Archive for the ‘The Basics’ Category

In an effort to save a little money, a lot of gardeners save their own seeds.  Sometimes this works, sometimes not.  The trick is to know the difference between “open pollinated” varieties and “hybrids.” 

There’s a popular misconception about hybrids.  A lot of folks think there’s something “unnatural” about them and steer clear, opting instead for more old-fashioned varieties. That’s too bad, because naturally hybridized plants help gardeners grow bigger, better fruits and flowers with less fertilizers and pesticides.  They are the organic gardener’s best friends.  Read the rest of this entry »

It’s easy to forget that weeds are actually part of your garden’s “harvest.” Every time we remove green growing things from our soil, we are effectively removing some part of the soil’s fertility. In other words, to grow, a weed, no less than a flower or a vegetable, has to take nutrients out of the soil. Read the rest of this entry »

Feeding the Soil: Step One to a Better Garden

My neighbor, who moved into a recently built house, was telling me about her gardening adventures: “I don’t understand what’s wrong! I bought beautiful plants, I kept them watered, I fed them with Miracle-Gro…and they still didn’t do well. Oh, they looked good for a few weeks, but as soon as we got some really hot weather and I forgot to water them for a day or so, ka-plooey. Dead. What am I doing wrong?” Read the rest of this entry »