Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Tuesday March 30, 2010 |
Iris, Dutch (Iris xiphium) | Today's Featured Plant
Iris, Dutch (Iris xiphium)
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Q&A: Are Tillers Necessary? Question: I notice that many of my neighbors use tillers, even for small gardens. My plot is under 10 x 10, and a tiller seems expensive for such a small space. Is it better? Can I achieve the same results with manually turning the soil?Also, what is the advantage of making little raised furrows? All of my water just runs off.
Answer: Tillers are nice to have and do a good job when you have a large place. My garden is about 3 times as large as yours and I use my trusty shovel. With a small tiller, usually you cultivate down 6 to 8 inches deep. With my shovel, I cultivate 10 to 12 inches or more. Raised beds or furrows are needed when the water table is high or the soil is very heavy--this helps with drainage. If you have light, sandy soil, make a trench and plant in the trench instead. You can make the trench as deep or as shallow as needed depending on the size of the seed you are planting. As the plants grow, you can pull a little soil up around them. |
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Q&A: Espalier Gardening Question: I have visited the home of George Washington and have always been very impressed with the espalier trees in the garden. What fruit trees would be best for attempting to start an espalier orchard?
Answer: The first plants to be espaliered were fruit trees, grown against a sunny wall so that trees would yield early early or could grow marginally warm regions. Today the practice has expanded to include ornamentals, as well as fruit trees. Apple, apricot, cherry, fig, citrus, peach, pear and plum will all produce well when espaliered. Camellia, elaeagnus, holly, juniper, viburnum and honeysuckle are just a few of the ornamentals that adapt well to espaliering. Be sure to choose the fruit tree cultivars that produce well in your area, then train them when they're young to establish a framework. To learn more about creating espalier, check your local library for a books on pruning. |
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Tip: Control Tulip Blight During periods of cool, wet weather, botrytis blight disease causes blotchy leaves and flowers that die before opening. To prevent the disease, mulch bulbs so spores don't splash on the foliage and remove diseased plants and faded flowers. |
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Get Your Garden Ready for Spring Get tips on how to prune flowering trees, repot houseplants, and more from ArcaMax Gardening.
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ArcaMax Editors |
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