DIY Network

Gardening Made Easy

Master gardener Joe Lamp'l, host of Fresh from the Garden, explains why gardening might seem more difficult than it actually is.

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Joe Lamp'l, a master gardener, uses his driveway as a staging area for all of his future plantings, also calling it, "the most beautiful part of my yard."

For gardeners, more doesn't necessarily mean better

By Joe Lamp'l

If they ever give an award for "Driveway of the Month," I'm a shoe-in! We gardeners do everything in excess. That includes buying more plants than we'll ever have time or room to plant. My driveway is the most beautiful part of my yard, and it is the staging area for all my future plantings. You may be surprised to know how well most plants do in nursery containers for several years and counting.

Gardeners are indeed the epitome of impulse buyers. We're suckers for the latest plant introductions or whatever flower lure looks good in the parking lot of the local garden center. We buy without a clue as to where we'll plant it or knowing if the plant prefers sun or shade. Our standard answer to ourselves is we'll find a place for it. I even take this a step further. I can't just plant one of anything. I have to plant in groups of three, five, nine or more. Suffice it to say I need the whole bed of my pickup truck whenever I go to the nursery.

Another problem I see too often is how trees, shrubs and flowers are planted in the landscape. Most of the time, they're placed way too close to each other. Sure, it looks great--an instant landscape. But plants and trees grow, and when they're too close together, pest and disease become a problem, foliage stays wet too long, air circulation is blocked, roots become crowded, and plants quickly decline. Ultimately, many must be replaced because they are beyond the point of recovery.

Yes, we love our plants. So much so, that we shower them with an excess of fertilizer, pesticide and disease control. Please hear this: If one tablespoon per gallon is good, two tablespoons is NOT better. The formulation instructions on the label really are effective. Not only is a higher concentration not necessary, but it also can be dangerous for a number of reasons.

Speaking of showering our plants, oh how we love to water them ... to death. Far more plants are lost from over-watering than from under-watering. What you don't see going on underground may be killing your plants. Unless thoroughly amended, most native soils do a better job at retaining water that you think. In fact, repeated watering over a short period can equate to plant roots sitting in a bowl of water, which is a certain death sentence. Plant roots in saturated soil are deprived of oxygen, and the plant ultimately drowns. Instead, water deeply but infrequently. Plan on about an inch of water each week in combination with any rain accumulation.

Another common excess is the amount of mulch we apply to our trees and shrubs. Too much can suffocate plant roots. Furthermore, mulch piled too closely to stems and trunks can be a pathway for pests and diseases to enter shrubs and trees and can rot plants by holding moisture against the crown. A four-inch mulch layer is generally sufficient for any application.

Indeed, we love our lawns and landscapes. And isn't it a relief to know that you don't have to work so hard at keeping them healthy? In fact, we've loved them to death all too often. So sit back, relax and don't work so hard next season. Your plants will thank you for it.

(Joe Lamp'l, a master gardener, hosts DIY's Fresh from the Garden as well as a gardening radio show. For more information, visit www.joegardener.com.)

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