Earthing-up is a very simple method of propagating gardening plants and is very similar to layering, but much easier.
It's one of the easiest propagating methods there is and anyone who can use a simple gardening tool can do it with no trouble.
Well, how easy is it?
It's no more difficult than using a gardening hoe or rake. And how easy is that?
It's the easiest way to propagate gardening plants���it's real easy peasy!
You will find this method so easy you will wonder why you didn't know about before.
Ok, how is it done?
Simple! The soil is just drawn up over the plant, covering the lower part of the shoots. After that the plant just gets on and does the rest.
But there is wee bit of preparation work to do first, just a bit, honest.
Just make sure the plant you are going to earth up is healthy and is a vigorous grower.
The younger the plant the more vigorous it is and the better the chance of producing plenty of strong new cuttings.
It is best to thin out the plant first by cutting out any old or dead stems or leaves. If the plant is really bushy and thick thin out some of the healthy stems as well.
You need to thin the plant out enough to allow soil to be packed around all the lower parts of the stems.
Before you draw up the earth over the plant add and mix in some horticultural grit and ordinary potting compost to the soil.
About a third of each will do, one third soil, one third grit and one third potting compost. It doesn't have to be exact.
This will allow good drainage, preventing the plant from becoming waterlogged and yet retain enough moisture preventing the plant from drying out too much.
Draw the soil, grit and compost mixture over the plant using a draw hoe or a rake.
Cover the plant so there is about 7.5cm (3inches) of stem showing above the soil mixture.
Gently firm the soil mixture around all the stems lower parts of the stems, don't compact it, just firm it.
The idea is to make sure all the stems are in contact with the soil mixture.
Water the covered plant well using a fine rose on a watering can, give it a good soaking.
You will now need to draw more soil mixture over the plant, as watering will have settled the soil mixture, making sure to leave 7.5cm (3inches) of the stems uncovered.
Once you have re-covered the plant gently water it again using a fine rose.
All you have to do now is keep the earthed up plant watered in dry weather and remove any weeds as soon as they appear.
When the shoots have produced plenty of healthy, well established roots remove them by cutting the stem, just below the new roots, with clean sharp secateurs.
Pot them up individually and grow them on or plant them in your garden where you want them to permanently grow.
Now is that easy peasy, or what?
More plants-free-for-life!
Ah, but which plants can you propagate by earthing up?
Ok, try some of the following:
Abies (dwarf) Acantholimon Artemisia Azalea Berberis Buxus Lawsoniana Cedrus (dwarf) Daphne Heather Ivy (when grown as ground cover) Lavender Ledum Rhododendron (dwarf) Rosemary Sage Syringa Thyme Veronica Violas (only after flowering has finished, cut all finished flower heads off before earthing-up)
So go on give earthing up a go and start propagating some of your favorite gardening plants the easy way.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Trying To Get The Best Out Of Your Vegetable Garden?
Vegetable gardening is great for children and adults alike. It's something the couch potato wouldn't be interested in because it takes a bit of effort to start and maintain a productive garden. Also it's no different than growing herbs or flowers and if you take proper steps along with the proper care your plants will produce very tasty vegetables. It is quite possibly one of the worlds most wholesome pastimes. Vegetable gardening is not that expensive to start and the taste of home grown veggies definitely are better vegetables than store bought!
Planting a vegetable garden is not difficult either, but there are a few steps involved. Growing organically things that naturally grow together will ensure prevention of root choking, disease, and other problems. Plants need certain nutrients to grow and many times we think fertilizer is the only solution. But using organic gardening compost the soil doesn't contain man-made chemicals. Artificial fertilizers can be significantly reduced by 30 or more.
The ideal garden soil is a "rich, sandy loam." And the fact cannot be overemphasized that such soils usually are made, not found. Let's look at that description a bit, for right here we come to the first of the four all-important factors of gardening food. The others are cultivation, moisture and temperature. "Rich" in the gardener's vocabulary means full of plant food; more than that and this is a point of vital importance it means full of rich nutrients ready to be used. Practically no soils in long- inhabited communities remain naturally rich enough to produce good crops. They are made rich, or kept rich, in two ways; first, by cultivation, which helps to change the raw plant food stored in the soil into available forms; and second, by manuring or adding compost to the soil from outside sources.
