{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"categoryState":{"relatedCategories":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2022-05-17T12:31:19+00:00"},"categoryId":33917,"data":{"title":"Gardening","slug":"gardening","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},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917}],"parentCategory":{"categoryId":33916,"title":"Garden & Green Living","slug":"garden-green-living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"}},"childCategories":[{"categoryId":33918,"title":"Community","slug":"community","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33918"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33919,"title":"Containers","slug":"containers","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33919"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33920,"title":"Flowers","slug":"flowers","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33920"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33921,"title":"Herbs","slug":"herbs","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33921"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33922,"title":"Organic Gardening","slug":"organic","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33922"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33923,"title":"Urban","slug":"urban","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33923"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33924,"title":"Vegetables","slug":"vegetables","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33924"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0}},{"categoryId":33925,"title":"General (Gardening)","slug":"general-gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33925"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0}}],"description":"Fetching flowers and vegetables are sure to sprout with gardening guidance. Discover how green your thumb can be!","relatedArticles":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles?category=33917&offset=0&size=5"}},"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"}},"relatedCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{"count":10,"total":296,"items":[{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:58:30+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-27T20:44:48+00:00","timestamp":"2022-04-28T00:01:06+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":"","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-6269d942a5b01\"></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-6269d942a64ad\"></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":"2022-04-18T18:01:09+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-625da765e880c\"></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-625da765e8d46\"></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":"2022-04-09T00:01:06+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-6250ccc2d57cc\"></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-6250ccc2d5d40\"></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":"2016-03-27T16:57:05+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-01T13:13:34+00:00","timestamp":"2022-04-01T18:01:05+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, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9155\">Steven A. Frowine</b> is a noted professional horticulturist and a longtime avid gardener and communicator. The <b data-author-id=\"10266\">National Gardening Association</b> is the leading garden-based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at garden.org and kidsgardening.org.</p>","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":10266,"name":"National Gardening Association","slug":"national-gardening-association","description":"The National Gardening Association is the leading garden-based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at garden.org and kidsgardening.org.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10266"}}],"_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-62473de1c7365\"></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-62473de1c85c2\"></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":"2022-03-31T18:01:06+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":"Bob Beckstrom is a home improvement expert and veteran author.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9163"}},{"authorId":9164,"name":"Karan Davis Cutler","slug":"karan-davis-cutler","description":"Karan Davis Cutler is the author of many gardening books and articles. Cutler has received eight Quill & Trowell awards for outstanding writing from the Garden Writers Association of America.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9164"}},{"authorId":9165,"name":"Kathleen Fisher","slug":"kathleen-fisher","description":"Kathleen Fisher is a coauthor of Herb Gardening For Dummies, second edition.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9165"}},{"authorId":9166,"name":"Phillip Giroux","slug":"phillip-giroux","description":"Phillip Giroux owns a landscape design firm.","_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":"Charlie Nardozzi has worked for more than 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners in books, online, on the radio, and on television. Learn more at gardeningwithcharlie.com.","_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":"Lance Walheim, former staff garden writer for Sunset magazine, is the nationally recognized author of more than 30 widely read garden books, including The Natural Rose Gardener.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9157"}},{"authorId":9173,"name":"Ann Whitman","slug":"ann-whitman","description":"Ann Whitman is the author of several Dummies books on gardening.","_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-6245ec624539f\"></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-6245ec6245d34\"></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":"2022-03-31T18:01:06+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":"","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":"Bob Beckstrom is a home improvement expert and veteran author.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9163"}},{"authorId":9164,"name":"Karan Davis Cutler","slug":"karan-davis-cutler","description":"Karan Davis Cutler is the author of many gardening books and articles. Cutler has received eight Quill & Trowell awards for outstanding writing from the Garden Writers Association of America.