This spring I got the surprise of my life! I had always believed that having worms in my garden or plant soil brings much to the soil for many reasons, one of them being that  worm castings is the nourishment par excellence for the plants. But I had not realized to what extent worm castings can help plants grow and flourish. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 69% [?]

What is Lasagna Gardening?

Lasagna Gardening (often referred to as sheet composting) is a rather neat way of preparing your garden for planting without digging, removing sod, or tilling, and at the same time preparing a feast for worms. (As you are probably aware, worm castings is a humus rich soil amendment, and the more worms play around in your garden, the better your plants will flourish.) Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 55% [?]

What Is Crop Rotation and Why Do It?

Crop rotation, that is rotating the position of your crop “families” from year to year, is one of the simplest ways to control many insects, weeds, and diseases in the garden. Crop rotation does two things for the garden: It improves soil and controls diseases. Because crop rotation enhances soil fertility, you will find an increase in crop yields.

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Popularity: 59% [?]

How Certain Vegetables Match Up For Companion Planting

It has been known for centuries that some plants grow better when certain other plants are growing nearby. Science has gradually discovered the reasons why some combinations of plants are successful, but for other combinations which are also beneficial, no explanation have been found.

To help you identify which plants should be considered for companion planting, I have put together a brief companion vegetable planting guide. You will see that certain plants grow well with many plants while others grow well with only a few. I hope you will give this companion planting a try. For further information, check companion planting.

Please click on the thumbnail to get a full view.

Happy Gardening!

Marcie

Popularity: 100% [?]

What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is the practice of growing certain plants near one another for their mutual benefit or specifically for pest control. One plant may assist another by repelling or attracting insects, providing shade, attracting pollinating bees, repelling pests such as deer or mice, occupying different root zones, or even by decomposing into nutrients needed and absorbed by the other plant. Plants can also be considered “companion plants” if they mature at different times when planted together.. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 48% [?]

Zones Map

1. Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the photo.
2. To identify your zone on the gardening zones map, locate the area where you live, and note what color/zone you live in
3. To further identify the temperature span in your zone, go to the post “Know Your Zone“

Popularity: 60% [?]

Determining soil drainage

The first step to a bountiful and beautiful garden is making sure that your soil is healthy and that it has the proper drainage for your plants. Today I will explain how to determine your soil drainage (how well your soil retains the proper amount of water)

Not every plant likes to have “wet feet” all the time while others love it, so the secret to “happy plants” is to match the plant to the soil or correct your soil drainage. Don’t just leave it to guesswork! Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 28% [?]