"Sandy" in the sense here used, means a soil containing enough particles of sand so that water will pass through it without leaving it pasty and sticky a few days after a rain; "light" enough, as it is called, so that a handful, under ordinary conditions, will crumble and fall apart readily after being pressed in the hand. It is not necessary that the soil be sandy in appearance, but it should be friable.
"Loam: a rich, friable soil," says Webster. That hardly covers it, but it does describe it. It is soil in which the sand and clay are in proper proportions, so that neither greatly predominate, and usually dark in color, from cultivation and enrichment. Such a soil, even to the untrained eye, just naturally looks as if it would grow things. It is remarkable how quickly the whole physical appearance of a piece of well cultivated ground will change.I notice last fall in a field, where a strip containing a fence row had been, and a little piece just off from the middle of this had been croped just one season. The rest had not been manured or cultivated. When the field was plowed up in the fall, it was distinctly noticeable that the untouched was full of black rich nutrients.
So do not be discouraged about your soil. Proper treatment of it is much more important, and a garden- patch of average run-down, or "never-brought-up" soil will produce much more for the energetic and careful gardener than the richest spot will grow under average methods of cultivation. Remember any organic matter can be composted, and there are many ways it can be done while turning waste into a nutrient rich soil supplement for your garden. So proper treatment is to have a little TLC for your plants and in turn, you'll reap the benefits.
I hope you have been able to gain something from this article, thanks for reading. Good luck using this information and please enjoy your garden.
Planting a vegetable garden is not difficult either, but there are a few steps involved. Growing organically things that naturally grow together will ensure prevention of root choking, disease, and other problems. Plants need certain nutrients to grow and many times we think fertilizer is the only solution. But using organic gardening compost the soil doesn't contain man-made chemicals. Artificial fertilizers can be significantly reduced by 30 or more.
The ideal garden soil is a "rich, sandy loam." And the fact cannot be overemphasized that such soils usually are made, not found. Let's look at that description a bit, for right here we come to the first of the four all-important factors of gardening food. The others are cultivation, moisture and temperature. "Rich" in the gardener's vocabulary means full of plant food; more than that and this is a point of vital importance it means full of rich nutrients ready to be used. Practically no soils in long- inhabited communities remain naturally rich enough to produce good crops. They are made rich, or kept rich, in two ways; first, by cultivation, which helps to change the raw plant food stored in the soil into available forms; and second, by manuring or adding compost to the soil from outside sources.
"Sandy" in the sense here used, means a soil containing enough particles of sand so that water will pass through it without leaving it pasty and sticky a few days after a rain; "light" enough, as it is called, so that a handful, under ordinary conditions, will crumble and fall apart readily after being pressed in the hand. It is not necessary that the soil be sandy in appearance, but it should be friable.
"Loam: a rich, friable soil," says Webster. That hardly covers it, but it does describe it. It is soil in which the sand and clay are in proper proportions, so that neither greatly predominate, and usually dark in color, from cultivation and enrichment. Such a soil, even to the untrained eye, just naturally looks as if it would grow things. It is remarkable how quickly the whole physical appearance of a piece of well cultivated ground will change.I notice last fall in a field, where a strip containing a fence row had been, and a little piece just off from the middle of this had been croped just one season. The rest had not been manured or cultivated. When the field was plowed up in the fall, it was distinctly noticeable that the untouched was full of black rich nutrients.
So do not be discouraged about your soil. Proper treatment of it is much more important, and a garden- patch of average run-down, or "never-brought-up" soil will produce much more for the energetic and careful gardener than the richest spot will grow under average methods of cultivation. Remember any organic matter can be composted, and there are many ways it can be done while turning waste into a nutrient rich soil supplement for your garden. So proper treatment is to have a little TLC for your plants and in turn, you'll reap the benefits.
I hope you have been able to gain something from this article, thanks for reading. Good luck using this information and please enjoy your garden.
