Straw is the dried stems left after wheat or oats (or other grains) have been harvested. Once the grain is removed, the dried stalks are bundled into bales. Ideally there will be very few seeds or ...

Starting a vegetable garden can be a rewarding prospect for any homeowner. In addition to having fresh veggies on the ready, digging in the dirt has big health benefits. Though yanking out weeds might ...

Organic mulch keeps soil cool, moist, and weed-free while boosting long-term soil health. Great natural mulches include compost, chopped leaves, pine needles, and straw. A thick 3-inch mulch layer, ...

Question. I understand mulch should be used in the vegetable garden to conserve water and help plants grow. What type of mulch is best? Answer. Perhaps there is no best mulch as successful gardeners ...

If the smell of fresh mulch is in the air, it must be early spring in Greater Columbus. As soon the snow melts and the first warm sunny day appears, gardeners head for their local garden center where ...

Congratulations on getting your young veggies in the ground. This is an exciting time. One thing you can do, maybe one of the most important things you can do, is surround them with a layer of mulch.

The differences between substances used for mulch are mostly about the aesthetics and convenience of the gardener. “Plants aren’t so particular,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist at The ...

Across the country, more people are turning unused corners of their yards into small food systems that nourish both their ...

In last week’s column, you mentioned using plant covers and plastic mulch to speed growth of tomatoes and other warm season vegetables. Could you explain how they speed growth? Plant covers and ...

Growing your own food isn’t particularly easy. Much can go wrong in the vegetable garden – enough to overwhelm and discourage beginners who don’t know the lessons that veterans have learned. As with ...