GardenSpotlight

There seems to be confusion at times among some gardeners as to the definition of perennials and annuals.   For those of you that this applies to, this posting is for you! J The definition of “perennial,” simply put, is a plant that continues to grow in your garden year after year.   The simple definition of an “annual,” is a plant that needs to be planted each year.    Perennial plants can be perennial in some areas and also annual in other areas.   To know if a plant will be perennial in your area, you need to know what hardiness zone you live in. The USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map helps us determine which zone we are in.   This hardiness map is based on winter temperatures and each zone has a span of ten degrees.   The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map was first introduced in 1960 with the last revision in 1990.    This map divides the U.S. and Canada into eleven separate zones.    The temperatures for each zone are based on ...

Adding organic matter can be the best thing you can do for your garden soil.   It is the only amendment that affects both fertility and texture of the soil.   Organic matter is simply dead or decaying animal or plant material;   i.e.   animal manure, green manure such as a cover crop planted specifically for tilling into the soil, or garden compost such as grass clippings, leaves and kitchen scraps.   Organic matter provides nutrients for your soil and also provides beneficial microbes, which help make the nutrients readily available for your plants as well as helping to keep disease from your soil.   It is usually best to allow organic matter to decay for a period of time.   If using manure, allow it to decay until it turns dark brown in color and has no odor.   Nutrients found in manure are generally readily available, but if overused, can provide excessive amounts of some nutrients.   A good example of this would be ammonia.   Exce...