General Gardening Articles

Article / Updated 08-03-2023

After you choose a good sunny spot for your vegetable garden and draw a plan on paper, you need to clean up the area so the soil will be easier to work. You can clear your garden area any time during the year, but the season before planting works best — clear in the fall for spring planting, or clear in the spring for summer or fall planting. You can clear the area the day before you plant, but you may have more weed problems later. Here are the basics of initially clearing your garden spot, which I explain in more detail in the sections that follow: Outline the areas of your garden plot that you want to clear. You outline the areas depending on how you want the plots to be shaped. Follow these guidelines: To get your edges straight for a square or rectangular vegetable plot, stretch a string between sticks and mark the line with a trickle of ground white limestone, which is available at garden centers. For a round garden, use a hose or rope to lay out the area, adjusting the position to create a smooth curve. If you want several individual beds separated by permanent paths, outline each bed independently with string, sticks, and limestone so you don’t waste time improving soil that you’ll never use. But if you think that you may change your garden layout from season to season or year to year, work the entire area within the outline. Clear the surface by first removing plants, weeds, brush, and rock. If necessary, mow the site to cut back the grass and weeds close to the surface of the soil. (See the next section for how to handle weeds.) Dig out the roots of small trees and tough weeds with a hoe, shovel, or pick ax. After the vegetation is manageable, remove any sod. (See the section, “Stripping sod,” later in this article for details on how to do this.) Properly preparing the soil before planting is an all-important first step toward a bountiful harvest. To learn how to test and adjust the pH of your soil, read "How To Test and Improve Your Soil." Don’t take shortcuts with your soil. You’ll be cheating your plants at their roots, and they won’t like it. You feed your soil, and your soil feeds your plants. Killing weeds and aggressive grasses If your garden area contains a lot of perennial weeds — like quack grass, that come back year after year — or if you need to clear an area of a warm-season lawn composed of vigorous grasses (like Bermuda grass), make sure that you first kill these weeds or grasses. You can pull out or heavily mulch over seedlings, but many aggressive weeds and turf spread by underground roots as well as seeds; these underground roots can haunt you forever. If you have an existing garden, you have to be diligent about weeding, or you may need to start all over again with tilling and removing as much of the weed’s root system as you can. You can kill weeds and aggressive grasses two ways: Hand dig and sift: For a small garden, dig up the earth and carefully sift the soil, removing sod and root parts that may come back next year as weeds. Apply a covering: An easy, chemical-free way to clear your garden is to cover it with clear or black plastic, cardboard, or even old rugs. After a month under these impermeable coverings, existing plants die from the lack of sunlight. You must plan ahead to use this method, and it may not look pretty, but it works like a charm — especially on annual weeds. For perennial weeds, you may need to dig out their roots, too, after applying the plastic. You can buy plastic in rolls at hardware stores or home improvement centers; check department stores for old pieces of cardboard. Use the thickest plastic or cardboard you can find — it should be at least 2 millimeters, but 4 millimeters is even better. Controlling weeds and grasses by applying a covering to your garden area is easy. Just follow these steps: Spread the covering over your entire garden area, securing the edges with spare rocks, bricks, or boards. Let neighboring pieces overlap by several inches so light can’t penetrate. If you’re using old rugs, place them nap side down. After a month, remove the covering and strip off any grass or weeds. Use a shovel to cut off any grass or weeds at the root level (just below the soil surface). If they aren’t too thick, rototill them into the ground. Wet the area and wait about 10 days for weeds to sprout. Leave the covering off; you want weeds to sprout. You should get some growth because you haven’t removed weed seeds. Use a hoe to kill the weeds. Hoeing the weeds down is sufficient to kill annual weeds, but if you have perennial weeds, you need to dig out the roots. Check out the National Gardening Association’s Weed Library for help identifying the weeds in your garden. Organic approach to killing weeds For an organic approach to killing weeds while also building your garden soil, try a no-till layered garden technique (see the figure below). It’s like making lasagna: The season before planting, lay down cardboard over the garden area. Water the cardboard generously to keep it in place. Cover the cardboard with a 6-inch-thick layer of hay or straw. Top that with a 1- to 2-inch-thick layer of compost. By the next planting season, the layers will have killed the grass and most of the annual and perennial weeds in your garden. You can hand pull any tenacious perennial weeds that survived. Earthworms will have munched up much of the cardboard, turning it into valuable compost. You can plant your seedlings right into the mulched layers, and they’ll grow like weeds (even better). Stripping sod If you don’t want to try the techniques in the preceding section, you can immediately remove the lawn grass by stripping the sod (grass and roots) before planting. If your lawn consists of bluegrass and other less-spreading grasses, you can strip the sod without first killing the grass; most lawns in the northern United States consist of these types of grasses. But you should kill weedier grasses, like Bermuda grass, before you strip the sod (see the preceding section for details on killing weedier grass). Stripping sod takes a lot of effort, but it works. Just follow these steps, and have your wheelbarrow or garden cart handy: Water the area that you want to clear for 15 minutes for each of the 2 days prior to digging up your sod. I suggest watering this way because stripping sod is easier when the ground is slightly moist. Starting at one end of your plot, slip a spade under the grass and slide it under the sod. An easier method is to precut the sod into square or rectangular sections and then loosen each section with a spade. Either way, don’t dig too deep; you just want to remove the sod and 1 to 2 inches of roots. You also can use a rented sod stripper to cut the sod into rows that you roll up and remove. Pivot your spade up and let the sod flip off the spade and back onto the ground; use your spade to slice off the sod section, toss the sod into a wheelbarrow or garden cart, and take it to a compost pile. If your sod has healthy grass with few weeds, and you don’t want to compost it, use it to patch bare spots in your lawn. Keep it well watered, and it should root and blend in with the existing grasses. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until your garden is cleared of sod. These steps should clear all the grass in your garden. You’ll get new growth only if you have an aggressive grass like Bermuda and don’t kill all the roots.

