Welcome to Gardening Guide
South West Florida Gardening Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Mulching for Free
from:By Deb St. George, on Garden Mulching in your Gardening Guide From Spiritravels.com
I’m sure that if you are reading this, you have used some form of mulch during your gardening career. However, you probably didn’t know that there are many other options for organic mulching that you can explore. These days, many gardeners are discovering new sources of free mulch that has been there all along; an untapped resource. These include clippings from a lawn, or woody prunings from other plants in your yard. You will be surprised by how beneficial all these things can be, and how often the opportunity arises to use them.
Many gardeners have taken to spreading out their excess grass clippings across the rest of their yard. You may think this will look tacky, with big piles of grass just sitting in your yard as if you were too lazy to rake them up. However, if you spread them out enough then you won’t even be able to tell that there is an excess amount. Leaving the extra grass on the yard acts as a sort of mulch by preventing evaporation and weed growth. With this extra water, you won’t have to water nearly as much to keep your grass green. When I started leaving my grass clippings, I had to adjust the frequency of my sprinkler system because I was worried my yard was getting too much water!
If your garden is in more need of mulching than your yard, it is not unheard of to rake up all the grass and transport it to your garden. By making a small layer around the vicinity of the plant, you’ll apply all the same benefits from leaving it in your yard. My yard is rather green on its own, but I often have trouble with my plants staying green and healthy. So, rather than leave the grass clipping in my yard, I move them all around my plants. It is just a matter of choosing what your highest mulching priority is.
Sometimes, our pruning activities will lead us to have an amazing amount of branches and twigs. If this is the case, you should consider renting a wood chipper to put all of those branches to use. After one day of intense pruning, you would be surprised at just how many branches you end up with. Rather than throw these away, you can turn them into a huge amount of mulch for your plants. However, if your pruning has not left you with that big of an amount, you should bundle it all up and save it to add onto the next batch. This is because the chipping machines can be slightly expensive to rent, and you want it to be absolutely worth it!
Over time, all organic mulches need to be replenished. This is because they will naturally decompose in the conditions of your yard. Usually you can tell for yourself just by looking at it, but sometimes it can look perfectly regular but still have problems. If you start to notice any poor plant growth whatsoever, you should replace your mulch. Always keep in mind that during the process of decomposition, your mulch will use up the valuable nitrogen in the soil. Without this, the plants will be missing a key nutrient. There are several types of fertilizers available on the market that are specifically designed to deal with this problem.
The use of mulches in the yard and garden is something everyone should try. Not only can it save lots of time by reducing the amount of garbage you have to transport out, but it increases the healthiness and integrity of your plants by putting that so called garbage to good use. So if you think you would be able to save a good amount of branches and twigs for chipping, or if you think that you are ready to stop raking up all your grass clippings, then I think that mulching is for you.
South West Florida Gardening News
Elsie Page remembered for growing fruit trees in Naples - Naples Daily News
Elsie Page remembered for growing fruit trees in Naples Naples Daily News Elsie Page, whose fruit trees found their way to many Southwest Florida gardens through her generosity, died Friday, at age 90. Page was known in Naples for her ability to grow flowering and fruiting bushes, the seeds of which she often brought back ... |
This isn't Ohio anymore - Captiva Current
This isn't Ohio anymore Captiva Current Ray is quick to point out that nearby North Madison was the birthplace of Mother Earth News magazine in 1970 - a resource of information on ecological gardening and self-sufficiency. Buckeye that he may be, Ray has been here in southwest Florida for ... |
No headline - Get_Growing - Naples Daily News
No headline - Get_Growing Naples Daily News The Alliance for the Arts' GreenMarket will host a "Gardening in Southwest Florida's Summer" workshop by master gardener Millisa Bell, also known as The Unruly Gardener. Bell will share tips on what to grow, part-shade strategies, organic pest control, ... |
Free Summer Gardening Workshop Offered At Alliance For The Arts Fort Myers - Island Sun and River Weekly
Free Summer Gardening Workshop Offered At Alliance For The Arts Fort Myers Island Sun and River Weekly The Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket kicks off the 2012 hot weather season this Saturday, May 12 with a free Gardening in Southwest Florida's Summer workshop by master gardener Millisa Bell (known as The Unruly Gardener). Unlike in northern latitudes, ... |
Hydroponic gardens to benefit local vets - WZVN-TV
Hydroponic gardens to benefit local vets WZVN-TV By Alex Boyer, NBC2 Reporter - bio | email Hydroponic farms are sprouting up across Southwest Florida. But gardeners and farmers aren't the only ones taking root in the movement. Local veterans are getting involved in hydroponic farming in an effort to ... |
The Week Ahead for May 21 to May 25 - The Florida Current
The Week Ahead for May 21 to May 25 The Florida Current SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER ... The Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District holds a public meeting at 9 am Tuesday to hear committee reports and hold public hearings. The meeting will be held at SWFWMD Headquarters, ... |
Chastetree can be found in Southwest Florida - The News-Press
Chastetree can be found in Southwest Florida The News-Press Commonly called chastetree, this small tree or shrub is difficult but not impossible to find in a Southwest Florida nursery. Specifically, ask for the lilac chastetree, Vitex agnus-castus. Generally, gardeners don't recognize this plant. |