Search Results for ‘mulches’

Around the country there have been some unseasonably warm temperatures extending into December. Depending on the place you call home, you may even be seeing flowers blooming that ordinarily would not be this time of year. Although this extended warm season is unexpected, it can be pretty...

There is frustration aplenty to be had when you set out into the garden in search of that perfect tomato only to instead find one with blossom end rot. Though it is a common issue with which veggie gardeners are faced, it is no less disheartening when it rears its ugly head. Rather than letting...

Mulching is one of the best things we can do for your vegetable garden. Properly placed mulch helps control the weeds, keeps the soil from drying out as quickly and helps it stay cooler in the summer. There are many materials that can be used for mulch, some are better than others. Experienced...

The dog days of summer can be vicious to many vegetable garden plants. When thermometers start reaching the century mark, and stay there for several consecutive days, it takes a beating on many plants in your vegetable garden. Although it is extremely difficult to completely fend off those high...

A living mulch, or cover crop, is a low-growing plant used in the vegetable garden as a mulch. It is usually referred to as a cover crop because that is exactly what it is doing - covering the ground. The cover crop is usually grown in between rows or around plantings. Using a living mulch is a...

Although most of the country is in the middle of winter, there are still some southern areas that are dealing with raking leaves. Unfortunately, I was not able to get outside much during the fall, so my leaf-raking duties have gotten very behind. I would like to tell you what I do with my fallen...

Any coffee drinker will likely throw away a filter full of coffee grounds each day. But, to gardeners these old grounds are very useful in the vegetable plot, flower bed or landscape. Some may remember family members throwing coffee grounds around roses or azaleas. Besides improving acidity for...

ANDERSON, S.C. - Newspaper has helped Lewis Brady go greener. Brady, who lives in northeastern Anderson County, credits newspapers with the success of his garden this year. "One of my friends and I are always comparing gardens," he said. "When I sent him a picture of my wife standing next to...

If you hang around vegetable gardening circles long enough, you are bound to hear the phrase "green manure". You may start thinking folks are talking about some weird green cow poo, but it is quite the contrary. Using green manures can greatly benefit your soil composition, which in turn will...

Using a mulch in the vegetable garden has become a very popular and almost necessary item. Mulches perform many duties in the garden by suppressing weeds, controlling water runoff, helping to control some garden pests, and also by creating a more attractive garden space. Personally, I never...

It has been a month since I planted my tomato plants, and I figured I would give an update on them. I planted 11 tomato plants in my garden on April 14th, 2009 and added two more tomato plants on May 3rd, 2009 for a total of 13 tomato plants. Some gardeners think having 13 plants is bad luck...