Container Vegetable Gardening
Container vegetable gardening is ideal if you don't have the space for a conventional vegetable plot in your garden.
Or if you just want a few tasty vegetables without the effort of maintaining a proper vegetable plot.
Grown on the patio, veranda, balcony or any spare space you can find, vegetables growing in pots and containers will look attractive as well as supply you with fresh veg for the kitchen table.
You can grow them almost anywhere, even in pots and tubs on the sides of driveways or pathways, providing they are wide enough of course.
The only requirement is that they receive some sunshine during the day and are accessible for watering and harvesting.
That's one of the best things about container vegetable gardening, you can grow them in all sorts of pots, tubs, boxes, hanging baskets, old buckets indeed anything that is suitable and large enough, can hold compost, and drainage holes can be made in the bottom.
Really, nearly anything goes for containers, just use what you have laying around, you'll be surprised what you can find and use.
The only real recommendation for vegetable containers is that they are at least 30cm (12inches across).
When you have chosen your container, make drainage holes in the bottom if necessary.
Now all you have to do is cover the bottom drainage holes with old crocks, or a layer of stones, large enough so they don�t fall through the drainage holes.
It's an absolute must that the container and crocks or stones are clean. So before you start give them a good wash. This will help stop any soil borne, or other diseases from multiplying in the confines of a container.
Make the crock or stone layer about 2.5cm (1inch) deep minimum, the idea of this is to allow water to drain through and out of the container and not lay in the bottom.
Fill your container with ordinary potting compost, peat based or non-peat based is ideal. Don't use ordinary garden soil, this contains to many weed seeds and soil diseases.
Fill the container to about 2.5cm (1inch) from the top, this allows enough room to give your vegetables a good watering without the water spilling over the edge.
Sow your vegetable seeds in the container, gently firm in and water well.
That's all there is to it.
Well is container vegetable gardening easy or what?
Well that's all very well but what vegetables can you grow in containers?
Ok, here's a few to get your taste buds going and they are quite easy too:
Beetroot (F1 hybrids) - Cabbage (Shelta) - Carrot (Amsterdam forcing) - Cauliflower (Avalanche) - Chilli (F1 hybrids) - Courgette (Cavilli) - French Beans (Dwarf varieties) - Leek (King Richard)
Lettuce (Little gem) - Parsnip (Dagger) - Pepper ( Sweet pepper) - Radish (Rougette) - Runner Bean (Dwarf varieties)- Spinach (F1 varieties) - Spring onion (Feast) - Turnip (Primera)
Potatoes (Accent, Rocket, Swift, Mimi, Foremost, Nicola, Lady Christl) - Grow them in potato barrels, potato planters or thick large plastic sacks or large pots or tubs.
Or if you just want a few tasty vegetables without the effort of maintaining a proper vegetable plot.
Grown on the patio, veranda, balcony or any spare space you can find, vegetables growing in pots and containers will look attractive as well as supply you with fresh veg for the kitchen table.
You can grow them almost anywhere, even in pots and tubs on the sides of driveways or pathways, providing they are wide enough of course.
The only requirement is that they receive some sunshine during the day and are accessible for watering and harvesting.
That's one of the best things about container vegetable gardening, you can grow them in all sorts of pots, tubs, boxes, hanging baskets, old buckets indeed anything that is suitable and large enough, can hold compost, and drainage holes can be made in the bottom.
Really, nearly anything goes for containers, just use what you have laying around, you'll be surprised what you can find and use.
The only real recommendation for vegetable containers is that they are at least 30cm (12inches across).
When you have chosen your container, make drainage holes in the bottom if necessary.
Now all you have to do is cover the bottom drainage holes with old crocks, or a layer of stones, large enough so they don�t fall through the drainage holes.
It's an absolute must that the container and crocks or stones are clean. So before you start give them a good wash. This will help stop any soil borne, or other diseases from multiplying in the confines of a container.
Make the crock or stone layer about 2.5cm (1inch) deep minimum, the idea of this is to allow water to drain through and out of the container and not lay in the bottom.
Fill your container with ordinary potting compost, peat based or non-peat based is ideal. Don't use ordinary garden soil, this contains to many weed seeds and soil diseases.
