Idaho landscapes and gardens

Gardening is one of life’s basic pleasures. Learn how to successfully grow healthy plants, organically or conventionally, in daunting Idaho conditions.

Knowing your soil, water and nutrient needs, how to divide and protect your plants and how to add organic material to the soil will help your plants thrive.

Gardening enriches life, adds beauty to our homes, brings a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, provides a healthy form of leisure and relaxation, and/or puts the unequaled quality of home-grown produce on our table.

Gardening basics

Composting

Composting is a natural biological process that degrades a diverse mixture of ingredients such as leaves, grass, plant material, etc. into a soil-like material called compost. Nutrients can be recycled by adding compost back to the soil. Composting is a natural process that we can help along and use for our benefit. Gardeners who compost their own landscaping and food scraps can follow a few simple guidelines. You do not need to worry about complex formulas, chemical equations or studying microorganisms.

Related resources

Fertilizing

Fertilizing is important to maintain healthy growth and acceptable appearance. Under natural forest conditions, dead leaves, needles and twigs break down to provide a fresh resource of minerals for plants to use. Landscapes don’t have this natural fertilization and need nutrients added back to the soil. High pH soils of southern Idaho often do not have enough S, Fe, Zn and Mn.

Picking the right fertilizers

Use the historical recommendations found in many garden publications or the results of a soil test. The most reliable way is a soil test.
Your county Extension educator can provide instructions for taking a soil sample and ordering the test.
Using soil tests results for garden fertilization, CIS 1182

Other excellent fertilizer guides

Fertilizing gardens, CIS 922
Master gardener handbook, chapter 5: soils and fertilization (pdf)
Fertilizing your garden, Oregon State University

Fertilizing in a landscape is complicated — different plants have different nutrient requirements

Gardening tools

Tools are essential for establishing and caring for a garden. They are necessary for soil preparation, planting, cultivation, manicuring plants, irrigation, applications of fertilizers and pesticides, and in some cases harvesting. The type of equipment needed depends on a number of factors, including the garden size, physical abilities of the gardener, time dedicated to gardening and budget.

There are many tools, both hand-operated and power-driven, available to assist both novice and seasoned gardeners. The most commonly used tools include hoes, shovels, trowels, all of which come in several forms for different applications. There are also spading forks, tillers, shredders, pruning shears, loppers, tillers and other specialized tools. Once you have a little gardening experience you will be better able to decide which tools fit your personal tastes, situation and objectives.

The master gardener handbook, chapter 6 (pdf) discusses tool selection and care with illustrations.

Irrigation

Watering a landscape or garden is not simple. There are many factors that affect water needs, including climate, water availability, weather, topography, plant type, soil type and irrigation system type. Many homeowners end up over-watering, wasting their money and precious natural resources.

4 steps to save water and have a healthier lawn (pdf)
Small farms irrigation management, Utah State University

Organic gardening

Organic vegetable gardening promotes and enhances natural diversity and biological cycles. Rather than relying on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, organic gardening is based on making the garden self-sufficient and sustainable, using mechanical and natural alternatives to chemicals.

Visit the U of I Integrated Pest Management website for more information.
Master gardener handbook, chapter 25: organic gardening (pdf)
How to reduce bee poisoning from pesticides (pdf)
Reading and understanding pesticide labels, BUL 908

Soil preparation

Proper soil preparation will provide your plants with most of their basic nutritional needs. The ideal soil is deep, friable, well-drained and high in organic matter. Good soil will promote seed germination and optimal growth of plants. Soil care involves proper tillage, adding amendments, proper fertilization and proper irrigation.

Using pesticides

Pesticides can be an effective tool when used appropriately and only as needed. Always read the label. See the Integrated Pest Management website for more information.

Diseases and weeds

Plant diseases are as vast as the stars in the sky and may seem just as unreachable in diagnosis and treatment for the average home gardener. Don’t worry, there are many resources to help you help your ailing plant friends.

Below are links you can try on your own:

If that doesn’t work, call your county's UI Extension office and ask to speak with a master gardener that has successfully completed the UI Extension's Idaho Master Gardener Program. They are there to help you with all your gardening questions.

Idaho landscapes and gardens