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9164"}},{"authorId":9165,"name":"Kathleen Fisher","slug":"kathleen-fisher","description":"Kathleen Fisher is a coauthor of Herb Gardening For Dummies, second edition.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9165"}},{"authorId":9166,"name":"Phillip Giroux","slug":"phillip-giroux","description":"Phillip Giroux owns a landscape design firm.","_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":"Charlie Nardozzi has worked for more than 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners in books, online, on the radio, and on television. Learn more at gardeningwithcharlie.com.","_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":"Lance Walheim, former staff garden writer for Sunset magazine, is the nationally recognized author of more than 30 widely read garden books, including The Natural Rose Gardener.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9157"}},{"authorId":9173,"name":"Ann Whitman","slug":"ann-whitman","description":"Ann Whitman is the author of several Dummies books on gardening.","_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-6245ec6239522\"></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-6245ec623b463\"></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":"2016-03-26T22:39:17+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-30T17:42:30+00:00","timestamp":"2022-03-30T18:01:13+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","_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","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":[],"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-62449ae91271e\"></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-62449ae913081\"></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},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T21:43:55+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-30T15:30:21+00:00","timestamp":"2022-03-30T18:01:12+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":"Vegetables","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33924"},"slug":"vegetables","categoryId":33924}],"title":"How to Test Your Soil","strippedTitle":"how to test your soil","slug":"how-to-test-your-soil","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn how to test your garden soil for pH and nutrients and how you might need to improve the soil to grow healthy plants.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"To have a successful garden, test your soil and amend it if necessary to create the best possible growing environment for plants. Testing your soil means you determine the pH level and nutrient content. Both are important factors in how well your garden grows.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Importance of pH levels and nutrients</h2>\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Too much of this nutrient or too little of that, and you have problems. </b>Just as humans need the right balance of nutrients for good health, so do plants. For example, when tomatoes grow in soil that’s deficient in calcium; they develop blossom-end rot. Sometimes, too much of a nutrient is detrimental: Excessive nitrogen causes lots of leaf growth (such as clematis or peppers) but few flowers or fruits.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>The right pH enables plants to use nutrients from the soil.</b> Soil is rated on a pH scale, with a pH of 1 being most acidic and a pH of 14 being most alkaline. If your soil's pH isn't within a suitable range, plants can't take up nutrients — like phosphorus and potassium — even if they're present in the soil in high amounts. On the other hand, if the pH is too low, the solubility of certain minerals, such as manganese, may increase to toxic levels.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para Remember\">Most vegetables and ornamentals grow well in a slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 7.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Soil-testing methods</h2>\r\nThe only way to find out whether your soil will be to your plant's liking is to test it. Don't worry; analyzing your soil isn't complicated, and you don't need a lab coat. Here are two ways that you can test your soil:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Use a do-it-yourself kit:</b> This basic pH test measures your soil's acidity and alkalinity and sometimes major nutrient content. Buy a kit at a nursery, follow the instructions, and voilà — you know your soil's pH. However, the test gives you only a rough picture of the pH and nutrient levels in your soil. You may want to know more about your soil.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Have a soil lab do a test for you: </b>A complete soil test is a good investment because a soil lab can thoroughly analyze your soil.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Here's what you can find out from a soil lab's test in addition to the pH level:</p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Your soil's nutrient content:</b> If you know your soil's nutrient content, you can determine how much and what kind of fertilizer to use. In fact, many soil tests tell you exactly how much fertilizer to add.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Soil problems that are specific to your geographic region:</b> A soil test may help you identify local problems. The soil lab should then give you a recommendation for a type and amount of fertilizer to add to your soil. For example, in dry-summer areas, you may have salty soil; the remedy is to add <i>gypsum,</i> a readily available mineral soil additive.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Fall is a good time to test soil because labs aren't as busy. It's also a good time to add many <i>amendments</i> (materials that improve your soil's fertility and workability) to your soil because they break down slowly.</p>\r\nTo prepare a soil sample to use with a do-it-yourself kit or to send to a soil lab, follow these steps:\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Fill a cup with soil from the top 4 to 6 inches of soil from your vegetable garden, and then place the soil in a plastic bag.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Dig six to eight similar samples from different parts of your plot.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Mix all the cups of soil together; place two cups of the combined soil in a plastic bag — that's your soil sample.