Buckwheat Plant: Cover Crop And Good Grain
The buckwheat plant makes for a great cover crop, but its seed is edible and commonly used to make flour. Our guide shares growing methods!
Soil building encompasses many different things, as the soil is its own living and changing ecosystem. While it’s possible to grow plants without soil, the vast majority of gardeners use it — soil is everywhere in all of its myriad forms.
Here, we explain all things soil-based as well as the things that are used to improve that soil. Our writing team provides insight into not just soil types and textures, but also composting, cover cropping for soil improvement, mulching for the myriad of benefits it offers, and so many more things.
We’ll explore different organic fertilizers and how they work, techniques like the Back To Eden or no-till methods of gardening, and even delve into the many forms of mulch that can be used to reduce erosion and maintain soil moisture.
Organic gardeners know full well the value of having good soil, and the interplay between organic matter and mineral inputs is key to guaranteeing that you have a living, beneficial, and healthy soil food web. To many, the soil is an entirely new frontier waiting to be explored… and so we’ll explore it along with you, step by step.
With a little know-how, you too can improve your existing soil in the yard, learn which amendments are necessary or unnecessary in your situation, and optimize for the best outcome for your specific plant types.
We have broken this heading down into multiple subcategories, and you can find and look through each of those here:
The buckwheat plant makes for a great cover crop, but its seed is edible and commonly used to make flour. Our guide shares growing methods!
When choosing between seed starting mix vs potting soil, there’s a lot of factors you’ll need to take into consideration. We share our tips!
The red clover plant is commonly used as a green manure, but did you know its roots can go down 8 feet? We explore this useful cover crop!
A stand of growing alfalfa can be a future rich nutrient for the soil or fodder for local livestock. We explain how to grow alfalfa yourself!
Not enough people put leaf mulch to use in their gardens, and they should. These lovely gifts from deciduous trees build incredible soil!
An alfalfa cover crop can gradually build your soil’s nitrogen level through tilling or chop-and-drop. We cover how this process works!
How do you use coffee grounds in garden beds? We’ll explore your options and help you learn how to make the most out of your cup of joe!
The application of straw mulch will help protect your vegetable garden from disease, reduce watering, and more. We discuss this resource!
Wood chip mulch is often recommended, but what does it actually consist of? Is it good for your garden? We explore this topic!
We’re often told to mulch around trees, but there are definitely right ways and wrong ways to do it. We explore your options!
Learning about all the types of mulch is a stepping stone towards your future garden success! We provide in-depth explanation of each kind.
Can you use urine as fertilizer… and is it safe to do so? We’re exploring the myths and legends as well as the science behind the method!