garden mistakes

I covered my iris rhizomes with a good layer of soil when I split them in August just to protect them: when June came and not one flower opened, I understood what I had buried

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I covered my iris rhizomes with a good layer of soil when I split them in August just to protect them: when June came and ...

A gardener’s protective instinct to bury iris rhizomes deep in soil backfires spectacularly come June, when neighbors’ irises explode with color while yours produce only green leaves. The secret lies in understanding that bearded iris rhizomes need to bask at the soil surface, not hide beneath it—and one simple fix can save next year’s blooms.

I spread fresh grass clippings around my tomatoes to feed them: when I lifted the layer a week later, I understood why the stems were turning black

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I spread fresh grass clippings around my tomatoes to feed them: when I lifted the layer a week later, I understood why the...

A layer of fresh grass clippings seemed like free fertilizer, but one week later revealed blackened, mushy stems and white mold beneath the mulch. The problem isn’t the grass itself—it’s how gardeners are using it.