Garden Maintenance

Garden MaintenancePodcastSoils & FertilizerVegetable

How to Grow: Soil

Learn about getting your soil ready for planting this spring. Listen to podcast: I'm Charlie Nardozzi and this is the Vermont Garden Journal on Vermont Public Radio. Let's get down and dirty about soil. First we should understand that soil is alive. What makes soil more than just dirt are the millions of bacteria, fungi and microorganisms that populate our land. Their activity allows for water and nutrients to flow freely  to our plants. So we should feed the beast and organic matter is the food. This time of year we should add well...

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LawnsPerennialsPodcastSoils & FertilizerVegetable

How to Grow: Soil Testing

Listen to this podcast on how to take  soil test.   While fall is a time of garden cleanup and planting bulbs and garlic, it's also a perfect time to test your soil. Soil testing is one of those good garden ideas that often gets forgotten. Testing your soil now has some advantages. There's less to do in the garden compared to spring, soil labs aren't as busy, and you'll get a good accurate reading of your soil pH, organic matter, and nutrient levels. Take a soil sample anytime up until the ground freezes and do a soil test every three...

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AnnualsGarden Design & CareSoils & FertilizerVegetable

How to Grow: Straw Bale Gardens

Learn how to grow tomatoes and other vegetables in straw bales with less work and weeds. Listen to podcast: I've seen vegetables planted in just about everything. Whether it be old bathtubs, broken down cars, old shoes or even a used gas grill, gardeners can get creative when it comes to space saving techniques. Well, here's an old space saver that's come back to life in a new book. It's called straw bale gardening. Ruth Stout started it years ago and now Joel Karsten has got a new twist on this idea. Joel makes vegetable gardening less...

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Garden Design & CareVegetable

How to Grow: Trellising Tomatoes

Learn about the best ways to trellis your tomato plants to keep them off the ground. Listen to podcast: Well, my tomatoes are in the ground and enjoying the warm soil and temperatures. I grow a mix of hybrids and heirlooms and one thing they all have in common is they're big plants. So, they need to be kept off the ground, because tomatoes flopping on the ground leads to fruit rot, more leaf diseases and a big mess by midsummer. We all know about staking and caging tomatoes so I won't belabor those points. Just remember that if you're...

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Garden Design & CareHouseplantsPodcast Shrubs

How to Grow: Unusual Holiday Wreaths

Learn about creating unusual holidays wreaths made from native materials. Listen to podcast: Holiday wreaths adorn may houses this time of year. While I love the traditional evergreen wreath with pine cones, winter berries, and dried grasses, you can also get creative about what you use to make a wreath. The first type of wreath I like to call the “morning walk” wreath. This is a wreath made from natural materials you find along your morning walk in the woods or fields. Bring along your hand pruners and a bucket and snip colorful dogwood...

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Garden Design & Care LawnsSoils & Fertilizer

How to Grow: Using Fallen Leaves

Fall is great for scuffing through layers of dried, fallen leaves. I love the smell, sound, and feeling of the leaves underfoot. But leaves are also a great resource for your garden, lawn and yard. So, let's look at 5 ways to use those leaves in the garden. On your lawn it's best to leave the leaves. A thin layer of fallen leaves on the lawn can be chopped up with a mower and left to decompose. Earthworms and other soil creatures will chomp on the leaves helping create a healthier soil beneath the grass. Researchers have also found,...

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Garden Design & CareVegetable

How to Grow: Vertical Gardening

Learn about growing plants vertically to save space and maximize production of your flowers, vegetables and herbs. Listen to podcast: I'm Charlie Nardozzi and this is the Vermont Garden Journal on Vermont Public Radio. People are growing plants in the wildest places these days. There are rooftop gardens sprouting up on top of 30 story buildings, container gardens on balconies and fire escapes, and now living green walls in cities, schools and homes. The green wall revolution coincides with the increased interest in urban gardening....

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FruitGarden Design & CareVegetable

How to Grow: Vertical Gardening

Listen to this podcast on how to grow edible plants vertically on your deck, balcony, or wall.   If you'd like to start an edible garden, but your yard is limited in space or sun, think up. Vertical gardening has become popular in urban areas around the world. I see vertical gardens everywhere, from small balconies to skyscrapers. But you don't have to live in a city to grow vertically. It's a good way to maximize any space and keep your favorite edibles within reach. The first step is to assess your growing space. Determine how much...

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