Article / Updated 04-27-2023

If you're trying to conserve water for your yard and garden, it's worth looking into the various ways you can grab and save this precious resource — thereby not having to turn on the house spigot. Water collection is easy, convenient, affordable … and smart. The two main options are rain barrels and cisterns. You may hear these projects referred to as rainwater harvesting. The main source of water is rainwater routed from your home’s gutter system, so you want good gutter coverage of your rooflines, complete with screens or filters. Make a practice of cleaning out the gutters yearly, ideally in a dry season (because it’s easier). Other possible sources include runoff from other impervious hardscape in your home landscape, such as an elevated patio or deck where you can route and collect that runoff. Before proceeding, find out if the government in your area has limitations — that is, limits on how much water you can collect from your own home and landscape. Colorado’s regulations are a case in point. Presently, most homeowners in that state are limited to a maximum of two rain barrels with a combined maximum storage capacity of 110 gallons. Permitting may apply. You might want to check whether there are local tax incentives, rebates, or discounted equipment suppliers. Many municipalities offer incentives to encourage water conservation and stormwater control in their communities. Rain barrels Not all rain barrels are created equal — they’re usually made of some kind of heavy-duty plastic; some are larger, some are smaller. Colors and styles, as well as capacity, varies. Household barrels are typically 50 gallons (though larger ones are available). They range in price from about $100 to $400. Look around at what your neighbors are using and shop around locally and online to locate the many choices. You get what you pay for. The best rain barrels are made of UV-resistant resin, with seamless rotational molding and spin weld fittings. They aren’t cheap, but they’re long-lasting and work beautifully. You can also make your own rain barrel. Use a large, clean, sturdy plastic barrel and install a lid (with an opening for the incoming gutter water) and spigot. Heed the following information — features that good, purchased rain barrels should also have. Figure 2-2 shows a good example of a rain barrel. Unless your area is fortunate enough to receive regular rainfall (uncertain or unlikely, to be honest, for most households in water-scarce areas), rainwater collection isn’t a dependable or year-round source of water for your home landscape. Consider it supplemental and, of course, make the most of it. Recycled barrels may be tempting, but you must find out what the original use was; solvents, oils, and farm chemicals are all no-nos. Old garbage cans may be leaky or not strong enough to support a full volume of water without buckling. Seeking certain features Rain barrels work best when they have the following practical features: A sealable lid: A securely fitted lid keeps out debris, bugs (including mosquito larvae, definitely unwelcome), and animals (including birds and snakes). Screening may not be sufficient because pollen and dust can still get through (and if the water will be directed into an irrigation system, tiny materials like those items can clog emitters). Use a solid lid such as a board, piece of metal, or plastic. A good, non-flimsy, secured cover is also a safety matter, if you have a curious outdoor cat on the premises or small children playing outdoors. Outlet spigot: It needs to sit low-down on the side of the barrel. Otherwise water sits below it and becomes stagnant. Overflow pipe: When a barrel gets really full, it will overflow. A pipe inserted near the top can carry off excess water — it should be long enough to be routed to a nearby plant or bed. Thus no water is lost or wasted! Sturdy construction and fittings: These prevent leaks. Some store-bought ones come with a flat side/flat back, making it easier to wedge against a wall of your house — a nice option. Installing your rain barrel When you install your rain barrel, remember these pointers: Place your rain barrel on an ample and level spot, ideally a concrete pad or pavers. If you can elevate it, gravity will help with water pressure. (However, not too high — you don’t want it to topple.) Site it in a spot that’s handy to your garden and plants. Make sure the spot is comfortable and accessible for you (checking on it, hooking up a hose, filling a watering can, and occasionally cleaning it). Route a downspout or downspouts into it; add a filter/filters if there’s the potential for lots of debris. Consider multiple barrels because if all downspouts lead to just one barrel you have the potential for overflow/wasted water. Using the water from your rain barrel When you’re ready to use the water in your barrel in your yard, keep the following in mind: You can hook up a hose to the spigot. You can simply fill a watering can at the spigot and make repeated trips into the garden or to your potted plant collection. You can even hook up an inground irrigation system to it Don’t hook up a soaker hose to a rain barrel’s spigot. There isn’t enough water pressure for the soaker hose to operate effectively, particularly at its farthest reaches. Maintaining your rain barrel Clean out your rain barrel and perhaps replace the spigot, and any filters, once or twice a year. Otherwise silt may build up in the