Basics

Trying to “go greener” and be less wasteful? Turn your kitchen scraps into garden-enriching nutrition! A covered, filtered container kept in your kitchen can hold your compost-worthy food waste until you’re ready to run it out to the big bin outside.

Compost is a wonderful thing, providing rich soil for hungry gardens. But if your homemade compost doesn’t get hot enough to break everything down, it can generate some surprises in your landscape. Here are a few that popped up in one of our experts’ beds.

Composting is a simple way to get maximum plants. Just find a good spot, add the right ingredients and mix! (Your garden will thank you for it.)

Instead of having several different potting mixes for each kind of container plant, vary one good mix by adding sand or leaf mold.

Whether strong storms have felled your tree branches or it’s just the usual pruning time, a wood chipper may be exactly what you need to turn those tree limbs and trimmings into rich mulch. Just remember: Safety first!

Mulching can do wonders for the garden – moderating soil temperatures and retaining moisture. But the cost of mulch can add up quickly. What can you do? Take advantage of the “homegrown mulch” around your yard. You’ll save lots of green – for the environment, as well as your wallet!

Once a die-hard passive composter, one gardening expert now vows to take her composting efforts to the next level – and try hot composting. Read her tips for taking on this active way of creating “black gold” for her garden – as inspired by her composting pro of a neighbor.

Your summer-weary back yard is ready for a seasonal makeover. Use the following tips to help get your planting beds into shape for a successful fall planting season!

If your containerized plants have been looking a little peaked, don’t blame yourself – it may be the potting soil they’re growing in. While store-bought mixes are great for many plants, some require a little amending so your potted beauties can take up all the nutrients they need to thrive.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the choices of mulch products. Learn the features of each and choose the one that suits your site and style best.

pH is important to gardeners because it affects everything they work with: soil, water and plants. But what does “pH” mean and how does it work? Read on to find out!

Discover the three mineral components of soil and how all are present in loamy soils.

Meet Steven Andrews – Dirt Dude, Compost Connoisseur, true soil scientist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley – then learn why garden soil importance is No. 1 in getting your planting beds off to a growing success. (After all, healthy gardens start with healthy soil!)