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Our data-backed guides cover microclimate, frost, watering, and getting more from your garden and your weather station.
What arable soil means for your backyard
What makes soil arable, the five properties that let ground grow crops, and how to check your own yard's soil and frost-free season.
Cold damage on plants when nights stay above freezing
How chilling injury hurts peppers, tomatoes, and melons on nights above freezing, what it looks like, and how to set your frost alert for it.
Which drip hose for garden beds wets the soil most evenly?
Emitter line, soaker hose and drip tape compared on how evenly each wets a bed, which layouts each suits, and how to judge run time.
When to start planting in raised beds
Learn when to start planting in raised beds, which crops go in first, and how to time tender plants to your own yard's last frost.
Is using flour in the garden worth trying on brassicas
What flour dusting may do to soft-bodied pests on brassicas, what it can harm, and how to time it so rain does not wash it off.
Which is the best garden hose for cold weather
How rubber, hybrid and vinyl hoses handle freezing weather, which stays flexible for winter watering, and when to drain it before a hard night.
How to care for strawberry plants in winter
When to water, mulch, and uncover strawberry plants in winter, with each step timed to the lows in your own yard.
Which garden irrigation drippers fit each bed
Compare pressure-compensating, adjustable and inline garden irrigation drippers, pick a gph by soil, and use a bed probe to spot an under-dripped bed.
What is a typical garden hose flow rate?
Why hose flow varies, how to measure yours with a bucket and a timer, and how to turn gallons per minute into inches of water on a bed.
How to time water plant fertilizer around soil moisture
Learn to feed water-soluble fertilizer into moist soil, water dry beds first, and wait out forecast rain so the roots keep the nutrients.
How to save plants from frost when you can't cover everything
The order to work in when a frost alert arrives at 5 p.m.: which plants to move, which to cover, which to pick, and which to let go.
Which organic raised bed soil mix dries out slowest
What an organic label on raised bed soil tells you, and how compost, peat, coir and bark mixes compare on holding water and drying speed.
How to water seeds after sowing until they sprout
Learn how to keep sown seeds damp until they sprout, why a buried soil probe misses the seed layer, and when per-bed dry alerts take over.
How to start a tomato garden by your yard's last frost
Find your yard's own last frost date, then plant tomatoes out in the right week, using the steps and numbers from our own garden.
What kind of soil holds the most water for plants
Learn why clay holds the most water, why organic matter holds the most for its weight, and why roots can't use all of it.
How cold can strawberry plants tolerate in bloom
Strawberry cold tolerance by stage, why open blossoms freeze first, and how to set a frost alert and cover your bed in time.
Do plants die in the winter, and which ones come back
Which garden plants die in winter by design, which die back to their roots, and which die only when your yard's low passes their limit.
Garden cultivator or tiller for established vegetable beds
Which tool suits an established vegetable bed, a garden cultivator or a tiller, and how to tell from soil moisture when a bed is ready to work.
Garden hose sprinkler or soaker hose for vegetable beds
Which waters vegetable beds better, a garden hose sprinkler or a soaker hose, and how a soil probe shows whether water reached the roots.
How to prepare your garden for winter by your first frost
The order to put your whole garden to bed for winter, with each task keyed to the first frost date your own yard gets.
Freezing carrots from the garden or leaving them in the ground
How to blanch and freeze garden carrots, and how your yard's real low tells you when to dig before the ground freezes hard.
Which greenhouse water system fits your beds
Drip, mist and hand watering compared for greenhouse beds, and how a soil probe in each bed tells you when it has gone dry.
How to water plants while away from the garden
Steps to keep your beds watered while you're away, and how per-bed soil alerts tell whoever covers for you which bed went dry.
What plant needs the most water in a vegetable garden
Which vegetables need the most water, why they draw a bed down faster, and how a soil probe in each bed shows you the thirsty one.
What to do with tomato plants in winter
Tomatoes can't survive frost, so learn whether to compost the vines or root cuttings indoors, and how to time both to your yard's first freeze.
Which fill method is best for filling raised garden beds
Compare bagged mix, a log base, and cardboard-plus-compost layers for filling raised beds by cost, settling, and how fast each bed dries.
How to read hydrologic soil groups for your garden beds
Find your yard's hydrologic soil group, learn what A through D say about drainage, and see why amended beds drain differently from the map.
What happens inside plants freezing on a cold night
How ice forms between plant cells, why leaves freeze when the forecast stays above freezing, and how an offset adjusts your frost alerts.
Soil water definition for the part your plants can use
Learn the three kinds of soil water, which one roots can take up, and where a soil probe's percentage reading falls between them.