bottom, and/or the interior may get a stinky film. If your winters have freezing weather, completely empty the barrel beforehand. Freezing water in a spigot can ruin it, and residual water in a frozen barrel expands and can damage it. Store it in a garage, shed, or barn over the winter months. Water that runs off your roof, into your gutters, and then into your rain barrel is untreated and may pick up chemicals and debris from your roofing material. It may also be contaminated by anything from bird droppings to microbes, or contain impurities absorbed from the air, such as arsenic and mercury. Even if you have filters in place or flush off the first few collected gallons, don’t drink it. Only use this water on your plants and lawn! Supplemental water for your rain barrel What if there’s a period of no rain? Your rain barrel stands empty and unused, which is unfortunate. You can supply it with household water, then. Collect kitchen-sink water, veggie-rinsing water, bathtub/shower water, even dehumidifier water. Avoid water that has particles in it or soaps that may contain microbeads. Use pitchers or buckets in the house, and once they’re full, make a delivery to the rain barrel, replacing the lid afterward. Cisterns and tanks Cisterns are large tanks for storing as much as 20,000 gallons (75,708 liters) of water. Many farmers and market gardeners, as well as public parks and gardens, use such things, but residential homeowners can use cisterns to stockpile water for later use, too. A homeowner-size cistern is about 10 feet by 20 feet and 3 feet deep (3 x 6.1 and 0.9 m), with a capacity of around 4,000 gallons (15,141 liters). Check with your local authorities to see if cistern use is permitted or regulated in any way. Areas with severe water restrictions ban these. If you do get the green light, new challenges lie ahead, including location, materials, cost, delivery, and setup. You also want to consider how you can protect it from heat and sun (overheated water or algae growth being the problems) and what types of filters and pumps to use, if any. If you’re determined to proceed, consult the supplier — whether a home-improvement store or an ag-supply outlet. Other ideas Water directed from downspouts from your roof, or an upper deck or balcony area, and routed directly into your garden can bring needed water to your plants — assuming it rains. Although this isn’t a viable year-round watering strategy, it’s safe and legal. You may want to consider a rain garden. Chapter 16 discusses rain gardens in greater detail. Another option is a relatively new technology called rain walls. They’re basically slender vertical water-storage tanks, made of strong, UV-stabilized, food-grade plastic. Pioneered in Australia, they come in building blocks, so they're stackable or can be set up as interlocking forms. You can fit one or more into a very narrow side yard, for example, or make a fence or wall out of several or many. Installation is straightforward. One example of these is Rainwater Hog. Is using gray water a good idea? Gray water (sometimes spelled “grey”) may be another source of water you can collect and give to your landscape plants. Gray water is water from inside your home, basically anything but toilet-flushed water bound for the sewer or septic tank. Also avoid collecting utility-sink water. Gray water is wastewater from household sinks, showers and tubs, and laundry. Utilizing it is, indeed, water-wise. You’ve paid for it once if you get your water from your municipality, yet you’re using it twice (for those with well water, similar point: you’re using it twice). Thus you’re conserving water and conserving energy. By not sending this wastewater into the sewer or your septic tank, you’re lightening their load, too. There may be incentives to use it, or there may be restrictions. Check your city, county, or state websites and/or confirm with phone calls before proceeding. Here are the best ways to get it into your garden, where it’s needed: Collect in buckets and pitchers. Leave them in the tub and sinks at all times so everyone in the household gets in the habit of dumping gray water in them. Route directly. An outflow pipe from the kitchen sink or washing machine goes straight out to the yard. An on-off valve is a good idea, for those days when you run three loads of wash, which may be too much water for your plants, especially if you’re growing drought-tolerant natives. Rig an irrigation system, complete with storage tank, filters, and outgoing lines. This sort of thing takes some expertise, and some municipalities don’t allow DIY installations; you must hire a trained and licensed professional to install it. Because people use soap products in all of these areas, and some soaps are harmful to the environment (to soils, to plants, and to groundwater), find out what’s allowed and what’s best. Basically, you want to favor soap products that don’t contain microbeads, phosphates, salts, boron, or oils. You may have to change brands in order to collect maximum gray water. Also, use common sense: don’t reuse household water that contains bleach or cleaning products, or laundry water that rinsed diapers or a mechanic’s work clothes. Out of an abundance of caution, don’t use gray water on certain plants, including anything you’ll eat — for example, salad greens and melons. However, watering tomato and pepper plants, berry plants, and trees (including fruit and nut trees) with gray water is considered okay.