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAfter you've collected your sample, consult the instructions from your soil test kit or the testing lab.","description":"To have a successful garden, test your soil and amend it if necessary to create the best possible growing environment for plants. Testing your soil means you determine the pH level and nutrient content. Both are important factors in how well your garden grows.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Importance of pH levels and nutrients</h2>\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Too much of this nutrient or too little of that, and you have problems. </b>Just as humans need the right balance of nutrients for good health, so do plants. For example, when tomatoes grow in soil that’s deficient in calcium; they develop blossom-end rot. Sometimes, too much of a nutrient is detrimental: Excessive nitrogen causes lots of leaf growth (such as clematis or peppers) but few flowers or fruits.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>The right pH enables plants to use nutrients from the soil.</b> Soil is rated on a pH scale, with a pH of 1 being most acidic and a pH of 14 being most alkaline. If your soil's pH isn't within a suitable range, plants can't take up nutrients — like phosphorus and potassium — even if they're present in the soil in high amounts. On the other hand, if the pH is too low, the solubility of certain minerals, such as manganese, may increase to toxic levels.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para Remember\">Most vegetables and ornamentals grow well in a slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 7.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Soil-testing methods</h2>\r\nThe only way to find out whether your soil will be to your plant's liking is to test it. Don't worry; analyzing your soil isn't complicated, and you don't need a lab coat. Here are two ways that you can test your soil:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Use a do-it-yourself kit:</b> This basic pH test measures your soil's acidity and alkalinity and sometimes major nutrient content. Buy a kit at a nursery, follow the instructions, and voilà — you know your soil's pH. However, the test gives you only a rough picture of the pH and nutrient levels in your soil. You may want to know more about your soil.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Have a soil lab do a test for you: </b>A complete soil test is a good investment because a soil lab can thoroughly analyze your soil.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Here's what you can find out from a soil lab's test in addition to the pH level:</p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Your soil's nutrient content:</b> If you know your soil's nutrient content, you can determine how much and what kind of fertilizer to use. In fact, many soil tests tell you exactly how much fertilizer to add.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Soil problems that are specific to your geographic region:</b> A soil test may help you identify local problems. The soil lab should then give you a recommendation for a type and amount of fertilizer to add to your soil. For example, in dry-summer areas, you may have salty soil; the remedy is to add <i>gypsum,</i> a readily available mineral soil additive.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Fall is a good time to test soil because labs aren't as busy. It's also a good time to add many <i>amendments</i> (materials that improve your soil's fertility and workability) to your soil because they break down slowly.</p>\r\nTo prepare a soil sample to use with a do-it-yourself kit or to send to a soil lab, follow these steps:\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Fill a cup with soil from the top 4 to 6 inches of soil from your vegetable garden, and then place the soil in a plastic bag.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Dig six to eight similar samples from different parts of your plot.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Mix all the cups of soil together; place two cups of the combined soil in a plastic bag — that's your soil sample.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAfter you've collected your sample, consult the instructions from your soil test kit or the testing lab.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9170,"name":"Charlie Nardozzi","slug":"charlie-nardozzi","description":"Charlie Nardozzi has worked for more than 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners in books, online, on the radio, and on television. Learn more at gardeningwithcharlie.com.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9170"}},{"authorId":10044,"name":"The Editors of the National Gardening Association","slug":"the-editors-of-the-national-gardening-association","description":"The National Gardening Association offers plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the United States, through the award-winning websites garden.org and kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10044"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33924,"title":"Vegetables","slug":"vegetables","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33924"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Importance of pH levels and nutrients","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Soil-testing methods","target":"#tab2"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":209497,"title":"Vegetable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"vegetable-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209497"}},{"articleId":206218,"title":"How to Start Seeds Indoors","slug":"how-to-start-seeds-indoors","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206218"}},{"articleId":206148,"title":"Container Gardening: How to Plant Vegetables in Pots","slug":"container-gardening-how-to-plant-vegetables-in-pots","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206148"}},{"articleId":196456,"title":"The Five S’s of Vegetable Gardening Success","slug":"the-five-ss-of-vegetable-gardening-success","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196456"}},{"articleId":196457,"title":"Preventing Pests and Other Problems in Your Vegetable Garden","slug":"preventing-pests-and-other-problems-in-your-vegetable-garden","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196457"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":209497,"title":"Vegetable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"vegetable-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209497"}},{"articleId":209201,"title":"Growing