Cultivate: Garden Insights & Inspiration from IBG

A garden is only as good as its soil. Whether you’re growing vegetables, flowers, or shrubs, taking time to improve your soil in spring will yield healthier plants all season long. 1. Test Your Soil Before adding amendments, conduct a soil test to determine pH levels and nutrient content. There are many extension offices throughout the valley that can provide reliable soil testing.  2. Add Organic Matter Enrich your soil with compost, aged manure, or worm castings. Organic matter improves drainage, boosts fertility, and enhances soil structure. 3. Avoid Over-Tilling Tilling can disrupt beneficial microorganisms and lead to soil compaction. Instead, gently loosen the soil with a garden fork and incorporate amendments without excessive disturbance. 4. Use Cover Crops and Mulch Planting cover crops like clover in the fall can improve soil health by adding nitrogen. In spring, mulching with straw, leaves, or wood chips helps retain moisture and suppress…

Timing is everything in gardening, and for Idaho gardeners, understanding when to plant is key to success. Whether you’re eager to start seeds indoors or itching to get plants in the ground, this guide will help you plan your spring garden. Understanding Idaho’s Frost Dates Idaho has diverse growing zones, ranging from USDA Zone 3 in the mountains to Zone 7 in the lower valleys. The last frost date varies but generally falls between late April and early June. What to Start Indoors February–March: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions April: Herbs like basil, flowers like marigolds and zinnias What to Direct Sow in Early Spring (Cool-Season Crops) March–April: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, carrots April–May: Beets, Swiss chard, potatoes, onions What to Plant After the Last Frost (Warm-Season Crops) Mid-May–June: Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, beans, melons Best Native and Pollinator-Friendly Plants Flowers: Sunflowers, Yarrow, penstemon, blanket flower Shrubs: Serviceberry, currant, elderberry Grasses:…

Spring is one of those magical times in the Garden when everything starts to stir—buds swell, perennials push up from the soil, and the whole place feels like it's stretching after a long nap. But before you dive into planting, there’s some housekeeping to do. Giving your garden a proper spring cleanup helps set the stage for healthy growth all season long. Here are five practical steps to get things going: 1. Start with a Gentle Cleanup Winter usually leaves behind its fair share of mess—branches, soggy leaves, and dead plant material. Begin by clearing out anything obviously dead or diseased, but hold off on a total leaf cleanup until temperatures consistently reach 50°F. Many native bees and other pollinators overwinter in that leaf litter, so it’s worth waiting a bit for their sake. 2. Prune with Intention Now’s a great time to trim back damaged or dead branches on…