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A lot of people ask me if I’m strictly an organic gardener. Well, I guess in the strictest sense, I’d have to say no to that. I occasionally have to resort to using glyphosate (better known as Roundup) to knock out stands of poison ivy. Since I’m highly allergic to it, I can’t get near the stuff without breaking out. And sometimes, I’ll even use a little Miracle-gro in my containers when they need a quick shot of soluble fertilizer.

On the other hand, my use of man-made, synthetic chemicals are few and far between. Given the choice I prefer to use fertilizer and pest controls that are organic or natural first. Why do I say this? Because generally, they are kinder to the earth as they are manufactured (if even applicable) and once they are applied to our lawns and gardens.

Synthetic fertilizers are designed to be water-soluble. Contact with water releases the chemical and what isn’t absorbed by the plant (which is most of it), continues to move off target, either as storm water runoff, or through the soil into underground aquifers. Either way, these chemicals can wreak havoc in watersheds, promoting the growth of algae and depriving other amphibious creatures life-giving oxygen and disrupting delicate ecosystems. Organic or natural fertilizers on the other hand must be broken down in the environment first before they are in a form that can be taken up by plant roots. Accordingly, they are slower acting and tend to bind or stay where they’re put, at least much longer than soluble products. And organic / natural products are not manufactured with salts which can really throw off soil pH and disturb the living soil food web.

The very premise of organic gardening is to establish a healthy eco-system, above and below ground. Doing anything to disturb that is counter-productive to organic gardening. So what about tilling? It doesn’t even involve chemicals and would certainly be considered a natural or organic form of cultivation. But it greatly disturbs the soil structure and contrary to popular belief, should be avoided if your goal is to build healthy soil.

Pesticides are the biggest problem in my mind and the major reason why I’m a strong advocate of natural over synthetic choices when it comes to control. But even here, many natural methods are non-selective—my biggest beef with synthetic chemicals. Which is why I don’t spray at all if possible. Instead, I let nature take its course. It does much better than me at dealing with the pests in my garden. Of all the bugs, only about three percent are even considered pests (the ones that actually damage your plants). So why then would you spray any non-selective chemical on your garden when 97 percent are either beneficial or at worst, neutral? You shouldn’t!

But I do like knowing that organic controls are far more susceptible to breaking down quickly in the environment when exposed to sunlight. And I certainly appreciate the biological controls such as B.t and Milky spore that are very pest specific and harmless to other creatures in the garden.

The bottom line though to organic and non-organic, synthetic controls is the fact that no matter what you are using, it should be applied with great restraint, discretion and with the wisdom of knowing how, when and where to apply it. If you have to resort to any chemical, keeping it on target is a major factor in minimizing the environmental impact.

I have three rules to almost guarantee the success of any garden or landscape. First, put the right plant in the right place. Next, feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants. And finally, use mulch. It sounds simple and it is. But all too often we try and take shortcuts by not taking the time to learn about a plant’s ideal cultural requirements before we plunk it in the ground just anywhere. Or we try to solve every visible problem by throwing a chemical at it, especially fertilizer. And all too often, we skip the most important step (after watering) once the plant is in the ground, and that’s the addition of mulch.

For the purpose of this writing, let’s assume you’ve done your homework and know the ideal placement in your landscape for whatever plant you happen to be dealing with at the moment. And then you actually follow up and place it there. Now it’s time to make sure the place where this plant will live has the optimal conditions within the soil in which to thrive. How do you do that? From whatever conditions you start, add organic matter to the soil sufficient to cover the entire planting area.

What is organic matter you ask? Think of shredded leaves, ground bark, aged manure and compost and you get the idea. Although these examples are not a complete list, the more organic matter you can incorporate into the soil to a depth of six inches or greater, the better any soil will be. Accordingly plants will be happier too. But of all the organic matter I mentioned, I believe compost is the single most important ingredient we can include. It adds life and fertility to the soil, improves drainage while allowing the soil to retain sufficient moisture and it creates good soil structure, a critical element in allowing nutrients and water to be absorbed, and roots to spread.

The good news is you can make it at home for free with ingredients you already have around the house and yard. The bad news is, we can rarely make as much at home as we want.  Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to improve your soil. A little goes a long way. Once you inoculate an area with the beneficial microbes from compost, you’re well on your way to a healthier, more productive garden.

There are a few essential elements necessary for compost to occur.  They are: water, air, heat, carbon (brown matter, like dead leaves and twigs), and nitrogen (green matter, like grass clippings and vegetable and salad scraps).

To start a compost pile, you don’t need anything fancy.  A simple accumulation of green waste (10-25%) and brown waste (75-90%) will get you going.  Every week or so, try to mix up the pile so you add oxygen to help speed up the decomposition process.  Add a sprinkling of water, enough to give the pile the moistness of a damp sponge, and you will be well on your way to making compost.  Depending on the variables, you should be able to have usable compost in about four months to one year.

