Preventing Problems in Your Garden

The best way to prevent problems in  your garden is by building your soil to promote plant health.

Applying Compost

Whether you buy it of make your own, make a habit of adding compost to your soil often.  Here's how:

• Before planting, incorporate compost into the top inch or two of your veggie garden beds and places where you grow annual flowers.
• Use compost as mulch or side-dressing in all your garden beds during the garden season.
• Spread compost as a mulch over the root zone area of established trees and shrubs.
• Spread a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch layer of fine compost over your lawn after aerating it.

from THE ORGANIC GARDENER'S HANDBOOK OF NATURAL PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL, a Rodale Organic Gardening Book, edited by Fern Marshall Bradley, Barbara Ellis and Deborah Martin.