The four things you need to grow a garden (or any other plant) are soil, sun, water, and fertilizer. How you get the four basics are as individualistic as selecting shoes. Centuries of gardening have yielded some interesting approaches. These gardening myths carry a lot of weight with some folks. Some work and some don’t. One that works is to plant a fish (even fish sticks without the breading) in the hole below the crop. There should be soil between the fish and the plant. You have just planted an excellent slow-release fertilizer.

The one that always makes me smile is planting a specific crop on a specific date. Like planting potatoes on February 14th. I seem to remember, by the light of the moon was also included (I’m just not that dedicated). Sorry to burst your bubble but plants and seeds do not care what day it is. What they care about is temperature, moisture, sunlight, and soil. This is why the planting guides give date ranges and not exact dates. One thing for sure, if you miss the window by a week or so and you don’t plant it, it won’t grow! The other side of this is if you miss it by 6 weeks, try again next season.

See some of the most common garden myths here. By the way, it’s time to get started preparing the garden for fall crops.