Is soil with fertilizer already in it worth buying?
Learn how long pre-fertilized soil feeds your plants, why heavy watering shortens that window, and when it is worth buying over plain soil.
Can plants recover from cold shock after a frost night
How cold shock kills plant tissue, how to tell what survived, and when to prune, water, and feed a cold-damaged plant.
How fast draining potting soil dries out in a container
Why fast draining potting soil dries sooner in outdoor containers, how water perches at the bottom of a pot, and how to tell when a pot is dry.
Planting garlic over winter by your yard's real first frost
When to plant garlic in fall by your yard's own first frost date, how deep to set the cloves, and when to mulch them for winter.
Why potatoes in raised beds dry out at tuber set
Learn why raised beds suit early potato planting, why they drain fast just as tubers form, and how to keep moisture steady.
How to set up raised tomato beds for even watering
Set up raised tomato beds with the right depth, spacing, and planting date, plus a soil probe that flags the bed running dry.
Freezing tomatoes from the garden before your first frost
How to freeze ripe garden tomatoes whole, what to do with green ones, and how to know which day to pick the whole crop before frost.
How to bottom water plants in outdoor pots
How to bottom water outdoor pots and seed trays, when to end the soak, and how to tell the mix is dry enough to soak again.
Lowering pH in soil with sulfur in a moist bed
How to lower soil pH with elemental sulfur, from the soil test and bed math to keeping the soil moist while bacteria convert it.
Why does a plant need water?
Water keeps plant cells rigid, feeds photosynthesis, moves nutrients and cools leaves. See which job fails first as soil dries.
How to winterize raspberry plants by your yard's real lows
When to stop feeding, prune by cane type, and mulch raspberries for winter, timed to the nights your own yard freezes.
Which survival garden seeds fit your frost-free season
Learn which survival garden seeds ripen in a short or frost-pocket season, and how to measure your frost-free window before you plant.
Which vegetable gardening supplies to buy first
Compare compost, frost cloth, and a per-bed soil probe, and learn which to buy first based on whether soil, frost, or water limits your garden.
Where does water enter a plant
Water enters through root hairs near each root tip. Learn how it climbs to the leaves and why that decides where a bed's soil probe belongs.
How to calculate soil moisture content at home
Weigh a soil sample wet, dry it, and divide to get its moisture content, then see why your bed sensor's percent is a different number.
Will frost kill potato plants in your yard
Frost blackens potato leaves near freezing, but tubers usually regrow. Learn when to hill or cover, and how to tell if your yard got that cold.
Do plants hibernate, or do they go dormant?
Learn why plants go dormant instead of hibernating, and why surviving winter depends on how cold your yard actually gets.
Does Miracle-Gro raised bed soil hold water in summer
How Miracle-Gro Raised Bed soil compares with other bagged mixes on drainage and drying, and how a per-bed sensor tells you when to water.
How to start overwintering plants by your yard's real low
Learn how to decide which tender plants to bring in, wrap, or mulch, and the night to act, using your yard's real overnight low.
Preparing raised beds for winter by your real first-frost date
Learn how to time mulch, compost, cover crops, and your last watering to your yard's real first-frost date instead of the regional average.
How to set up a raised bed irrigation system by bed
Drip tubing waters a raised bed easily; a soil probe in each bed tells you which one is dry so you water that bed and skip the rest.
What's the frost temperature for plants in your yard
Learn the real freeze thresholds by plant type, and how your yard's low differs from the forecast enough to change what you cover.
How leaching soil washes nutrients past the roots
Learn how overwatering leaches nutrients below the root zone, and how per-bed moisture and rain-skip guidance stop it at the source.
Soil moisture sensors for agriculture in a home garden bed
How field-scale soil moisture sensors translate to a single bed, and what a per-bed probe alert can and can't tell you at home.
Watering plants during winter, bed by bed
How to tell which garden beds still need water in winter from recent rain and a per-bed soil reading, and which beds you can skip.
How to use well-draining cactus soil without overwatering
Overwatering kills more cacti than any mix. Learn to read when the root zone is dry so a fast-draining cactus soil can do its job.
Do wetting agents for soil work
Learn whether soil wetting agents break up water-repellent beds, and how to confirm one worked by reading moisture at root depth.
Winter care for banana plants and your real low
Learn how to measure your yard's real overnight low and protect a banana plant's crown through winter frosts.
How to run a garden irrigation system by which zone is dry
How to choose a garden irrigation system and use a per-bed soil reading and rain guidance to run it only where a bed has gone dry.
