The essentials for living your best life.
The essentials for living your best life.
Soil testing is the simplest way to take the guesswork out of gardening and get a true picture of your soil health. With the right results, you can choose smarter soil amendments, improve mulch maintenance, and build a healthier garden season after season.
Soil testing is more than a one-time check—it’s the foundation of smarter garden records and healthier beds year after year. When you track results over time, you can make better decisions about soil amendments, mulch maintenance, and overall soil health with far less guesswork.
March gardening is all about reading the soil, not the calendar. With the right soil amendments, cool-season crops, direct sowing, and pest inspection, you can set your garden up for a strong start to spring.
January gardening is the perfect time to step back, make smart choices, and set your garden up for success before spring arrives. From garden planning and winter pruning to soil testing and seed ordering, these quiet-season tasks can save time and lead to healthier, more productive plants later on.
Sweet corn in a small garden does best with measured nitrogen, not heavy feeding. A light start, a timely side dressing at 8 to 12 inches tall, and careful observation help the plants fill ears without turning leafy and slow to mature.
Essential Concepts
Light start, side dress at 8 to 12 inches, avoid excess nitrogen, watch for dark leaves and delayed ears, use compost and soil tests
Give your fava beans a strong start by preparing rich, well-draining soil with plenty of compost and the right pH. With good drainage, light mulching, and just the right amount of moisture, you’ll set the stage for a healthy, productive spring harvest.
Healthy, fertile soil is the foundation of higher yields, stronger profits, and more sustainable farming. Discover practical ways to build soil health with organic matter, smart nutrient management, and conservation practices that keep roots fed and crops thriving.
Compost enriches your soil over time, improving structure, moisture retention, and overall garden health, while fertilizer gives plants a quick boost of essential nutrients. Learn when to use each one—or how to combine them—for a stronger, more productive garden.
Healthy garden soil is the secret to stronger plants, better harvests, and a thriving garden from the ground up. Learn how to test, amend, and maintain your soil so every bed becomes rich, balanced, and ready to grow.
Great vegetable gardens start with healthy soil packed with the right nutrients, balanced pH, and plenty of organic matter. Whether you choose compost, fertilizer, or both, the right soil care can help your plants grow stronger, resist disease, and produce a bigger harvest.
Want a thriving vegetable garden? The best soil is loose, well-draining, and rich in organic matter, with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0—so testing your soil first is the smartest place to start.
Epsom salt is often touted as a garden cure-all, but science says it only helps when your soil is actually low in magnesium. Before adding it to your beds, test your soil first and use proven amendments to keep plants healthy and thriving.