Earth

Arguably the most important element of gardening is earth - or soil (or dirt if you'd rather). I grew up in an area that had amazing top soil so I never had to think about it too much while gardening. However, once I moved to Pennsylvania, it was a different story. In both our last house and the current one, we have lots, and lots, and LOTS of clay. It is so far from ideal we've been fighting to improve it. But the quality of soil can make or break your garden. Below are two pictures of pink petunias. They came from the same pack of seedlings. One was planted in the clay soil and one was planted in the good soil of the window box. The differences are remarkable.

Good potting soil

Clay Soil

There is so much that can, and has, been written on the subject. I'll include some helpful links at the bottom of this post. My goal here is to get you thinking about it and give you a few essential pointers.

So, how can you get the best from your soil? Read on.

First, keep toxic chemicals out of your soil. This may sound like a no brainer but be careful to keep harsh pesticides, like roundup, oils, and even vinegar out of your soil. They can kill the good plants you want to keep and they kill worms and micro organisms that are beneficial.

Second, know your basic soil types and which one(s) you have. Clay is hard and has an orange color to it. I think we all know what sand looks like. Good top soil is a very dark brown and isn't too hard to work with.

Third, if you have really bad soil, consider raised beds. Then you can fill them with better quality soil from the garden center. We like to fill ours with a variety of things like shredded leaves, manure, compost and top soil. Mushroom compost is also awesome. We also add a general purpose, organic fertilizer occasionally.

Fourth, most experts suggest getting your soil tested to see what nutrients you really need to add. However, I've never done this as it seems like such a hassle.

Finally, as much as you can, keep your soil mulched. It will protect the soil from errosion, keep it wetter longer and encourage worms and such underneath. (Worms hate bare soil because it gets too hot).

I'll be honest, as important as soil is, I'm still probably not spending enough on making it as good as it could be. It's always a balance between cost savings and pay off in the garden for me. How is the dirt where you live? Feel free to write about it in the comments below.

Mother Earth News Build Better Garden Soil

9 Ways to Improve Your Garden Soil

How To Choose A Plant

One of the questions I get the most often is what plant to choose for a given garden space. This time of year, folks are getting out of the house and wanting spruce up their curb appeal. I'm always happy to offer suggestions but anyone can make a few observations and then find an appropriate plant on their own. Here is what to pay attention to.

1. How big is the space you have to fill? If your garden bed is only 3 feet deep, then don't buy a plant that will grow to 10 feet wide. My pet peeve is seeing windows overgrown by bushes that are far too big for their space. Take measurements first!

2. How much light will the spot get? Be sure to watch the spot at multiple times a day, ideally at different times of the year. If you plant a cotoneaster in full shade, it will struggle horribly and planting hostas in full sun will burn them up by July.

3. What is the dirt like? Is it sandy, clay or somewhere in between? Does the soil tend to dry out quickly or stay wet?

4. What other plants are growing near by and are thriving? If you know what other plants are already happy, it will give you a clue as to what else will do well.

Once you've got this stuff written down, you are ready to head over to the garden center. I'm not against big box stores but in my experience, a garden center or green house will have better trained staff. You can choose to find someone to help or you can venture on your own. When asking for input, be sure to ask about ease of care. If you're not into regular pruning or spraying, be sure to get a low maintenance plant.

No matter what - read the tag on the plant you're interested in. Don't skip this step! When you bring the plant home, keep the plant tag somewhere for future reference.

What questions do you have about how to pick out a plant? Feel free to post in the comments below!

Planting Seeds 101

So, it's one of my favorite times of the year, planting time! Actually, I start planting onions sets in mid March and keep planting stuff till tulip bulbs in November. But Early May is the time to plant lots of stuff! Before you go and start your garden this year, be sure to review some basics so you'll be off to a good start.

First off, a few definitions. If you hear the term "direct sowing" it means sowing seeds directly into the ground outside. That's what this post is all about. "Seed starting" usually means sowing seeds indoors to give them a head start. That's not what this post is about.

Secondly, you must prepare the soil before planting. Do not skip this or you'll regret it! You've got to be sure the soil is weed free ahead of time, and also pick out any rocks. You'll also want to break up the top two inches of soil so it's loose and easy for seeds to spread their roots. It also never hurts to add some soil enrichment's like compost, composted cow manure or mushroom soil. The better your quality of soil, the better your plants will be.

Third, when you go to plant your seeds, be sure to read the package directions. As a general rule, the larger the seed, the deeper it goes. However, it's always best to read the package. Small seeds like radish and lettuce can just be sprinkled on top of the soil and larger seeds like beans go a few inches down.

Fourth, always water after you plant unless it's about to rain. It's very important that you keep the top few inches of soil moist at all times for the first few weeks to keep the baby plants watered. Once the seedlings are about 4 inches tall, you can lay off a bit.

Finally, if you're planting what's called a "heavy feeder" (a plant that needs A LOT of nutrients to grow well) like corn, tomatoes or melons, then consider giving it an extra sprinkle of organic fertilizer to give it a great start. I like Espoma brand because it's easy to find in the stores and works for just about any plant.


That's really all there is to it. Even children can plant seeds. So don't be intimidated! You can grow a garden too.

Why Bare Ground Is Bad for Your Garden

Even after years of gardening growing up, one thing that I never realized was bad for the garden was bare ground. What do I mean? When you clear all the weeds and plants in a section of garden and then leave it empty so you can see the bare ground.  Mind you, my hard, clay soil makes this abundantly obvious when it develops deep cracks as it dries out but even if you have great soil, it's still not good to leave it bare - especially in the summer heat. Here's why.

1. Erosion: Any soil amendments and fertilizer you've put on your garden bed are likely to wash away in a summer downpour.

2. Heat: Bare ground heats up quickly which repels garden helpers like worms and other beneficial microbes.

3. Compaction: Bare ground will bake and get really hard so when you do want to plant something, it will be very difficult. This is especially true if you have clay soil like I do.

So what should you do instead? You can help your soil by covering it up in one of the following ways:

1. Mulch: Put any kind of non-treated organic matter and dump it on your empty space of ground until you are wanting to use it again. Anything from straw and grass clippings to pulled weeds. Seriously, I've temporarily got a pile of dead pea plants piled up in a part of my garden where I plan on planting fall crops in another month. Couldn't be easier or cheaper.

2. Cover Crops: These are plants like clover or buck wheat that help build your soil and keep it cool and covered while you're not using it. You can find seeds for this at most garden centers.

3. Let the weeds go: The caveat here is that you cant' let them go so long they go to seed and get out of hand. Even then, it's still probably better to leave some weeds than to let your ground go completely bare for long.

Keep in mind that nature abhors a vacuum. The only time you see bare ground in nature is in a dessert and we certainly don't want our gardens to resemble that. So do yourself a favor and keep your garden covered as much as you can and it will greatly improve your soil over time.