Category Archives: Garden Care

Don’t fret if a foamy fungus has sprung up in spots across your mulch. We’ll tell you what it is, what causes it, and what to do about it. The Question: A builder landscaped our new home, sodding the front lawn and planting various perennials and shrubs. The plants are surrounded by mulch. About a week ago, I saw two foamy yellow piles on the mulch. What is it, and how do I get rid of it?   It sounds as though you have a slime mold growing on your wood mulch. I’m guessing that the lawn and new plants have been heavily watered (probably to help the sod), because this slime mold generally develops when moisture is plentiful. There’s not much you need to do except cut back on the moisture a bit.   Luckily, the fungus won’t harm anything, and it will disappear on its own when the…

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The culprit of the dark specks on your siding could be hiding in your mulch. Mulching around your plants helps soil hold onto moisture, keeps the weeds down, and looks tidy. But with certain types of wood-based mulch, you might be providing a home to shotgun fungus, too. This fungus likes to live in damp, decaying wood, such as decomposing shredded bark mulch. You’d probably never notice it except as its name implies, shotgun fungus can forcefully shoot out spores. If your house is in the way of the spray, you’ll see the results: Tiny black specks you can’t rinse off with a hose. The good news is, the fungus isn’t poisonous to you or your pets. But its extremely sticky spores are difficult to remove without damaging the walls of your house or any other surface the spores have landed on. The best thing you can do is to avoid it…

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Keep your plants happier and healthier with these dos and don’ts for using mulch in the garden. I was a new gardener planting my first vegetable patch years ago when a friend gave me some hay from his farm to use as mulch. Planting in mulch can really benefit your plants by keeping their roots cooler in hot spells, helping control weeds, and holding moisture in the soil. So I gladly accepted the hay and spread it around my peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes, then sat back to watch things grow. Things grew all right: plenty of weeds! If only I’d known that I should have composted the hay first to kill the weed seeds in it, or chosen a different mulching material such as shredded leaves. Here’s how you can avoid common mulching mistakes in your own garden.   KELLI JO EMANUEL / BHG 1. Don’t Use Mulch Mixed with Soil Mulch, compost, and soil are different…

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Whether you are preventing weeds or beautifying a garden bed, follow this guide to pick the right mulch for your garden. While mulching may seem like a simple part of gardening, there are a few must-knows about the different mulches you can use and the benefits of each. Though shredded bark might immediately come to mind, there are several other types of mulch that you may want to consider using in your garden. Knowing when to add mulch to your planting beds and how much to use is essential for keeping all your plants healthy. Keep these tips in mind as you’re planting your spring garden and throughout the entire year, especially if you decide to add new beds or landscaping. MARTY BALDWIN Benefits of Mulch There are some advantages to adding mulch to your garden. In the summer, mulch helps the soil hold moisture, so you don’t have to water as often. Soil also tends to…

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Help your veggie plants thrive, even through heat and drought, by using straw mulch correctly. In your vegetable garden, mulching with straw will give you a long list of benefits. For starters, straw is inexpensive, easy to work with, and good for your soil. And a layer of straw mulch between your veggie rows sets off your plants and makes your garden look neat and tidy. Although it takes a little effort up front, mulching with straw will save you time in the long run when it comes to weeding and watering. Unless you garden on a massive scale, one or two bales is usually all you’ll need to mulch your entire vegetable patch. Here’s what you need to know about using straw mulch around your edible plants. MARTY BALDWIN What is straw? Straw is the dried stems left after wheat or oats (or other grains) have been harvested. Once the grain is removed, the dried…

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Learning how to apply mulch can make gardening much easier and more labor-efficient. Here are nine steps to learning how to mulch like a pro. Mulch does a host of things that your plants want and need, such as shading roots on hot days, preventing moisture from evaporating, and stopping weeds from taking root. But it’s important to learn the differences between mulch materials, and how to properly spread mulch. Andy Lyons. ANDY LYONS Two Types of Mulch There are two basic kinds of mulch: Organic and inorganic. Organic materials—wood, bark, compost, grass clippings, and leaves—will decompose and improve the soil. They last a few years, after which you’ll need to add more. In addition, organic mulches are easy to spread and do no harm if mixed into soil, as will happen when planting annuals or shrubs, for example. Stone, by contrast, is meant to be a more or less permanent mulch,…

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Save money, benefit your garden, and help out the environment—all at the same time—with this simple DIY compost bin project. Making your own compost is something anyone can do, whether you’re a gardening beginner or a seasoned pro. It’s a great way to recycle yard waste, like grass clippings and dry leaves, as well as vegetable peelings and other kitchen scraps. The nutrient-rich blend of decomposed organic materials works wonders for plants, either when spread around them, or mixed into the soil. But to get started, you’ll need a compost bin. One of the easiest DIY ways to make a compost bin is to start with a trash can—something you may already have on hand—and drill several holes in it so your compost can get plenty of air and break down quickly. Then, you can tuck your new bin into a convenient spot and start adding organic material to it. MATT CLARK What You Need Making…

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Thanks to their names, blood meal and bone meal are some of the least glamorous gardening products out there. Yet, both of these naturally derived fertilizers can provide vital nutrients to your plants. Blood meal and bone meal are commonly available in the fertilizer section of garden centers. Both are valuable soil amendments, but don’t assume they can be used interchangeably. Otherwise you might end up harming your plants. When used properly, these products help plants form strong root systems and lush foliage. Here’s what you need to know about when and how to use bone meal and blood meal before adding them to your garden.  What is blood meal? Blood meal is made from dried slaughterhouse waste, and is one of the densest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen for plants. Nitrogen is key to many aspects of healthy plant growth. For example, it’s a component of chlorophyll, which is essential for converting light into…

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Break down your seasonal landscaping maintenance by the time of year, lawn-care schedule, and type of plant or hardscape for an easy to-do list. Just as your yard has four distinct seasons of growth and rest, it has four distinct seasons of landscape maintenance. What you have to do depends on the time of year and the type of tree or plant. Here are checklists for seasonal lawn care; trees, shrubs, and groundcovers; flower and kitchen gardens; and hardscape elements to make the work easy to tackle no matter the time of year. Spring Landscape Maintenance Spring Lawn Care Use a spring fertilizer for lawns once snow has melted. Repair dead patches. If crabgrass is problematic, treat with a preemergent herbicide around the time forsythia blooms in your area. Revive weak lawns by dethatching and aerating. Spring Trees, Shrubs, and Groundcover Maintenance Remove winter trunk protection and old mulch, and…

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When you bring home a new perennial in a pot, follow these easy steps for planting it in the ground. Your garden will be thriving in no time. One of the most exciting parts of flower gardening is selecting new plants to add to your yard. There are so many gorgeous options to choose from, and when it comes to perennials, they will reward you for years to come with their colorful blooms and foliage. Spring and fall are the best times to plant perennials because the weather is cooler, giving the plants a chance to grow enough roots to deliver the water they’ll need during the warmer months. When you buy potted perennials from a nursery or garden center, it’s best to get your new plants in the ground as soon as possible. Make sure to follow these steps to get your perennials properly planted. How to Plant a Perennial First, gather…

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