A Complete Guide to Starting Seeds Indoors (and Producing Your Best Veggie Garden Yet!)

The most difficult time of year for me as a gardener is the window between winter and spring, when the planting season is tantalizingly close, but the ground is still too frozen, and the last frost of the season has not yet come and gone. That’s when I’m itching to get out into my garden and get my hands into that dark soil. But I can’t. Not yet.

Conveniently, right around the time that I start to get worked up into a gardening frenzy, it’s time to start seeds indoors!

A lot of folks believe that growing from seed is too challenging and not worth the effort. However, with a little knowledge, anyone can grow from seed. Once you
get the hang of it, you’ll never go back.

Here are the advantages:
Starting from seed is more cost-effective than purchasing transplants from garden stores. A seed packet contains dozens (even hundreds) of seeds, each one a potential plant. And in the right conditions they can be stored for years. This means that your single $1-$5 purchase can produce a bounty of vegetables over multiple growing seasons.

When it comes to live plants, most garden stores only stock a small variety. You’ll find regional staples: tomatoes, peppers, zucchini. But there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of interesting and unique varieties of veggies to try.

And finally, growing from seed is more sustainable.

2020 brought to light a host of concerns and uncertainties—a big one was food security. As a result, more people than ever were trying their hand at home gardening for the first time. The ability to grow your own food is an essential skill. But knowing how to grow from seed is the bedrock of sustainable food. Also, when you grow from seed you can purchase from ethical companies who are open about their seed acquisition and development processes.

Without further ado, let’s get to the dirt of the matter:
First, you’ll need some seeds. Seed shopping is one of my favorite activities. I adore seed catalogues! I have a dictionary-thick stack on my coffee table. The best part?

They’re usually free!

I’ve included a list of my favorites. Of course, there’s also nothing wrong with taking a trip to your local garden store, or even a big box store, and picking your seed packets right off the shelves.

Start by reading the back of a seed packet (or the description in the catalogue), which should contain everything you need to know. It will help you figure out when to start your seeds—which is very important. On average, most crops can be started indoors about six weeks before the last frost. In Zone 7a, our last frost date averages around April 16.

Next, choose a location and gather your supplies. You’ll need plenty of space and a safe, level surface for your seedlings that won’t be bumped. You’ll also need someplace warm once the seeds have germinated. Supplies include seed-starting mix, something to plant the seeds in, labels for identification, and plenty of light and water.

Seed-starting mix is actually not “dirt” in the strictest sense of the word. It usually doesn’t contain any actual soil, but instead is loaded with compost, peat, and other things that hungry young plants need to thrive. You can purchase it at a local garden store, or make it yourself. I personally like those seed pods that come with the seed-starting trays available in garden centers. They’re cheap, easy to work with, and they do a great job of containment, at least in the beginning. The trays are also really easy to move and help with drainage. But you can use anything such as plastic cups or yogurt containers. But make sure to poke plenty of holes in the bottom of whatever you use.

Now, it’s time to plant! In each seed pod or container, open a hole in the soil to the appropriate seed depth, and drop in a seed. You may choose to plant a couple of seeds in the same container, and thin them out once they start to grow. Cover the seeds lightly with the dirt, and water gently. Make sure to label your plantings. I use plastic spoons and a Sharpie.

Most seeds germinate best in dark environments.

They actually don’t need sunlight at this point. Set them somewhere away from direct sun, in a darkened area if possible, and keep the seeds watered, but not soaked. Make sure that water does not collect at the bottom of your seed containers or in your tray. Seeds that stay too wet can grow mold and won’t thrive. This watering approach should continue as your seedlings sprout and grow.

Check on them daily. Once you see little green sprouts, it’s time for a change of scenery because now they’ll need a nice bright location. Of course, access to sunlight is ideal, although extremely warm temperatures are not required. Average temperatures of between 55 and 70 seem to be perfect.

While we’re on the subject of light, everyone knows that light is vital to plant growth. This is especially true for seedlings.

While a sunny, temperature-controlled area may work to produce healthy seedlings, the reality is you probably don’t have enough natural light to get your seeds off to the best start. To solve this problem, you can purchase grow lights (which can get expensive) or you can create your own, more affordable lighting by simply using a fluorescent shop light with one “warm” white bulb, and one “cool” white bulb. You’ll want to suspend your lights about three inches from the tops of the plants. You can do this by purchasing an adjustable fluorescent light stand, or by simply hanging some chain or wire from above. Move the lights upward as the plants grow, but keep them close so that the seedlings can soak up all the energy they need. Ideally, the lights should be on for at least 16 hours a day.

As your plants grow, they will need more nutrients. The first set of leaves that appear are called cotyledons and are not considered “true leaves” because they’re actually a part of the seed or embryo. They’re typically very simple-looking. Soon, however, your plants will start to develop true leaves, which look a bit more crinkled and unique. Once the second set of true leaves form on your plants, it’s time to give them a boost. Use a liquid vegetable fertilizer, but mix it to half-strength. Water your seedlings with it about twice a week.

This is also the time when you will want to thin your seedlings to one plant per pot. Choose the one that looks the healthiest and carefully pluck the other. As they grow, you may need to move them into larger containers.

Eventually, the day will come when your little seedlings are ready to be transplanted outside. Of course, the real world is much more unpredictable than the comforts of the nursery, so they’ll need to be prepared. “Hardening” is the process of preparing seedlings for the outdoor environment and is a very important part of growing from seed. In fact, if this step is skipped or not done properly, all of your hard work could be lost. About two or three weeks before your transplant date (which will be noted on your seed packet) begin to set the seedlings outside on calm weather days. Place them in a shady location and bring them back inside in the evenings. Don’t allow them to be subjected to wind, extreme temperatures, or direct sun.

Each day, expose them to just a bit more sunlight, and continue to water, though not as rigorously as before.

Once your seeds are used to full sun, transplant your seedlings into your prepared garden beds by digging planting holes a bit wider than the root ball of the plant. Remove the plant from its pot, careful not to damage the roots too much.

Then, set the plant into the hole, and cover lightly with soil. Water them into their new homes, and monitor them in the days and weeks to come. Use stakes and cages to support tall growing plants as they clamber toward the sunlight and begin to produce tons of delicious fruits and veggies for you and your family to enjoy!

Winter can be somewhat depressing for those of us who love to look out the windows and see a beautifully lush and colorful landscape. It seems as though the gardens and flowers we maintained through the warmer months have been washed in a sea of gray and brown. Not so inspiring.

