks messy. Containing your compost pile makes it look neater, helps you maintain the correct moisture, and prevents animals from getting into it. You can build your own, as shown in Figure 1, or buy a commercial home composting unit. Figure 1: Build a simple wooden bin to hold your compost pile. The advantages of a commercial composter include the availability of a wide range of attractive sizes and shapes and ease of use. Choose from box-shaped plastic and wooden bins and barrels or elevated and easy-to-turn tumblers, as shown in Figure 2. Store-bought bins are costly, however, and produce only small quantities of compost at a time, especially compared to a homemade bin that's built from scrap lumber or wire. Figure 2: Commercial composters help you make compost yourself. How to build a good compost pile Here's how you build a good compost pile: Choose a shady location. Make it out of the way, but still within view so that you don't forget about the pile. The soil under it should be well drained. Make a bin. Create a wire cylinder that's 3- to 4-feet in diameter or build a three-sided box (similar to the one in Figure 1), that's 4 to 5-feet high and wide. Add brown materials. Add a 6-inch layer of "brown" organic matter — such as hay, straw, old leaves, and sawdust — to the bottom of the container. Add green materials. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of "green" organic matter, such as green grass clippings, manure, table scraps, or even high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as cottonseed meal, on top of the brown layer. Repeat these layers. Water each layer as you go, until the pile is 4 to 5-feet tall and fills the bin. A smaller pile won't heat up well and a larger pile can be difficult to manage. Within two days, mix the layers together thoroughly. Particle size should be varied, smaller particles hasten decomposition. Cover the pile with a tarp. This keeps rain away and preserves moisture. If the pile gets too soggy or too dry, it won't heat up. What to add, and what not to add Not all organic matter is good for the compost pile. Following, is a look at what to add to a pile, including ratios, and what not to add. What to add to the pile or composter What you put in the compost pile is up to you — just remember that it needs to be from an organic material. Here's a short list of possibilities: Hay, straw, pine needles Leaves Kitchen scraps (egg shells, old bread, vegetable and fruit scraps) Animal manure, except for dog, cat, pig, or human Old vegetables, flowers, or trimmings from trees and shrubs Sawdust Wood chips Weeds Shredded black-and-white newspaper. (In the past, color printing used heavy metals in the ink. Most color printing now uses soy-based inks, but it's better to avoid them in the garden altogether to be on the safe side.) What not to add Some items don't belong in your compost pile. While hot compost piles can kill off many diseases, weed seeds, and insects, it's not a sure thing, and some of these unpleasant guests may survive to invade your garden again. Certain materials can also invite unwanted wildlife to the pile or spread human diseases. Avoid adding the following to your compost bin: Kitchen scraps like meats, oils, fish, dairy products, and bones. They attract unwanted animals, such as rats and raccoons, to the pile. Weeds that have gone to seed or that spread by their roots, such as quackgrass Diseased or insect-infested vegetable or flower plants Herbicide-treated grass clippings or weeds Dog, cat, or pig feces Ratios for adding materials to the compost pile In composting corners, you often hear about the carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio. Basically, all organic matter can be divided into carbon-rich (brown stuff) and nitrogen-rich (green stuff) materials. Using the right mixture of brown to green stuff when building a compost pile encourages the pile to heat up and decompose efficiently. Although nearly any combination of organic materials eventually decomposes, for the fastest and most efficient compost pile in town, strike the correct balance (C/N ratio) between the two types of material — usually 25 to 1 (that is, 25 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen). Table 1 shows which common compost materials are high in carbon and which materials are high in nitrogen. Notice that the softer materials, such as fresh grass clippings, tend to be higher in nitrogen than hard materials, such as sawdust. Mix these together to form a pile with an average C/N ratio of 25-to-1 to 30-to-1, and you'll be well on your way to beautiful compost. Use the following carbon/nitrogen ratios as guidelines. Actual ratios vary depending on the sources of the materials and other factors. And speaking of sources — be sure that your compost materials haven't been contaminated with pesticides or other chemicals. Material and C/N Ratio Table scraps, 15:1 Grass clippings, 19:1 Old manure, 20:1 Fresh alfalfa hay, 12:1 Fruit waste, 25:1 Corn stalks, 60:1 Old leaves, 80:1 Straw, 80:1 Paper, 170:1 Sawdust, 500:1 Wood, 700:1 Quick and easy compost recipes To make the most compost in the shortest amount of time, try some of these proven recipes. For each recipe, mix the ingredients thoroughly and follow the directions in the next section. Depending on weather and compost ingredients, you should have ready-to-use compost within one to two months. Recipe #1: Four parts kitchen scraps from fruits and vegetables, 2 parts chicken or cow manure, 1 part shredded newspaper (black ink only), and 1 part shredded dry leaves. Recipe #2: Two parts kitchen scraps, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves. Recipe #3: Two parts grass clippings, 1 part chicken manure, and 1 part shredded leaves. Keeping your compost pile happy A hot pile is a happy pile. If you follow the method of just throwing everything together, the pile will rarely heat up. If you follow the method of building the pile carefully with a balanced C/N ratio, the pile will start to cook within a week. Now you need to keep it cooking. Here's the procedure: Keep the pile moist by periodically watering it. Dig into the pile about 1 foot to see if it's moist. If not, water the pile thoroughly, but not so that it's soggy. The pile needs air, too, and adding too much water removes air spaces. If you built the pile with moist ingredients, such as kitchen scraps, it won't need watering at first. Turn the pile when it cools down. Using a garden fork, remove the outside layers and put them aside. Remove the inside layers into another pile and then switch. Place the outside layers in the center of the new pile and the inside layers along the outside of the new pile. Let it cook again. How hot it gets and how long it cooks depends on the ratio of C/N materials in the pile and whether you have the correct moisture levels. When it's cool, turn it again. You should have finished compost after two to three turnings. The finished product should be cool, crumbly, dark colored, and earthy smelling. Sometimes, a compost pile never heats up, smells bad, or contains pieces of undecomposed materials. Chances are that one of the following conditions occurred: The pile was too wet or dry. You added too many carbon materials and not enough nitrogen materials. The pieces of material were too big or packed together. Shred leaves, branches, and pieces of wood to decompose more quickly. The pile was too small. You can find lots of compost aids on the market. Bioactivators — packages of concentrated microbes — are one of the most popular because they can speed the decomposition process. These microbes occur naturally, however, and many are already present in a well-constructed compost pile. Save your money and use microbe-rich compost materials instead.

