Lawn, Gardening & Pests News

Pollinators are vital to the reproductive success of more than 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants. Hummingbirds, moths, bees, beetles, flies and butterflies are some of the common pollinators found in West Virginia.

An ideal way to conserve space in the garden is to train vegetables, flowers and fruits to grow upright using a trellis. In addition to saving space, they allow more light for photosynthesis; higher quality crops; less disease and insect damage; easier harvesting; and more fruit crops that require pollinators for cross pollination.

Have you ever tried traditional gardening, only to have your garden fail year after year? Or maybe you don’t have the best space or enough time for a full-size garden? Container gardening could be just the solution you’re looking for.

Would you like to grow vegetables but don’t have the time or space for a large garden? You might want to consider square foot gardening.

Companion planting is the practice of growing several different types of crops within close proximity of each other to enhance crop production. Interplanting, the practice of planting different crops between one another, is especially ideal for small gardens to maximize space and improve productivity.

When planning the garden of your dreams, the best place to start is underfoot – with the soil. A healthy soil is alive with the right kinds of organisms and rich with nutrients, making it the key to a successful garden.

Selecting the right garden site can mean the difference between a rewarding experience with healthy, productive plants or one that brings trouble with stressed plants, diseases and insect problems. Examine your site and assess your abilities in order to best place a garden. Think about how far you will travel to get to the garden and how much time you can invest in maintaining it. It is much more rewarding to have a small productive garden close by, than a large garden out of sight that gets away from you.

Do you want to get the most out of your garden? Try succession planting. Most gardeners believe succession planting means after one crop is harvested, another is planted in the same space immediately. This is true, but combined with careful preparation and planning, succession planting not only will produce more food and extend the amount of time each variety is available for harvest, it also maximizes garden space, improves yield and quality, and provides a continuous supply of fresh vegetables over a longer period of time.

In West Virginia, the first fall frost usually marks the end of the growing season. However, there are many ways to garden almost year-round. One economical method used to extend the season is low tunnel technology.

As interest in growing food and gardening continues to rise, WVU Extension Service is helping new and seasoned gardeners gain tips, educational information and more via the 2019 garden calendar.