But chilly doesn’t have to mean charmless.
Enter: Camellias. These evergreen queens of the winter landscape thrive in our region and add a burst of color and class to our otherwise empty garden beds. Beloved for their glossy and substantial foliage, elegant cold-season blooms and overall versatility, they really are the gem of the year-round garden.

They thrive in more acidic soils and prefer shade, making them great for filling in those difficult-to-cultivate spaces, and with so many varieties, there is a camellia for every landscape.

Camellia Types
Camellias are originally native to Southeast Asia where they’ve been a treasure of meticulous Japanese gardens for hundreds of years. Their blooms tend to come in shades of red, pink, and white with waxy evergreen foliage. In the United States, we primarily cultivate two species of camellias: Sasanquas and Japonicas. Sasanquas bloom from early to mid-season, beginning in late fall and continuing through the first part of winter.

Japonicas begin their blooming season in late winter and show off their color through the spring. Of course, each of these species has hundreds of hybrids. Planting a few carefully selected types will result in an almost year-round display of showy, eye-catching blossoms.

Basic Care
Maybe their reputation for being difficult plants to grow comes from their high-class, rose-like appearance. It’s really a myth that these shrubs are challenging, and they actually grow well with little attention as long as they are properly planted in the right spot.

While camellias can be planted in winter, it’s best to wait until spring so that they have time to take root before the cold weather comes. This is generally a good rule of thumb for anything you might want to plant.

Choose a location in your yard with a lot of shade. That’s right—these beauties are shade lovers! If you’re like me, you’re constantly on the hunt for ways to fill out those darkened spaces and camellias make excellent candidates. Like a proper Victorian lady, they need to be sheltered from the hot midday sun. Some varieties can handle more sunlight than others—so do some research before planting—but most prefer a bit of sun in the morning, then cool, dappled light throughout the afternoon. They like the consistently moist soil that shade provides, but they don’t like wet feet, so you’ll want to make sure the soil is well-drained to prevent rot and disease. Nutrient-rich, organic material with a slightly high pH is ideal.

As with most garden shrubs and trees, correct planting is absolutely vital to healthy growth and a long lifespan (camellias can live for more than a hundred years). One of the more common planting mistakes is burying the plant too deep. So dig a hole that is just deep enough to cover the root ball. It’ll need to be at least twice as wide so that the roots can spread out. If the roots encircle the ball when removed from the pot, carefully cut the encircling roots and spread them away from the root ball. Fill the hole back in with healthy organic material, and water generously. Mulching will also aid in water retention, protect the roots from extreme temperatures, and prevent weeds from overtaking the space. Just be sure to keep the mulch out of direct contact with the stem.

As your camellias continue to grow, make sure they are watered regularly.

They do not handle drought well, especially during the blooming season. Otherwise, caring for them is pretty simple. They don’t typically require fertilizing, and they only need to be pruned for aesthetic purposes. Left to their own devices, they will likely grow quickly and bloom prolifically.

Camellias in the Landscape
Because of the multitude of varieties, camellias can serve a number of purposes in the landscape. They can grow to be quite large—between six and 12 feet in height and width! However, different varieties grow to different sizes, and most can be pruned to maintain your desired aesthetic.

Thanks to their thick, appealing foliage they make
great screens. They can be used as hedges for a little privacy from your neighbors or to hide unsightly fences and foundations.

Some varieties are prone to keeping a low, sprawling profile and can make for unique and attractive ground cover.

For a more formal focal point, they can be trained and shaped as small, winter-flowering trees. They can also be used as espaliers, growing up and spreading along flat, vertical surfaces such as walls. This requires a decent amount of work, but for those who enjoy pruning and training plants, camellias are a great choice. Sasanqua varieties work best for this purpose.

When thinking about adding them to a full, year-round landscape, consider planting camellias among azaleas and rhododendron, which have similar needs and structures. They can fill in the space with color when your camellias are out of bloom. Hydrangeas make another dramatic summer-blooming companion. Of course, anything you plant with camellias will need to be shade-tolerant, but don’t worry about giving the camellias too much shade. As long as they get just a little sunshine at some point in the day, they will be fine. Use them to fill in the understory below crepe myrtles and Japanese maples. Scatter some hostas throughout and you’ll have yourself a perfect shade garden with year-round color.

Creating Your Own Holiday Arrangements
Photos by Ashlee Glen

While faux garlands certainly have their place in our modern-day homes every December, it’s nice to experiment with some natural décor to help us connect with nature—from foraged greenery to fresh florals.

We asked Heather Smith, of Fleur by Heather, to help us out with a few DIY arrangements, and she didn’t hesitate to say yes. Heather is not only an accomplished wedding florist with a delightfully undone style, but she also absolutely adores decorating for Christmas.

Before you start flipping through, take her mantra to heart: “Don’t overthink it. Just experiment with things. And have fun!”

Natural Mantel

The mantel is often the focal point of the living room, making it an ideal place to focus your time and attention during the holiday season.

Heather says first, before emptying your wallet on supplies, take a walk outside. “Forage, with permission if it’s not your property, for as much as possible. There are plenty of pine and magnolia trees around this area,” she explains.

Once you have gathered greenery, Heather recommends sorting your pine into larger and smaller cuts. Use the larger pieces for your base. “Then, start filling in and layering with smaller pieces of pine,” she says. On top of the pine, use magnolia leaves as accents to give the green base more texture and depth.

With your greenery in place, it’s time to add color and get creative. “If you are already utilizing a theme, carry it over to your mantel and accent pieces. It can be whimsical, old Christmas, or modern. Let your imagination run wild!” she says, but adds that if you truly want a natural look, items such as pine cones and berries help achieve that aesthetic. She also chose to incorporate simple white florals into the design to help break up some of the green.

Finally, the big question—how long will this natural masterpiece last? “Hardier pines, not traditional pine trees, and magnolia will last a good while without water. You can put any fresh florals into water tubes,” Heather explains. “Since those are added after your greenery is set, they’re easy to pull out, trim their ends and refill as needed.”

You Will Need:
Foraged
Pine Boughs,
Magnolia Leaves
and Pine Cones
Faux Berries
Holiday
Accent Beads
Florals
(From Local Farm
or Grocery Store)
Whimsical
Accents
Candles or Candlesticks

Floral Centerpiece

While anything goes in terms of holiday color schemes these days, Heather wanted her arrangement to follow a more classic red-and-green style with a simple design. “This is not too big and can be used on most dinner tables,” she says.

Creating your piece starts with your container. Heather chose one that is waterproof, matte black, and rectangular.

