The right amount of calcium in the soil can help plants grow healthy and strong. Test your soil first to determine how much calcium you need to add, as well as the pH level. Gypsum, lime, and bonemeal ...

Plants need water and sunlight to survive, but they also need important nutrients which they receive from the soil. These nutrients are naturally occurring but can be limited in quantity if the soil ...

Eggshells are a popular folk method for growing healthy, vigorous garden plants like tomatoes. But is there any proof to back up those benefits? Here's a look at whether eggshells are good for plants, ...

If you want a vibrant garden and healthy plants when spring comes around again, there's one affordable ingredient you should ...

There are some misconceptions surrounding how we deal with soil when gardening, and I thought I’d discuss a few in this week’s column: to add, or not to use, gypsum; dealing with dense clay; and ...

Fireplace ash is alkaline, which means it can help neutralize acidic soils. If your soil is too acidic, adding ash can bring ...

A person holds two overflowing handfuls of rich brown soil. - William Edge/Shutterstock We can all imagine what healthy soil looks like: Rich, crumbly, and dark brown, bursting with nutrients and ...

Now that spring is here officially, most of us are scurrying about outdoors, intent on making garden beds ready for ornamental plants, herbs and vegetables. There are numerous gardening tasks that ...

CORVALLIS – Adding organic matter is the best way to improve nearly all kinds of soils. If you’re unsure if your soil needs amendments, take note if it dries and cracks in summer, drains slowly or is ...

As we wrap up our gardening season for 2025, I thought it might be fun to look at some gardening myths that people often take as accurate but aren’t. Some people don’t like compost piles because they ...