Your Own Fruit & Veg For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"growing-your-own-fruit-veg-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209201"}},{"articleId":206218,"title":"How to Start Seeds Indoors","slug":"how-to-start-seeds-indoors","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206218"}},{"articleId":206148,"title":"Container Gardening: How to Plant Vegetables in Pots","slug":"container-gardening-how-to-plant-vegetables-in-pots","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206148"}},{"articleId":200857,"title":"Planting Vegetables from Seed and Seedling","slug":"planting-vegetables-from-seed-and-seedling","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/200857"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282655,"slug":"vegetable-gardening-for-dummies-2nd-edition","isbn":"9780470498705","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470498706/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0470498706/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/0470498706-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470498706/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/0470498706/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/vegetable-gardening-for-dummies-2nd-edition-cover-9780470498705-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9170\">Charlie Nardozzi</b> has worked for more than 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners in books, online, on the radio, and on television. Learn more at gardeningwithcharlie.com. The National Gardening Association offers plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the United States, through the award-winning websites garden.org and kidsgardening.org.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":9170,"name":"Charlie Nardozzi","slug":"charlie-nardozzi","description":"Charlie Nardozzi has worked for more than 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners in books, online, on the radio, and on television. Learn more at gardeningwithcharlie.com.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9170"}},{"authorId":10044,"name":"The Editors of the National Gardening Association","slug":"the-editors-of-the-national-gardening-association","description":"The National Gardening Association offers plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the United States, through the award-winning websites garden.org and kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10044"}}],"_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;gardening&quot;,&quot;vegetables&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470498705&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62449ae8e86e6\"></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;vegetables&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470498705&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62449ae8e9079\"></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":193900},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:08:32+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-30T15:14:26+00:00","timestamp":"2022-03-30T18:01:12+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":"Vegetables","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33924"},"slug":"vegetables","categoryId":33924}],"title":"Preventing Pests and Other Problems in Your Vegetable Garden","strippedTitle":"preventing pests and other problems in your vegetable garden","slug":"preventing-pests-and-other-problems-in-your-vegetable-garden","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn how to prevent and deal with pests and diseases in your garden without immediately reaching for pesticides and other chemicals.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Before you reach for the insecticide sprayer to attack pests in your vegetable garden, try some of these lower-impact methods to reduce problems from harmful insects and diseases. Often, a pest problem in a garden can be averted before it actually becomes a problem.\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Plant your vegetables in the proper locations.</b> Many pests become more troublesome when plants are grown in conditions that are less than ideal. For example, if you grow sun-loving vegetables in the shade, mildew problems are often more severe.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Choose resistant plants.</b> If you know that a certain disease is common in your area, choose plants that aren’t susceptible to that disease or that resist infection. Some vegetable varieties are resistant to specific diseases. For example, some tomato varieties resist verticillium, fusarium, and nematodes.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Know the enemy.</b> The more you know about specific pests and diseases common to your area — when they occur and how they spread — the more easily you can avoid them. For example, some diseases run rampant on wet foliage. If you know that fact, you can reduce the occurrence of these diseases simply by adjusting your watering so you don’t wet the plants’ leaves or by watering early in the day so the plants dry out quickly.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Keep your plants healthy.</b> Healthy plants are less likely to have problems. Water and fertilize regularly so your plants grow strong and more pest resistant.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Keep your garden clean.</b> By cleaning up spent plants, weeds, and other garden debris, you eliminate hiding places for many pests and diseases.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Encourage and use beneficial insects.</b> Beneficial insects are the good bugs in your garden — the insects that feed on the bugs that bother your vegetables. You probably have a bunch of different kinds of beneficial insects in your garden already, but you also can purchase them to release in your garden. In addition, you can plant flowers that attract these insects.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rotate your plants each year.</b> Avoid planting the same plants in the same location year after year, especially if you grow vegetables in raised beds (any planting area that’s raised above the surrounding ground level). Rotation prevents pests and diseases that are specific to certain plants from building up in your garden.