For those not particularly comfortable creating arrangements, Heather suggests using water foam (soaked overnight for a few hours) to ensure that everything stays in place. Use floral tape to secure the foam inside your container. If filling your container with water, she says remember to add a packet of floral food and change out the water every few days.

When gathering your florals, Heather says most grocery stores around the holidays carry roses, carnations or lilies that look great in Christmas arrangements. Stores will also carry filler flowers such as berries or foliage.

As with the mantel, begin by arranging your various pieces of greenery. “While doing this, I’m thinking ahead to where I may place flowers. This will determine how much greenery I’ll put in each designated section of the container,” Heather says. “Always make sure that you cut your stems at an angle, so they go into the foam easily or, if using just water, that they are able to absorb as much water as possible.”

With your greenery and florals in place, use accents such as pine cones and berries to fill in the gaps. Keep everything close knit or let your greenery spill over the sides—the arrangement style is up to you!

You Will Need:
Waterproof Container
Oasis Water Foam
Floral Tape
Holiday
Accent Beads
Florals
(From Local Farm or Grocery Store)
Foraged Pine, Magnolia
and Pine Cones

Simple Accent

Perfect for an end table, entryway table or bathroom, this smaller arrangement gives off just the right Christmas flair and could even be a fun project for older kids.

You don’t need much and the possibilities are endless. Heather used a few small cuts of pine, two flowers, some pine cones, and glass beads as accents. Use floral tape to create a grid inside the cup or container. This will help you as you arrange the different types of materials in such a small space.

One thing to keep in mind: “Be mindful of pieces that may be too tall or heavy for a smaller container,” Heather says. “You don’t want them to add unnecessary weight that would possibly cause the arrangement to tip over.”

You Will Need:
Fun Container
or Cup
Floral Tape
Holiday
Accent Beads
Florals
(From Local Farm or Grocery Store)
Foraged Pine
and Pine Cones

Thank You
We are grateful to Belong Here, local Airbnb consulting business, for letting us use one of their newest rentals for this shoot. The “Lady Anne” is a 5200-square-foot historic home located on Rivermont Avenue, and it had plenty of fireplaces for us to choose from! Learn more at belonghere.co.

Recognizing and Defeating Boxwood Blight

Sometimes heralded as the “Aristocrat” of hedging topiaries, boxwoods have held the limelight as a favorite shrub for centuries. They are prized as a slow-growing, easy-to-maintain ornamental that looks as picturesque in tidy, trimmed rows of historic, formal gardens as it does gracing the porch steps around farmhouses and community buildings.

For many home gardeners, boxwoods are a timeless American tradition, recalling sentiments of days gone by. In fact, they arrived in what we now call the United States sometime around the 1650s, before it was even an independent nation. Many European immigrants traveling to the New World carried boxwood cuttings with them, and they made a strange new place feel more like home. But these highly cultivated bushes actually have an even longer history as a decorative landscape plant. Archaeologists have discovered evidence that boxwoods were trimmed and shaped to adorn the pyramids of the ancient Egyptians in 4,000 B.C., making it the oldest known ornamental shrub in the world.

There are over 200 varieties of stately and versatile boxwoods, each with their own unique shapes, leaf characteristics, and growth potential. Unfortunately, all of them are vulnerable, some more than others, to a fast-acting and deadly disease known as boxwood blight.

Boxwood blight spread rapidly through Europe in the ’90s, ravaging centuries-old historic gardens. Finally in 2011, it made its long-dreaded arrival in America, first in Connecticut and North Carolina. Today, it exists in almost every state, and has taken a toll on the gardens of homeowners and historic estates alike.

A “blight” in plant science is a rapidly progressing fungal disease that causes chlorosis (loss of green coloration), browning, and if untreated will lead to the death of plant tissue. For boxwoods, the fungal spores that cause the blight are highly transferable, very sticky, and can be spread from nurseries, plant clippings, and even contact, before the bush is showing symptoms. The pathogen thrives in warm, wet environments, and spreads most rapidly from July through September, though it can be spread and contracted all year long. The most noticeable symptom of boxwood blight is sudden and fast-acting defoliation, or the loss of leaves.

This defoliation is exactly what alerted Lynchburg resident Lisa Richards to the problem in July of 2016. Richards installed English boxwoods around her home as soon as it was built in 1995. She had some small ones, and some as big as eight feet tall. Unfortunately, she was one of the first in the region to deal with the devastating effects of boxwood blight.

It all started when she purchased some new shrubs from a big box retailer in order to fill some holes in her landscape. She planted the young bushes and mulched heavily. The very next day, she noticed that two of her boxwoods had begun to turn brown and lose leaves. Of course, at the time not much was known about boxwood blight, so Richards assumed that the mulch was the guilty culprit. She went out of town for a few days, and when she returned home, she found that the defoliation had spread.

“It looked like someone had taken a blow torch to them,” said Richards. She spoke to a friend who suggested that the blight may have been responsible for the damage, and when Richards sent samples out to the state lab for testing, her suspicions were confirmed. She contacted professional horticulturalists who came to her property, dug up all of her boxwoods, and even removed and replaced the existing soil. “They wore hazmat suits and did everything they could to contain it,” Richards explained. “But a squirrel, a dog, or a neighbor can carry the spores from one yard to another.”

Richards ultimately lost 60 boxwoods in total, and now, there are very few healthy ones left in her Boonsboro neighborhood.

Horticulturalists have responded to the threat of boxwood blight with a tremendous effort to develop a whole new selection of bushes that don’t fall prey to blight, or even other serious boxwood problems, such as leafminer insects. While the classic English varieties with their tightly packed, oval-shaped leaves are extremely vulnerable to blight—and American varieties are also at great risk—many Asian cultivars are more disease-resistant.

Saunders Brothers, a family-owned nursery in Nelson County, is one of the largest providers of boxwoods and topiaries in the southern United States. They had the blight on their radar long before it came to our shores, and once it did, they began conducting extensive research into identifying and propogating the most disease-resistant boxwood cultivars possible. In fact, since Richards replanted her landscape with Green Beauties from their nursery, a Japanese cultivar genetically bred to stand up to the aggressive blight, she says that her yard looks wonderful again.

In addition to offering many of the well-known Asian varieties, Saunders Brothers has developed what they are calling “NewGen,” which are bred to closely resemble the English classic, but have a strong resilience against blight, and hold up to leafminers even better than some of their resistant contemporaries.

