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For any other questions or ideas, check out the
"ask a school gardener" section!
It is filled with tips and ideas to create a more beneficial garden!
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How to prepare your soil:
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The first step in preparing a garden site
is general cleanup—removing rocks, sticks, stumps, and other
debris. When the area is relatively clean, lay out the boundaries
of your site using string, clothesline, or garden hose.
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Watering: |
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Most
plants need an average of 1 inch of water every week. You should try
to water your plants earlier in the day,
so the sun can help dry off any water left on
the plant. If you see a plant drooping,
be sure to water it, because some plants wilt and do not recover if
they dry out.
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Mistakes: |
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Trial and error
is the way many gardeners (like me) learn about what to plant and
where plants like to live in your garden. Sometimes it means putting
a plant in the shade instead of in the sun, or pruning back some new
growth even though the plant looks fine. Suddenly you will discover
two plants that look good together and one blooms right after the
other! Sometimes you can plan this, and sometimes it just happens.
That's part of the fun of gardening, you are always learning. Don't
be afraid to make mistakes or try something different...one book may
say try this while another says you should try that but you have to
see what works best for you and for your garden. |
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What tools are
needed for a successful garden? |
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Garden spade
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A spade is short-handled and has a flat,
squared-off blade. It is ideal
for edging beds, digging planting holes,
slicing under sod, and working
soil amendments into the garden. In
a pinch you can even use a spade
to chop ice on walks. Its versatility
makes it a staple in the tool
shed. Spade prices range from $15 to
$90. |
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Hose attachments |
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A nozzle—which used
to be made of brass and now comes
in a variety of materials, sizes,
and shapes—is essential
to control the stream of water coming
out of the hose. A watering wand, a long
tube extension with a sprinkler
head at the tip, converts the hose
to a long-distance watering can.
Use it to water containers, hanging
pots, and beds. The wand should
have a shutoff at its connection to
the hose to prevent wasting water.
Another key tool is a sprinkler,
which you attach to the hose
and place on the ground. It oscillates
or rotates to deliver water to
beds and lawns. The best sprinklers
have timers and adjustments for
the width and direction of the stream.
Costs for hose attachments are
as follows: nozzles, $5 to $20; wands,
$5 to $35; sprinklers, $5 to
$100. |
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Looking for printed materials?
Check out Cornell University's
Educational Resources Program!
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