5 Essential Gardening Tips

Katie Hachmeister of City Mill offers her expert advice.

Whether you are starting a new hobby or want to prep your outdoor area for springtime, learning to garden can be a difficult task. Katie Hachmeister of City Mill offers her expert advice to help you gather the needed tools of the trade to create a flourishing outdoor space.

1. Find handy, comfortable tools. Here are some great gardening tools that are on our radar. 

2. Garden bed prep is key for in-ground planting. Hachmeister recommends using a good shovel with a pointed tip to help you dig into the soil to turn it. “After prepping the soil and turning it there will be some rocks and weed roots that come to the surface,” she adds. “A metal rake is good for getting this stuff out of your garden bed.”

3. Use a good soil conditioner. When it comes to prepping your soil, you should also add a soil conditioner like Menehune Soil Conditioner, shares Hachmeister. “This helps loosen up the soil, provide better aeration, and it adds some natural fertilizers and good organic matter to the soil.” 

4. A layer of mulch is always a good finishing touch. “A layer of mulch can help to finish off the look of a garden bed, control weeds and help retain moisture in the hotter months,” suggests Hachmeister.

5. Remember that water requirements will depend on your pots for container gardening. Keep in mind that terracotta pots are porous, meaning that the pot itself will absorb water; this will cause your soil to dry out faster. “Plastic pots retain more water than terracotta and are a good cost-effective choice if you choose to do a container garden,” says Hachmeister. “City Mill also carries Smart pots … these are fabric planters which are great for doing raised garden beds.”