SHOCKING: University of minnesota | Mind Blowing Facts

How to Prevent Weeds From Taking Over Fall Garden Beds

By October, it is tempting to look at a fading garden and declare weed season officially over. Unfortunately, chickweed, henbit, dandelions, bindweed, and other winter annual or perennial weeds may have very different plans, and ignoring them now can mean considerably more work next spring. The University of Illinois notes…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 7

How to Turn Fallen Leaves Into Garden Gold

Every fall, homeowners rake up something they may turn around and pay to replace a few months later. Fallen leaves contain organic matter and nutrients, yet millions of gardeners treat them as waste before buying bags of mulch, compost, and soil amendments in spring. In fact, Penn State estimates that…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 6

The Best Mulch Depth for Protecting Roots in Cold Weather

When cold weather arrives, gardeners often reach for extra mulch with a simple assumption: if a little insulation is good, a thick blanket must be better. Unfortunately, piling on too much can create its own problems, from trapping excessive moisture to reducing the oxygen reaching plant roots. The ideal winter…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 6

How to Protect Tender Herbs From Sudden Frost

One chilly night can wipe out months of herb growth surprisingly quickly, especially when a warm fall suddenly turns cold. Basil is particularly vulnerable, but container-grown rosemary and other tender herbs may also need help when temperatures tumble. Fortunately, protecting herbs from frost doesn’t require an expensive greenhouse or a…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 3

Cold-Frame Crops That Can Stretch Your Growing Season

The first frost doesn’t necessarily have to end your vegetable garden, and you don’t need an expensive heated greenhouse to keep harvesting. A simple cold frame—a low, enclosed growing space topped with glass, polycarbonate or another transparent material—captures solar warmth during the day and provides plants with additional protection from…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 3

How to Prepare Raised Beds for Cold-Weather Growing

Your summer tomatoes may be finished, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your raised beds need to sit empty until spring. With the right crops and a few inexpensive adjustments, cold-weather raised beds can keep producing lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots and other hardy vegetables well beyond the traditional gardening season. Raised…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 2

Leaf Mulch Uses That Feed Garden Soil All Winter

Every fall, gardeners fill bags with something they may turn around and pay to replace a few months later. Fallen leaves can become mulch, compost and organic matter, making them one of the most useful free materials your yard produces. Instead of hauling them away, strategic leaf mulch uses can…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 2

Fall Pruning Mistakes That Can Weaken Spring Growth

Fall cleanup has a satisfying rhythm: pull the annuals, rake the leaves, put away the hoses and trim everything that looks unruly before winter. But reaching for the pruning shears simply because a shrub looks messy can create problems that won’t become obvious until months later. Some fall pruning mistakes…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 2

10 Bulbs to Plant in October for Strong Spring Color

October can feel like the month when gardening starts shutting down, but one of the year’s best opportunities is sitting in bags and boxes at garden centers right now. Plant the right spring flowering bulbs this fall, and you’ll get weeks of color next year without buying trays of annuals…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 1

Cool-Season Crops That Still Have Time to Grow Before Frost

If your tomatoes are fading and the first frost is showing up on the forecast, don’t assume this year’s vegetable garden is finished. Several cool-season crops grow quickly enough to squeeze another harvest from beds that would otherwise sit empty, and some tolerate temperatures that would wipe out summer vegetables…

Frugal Gardening · Oct 1