Fill the container to about 2.5cm (1inch) from the top, this allows enough room to give your vegetables a good watering without the water spilling over the edge.
Sow your vegetable seeds in the container, gently firm in and water well.
That's all there is to it.
Well is container vegetable gardening easy or what?
Well that's all very well but what vegetables can you grow in containers?
Ok, here's a few to get your taste buds going and they are quite easy too:
Beetroot (F1 hybrids) - Cabbage (Shelta) - Carrot (Amsterdam forcing) - Cauliflower (Avalanche) - Chilli (F1 hybrids) - Courgette (Cavilli) - French Beans (Dwarf varieties) - Leek (King Richard)
Lettuce (Little gem) - Parsnip (Dagger) - Pepper ( Sweet pepper) - Radish (Rougette) - Runner Bean (Dwarf varieties)- Spinach (F1 varieties) - Spring onion (Feast) - Turnip (Primera)
Potatoes (Accent, Rocket, Swift, Mimi, Foremost, Nicola, Lady Christl) - Grow them in potato barrels, potato planters or thick large plastic sacks or large pots or tubs.
Big, Beautiful Summer Containers!
The key to planting beautiful, bountiful planters that will make your neighbors jealous, we have a few basic rules to follow:
1) The Bigger, the Better! Select a large decorative container. 18" � 24" works best. 2) Plant the container where you would like to keep it, or put it on a plant dolly. It will be heavy. 3) Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. If there are none, drill a few in a triangle pattern. The planter should also have a saucer. 4) A drainage medium should be placed in the bottom of the pot, about 2" deep. Recycle broken terra cotta pots or Styrofoam peanuts as your medium. Pebbles work well also, but are heavy. 5) Choose a quality blend of soil. Your plants are only as good as the soil they are planted in. The soil should be loose and light. Fresh potting soil should be used each year for best results. 6) Choose your plants. You will need a variety of plants in different heights, colors and textures for the best effect. This is where you need to use your creativity. Don�t think you have any? Have a child help you. Or, plan ahead. Look in magazines or on the web and write down the names of the plants before you go shopping.
a) First, choose a centerpiece. A tall plant with interesting foliage work best. Suggestions for sun: Canna, Ornamental Grasses, Mandevilla on a trellis, tall flowering perennials (Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan, Penstemon Husker Red) or a shrub such as Sky Pencil Holly. For shade: Calla Lillies, Caladiums, Day Lillies, Spikes or Hydrangea. b) Next, choose trailing plants. More than one variety works best. Choose three: Two flowering and one foliage variety and alternate them around the planter. Proven winners are always a great choice, and are easily available at garden centers and nurseries. Be sure to look for varieties that will do well where you plant them. Sun or Shade. c) Last, choose your filler plants. Medium height, bushy plants. Choose one flowering and one foliage variety. Pick colorful plants. Hosta and coleus are great fillers for sun or shade. There are some varieties of Hosta that will tolerate more sun than others, so read the label. d) When putting all this in your planter, install the plants as they are listed. Fill the pot about half way and place your centerpiece. Then fill around it until the planter is about 2/3 full and install your trailing plants. You may need to adjust the amount of soil depending on the size of the pots you purchased. Place all the plants and then gently fill in around the plants with soil one handful at a time. Be sure to press down between the plants to avoid air pockets. Water thoroughly and re-check the soil levels. Settling may occur, fill in wherever necessary.
7) The final and most important steps for Beautiful, Lush planters are food and water. For large luscious, stunning planters�water, water! Do not let your planters wilt between waterings. The best time to water is early morning, before 10 am. This will keep them stress free during the heat of the day. Planters in full sun will require more frequent watering (often daily) than those in part sun or shade. Plants that are stressed from lack of water will not bloom well or flourish.
A good quality organic fertilizer will keep your plants happy and healthy. Some organic fertilizers are slow release, so feedings are less frequent. Read the label for feeding schedule. A water soluble fertilizer we recommend is Merrill�s Compost Tea. Just drop one tea bag into one gallon of water, let it steep for 20 minutes to one hour and then water your plants as normal. Feed with this product every 2 weeks throughout the growing season and your planters will amaze you!
