FAQ

TIPS, BASICS
& ALL AROUND
INFORMATION
9 GARDEN BASICS
GETTING STARTED
1110
DR. EARTH® GARDENING GUIDE DR. EARTH® GARDENING GUIDE
Before a contractor can build a home, the architect must provide a plan, a blueprint that clearly shows how the house looks
and functions. The same is true when creating and designing a garden of any size. You must know how to put it together.
Some questions to consider are:
• Will you start from seeds or transplants?
• In-ground or raised beds?
• Sprinkler system or hand irrigation?
• Fruits, vegetables, or both?
• How will the elements of your garden work together?
• What are the sun requirements for your plants?
• Where will the same plant go next year?
(Rotate crops each year to avoid plant diseases.)
• What plants are you going to grow in summer, winter or fall?
• What is the best soil mixture for you?
• When will the transplants go in the ground?
• How hardy are the plants you want to grow?
• When should you start them?
• What is the nutrient value of a desired plant?
Remember, you are growing a nutrition garden. You will have a health food store right in your backyard. Make sure to invest
time in a solid plan that brings you that much closer to your dream garden. There are thousands of books on planning your
garden. Pick one up and get more ideas. You can never have too much knowledge about your garden and your health.
Most plants are 90 percent water, 60 percent of which is delivered
from the soil to the plant through plant root hairs. To keep your plants
healthy and thriving you must have a good soil with plenty of organic
matter to act like a sponge and allow the almost microscopic roots to
travel through porous, well-draining soil.
The best way to tell when and how much water your plant needs
(whether in the ground or a container) is to feel the soil. Probe your
finger about an inch or two and feel if it is dry or moist to the touch.
The soil type makes a huge difference. Also, the more organic material
in a soil, the less you have to water. The hotter the day and the shallower
the root system, the more you have to water. Gardeners should pay
attention to soil, weather, dryness and humidity.
Your sprinkler system timers will likely need to be adjusted once a
month, depending on weather conditions. Plants do best when they
receive just the amount of water they need, right when they need it.
Inspect your soil. Look at it and feel it. If it looks and feels dry, you may
need to alter your watering schedule. Likewise, you could be over
watering and wasting water.
Watering in the morning gives your plants the entire day to draw the
water from the soil as needed, especially on hot days. Water slowly, to
insure proper absorption. Water deeply, so that it does not run off the
surface, never making it down into the root zone. Shady spots need less
water, while the sunny areas dry out more quickly and need more water.
Making A Plan
Watering
9
8
Perhaps you live in an apartment, have limited space in your
yard, or just don’t want to have a full-scale garden. By growing
in containers, you can have an abundance of fresh vegetables
and herbs just steps from the kitchen. These plants can be
attractive and will enhance your patio, deck, or balcony.
Nothing tastes better or is more nutritious or flavorful than
fruits, vegetables, or herbs harvested minutes before eating.
Paying attention to a few important rules and investing only
a little time will assure you of a container garden that will be
easy to set up and maintain and one that will offer a bountiful
harvest. Here are the aspects you must consider:
Sunlight is the most important factor. Track the sun and
shade patterns in your immediate area to get a good sense
of the space where you intend to garden and what plants
will do well there.
Fruit trees and vegetables that set flowers (such as
oranges, plums, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers,
or squash) need a lot of sunlight. Photosynthesis produces
sugars that directly feed flowers and help grow fruits of
appealing size, taste, and nutritional value. A good local
nursery staff member can tell you how much sun is needed
in your area for any plants you want to grow.
Container size is the second most important variable for
container gardening. The more soil volume your plants have,
the more extensive the root system to draw on a larger pool
of nutrients and water. Available container space directly
influences the nutritional value, size and quality of the fruits,
vegetables and herbs you will harvest. More is definitely
better. For example, tomatoes require a minimum of 15
gallons of soil in order to develop into full size plants that will
produce tomatoes with rewarding taste and nutrition. Other
vegetable crops can survive in smaller containers with less
soil volume but would benefit from more.
Terra-cotta, redwood, or cedar containers give the best
results because they “breathe” and their temperature doesn’t
fluctuate as quickly as other material. They also retain water
better. Plastic containers can work well if you mulch to
retain moisture and be sure to water more frequently. It is a
good idea to mulch all container plants.
Potting medium matters. The quality of the soil has a
major impact on plant health and crop quality. In bagged
potting soils, watch out for chemicals, such as synthetic
plant nutrients. For peace of mind, choose Dr. Earth®
bagged soils, knowing they are made from only the best
natural ingredients and are never contaminated. We know
how to formulate the most well-balanced mixture, one that
drains quickly but also retains moisture to support a healthy
transfer of nutrients to the roots.
You can use some of your own compost from kitchen and
yard waste, mixing at the rate of about
1
/3 compost to
2
/3
potting soil. In the limited space of a container, a plant has
access only to what you provide, so invest in the best soil
available – Dr. Earth®.
Fertilizer feeds the living soil that feeds your plants’ root
systems. Chemically fertilized soils lack organic matter and
are more vulnerable to drought and extreme temperature
changes. Organic gardening is based on soil health and the
natural relationship between soil microbes and roots.
Fruit trees, tomatoes and most other vegetables, especially in
containers, need a lot of fertilizer to reach full potential. Feed
the roots in your container plants slowly with the best, Dr. Earth®
organic fertilizer for maximum nutrition from your plants.
Sea-based organic fertilizers are superior and contain the most
multi-minerals, from which you will benefit when you consume
them. Feed container plants often throughout the year.
Trellising Support provides form and structure for better
plant health. Exposing as many leaves to sunlight as
possible helps to increase your harvest. Not all vegetables
will require support, but cucumbers, tomatoes and other
vine plants do. Trellises also create air space between
plants to minimize fungal diseases and make flowers more
accessible to insects that help to pollinate.
Some plants may need a stake in the center of the
container, while a tomato wants a sturdy cage, and a
cucumber needs a grid-like trellis. You can build many of
these support systems from scraps around the house.
Container gardening
7
WISE
ADVICE
Let Mother Nature take a portion of your crop to ensure the safety of your pets. Grow
more than you plan on harvesting if you want to do it naturally. Remember that all living
things need to eat too. If you want 100 percent of your harvest, then grow 120 percent.