Boxwood blight thrives in wet, rainy conditions with temperatures between 60 and 77 degrees. As we enter into late summer and early fall, conditions for the growth and spread of blight are ideal. Saunders Brothers has really been a driving force behind defeating boxwood blight, and the tips we’re about to share have come straight from Bennett Saunders himself.

If you believe you have a plant that has become infected with blight, consider these practices to rid the disease from your yard, and prevent it from spreading:

• If you live in a rural area, the best way to get rid of blight once and for all is to burn the infected plants on site. Fallen leaves and stems carry the disease and can be easily transported by people and animals, so avoid moving it as much as possible. A flame torch will do the trick.

• If burning is not an option, wear disposable gloves, and carefully gather all infected plants into plastic bags before transporting them to the landfill. Be sure to contain the material to prevent spreading as you drive through town.

• After you have removed the diseased boxwoods, avoid replanting in the same spot for at least a year. The fungal spores can survive under the soil, but grow weaker and die off as time passes.

• Thoroughly clean and sanitize all of your tools and clothing after working with infected materials.

If you’re looking to add boxwoods to your home landscape, here are some great planting tips to help ward off diseases and keep your boxwoods healthy and happy for a very long time:

• Plant Selection: Choose a disease-resistant variety. Saunders Brothers’ website offers a complete list of options that will stand up to blight and leafminers. (See box at bottom of page.) If you purchase from a local nursery or big box store, ask if they participate in the extension agency’s boxwood sanitation practices to ensure you are not purchasing infected plants.

• Proper Planting: Choose a spot with good drainage, where rain water doesn’t pool up or linger. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball of your new boxwood, and allow the top of the root ball to sit about two inches above the soil surface. This elevation will need to be maintained over time to ensure proper drainage.

• Mulching: Saunders said that the importance of mulching cannot be overstated. In addition to a host of other benefits, mulch minimizes the splash of spore-contaminated rain water onto the leaves of nearby plantings. Rain water transfer is thought to be the most common way that the blight spreads. Mulch also creates a physical barrier between infected, fallen leaves and healthy plants. Light layers of mulch should be added every year, preferably in early spring. Choose a well-aged mulch option, and surround your plant with mulch of about one inch deep.

• Watering: Soak the root zone of the new boxwood thoroughly as soon as planting is complete. Then water on an as-needed basis to help it through periods of drought.

With proper sanitation practices, stronger boxwood varieties, and a little common sense, boxwood blight can be eradicated from your yard and your neighborhood. Eliminating this disease is the best chance we have at preserving existing boxwood plantings and continuing the tradition of boxwoods in the landscape. Doing your small part in your home landscape will have great and lasting effects on the state of boxwood health in your community.

Tons of helpful tips and information, as well as interesting boxwood and boxwood blight facts, can be found at the Saunders Brothers website, www.newgenboxwood.com.

Troubleshooting common problems in the off season

Images of houseplants abound on social media outlets today. We’re encouraged to have conservatory corners, living walls and plants hanging from our ceilings en masse. But achieving that indoor green look is sometimes easier said than done. To help you succeed, we’ve compiled a list of the top mistakes plant lovers of all skill levels often make.

Bad Lighting
This may be the number one issue plant collectors face. Every plant has to be grown in the right location in your home or it is a waste of time and money. Low light means no direct light should reach your plant. A low-light plant has to live a few feet away from a direct light source and can survive in mostly artificial light. A high light plant needs at least three hours of direct sun daily.

A Too-Small Pot
New plants should be transplanted into fresh pots that are at least two inches larger than their current pot’s diameter. It’s also a good idea to repot with new potting soil. If the plant hasn’t had proper care then problems are less likely to develop with a root and leaf washing and new soil. A pot with a drainage hole is best. Cover the drainage hole with a stone to prevent soil from washing out the bottom. When your plant starts to look top heavy or there is no more room in the pot, you need to transplant it again. As a rule, transplant in spring when the growing season is beginning again.

Improper Watering
Most folks have a tendency to overwater house plants, especially in the winter. It’s a good schedule to check on your plants weekly by using your finger. If the soil feels damp to your touch an inch deep into the pot, you are probably fine and can skip the chore this week. If it’s dry to the touch, time to water. Don’t attempt to trick your plant by leaving water in the saucer for it to water itself later. Plants sitting in water often get rotten roots. Also, to know how much to water, it’s helpful to know where your plant originated. For example, a tropical plant will be used to drowning rains with periods of dry spells but desert plants—such as cacti, succulents and euphorbias—need less water.

Lack of Nourishment
If you don’t transplant your plant and give it new potting soil regularly, you can be sure it will need some supplemental feeding. Grow sticks are easy; just add to the pot and they are time-released. I use a small amount of compost (one cup per 18-inch diameter pot) on top of my houseplants just like my garden plants. Concentrated liquid fertilizers are an easy choice and go a long way. I also have found my fiddle leaf fig performs much better on a weekly diluted concentrated fig food.

Overlooking Pests
Mealybugs, whiteflies and spider mites are the most common intruders. Mealybugs look fuzzy and leave a shiny sap on the surface of the plant. Whiteflies fly around the plant when you disturb it. Both mealybugs and whiteflies can be treated by washing the plant thoroughly with an insecticidal soap—either homemade (4 cups of water, 1 tsp of dish soap) or store bought. Wash all parts of the plant in the shower, from the tops and bottom of leaves to the stems and stalks. It wouldn’t hurt to get new potting soil as that could also be infested. Spider mites make a web and will quickly kill a plant. If you have a particularly bad pest problem, neem oil is effective, but I would be cautious using it inside and it has an unpleasant odor.

Misting the Wrong Plants
There is no cookie cutter answer here so again, do your research. Tropical houseplants may love misting. If you have a fern in your master bathroom and it gets misted when you shower, adding more mist may be overkill and it may suffer from rot. Plants with fuzzy leaves, such as African violets, hate misting. The incredibly popular fiddle leaf fig also is not a misting fan. Neither is your jade plant.

Not Enough Humidity
Leaf curling, yellowing and brown edges on leaves can all indicate a lack-of-humidity problem. How can you fix this if your plant isn’t a mist lover? Make a humidity tray! Place a saucer or baking sheet filled with stones and water underneath your struggling plant. As the water evaporates into the air the plant receives additional humidity. Just like we get drier skin in winter your plants may like a humidifier in the room too. Grouping your plants for display in your home also increases humidity levels as the plants transpire into the air.

