Build healthy soil
Dig or roto-till in 1-4 inches of compost when you're making new beds or planting lawns. Compost works on any soil: it helps sandy soils hold nutrients and water, and loosens clay soils. Compost feeds the beneficial soil life, so it can feed and protect your plants. Healthier soil with compost means healthier, easier to care for lawns and gardens.
Mulch it! Mulch can be used on:
Flower beds and vegetable gardens. Use 1-3 inches of leaves, compost, or grass clippings.
Trees, shrubs and woody perennials. Use 2-4 inches of woody mulches, like wood chips or bark. Fall leaves also work well. use a mulching mower on
Lawns (leave the clippings) and spread compost.
Plant Right for the site- Get to know your yard
Where is it sunny or shady? Dig in a few places to see where your soil is sand or clay, soggy year 'round or bone dry. Look around - are there plants with problems? Where do you want play areas, vegetables, color, views, or privacy? How much lawn do you need, or want to maintain? What kind of plantings would fit your yard?
Choose the right plant for the right place
Select plants that grow well in the Northwest, and fit the sun, soil, and water available in your yard. Native plants are best near waterways, and can work well on other sites too. Look around at neighbors' yards, nurseries, books, and demonstration gardens for plants that do well in sites similar to yours.
Group plants by their needs
Put plants that need full sun, or shade, or rich soil, or regular irrigation together with those with similar needs. That way you don't have to water the whole yard to reach one thirsty plant!
Smart Watering- Water deeply, but infrequently
Most plants do best if the soil is allowed to partially dry out between watering. In lawns, a
loss of shine or footprints staying in the lawn because its drooping indicates that it's time to water. Vegetables and other annuals should be watered at the first sign of droop, but tougher perennials (plants that live several years) only need water if they stay droopy after it cools off in the evening. Trees and shrubs usually don't need any watering, once their roots are fully established (one to three years).
Make sure you're reaching the roots
Moisten the whole root zone. Watering deeply builds deeper, healthier root systems. To see if you are watering deep enough to moisten the whole root zone, dig in with a trowel after watering to check the depth.
Need fertilizer? Go organic!
Overusing chemical pesticides and fertilizers can damage beneficial soil life, leading to soil compaction and unhealthy plants. Chemicals can also wash off through sewers into streams and lakes, and harm salmon and other wildlife. Most trees and shrubs get all the nutrients they need from the soil and annual mulching. But annual plants, vegetable gardens and lawns sometimes need extra nutrients. If you're going to fertilize, look for the words "natural organic" or "slow release" on the bag. Unlike "quick release" chemicals, they won't wash off into streams so easily, and they'll feed your plants a "square meal" that will keep them looking good longer.
Pesticides can be harmful for your family and the environment
Scientists have found 23 pesticides (weed and bug killers) in our local streams, many at levels that may damage salmon and other wildlife. Overuse of these products can also damage soil and plant health. And studies find increased health risks among families that use lawn and garden pesticides, especially among pets and children.
Begin with prevention
Healthy plants naturally resist diseases and pests. Help your plants defend themselves by building healthy soil, putting them in locations where they can thrive, pulling weeds before they can go to seed, and cleaning up diseased plants to reduce the risk of spread.
If a pest or weed problem develops, use the least toxic remedy:
Physical controls like traps, barriers, fabric row covers, or repellants may work for pests
Long handled weed pullers pop out dandelions easily
Mulching once a year reduces weeds in beds
Less toxic products like soaps, horticultural oils, and plant-based insecticides are now available that work for many problems
Beneficial insects that prey on problem bugs are available for sale
Attract these "good bugs" by planting a variety of plants that provide pollen and nectar all year
You can choose chemical remedies that control pests without causing harm to beneficial insects, your family, or the environment. These chemicals are either harmless or break down quickly into harmless components.
Physical remedies
By preventing pests from reaching your plants, you can avoid the damage they cause. And in cases where you only see a few pests, physically removing them can often keep the problem under control.
Use chemical pesticides as the last resort
If you must use a chemical pesticide, use the least toxic product, and spot apply it - don't spread it all over the yard to kill a few weeds or bugs. You want to apply pesticides only when and where you really have a problem. Follow label instructions exactly - more is not better.
And be sure to keep children and pets out of application areas.
It may be best to have a professional who has all the protective gear do the application, but don't use services that spread chemicals over the whole yard or spray on a calendar schedule.
