1. Winning Tip: Never-ending DIY leaf mulch
My husband and I are avid gardeners. We live in the middle of the woods, where we face many challenges, such as deer, rabbits, and deep shade. One challenge we never face, though, is the availability of mulch. In late winter after all the trees have dropped their leaves, we rake them into an empty spot in the yard. My husband then mows over them several times, shredding them into a fine leaf mold and litter. I then bucket up this gift of nature and mulch our many garden beds with it. This is easier and more economical—and has less of a carbon footprint—than purchasing volumes of bagged mulch from the big-box stores. And there is the added benefit of mulch renewal every year.
—Katherine Coker, McDonough, Georgia
2. Upcycle spice containers for the garden
Spice up your meal, then “spice” up your garden! Those spice containers that have an inside sifter cap with five or more holes can be repurposed for dispensing dry fertilizer or seeds in your garden.
—Donna Gilly, Kenmore, Washington
3. Don’t just toss those leaves
When I separate seedlings into individual pots, I take any disease-free leaves that may have fallen off the plants and place them at the bottom of a pot over the drainage hole to prevent any soil loss. These leaves eventually decompose and add their nutrients to a plant with the same nutritional requirements.
—Mary Crum, Bonita Springs, Florida
4. Take the necessary steps when planting
When putting a new plant in the ground, “step it in.” Carefully place your foot around the plant and give it your full weight, all the way around. Plants can’t eat or drink if soil is not fully contacting their roots.
—Catherine LeDuc Hostetler
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5. One-stop gardening
When you’re down on the ground, don’t just plant. Instead, do everything you can within your reach—till the soil, weed, pick up debris, fertilize—and then move on to the next spot.
—Jeff Lightbody
6. Get ’em cheap, treat ’em with care
Buy shrubs and trees from big-box stores in early spring to take advantage of the lower cost. Often they are root-bound and grown close together, so their branches are short. I detangle their roots, put them into larger pots, and slowly prune them to encourage side growth. With the benefit of fertilizer, water, and sun over spring, summer, and early fall, their roots start growing outward, and their shapes are much improved. I then plant them in the ground in the fall.
—Kathleen Louise
7. Self-control at the nursery
Don’t overbuy from the nursery in one trip; only purchase what you can plant in the next week comfortably. You lose your creativity when forced to finish the chore.
—Patricia Anderson
Photos: courtesy of the contributors
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