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Avoid harm to beneficial insects and animals</h2>\r\nIf an insect or disease does get out of hand, treat it effectively without disrupting the other life in your garden, which includes everything from good bugs to birds. Control measures may be as simple as handpicking and squashing snails, or knocking off aphids with a strong jet of water from a hose.","description":"Before you reach for the insecticide sprayer to attack pests in your vegetable garden, try some of these lower-impact methods to reduce problems from harmful insects and diseases. Often, a pest problem in a garden can be averted before it actually becomes a problem.\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Plant your vegetables in the proper locations.</b> Many pests become more troublesome when plants are grown in conditions that are less than ideal. For example, if you grow sun-loving vegetables in the shade, mildew problems are often more severe.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Choose resistant plants.</b> If you know that a certain disease is common in your area, choose plants that aren’t susceptible to that disease or that resist infection. Some vegetable varieties are resistant to specific diseases. For example, some tomato varieties resist verticillium, fusarium, and nematodes.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Know the enemy.</b> The more you know about specific pests and diseases common to your area — when they occur and how they spread — the more easily you can avoid them. For example, some diseases run rampant on wet foliage. If you know that fact, you can reduce the occurrence of these diseases simply by adjusting your watering so you don’t wet the plants’ leaves or by watering early in the day so the plants dry out quickly.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Keep your plants healthy.</b> Healthy plants are less likely to have problems. Water and fertilize regularly so your plants grow strong and more pest resistant.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Keep your garden clean.</b> By cleaning up spent plants, weeds, and other garden debris, you eliminate hiding places for many pests and diseases.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Encourage and use beneficial insects.</b> Beneficial insects are the good bugs in your garden — the insects that feed on the bugs that bother your vegetables. You probably have a bunch of different kinds of beneficial insects in your garden already, but you also can purchase them to release in your garden. In addition, you can plant flowers that attract these insects.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rotate your plants each year.</b> Avoid planting the same plants in the same location year after year, especially if you grow vegetables in raised beds (any planting area that’s raised above the surrounding ground level). Rotation prevents pests and diseases that are specific to certain plants from building up in your garden.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Avoid harm to beneficial insects and animals</h2>\r\nIf an insect or disease does get out of hand, treat it effectively without disrupting the other life in your garden, which includes everything from good bugs to birds. Control measures may be as simple as handpicking and squashing snails, or knocking off aphids with a strong jet of water from a hose.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9170,"name":"Charlie Nardozzi","slug":"charlie-nardozzi","description":"Charlie Nardozzi has worked for more than 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners in books, online, on the radio, and on television. Learn more at gardeningwithcharlie.com.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9170"}},{"authorId":10044,"name":"The Editors of the National Gardening Association","slug":"the-editors-of-the-national-gardening-association","description":"The National Gardening Association offers plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the United States, through the award-winning websites garden.org and kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10044"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33924,"title":"Vegetables","slug":"vegetables","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33924"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Avoid harm to beneficial insects and animals","target":"#tab1"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":209497,"title":"Vegetable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"vegetable-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209497"}},{"articleId":206218,"title":"How to Start Seeds Indoors","slug":"how-to-start-seeds-indoors","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206218"}},{"articleId":206148,"title":"Container Gardening: How to Plant Vegetables in Pots","slug":"container-gardening-how-to-plant-vegetables-in-pots","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206148"}},{"articleId":196456,"title":"The Five S’s of Vegetable Gardening Success","slug":"the-five-ss-of-vegetable-gardening-success","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196456"}},{"articleId":196420,"title":"Deciding Which Vegetables to Plant in Your Garden","slug":"deciding-which-vegetables-to-plant-in-your-garden","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196420"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":209497,"title":"Vegetable Gardening For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"vegetable-gardening-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209497"}},{"articleId":209201,"title":"Growing Your Own Fruit & Veg For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"growing-your-own-fruit-veg-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/209201"}},{"articleId":206218,"title":"How to Start Seeds Indoors","slug":"how-to-start-seeds-indoors","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206218"}},{"articleId":206148,"title":"Container Gardening: How to Plant Vegetables in Pots","slug":"container-gardening-how-to-plant-vegetables-in-pots","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/206148"}},{"articleId":200857,"title":"Planting Vegetables from Seed and Seedling","slug":"planting-vegetables-from-seed-and-seedling","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/200857"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282655,"slug":"vegetable-gardening-for-dummies-2nd-edition","isbn":"9780470498705","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","garden-green-living","gardening","vegetables"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470498706/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0470498706/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/0470498706-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470498706/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/0470498706/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/vegetable-gardening-for-dummies-2nd-edition-cover-9780470498705-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9170\">Charlie Nardozzi</b> has worked for more than 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners in books, online, on the radio, and on television. Learn more at gardeningwithcharlie.com. The National Gardening Association offers plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the United States, through the award-winning websites garden.org and kidsgardening.org.