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Using cardboard in your garden is a fast, cheap, and effective way to suppress weeds and improve soil fertility. By laying cardboard over existing weeds and covering it with wood chips, straw, or mulch, you can control weeds, retain moisture, and build up the soil. The cardboard decomposes over time, adding biomass and nutrients to the soil. It is especially useful for annual vegetable gardens, but can also be used around perennials. Cardboard gardening requires no special tools and is a no-till, chemical-free method. It is a sustainable alternative to other ground cover options like newspaper or polyester fabric. [Extracted from the article]

Viola works hard to defend the laststanding old-growth American elmin the hardwood zone, a towering150-year-old specimen fighting off about of Dutch elm disease, which hasalready claimed six old trees. "There is a cultural aspect that is unique to the First NationsGarden", Viola says, referring me to a documentary, César et soncanot d'écorce, about a 67-year-old man from the Atikamekw communityof Manawan who turns a paper birch into a seafaring vesselwith little more than his bare hands. Walk through a botanical gardenin Montreal to witness Indigenoushistory and traditions exemplifiedby varied landscapes and hundredsof native plant cultivars. Today, the zone supports bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia) and sheeplaurel (Kalmia angustifolia), with their trumpet-shaped pink flowers,along with the carnivorous purple pitcher plant (Sarraceniapurpurea), ready to lure flies into its bulbous, burgundy-veined gut. [Extracted from the article]

In her cactus garden, Cho also has a hallucinogenic cactus, which she says she won't try, but she appreciates that it's there. Cho has Maangchi's cookbook and is confident that one day she'll make Maangchi's doenjang recipe -- a fermented bean paste that requires a year of fermentation. Margaret's Menagerie Cho lives with a dog and three cats (two of which are hairless). [Extracted from the article]

This article from Mother Earth News offers advice on planning a garden to grow a year's worth of food. The author suggests selecting foods that are commonly eaten by your family and that thrive in your region. They also recommend considering how well the food can be preserved. The article provides worksheets to help calculate your family's food needs and plan your garden accordingly. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring your garden to your family's preferences and starting small if needed. The article also mentions a book called "The Made-from-Scratch Life" by Melissa K. Norris, which offers practical tips for cooking from scratch, gardening, and preserving food. Additionally, this document provides charts and recommendations for planting various fruits and vegetables in a garden. It includes information on the recommended number of plants per person and the average yield per plant. The document highlights the significance of considering factors like climate and soil conditions when deciding what to plant. The information is presented in a neutral and informative manner, allowing readers to make informed decisions about their own gardens. [Extracted from the article]

This section presents answers to several questions related to gardening. When growing the best possible food crops, one must avoid putting materials into the soil that are not natural. Bleached office paper, printed with wax or plastic-enhanced toners, definitely falls into the unnatural category. A few years ago, a U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist found that crabgrass contains a substance toxic to slugs. Put an inch or so of any beer in a cup, bury it in the garden nearly to the rim and collect drowned slugs in the morning.

The article presents several recommendation provided by readers of the periodical for preventing moose which has adverse impact on gardens. Topics discussed include benefits of battery-powered electric fence in preventing moose from gardens; need for providing sufficient sunlight to the sprouting seeds indoors; and recommendation for growing seeds in deep trays in order to develop strong root systems.

Provides gardeners instructions on how to create recommended inexpensive gifts. Infused herb vinegars; Heirloom or vintage handkerchief sachets; Goodie basket. INSET: Gifts that Give Back.

The article reports that a herbicide called aminopyralid released by Dow AgroScience has been associated with the loss of thousands of home gardens in Great Britain. This is the second time that Dow herbicides that were supposed to degrade within days were found to persist for years. Dow's behavior defies environmental corporate responsibility, the author says. A close read of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) paper trail shows that the half-life of aminopyralid in soil was never clearly determined.

The article offers useful home tips from readers as of July 2019. Topics discussed include instructions for making a roll-top solution for frames that easily cover or uncover plants as needed, making a salt and sugar scrub for the hand from a salt and sugar mixture mixed with olive oil and some lime essential oil, and recycling old calendars into seed packets. Also noted are instructions for recycling dish soap containers into plant holders.

