These gardening tips from the Victory garden contest deal with composting and soil.

1. Mix your compost into potting soil. Compost can be up to 1/3 of a potting soil mix in planters or seed-starting flats.(Michele Davis, Oklahoma)

2. Late fall is the best time to spread compost over the garden bed. Just spread it on top and cover it with winter mulch, such as chopped leaves or straw. By spring, soil organisms will have worked the compost into the soil for you. (Mike Young, Denver Co.)

3. The best organic matter for bed preparation is compost made from anything that was once alive, for example leaves, kitchen waste, and grass clippings. Add dry material such as straw, hay and leaves so that the compost pile will work well. (David Armstrong, Ga.)

4. Soil pH determines flower color in garden hydrangeas. In acid soils, pink and red garden hydrangeas often turn blue or purple, while in neutral or alkaline soils, blue hydrangeas turn pink. (Beth Cummings, Chicago, Ill.)

5. Plants benefit most from compost when it is mixed thoroughly with the soil 6-8″ deep. Plants growing in a layer of pure compost have difficulty sending roots down below the compost into the soil. (A.M. Piper, Toledo, Ohio)

6. Side-dressing around your plants is best done in late spring and early summer so that the rapidly growing plants can derive the maximum benefit from the compost. Start it about an inch away from the stem and spread it out to the drip line, scratching into the soil gently. (Phil Hanner, Salamanca, NY.)

7. Gardeners in warm climates may find they need lots of compost because their growing season is long. Crops growing in rainy climates and sandy soils also benefit from additional amounts of compost to replenish the nutrients that are constantly leached away. (Tammy Briggs, Seattle Wa,)

8.  Garden soil that has been well mulched and amended periodically requires only about a 1″ layer of compost yearly to maintain its quality. (Sean Davis, Olean NY)

Thank you to the participants of the Victory garden contest for sending in your gardening tips. Happy gardening Denise

Here are more of the Victory Garden Contest winning gardening tips. These tips cover plants and choosing plants. Thank to all the contest participants!

1. For the most success, when choosing plants for your garden, begin by analyzing the sun, soil, and climate in your garden and then select plants suited to those conditions. (Amy Joy, England)

2. Herbs can create a wonderfully colorful and textural border. Study the plant forms, sizes, and colors to create your own border. Many will winter over and provide the base for a border each year. (Diane Reynolds, Kansas)

3. Succulents are natural choices for outdoor rooms. They look good against stone, stucco and concrete, and the reflected heat that bounces off these surfaces doesn’t bother them. (Cathie Knox, Reno Nevada)

4. If you have a small outdoor space, decorate your deck or a balcony with planter boxes of flowers and deciduous and evergreen shrubs. If you want to attract birds include bright colors. To a pass birds these plantings will resemble a ledge on a cliff. A small tree in a tub will create the effect of the mini-oasis. Offer supplemental food to keep the birds returning. (Terry Norris, Niagara Falls NY)

5. To help keep roots cool and moist in a container, use plants with trailing foliage to shade the sides of the container. (George H. Hall, Southbend, Ind,)

6. Black spot on roses is encouraged by warm, damp weather. You can fend it off by raking and removing any diseased leaves under the plants. Mulch in the spring, water early in the day, keep foliage dry, and space plants for good air flow. (Jamie Hill, Ohio)

7. Dried seeds you’ve harvested from your flowers can be planted immediately, or they can be placed in airtight, moisture-proof containers in the refrigerator for the next planting season. Just make sure they are thoroughly dried before you store them. I place the seeds on old screens for a few days to make sure they are dry. You can tell if they are dry by the color and feel. If they are at all damp they need more drying time. (Mary Albright, LA, Calif.)

8. Plant divisions are likely to fail if they become dehydrated. Try to divide plants during the coolest part of the day, preferably in the evening. Replant as soon as possible to minimize moisture loss. (Karrie Tillman, Dothan, Al.)

9. Make a nice garden area or secret garden in your yard by using a grouping of wicker furniture, a table, and even a cozy fireplace. If there are trees nearby add hanging lights to the trees. Make sure to have flowers nearby that include a few night blooming plants for a wonderful fragrance. (Deanna Wilson, Chicago Ill.)

Choosing the right plants for location, ease of care and enjoyment add to the comfort and value of you home. That’s why I like gardening. Between toe color, fragrance and add pleasure to you yard it just adds comfort. Happy gardening all, Denise

Here in the United States gardening season has begun for the lucky. Other’s still have snow on their gardens but are preparing for the garden by planning and purchasing what they need. What ever stage you are in you can still save money on your gardening needs.
photo credit: Nadya Peek

My philosophy is if you save a little money in one area of gardening you can apply it to another area. For me that’s usually new trees and shrubs.

Here are a few suggestions to cut down on gardening costs

• Find the gardening tools you need at garage sales, flea markets or auction houses. At the auction houses I usually can pick up twenty tools at a time for $1. I use what I can, fix the rest and sell them at a sale. The handles make great stakes too, if the tool top is not usable.
• Buy year old seeds. Most will still germinate, but may germinate slower. To make up for this I will soak them in water before I plant them.
• Start more of your seedlings. Purchasing transplants is convenient but adds up quickly. I but my soil mixes at the end of the last planting season to save money on packaged soil. I also add compost to make my mixes go further.
• Use old pots to start plants in. Just make sure they are very clean. I clean with soapy hot water then scrub with white vinegar to kill any germs.
• Old pots or containers can be collected for free at nurseries, many garage sales, curbs and dumpsters. They can be picked up for pennies at sales and auctions.
• You can use toilet paper rolls, cups and old cake pans to start plants in. I also make newspaper planting pots for many of my plants
• Sell your extra plants or trade your transplants for other plants. I do very well using this approach. Have  a garage sale and offer your extra plants up for sale. You could even plan a plant swap among friends.
• Buy your transplants at a wholesale greenhouse. Just make sure the quality is good. You usually have to purchase a few flats to get a food price. You can usually mix plant varieties.
• Make you own garden markers and stakes.
• Make you own fertilizer mixes and pest control sprays. Besides saving you money they can be made with environmentally friendly materials not heavy chemicals that are harsh to birds, butterflies and the water.
• Buy any supplies you need at the end of your gardening season. They are often more than 50 percent off retail price.

These are only a few suggestions. If you have a great money saving ideas for gardening share it! Happy gardening, Denise

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