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":9170,"name":"Charlie Nardozzi","slug":"charlie-nardozzi","description":"Charlie Nardozzi has worked for more than 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners in books, online, on the radio, and on television. Learn more at gardeningwithcharlie.com.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9170"}},{"authorId":10044,"name":"The Editors of the National Gardening Association","slug":"the-editors-of-the-national-gardening-association","description":"The National Gardening Association offers plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the United States, through the award-winning websites garden.org and kidsgardening.org. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10044"}}],"_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;gardening&quot;,&quot;vegetables&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470498705&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62449ae8dfe3f\"></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;vegetables&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470498705&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-62449ae8e079c\"></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":196457},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T18:51:43+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-30T14:10:13+00:00","timestamp":"2022-03-30T18:01:12+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":"What Is a Rain Garden?","strippedTitle":"what is a rain garden?","slug":"what-is-a-rain-garden","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn what a rain garden is and how you can make one to save on water, improve drainage, and create a haven for butterflies and birds.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"When you create a rain garden, you situate your garden to use rainfall and runoff from gutters and storm drains. Planning a rain garden is water-wise and ecologically low-impact, and it produces a beautiful garden that provides a home to birds, butterflies, and other insects.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_291862\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]<img class=\"wp-image-291862 size-full\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/shutterstock_1170832546.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"630\" height=\"464\" /> ©Richard Pratt / Shutterstock.com[/caption]\r\n\r\nNot only do you save water when you create a rain garden, its placement (in the path of runoff water) prevents erosion. In addition, the path the water takes through the soil improves the water’s quality.\r\n\r\nWater from rainfall and snowmelt contains untreated pollutants, like salt and oil, and flows directly into storm drains, contaminating our water sources. Although you wouldn't want to drink this water, it's perfect for watering your garden. The soil and mulch that the water travels through in your garden act as a filtering system that breaks up contaminates.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Two approaches to rain gardening</h2>\r\nThere are two approaches to rain gardening, but in either case, you want water to drain from the garden surface within four hours:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Underdrained:</b> These gardens are useful when you have a high water table. They employ a water piping system to help water drain from your garden after a heavy rain.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Self-contained:</b> You must choose plants with roots that can tolerate wet conditions and your planting medium should be porous to promote drainage because no drainage system is used.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhen you look at a rain garden, you can’t really tell that it is different from any other garden. They can be formal gardens, cottage gardens, woodland gardens, or almost any other garden that strikes your fancy. But plants that have deep roots fare better and, as you might expect, native plants are always a good bet. Although annuals can be planted in rain gardens, they require much more care, and part of the allure of the rain garden is its low-maintenance nature.\r\n\r\nGenerally, you create your rain garden in a low-lying area that gets rainwater runoff. You can create one near your downspouts (but not too close to your house) or at the bottom of a slope in your yard.\r\n\r\nDig your garden 4 to 8 inches deep. Depending on the type of plants you intend to grow (bog lovers, perhaps), go ahead and line the depression with plastic. You can use any sod you remove to build up the sides of your garden. Amend the soil with a good-quality compost.","description":"When you create a rain garden, you situate your garden to use rainfall and runoff from gutters and storm drains. Planning a rain garden is water-wise and ecologically low-impact, and it produces a beautiful garden that provides a home to birds, butterflies, and other insects.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_291862\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]<img class=\"wp-image-291862 size-full\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/shutterstock_1170832546.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"630\" height=\"464\" /> ©Richard Pratt / Shutterstock.com[/caption]\r\n\r\nNot only do you save water when you create a rain garden, its placement (in the path of runoff water) prevents erosion. In addition, the path the water takes through the soil improves the water’s quality.