Editor’s Note: The Spectator is reaching into Michelle Smith’s gardening column archive for some weekly advice that is as relevant now as when it was first written. (This column last appeared on 16 June 2021)   What to do this week This week, I would like to talk about adding fertility to theRead More

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 21 February 2018. I’ve removed an author’s note from that year, because it doesn’t really apply to this year’s weather.   What to do this week I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that it is very important for recently planted seeds toRead More

Editor’s Note: We’re dipping into Michelle Smith’s archives to provide timely tips for gardeners.   What to do this week It may seem sometimes like the gardener’s answer to everything is compost. Got sandy, light soil? Add compost to help absorb water and slow the leaching of nutrients. Your soilRead More

Editor’s Note: We’re dipping into Michelle Smith’s archives to provide timely tips for gardeners.   What to do this week This week, we continue with the soil nutrients I introduced last week. We are left with N, P and K. I would like to give you an idea of whatRead More

Editor’s Note: We’re dipping into Michelle Smith’s archives to provide timely tips for gardeners.   What to do this week As promised last week, here we go with a little bit of science. There are four main nutrients your plants look for in the soil, so you have to knowRead More

What to do this week What a wonderful fall we have had, but winter is near, and this winter it might be even more important that you take the time now to mulch your trees, bushes and bulbs. We will very likely be getting heaving with the freezing and thawingRead More

What to do this week Gardens may have to be watered mid-summer, and maybe even fed, but not quite as much as you might expect. We have been having a rather dry spell, so the current rain is very welcome on my farm. I have drip irrigation in certain delicateRead More

What to do this week Cover crops are garden plants that you don’t plant to eat. They cover up garden space that doesn’t have an immediate planned use. Why, you ask? They are planted as a way of stabilizing soil and building organic matter, are useful for weed control andRead More