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Weed prevention is a key factor in keeping a garden looking great, and one of the last steps in this garden prep is to make the paths weed-free....
- The best way to block weeds along these walkways is to add four or five layers of newspaper to each path; this will be thick enough to last all season. Weed seeds can't germinate in the dark, so the paper helps keep weeds at bay. A top dressing of 2-3 inches of hay will keep the paths cool, but be sure any hay you use is weed free or you'll actually add more weeds than you're preventing. Keeping weeds out of your garden is critical to its success since weeds steal moisture and nutrients away from your vegetables.
- Unroll landscape fabric in the walkways and use a pair of scissors to cut the fabric to length. If you don't want to use landscape fabric you could use black plastic, just be sure to make a few small holes in it to allow water to drain through. Be sure to overlap the fabric to insure weeds will not come up between the edges.
- Add mulch into the garden paths. Use a rake to spread it evenly through out the walkways. Be sure to use at least three inches of mulch to keep the weeds out: no sunlight, no weeds!
Terms to Know... Tiller Pan There is a down side to tilling an existing garden, it's called tiller pan. This is the result of the pressure of the tiller and its tines pushing the soil below the till level even deeper and more compact than it was before tilling. If you have a garden that's been cultivated for years, try using a pitchfork to turn the soil over. The pitchfork will lift and separate the soil without compacting it. When using a pitchfork sink the tines straight down into the ground and pull back on the handle to lift the soil. Lift the fork and turn the soil over as you put it back on the ground. Then go back into the same spot and turn the soil each time you dig to get any clods broken up. A pitchfork is a healthy way to work an existing garden because it does less damage to beneficial earthworms that live below the ground. Soil Type There are many types of soil around the country and depending on where you live you might have to do some extra work to make your soil more fertile. In general, plants like soil that is not too sandy and not too clay. Sandy soil drains moisture very quickly making the soil dry out faster. On the other hand, clay soil is very dense and holds too much water. Plants need lots of organic matter to thrive. Whatever the soil type, use mulch, manure and compost to ensure the soil will be healthier and more water efficient. Root Hairs Root hairs are the quickest-growing part of a plant. They absorb water and nutrients on a cellular level and push them up through to the larger roots, then on to the stems and leaves. Root hairs are very thin and barely visible to the naked eye. Each root hair lives only a few days and is replaced by the growth of new hairs as the root lengthens. What are the numbers on a fertilizer bag? One of the questions I get asked most often is "What do those numbers on the fertilizer bag mean? On any bag of fertilizer, there are three numbers in large print: these stand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Sometimes there's also a 4th number that represents the sulfur content. The numbers represent the percentage of that element found in the mix. For example, 10-10-10 has 10% of each element. In very simple terms, nitrogen keeps the plant healthy above ground, phosphorus helps develop strong roots and potassium makes both sides work together; sulfur encourages vigorous dark-green growth.
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