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Search Results for: soil

Soil Test Results Say Back Off Organic Matter! What?

May 7, 2021 By Heather Blackmore 4 Comments

Gorilla Wagon full of soil

My soil test results contradict everything a gardener is told to do. As promised, I received a letter in the mail less than two weeks after submitting the soil samples to the lab detailing the shortcomings. As it turns out, both areas are pretty similar despite the fact that one is an established garden, the other hardly touched except for the tricolor beech and two Techny arborvitae that are no bigger than a minute. But there's one significant difference and it's a game changer. The redbud garden, which is no longer home to a redbud on account of verticillium wilt, was one of the first gardens I dug almost 20 years ago. It's seen a lot of compost which explains why it tested "very high" for organic matter. A whopping 10.0! Too much organic matter can be a bad thing. Ummm, wait, what? ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden Tagged With: soil, soil test, soil test results

No Planting Yet, Get a Soil Test First!

April 2, 2021 By Heather Blackmore 2 Comments

Soil test

I have a confession to make. My garden hasn't had a soil test in 10 years. There are plenty of things in the garden, like the chlorosis on the little lime hydrangea and the groundcovers that never seem to cover any ground, that have been telling me now's the time. I'm finally prepared to listen and only wish I'd done it a whole lot sooner. But with the new side yard bed I told you about last week, I'm determined to do things right. And while I'm at it, I'm going to sample the bed that used to contain my beautiful redbud. It bit the dust last year and nothing in that area, aside from the hosta and solomon seal which could probably survive Chernobyl, is thriving. So I'm double dipping, so to speak. Most states have a university extension office that you can call or look up online for ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden Tagged With: garden planning, new garden, soil, soil test

Verticillium Wilt: The Soilborne Disease Claiming Victim(s)

May 7, 2020 By Heather Blackmore 4 Comments

Redbud tree

For nearly 17 years, my garden flew under the radar of disease until last year when it was obvious something was wrong with my redbud tree (Cercis canadensis). One of the main branches didn't flower or leaf out. While I remained hopeful, the reality was that I sort of knew what was happening but didn't want to admit it to myself. It was kind of like saying Beetlejuice! three times. Only this was even harder, this was real and attacking my favorite tree. I sawed out the affected branch and waited for another spring, hoping it might bounce back but it didn't. It got worse. Verticillium wilt has consumed two-thirds of the tree and right now, only the branch closest to the gate has flowers. The rest is dead. So I'm enjoying that last branch while at the same time lamenting the loss of the ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden Tagged With: cherry tree, disease, elderberry, lilac, redbud tree, soilborne fungus, verticillium wilt

Save Precious Topsoil When Removing Grass

April 29, 2020 By Heather Blackmore 4 Comments

Grass in sideyard is gone

So here's the thing about winter. It creates plenty of time to think up ways to add more plants to the garden. But the only way to do that is to dig out more grass. SSHHH...don't tell my husband. Guys and their grass. I find it's better for marital harmony if I dig a new bed while he's at work rather than discuss it with him first and hear a litany of reasons why he needs that area. Especially since he's prone to complaining about having to cut it in the first place! The way I see it, I'm doing him a giant favor while at the same time, assuaging my addiction. It's a win-win. You have three options for grass removal: Cover the area with cardboard and allow the grass and weeds to die, which takes far longer than I care to wait. Spray the heck out of it with turf killer. That's ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden, Uncategorized Tagged With: grass, how to remove grass, new garden, save topsoil, topsoil

Taking My Backyard Garden Skills to Navarro Farm

April 10, 2022 By Heather Blackmore 8 Comments

Navarro Farm

The expression "Go big or go home" resonates these days. I had been looking for a job this last year. Something full-time. Little did I know I'd find myself managing the largest raised bed garden on a farm in Illinois. Twenty years of freelance writing and photography done ten feet away from my bedroom has taken it's toll. I've wanted a little more distance between my work life and my home life. With the girls away at school, there's no need for me to stay here doing something that no longer brings me joy. A quiet house gets lonely, fast. The idea of returning to full-time employment both thrills and scares me. When you're a work-from-home mom, you're the boss. You get used to it. The schedule, the errands, the flow. Transitioning to someone else's schedule is slightly daunting. ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, Uncategorized Tagged With: farm, farm to table, farming, Navarro Farm, raised bed gardening, raised beds, special needs, vegetable gardening

Dahlia Fail and a Change of Heart

November 18, 2021 By Heather Blackmore 3 Comments

Dahlia bouquet

The dahlias are tucked away despite the fact that I swore off trying to overwinter them again after last year's dahlia fail. I killed all except one variety. It was my first attempt at overwintering dahlias and I thought the garage was the perfect spot. As it turns out, it's not. Chalk this fail, there have been many, up to some serious gardener error. Three crates full of clean, plump, labeled tubers by March had become three crates of shriveled, puckered pods. I learned two things from that experience – the garage is too cold for dahlia tubers and you have to check your tubers monthly. Ok three things. I stink at this dahlia thing. I went to all that effort to store them and basically forgot about them for months, expecting they'd be just as I had left them months before. Well, these ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden Tagged With: cut flower gardening, dahlia tubers, dahlias, overwintering dahlia tubers, winter storage

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Hi there!

I'm Heather and I love to grow stuff. LOTS of stuff. Most importantly, a healthy family. I'm a stay-at-home mom with a passion for playing in the dirt. Read More…

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