The 5 Building Blocks of Gardening: Essential Tips for Beginner Gardeners

It's important to understand the essential elements of a successful garden. Soil, sunlight, water, fertilizer and mulch are all essential elements that every beginner gardener needs to know about to be a great gardener. We will share about each today.

Understanding Soil

Soil is the foundation of a healthy garden.

In Middle Tennessee, we tend to have a fair amount of clay in our soil. This is important to know because clay holds onto water which can lead to root rot in plants. Fortunately, there is an easy, inexpensive solution when planting in heavy clay soils.
- Soil conditioner is what you need when planting in clay soils. Soil conditioner is an inexpensive yet effective way to amend clay soils. We offer it at the garden center or many big box stores sell it also. When digging your hole to plant your new plant, break up the clay in the hole. Do not remove the clay, just break it into small pieces. You will then mix soil conditioner in with the clay and continue to plant as normal. Soil conditioner works by allowing the clay to drain water, as clay holds onto water and usually promotes root rot. If you have clay in your soil, we are happy to help you determine how much soil conditioner you need for your plants. A little goes a long way.
Sometimes you need to test your soil, such as if you have a new home and you want to grow many gardens. To test soil quality and pH levels, start with a shovel or trowel. Pull back any grass or plant roots. Where the root mass ends (usually 3-6” past the surface) is what you want to collect in a Ziploc bag. Remove any rocks. Take one to three 3-6” samples. You can take more samples for a more accurate analysis. We can recommend where to take your soil sample.

Especially if you are planning to plant vegetables this spring or are beginning an entirely new gardening bed, it would be wise to amend the soil with a mixture of topsoil and compost. Topsoil will not take the place of compost, as it is not nutrient-rich. It does provide a good base, however, to mix compost or worm castings with. Typically, compost is spread about one inch deep to maintain soils that already have a relatively good supply of nutrients and organic matter; and up to three inches deep in soils that are significantly depleted.
There are so many new homes being built all around our area! It is incredible to see the growth that is taking place throughout Nashville. However, once the new homes are built, homeowners are often left with soils that are compacted, poor, and in need of amending. Soils that have been driven on by heavy equipment while the land was initially being cleared and leveled or while the house was being built often have less oxygen circulating in the soil, as well as less nutrients. Many times, the top layer of topsoil has been stripped off and the natural layers of soil disturbed.

Tilling deeply and incorporating organic matter (such as worm castings or mushroom compost) is often all you need to do to loosen up hard, compacted soils. We are happy to recommend specific amounts for your size of yard or gardening bed.

Sunlight: The Key to Plant Growth

There are different light requirements for different plants.

Full sun: 6+ hours of daily sunlight (if planting in the fall or winter, pay attention to any large deciduous trees that may have lost their leaves to know if in spring and summer you have more shade than you think). Full afternoon sun with morning shade is also considered full sun in our area.
Morning sun/afternoon shade: 4-6 hours of sunlight each day, also known as part sun.
Shade: minimal sunlight or dappled sunlight throughout the day.

All plants have specific sunlight needs. It's vital to give your plant the sunlight it needs, or else it will be prone to less flowering, less growth, and disease.

Generally speaking, most evergreens need full sun locations (but there are exceptions to this, such as Yews, which can take part sun and some shade, too).

Water Wisely

It's important to know how to water plants well. Below we will talk through how to water newly planted plants, as well as when to water established plants.

How to Water Newly Planted Trees and Shrubs:

Trees and shrubs are considered "newly planted" for the first full year they are planted. When planting in spring, summer, or fall, know that you will need to water your new shrubs deeply every 3-4 days when we are not receiving adequate rainfall. Deep watering is equal to setting a hose at the base of each plant for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 days. This allows the water to seep down deep into the ground. Roots are then encouraged to grow deeper in search of that refreshment, leading over time to a well-established plant.

If you have (for example) trees that a hose or irrigation won't reach, you can purchase tree gators. Tree gators go around the base of the tree and slowly release water for several days. This is also beneficial to make sure your newly planted trees receive water if you're going out of town for an extended time.

The Best Time of Day to Water:

It is best to water early in the morning or later in the evening as the sun is setting. This is because the sun will evaporate much of the water before it soaks down into the ground if the plant is being watered in the middle of the day. If you are leaving a hose on a plant and tending to other activities around the house, it is a good idea to set a timer so you will remember the hose is going and to move it to another plant (this is coming from someone who has forgotten the hose was on and left it on for way too long before!).

Fall is most often the driest season in our area. It is easy to think that summer would be the driest season because of the hot temperatures! Therefore, even if the temperatures have cooled down, it is still imperative to stay committed to watering your newly planted plants every few days during this season.

How to Water Established Plants:

Established plants have been planted for over a year. In this case, you usually only need to water on an as-needed basis, such as during a hot summer when we haven't had rain for a couple of weeks.

The Role of Fertilizer

Fertilizer is important for plant growth. Many (really, most) plants need to be fertilized in late winter/ early spring.

There are different types of fertilizers- organic vs. synthetic. Organic fertilizers, such as Fox Farm or Espoma products, are usually comprised of manure, compost, or bone meal. Synthetic fertilizers go through a manufacturing process and are made from ammonium sulfate or ammonium phosphate. We particularly love organic fertilizers at the nursery because they are organic for vegetables, they are natural, and they feed beneficial microbes in the soil.

Fertilizers come as water-soluble or granular fertilizers.

The ratio on the fertilizer bag has three numbers. Each number represents the ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium that fertilizer has. Generally speaking, remember "up, down, all around". Nitrogen (the first number) allows plant growth, Phosphorus (the second number) helps the plant's roots grow, and Potassium (the third number) helps the plant as a whole.

When using fertilizers, it's necessary to follow the bag's instructions. Using too much fertilizer can burn your plant and stress it out, damaging it.

Late winter/ early spring is the ideal time to fertilize plants. If you are unsure of what fertilizer to use, a balanced fertilizer (such as a ratio of 10-10-10) is suitable for most plants.

Mulching: Benefits and Techniques

Mulch not only makes gardening beds look nice, but it holds a very important benefit as well: it keeps plants warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Mulch also helps hold in water, which is especially helpful in our hot, Middle Tennessee summers. Mulch also helps choke out weeds, so you would need to pull or spray weeds a lot less. We recommend adding a fresh layer of mulch once every one or two years.

How Thick to Add Mulch:

For existing beds where you're adding a fresh layer of mulch annually, typically 3" deep is perfect. You'll just be adding a fresh layer over the existing mulch. For new gardening beds or if you're mulching every few years instead of every year, approximately 4" deep is good. Do not pile it higher than 5".

Do not pile mulch around the base of plants, such as trees. It can be popular for homeowners to do this, but it can be detrimental to the health of the tree. The base of the tree (where it flares at the base) needs to be visible when putting down mulch. If you pile it around the flare at the base of the trunk, it can rot the roots of the tree.

Ask us questions about spring gardening at the nursery or on Instagram or Facebook. We are happy to assist and want you to be successful at gardening.