Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mulch
Posted February 2007
A mulched garden is a happy garden. Why? Because mulch does some very important things:
- Mulching prevents weeds from germinating. If sunlight can't get to the weed seeds, they won't germinate. It also helps smother any small existing weeds. Weeds compete with your garden plants for water, food, and space. Get rid of weeds, and your plants will have more of what they need to grow.
- Mulching helps keep the soil moist and cool. Moist and cool are the conditions that help facilitate root growth, leading to healthier plants. When you mulch, water is retained longer in the soil, and you don't have to water as often.
- As it breaks down, mulch adds important organic matter to your soil. [continue]
Checking Seed Viability
Posted January 2007
If you have older seeds lying around, it is entirely possible that they have lost some of their viability. As seed ages, the likelihood that it will actually germinate decreases. Sometimes, this isn't such a big deal-just plant more seed than you normally would to be sure that enough germinates to suit your needs. But if you don't have many seeds left, or know for a fact that you need a fairly large amount to germinate, you will want to test your seeds to check their germination rate. There is a simple, cheap way to do this. [continue]
Deadheading for More Blooms
Deadheading is one of those gardening tasks that are easy to overlook. With all the weeding, watering, harvesting, and mowing, deadheading usually seems to take a back seat. But it is one of the best things you can do to maintain an attractive garden that full of blooms. [continue]
Layering
Layering is a process of propagating shrubs and vines that, happily, takes very little work on the part of the gardener. Unlike cuttings, which must be watched carefully to be sure they're getting enough water, enough light, etc, layering all happens in the bed the parent plant is growing in. So, it can be assumed that if the parent plant is happy, a baby will be as well. [continue]
Starting Your Own Plants from Seed
There are many advantages to starting your own plants from seed. First of all, it is so much cheaper to buy the supplies for seed starting than to buy transplants, especially if you need a lot of them. Secondly, you can get unique varieties of both flowers and vegetables that your local nursery just isn't able to carry. Thirdly, and, I think, most importantly, when you start your own plants from seed, you become intimately involved in the growth of those plants. You learn to pay attention and attend to their needs. [continue]
Setting Up a Seed-Starting Station
All serious gardeners eventually find that they need to start their own plants from seed. Maybe their gardening ideas are bigger than their budgets, or maybe they want varieties that their local garden centers don't offer. For some of us, the challenge is the fun part. Whatever your reason, once you decide to start your own seeds, you'll need a place to do it. If you are only starting a few plants, a sunny windowsill will do nicely. If you are starting many plants for beds or containers, read on. [continue]
Choosing and Caring for Real Christmas Trees
A real Christmas tree brings a fragrance to a home that makes it really feel like the holidays. If you've never tried one, you may believe that they're messy and hard to care for, or you may just be stymied by the selection of trees out there. Are the more expensive ones really the best? Which ones have less needle drop? How do you care for it once you have it, and how long will it last? This guide to real Christmas trees will help you out. [continue]
Easy Composting
Compost is one of those magic ingredients that can make your garden absolutely thrive. But how many of us don't even bother composting, because it seems to require much more time, effort, and space than we can devote to it? I have good news. If you're patient, you can compost, with little time, effort, or space. In fact, you don't have to have a yard at all, and you can do it in as little as seconds per week. And the payoff you get will be the black gold that every gardener cherishes. [continue]
Great Tools for Fall Leaf Cleanup
Cleaning up your leaves doesn't have to be backbreaking work. With these five tools, you'll be back inside watching the Lions before you know it!
Big plastic rake
Find a rake that is big enough to move leaves quickly, but not so big that the load gets too heavy for you. Plastic won't break on you like bamboo will, and newer models tend to trap fewer leaves in the tines while you rake. Also look for a rake with a padded handle to prevent blisters and hand fatigue. [continue]
Planting Bulbs
Planting your spring-blooming bulbs properly will result in more successful plants. Bulbs planted too deeply may not bloom at all, and those planted too shallowly may heave right out of the ground as it freezes and thaws. Holes for bulbs should be three times as deep as the bulb is tall. So, large bulbs like tulips will be planted much deeper than tiny ones such as grape hyacinths. The hole only needs to be wide enough to place the bulb inside.
Bulbs of every kind look best planted in clumps or drifts; bulbs planted in straight lines just don't look right. The best way to lay out your bulb planting is to lay the bulbs on top of the soil before you start digging. This will help you determine what looks pleasing to you, and will also ensure correct spacing between the bulbs. [continue]
Effective Watering
Effective watering is good all around: good for the garden, good for the environment, and good for your wallet. I have to make a confession here. I had another Technique article planned for this month, but the watering practices of one of my neighbors, and the toll it is taking on my sanity, prompted me to write this. So bear with me if I go on a rant here or there! [continue]
Hardening Off in a Cold Frame
If you start your own seeds inside, a cold frame is an indispensable tool in getting your plants off to the best start. A cold frame is, simply, a box with a clear top that you can open and close. You can construct one out of wood and old windows, or hay bales and plexi-glass. The important part is that the lid be moveable so that you can regulate the temperature inside the box.
The cold frame helps acclimate your plants, which are going from a controlled environment in your home or, if you're very lucky, greenhouse, to the harsh, unpredictable conditions in a Michigan garden. Moving the plants directly out would shock their systems, and at worst it could kill the plants you've worked so hard to grow. Here is an easy process to harden off your plants in a cold frame. [continue]
Pinching Annuals
"Pinching" your annuals is one of the best things you can do. Pinching will change a plant from straggly and wimpy-looking to stocky and bushy.
To pinch annuals, simply remove any straggly, overly long stems, either with your fingers or scissors. It is also a very good idea to pinch off the first flower buds that form on your annuals to encourage branching rather than flower production. The initial loss of a couple of blooms will result in even more flowers in a few weeks. [continue]