You can add many items to your compost pile or bin.  Almost anything from the yard or garden can be used but try to avoid adding limbs that are thicker than a pencil.  They’ll take longer to break down.  Also, avoid adding diseased plants.  The disease pathogens may not be killed in the composting process, and you can end up adding diseases into your soil.  I also choose not to include weeds if they are at or near the flowering state.  Weed seeds can persist for a very long time, and may survive the composting process.

When adding products from within the house, the biggest items to avoid are meat, fish, bones and dairy products.  They can attract outdoor pests.

Your compost will be ready to use when its dark brown, earthy-smelling and crumbly.  The end-result is undoubtedly the best soil food and conditioner available – it’s recycling at it’s best!

When I was hosting Fresh from the Garden, on DIY Network, we grew a lot of different kinds of vegetables. Many were the classic favorites of summer: tomatoes, green beans, corn, squash and peppers to name a few. Because all the vegetables in the garden were TV stars, they had to look their best at all times too. This put a lot of pressure on me since there are many variables outside of my control. As a gardener, you know Mother Nature always has the final word.

Although I managed to get through three years and 52 episodes with a near blemish free record, this was still a real world, working garden. I used eco-friendly practices then, just like I do today. Although that was certainly good for the environment, it did require the utmost vigilance on my part to head any potential problems early in the process. Of all the challenges a garden can throw at even the most experienced veteran, dealing with rapidly changing weather is likely the most nerve-wracking experience. Yet even then, there are a few ways to extend the season along with the pleasures of gardening that go along with it.

Anytime I knew cold weather was on the way, I’d get out my row covers as the first line of defense. These thin, lightweight covers allowed air and light in, but provide just enough insulating protection to keep those few extra degrees of precious warmth contained near the plants and in the soil. The row covers alone helped keep the frost off the leaves. Without them, my plants could have easily turned to mush.

Another trick, which had value year round, was a nice thick layer of mulch. In summer it kept the roots cool and moisture in the soil. In late fall and winter, that same mulch helped keep the warmth in the soil and prevent the ground from freezing. For cool season plants like spinach, on those extra cold nights, I’d spread a layer of mulch directly over the plants. This protected the foliage that might otherwise burn from exposure to extreme cold and wind.

Sometimes, I’d cut off the bottoms of plastic milk jugs and place the bottomless jug over small plants. I was always amazed at how well such a simple step worked to protect them. In fact, it insulated so well, I’d have to be sure to remove the jugs in the morning. Otherwise, those same shelters that protected my plants through the night might be the very things to cook them the next day.

One of my favorite ways to extend the season each winter was to plant in cold frames. If you’re not familiar with the term, just picture a big wooden box with a glass or clear plastic lid on top, such as a storm door or window frame. I’d put straw bails around it to provide extra insulation but having cold frames allowed me the opportunity to garden year round. I’d plant directly into the soil within the frame or simply put potted plants inside it. Either way, it was usually enough to keep them from freezing to death. However, just like the plastic milk jugs, I always had to be sure to vent the frame in the morning so the plants wouldn’t cook.

Finally, for a relatively carefree winter vegetable garden, I was always sure to plant plenty of cool season crops like kale, collards, turnips, Brussels sprouts and spinach. I guess if you love to garden as much as I do, you’ll do whatever you can to keep your hands in the dirt all year round, no matter where you live.

JL

No matter what the task, every job is made easier when you have the right tool. Take painting for example. To me, it’s a monotonous, tedious task. All the prep work required to do the job right is almost more than it’s worth. Thankfully, easy-to-apply tape and special brushes have made my least favorite part of the job a lot more palatable. Another great innovation in the world of painting-made-easier is with ceiling paint that starts out pink but fades to white when dry. I’m glad it’s around today but how many ceilings did I paint and repaint because I couldn’t tell the old from the new!

Thankfully cleverly devised tools for any job are abundant these days, especially in the world of gardening. In fact, some of the most dreaded of chores outside the house, from digging large holes to extracting the most stubborn tap-rooted weeds, have gone from ones I used to put off as long as possible, to chores that I now even look forward to. I wouldn’t be able to make that statement if I didn’t have cool tools like the Fiskars Uproot Weeder that actually plucks persistent weeds out of the ground, and then ejects them with an easy-to-use lever on the handle. In fact, they’ve put this kind of innovation into many of their tools, which is why they’re my first choice when it comes to looking for the best tool for the job.

Finding equipment that’s high quality and easy to use is certainly an important criterion when shopping for the right gear. But where do you begin? I’ve found most of my favorites come from asking people I respect and relying on their advice. But there are many sources. Others include magazine and website articles, television, radio and home & garden shows. I really like the shows since you can see the tool in action and give it a test drive before bringing it home. Just keep the following things in mind; If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; and you get what you pay for. But one thing I know, wherever you find it, life is made easier with just the right tool!

JL

Q: I am new to gardening. Are there easy and low maintenance plants you would recommend for my first vegetable garden? I want to start off on the right foot.

Q: We recently purchased a new home, and the seller told us the soil is "poor" and mostly clay. I want to plant a large garden this spring. How can I be sure the soil will be perfect for my planting?