Here’s how to improve gardening in 2022 | Siouxland Houses

Make a New Year’s resolution to learn more about gardening. Decide to take a gardening course with your local extension office, which is part of your state university. Throughout the year, they offer local classes on a variety of gardening topics. Another aspect of the learning process is to see what others are doing. If you can’t plan your vacation around a garden lounge, at least visit the arboretums and gardens near your destination.

With the start of a new year, we can reflect on the changes we want to make in our lives. Many gardeners appreciate the seasonal changes in the landscape and like to make changes to our gardens. Even in the middle of winter, we’re still thinking about gardening and planning to make changes as we get each new garden catalog in the mail.

To help your garden and landscape grow better and healthier this year, I have a few other suggested resolutions. Repeat after me.

I decide to add more mulch to my flower beds where it will reduce weeds, saving me money on weed killers and protecting the environment from unnecessary weed killer applications.

I decide to remove the mulch that wastes money on the trunks of my trees, so that they cease to look like the mountain of mulch that supports the tree. Mulch piled up on tree trunks kills trees – it doesn’t help them.

I decide to save time and money by pruning my trees and shrubs in their natural shapes, not squares and wacky balls.

I decide to find out what disease or insect is affecting my plant before I pollute my garden with poisons which are used to treat something else. Saying “it can’t hurt” isn’t really true.

I decide to mow my lawn at a higher height. Longer leaves will support a better root system, so they will need less water and fight weeds better.

I decide to start a compost pile and add to it regularly, so that I don’t have to waste money buying compost to add to my garden.

I decide to take my power tools and my lawn mower for maintenance and sharpening. Properly adjusted tools pollute less and sharp tools perform better, making them safer.

I decide to order more catalogs from www.mailordergardening.com as it is the source for the most comprehensive list of gardening catalogs available anywhere.

And finally, I decide to enjoy my garden more by eating outside more often, walking around the yard to smell the flowers without pulling the weeds and having at least one party with my family and friends to enjoy the garden too. .

Email your questions to Jeff Rugg at [email protected].