Gardening : Gardening Basics : 8 Steps to Smart = Gardening : Home & Garden Television

Paul James, = host of=20 Gardening by the Yard=20

New to gardening? Here, in his = own words,=20 master gardener Paul James offers tips for = successful=20 gardening:

1. Start small. The surest way to = become=20 frustrated with gardening is to bite off more = than you=20 can chew. Of course, small is a relative term; = in an=20 area of, say, only 100 square feet, you can = plant a lot=20 more than you might think.

A shady spot that measures only 96 square = feet is one=20 of my favorite gardens. There's a large Japanese = maple,=20 a small green one, a shrub yew, dozens of = foliage=20 plants, a few flowering plants and some = groundcover.

Small gardens are easy to manage, and by = starting on=20 a small scale you'll quickly learn gardening = basics such=20 as weed control, pest and disease control and = watering=20 requirements without being overwhelmed. As you = develop=20 more confidence and skills, you can expand the = area or=20 create a new garden bed elsewhere. =

Your compost = pile doesn't=20 have to be fancy: find a reasonably = sunny spot=20 and get started. Other=20 composting myths debunked.=20 =

2. Start a compost pile. = Whether=20 you choose to build an elaborate bin and compost = on a=20 grand scale, create a simple pile in an = out-of-the-way=20 corner of your property, or place a store-bought = composter in a sunny spot in the yard doesn't = matter.=20 All that matters is that you make compost--and = use it,=20 of course. Spread a thin layer over your garden = beds at=20 least once a year. Mix it with the native soil = when=20 planting. Apply it as a topdressing to lawns. = Top off=20 containers with it. And use it to make compost = tea.

And if you can't make your own compost for = whatever=20 reason, remember you can always buy compost in a = bag.=20 Many cities across the country make and sell = compost in=20 bags or in bulk, producing it from leaves and = other lawn=20 refuse collected throughout the year. =

Things=20 to remember about soil in early = spring.=20

3. Maintain healthy = soil. The use=20 of compost goes hand in hand with maintaining = healthy=20 the soil, but there are other things to = consider:

Try to avoid walking on the soil in = established=20 gardens, because every step compacts the soil, = and=20 compaction makes it difficult for roots to grow. = Create=20 paths between rows or in beds, or place a board = on the=20 soil adjacent to areas where you work to = distribute your=20 weight more evenly over the soil.

Avoid working the soil when it's wet. = Otherwise,=20 once it dries, you'll wind up with big clumps of = hard-packed soil. And finally, don't overwork = the soil,=20 especially with a rototiller. Good soil isn't = powdery;=20 it's a mixed bag of particles of varying sizes = and=20 shapes.=20

Personally, I don't use a rototiller because, = in my=20 opinion, the tines disturb the soil way too = much. And I=20 rarely turn the soil with a shovel. What I = occasionally=20 do is loosen the soil with a broadfork, which = aerates=20 the soil without disturbing its complex = structure.=20

4.=20 Mulch. Mulch suppresses weed growth, = maintains=20 soil moisture, stabilizes soil temperatures and = much=20 more.=20

So do yourself a favor: mulch everything in = sight=20 with whatever organic mulch you like. Bulk=20 or bags?

5. Water properly. Don't water = frequently for=20 only brief periods of time. Doing so causes = plant roots=20 to hover near the soil surface. Instead, deep = soak each=20 time you water to encourage roots to grow deep = down into=20 the soil. And to the extent that you're able, = water=20 early in the morning so plant leaves have a = chance to=20 dry during the day. That will help minimize = fungal=20 diseases.

Echinacea and = other natives=20 have come a long way. Check=20 out the new natives . --photo = courtesy of=20 Wayside Gardens =

6. Go native. I'm not a=20 native-plant fanatic, but there's no getting = around the=20 fact that native plants tend to be easier to = grow, have=20 fewer pest and disease problems and require less = supplemental watering. As a result, if you grow = a lot of=20 native plants, you'll develop more confidence = with fewer=20 hassles.

There are hundreds of non-native plants that = are well=20 adapted to various areas of the country and are = easy to=20 grow. Many non-natives, however, are notorious = for pest=20 and disease problems or require special care. To = learn=20 more about native versus non-native plants in = your area,=20 visit your favorite nursery or contact your = local master=20 gardeners' group.

7. Minimize Maintenance. Every = suggestion I've=20 made so far--from starting small to going = native--will=20 reduce the amount of time you have to spend in = the=20 garden. But there are two more I'd like to = highlight:

Cut back on fertilizers

Prune only when necessary

Fertilizing and pruning cause plants to = produce=20 tender, succulent growth, which is what bugs = prefer=20 most. Besides, who says that plants should be = forced to=20 grow faster than their normal growth rate, or = that=20 plants should be pruned in some fashion other = than the=20 way nature intended them to grow? Well actually, = a lot=20 of people believe that, but I'm not one of them.

8. Visit the garden regularly. If = you'll spend=20 just 10 minutes a day wandering around your lawn = and=20 garden--say, early in the morning with a cup of = coffee=20 or right after work--you'll form an invaluable = bond with=20 everything that grows. And along the way, you = might stop=20 and pull a few weeds, spot a plant in need of = water,=20 realize that slugs or aphids are on the move, = and so on.=20

By dealing with those little things each day, = you=20 won't be so overwhelmed by the time the weekend = rolls=20 around. In fact, you may discover that by = tending to=20 your garden daily but briefly, you'll have time = for=20 alternative weekend activities. =

Gard= ening

8 Steps to Smart Gardening

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