It is truly amazing the difference mulch can make in a garden. The weather has been dry but my plants all look great and have only needed minimal watering. The bare soil in my garden paths are hard and dry. This is where the mulched areas show their value. Peeling back the mulch from the rows of plants finds moist, loose soil.

There is one problem with this wonderful system. My main mulch source is grass and leaves. The leaves are more abundant in the fall than summer for obvious reasons. The drier weather has slowed the growth of my lawn and therefore reduces the amount of mulch I have available this time of the year. This is a great time to add more mulch to the garden. The materials that were applied earlier in the season are already beginning decomposition. This builds the soil, but reduces the amount left on the plants. An additional layer now helps to keep moisture in place as well as acting as a barrier against weeds.

This means the search is on for any and all sources of mulching materials. I have been able to obtain a decent quantity of wet straw. This has been wonderful for the potatoes, onions and vining plants. With any luck, I will be able to obtain more straw as well as grass clippings and other material. Anyone growing a garden should keep an eye open for extra mulching materials this time of the year. The difference is unbelievable.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I completed the fall bed cleanup today. It is a simple job but I like to wait until all the leaves have fallen so it only has to be done once.

The cleanup consisted of raking the leaves out of the beds, pruning back the perennials as necessary and removing the annuals. I also removed the Morning Glory vines off the trellis and cut back the milkweed in the butterfly garden area. I left a few leaves around the bases of some of the perennials. This adds an extra layer of protection from the cold weather. Be cautious with this however. The mice also like the protection. Do not add the extra layer to any plants that seem to suffer rodent damage during the winter.

All the leaves and other material cleaned up was shredded and used to mulch in this years new berry plants. When mulching them I try to leave the area directly around the stems free of mulch. Any remaining leaves cleaned up will be used to finish mulching in the existing berry beds.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I put up another leaf silo today. I just call them that because they are round, tall and remind me of little silos. I used the wire cages from my gourd arbor as silos this fall. I put them in the garden and fill them with leaves. I pack them tight and fill them to the top. This is a good way to keep leaves in one place and have them ready for use as mulch in the spring. I have two full and will have to make a couple more.

By storing them this way the leaves do not take up much space in my garden. When plants are put in in the spring I can empty the silos and mulch the plants. It is easier than working around a huge pile in the garden. I leave all of this years mulch on the garden over the winter. It is pretty well composted by spring.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

All of this wet weather has been great for my plants. The rain barrels are full and it looks as if they can stay that way for a while.

Now is a good time to finish mulching any plants that haven’t been. If everything has been mulched, now is the time to add another layer. The soil is well saturated from the recent rains. The more mulch that can be added helps keep it that way.

It is also very important for weed reduction. With the ground so moist weeds will grow vigorously as well. The mulch will help keep them in check.

I’ve been searching for whatever additional mulching materials I can find. The pumpkin vines are growing and ready to be mulched as well. The mulching keeps them moist and keeps the pumpkins much cleaner than if in contact with the soil. This is also true with any vining plants.

Grass clippings and straw are my favorite choices for mulching. There are many other choices as well. Newspapers can even be used for mulching the vegetable garden.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I’m very glad I put out my rain barrels when I did. In the last twelve hours 1.2″ of rain has fallen in my rain gauge. The four barrels are at least half full. That’s 100 gallons of water that won’t cost me a dime. None of the plants will be too thirsty for a few days anyway. It’s still raining now.

The storms of the past few days, mostly wind up until last night, didn’t cause much damage. A few sticks and limbs down was the worst of it. I don’t think any plants here will show any adverse effects.

My only concern is for a few rows of late planted seeds. My hope is the ground will dry out enough that they will germinate. If the ground stays saturated for too long the seeds may rot in the ground.

Now I’ll just wait for everything to dry up. Those sticks and limbs can be chipped and shredded and used as mulch for the raspberries.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Once you have decided a raised bed is right for you it’s time to get started.

The first thing is to decide where the bed will be located. A raised bed can be placed anywhere, even over a solid surface such as concrete. Any spot with enough sun for whatever it is you decide to plant will work fine.

Just remember, if you put a raised bed over a solid surface, a layer of gravel will be needed to promote drainage. Try to avoid placement too close to a large tree. The tree’s roots will try to grow up into the rich soil of your bed.

When the location has been decided, it’s time to decide on size. It is best not to make a bed over four feet wide. A wider bed makes it difficult to reach the middle.

A bed can be built of many different materials including natural stone and precast wall stones. The most popular choice seems to be wood or the newer “plastic lumber” that is now available. Do not use pressure treated lumber. Use a wood with natural longevity such as cedar, redwood or cypress.