Article / Updated 02-09-2023

Water conservation is becoming ever more important in sustaining a healthy planet. Paying attention to your water usage in the garden is one way to promote an eco-friendly lifestyle. You have two primary goals for green watering: Water your garden as infrequently as possible. By using native plants, you can design the sort of garden that can stay green without a lot of water in the first place. Be mindful of your water source. You don’t have to rely on the tap if you incorporate alternative water sources like those in the next list. Several practices can help you attain these goals and water more greenly and efficiently: Collect rainwater that runs off your roof in rain barrels. Drainpipes can empty directly into barrels, which should have faucets near the bottom to make it easy to get the water out. Be sure to cover the top of the barrel with a screen or some other covering to prevent debris (such as leaves) and insects (such as breeding mosquitoes) from getting into the water. If your yard is big enough, consider installing a cistern, a large water-storage container that can hold rainwater as well as greywater, which is water already used for washing, laundry, or showering. Even if you don’t have a rain barrel or cistern, you can use basins or buckets to carry used dishwater or bathwater outside to water your plants. Water your garden during the coolest part of the day to reduce evaporation. Stick to watering in the early morning or late evening, and water only the areas and plants that need it. Use a trigger nozzle or soaker hose instead of a sprinkler. A sprinkler can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day! Trigger nozzles or soaker hoses work better for specific areas such as garden beds. If you just can’t give up your sprinkler, remember that it doesn’t take long for a sprinkler to soak your lawn thoroughly. When you set up the sprinkler, set out an upside-down Frisbee, too; when the Frisbee’s filled with water, turn off the sprinkler. Resist the temptation to reach for the garden hose at the first appearance of a brown patch. Once a week is all the watering your lawn needs — even in the hottest weather. Overwatering can actually damage your lawn, weakening it by encouraging roots to seek the surface.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-07-2023

Growing your garden requires the aid and cooperation of many forces including the climate in your hardiness zone; insects, good and bad; fertilizers; and soil amendments. Decorative material (such as mulch, stone, sand, and gravel) adds a nice finish, so know how much you need to buy. Adapting each element to your garden's needs — as best you can — leads to a successful gardening experience.

