GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Fertilizers, Pest Control and Soil Management

Putting the Garden to Work for the Winter
A little work in your garden this fall will reward you with a fabulous garden next spring. Read more.

Garden Fiends
Nothing is more satisfying than a meal prepared with food hand-picked from your own garden. But nothing is more aggravating than going out to pick that food, only to discover that it has been ravaged by an insect, disease, or animal. Read more.

Blanket your Beds!
A nice blanket of mulch conserves soil moisture during our summer drought, protects your garden soil from compacting, and helps to discourage diseases and weeds. Read more.

Raised Bed Garden Construction
Raised beds are one of the most efficient ways to garden in the Northwest. Raising beds allows for better drainage and allows soil to heat up faster and stay looser, which promotes rapid plant and root growth as well as easier weeding. Read more.

Worm Bins 101
This year more and more people are interested in having a worm bin. Red worms, Eisenia fetida, turn food waste into vermicompost, a healthy addition to your garden. Read more.

Soil Amendments and Mulches
What's a soil amendment? What's a mulch? Which do you need, and why? Read more.

Raised Bed Garden Construction
Growing your own food is becoming more important to a lot of us for a host of reasons. Read more.

Fungus Gnat Wars
Know the enemy: Many species. Adults are small – 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch, with a few species measuring at 1/2 inch. Read more.

Preparing Your Vegetable Patch for Next Year's Bounty
As you harvest the last of summer's bounty, it's time to think about preparing for next year. Read more.

Fall Fruit Tree Care: An Ounce of Prevention
With its cooler days and longer nights autumn is the season to enjoy the fruits of your labors, literally. It is also the time to take steps to ensure that next year will prove to be as productive if not more so. Read more.

The Solution for Clay Soils: Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost™
If you are looking for a long-term cure for hard clay soils with poor drainage, look no further. Read more.

Soils and Bulk Materials 101
When gardeners talk about their successes, the conversation inevitably turns to the soil. Improving the health and vitality of the soil is the heart of any garden. Read more.

Disease Control... the Organic Way
The Pacific Northwest is a great place to live and garden. The ocean and mountains give rise to a variety of microclimates that allow us an unmatched breadth of plant material. This same wet, mild climate makes our area a great incubator for plant diseases. Read more.

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