I am a huge fan of Ruth Stout, the Mulch Queen, whose method, in short was: mulch is wonderful, put it everywhere, and even spread it naked if you like, just not during rush hour. Mrs. Stout ...

A recent conversation with Carol Reese took me back, way back to my earliest days as a gardener. Carol, who retired in 2021 from a distinguished career as a horticultural extension specialist in the ...

Organics are the best way to go in your garden. Plenty of organic mulches are available, and they often can be had for free. Right out in your back yard or your neighbor’s you will find one good ...

It seems like a no-brainer on what to use, right? Use straw and avoid weeds. Yet it’s not so simple. Hay is higher in nitrogen than straw: 0.1-2 percent vs. 0.3-1 percent. In addition, there’s the ...

Organic mulch keeps soil cool, moist, and weed-free while boosting long-term soil health. Great natural mulches include compost, chopped leaves, pine needles, and straw. A thick 3-inch mulch layer, ...

“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” — Mohandas Gandhi For me, the most fulfilling part of organic gardening is creating soil that can produce fruitful ...

The dictionary says that mulch is anything you lay on top of the soil to protect it. Protect it from what, though? Sun and rain, that's what. Sun beating down on bare soil results in temperatures hot ...

Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) ...

TOMATO FARMER'S BLUES: Bacterial wilt in Leveritt's hoop house landed his annual crop of heirloom tomatoes in blue 5-gallon buckets full of pearlite. I take all winter to spread tons of turkey litter ...