Many years ago early in my agriculture/gardening career, I discovered a book written by a woman who developed a novel way of gardening. Ruth Stout’s gardening technique involved applying layers of ...

Mulching the garden is a pretty straightforward thing to do well, but it is one of those garden tasks on which many people ...

The straw mulch keeps the grass seed from washing away, deters feeding birds and rodents, and, until it decomposes, conserves the moisture the seeds need for good germination. When you’re shopping for ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Dr David Stanford-Beale (Hannah Stephenson/PA) As gardeners embark on their annual spring weeding ritual, the subsequent step of ...

A garden never whispers. It announces itself the moment someone steps into the yard, and surprisingly, mulch often sets the tone long before flowers steal the spotlight. Color might sound like a ...

Two of the most valuable garden tools right now are a soil thermometer and a vegetable seed germination chart. The soil temperature in my area of east Bend has been registering at 50 degrees F.

A layer of mulch is a powerful way to defend your plants against summer heat, drought and overbearing weeds, while improving the soil to nourish their roots. But what is the best kind of mulch? “There ...

Let's compare the qualities and uses of two common gardening products: topsoil versus garden soil. We'll explain the differences between topsoil and garden soil, when to use them, and how to make your ...

Do You Need to Mulch Every Year? No, you don’t have to mulch every year, but doing so can benefit your garden. Choosing to mulch isn’t a one-size-fits-all task and depends upon several factors. "It ...