How straw bale gardening works and why bales dry out fast
Learn why a straw bale dries faster than soil, how to condition it, and how to water by the bale's moisture instead of a schedule.
Vegetable planting companions and the watering they share
Group vegetable planting companions by shared water needs and season length, and let a per-bed dry alert show which bed to water.
Will strawberry plants survive winter in your yard?
How strawberry crowns survive winter, the yard-level low that decides it, and when to mulch to buy a few degrees.
Which seed starting soil to use and when to sow
How to pick a seed starting soil mix, keep it evenly moist, and set your sow date by your yard's real last frost instead of the published one.
The best frost protection for plants, ranked by degrees
Compare frost cloth, blankets, watering, mulch, cold frames, and bringing pots in by the protection each buys, and match it to your real low.
Measuring soil moisture in a garden bed
Learn how to measure soil moisture at the root zone with the finger test, a handheld meter, a tensiometer, and a buried per-bed probe.
Planting potatoes in winter without losing them to frost
How your yard's soil temperature and real frost dates decide when planting potatoes in winter works, and how to plant deep so the shoots dodge frost.
What a soil water content sensor reads
Learn what a soil water content sensor reads, how volumetric percent differs from soil tension, and the reading that flags a garden bed as dry.
How to pick plants for a winter garden by your real lows
Match winter crops to the low your yard reaches, using a microclimate read and station-adjusted frost alerts, and cover only the risky nights.
How to set up a garden soil moisture sensor per bed
Pick a capacitive probe, map it to a bed, and set a dry threshold so Siltwell tells you which bed needs water.
How to protect plants in winter without covering every night
Learn which winter nights actually threaten your plants, how cold triggers a cover, and how a learned frost offset tells you your yard's real low.
What a plant moisture sensor tells you outdoors
Learn what a plant moisture sensor reads in an outdoor bed, why one dip can mislead you, and how a per-bed alert decides when to water.
How to choose vegetables for your garden by frost and water
Choose vegetables for your garden by your yard's real frost dates and how fast each bed dries, then match tender and thirsty crops to the right beds.
Match vegetables for your garden to water and frost
Learn to group vegetables by water demand and cold tolerance, then match them to the rain, soil moisture, and frost window your own yard delivers.
What a plant water meter reading tells you
Learn what a plant water meter reading tells you, where it misleads, and how to water by what the soil is really doing at root depth.
Do soil pH meters work for the home garden
Which soil pH meters give a reading you can trust, which to skip, and why a dry bed needs a moisture probe instead.
Raised vegetable bed plans that decide how often you water
How the depth and width on a raised vegetable bed plan set how fast it dries, plus build-or-buy and where to put a soil probe.
Composting for a vegetable garden, make or buy
How compost holds more water in a vegetable bed, when to make it versus buy it, and how to watch the watering payoff per bed.
Frost cloth for plants and how long to leave it on
How frost cloth protects plants, which material to pick, how long to leave it on, and how to tell the nights your own yard actually freezes.
How to know which beds your garden watering can should reach
Learn to read each bed before you fill a garden watering can, so you carry water only to the beds that crossed their dry threshold.
How to choose a garden watering system
The types of garden watering systems, how often each runs, and why a schedule alone can't tell whether a bed is already wet.
How frost covers for plants work
How frost covers trap ground heat, what fleece, blankets, and plastic each buy you in degrees, and how to match a cover to your yard's real low.
Why hydrophobic soil sheds water while the root zone stays dry
Learn why hydrophobic soil repels water, how to tell the root zone is still dry, and how to re-wet a bed so it actually soaks in.
Why winter hardy plants still die in your yard
Learn what a winter hardy rating measures, why your yard can run colder than its zone, and how to find your garden's real coldest night.
Can tomato plants survive frost and did your yard freeze
Learn the temperature that kills tomato plants and how to tell whether your own yard actually dropped that low overnight.
Metal raised garden beds and how fast they dry
How a metal wall dries a raised bed's edges first, what depth protects the roots, and how a per-bed probe shows which bed needs water.
What soil water retention is and when a bed runs dry
Learn what soil water retention sets, how to raise it, and why a probe reading tells you when a bed is dry tonight better than the property does.
Set a baseline soil moisture sensor reading per bed
Learn how to set a per-bed baseline for a soil moisture sensor so a live reading tells you when a bed is dry, without false alarms.
What a waterproof soil moisture sensor buried in a bed decides
Learn how a waterproof soil moisture sensor buried in a bed year-round reads water, its limits, and what a per-bed reading tells you to do.
