Planting and Growing
People choose to grow plants for several reasons, such as putting food on the table, feeling closer to nature, providing a habitat for insects and other animals, or making the outside of their home look beautiful.
In this section, you’ll find all the information you need for planting and growing home gardens. Topics covered include choosing plants, container gardening, soil testing, pruning, and deadheading. Find tips on home orchards, vegetable and fruit gardens, native plants, and herbs.
How to Plant a Home Garden
Planting your own garden is a very rewarding thing to do. Everyone can benefit from getting their hands dirty, whether you’re planting ornamentals, growing fruits, vegetables, or garden flowers.
The first step is to decide what plants you want to grow. Native plants are a good place to start because they are generally easier to grow and cheaper to maintain. Native trees, shrubs, and other plants also help preserve Pennsylvania’s diversity.
Once you’ve decided what types of plants you want to grow in your garden, the next step is to choose the best location. Picking the right spot for your plants is crucial. Most vegetables and flowers need at least 6-8 hours of full sun every day. They also need plenty of moisture. However, there are plants suitable for a range of different locations. For example:
- Sun to part sun and dry to moist soil: Mockernut Hickory, White Ash, Aromatic Aster, and Golden Aster
- Sun to part sun and wet to moist soil: Red Maple, American Holly, Gray Dogwood, and Blue Flag Iris
- Shade to part shade and dry to moist soil: Maple Viburnum, Wild Columbine, Blue Wood Aster, and Wreath Goldenrod
If you want to plant an orchard, choose a location with plenty of sunlight as this is key for maximum fruit production. Grapes also require lots of sunshine. Most fruits require a fair amount of space, but small fruits, such as strawberries, can thrive in a limited space.
Successful pest management includes plant rotation based on plant families. If you’re worried about the soil quality, there’s always the option of using raised beds. You can quickly build them yourself and allow for gardening in conditions that might not be ideal for growth. Growing herbs is another option because they are some of the easiest plants to grow and tolerate various soil types.
You can start your plants in several different ways. Sowing seeds is the most obvious choice, but you have to make sure you select the best seeds and provide the optimum growing environment. You can sow annual seeds indoors and outdoors. Sowing annual seeds is a relatively inexpensive way to produce garden plants.
Some of the most common annuals you can grow in your garden are marigolds, petunias, impatiens, geraniums, and zinnias. When your annual seedlings have developed their first pair of identifiable true leaves, they’re ready for transplanting.
You can also start your vegetable garden indoors. However, before you’re ready to transplant your vegetable seedlings outdoors, there’s lots of work to be done. For example, the quality of the soil is essential when you begin a vegetable garden.
Container Gardening
If space in your garden is limited, container gardening might be the answer. There’s no right way to create a container garden, however, there are four common principles you should follow. These are:
- Choose the right container
- Use the best potting mix
- Select the perfect plants
- Fertilize and water correctly
You can grow vegetables, edible plants, soft fruits, and flowers. Container gardening is also ideal for small spaces, but it is also very effective if you want to emphasize particular seasonal plants and if you want to supplement your fall landscape.
How to Grow and Maintain a Home Garden
It doesn’t matter what plants you’re growing. Vegetables, fruits, and herbs all require care and attention. Every plant has different requirements and growing needs. For your garden to be free of disease and pests and healthy, you need to water and maintain it properly.
The Penn State Extension Master Gardener Manual covers a wide variety of plant and gardening topics for beginners, advanced gardeners, and plant, landscape, and pest professionals.
Selecting and preparing your vegetable garden site will give it the best foundation. After that, various care and maintenance must take place.
Perennials, for example, benefit from dividing. In the fall, some should be left standing, and some cut down. Deadheading is another job you should do regularly, as it promotes new growth and re-flowering. Learn how to propagate using cuttings and layering, and you’ll be able to grow new plants from existing ones.
In a home orchard, correct pruning is essential if you want your orchard to be productive. Use the Home Orchard Calendar to decide when is the best time to do this important maintenance task.
Pruning Your Home Garden
Pruning is an essential task if you’ve got apples and pears or other fruit trees in your backyard. You can increase your fruit trees’ productivity with correct pruning, and you can also renovate old fruit trees that are out of control.
A variety of other plants benefit from judicious pruning. The late winter is the perfect time to prune trees and shrubs to ensure continued plant growth and vigor. Pruning plays an essential role in the maintenance of ornamental plants, and it can increase their health and beauty. Herbaceous plants benefit from pruning techniques such as disbudding, pinching back, cutting back, and thinning. The best time to prune flowering shrubs is when they’ve stopped flowering.
