“Feed the soil, not the plant.” I experienced this pivotal epiphany when my husband and I attended Plant Delights Nursery’s class, “The World of Soil.” For the first time I really got it that good dirt is alive, and – this is the really important part – the more alive the dirt, the healthier the plants are in it. >> read article
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Sustainable Fertilization
Feed the soil, not the plant.
by Kathy Fitzgerald
“Feed the soil, not the plant.” I experienced this pivotal epiphany when my husband and I attended Plant Delights Nursery’s class, “The World of Soil.” For the first time I really got it that good dirt is alive, and – this is the really important part – the more alive the dirt, the healthier the plants are in it. >> read article
Spring Garden Cleanup Yields Happy, Healthy Plants
by Anne Larson
As the last significant snow of the season nears, thoughts turn toward getting your ornamental gardens ready for the year. >> read article
Turn & Burn | How to use a 3-bin compost system
by Karen Neill
Along with the increased interest in sustainable living and gardening, composting is also regaining popularity. It’s a great way to manage organic matter while creating a valuable resource at the same time. There are many different methods of composting but the key elements they share are the organic materials that go in them: water, oxygen, and the microorganisms that actually do the decomposing. My favorite type of composting is the three-bin method. This system works well if you have the room and generates a lot of organic matter. >> read article
What is Lasagna Gardening?
by Larry Caplan
Lasagna gardening is also known as “sheet composting,” “sheet mulching,” or “no-dig garden beds.” This uncomplicated and easy gardening method is appropriate for everyone (including people who may be physically limited or unable to dig traditional garden beds). It’s also a good way to convert grassy areas to gardens without using herbicides or tillers. The sod is left in place, where it gets converted into soil organic matter. The process can be done at any time and at any scale, even piecemeal as materials are available. >> read article
How to Turn Compost into Liquid Fertilizer
by Kerry Heafner
Today I'm going to show you how to take compost that you can generate at home and turn it into a liquid biologically active fertilizer that you can use in your home garden.All you'll need to do this is a bucket or other large container that will hold water, aquarium pump and an air stone for an oxygen source for our soil microbes. And we'll put that down in the water and let it bubble. We'll also use the oxygen to help dechlorinate the water if you're using city water. We'll put our compost in a mesh laundry bag which will function like a teabag. We'll measure our compost in a plastic measuring cup, and then we'll provide the soil microbes in the compost tea with a carbohydrate source. And for that, we'll use unsulfured molasses. >> read article