How fertile soil changes how often you water
Learn what makes soil fertile, how organic matter builds it, and why a richer bed holds water and dries slower than a lean one.
How raised bed soil mix decides how often you water
How the ratio in a raised bed soil mix sets pore size, drying rate, and how often each bed needs water.
How a soil water potential sensor tells you a bed is dry
Learn how tension in centibars and volumetric percent measure soil water differently, and the real thresholds that mark a bed as dry.
Does planting grass seed in winter work
How to tell if grass seed sown in winter germinates before spring or sits dormant, judged by your yard's real soil temperatures.
How to protect plants from a freeze
Learn to size frost protection to the low your own yard will hit tonight, from a light frost to a hard freeze.
How soil moisture monitoring works in a home garden
How continuous soil moisture monitoring works, what a reading measures, and exactly what triggers a dry-bed alert in a home garden.
What a soil moisture probe tells you about watering
Learn what a soil moisture probe reading means, what percentage should trigger watering, and how two readings turn one number into a per-bed decision.
How to tell if frost damage hit your plants
Frost damage shows up a day late, and often the yard never froze. How to tell cold from other causes, and what recovers.
How to mix potting soil with compost
How much compost to mix into potting soil, why it holds more water, and why a richer pot hides the dry-down from your finger.
What your soil moisture measurement should read before you water
Why no single soil moisture percentage tells you to water, and how to set your bed's own dry threshold from its readings.
Should you water plants before a freeze
Watering before a freeze can buy a tender plant a degree or two, but only when the soil was dry and your yard drops below freezing.
How to run a drip system for your garden by soil dryness
Learn why a drip timer over-waters and how to set each zone's runtime from real soil dryness and pause the runs that rain has already covered.
Does moisture control potting soil work
How moisture-control potting mix delays drying, why it still dries unevenly, and how to tell when a pot is truly dry.
What a soil moisture sensor for irrigation system tells you
Learn what a soil moisture sensor reads, the threshold that triggers a dry-bed alert, and why it tells you which bed to water rather than opening a valve.
Will one night of frost kill my plants
Learn whether a single frost night is fatal to your crops, how to tell if your yard froze, and which plants shrug it off.
How garden compost cuts your watering
How garden compost holds water, how much to add, and how to watch each bed's moisture number to see your watering drop.
How often to water loam soil compared to sand or clay
How loam soil holds water compared with sand and clay, why it dries slower, and how to set a realistic watering interval for a loam bed.
Watering your garden during a boil water advisory
What a boil water advisory means for tap water on your vegetables, and how to water only the beds that need it during a supply strain.
How to winterize drip irrigation before a hard freeze
Drain, cap, and store a drip system, and time the drain to your yard's first hard freeze instead of a generic calendar date.
Is a sprinkler winterizing service worth paying for
Learn what a sprinkler winterizing service does, whether to hire it or blow out the lines yourself, and how to time the visit to your yard's first freeze.
What is hard water and how it builds up in garden soil
What hard water is, how its calcium and magnesium load builds up in a bed, and why watering less often keeps it in check.
What to cover plants with for frost
Sheets, blankets, boxes, buckets, and frost cloth all trap ground heat. Learn which to use and how to tell if tonight is a cover night.
How a freeze-proof water hydrant stays freeze-proof
A freeze-proof water hydrant drains its standpipe below the frost line to protect the pipe, and it can't tell you whether tonight freezes your beds.
Topsoil for raised beds and the watering it costs you
Why cheap topsoil compacts in a raised bed, what to fill a bed with instead, and how to check a bed is dry before you water.
Winter protection for plants starts with your yard's real lows
How to time mulch, wraps, and moving pots to the nights your own yard freezes rather than the zone map date.
Which nights a garden water pipe freezes in your yard
Learn the temperature that freezes garden water pipes and how to flag the cold nights your own yard drops below freezing.
Why a water faucet timer waters when your beds aren't dry
How a faucet timer runs on a clock while your beds dry at their own pace, and how to water by whether a bed is dry and whether rain is coming.
How much water a garden needs before water well drilling
Learn to measure your garden's real watering demand from rain and soil moisture before you size or pay for a well.
The best raised bed soil holds water without going soggy
How organic matter decides how fast a raised bed dries, what mix holds moisture, and how often you need to water a raised bed.
Which Fox Farm soil holds moisture, Ocean Forest or Happy Frog
How Fox Farm Ocean Forest and Happy Frog differ in moisture retention, and how often you'll really water each mix.
Plants that survive winter outside depend on your real low
Learn why a perennial's winter survival outside depends on the coldest night your yard actually hits, not the zone map average.
