Compost 101
The classic organic gardener's recipe for compost calls for a layer of vegetable matter about six inches thick, a layer of manure about two inches thick, then a thin layer of soil with ground limestone added. This ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Chipper-Shredder Basics
Yard wastes are the stuff that great compost and mulch is made of. To these, you can add the vegetable wastes from your kitchen. Chipper/shredders not only make materials compost faster, they reduce the volume by up ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Planting Bearded Iris
Dig shallow hole large enough to accommodate the rhizome and the attached fibrous roots, then create a mound in the center. Place the rhizome on the mound, adjusting the height of the mound so that the top of the ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Building Great Soil
Not all soil tests are the same, however. Dromgoole recommends using a service that provides recommendations in terms of organic fertilizers. A complete test should also reveal the organic matter content of your soil ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Calcium Fertilizer Helps Trees Survive Winter
Researchers broadcast calcium nitrate fertilizer around three-year-old evergreen oaks (Quercus ilex) and hollies (Ilex aquifolium) at the rate of 4, 8, and 16 pounds per 1000 square feet during the month of October. ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
A Sprinkler For Any Lawn
Gilmour Manufacturing's Pattern Master sprinklers have either impulse or rotary heads at the center of a stable plastic sled base. An adjustable track that looks, when properly adjusted, something like a little black ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Building Soil 101
There are many sources, some of them free, for materials that improve soil texture and fertilize at the same time. You can make your own compost. From region to region of the country, people work the local organic ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
All About Petunias
Petunias are low-growing, bushy to spreading tender perennials usually grown as annuals. Their soft, thick leaves are slightly sticky to the touch. Trumpet-shaped flowers have a single set of plain-edged petals, or ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Beware Toxic Compost
Herbicide products containing clopyralid have been used by the lawn-care industry for more than 15 years. The chemical is extremely effective against persistent weeds, such as dandelion, yellow starthistle, and ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Build A Rain Garden
The most difficult part of building a rain garden can be plant selection. Plants need to be tough enough to withstand periodic flooding, yet attractive enough to look good in the garden. Deep-rooted, low-care native ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Caring For Peas
Each of the three major nutrients contained in fertilizer has a unique job to accomplish while your plants are growing. Nitrogen helps plants have healthy lush green foliage. However, too much nitrogen can burn seeds ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Building Organic Matter In The South
Here's what's going on. Hunt has calculated that the crop residues are sufficient to raise organic matter in the top inches of the soil by 0.3 percent a year, and that a modest amount of tillage is enough to burn it ... [... more]
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