21 Skills Every Gardener Should Have

Photo courtesy: *Susie*

This time last year I wrote a post on how to become a gardener if you weren't already one. In it, I listed 10 rules to keep in mind which would help someone to grapple with the basics.

This year I want to lift the bar a little and identify 21 Skills that even the most basic gardener should be able to grasp. With these skills in their toolbox, gardeners should be able to handle almost any gardening scenario and will also be capable to troubleshoot any problems that might occur.

Propagating softwood cuttings
- Growing herbs from cuttings - Savvy Gardener
- Propagating from softwood cuttings - GTNI
Germinating vegetable seeds
- Growing vegetables from seed - [pdf] AESUT
Making compost
- How to Start Composting: VIDEO - Ed Bruske
- Making compost in a backyard bin - via WelchWrite
- How to make compost - by someone who did it - GTNI
Pruning Roses
- Rose Pruning - Garden Girl Gab
- Pruning Roses - GardenMob
- When to cut back roses and how - The Human Flower Project
Pruning Shrubs
- Forsythia Pruning: Before and After - Cold Climate Gardening
- A Guide to Successful Pruning, Pruning Shrubs - VCE
Dividing Bulbs
- Propagating by division - GTNI
- Planting and transplanting tulip bulbs - GTNI
Watering Plants
- Overwatering plants - GTNI
- 10 ideas to save water in the garden - GTNI
Staking Trees
- How to Stake a Tree - Grounds Maintenance Magazine
- How to Stake and Tie a Tree - eHow
Mulching Garden Beds
- Why I mulch and why you should too - Our Little Acre
- Mulch your garden - GTNI
Killing Weeds
- Backyard Gardening: Tips for Controlling Garden Weeds - Learn how to have a better garden
- The best way to eliminate weeds - GTNI
Handling Pests
- Pest and disease control; the 'green' way - Soekershof
- Safe Garden Pest Control Tips Integrated Pest Management - Glenns Garden
Improving Your Soil
- Cover crops in the veggie garden - Ellis Hollow
- Soil Texture Test - Bare Bones Gardening
- Sowing Green Manure - VegMonkey
Plant a tree or perennial shrub
- How to Plant a Tree - Daley's Fruit
- Plant a tree - Raven's Nest
- How to Plant a Shrub - GTNI
Repair a lawn
- Lawn Repair in Spring - UME
- Reseeding your receding lawn - Lawn Mower Review
Ability to maintain your garden tools
- How to handle rust on your gardening tools - Keen Grower
- An easy tip for cleaning garden tools - GTNI
- Repairing tools - Ed Hume Seeds
Fertilising plants
- Fertilizing my vegetable garden - I Wet My Plants
- When is the best time to fertilise - GTNI
Basic Plant Identification
- Flower Identification Tools - GTNI
How to spot a nursery bargain
- Planning a trip to the nurseries - GTNI
How to use the Web to find gardening information
- Blogging: Art and Practice - Your Blog Helper
- Learning how to use your new gardening tool - the Web - GTNI
Learning to relax and enjoy your garden
- 10 Ways to Relax in Your Garden - GTNI
- Your Garden as a meditation refuge - GTNI

And that's it. These 21 basics should empower anyone wanting to be a gardener.

Posted by Stuart on January 8, 2008 10:24 AM | Permalink | Check to Subscribe to this Comment:

Comments

Yikes! I am DEFICIENT!!!

Posted by: Kim | January 8, 2008 11:27 AM

Whatever!!!

If you're deficient Kim then you have an incredible blogger working for you! ;-) lol

Posted by: Stuart | January 8, 2008 12:27 PM

Well, I'm deficient in a couple, especially to do with lawn...because my theory of lawn is to edge into it more and more, making it less and less. And my other theory of lawn (the theory the second) is CLOVER! :-)

Posted by: jodi | January 8, 2008 1:04 PM

Reluctantly, I'm ascribing to your theory jodi. Lawn is nice but an expensive and extra onerous proposition.

Posted by: Stuart | January 8, 2008 2:18 PM

Great post!

Posted by: miss usability | January 10, 2008 9:16 AM

Er, I had been getting a bit of traffic to the crop rotation for container gardens thingy lately ... :) A great little toolbox you have there.

Posted by: blueblue | January 10, 2008 11:15 PM

Very informative post. Never can learn too much.

Posted by: Curtis | January 19, 2008 10:33 AM

Very good list! I have some work to do it seems.

Posted by: Dave | January 20, 2008 6:06 AM

Yep, I have all of the above and then some. BTW the pruning advice on roses is out dated: there are new insights as to how to prune a rose correctly.

Posted by: Yolanda Elizabet | January 21, 2008 7:20 PM

Great blog...thanks for sharing. Yours is one of the best on the net.

Posted by: mcgracie | January 23, 2008 8:12 PM

Wow! love your blog. Lots of great info!

Posted by: Melissa | March 14, 2008 11:12 AM

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