How often water tubing should run in your garden
Learn to tie drip tubing run frequency to what each bed's soil reads, and skip a run when rain already watered the garden.
Freezing garden green beans before the first frost
How to time your last green bean pick before the first freeze hits your own garden, plus how to blanch and freeze the harvest.
How frost resistant plants read against your real low
Learn what a frost-tolerance rating means and how to match it to the actual low your yard hits on cold nights.
When to hold your water storage tanks before rain
Learn when to stop drawing down water storage tanks so a coming rain refills the reserve instead of overflowing an empty one.
How all-purpose potting soil holds moisture
How all-purpose potting soil holds water, why containers dry fast, and how to water when the mix is dry rather than on a schedule.
Should you cover plants during a freeze warning
Learn why a regional freeze warning may not mean your yard freezes, and how to find your real low before you cover plants.
What a frost blanket for plants buys you
How a frost blanket traps ground heat, the few degrees it buys, and how to tell which night your own yard needs the cover.
How to run a water pump only when your beds are dry
Learn to run a water pump on the nights your beds read dry and hold it when rain is coming, using soil probe readings and your rain gauge.
A water tank pays off when you water beds that are dry
How to tell which beds a rainwater tank should water, by reading recent rain for the whole garden and soil moisture for each bed.
Which water valve to open when only one bed is dry
Learn how to tell which irrigation zone is dry tonight, which valve to leave shut, and what soil moisture level means it's time to water.
What winter garden seeds you can sow depends on your yard
How the coldest night your yard reaches decides which winter garden seeds germinate and survive, and how to find that low before you sow.
The best time to water your lawn is when the root zone is dry
Dawn is the best time to water a lawn, but whether it needs water depends on how dry the root zone is. Read the soil to decide.
Does FoxFarm Ocean Forest potting soil hold moisture?
How well FoxFarm Ocean Forest potting soil holds water, how often to water it, and why a probe in the pot beats any bag's retention claim.
Is a garden tiller worth it?
When a garden tiller earns its price, when to skip it, and why tilled soil dries and crusts faster than the bed you used to water.
How much of a drip keeps pipes from freezing
Learn how thin a trickle stops pipes from freezing, the temperature that puts them at risk, and which nights your yard needs it.
How a cold frame for plants holds a few extra degrees
How a cold frame traps daytime heat to hold a few degrees overnight, and how to match that buffer to how cold your yard runs.
How long to run a water hose to wet the root zone
Learn how long to run a hose to wet the root zone, how to find your own per-bed run-time, and how to confirm the water reached the roots.
How to protect tomato plants from frost
Learn why a light frost kills tomatoes, why your yard freezes before the forecast, and which nights to cover.
How to overwinter chilli plants before frost hits
Learn when to bring chilli plants indoors, why frost kills them, and how to time the move to your own yard's first freeze.
How to water a galvanized water trough planter
Why a metal trough bakes and drains faster than a raised bed, and how to tell when yours actually needs water.
Why raised beds for vegetables dry out faster
Learn why raised vegetable beds drain and dry faster than in-ground rows, and how to water them on the soil's read instead of a calendar.
Will your water spigot freeze tonight
How a frost-proof spigot protects the pipe, and how to know the night your own yard drops to freezing.
The plants that grow in winter depend on how cold your yard gets
Learn which winter crops survive outside by matching each plant's rated low to your yard's real coldest night, not the zone map.
When to winterize your sprinkler system
Learn how to find the first hard-freeze night for your own yard so you drain or blow out sprinkler lines before they burst.
Does a moisture meter for plants work
What a handheld moisture meter for plants can and cannot tell you, and how a continuous per-bed reading fills the gaps.
How to mix compost for raised beds
How much compost a raised bed needs, why beds dry faster than the ground, and how a per-bed probe shows which bed to water.
Frost cloth and when to cover plants
Learn how frost cloth traps a few degrees, which fabric to use, and how to pick the nights your yard actually freezes.
Compost for clay soil and when the bed is dry
How compost opens up heavy clay soil, how much to add, and how to tell when a clay bed is actually dry below the surface before you water.
Soil moisture meter vs a bed sensor, which one to use
How a stick-in moisture meter and a mapped soil probe differ, and which one tells you which bed needs water today.
When is the best time to water your garden
Learn why early morning is the best time to water your garden, and how to read rain and soil so you skip the weeks your beds don't need it.
Your last-frost date is probably wrong for your yard
Learn why the last frost date you look up is an area average and how to find the real one for your own yard.
Some Siltwell guides are written or drafted with the help of AI, and are reviewed by us before publishing.