Do you know the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don’t
know, and I don’t care!
Do you know the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don’t know, and I don’t care!
OK, when it comes to gardening, home gardeners really need to know the difference. Not knowing how to take care of a plant and being too lazy to take care of it is a huge difference.
First off, when you consider buying a plant, make sure you know whether it needs sun or shade. Planting a hydrangea in full sun will guarantee it wilting, turning brown and possibly dying. Vice versa, planting a sun-loving evergreen in shade will also guarantee it will never thrive.
Secondly, plopping a newly purchased plant in a too-small garden hole and in-filling with plain dirt also almost guarantees it will not do well and possibly could die. I know that digging planting holes have to be one of the least-desired garden chores (along with weeding). But a planting hole should ideally be twice as deep as the container the plant is growing in.
After digging the hole and placing the plant within, fill with packaged planting mix, organic compost, peat moss, soil conditioners, etc. You get the picture. Almost any soil additive you buy in bags at the nursery will be better than plain dirt. It is OK to mix your garden dirt half and half with whatever soil additive you buy.
After planting, always water well. Most newly planted specimens require constant moisture. This means watering at least twice a week if our fall rains don’t start soon. When you do water, soak rather than sprinkle. It’s best to form a soil basin around individual plants so you can fill the basin with water to slowly soak in. I always try to fill basins at least twice when I hand water.
Fertilizer. Plants need fertilizer, but it’s often a matter of not enough fertilizer or too much. The type of fertilizer you use is secondary to how much you use. Whether it’s a dry, granular type or liquid form, be careful about not overfertilizing. I always use a combination of dry and liquid fertilizers. The advantage with liquid fertilizers that you spray on is that plants are getting nutrients through their leaves and stems, as well as their roots. Osmocote is a dry, time-release pellet form of fertilizer. One application usually is sufficient for an entire growing season.
Stay in touch with your garden. Simply put, keep a close eye out for problems. Whether it’s snails munching on plants, disease infections or insect infestations, catching problems early will always make solutions easier.