This process is how the professionals do it. Design and build your planters as early in the season as your area will allow for maximum enjoyment.
1) The Bigger, the Better! Select a large decorative container. 18" � 24" works best. 2) Plant the container where you would like to keep it, or put it on a plant dolly. It will be heavy. 3) Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. If there are none, drill a few in a triangle pattern. The planter should also have a saucer. 4) A drainage medium should be placed in the bottom of the pot, about 2" deep. Recycle broken terra cotta pots or Styrofoam peanuts as your medium. Pebbles work well also, but are heavy. 5) Choose a quality blend of soil. Your plants are only as good as the soil they are planted in. The soil should be loose and light. Fresh potting soil should be used each year for best results. 6) Choose your plants. You will need a variety of plants in different heights, colors and textures for the best effect. This is where you need to use your creativity. Don�t think you have any? Have a child help you. Or, plan ahead. Look in magazines or on the web and write down the names of the plants before you go shopping.
a) First, choose a centerpiece. A tall plant with interesting foliage work best. Suggestions for sun: Canna, Ornamental Grasses, Mandevilla on a trellis, tall flowering perennials (Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan, Penstemon Husker Red) or a shrub such as Sky Pencil Holly. For shade: Calla Lillies, Caladiums, Day Lillies, Spikes or Hydrangea. b) Next, choose trailing plants. More than one variety works best. Choose three: Two flowering and one foliage variety and alternate them around the planter. Proven winners are always a great choice, and are easily available at garden centers and nurseries. Be sure to look for varieties that will do well where you plant them. Sun or Shade. c) Last, choose your filler plants. Medium height, bushy plants. Choose one flowering and one foliage variety. Pick colorful plants. Hosta and coleus are great fillers for sun or shade. There are some varieties of Hosta that will tolerate more sun than others, so read the label. d) When putting all this in your planter, install the plants as they are listed. Fill the pot about half way and place your centerpiece. Then fill around it until the planter is about 2/3 full and install your trailing plants. You may need to adjust the amount of soil depending on the size of the pots you purchased. Place all the plants and then gently fill in around the plants with soil one handful at a time. Be sure to press down between the plants to avoid air pockets. Water thoroughly and re-check the soil levels. Settling may occur, fill in wherever necessary.
7) The final and most important steps for Beautiful, Lush planters are food and water. For large luscious, stunning planters�water, water! Do not let your planters wilt between waterings. The best time to water is early morning, before 10 am. This will keep them stress free during the heat of the day. Planters in full sun will require more frequent watering (often daily) than those in part sun or shade. Plants that are stressed from lack of water will not bloom well or flourish.
A good quality organic fertilizer will keep your plants happy and healthy. Some organic fertilizers are slow release, so feedings are less frequent. Read the label for feeding schedule. A water soluble fertilizer we recommend is Merrill�s Compost Tea. Just drop one tea bag into one gallon of water, let it steep for 20 minutes to one hour and then water your plants as normal. Feed with this product every 2 weeks throughout the growing season and your planters will amaze you!
This process is how the professionals do it. Design and build your planters as early in the season as your area will allow for maximum enjoyment.
Planting And Growing An Organic Vegetable Garden
Interested in growing organic? For many, it�s the only way to grow.
When starting an organic vegetable garden you must start from the ground up. Compost is the key to a lush, bountiful organic garden. If you don�t already have your own compost, check with your local municipality. Most give away leaf compost for free. Some even deliver by the truckload to your home!
Leaf compost is very rich in organic matter; however, it still needs a few amendments. Lime added to your compost will balance the Ph and Gypsum added (about 5lbs. per 100 sq. ft.) will keep the soil nice and loose, it also adds trace minerals such as calcium which is great for the soil. Adding these will also help plants intake the nutrients they need to thrive. Work this into the top 4"-6" of soil.
