Myth Of The Week

Little did the Renegade Gardener know that of the five regularly updated features on the site, "Myth of the Week" would prove to be the most popular. Is it their superb timeliness? Their horticultural accuracy? Their unflinching profundity? The fact that they provided easy fodder for snotty one-liners?

You decide.

“Plants have a pre-programmed height that they grow to.”
“Annuals bloom all summer long”
“Trees should be watered every two days after planting”
"Trees roots can grow into a house foundation and cause damage."
"The Renegade Gardener is Infallible"
“Crabgrass pre-emergent should be spread on the lawn every spring”

“Plant trees a little deeper than grade because roots deeper in the soil find more water”
“Add gravel to the bottom of containers to improve drainage"
"The soil under and around pine trees and oaks is acidic"
"You always wait for the ground to freeze before applying winter mulch."
“Wait a minute, maybe dogs CAN be harmed by eating cocoa bean hull mulch”

“A home compost pile or bin can spontaneously combust”
“You cover perennials with mulch in the fall to keep the ground warm”
"Lawns should be fertilized in early spring"
"Dirt is dirt, and ‘fill’ is dirt"
"The best time to plant trees is in early fall"

"A compost pile needs to be turned and watered regularly"
“Wood mulch attracts carpenter ants”
"Watering my trees and shrubs is covered, because I have a lawn irrigation system"
"Water suckers and shoots on trees should be pruned in the spring"
"Organic produce is healthier and has more vitamins and nutrients than conventionally grown produce"

"Free trees or shrubs that I can dig and move to my yard are a good deal"
"Deadheading lilacs increases next year's bloom"
"Water newly planted container trees and shrubs once a week"
"Always plant a tree at the same depth it was in the pot"
"Glyphosate is the Agent Orange of our time"

"Moss growing in your lawn is a sign of acidic soil"
"Arborvitae grow in shade" 
"Adding peat moss to your soil will lower the pH"
"Gasoline in a can or tank is good all season"
"You need to add extra nitrogen to the soil anywhere you use shredded bark or wood chips as mulch."

"Groundcovers have a tough time under pine trees because the soil is too acidic."
"Vegetables grown in beds edged with copper chromium arsenate-treated wood are unhealthy to consume."
"When planting a tree, dig a hole twice the diameter of the container."
"Wrapping the trunk of a young tree with paper tree-wrap in the fall prevents winter sun scald."
"You can plant ball and burlap (B&B) material without removing the wire cage or burlap."

"Always plant a tree at the same level as the soil in the pot or top of the root ball."
“It’s a good idea to rototill your garden beds every year.”
"Organic pesticides don't harm the environment."
"When buying tomato plants, buy the biggest plants you can find"
"Water-soluble fertilizers work just as well as granular, and are in many ways easier and more beneficial" 

"The most important design consideration in choosing and placing perennials and annuals is color of bloom"
"You should add sand as an amendment to clay soils."
"The Stella de Oro Daylily Blooms All Season Long"
"It's a Good Idea to Lime Your Soil"
"Put Brush at the Bottom of Your Compost Pile"

"Lawn Mowers Have Five Height Settings for No Reason"
"Always Buy Perennials in Threes"
"Roundup is Evil, Child-Killing Poison"
"Hosta Don't Tolerate Sun"
"Christmas Tree Boughs Make a Wonderful Winter Mulch"

"Perennials Should Be Divided in Spring"
"Grass Clippings Left on Lawns Cause Thatch"
"Fall Watering of Trees & Shrubs"
"Do Not Amend Soil When Planting a Tree"
"Organic Fertilizers are Better than Chemical Fertilizers"
"Lawn Fertilizers Chief Cause of Lake/Pond Algae"