Temperature Trouble
Move your houseplants away from large windows and doors that are not only cold to the touch but also drafty. Also keep them away from your fireplace and heat vents. You may find you need to move your plants to a different room of your house to help keep them well. During the winter, wipe their leaves top and bottom with a damp paper towel if they get dusty. This will help them photosynthesize better in that season’s lower light.

Forgetting to Share
When you really get the passionate about plants, you’ll want to have more of them! A lot of house plants should be divided when transplanting. Some sprout easily from cuttings placed in water, such as Swedish ivy (Plectranthus australis), for example. Others like to be stuck into continuously damp soil to grow new roots. Do the research and figure out what your plants need. You’ll know you are a bona fide plant lady (or gentleman) when you have house plants you are propagating and caring for on every surface possible in your home as well as sharing “plant babies” with your friends.

There are few things so satisfying as a cool, juicy peach, picked at the height of summer. That first bite, breaking through the tender orange skin and sinking into the sweet gold on the inside. For me, it’s an instant flashback to childhood, splashing along mountain creek beds in the heat of July, with peach juice running down my chin.

Though sometimes apples outshine them, peaches actually grow quite well in our region. There are several orchards that offer the option to pick-your-own, such as Gross’ Orchard in Bedford, which advertises its peach season from June 15 through September 10. (And if you wander into the nearby Mountain Fruit and Produce before they’re sold out, you can even treat yourself to Mrs. Joy’s famous peach ice cream or peach hand-pies, made from the orchard’s fruit.)

However, if you are so inclined to grow your own peaches, it can be done. With a little patience, home orchards can be incredibly rewarding, and fun to tend. Fruit trees, peaches in particular, can be a bit finicky. Thankfully, I didn’t have to look far for growing tips and tricks. My husband is a professional arborist, and owner of Meyer Arboriculture, and he is full of useful information. Here are Nick’s best practices for growing peaches.

Terms To Know
Cling: These are typically early season varieties. They are called “cling peaches” because the flesh of the peach is still clinging to the stone (pit) in the middle. There are also “semi-cling” varieties, where the flesh detaches more easily.

Freestone: The fruit of a freestone peach has completely detached from the stone (pit). They often have that bright red color in the very center surrounding the stone, and they typically fruit in late summer. These are generally preferred by consumers for snacking and preserving.

Dwarf & Standard: Most fruit trees come in both dwarf and standard sizes. Dwarf trees usually stay in the 10- to 15-foot range and are ideal for the home orchard. The fruit is easier to access, and they can produce prolifically, despite their smaller size. Standard trees can grow very big and tall, and also fruit very well, but may require a ladder for access.

Pick Your Variety
There are over a hundred varieties of peaches available to the home orchardist, and a plethora of things to consider when choosing the specific variety you would like to grow. Peaches can be grown in zones 4 through 9. Here in zone 7, we actually have a great climate for peaches, so your selection process can focus a bit more on flavor and less on hardiness. However, if you’re looking to plant in one of the more outlying zones, you’ll want to choose a variety engineered to withstand extreme heat or cold. We do have a few pests and diseases that target fruit trees, such as fireblight and leaf spot, so consider disease-resistant varieties. Some great choices for our area are Contender and White Lady.

Most peach varieties are self-fertilizing, meaning you only need one tree to produce fruit. However, planting more than one tree could improve the pollination, and production, of fruit. And of course, you’ll have more peaches.

Choose Your Location
Peaches like a lot of sun, and a fertile, well-drained soil.

The location of your trees will impact their productivity, as well as their vulnerability to disease. Choose a spot in your yard that gets full sun at least six hours a day. You’ll want to take space into consideration. Dwarf trees will need to be spaced about 12 to 15 feet apart, while standard size trees will need more room, about 15 to 20 feet.

Soil drainage is critical to growing healthy trees. Test your soil drainage by digging a 1×1 hole, filling it with water, and monitoring how long it takes for the hole to empty. Measure the depth of the water, wait 15 minutes, and measure it again. Then, multiply the difference by 4 (because 15×4=60, or 1 hour), and you’ll know how much the soil will drain in an hour. If it is less than an inch or so per hour, you may want to consider a new location, or take additional measures to improve soil drainage. Wet roots can cause rot and encourage bacterial growth.

Peaches also prefer a slightly higher pH, so consider testing your soil prior to planting. You can pick up an inexpensive test kit at any garden or home improvement store. You’ll want a pH of around 6.5 or 7. Once you determine the pH of your soil, you can raise it if necessary by adding garden lime or peat moss. There are products and tips available to lower pH as well.

Plant Your Tree
Once you’ve chosen your location, you’ll need to carefully plant the tree or trees. Planting is arguably the most important part of long-term tree health, and planting it correctly can save a lot of heartache down the road.

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball or pot of your tree, and only about two-thirds as deep. Around the edges of the hole, use your shovel to loosen the soil. This will help the roots spread out into the compacted earth. Remove the peach tree from the pot and loosen the roots, spreading them away from the trunk. Any roots that appear to be circling the root ball or trunk can (and should) be clipped to avoid girdling (when a tree’s roots wrap around the trunk and ultimately choke it). Generally, all of the roots should be laid out to spread like fingers away from the tree.

At the cellular level, root wood and trunk wood are very different. If trunk wood is below the surface of the soil, your tree will be a magnet for disease and rot. For this reason, planting depth is critical. The root flare, or the spot on the base of the tree where the first root shoots off of the stem, should be planted two inches above the existing soil level. Remember why we dug our hole two-thirds the depth of our pot? This is why. You’ll want to plant the tree on a subtle mound. If needed, toss some loose soil into the hole in order to elevate the tree.

The graft union (where the rootstock meets the scion) should also remain above the soil when planting and growing fruit trees. As long as the above instructions are followed, this will occur naturally, as the graft union is several inches above the root flare. You can identify the union by looking for a bulge at the base of the tree with a visible line running through it.

Give your newly planted peach tree a nice soaking, and then make sure the tree gets water every day for the first week. After that, water a few times a week for the first month, then leave it to nature to handle the watering, unless you get a particularly dry spell.

Continued Care
When the peach trees start to bloom, it’s a good idea to thin the blossoms so that there is only one flower every six inches or so.

This will reduce the overall number of fruits, but will result in a yield of larger, healthier peaches with better flavor. Consider contacting a professional arborist to help with this part if you are unsure of the proper pruning technique.

In healthy soil, fertilization is really not necessary until your fruit trees are ready to produce fruit. This will be when they are about two or three years old. Ask your nursery about the age of the trees available. Usually, potted trees available for purchase are about a year old. You should also avoid fertilization until at least six weeks after your trees have been planted. If you do decide to fertilize, and give your trees a boost just before the fruiting season, apply a balanced, nitrogen-rich fertilizer in early spring.

