@Tennyson
A Home Depot employee once told me the easy phrase ‘up, down, all around’ for remembering what N,P,K do individually.
Cameron said:
@Tennyson
A Home Depot employee once told me the easy phrase ‘up, down, all around’ for remembering what N,P,K do individually.
As a Home Depot garden center employee, this is really what we are trained to teach. It’s definitely the simplest way to recall it.
Related: If you see a badly damaged bag of fertilizer, ask an associate if they can give you a discount. Depending on the extent of the damage, we can often offer 50%-75% off since removing it becomes a biohazard issue.
This also applies to damaged mulch or dirt, but only up to a 50% discount usually—things have to go into the compactor by closing time.
For items that aren’t badly damaged, we tend to have patches to fix them. Discounts are still available but generally smaller. For mulch and dirt, I often provide a 20% discount for minor rips—more significant damage usually gets at least 25% off for fertilizers. (Please don’t intentionally rip bags; we can usually tell if it was accidental.) Also, don’t bother cashiers for discounts unless necessary; they’re trained to give minimal discounts, while the associates are to keep customers satisfied. We CAN say no, though!
As a second note: Discounts on plants are rare. You typically have to complain significantly for a plant or tree discount, as we don’t purchase them and lose money whenever a discount is enforced.
@Tennyson
Thanks!
Jessie said:
Sorry, I’m a new gardener here… what does 10-10-10 refer to?
It’s a balanced fertilizer.
Jessie said:
Sorry, I’m a new gardener here… what does 10-10-10 refer to?
Learning about NPK is crucial for new gardeners. Understanding their roles makes it much easier to troubleshoot and fertilize correctly.
@Jules
Just for clarity, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium - what NPK stands for.
If you live in a dry or hot area like I do, consider getting some dry straw or hay to place around your garden beds. Straw retains moisture and slows down evaporation, so your plants benefit more. Just do it when your plants are a bit bigger; new seedlings need their space.
@Yan
Dry leaves also work great for this!
Mulch is a fantastic option overall. If you prune your trees or bushes, those trimmings can be utilized too. When weeding, if they haven’t set seeds, consider leaving them in place (chop them a bit if you prefer). This adds organic matter back to the soil and returns nutrients to the earth.
In the fall, I move most leaves onto my garden and mulch the rest onto my lawn. In spring, I till them into the garden soil. It improves soil quality significantly, nourishing worms to feed on the decomposing leaves, effectively turning my garden into a giant worm composting area. I also use straw for mulch throughout the growing season. Soft organic mulches like these substantially enhance soil quality, balance pH, and provide ample nutrients, while also reducing watering requirements for both garden and lawn.
It makes me sad to see folks burning leaves or getting rid of them; they are invaluable for maintaining soil health.
I’m interested in planting companion plants in my yard this year. I plan to include marigolds and various herbs to help protect and nourish my garden.
I’ve noticed that my friend rarely battles weeds this way, and the pest control aspect is nice since I’ve only ever used a homemade red pepper-based repellent.
@Cai
Companion plants help with insect management rather than weed control. Red pepper repellents work wonders for larger pests like woodchucks and deer but are less effective against insects.
Cattle panels, when cut and leaned together, make fantastic tomato cages that won’t collapse. They come in 5’x16’ pieces, allowing you to easily create sections like 4.5’x8’, or I’ve considered making 8’ tall, 5’ wide cages for taller heirloom varieties. A bit of bailing wire keeps them steady, even in the toughest Nebraska winds.
@Tate
I’ll stake some hog panels directly in the garden for support. I plan to grow snap peas on them in early spring, later switching to pole beans come late summer.
Edit: I meant hog panels, not hot panels.
I can’t believe I’m the first to ask—can we see pictures of your garden?
Indigo said:
I can’t believe I’m the first to ask—can we see pictures of your garden?
I have many pictures of my garden from over the years; I just need to figure out how to use Imgur first.
Hot water is impractical for larger gardening tasks. I typically use it to eliminate weeds in sidewalk cracks.
Shake your tomato plants?
Shake your tomato plants?
Tomatoes depend on buzz pollination to produce fruit. Shaking them around disperses the pollen and increases the chances of pollination, particularly helpful during low bee activity.
@Sam
Cool! I had no idea about this.