When should I start planting outdoors?

Work from your last frost date, not the calendar. Hardy greens and peas go out two to four weeks before that date, while tomatoes, peppers and squash wait until nights stay above 50°F. Your USDA zone gives you the rough window, and a local extension office gives you the exact dates.

How often should I water an outdoor garden?

Water deeply two or three times a week rather than lightly every day, so roots grow down instead of sideways. Containers are the exception and may need water daily in summer heat. Early morning is best, because wet leaves overnight invite disease.

What is the easiest way to start a garden in a small yard?

Start with one raised bed or three large containers in the sunniest spot you have. A 4x4 foot bed grows a surprising amount using square foot spacing, and it is small enough to keep weeded and watered while you learn.

How do I keep animals out of my garden?

Fencing is the only reliable answer for deer and rabbits, at least 3 feet high for rabbits and 7 feet for deer. For raccoons and squirrels, remove the food source, cover beds with netting, and try scent deterrents, moving them around so the animals do not get used to them.

Do I need to test my soil?

It is the cheapest way to stop wasting money on fertilizer. A simple kit tells you pH plus nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, so you add only what is missing. Most vegetables want a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.

Can I leave potted plants outside in winter?

It depends on the plant and your zone. Roots in pots are far more exposed than roots in the ground, so a plant hardy to your zone may still die in a container. Move tender pots into a garage or against a sheltered wall, and group them together to slow the freeze.

Outdoor gardening

Turn your yard into something that grows

Backyard beds, patio containers, balcony pots and backyard ponds. 145 free guides from my own garden in New York, written for real American yards and real weather.

Start with the basics Fix a struggling plant

145Outdoor guides

11Plants covered

6Tools I actually use

Small spaces Care by plant Square foot Fix a problem Pests & wildlife Zones & seasons Gear All 157 guides

Organic backyard garden with raised beds and vegetables

145free guides

Start here

New to the backyard? Read these four first

Your zone decides when you plant, your soil decides how well it grows, and the right few tools make the work bearable. These four cover the ground.

Know your zone

Find your growing zone

Your zone sets your planting dates, and it is the first thing to look up.

Read the guide →

Get started

Start an organic backyard garden

Soil, spacing and a plan you can manage in a weekend.

Read the guide →

Tools

The tools worth owning

What earns its place in the shed, and what gathers dust.

Read the guide →

Upkeep

Clean up your garden

Ten jobs that stop pests and disease carrying into next season.

Read the guide →

Small spaces

Containers, raised beds, balconies and walls

You do not need a yard. Raised beds warm up earlier and drain better, containers let you chase the sun around a patio, and vertical planters turn a bare fence into growing space. Bigger pots need watering far less often than small ones.

How to Make a Balcony Garden (A Simple Setup Guide)Best Plants to Grow on a Balcony, Sorted by How Much Sun You Get 15 Apartment Balcony Gardening Ideas That Make Small Spaces Work Hanging Basket Care: How to Keep Baskets Full and Blooming 20 Best Plants for Hanging Baskets (Sun and Shade Picks)How to Plant a Hanging Basket Step by Step (Beginner Guide)12 Dwarf Fruit Trees Perfect for Container Growing and Maximizing Small Garden Spaces 15 Gorgeous Container Plant Combinations for Stunning Curb Appeal That Elevate Your Outdoor Design 17 Vertical Garden Ideas That Actually Work Green Roof Gardening: A Practical Backyard Guide How To Grow Cabbage in Containers? (Step by Step Guide)How to Grow Cucumbers on Black Plastic How to Plant Squash in a Raised Bed for Big Yields DIY Lotus Container Garden for Apartment Balconies Can Podocarpus Grow in Pots?How to Grow Ferns Outside in Pots?How to Care for Outdoor Ferns in Pots?Bougainvillea Care: Get Bright Blooms in Pots and Garden Gardenia Care: Keep This Fragrant Shrub Blooming Indoors and Out How to Plant Clematis: Soil, Support and Pruning Groups

Care guides

Care guides, plant by plant

Every outdoor guide grouped by plant, from backyard ponds to patio palms. Open a card for that plant’s full list.

29 guides

Lotus & water gardens

Ponds, bowls and balcony containers, from planting depth to blooms.

See all 29 guides

18 guides

Money tree

Braided trunks outdoors, and the problems that follow them inside.

See all 18 guides

17 guides

Lemongrass

A tall, fragrant grass that repels bugs and flavors your cooking.

See all 17 guides

12 guides

Dieffenbachia

Bold leaves for shady patios, brought in before the cold.

See all 12 guides

11 guides

Ferns outdoors

Shade, damp soil and pots that never quite dry out.

See all 11 guides

6 guides

Areca palm

A patio palm for summer, and what it needs to survive winter.

See all 6 guides

Why Is My Areca Palm Dying and How to Fix

7 guides

Podocarpus

An evergreen hedge plant that takes happily to big pots.

See all 7 guides

Why My Podocarpus Leaves Turning Yellow

ZZ plant outside 3 guides

Yes, it can summer outdoors, with a few rules.

Jade plant 2 guides

A succulent that loves a sunny step and hates wet feet.

Oyster plant 3 guides

Purple ground cover for warm-climate beds.

Basil 1 guide

The herb that tells you instantly when it is unhappy.

Why Basil Plant Leaves Turn Brown (And How to Fix It)

Square foot gardening

Grow more in a 4×4 grid

Square foot gardening splits a raised bed into one-foot squares, each with its own crop and plant count. It suits small yards, keeps weeding simple, and makes rotation easy to track.

10 Best Fruits to Plant in a Square Foot Garden for Maximum Yield and Flavor 10 Steps to Grow Herbs in Square Foot Gardening 15 Best Plants for Square Foot Gardening 5 Best Ways to Grow Square Foot Gardening Marigold Companion Planting in Square Foot Gardening Square Foot Gardening Parsley

Plant ER

Something looks wrong: find the fix

Outdoors, most problems trace back to water, sun or pests. Check drainage after rain, count the hours of direct sun the spot really gets, then look under the leaves before you treat anything.

Why Are My Lotus Plant Leaves Turning Yellow in Summer Why Is My Boston Fern Turning Light Green?5 Reasons Why Is My Dieffenbachia Leaves Turning Yellow and How to Fix 9 Expert Solutions to Why Is My Lemongrass Turning Red?9 Reasons Why Is My Money Tree Dying 9 Reasons Why Money Tree Plant Leaves Turning Yellow and Fixes 9 Signs of Overwatering in Areca Palm 9 Top Money Tree Plant Problems and Solutions How to Fix Leggy Dieffenbachia: A Simple Guide Why Are Jade Plant Leaves Turning Dark Green?Why Are My Lotus Leaves Turning Black? Causes & Fixes Why Are My Lotus Leaves Turning Yellow?Why Are My Lotus Plant Leaves Turning Brown?Why Basil Plant Leaves Turn Brown (And How to Fix It)Why Is My Areca Palm Dying and How to Fix Why is my dieffenbachia drooping?Why Is My Dieffenbachia Leaves Turning Brown?Why Is My Jade Plant Stem Turning Black?Why Is My Lotus Plant Dying? 9 Real Causes and Fixes Why Money Tree Plant Leaves Turning Brown

Pests & wildlife

Bugs, raccoons, squirrels and mosquitoes

Fencing and scent deterrents beat poisons, and they keep working while you sleep. For insects, identify first: many of the bugs in a healthy garden are on your side.

Zones & seasons

Cold, heat and your growing zone

Your USDA zone tells you which plants survive winter and when to plant out. Frost dates matter as much as the zone number, and a sheltered wall can buy you half a zone of protection.