Soil health - Fine Gardening

  • plant with compost around the roots
    How-To

    How to Use Compost in the Garden to Combat Intense Heat and Drought

    There is no way to sugarcoat the challenges many of us in the Mid-Atlantic region have faced this summer. The inconsistency of rainfall and the extreme high temperatures have greatly…

  • Article

    Learn to Build Better Soil

    A backyard is no place for a farm. My earliest vegetable gardens were small-scale imitations of large-scale farms. I rototilled the soil, spread bagged chemical fertilizer all around and built…

  • clay soil
    How-To

    Healthy Soil Is at the Heart of a Thriving Garden  

    Soil is a complex structure made up of mineral solids and organic matter interwoven with aggregates and open pore spaces. The open spaces between soil particles are just as important…

  • How-To

    How to Build Soil and Suppress Weeds With Sheet Mulching

    You may have heard of a technique in gardening called "sheet mulching" or "lasagna gardening." This technique has been touted as a great way to wipe out weeds and build…

  • sheet mulching
    How-To

    What Is Sheet Mulching and How Do You Do It?

    If you’ve ever started a new garden from scratch, then you’ve probably had to convert some amount of lawn into a planting bed. There are several ways to eliminate turf,…

  • Design

    Sustainability in the Garden Roundtable (Webinar)

    Join us as we host a lively conversation with experts from the world of sustainability. Designer Kelly Norris, plantsman Panayoti Kelaidis, horticulturist William Cullina, and soil scientist Robert Schindelbeck will…

  • fungi in a lawn
    How-To

    Fungi Are a Sign of Soil Health

    A great indicator of soil and plant health is the appearance of fungi in a lawn. The fruiting bodies of an important underground community, they often appear in the fall…

  • How-To

    Got Your Soil Test Back? Here Are 3 Things You Need to Know

    Though immensely valuable, a soil test is not a crystal ball. A little knowledge goes a long way in making the most out of your test results. See 5 tips…

  • 5 Tips To Improve Your Garden Soil
    How-To

    5 Tips to Improve Your Garden Soil

    If you garden, you know soil is important. You have undoubtedly witnessed that as gardens grow more bountiful, the ground beneath them becomes proportionately darker, richer, and looser. You have…

  • Article

    Best Plants for Cover Crops

    Typical cover crops are annuals, biennials, or short-lived perennials (three to five years). Each has its pros and cons. Here are a few of my favorite plants to use as…