Peach trees are very vulnerable to a number of pests and diseases. It is highly recommended to spray the trees a few times a year with fungicides and insecticides in order to prevent stunted growth, poor production, structural failure, and tree death. There are products available in most garden centers, but be sure to read the label carefully and completely. It never hurts to call a professional arborist, either.

A Guide to Growing Your Own Greens

Conventional nutrition advice is very clear: Leafy greens should be a big part of our diets. But, let’s be honest, sometimes the green options at the grocery store just don’t look appealing, are noticeably nearing their expiration date, or, as we’ve seen in recent years, are part of a widespread recall.

If you’ve considered a DIY approach, there’s good news. You can grow a number of lettuce varieties at home with very little effort. Not only will you save money, homegrown lettuce also is more nutritious because it has more Vitamin A the closer you eat it to harvesting. And it’s not too late for you to try this out in 2020. The growing season for lettuce can be in the spring or fall. I would suggest a fall planting in mid-August, with the latest planting in mid-September to avoid a mid-October frost.

To start, first you need to find a seed vendor. Two of my favorite sources are Johnny’s Seeds and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Southern Exposure is located in Central Virginia so their growing and cultivation information is always right on target. Whether you’re ordering online or buying from a local nursery, be sure to read the cultivation information so you can grow your varieties successfully.

Then, there are many types of lettuce to choose from. This includes head, leaf, and cut-and-come-again forms. If you are curious, but are not quite ready to “dig in” just yet, go buy some of the great fresh lettuce mixes available at the Lynchburg Community Market or the Forest Farmers Market. Ask the grower which varieties they grow and make yourself a list to try.

Next, there is some simple soil preparation. Work or hand-till a small plot (about 4’x4’ is enough room) about 8-10 inches deep if the soil is not compacted. If it is a new bed, you need to prepare the soil 12-18 inches. But if you’re just not into all that work, you can take a hoe with a wide blade and make several rows side by side. Then, fill the rows lightly with the well crumbled soil. Slowly sprinkle in your seed over the soil that’s been returned. Then barely cover the seed with dirt.

I usually do this by hand. Next, take the backside of your blade, or your hand, and lightly pat the soil.

Finally, water lightly, wait and get ready for fresh greens. Lettuce grows quickly, so you will see seedlings in 7-10 days. When’s it’s time to harvest, I recommend using scissors rather than pulling it. Wash leaves in a sink full of cold water and salt, which will repel any bugs hiding amongst the leaves. Rinse and dry in a salad spinner.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

When most people think of raising livestock of any kind, they think of big farms and wide-open spaces—but we can’t all buy 50 acres and become full-time farmers. Thankfully, with the rise of urban farming and backyard gardens, you don’t need to own a lot of land or quit your day job to enjoy some of the benefits of farm life.

For my family, backyard birds are an essential part of our home garden. They are relatively low cost and low maintenance (after a few start-up essentials), they don’t require a lot of space, and they do so many wonderful things for us.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Rodney Chrisman, who owns and operates Wolf Hill Farm in Bedford County. His family-run farm specializes in breeding and selling chicks (and soon to be ducks) as well as farm products. They also offer “coop-ready” chickens for anyone wanting to skip the incubator stage. At any rate, Rodney is pretty much a backyard bird expert.

According to Rodney, the practice of raising backyard birds has been quickly growing in popularity every year as more people discover the benefits. As he pointed out, chickens take feed, table scraps, grass, and bugs, and turn them into fresh eggs and the best fertilizer around.

It’s true, chickens are great gardeners. Their clawed feet act as mini tillers as they scratch at the dirt to forage for bugs and treats—and at the end of the growing season, they are great at cleaning up your garden for you! They produce nutrient-rich waste which, if composted with their used bedding, makes incredible fertilizer. But the benefits don’t end there.

There is nothing like a beautiful, farm-fresh egg and the pleasure of being intimately connected to the food you and your family consume. Furthermore, chickens are dedicated foragers, and they love to eat the bugs we detest in our yards! In fact, ticks are a favorite snack, and the average hen can consume at least 60 ticks per hour! Rodney says that even if you don’t free-range your chickens, rotating their coop to new locations throughout your yard or allowing them an hour or two of free-range foraging time will drastically reduce the number of ticks and mosquitos around your home. I live in a fenceless yard, in a neighborhood with lots of roaming pets, so my flock stays in a fenced-in coop most of the time—but I love to let them wander and eat up all those undesirables while I’m working in my garden or enjoying the evening on the back porch.

If you’re sold on the idea of raising a flock of your own, there are a few things you should know before you go out and make a purchase. First: check your local regulations. Most localities in our area have some regulations surrounding backyard bird raising. These might include maximum flock size, distance from property lines, or yard size requirements. Fortunately, most localities do allow residents to keep poultry, even Lynchburg City!

Next, it’s a good idea to carefully research the breeds available to you before you buy, and choose the breed that is best for your needs. Personally, I like chickens that lay plenty of brightly colored eggs, so we’re raising Ameraucanas, who lay blue-green eggs, and Welsummers, who lay rich terracotta speckled eggs. When it comes to ducks, we’re looking for an easy temperament and a high egg production. But maybe you are looking to raise birds for meat or want chickens with great personalities who will doze on your lap in the sunshine. Always do your research, and if you’re not sure, my friend Rodney would be happy to help!

Then, there are a few essentials you’ll need to provide for your flock, in order to keep them safe, healthy, and happy:

If you’re starting with babies, you’ll need a safe place for them to grow, away from the elements and predators. You can use almost anything as long as it is secure, big enough for all of the birds plus their food and water, and can be kept very warm. We use a big plastic tote and keep it in our mudroom.

Baby birds are very sensitive to temperature changes and must be kept very warm (80-90 degrees). Even after they’ve been moved out to their coop, you’ll want to move the heat lamp outside with them in case of cool nights. You can pick one up at just about any farm store. Slowly move the heat lamp away from the brooder as the chicks age.

Whether you are going to free range or keep your birds in a coop, their diet will require regular feedings of specifically formulated feed to stay healthy and lay eggs. Babies require protein-rich starter feed for the first few weeks of their life. Then, you’ll want to slowly transition them to a grower feed for the next few weeks. Once they are starting to lay eggs, you’ll switch them to a layer feed, which they will eat happily for most of their lives. Mix in crushed oyster shells and grit, which can be purchased with the feed, to achieve the necessary balanced diet.

