Soils & Fertilizer

PodcastSoils & Fertilizer

How to Grow: Snakeworm

Listen to this podcast about snakeworms and how this earthworm-like creatures hurt the soil.   Earthworms are generally thought of as a good sign in a healthy garden. But as with anything, there are two sides to the story. Our common earthworms came to North American with the Europeans and have been spreading ever since. While the common earthworm does help our soil creating air and water pathways and decomposing organic matter, there's a new kid on the block that's not playing fair. The snake worm was introduced into the southern...

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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 & Care LawnsSoils & Fertilizer

How to Grow: Using Fallen Leaves

Listen to this podcast on how to use fallen leaves in your garden and landscape Fall is great for shuffling through a 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...

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