View Article
Organic Gardening Using Botanical Pesticides in Your Garden

Article / Updated 03-30-2022

Insect and disease killers that come from plant extracts are called botanical pesticides or botanicals. Although derived from natural sources, botanicals are not necessarily safer or less toxic to non-pest insects, humans, and animals than synthetically derived pesticides. In fact, most botanicals are broad-spectrum insecticides, which kill both good and bad bugs indiscriminately. Some botanicals cause allergic reactions in people, others are highly toxic to fish and animals, and some may even cause cancer. All pesticides — including botanicals — should be used only as a last resort after thoroughly reading the label on the package. The pesticides in this section are listed from least to most toxic to humans. Hot pepper wax and powder: The chemical capsaicin causes the heat in hot peppers and it's the active ingredient in these useful botanical products. In low doses, such as found in ready-to-use sprays and dusts, hot pepper wax repels most common insect pests from vegetables and ornamental plants. It doesn't cause the fruit or vegetables to become spicy hot, but instead stays on the surface of the plant where it remains effective for up to three weeks. Stronger commercial formulations kill insects as well as repel them. Hot pepper wax is even reportedly effective in repelling rabbits and tree squirrels. Neem: This pesticide is made from the seeds of the tropical neem tree, Azadirachta indica, and it comes in two forms — azadirachtin solution and neem oil. Unlike the other botanical insecticides in this section, neem does not poison insects outright. Instead, when insects eat the active ingredient, it interrupts their ability to develop and grow to their next life stage or lay eggs. It also deters insects from feeding and is effective against aphids, thrips, fungus gnats, caterpillars, beetles, leafminers, and others. Amazingly, plants can absorb neem so that any insects that feed on them may be killed or deterred from feeding. Neem breaks down in the presence of sun and soil within a week or so. To discourage insects from eating your plants, spray neem before you see a large infestation. The product Safer BioNeem contains azadirachtin solution. Neem oil, the other seed extract, also works against some plant leaf diseases, such as black spot on roses, powdery mildew, and rust diseases. Mix the syrupy solution with a soapy emulsifier to help it spread and stick to the plants. The neem oil products called Rose Defense and Fruit & Vegetable Defense (from Green Light) control insects, mites, and leaf diseases. Pyrethrins: These insecticidal compounds occur naturally in the flowers of some species of chrysanthemum plants. The toxins penetrate the insects' nervous system, quickly causing paralysis. In high enough doses or in combination with other pesticides, the insects die. Powerful synthetic compounds that imitate the natural chrysanthemum compounds are called pyrethroids. Pyrethroids are not approved for use in organic farms and gardens. Also avoid any pyrethrins that list "piperonyl butoxoid" on the label. This additive is not approved for organic use. The compound breaks down rapidly when exposed to sun and air and becomes less effective if stored for longer than one year. Many commercial products contain pyrethrins. Although relatively harmless to humans, pyrethrins are very highly toxic to fish and bees and moderately toxic to birds. It kills both beneficial and pest insects. To keep bees safe, spray pyrethrins in the evening after bees have returned to their hives for the night and avoid spraying blooming plants. Ryania: This pesticide comes from the tropical Ryania speciosa plant. Although it controls fruit and codling moths, corn earworm, European corn borer, and citrus thrips, it is also moderately toxic to humans, fish, and birds. It is very toxic to dogs. Seek other botanical pesticides before considering ryania. Sabadilla: Made from the seeds of a tropical plant, sabadilla is a powerful broad-spectrum insect killer. It's especially useful for controlling thrips, aphids, flea beetles, and tarnished plant bugs, but it also kills bees and other beneficial insects, and some people have severe allergic reactions to the chemical. Use it only as a last resort.

View Article
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
page 6
page 7
page 8
page 9
page 10
page 11
page 12
page 13
page 14
page 15
page 16
page 17
page 18
page 19
page 20
page 21
page 22
page 23
page 24
page 25
page 26
page 27
page 28
page 29
page 30
page 31
page 32
page 33
page 34
page 35
page 36
page 37
page 38
page 39
page 40
page 41
page 42
page 43
page 44
page 45
page 46
page 47
page 48
page 49
page 50
page 51

Quick Links

  • About For Dummies
  • Contact Us
  • Activate A Book Pin

Connect

Opt in to our newsletter!

By entering your email address and clicking the “Submit” button, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Dummies.com, which may include marketing promotions, news and updates.

About Dummies

Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. Whether it's to pass that big test, qualify for that big promotion or even master that cooking technique; people who rely on dummies, rely on it to learn the critical skills and relevant information necessary for success.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Cookies Settings
Do Not Sell My Personal Info - CA Only