These garden myths just won’t go away! -(Myth One): Pine needles are acidic when they are fresh and green, but dried pine needles have a much higher pH. They make a great mulch for the garden! This myth is probably perpetuated by the fact that things often don’t grow well under and around pine trees. However, pine trees thrive in acidic soil that many plants can’t tolerate. Also, these trees tend to have fibrous, shallow roots that compete with other plants. -(Myth Two): This is a BIG myth that I fell for early on in gardening. It’s still a common practice. But, a quick online search will show you lots of great articles that don’t recommend this. For good reason! Adding rocks does NOT improve drainage. It just takes up space where potting mix could go. If you want to avoid a lot of runoff, use a coffee filter at the bottom of your containers instead of rocks. -(Myth Three): Plant life cycle determines its classification of annual, biennial, or perennial. Not the growing zone. This is very confusing with the terminology we use in gardening. “Grown as an annual” is a common phrase. Even plants that are technically perennial, like peppers, are labeled as annuals because they are commonly grown that way.