The article focuses on different varieties of tomatoes. It is noted that some out-of-this-world flavors is boasted by pink slicers while varities specifically bred for gardeners whose garden plots require strong resistance to soilborne diseases are Brandy Boy (V, F, N) and Pink Brandymaster. It is stated that Cherokee Purple garners grower fanfare despite its irregular shape and size.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Fighting for a Sane Food System," "Sourcing Truly High-Quality Garden Seeds" and "Sourcing Truly High-Quality Garden Seeds."

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles published in previous issues including "Does Gardening Really Pay?" published in the December 2012/January 2013 issue, "How to Use Sorrel: The Zinglest Garden Green" published in the February/March 2013 issue and "The White House Garden Sets a Powerful Example" in the April/May 2013 issue.

The article describes the process of transforming a horse farm into a garden for wildlife. The farm is in central Massachussetts. It has a farm pond, strem and large pasture. The author choose to resurrect and nurture the native plant and wildlife populations in the farm. Growing native plants is a valuable way to help protect genetic biodiversity, which helps plans species survive environmental threats. INSET: Weeding Out Invasive Plant Species.

The article offers tips on maintaining an efficient and productive food garden. Each infusion of compost or mulch that melds with soil nudges organic matter content higher. One of the first signs of a garden's maturity is the emergence of permanent beds. Corridors and pathways become compacted each time gardeners step on them, and after a while they can become so compressed that even weeds would not grow there. In addition to providing all-weather access, the main corridors serve as the garden's utility area.

The article offers gardening tips for the fall season. Get beds ready for fall spinach and greens, and plant these in early August. In the orchard, mow grass close to the ground and weed around trunks. Check for borers, web worms and other pests, and clean up early fruit drops to interrupt insect life cycles. Keep berry patches weeded and watered, add compost and top off the mulch. Remember to water the sweet potatoes as vines begin to spread. For great fall and winter salads, plant lettuce every five days.

Relates an experience in restoring a log cabin in the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee. Description of the garden; Information on how they store apple cider; Explanation on whittling and woodcrafts.

Discusses ways to protect gardens and yards from some wild animals and pests. Use of scarecrows; Maintenance of a gun; Ways to control rodents; Natural ways to control small carnivores.

Mother Earth News Pocket Garden Planner $5 at www.MotherEarthNews.com/Store The super-handy Mother Earth News Pocket Garden Planner is a great addition to your favorite garden app, timeless grid paper, or [...]

The article discusses the benefits of applying crop rotation in one's garden. It states that planting the same plant in one's garden every season decreases crop yield and depletes the garden soil's nutrients. Crop rotation enhances vegetable or fruit production due to the fact that dedicated disease-causing pathogens of one specie will not survive in the presence of a different specie, ensuring the survival of the original crop when planted again in the same plot. Crop rotation also replenishes nutrients to the soil.

Presents ways to prevent crows from causing damage to gardens. Tips on using scarecrows in gardens; Addition of sound to crow-control arsenal; Use of bird nettings. INSET: When Crows Come to Town.

In this article, the author focuses on raising-bed system in gardens by using eight galvanized cattle troughs and peat moss, and also mentions the use of cattle panels for trellis tomatoes, pole beans, and other climbing crops.

Features several beneficial insects in a garden. Assertion that beneficial insects can be either pollinators, predators and parasites; Description of ten beneficial insects, including lacewings, lady beetles, and wasps; Benefits of each insect to one's garden.

Discusses the environmental impact of global warming. Influence of climate change on gardens; Tips on growing potatoes.

Presents different tips for practical weed control, planting tomatoes, garden reflectors and others. Tips for making Dandelion jelly and Dandelion wine; Some helpful hints for readers who enjoy canning; Using trash bags in planting tomatoes; More.

Presents an article on how a woman cleaned the weeds on her garden. Where the weeds thrive on the garden; How she removed the weeds.

I'm ready to start seeds for spring! Can I get them going in one big container instead of individual compartments? You can. I do use some plastic plug flats, pots, [...]