Your birds need a strong, secure shelter where they can sleep, lay eggs, and be kept safe in inclement weather or while a predator is on the prowl. Remember, everyone (and everything) loves chicken, so protection is critical. Chickens and ducks require about two to four square feet of space each inside their coop, and if they are confined to a run, at least twice that outside. Bigger is always better. Inside, you may want easily accessible nesting boxes of about one square foot each, and something for the chickens to roost on. (Old wooden ladders work great!) Also, make your life easier by adding a large, locking door for coop clean-out. Their run should be fully enclosed with sturdy fencing, and you’ll want to consider fencing above and below to prevent animals that may try to dig under, or hawks that would swoop down from above. At Wolf Hill, Rodney uses hoop houses for ducks and chickens. He says they’re great because they are very secure, and they can be moved around your yard so you can reap those fertilizer benefits.

You’ll need to provide plenty of clean straw in the coop and the nesting boxes. Avoid hay, as it creates a lot of dust and attracts mites, which are harmful to chickens.

All in all, raising backyard birds is such a great experience for the whole family. “It’s good for the birds and God’s creation in general to be raised in a backyard environment,” says Rodney. “Every egg that someone raises and eats themselves helps the environment, and goes a long way to prevent some of the inhumane practices that take place in modern poultry factories.”

Not to mention that the simple good work of caring for living things and producing your own food is an invaluable experience that brings joy and contentment to all who undertake it.

USING FLOWERS AMONG FOOD CROPS

There is a certain satisfaction in seeing crisp, clean rows of tomatoes or tightly packed lines of lettuce. But in my gardening experience, I have found that my plants are happier and healthier when they are given a bit more freedom—not unlike people.

In nature, plants don’t tend to segregate themselves into exclusive groupings, but rather they grow together, mixing and mingling. In doing so, they achieve a symbiosis; they benefit from and protect one another.

Polyculture is an agricultural practice that seeks to mimic this natural diversity by growing a variety of plants together so they can help one another grow. Planting flowers in and among vegetable crops is a wonderful way to naturally promote garden health and, as an added benefit, enhance the beauty of your garden spaces. I personally love gardens that take on a wild, lost-cottage appearance—but flowers don’t have to look messy and haphazard. Considering size and height, complementary colors, and spacing will help to give your garden an elegant, graceful appearance.

However, the main reason to plant flowers alongside your veggies is that they can attract—and repel—insects. As gardeners, there are bugs we like, and bugs we would rather be without. Pollinators such as butterflies, moths, and, of course, bees, are critical to the survival of vegetable gardens. Then, there are the bad bugs: aphids, beetles, leafminers, squash bugs… the list goes on and on. Planting flowers can deter pests by their scent, make it more difficult for pests to travel and spread through your garden, and even attract other insects that eat those pests. >>

Pollinators, Please!

So much of the food we eat relies on pollinators to grow and produce fruit. Planting the right flowers can draw them in and give your garden the boost it needs to be productive.

Bees, well known for their productive pollination in gardens, can’t see the color red. They are especially attracted to blue and violet flowers that smell sweet and provide easy access to nectar. But bees are not the only pollinators we want in our garden! Butterflies and hummingbirds are excellent pollinators too, and they have different mouth-shapes and color preferences. Hummingbirds, for example, love red, cone-shaped flowers and can access nectar that is stored deeper within the bloom. So when in doubt, plant a variety!

Cosmos: Full disclosure, I listed these first because they are my favorite. I love how leggy and wild cosmos grow, especially when planted among sunflowers (which are also great for bees). But these beauties are professional pollinator magnets, with many varieties and colors to choose from. Bees love the purple and pink varieties, while the white sensation variety is especially good for attracting lacewings, who in larvae form have quite an appetite for aphids. Tip: They look stunning among anything that vines or climbs up a trellis.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea): Bees love this stuff. Their purple, cone-shaped blossoms are the perfect color and shape for our busy, buzzing garden friends. As an added bonus, echinacea is well-known for its immune-boosting, cold-fighting qualities when used in tea.

Zinnias: An excellent choice for the vegetable garden, zinnias attract lots of beneficial insects. In particular, butterflies love them. They are bright and colorful, and provide late-season nectar for pollinators. They also invite beneficial insects, especially Monarch butterflies, to lay eggs in their foliage. They attract hummingbirds, hover flies and wasps, all of which eat up destructive pests. Plant them around your tomatoes to deter worms. If you need more convincing, they make gorgeous cut flowers. You can’t lose with a thick zinnia patch in your garden.

Columbine: Columbine is another personal favorite and has a very interesting history of adaptation to benefit the pollinators that drink their nectar. Biologists have found that the unique nectar spurs, or long tubes that lead to the flowers’ nectar, grow in length based on the tongues of their preferred pollinators. These are a favorite snack of hummingbirds.

Lavender: This divine smelling, purple beauty is a favorite of bees and gardeners alike. You probably already have some in your garden. Consider placing it nearer to your veggies. Choose long-blooming varieties—be sure to leave some uncut—and bees will come from miles around to enjoy the bounty of pollen and nectar that they provide.

Pest Prevention

There are all sorts of things we don’t want in our gardens. Flowers can be used to disguise food crops, confuse and trap harmful pests, and even attract insects that love to feast on all the bugs we don’t like. Better yet, strategically placed flowers are so much better for the garden than chemical pesticides, which can damage soil and stunt growth over time.

Calendula (Pot Marigolds): Who doesn’t love these flowers? Simple, compact, colorful, and late-blooming, pot marigolds are so cheerful and deter all sorts of unwanted insects, such as squash bugs, mosquitos, and lice. Considered a great “trap crop,” calendula attracts pests like aphids and whiteflies and produces a sticky substance that traps these garden pests before they reach your crops. Note: Calendula, an edible, herbal flower, is different from the common marigold, which is toxic when ingested.

Chrysanthemums: Did you know that some brands of bug repellent and pesticides use a chemical extracted from mums (pyrethrin) to deter pests? Not only do these flowers repel pests such as beetles and harlequin bugs, which destroy gardens, they also keep away lice, ticks, bed bugs, roaches, and other universally disliked crawling critters. I like to plant them among squash and potatoes.

Queen Anne’s Lace: A tall, elegant choice for the garden, Queen Anne’s Lace attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, and a number of other pest-gobbling insects to the vegetable patch. They are also known to give tomato plants a little boost when planted close by! Like many on this list, they will keep coming back year after year and can spread prolifically.

