Easy Composting Without Pests (Sorry, Rats!)
Need a rat-proof compost bin or a way to keep rodents including mice out? This tumbler compost bin keeps your food scraps away from pests and makes good compost for the garden.| Empress of Dirt
Need a rat-proof compost bin or a way to keep rodents including mice out? This tumbler compost bin keeps your food scraps away from pests and makes good compost for the garden.| Empress of Dirt
Leave the leaves! There are so many beneficial uses including mulching garden beds, insulating plants from damaging winter conditions, creating nutritious compost, and providing essential food and habitat for living things.| Empress of Dirt
The cardboard method makes it easy to turn lawn into garden beds. It smothers grass as it breaks down, with most beds ready to plant in 4 to 6 months.| Empress of Dirt
Use this simple test to determine how much sand, silt, and clay are in your garden soil. We tend to ignore it as new gardeners but soil is the key to healthy, happy plants.| Empress of Dirt
Whether marketed as topsoil, black soil, black earth, or some other catchy phrase, it’s not easy to know what’s in the bag. Use these tips to help guide your soil shopping decisions.| Empress of Dirt
Is wood ash good for the garden? For centuries, people tossed fireplace ashes in their yards, but its impact on plants and soil depends on various factors.| Empress of Dirt
If you want to understand what your garden needs, a soil test can measure soil health and nutrients to identify any deficiencies. We tried a popular do-it-yourself home test with a lab test to see how they compare.| Empress of Dirt
Many garden plants prefer "well-draining" soil—but what is it and how do you know if you have it? Use our simple test to assess your garden's drainage conditions and why it matters.| Empress of Dirt
Ready to build a raised garden bed? These free beginner plans include designs in different shapes, sizes, and heights to fit a wide range of garden spaces.| Empress of Dirt
What is the best way to fill a tall raised bed or large planter without spending a lot of money? The secret is to put your best soil where you need it and fill the rest of the container with other harmless materials. There are plenty of natural, organic, and synthetic options.| Empress of Dirt
Wondering if crop rotation is really necessary in your home vegetable garden? This article explains why the practice may not offer much benefit in small, diverse gardens, and what to focus on instead for healthy, productive plants.| Empress of Dirt
No matter what, you win. By keeping kitchen scraps and turning them into compost, we divert food waste from landfills and offer essential nutrients to our garden plants. Learn how to make compost quickly, plus the slower way for those who do not have the time.| Empress of Dirt
This printable garden planner comes as a digital file you download to your device and print out. With its simple forms and lists, it is intended for gardeners who like to do their garden planning and journaling by hand with a pen on paper. This is not a gardening guide but instead a simple framework to assist with garden planning and note-taking.| Empress of Dirt
Tall raised garden beds and salad tables make gardening easier and more accessible while helping deter pests like rabbits. This photo gallery shares ideas from home gardens.| Empress of Dirt