Another important key to growing organic veggies is sunlight. Take some time to watch the sun as it moves across your property throughout the day. Start your garden where it will get the maximum amount of sun and plant your rows from NE to SW. It is also important to water your garden in the early morning between the hours of 6 and 10 am. The will allow for good water absorption and any water left on the leaves will evaporate before the heat of mid-day. Watering in the middle of the day is not recommended because the water will evaporate before it has a chance to really soak in (or you will have to water longer to get the same effect). The leaves of the plants may also burn as the water on the leaves heats up. Never, ever water your garden in the evening unless you want a tough battle with the evil fungus! Let me explain. When you water in the evening it is cooler and dark. The ground will absorb the water well, however, the round will only suck up so much, and then the garden is left with water on the leaves and puddles (even small ones) around the stems. There is no sun to gently evaporate the excess. Water and air can carry fungus spores naturally. The water laying on the leaves and around the stems acts as a fertilizer to the evil fungus and it grows literally overnight. Before you know it you have black spots on your tomato and pepper plant and curling leaves on your cucumbers!
Ok, once you have chosen your location, prepared the soil, and have placed your plants in rows, use your recycled newspaper as a weed preventer between the rows. Once the newspaper is wet, no weed can penetrate it. It�s not very pretty, do like I do and give it a covering of mulch. Newspaper and mulch also serve a dual purpose�they help retain moisture around the plants. Just try to keep them away from the stems of your plants.
Pretty simple so far, huh? There is a great misnomer about the word ORGANIC. Many people think that organic means work. It�s just the opposite. Working with nature, and using simple principles is always easier and more successful than working against nature with harmful chemical based fertilizers and control products.
When starting an organic vegetable garden you must start from the ground up. Compost is the key to a lush, bountiful organic garden. If you don�t already have your own compost, check with your local municipality. Most give away leaf compost for free. Some even deliver by the truckload to your home!
Leaf compost is very rich in organic matter; however, it still needs a few amendments. Lime added to your compost will balance the Ph and Gypsum added (about 5lbs. per 100 sq. ft.) will keep the soil nice and loose, it also adds trace minerals such as calcium which is great for the soil. Adding these will also help plants intake the nutrients they need to thrive. Work this into the top 4"-6" of soil.
Another important key to growing organic veggies is sunlight. Take some time to watch the sun as it moves across your property throughout the day. Start your garden where it will get the maximum amount of sun and plant your rows from NE to SW. It is also important to water your garden in the early morning between the hours of 6 and 10 am. The will allow for good water absorption and any water left on the leaves will evaporate before the heat of mid-day. Watering in the middle of the day is not recommended because the water will evaporate before it has a chance to really soak in (or you will have to water longer to get the same effect). The leaves of the plants may also burn as the water on the leaves heats up. Never, ever water your garden in the evening unless you want a tough battle with the evil fungus! Let me explain. When you water in the evening it is cooler and dark. The ground will absorb the water well, however, the round will only suck up so much, and then the garden is left with water on the leaves and puddles (even small ones) around the stems. There is no sun to gently evaporate the excess. Water and air can carry fungus spores naturally. The water laying on the leaves and around the stems acts as a fertilizer to the evil fungus and it grows literally overnight. Before you know it you have black spots on your tomato and pepper plant and curling leaves on your cucumbers!
Ok, once you have chosen your location, prepared the soil, and have placed your plants in rows, use your recycled newspaper as a weed preventer between the rows. Once the newspaper is wet, no weed can penetrate it. It�s not very pretty, do like I do and give it a covering of mulch. Newspaper and mulch also serve a dual purpose�they help retain moisture around the plants. Just try to keep them away from the stems of your plants.
Pretty simple so far, huh? There is a great misnomer about the word ORGANIC. Many people think that organic means work. It�s just the opposite. Working with nature, and using simple principles is always easier and more successful than working against nature with harmful chemical based fertilizers and control products.
Putting In A Flowerbed
Putting in a flowerbed is a great way to add a splash of color and charm to your lawn, and turn an ordinary yard into a place to stop and smell the roses. All it takes is a little dirt work and a weekend afternoon, and you�ll be ready to plant azaleas and daisies to your heart�s content.