Yarrow: Yarrow is becoming the permaculturists secret weapon. It attracts beneficial insects such as bees and lacewings, provides excellent nesting grounds for these helpful critters, and has a scent that repels garden pests. In fact, it would make an excellent addition to your cucumber patch. To top it all off, yarrow is a beloved medicinal herb, used to control bleeding, pain, and inflammation. It’s also known to fortify garden soil and activate compost. This is a powerhouse of a plant you should always make room for.

Nasturtium: These attractive edibles are another powerful multi-use companion, and they come with a cornucopia of benefits.
The flowers and leaves are edible (and quite tasty) and provide an extensive list of medicinal benefits. They also emit a powerful odor that masks the scent of crops that are often vulnerable to a pest attack. Plant them everywhere, but especially near your brassicas.

Consider experimenting with interplantings of beneficial flowers this spring. You’ll have a great time trying different height and color combinations. When you find yourself spending less time fighting off pest infestations and more time enjoying the beauty and bounty of your garden, you’ll become an instant polyculturalist for life.

General Tips:

Avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
These products can be helpful to the gardener, but often their consequences outweigh their benefits. Pollinators don’t like them, and they can strip soil of its organic qualities. Use natural, cultural solutions when possible, and if chemicals are a must, check to make sure they aren’t harmful to beneficial insects.

Plant in small groups. A single flower is better than no flower at all, but planting in clumps is a good way to attract pollinators. It shortens the distance that they have to travel for food and encourages them to stick around. As pest repellents, groups of flowers perform better.

Shoot for year-round blooms. If you provide a constant food source for beneficial insects, they will return to your yard all year long—and likely make their homes close by. Try to keep something in bloom throughout the year.

Provide other resources. Bees, butterflies, and all of those garden-friendly bugs need more than food to survive. Consider providing housing (bee hotels are really cool, and make for a fun project) and shallow water to encourage long-term residence in your garden.

Photo by Paul Wheaton, richsoil.com

For me, winter is a struggle. I can’t grow much more than lettuce, and I crave the dirt and the smell of tomato vines. It’s during the cold season that I do all of my planning. My husband gets anxious when he sees the graph paper strewn about our dining table—he knows that I’m designing my latest garden expansion idea, and he’s going to be out there digging in just a few months.

In an effort to minimize the hard work of garden tilling, he began building me raised beds several seasons ago.

I thought I would hate them, but I love them. Fewer weeds, no tilling—there are tons of benefits. So now, I’m always on the hunt for the next thing in raised bed gardening and permaculture—which brought me to hugelkultur.

First off, the word is ridiculous. Of German origin, it’s pronounced, “hoogle-culture,” and it means “hill culture.” It’s actually a practice that has been around for thousands of years—by various, probably less silly-sounding, names.

Essentially, hugelkultur is one of many methods of building raised, self-composting garden beds from layered, organic material. This one results in mound-shaped beds built from piling wood, mulch, and compost, and then covering the pile with soil, where plants will grow.

The great thing about hugelkultur is that it is self-watering, self-tilling, and self-fertilizing. Though building a hugel bed takes some effort, you’ll love how easy it is to maintain. The ingredients for a perfect hugel bed are probably already in your yard, and winter is the perfect time to take on a hugelkultur project, because the beds benefit from having a bit of time to get established before your spring veggie plantings.

Steps to building your own
Step One: Dig a trench. It doesn’t have to be very deep, but it should be about the size of the bed you want to create. Then, you will fill the trench with dead logs. Ideally, the logs will be in various states of decomposition. As these logs decompose, they will provide long-term, vital nutrients to the soil. Use hardwoods, because they break down more slowly, and you’ll want to stay away from wood varieties that contain toxins or will adversely affect the pH levels in the soil, such as black walnut and locust. Some ideal options are apple, maple, oak, and poplar, all of which can be found in abundance in our region.

Step Two: On top of the logs, you’ll pile smaller woody materials, such as branches and brush. This is likely where you will get the hill or mound shape of the bed itself. I wanted to build a fairly tall mound (three feet in height) but didn’t want large gaps or air pockets in the structure, inviting future collapse, so I layered with mulch between branch pilings. Pro-tip: The mulch I used is just chippings from a local tree business, and usually, they deliver at no cost. Again, just make sure that the wood type is appropriate for gardening purposes. Dead leaves and grass clippings are also terrific options and break down quickly, giving your garden a boost.

The size of the bed is entirely up to you. The important thing is that the organic materials below your growing medium are layered in such a way as to encourage long-term nutrient enrichment and sustained growth. Keep in mind also that if your bed is particularly tall, you’ll have one side receiving less sunlight, and you’ll want to consider that aspect when planting.

Step Three: After you’ve piled on your branches and the bed is still a manageable size (you’ll need to be able to reach the top), it’s time for the top mulch layer. Again, leaves and grass clippings are terrific, and I decided to reuse some of the turf I pulled up to dig the trench (grass-side down). This adds a little support and stability.

Step Four: After the top layer of mulch, you’ll need a compost layer. You won’t need a whole lot of compost, just enough to give your bed a jump start, so that the first year plantings will have nutrients while the woody materials slowly decompose.

Step Five: The final layer of your hugelkultur bed will be top soil. Start by reusing all the dirt you dug out of the trench, then add more if needed. Obviously, you want a good depth for planting, so take that into consideration as you cover the mound. In order to retain the structure of the bed, you’ll want to have something growing and setting down roots quickly. If building in winter, it’s a good idea to plant a cover crop such as rye or winter wheat, which will prevent erosion and help to keep the soil aerated.

The Benefits
There are many other techniques to try for raised bed gardening, but I like hugelkultur for a few reasons—one is that these beds can be massive, and my eyes are always bigger than my appetite when it comes to gardening. One of the most interesting qualities of hugelkultur, in my opinion, is that the structure of the bed actually results in a unique microclimate that keeps plants warm, because the process of decomposition generates heat. It also stays hydrated, as the decaying material retains moisture. These factors really encourage plant growth and can even extend the growing season. The mound shape offers more planting surface without requiring more precious garden real estate.

In the spring, you’ll have a healthy and unique garden bed ready for your veggies!

You can really plant anything in a hugelkultur bed.

Squash, melons and leafy veggies do especially well.

I’m a big fan of polyculture, or planting a variety of species in the same bed. Just be aware of companion plants that help each other grow! Your new hugelkultur bed, when properly constructed and planted, should last for years, and is sure to intrigue your garden-loving friends.

By Ashleigh Meyer