- Workshops
$25.00
Evergreen Identification and Centerpiece Workshop
When 12/02/2024Length 3 hoursEvent Format In-PersonDiscover how to identify evergreens and craft a stunning holiday centerpiece that adds festive charm to your home or makes a memorable gift. - Workshops
$25.00
Wreath and Swag Workshop
When 11/16/2024Length 2 hoursEvent Format In-PersonCreate your own wreath using fresh greenery while supporting the Master Gardeners! - Workshops
$5.00
Fall Gardening
When 10/26/2024Length 1 hourEvent Format In-PersonLearn tips on bulb planting and winterizing your garden in our fall workshop, and let Master Gardeners help you prepare for spring! - Webinars
$10.00
Second Saturday Gardening Series: Key Garden Tools and Tips
When 11/09/2024Length 1 hour, 30 minutesEvent Format Virtual | LiveJoin Penn State Master Gardeners as they review the uses, selection, and care of garden equipment, and discover how the right tools can transform your gardening experience. - Workshops
Free
Winter Seed Sowing
When 10/05/2024Length 1Event Format In-PersonLearn how to start seeds in containers this fall for a beautiful garden next year! - Webinars
$5.00
Good Gardening Saturday: The Story is in the Seed
When 12/14/2024Length 1 hour, 30 minutesEvent Format Virtual | LiveJoin Owen Taylor of Truelove Seeds and explore how growing ancestral foods connects us to our cultural roots and each other. Discover heirloom seeds and support for diverse farming communities. - Webinars
$10.00
Know Your Natives: Groundcovers
When 11/20/2024Length 1 hourEvent Format Virtual | LiveAttend our one-hour webinar to explore the benefits of native groundcovers for erosion control, weed suppression, and wildlife support. Discover which to use and which to avoid. - Articles
Native Groundcovers Can Solve Tough Challenges in the Landscape
Discover native groundcovers that thrive on sunny slopes, require little maintenance, and are eco-friendly. - Articles
Longwood Gardens and the Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum
The chrysanthemum festival at Longwood Gardens showcases the spectacular thousand bloom chrysanthemum, a stunning display of horticultural artistry and science. - Webinars
$10.00
Second Saturday Gardening Series: Certifying Your Gardens
When 10/12/2024Length 2Event Format Virtual | LiveLearn what it means to have a certified garden and how to certify your own at this informative session, part of the Second Saturday Gardening Series with Penn State Extension Master Gardeners. - Workshops
Free
Amaryllis!
When 09/21/2024Length 1 hour, 30 minutesEvent Format In-PersonLearn about the stunning winter-blooming amaryllis and take a potted bulb home with you! - Webinars
$10.00
Indoor Plant Basics
When 11/13/2024Length 1 hourEvent Format Virtual | LiveAre you ready to transform your living space into a vibrant, green sanctuary? Register for this webinar and learn how to successfully grow indoor plants to keep your spirits blooming all year! - Workshops
$15.00
Winter Sowing and Seed Harvesting
When 09/21/2024Length 3 hoursEvent Format In-PersonExplore Winter sowing and learn to grow native plants from seed in this three-hour workshop. Discover planting techniques, the importance of native species, and tips for seed harvesting. - Workshops
$20.00
Explore the Exciting World of Mushrooms
When 10/09/2024Event Format In-PersonDiscover the diverse world of mushrooms, their potential benefits to both human health and the environment, and the techniques for cultivating them. - Webinars
$20.00
Endless Summer: Fall Garden Seminar
When 10/05/2024Length 3 hours, 30 minutesLearn how to extend your gardening seasons further than spring and summer! - Workshops
$20.00
Endless Summer: Fall Garden Seminar
When 10/05/2024Length 3 hours, 30 minutesEvent Format Hybrid | Choice of In-Person or Virtual AttendeeLearn how to extend your gardening seasons further than spring and summer! - Workshops
Environmental Field Studies: Landscaping with Natives
Length 3 hours, 30 minutesDiscover the benefits of native plants for your yard! Learn how to enhance your landscape with flowers, shrubs, and trees while making a positive ecological impact—every garden counts! - Webinars
$10.00
Made for the Shade: Choosing the Best Plants
When 11/16/2024Length 1 hour, 30 minutesEvent Format Virtual | LiveStruggling to create the perfect shady garden? Join Penn State Master Gardener Kevin Kelly's webinar for tips on shade-loving plants, including natives and non-natives, to transform your shady spots! - Workshops
$10.00
Made for the Shade: Choosing the Best Plants
When 11/16/2024Length 1 hour, 30 minutesEvent Format Hybrid | Choice of In-Person or Virtual AttendeeStruggling to create the perfect shady garden? Join Penn State Master Gardener Kevin Kelly's webinar for tips on shade-loving plants, including natives and non-natives, to transform your shady spots! - Workshops
Garden Photography Using Your Smartphone
Length 1 hour, 30 minutesAttend the Lebanon County Master Gardeners’ workshop on smartphone garden photography. Learn composition, lighting, and more. Bring your charged phone for hands-on practice! - Workshops
Starting at $20.00
Holiday Centerpiece Making with Fresh Greens
When Multiple Options AvailableLength 2 hoursEvent Format In-PersonUnleash your creativity and join us to craft a holiday centerpiece with fresh greens, perfect for yourself or to give as a gift! - Webinars
$10.00
Get Ready for Fall Fest: Prepping Your Garden for Winter
When 09/24/2024Length 1 hourEvent Format Virtual | LiveYour vegetable and ornamental gardens are in full bloom after summer's care. What's next? Learn how to prepare your garden for winter. Fall is for planting! - Workshops
$5.00
Fall Fest
When 09/28/2024Length 6 hoursEvent Format In-PersonJoin the Delaware County Master Gardeners for a gardening symposium, plant sale, and marketplace. - Webinars
$10.00
Know Your Natives: All About Asters
When 09/30/2024Length 1 hourEvent Format Virtual | LiveJoin our one-hour webinar to uncover the Aster family's unique traits. Discover their vibrant members and vital connections with wildlife—perfect for gardeners and nature lovers! - Webinars
$10.00
Spectacular Fall Color: Plants That Stand Out
When 10/26/2024Length 1 hour, 30 minutesEvent Format Hybrid | Choice of In-Person or Virtual AttendeeMost gardeners do well in the spring and early summer, but by fall, the garden looks tired. Attend this informative session to learn more and keep your garden thriving year-round!