Pencil Thin

I had asked in a previous post about any gardening advice that people might have to share with new gardeners. I have already gotten some great tips and thought I would share:

* patio container gardening (easy for lazy retired bears )
handicap accessible by those using wheelchairs or walkers
great for elderly or those with lower back and knee problems
easy gardens for apartment housing or sunny patios
low upkeep and no weeds – just water twice a day with a hose
5 gallon bucket w/ wire cage + 1 Early Girl tomato plant = 1 bushel harvest

* fertilizer
the types: Plant food vs. Vegetable food

* mulch and weed control
mulch conserves water and prevents weed seeds from germinating
even wet sheets of newspaper can be used as mulch
disturb the soil around the plants every week, to prevent weeds from growing

* soil conditioners
adding composted leaves and other plant matter returns nitrogen to the soil.
adding manure will loosen the soil so fragile root systems will take hold faster and plants will have a great food source.

* bug prevention
plant certain flowers next to a vegetable plant to keep bugs away
spray plants with homemade solutions to kill bugs

Get children involved with gardening!
picky eaters may decide they want to try eating things they’ve grown themselves!