Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Landscaping mythbusters
Landscaping is what YOU make it. Form, function, color, site conditions and your imagination are all factors. Weather plays a role too…
Today, though, I’m going to bust a few myths I’ve been hearing over the garden fence.
I’ve addressed this one recently but am now seeing people shaving their lawns with the mower. This doesn’t mean you’ll have to mow less frequently, it means you’re killing your lawn!
Another one, there are no straight lines in nature so I shouldn’t have straight lines in my landscape. While I personally prefer curved lines, straight lines are absolutely okay in your landscape. Think of all those formal gardens! Another advantage is those who want ease of mowing!
Garden designers have been encouraging flowing lines but that’s not a hard rule. Other myths include adding fertilizer to a tree that “looks like” it’s dying.
Before adding a fertilizer, especially in the hot/dry conditions, do a soil test. The exception is container plants. The fertilizer leaches out with each watering so you can apply fertilizer more often.
Take pictures and scour the internet for other possibilities. Send ME those photos and I’ll do a search. Email me at tkgardenibte@gmail.com or message me on my Garden Bite facebook page. I’m also on Instagram and Twitter.
Speaking of drought, I’ve heard people say they water their lawn every day… that’s not helping. If you’re watering for short periods of time, the roots will only seek out what’s closest to the surface, if you’re watering for long periods of time, you could be drowning those roots.
And one other myth, one day you’ll know all the answers to gardening. Okay, that’s just plain funny. Forever learning!
