Farming

Mulch has become a landscape staple, almost to a fault when it is over applied, smothering roots and girdling trunks.  
When done properly, it can help to suppress weeds, retain moisture and moderate temperature.
These things can be achieved using a variety of materials, but which type of mulch suits your needs best?
Predominately we use organic materials for mulching.  
Organic mulches include plant or animal-derived materials like wood chips, pine needles, tree bark, grass clippings, composted manure, and worm castings.

I generally have seed trays full of little sprouts by now, but this year the lingering cold weather has me languishing, quite frankly.  
The seed potato and onion sets sit waiting for the soil to dry out a bit and seed packets glare at me from their neat stack strategically placed on the kitchen work table.  

As pastures continue to decline from the hot dry summer months last year, we continue to see more and more weeds showing in pastures. There are many questions such as: Where do they come from? What are they? And how can you control them?

With spring just around the corner, with my brain a little mushy from a long cold winter, I thought it was time to brush up on some garden nomenclature.  
I have long been convinced of the value of understanding more about plants than the mere fact that they need sun, soil and water.    
The more we learn about what it is that plants need and how to determine if they are getting it, the more we will enjoy the act of gardening.