Container #gardening is a great option for those who are short on #garden space or looking to dress up porches and walkways with accent plants. Before you plant, give your pots a good scrub and ensure they can drain properly, says Plant Perfect. For best results, line containers with peat and use new #potting mix rather than regular topsoil. And if you’re short on garden containers, pots and baskets, look no further than the thrift stores supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org — and shop early to find a selection of one-of-a-kind, lightly used castoffs that you can repurpose for your dream garden.
Tag: garden
Divide Plants to Fill in Landscaping for Free
One of the best — and cheapest — ways to add more plants that have proven successful in your garden is to divide perennials, Joe Gardener says. Plants such as hostas and day lilies can be split soon after they emerge from the ground by cutting through their center of their root bulbs with a sharp shovel or spade. After digging up a portion, you can plant it in another area of your yard to improve upon your landscaping for free. Likewise, spring is also a good time to thin out any overgrown perennials — and if you no longer have room for the transplants, you can give them away to friends and neighbors.
Test Your Garden Soil Before Planting
Ensuring that your garden soil has a balanced pH and is fed the proper nutrients can help your summer vegetable garden produce better and make flowering plants flourish. “Experts recommend testing garden soil every three to five years,” Proven Winners says, to see what soil elements are lacking or overly abundant. Then, you can apply products that help get your soil into the proper balance. Generally speaking, you can’t go wrong with a layer of compost or manure, plus a plant food that’s designed for your selection of plants and amends any deficiencies in your soil’s makeup.
Summer Gardening Starts Now
Are you planning to plant a vegetable or flower garden this summer? The time to start is now! Depending on your location, much of what you’ll want to do at this point in the year involves “hardscaping” — ensuring that your fences, walkways, trellises and beds are ready for the growing season. Then, a general cleanup is in order: Pull weeds, rake up debris that has collected over the winter, remove dead branches, etc. You’ll also want to sharpen and clean your garden tools, Rural Sprout says, and start any vegetable seeds indoors. In a couple of weeks, you’ll be able to prepare your soil.
Plant Annuals Immediately After the Final Frost
If you’re looking to plant annuals in your flower garden this year, it’s time to get them into plots, pots and boxes. The threat of a frost ends mid-May in most areas of the United states, and you can safely plant most annuals immediately after. Wait a couple of weeks to put in tender plants such as impatiens, The Old Farmer’s Almanac says, and “harden” them in a sheltered spot or cold frame for a week or two if you started them from seed yourself. Mulch the beds to keep weeds at bay, and enjoy the array of colors as they bloom!