Soil solarization is a pesticide-free way to control several of the plant pathogens, weeds, nematodes, and insects in garden soil. Solarization involves covering the soil with plastic to heat it up to temperatures (around 120-130F) that will reduce pests. Often several weeks are needed for solarization and the best results will be in hot summers […] …
Soils, Soil Management, and Plant Nutrition
Soil provides the foundation for much of what we do in horticulture and provides support, air, water and nutrients to plants. Material in this section will provide information on soil testing, managing pH, understanding plant nutrient needs and their supply through various types of fertilization. This section will also include information on soil management, amending, and composting.
Soil Testing
Soil testing is important to get the most out of your lawn, garden, landscape beds, or fruit tree planting area. Taking timely soil samples and then following the recommendations from the UT Soil, Pest, and Plant Center will enable your plants to grow and produce optimally. This publication provides an introduction to the important elements […] …
Sustainable Management of Soil-Borne Diseases
Plant disease requires a pathogen susceptible host, and a favorable environment. All of the methods gardeners use to control diseases focus on one or more of these factors. While many commonly used disease control methods and sprays focus on the pathogen itself, that can be difficult when diseases are present in the soil. Gardeners can […] …
The Tennessee Vegetable Garden: Managing Plant Nutrition
Plants, like people, need essential nutrients to grow, survive and thrive in our gardens. However, unlike us, they are able to obtain the essential nutrients they need from soil, water and air. There are many factors that influence the nutrition of plants and many ways that gardeners can support good nutrition in their garden plants. […] …
The Tennessee Vegetable Garden: Site Selection and Soil Testing
One of the most important decisions a home gardener can make is in selecting the best site for their garden. There are many factors to consider that include light, soil characteristics, drainage and previous activity that was on the site. And a gardener can’t forget human accessibility and distance to water sources. After selecting a […] …