When building a raised bed out of lumber, here are the basics: Purchase the lumber and cut it to size. Predrill the holes and fasten the bed together with screws. Support braces are used to secure the multiple stacks of the bed together to reach the desired height. Pipes driven into the ground and secured to the bed with pipe hangers keep the bed stationary. Pipes can be mounted just to the lumber of a bed positioned on a solid surface. These pipes should be positioned across from one another.

These pipes act as a support for an overhead framework for row covers, shade cloth or frost protection. Insert a smaller diameter rod into the pipe and the other end into the opposing pie to form arches. These arches will support your various materials.

After the bed is built it can be filled with a soil and compost mix. You will first want to add rock for drainage if on a solid site. Hardware cloth can be installed on the bottom as well to prevent rodents from tunneling into the bed. A thick layer of newspaper or landscape fabric can be added if desired to prevent weeds from coming through. After the soil mix is added it can be watered in. Allow it to settle for a day or two and you’re ready to plant.

Raised beds can be planted with most anything you would plant in a vegetable garden. Some vining plants can even be added and trained up a trellis system. Heavy mulching will help retain moisture and prevent weeds.

I’m planning on building a raised bed to grow additional raspberries. The options are nearly limitless.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

What types of things can be added to a compost pile? Many things from the house as well as the yard and garden.

I keep a five quart ice cream pail under the kitchen sink. This is where I keep all the kitchen scraps until it is emptied into the compost pile.

Most kitchen scraps can be composted. Examples include spoiled fruits and vegetables, fruit and vegetable scraps, stale bread, peanut shells and coffee grounds to name a few. You’ll be amazed at how many things can be composted.

Meat scraps are not recommended for composting, or anything with high salt or sugar contents.

Shredded paper makes a wonderful addition to the compost pile. With a heavy duty paper shredder you can even shred light cardboard. From cereal boxes to cake mix boxes- and everything in between.

Adding a layer of shredded paper on top of kitchen scraps helps to keep any odors down.

Weeds, small pruning scraps and garden waste can be added to the pile. Sod scraps, straw and pine needles can be added as well. You will find many items to add from your yard and garden.

I add some grass clippings and leaves, but use those mostly for garden mulch.

An occasional addition of fertile soil adds beneficial “stuff” to the pile.

As your container fills up, turn the material occasionally. I found that a second container is a great help. The compost mixes well while being shoveled from one container to another. You may even find yourself wanting to add a third container. This is helpful to start a new batch while the other is being mixed between two containers.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Today I was finally able to complete my work in the raspberry patch.

It mostly consisted of transplanting those I had rooted in late last summer.

A trailing raspberry can be rooted by burying a branch in the soil. It will produce roots and can then be separated from the mother plant.

Those plants were cut loose and dug up. They were then replanted in a mix of soil and compost,

I then added a fresh layer of compost to the established plants. They then received a layer of mulch. In this instance, it was grass clippings.

An added note: Upright growing berries produce additional plants from their roots. these can be transplanted by carefully digging them free of the mother plant.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

When I first began planting my current garden area, the soil was less than desirable, so I added lots of compost. Mulching with grass clippings helped keep the moisture in and the weeds under control.

At the end of the season, I would use the tiller to work it all into the soil. My sons and I raked all of the fallen leaves into the garden area and spread them evenly. The next spring, I tilled them under and was ready to plant.

I am at the point now where I won’t till it this year. The soil has become more fertile. Dig anywhere and you will find an abundance of earthworms. You’ll find, if you haven’t already, they are a gardener’s best friend.

I plan on planting pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, and sunflowers this year. I’ll mulch it with last year’s leaves and this year’s lawn clippings.

Most of my vegetables will be planted in containers and raised beds. I just want to try something different, even though it may limit my planting choices.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Welcome to The Backyard Gardener. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it.

My goal is to help everyone get the most out of their gardening experiences. It doesn’t matter whether you are growing vegetables or plants, wondering what perennials would work best in that shady spot, or have other questions about anything else; I’m here to help.

Here is a sampling of things I’ll be including:

• At the Garden Gate (page) – To answer your questions and offer helpful tips
• In the Shed (category) – Covers hand an powered tools; includes tips for care and maintenance, and purchasing suggestions
• Birds and Bees (category) – Here you can read all about beneficial insects, birds, and related items

There are many things I hope to cover throughout the year; but much will depend on your questions and requests.

Spring is upon us, so I’ll begin with typical springtime projects. When summer arrives, I’ll cover ways to get more abundant harvests from our gardens. As fall approaches, it will be time to harvest the last of our plantings, and hope to extend the growing season as long as possible. That will also be the time for lawn and yard cleanup, and preparing our tools for winter storage.

I hope to finish the year off with topics such as: choosing and caring for a live Christmas tree; decorating; and gift ideas for the gardener.

I’ll see you in the backyard!