Article / Updated 12-14-2022

Pacific Northwest, including the milder parts of British Columbia, has a long season from spring through fall. West of the Cascade Range, the lingering cool spring tends to favor cool-season annuals, and the relatively cool summers encourage spectacular displays of annuals. East of the Cascades, where winters are longer and much colder, the annual season is shorter, but the heat and the dry climate are terrific for sun-loving annuals. January: Order seeds for starting indoors in a few weeks or outdoors in a few months. Prepare an indoor area for starting seeds. February: Start seeds of annuals indoors for transplanting in spring. If the ground isn’t too wet, you can start seeding the following hardy annuals directly in the ground late this month: calendula, clarkia, cornflower, dwarf pink, English daisy (Bellis perennis), pansy, stock, and sweet alyssum. Transplanting hardy annuals, such as pansies and primroses, if nurseries offer them and the soil is dry enough, or plant them in containers. March: Prepare beds for major spring planting as long as the soil isn’t too wet. Sow sweet peas seeds before midmonth; sow seeds of other hardy annuals. Continue indoor seeding of annuals. Begin sowing warm-season annuals, such as marigolds and zinnias, for transplanting when the weather warms up in May. April: Set out transplants of cool-season annuals, such as calendulas, pansies, and snapdragons. Begin transplanting warm-season annuals if the weather and soil have warmed up. Watch for snails and slugs to begin their most damaging season around young annuals. May: This is the Northwest’s prime time for planting annuals. Almost anything will grow if planted now. Start feeding annuals two or three weeks after planting. Protect young annuals from snails and slugs. Sow asters, cosmos, marigolds, and zinnias from seed directly in the ground. June: Planting season continues, but try to finish soon to get the longest season. Continue to sow seeds of heat-loving annuals, such as marigolds and zinnias. Soon after planting annuals, pinch them back to encourage bushy growth. Continue regular feeding and grooming, and never let them dry out. July: Keep annuals going strong by feeding them regularly. If planting beds need extra watering, run a soaker hose between the plants. You can still plant annual seeds for later summer bloom. August: Watch for late summer invaders, such as spider mites. If impatiens and lobelia get a bit straggly, cut them back by about a third to encourage a late summer burst of growth. September: Extend the summer bloom season by removing dead flowers and watering as needed. For color until frost strikes, set out dwarf pinks, Johnny-jump-ups, pansies, stocks, and kale. October: Remove over-the-hill summer annuals. Clean up beds and turn over the soil for fall or spring planting. Keep hardy annuals, such as pansies, going for another few weeks by continuing to feed, water, and groom them. Sow wildflowers and other annuals that get off to an early start in spring. Scatter the seeds, cover them with a thin layer of organic matter, and then water thoroughly. November: You still have time to sow seeds of hardy annuals and wildflowers for blooms next spring. Clean up all annual planting beds.

Article / Updated 10-18-2022

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.

Article / Updated 07-28-2022

The best advice for planning your first vegetable garden is to start small. Just be sure you locate your garden in a sunny spot where expansion is possible. As for actual size, it depends on what you want to grow. Here's what you can put in the following standard-size gardens: A 6 x 8 foot plot can support a couple tomato plants, maybe some bush beans, and some lettuce. A 10 x 18 foot plot can hold all that, plus a couple space-consuming squash plants and cucumbers, and maybe some carrots or beets. A 20 x 24 foot plot can hold all that, plus peppers, leeks, broccoli, turnips, and maybe some herbs. A 40 x 60 plot allows you more of everything, plus some bigger items, such as corn (corn isn't worth growing unless you can have a dozen or more plants because otherwise they don't pollinate or pollinate completely, and you end up harvesting gap-toothed ears) and asparagus or rhubarb. Sketch out your vegetable garden plan on paper before planting. Figure out how much space to allot to individual plants — and don't forget to allow for space between the rows, or paths, so you can tend the plants. (Mature sizes of various vegetable varieties are noted on seed packets and often in catalog descriptions.) Allow for succession planting: If something is harvested early in the summer, lettuce, say, or peas, you can then free up that space for another crop, such as carrots. Succession planting is a good trick, but to pull it off, you may need to do some research as well as some trial and error — and be willing to invest the time and effort. You could also plan for a constant vegetable harvest by intercropping, or interplanting. This method is simple: Just have two different plants share the same part of the garden in an alternating or checkerboard pattern. This setup can look rather nifty, but it has practical advantages as well. Smaller, faster-maturing plants can grow with larger, slower-growing ones and so you always have something to harvest. And plants that appreciate a little shade can grow in the shelter of taller ones (have pole beans next to lettuce or spinach, for example).

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.

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.

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.