The first step is to decide the "where and how big?" question. There are a few things to keep in mind when making these choices, such as proximity to a water faucet (Or whether you need to buy a new, longer hose), what types of flowers you want to plant (Do they need full-sun or shade? Keep in mind that if your location will receive less than six-hours a day of sun, you will need to choose shade varieties of flowers, while more than six hours of sun requires sun-loving varieties), and how much time you want to commit to maintenance (Weeds love flowerbeds, too, and a smaller flowerbed means less to weed). Once you have chosen a location, you can mark the perimeter of the flowerbed using string or a hose. This provides a great visual that can easily be adjusted before you commit to digging.
After you have the flowerbed marked out exactly how you want it to be, it�s time to start digging. Use a shovel or spade to cut through the sod and remove the grass and roots from the flowerbed area. Take your time--this can be backbreaking work! Make sure you put all the sod into a wheelbarrow or bucket and dispose of away from your work-zone, or your flowerbed will inevitably revert back to its origin as part of your lawn.
Once you have the sod removed, surround the flowerbed with whatever edging you have chosen. There are lots of options, from brick, stone, and pavers, to landscaping timbers and vinyl. You will need to dig down a few inches to install your flowerbed perimeter, depending on your edging choice, in order to imbed the edging and ensure stability. If the soil is especially bad in your yard, it can be easier to build your flowerbed edging up and add garden soil, creating a raised flowerbed, than to dig the existing ground and amend the soil.
Now that the edging is installed, it�s time to prepare the dirt. If your flowerbed is raised, this is just a matter of filling it in with garden soil, humus and organic compost, and mixing with either a tiller or turning it over by hand with a shovel. If you have a lower flowerbed, or if you want to use some of the native soil in your flowerbed, it�s digging time again. You will need to dig down approximately eight-inches to a foot, loosening the soil and removing any rocks. Once you have dug up the entire flowerbed, add soil amendments and mix well. A consistently good amendment choice for flowerbeds is organic composts and manures, in addition to whatever amendment you may need for your soil type.
Now, the only thing left to do is add flowers and enjoy. (A little mulch for weed control wouldn�t hurt either).
The first step is to decide the "where and how big?" question. There are a few things to keep in mind when making these choices, such as proximity to a water faucet (Or whether you need to buy a new, longer hose), what types of flowers you want to plant (Do they need full-sun or shade? Keep in mind that if your location will receive less than six-hours a day of sun, you will need to choose shade varieties of flowers, while more than six hours of sun requires sun-loving varieties), and how much time you want to commit to maintenance (Weeds love flowerbeds, too, and a smaller flowerbed means less to weed). Once you have chosen a location, you can mark the perimeter of the flowerbed using string or a hose. This provides a great visual that can easily be adjusted before you commit to digging.
After you have the flowerbed marked out exactly how you want it to be, it�s time to start digging. Use a shovel or spade to cut through the sod and remove the grass and roots from the flowerbed area. Take your time--this can be backbreaking work! Make sure you put all the sod into a wheelbarrow or bucket and dispose of away from your work-zone, or your flowerbed will inevitably revert back to its origin as part of your lawn.
Once you have the sod removed, surround the flowerbed with whatever edging you have chosen. There are lots of options, from brick, stone, and pavers, to landscaping timbers and vinyl. You will need to dig down a few inches to install your flowerbed perimeter, depending on your edging choice, in order to imbed the edging and ensure stability. If the soil is especially bad in your yard, it can be easier to build your flowerbed edging up and add garden soil, creating a raised flowerbed, than to dig the existing ground and amend the soil.
Now that the edging is installed, it�s time to prepare the dirt. If your flowerbed is raised, this is just a matter of filling it in with garden soil, humus and organic compost, and mixing with either a tiller or turning it over by hand with a shovel. If you have a lower flowerbed, or if you want to use some of the native soil in your flowerbed, it�s digging time again. You will need to dig down approximately eight-inches to a foot, loosening the soil and removing any rocks. Once you have dug up the entire flowerbed, add soil amendments and mix well. A consistently good amendment choice for flowerbeds is organic composts and manures, in addition to whatever amendment you may need for your soil type.
Now, the only thing left to do is add flowers and enjoy. (A little mulch for weed control wouldn�t hurt either).
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