Fertilizers: What fertilizers should I feed my (fill-in-the-blank) plant? A lot of you ask that question, about things ranging from magnolias to tomatoes. Soil fertility, and how to best achieve it, is today's topic, with long-time organic gardener and author Lee Reich who, among his three postgraduate degrees, has one in—you guessed it—soil science.
All those different fertilizer formulas in the garden center, labeled for particular kinds of plants, seem to imply that we need to add something, no matter what. But is that always the case? Lee, the author most recently of “The Ever Curious Gardener: Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better Garden,” talked with me about building healthy soil and growing healthy plants.
Today we’re going to get a lesson in winter sowing, sowing seeds in fall and early winter outside in a protected spot, a sort...
Zen masters call it beginner’s mind, the state of being free from preconceived views and willing to learn—a state they encourage us to cultivate,...
The backyard harvest is probably coming in fast and furious, and the farmstand and farmer's market tables are loaded, too. So, what to do...