\r\n\r\nWater from rainfall and snowmelt contains untreated pollutants, like salt and oil, and flows directly into storm drains, contaminating our water sources. Although you wouldn't want to drink this water, it's perfect for watering your garden. The soil and mulch that the water travels through in your garden act as a filtering system that breaks up contaminates.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Two approaches to rain gardening</h2>\r\nThere are two approaches to rain gardening, but in either case, you want water to drain from the garden surface within four hours:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Underdrained:</b> These gardens are useful when you have a high water table. They employ a water piping system to help water drain from your garden after a heavy rain.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Self-contained:</b> You must choose plants with roots that can tolerate wet conditions and your planting medium should be porous to promote drainage because no drainage system is used.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhen you look at a rain garden, you can’t really tell that it is different from any other garden. They can be formal gardens, cottage gardens, woodland gardens, or almost any other garden that strikes your fancy. But plants that have deep roots fare better and, as you might expect, native plants are always a good bet. Although annuals can be planted in rain gardens, they require much more care, and part of the allure of the rain garden is its low-maintenance nature.\r\n\r\nGenerally, you create your rain garden in a low-lying area that gets rainwater runoff. You can create one near your downspouts (but not too close to your house) or at the bottom of a slope in your yard.\r\n\r\nDig your garden 4 to 8 inches deep. Depending on the type of plants you intend to grow (bog lovers, perhaps), go ahead and line the depression with plastic. You can use any sod you remove to build up the sides of your garden. Amend the soil with a good-quality compost.","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":[{"label":"Two approaches to rain gardening","target":"#tab1"}],"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 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years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-03-21T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":180678}],"_links":{"self":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917/categoryArticles?sortField=time&sortOrder=1&size=10&offset=0"},"next":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917/categoryArticles?sortField=time&sortOrder=1&size=10&offset=10"},"last":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917/categoryArticles?sortField=time&sortOrder=1&size=10&offset=286"}}},"objectTitle":"","status":"success","pageType":"article-category","objectId":"33917","page":1,"sortField":"time","sortOrder":1,"categoriesIds":[],"articleTypes":[],"filterData":{"categoriesFilter":[{"itemId":0,"itemName":"All 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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Organic 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.

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Vegetables How to Test Your Soil

Article / Updated 03-30-2022

To have a successful garden, test your soil and amend it if necessary to create the best possible growing environment for plants. Testing your soil means you determine the pH level and nutrient content. Both are important factors in how well your garden grows. Importance of pH levels and nutrients Too much of this nutrient or too little of that, and you have problems. Just as humans need the right balance of nutrients for good health, so do plants. For example, when tomatoes grow in soil that’s deficient in calcium; they develop blossom-end rot. Sometimes, too much of a nutrient is detrimental: Excessive nitrogen causes lots of leaf growth (such as clematis or peppers) but few flowers or fruits. The right pH enables plants to use nutrients from the soil. Soil is rated on a pH scale, with a pH of 1 being most acidic and a pH of 14 being most alkaline. If your soil's pH isn't within a suitable range, plants can't take up nutrients — like phosphorus and potassium — even if they're present in the soil in high amounts. On the other hand, if the pH is too low, the solubility of certain minerals, such as manganese, may increase to toxic levels. Most vegetables and ornamentals grow well in a slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 7. Soil-testing methods The only way to find out whether your soil will be to your plant's liking is to test it. Don't worry; analyzing your soil isn't complicated, and you don't need a lab coat. Here are two ways that you can test your soil: Use a do-it-yourself kit: This basic pH test measures your soil's acidity and alkalinity and sometimes major nutrient content. Buy a kit at a nursery, follow the instructions, and voilà — you know your soil's pH. However, the test gives you only a rough picture of the pH and nutrient levels in your soil. You may want to know more about your soil. Have a soil lab do a test for you: A complete soil test is a good investment because a soil lab can thoroughly analyze your soil. Here's what you can find out from a soil lab's test in addition to the pH level: Your soil's nutrient content: If you know your soil's nutrient content, you can determine how much and what kind of fertilizer to use. In fact, many soil tests tell you exactly how much fertilizer to add. Soil problems that are specific to your geographic region: A soil test may help you identify local problems. The soil lab should then give you a recommendation for a type and amount of fertilizer to add to your soil. For example, in dry-summer areas, you may have salty soil; the remedy is to add gypsum, a readily available mineral soil additive. Fall is a good time to test soil because labs aren't as busy. It's also a good time to add many amendments (materials that improve your soil's fertility and workability) to your soil because they break down slowly. To prepare a soil sample to use with a do-it-yourself kit or to send to a soil lab, follow these steps: Fill a cup with soil from the top 4 to 6 inches of soil from your vegetable garden, and then place the soil in a plastic bag. Dig six to eight similar samples from different parts of your plot. Mix all the cups of soil together; place two cups of the combined soil in a plastic bag — that's your soil sample. After you've collected your sample, consult the instructions from your soil test kit or the testing lab.

