Ready, Set, Grow!

Andrea Zani

Andrea Zani is managing editor of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.

Planting a garden yields many rewards — whether it’s watching your native flowers bloom and attract pollinators or biting into a fresh, juicy tomato straight from the backyard.

Growing without the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides has its own benefits. It can keep potentially harmful chemicals from entering the air and groundwater, avoid possible collateral damage to unintended targets like beneficial insects, and save money.

Here are tips and tricks to help you get growing, naturally.

Study The Site

To take the first steps toward gardening success, know where you’ll plant and consider what plants might work best there. If your plot is shady, select plants that do well with less light, or pick sun-loving plants if using a bright area. Look for disease-resistant varieties, too.

Think about potential moisture levels of your chosen area — is it typically a wet or dry space? — and plant accordingly. Slope and soil type can make a difference so do some research. Everything will grow better if planted with the conditions in mind.

Care To Compost

Healthy soil helps to create healthy plants, which are more likely to withstand challenges from diseases and damaging insects. Improve your soil by using compost — easy to create with everything from food scraps and coffee grounds to shredded paper items to leaves and grass clippings. Better soil equals better garden results.

Water Right

Proper watering is another way to keep plants healthy and growing, especially in hotter months. Check regularly for soil moisture, and water if it feels dry a few inches below the surface.

Water at ground level, not the leaves, and give plants a good soaking to promote stronger roots. Avoid overwatering, however, as it can lead to problems in other ways.

Think Alternatives

If you do notice problems in the garden, first look for more natural ways to battle bugs, stamp out disease or ward off wildlife looking for a snack in your backyard. Here are a few common issues and suggested solutions.

Slugs

These slimy leaf-chompers can be controlled in several ways, according to UW-Madison’s Insect Diagnostic Lab. Place copper strips around flower areas to deter slugs from crawling onto plants, or spread sharp-edged, abrasive material such as gravel or sand to inhibit slug movement. Also try laying boards or carpet pieces away from plants, encouraging slugs to congregate under these items, then collect and destroy the slugs that show up. Or use beer! Set a container of fresh beer flush into the ground to bait slugs, which will literally drown their sorrows in the yeasty beverage.

Rabbits

A bit too much nibbling in your garden? Eliminating rabbit-friendly habitat such as brush, stone or wood piles and weed patches can help keep rabbits away, notes UW-Madison Extension. And avoid interfering with rabbits’ natural predators like hawks, owls, foxes and snakes.

Also use chicken wire to keep them out. Extension recommends fencing that’s at least 2 feet tall and tight to the ground or buried a few inches, with mesh holes no bigger than 1 inch. And a live trap might snag any offenders; just be sure to check the trap at least once every 24 hours as required by state law.

Weeds And Disease

For weeds, use a hoe or pull by hand, being sure to get as much of the root as possible. You also can mulch around your plants with compost, grass clippings, leaves or even newspaper and cardboard to keep weeds from taking over.

For diseases such as black spots, sometimes more sunlight or less watering can do the trick.

Gray mold, for example, is a common fungal disease, causing brown spots on flower petals and dead areas on leaves. For spring-blooming plants like daffodils, tulips and crocuses, gray mold can spread and lead to bulb decay. Avoiding excess moisture around the plant can help keep gray mold away.

If you do need to tackle gray mold, careful pruning is a good way to do so without chemical use, according to UW-Madison’s Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic. Prune diseased parts 4-6 inches below the infection and remove affected plant tissue from around the plant.

To avoid spreading the fungus, clean pruning tools by treating them for at least 30 seconds between each cut, preferably with a solution of water and 70% rubbing alcohol.

Organic Options

If you determine more help is needed with garden problems, organic pesticides and herbicides are widely available, derived from plants, bacteria, minerals or other natural sources. The UW-Extension Master Garden Program offers organic pesticide resources.

But the information comes with a word of caution: Remember that even organic pesticides are toxic — they’re meant to kill something, after all. Do your homework and be aware of the effects of what you’re using to avoid unintended consequences.

It’s also best to learn to live with a few insects. Most bugs actually are helpful in the garden, pollinating plants, maintaining the soil and keeping the ecosystem in balance. Good bugs are a gardening gain.

A Note About Native Plants

If gardening is a fun experience, it can be even better knowing you’re aiding insects, birds and other wildlife. Choosing native plants can do just that! Also, when planted in a rain garden, native plants can help minimize flooding and filter pollutants. Plus, they can be lower maintenance than nonnative species. There are plenty of beautiful native plants to consider for your flower garden. For resources, including information about native plant sales around the state, check out the DNR’s “Plant Native Plants to Help Nature” webpage.

Check out more watering tips from suburban Chicago’s Morton Arboretum.