Party in the Yard- Green and Brown Thumbs Unite

 

When you think about it, there are only two kinds of people: Those who can grow things, and those who kill them.

They know who they are. They have the wilty plants with the yellow leaves scattered throughout their house and yard, and they claim they can’t grow a thing. Well, Mr. and Ms. Brown Thumb, yes you can. Take a couple of tips from the Green Thumbs around you, and soon you’ll be bragging about your yard instead of bemoaning it.

Mulch & compost. Organic mulch is for more than covering up weeds—it’s one of the most useful things you can have on hand for planting and replanting in your yard and house. Combine that with some organic compost, and you’ve got a one-two punch. Included in this dirty brew are peat moss, humus and good ol’ manure—anything that can add minerals and nitrogen to your soil. Use it as potting soil and to fill in holes around newly-planted shrubs, flowers, vegetable plants and seeds. The added soil mix provides a stable source of nutrition for your plants that will keep them alive and thriving.

Water longer and less frequently. Watering your lawn, shrubs and gardens isn’t always better, especially in hot weather. The key to successful watering, especially during dry spells, is to water for longer (at least half an hour per sprinkler station or spot in your yard) but less often. The greater water volume per sprinkling session allows the moisture to sink deep into the roots as opposed to sitting the surface and simply evaporating before it is absorbed by the plants.

There you have it. Do those two things, and you’ll start to see a turnaround almost immediately—even in the color of your thumbs.