11 Tips for Garden Success, Live!

Show Transcript

11 Garden Tips for Success: The Abbreviated Transcript

1. ALL GARDENING IS LOCAL. In your own yard, there are microclimates where certain plants will have a better chance for success. For example, monitor the morning low temperatures in various areas of your yard to find the warmest home for citrus trees. Just moved to a new home and wondering what grows well there? Take a walk through your neighborhood. Mimic the garden successes that you see.

2. KNOW YOUR SOIL. A complete soil test will let you know what nutritional elements your soil is missing, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For the do-it-yourselfer, there are variety of test kits available for monitoring nutrient and pH levels. Check your soil moisture with a soil probe, moisture meter, trowel, or screwdriver.

3. RIGHT PLANT, RIGHT PLACE. In our area, roses won’t bloom in full shade and many tomato varieties won’t produce fruit. On the other hand, winter daphne, impatiens and hydrangeas will croak in full sun. Know the sunlight requirements for your plants in your location. The Sunset Western Garden book is a good source for finding out how much sun or shade your plants need where you live.

4. MULCH, MULCH, MULCH. Mulch retains soil moisture. It keeps soil temperature constant, reducing plant stress. Mulch suppresses weeds. It gradually increases soil organic matter while feeding the soil. Attracts beneficial organisms that improve soil fertility and porosity. Mulch encourages healthier plants!

5. MOTHER NATURE BATS LAST. When you apply broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides, the bad bugs will eventually find a way to overcome that issue, usually developing a resistance to that chemical. The same is true of weeds, treated repeatedly with the same herbicides. To battle the bad bugs, lend Mother Nature a helping hand. Limit the use of insecticides and provide the right plants for the food and shelter needs of the beneficial insects, such as ladybugs. Build it and they will come.

6. WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN. Growing heirloom fruits and vegetables is not a passing fad. A University of Texas study showed that older varieties of vegetables are more nutritious than their newer, hybrid counterparts. Beneficial insects are attracted to the fragrance of older, heirloom flower varieties.

7. EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG. In the 1940’s & 50’s, DDT was available to home gardeners as a pesticide. Turns out, it caused cancer and killed birds. In the 1960’s-1970’s, the Modesto Ash was considered the “perfect shade tree” for the Central Valley of California. Turns out, it is susceptible to anthracnose, mistletoe and is no longer recommended. In the first decade of the 21st century, the pesticides Diazinon and Dursban were taken off store shelves. Today’s solution could become tomorrow’s problem. Be open to change.

8.  IF IT WORKS FOR YOU, FINE; BUT KEEP AN OPEN MIND. If you're using safe gardening techniques that others frown upon - and those techniques are working, who are we to tell you to stop? New research, techniques, or equipment may make your chores a lot easier and satisfying.

9. READ AND FOLLOW ALL LABEL DIRECTIONS. The instruction label on all pesticides is the law. Don’t assume that an insecticide or herbicide will kill a bad bug or weed if it is not listed on the label. Follow the instructions for when and how to apply the product.

10. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO PUT UP WITH A PROBLEM PLANT. Become familiar with the euphemism, “Shovel-Prune.”

11. BERMUDA GRASS IS FOREVER. Bermuda grass produces stolons on top of the soil, rhizomes beneath the soil, prolific seed heads, and roots that can live for decades, just waiting for a bit of light. Instead of thinking "eradication" of Bermuda grass, think "control.” Bermuda grass is married to your yard. Just as in any marriage, you must pick your battles. Call this one a draw.