Composting
Composting is a degradation process brought about by bacteria and fungus organisms. Large amounts of organic kitchen, garden, lawn, and/or farm refuse can be reduced in a relatively short time to a pile of black, ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Planting On Your Septic Drain Field
Prepare the soil for your trees before planting. Roots tend to grow along impermeable surfaces until they find a crack or other "path of least resistance" where they can penetrate. If you plant a tree in shallow ... [... more]
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Selection And Use Of Mulches And Landscape Fabrics
Apply loose and sheet mulches at planting time. To prepare an area to be mulched, remove perennial weeds and level the area. Soil should be moist but not wet. Around young trees, extend the mulch from near the trunk ... [... more]
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Concocting Containers
Second, will it look good to you? I know many people feel comfortable buying a container that the staff at the garden center says will look great. But quite frankly, how do they know? They've never been to your house ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Four Keys To Successful Container Gardening
Learn to use your fingers to gauge the need for water, then apply enough to run through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container. This assures that the soil is thoroughly and uniformly wet and that excess ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
The Winter Landscape
From your favorite window, search the winter landscape for something you have never noticed before. Look at the trees and shrubs without their leaves. The patterns they make are individual to each species. You can ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Beware Of Sour Mulch
Methane, alcohol, and other toxic by-products of composting may build to toxic levels in piles of organic materials subject to anaerobic conditions (i.e., low in oxygen and containing over 40 percent water). Large ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Fresh Wood Chips As Mulch?
The second concern is that naturally occurring allelopathic chemicals will be transferred directly to susceptible plants. In research that Dr. MacDaniels conducted in the 1950s, he found that he could not induce ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Landscape Management And Water Quality
We rely on surface and groundwater, such as is supplied by reservoir systems and wells, for our water. These supplies, in turn, rely on adequate rainfall and good water infiltration into the soil. Water is a precious ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Reviewing The Landscape, Renewing Its Design
If you prefer to undertake the project yourself, begin by taking "before" pictures of your landscape. Then consult with a nursery or landscape expert for additional ideas and advice about which living plants are best ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Landscaping For Less In The Landfill
Virginia is rapidly running out of landfill space. Fifteen to twenty percent of solid waste sent to landfills is comprised of leaves, grass clippings, and other yard wastes. Gardeners can plan their landscapes to ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Steps And Ramps In The Home Landscape
Be sure to make all risers and treads perfectly uniform throughout a flight. Long flights should be broken by landings to give intervals for resting while climbing. To reduce danger of injury from falls and for ... [... more]
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