Gardener to Gardener Seed-Starting Primer & Almanac Hundreds of Great Ideas, Tips, and Techniques from Gardeners Just Like You

Gardener to Gardener(TM) Seed-Starting Primer & Almanac Organic gardeners reveal their best tips and tricks for starting seeds, creating healthy soil, tending the garden, and stretching the growing season inGardener to GardenerSeed-Starting Primer & Almanac. Compiled for gardeners just like you by the editors and readers ofOrganic Gardeningmagazine, you'll find month-by-month activities, timesaving gadgets, and wheelbarrow loads of garden-tested advice, such as how to: * Increase yields by rounding the surface of flat garden beds * Build a compost and soil sifter to fit on top of your garden cart or wheelbarrow * Diagnose soil trouble by identifying which weeds are in your garden * Turn leaves into fabulous fertilizer using a three-pronged approach * Get your apples off to a strong start when planting rootstocks in five easy steps * Use a small fan to help your seedlings develop sturdier stems and minimize the chance of fungal diseases Gardener to Gardener Best-Ever Seed Tape It's difficult to space tiny seeds like those of carrots in the garden, so I make homemade seed tapes by prespacing the dark seeds over a white surface. Here's how to do it: 1. Unroll a strip of toilet paper on a table, mist it with a sprayer, and place the seeds along the center of the paper. (Alternate carrot seeds with radish seeds because when the radishes sprout, they help to mark the row and break the ground.) 2. Starting along the strip's long edge, fold a third of the paper over the seeds, then fold the other third over. Tamp the paper, misting it again to secure the seeds. Make as many of these strips as you need. Then fold the strips up and carefully carry them to the garden. 3. Make shallow furrows in the prepared soil, lay the strips down, and cover them. In a jiffy, your carrots will be planted and perfectly spaced. Doris Ekblad fs20Prairie Farm, Wisconsin Vicki Mattern, a former managing editor ofOrganic Gardeningmagazine, has been growing food and flowers organically for more than 20 years. She was the editor of Rodale'sGardener to Gardener(TM)Almanac & Pest Control Primer(2000) and has written about gardening for numerous magazines. Currently, she is the creative director for Gardens Alive!, a supplier of products for natural gardeners and wildlife enthusiasts. Visit organicgardening.com to discover even more great hints and tips and to share your own best gardening ideas-- gardener to gardener.Mattern, Vicki is the author of 'Gardener to Gardener Seed-Starting Primer & Almanac Hundreds of Great Ideas, Tips, and Techniques from Gardeners Just Like You' with ISBN 9780875968841 and ISBN 0875968848.