Lawn & Garden

From the featured article in ID GUIDE, Callie Zamzow shares the most common gardening mistakes made in the Treasure Valley and how to prevent them. Drawing on over 92 years of family experience, Callie covers everything from planting timing and soil health to proper watering and plant selection.

A lasting green lawn starts with healthy soil. Idaho soils are mostly clay and lack organic matter, which makes nutrient absorption difficult. Zamzows Huma Green improves your soil by adding vital organic material, enhancing drainage, and making nutrients more available. For a greener lawn that stands up to stress, start from the ground up.

Crabgrass and goosegrass are very often incorrectly identified. They are annual plants that come from seed in early and late-spring. They develop into aggressively spreading plants in June through July. Often people confuse crabgrass and goosegrass with other perennial grasses, which are present in lawns year-round. 

Seed starting is a very rewarding addition to the backyard gardeners skill set. Buying available plants is a great convenience. But sometimes there are varieties that are hard to find.

Raised beds are very versatile and easy to use. A raised bed allows you to easily control your soil mixture so that you can always have the proper soil for your plants. As you customize the soil mixtures in your raised beds, you can improve soil drainage and soil compaction, this being the most important advantage. This is very important, especially with the high alkaline, clay soil that we deal with here in our area.

"Thatch” is the build up of dead grass material right at soil level. Grasses that reproduce from rhizomes are the biggest contributors to thatch build up.

Compost tea is essentially a nutrient-rich solution made by steeping compost in water while adding oxygen and a food source to grow beneficial microbes like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. This “brewing” process encourages rapid microbial growth, creating a diverse mix that can improve soil health, boost plant immunity, and enhance nutrient uptake

Fall is THE time to plant bulbs for spring blooms. You want to aim to have your bulbs are in the ground before the first hard frost but it ok if you plant a little later. In Boise, aim to plant your bulbs in late September to early November. The cooler temperatures allow the bulbs to establish roots before the ground freezes.

What is a cover crop and how do you use them in your garden? Cover crops are essentially sacrificial crops that are planted, allowed to grow, then mowed over and tilled under to allow the organic matter to decompose.

Summer is the most stressful time of year for our lawn. Our cool-season grasses do not appreciate multiple days above 100 degrees. The good news is that late summer and early fall are the optimal time for our lawns to recover and in this article I will outline the multi-step process.

As fall approaches, seize the moment to revitalize your garden. Trim and nurture existing plants for healthier yields, embrace cover crops to enhance soil health and invite beneficial insects. Enhance with amendments like compost, gypsum, and Zamzows Huma Green. Tend to perennials and shrubs, then consider leaving trimmings for wildlife. Fall is prime for planting and transplanting, while sowing grass seed ensures a vibrant lawn.

Have you ever thought “What if I used Huma Green in my garden?” Today we are going to talk about a few places that will greatly benefit from using Zamzows Huma Green.