Gardening typically involves a lot of effort to manipulate the soil - rototilling, digging, cultivating, raking. Conventional thinking is that churning up the soil gives plants a more favorable environment to grow in; by loosening it, improving drainage, and tilling in compost and green manures. But what if all this work was not necessary and was actually degrading the soil? That’s where no-till gardening comes in. What is No-Till Gardening? No-till gardening aims to disturb the soil as little as possible when building and maintaining a garden....

For many gardeners, the gardening season starts with a big trip to the garden center and planting garden beds chock full of veggies, followed by watering and waiting for harvest time. However, to make the most of the growing season one of the most important techniques to master is succession planting. What is Succession Planting? Succession planting refers to planting crops so they mature at different times rather than all at once....

As the last remains of snow melt away and temperatures gradually warm up, gardeners start dreaming of putting in the first crops of the season. While we often look forward to planting summer crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, the early spring can be a season of great abundance and should not be overlooked! What are Cold-Hardy Crops? There are several cold-hardy crops that will grow in cooler temperatures and can withstand a mild frost or even a freeze....

As a gardener, you might have heard of heirloom plant varieties. But what are they exactly? Interestingly, there isn’t a consistent definition for what qualifies as an heirloom variety. Some groups define heirlooms as varieties that have existed for over 50 years, while some set the bar at 100 years. Others define them as varieties that existed prior to World War II. While there isn’t a consistent standard, what is true of all heirloom varieties is their seeds have been passed down for many generations and they will grow “true to type”....

Many plants must be started indoors, especially in regions with short growing seasons. Vegetables like peppers are almost always started by seed indoors because they need warm soil to germinate. Other plants which are often started indoors include broccoli, cabbage, celery, eggplant, and tomatoes. Vegetables such as beans do not take well to transplanting and should be sown directly outdoors at planting time. There are a handful of supplies you need in order to start seeds indoors....

Many people think that after a fall harvest, your garden is to be left alone until planting time next spring. The truth of the matter is that there are a handful of methods to ‘winterize’ your garden in preparation for a successful growing season next year. While mostly optional, these practices can help increase yields and prevent disease in the next growing season. A first step would be removing most dead plant matter from the previous growing season....

When planning a garden, choosing which vegetable varieties you’d like to plant is only half the battle. For your plants to grow successfully, you should always check your soil health before planting. If your soil is too rocky, too acidic, or devoid of nutrients, you are going to have trouble getting much of anything to grow in your garden. It is best to check up on your soil health long before planting time, so that if amendment is necessary, you will have adequate time to do so....

Square foot gardening often takes place in raised beds. These can be pre-purchased or constructed by the gardener. While constructing the beds is fairly straightforward, figuring out what exactly to put in the beds can be a little more complicated. One of the advantages of raised bed gardening is that you are not limited by the soil on your property, which can sometimes be less than ideal for certain crops. While you can buy pre-mixed bags of soil that are specifically made for raised bed gardening, this can get very pricey if you have a lot of ground to cover....

Not everybody fertilizes their garden. However, consistent fertilization can make or break your crop yield. Different plants require different ratios of nutrients, hence the plethora of different fertilizer types available today. When you look at most fertilizer bottles, you will see a sequence of three numbers separated by dashes; 5-5-5, for example. These numbers represent the ratios of three specific nutrients which are essential for growing most plants, expressed as percentages....

When designing and planting raised garden beds, it’s important to consider how deep the roots grow. If your raised garden bed is on top of regular soil, this shouldn’t be an issue. However, if the bed is on top of concrete or inadequate soil, make sure the raised bed is deep enough for the plants you’d like to grow. Soil Depth Requirements for Common Vegetables Shallow Rooting (12"-18") Medium Rooting (18"-24") Deep Rooting (24"+) Arugula Beans Artichoke Bok Choy Beets Asparagus Broccoli Cantaloupe Okra Brussel sprouts Carrots Parsnips Cabbage Chard Pumpkin Cauliflower Cucumber Rhubarb Celery Eggplant Squash (winter) Chives Kale Sweet potatoes Corn Peas Tomatoes Endive Peppers Watermelon Garlic Rutabagas Kohlrabi Squash (summer) Leeks Turnips Lettuce Onions Potatoes Radishes Spinach Strawberries