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Vegetables Preventing Pests and Other Problems in Your Vegetable Garden

Article / Updated 03-30-2022

Before you reach for the insecticide sprayer to attack pests in your vegetable garden, try some of these lower-impact methods to reduce problems from harmful insects and diseases. Often, a pest problem in a garden can be averted before it actually becomes a problem. Plant your vegetables in the proper locations. Many pests become more troublesome when plants are grown in conditions that are less than ideal. For example, if you grow sun-loving vegetables in the shade, mildew problems are often more severe. Choose resistant plants. If you know that a certain disease is common in your area, choose plants that aren’t susceptible to that disease or that resist infection. Some vegetable varieties are resistant to specific diseases. For example, some tomato varieties resist verticillium, fusarium, and nematodes. Know the enemy. The more you know about specific pests and diseases common to your area — when they occur and how they spread — the more easily you can avoid them. For example, some diseases run rampant on wet foliage. If you know that fact, you can reduce the occurrence of these diseases simply by adjusting your watering so you don’t wet the plants’ leaves or by watering early in the day so the plants dry out quickly. Keep your plants healthy. Healthy plants are less likely to have problems. Water and fertilize regularly so your plants grow strong and more pest resistant. Keep your garden clean. By cleaning up spent plants, weeds, and other garden debris, you eliminate hiding places for many pests and diseases. Encourage and use beneficial insects. Beneficial insects are the good bugs in your garden — the insects that feed on the bugs that bother your vegetables. You probably have a bunch of different kinds of beneficial insects in your garden already, but you also can purchase them to release in your garden. In addition, you can plant flowers that attract these insects. Rotate your plants each year. Avoid planting the same plants in the same location year after year, especially if you grow vegetables in raised beds (any planting area that’s raised above the surrounding ground level). Rotation prevents pests and diseases that are specific to certain plants from building up in your garden. Avoid harm to beneficial insects and animals If an insect or disease does get out of hand, treat it effectively without disrupting the other life in your garden, which includes everything from good bugs to birds. Control measures may be as simple as handpicking and squashing snails, or knocking off aphids with a strong jet of water from a hose.

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General (Gardening) What Is a Rain Garden?

Article / Updated 03-30-2022

When you create a rain garden, you situate your garden to use rainfall and runoff from gutters and storm drains. Planning a rain garden is water-wise and ecologically low-impact, and it produces a beautiful garden that provides a home to birds, butterflies, and other insects. Not only do you save water when you create a rain garden, its placement (in the path of runoff water) prevents erosion. In addition, the path the water takes through the soil improves the water’s quality. Water from rainfall and snowmelt contains untreated pollutants, like salt and oil, and flows directly into storm drains, contaminating our water sources. Although you wouldn't want to drink this water, it's perfect for watering your garden. The soil and mulch that the water travels through in your garden act as a filtering system that breaks up contaminates. Two approaches to rain gardening There are two approaches to rain gardening, but in either case, you want water to drain from the garden surface within four hours: Underdrained: These gardens are useful when you have a high water table. They employ a water piping system to help water drain from your garden after a heavy rain. Self-contained: You must choose plants with roots that can tolerate wet conditions and your planting medium should be porous to promote drainage because no drainage system is used. When you look at a rain garden, you can’t really tell that it is different from any other garden. They can be formal gardens, cottage gardens, woodland gardens, or almost any other garden that strikes your fancy. But plants that have deep roots fare better and, as you might expect, native plants are always a good bet. Although annuals can be planted in rain gardens, they require much more care, and part of the allure of the rain garden is its low-maintenance nature. Generally, you create your rain garden in a low-lying area that gets rainwater runoff. You can create one near your downspouts (but not too close to your house) or at the bottom of a slope in your yard. Dig your garden 4 to 8 inches deep. Depending on the type of plants you intend to grow (bog lovers, perhaps), go ahead and line the depression with plastic. You can use any sod you remove to build up the sides of your garden. Amend the soil with a good-quality compost.

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