9. Sam's Corner: All About Gardening
Today Sam has something very special in store for us!
He has been preparing for a long time.
Sam welcomes you to the very first ever episode of Sam's Corner, an educational program where Sam lends us his wisdom, providing a variety of tricks and solutions to life's every day problems.
Today's subject is gardening!
With spring rapidly on the way, it won't be long before backyard flowerbeds the world wide are bursting with colorful flowers and ripe fruits and vegetables. But how, you may ask, do you ensure that your plants perform to their very best in the coming warm season? Sam is here to show you!
Tip #1
Make sure to provide plenty of water!
Plants get thirsty just like people, especially in the hot, dry summer sun. To keep your garden green and vibrant, Sam suggests never allowing your plants to dry out. If plants don't get enough water, they die!
You can never provide too much water.
The more water your plant receives, the longer it will live!
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Tip #2
Feed your flowers!
Also like people, plants get hungry. Even though they get most of their energy from the rays of the sun, they require a ready supply of nutrients in their soil in order to properly grow and bloom.
Plants that are regularly fertilized are proven to grow much better than plants that must go without!
There are many different brands of plant food available at the garden center. Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. How do you know which one is best for your garden?
Fortunately for you, Sam has tried almost all of them.
His conclusion?
They all taste quite terrible!
Instead, Sam recommends producing your own balanced diet to offer to your plants and flowers.
Something they can enjoy!
His favorite choices are cereal with milk...
...blueberry jam...
...mayonnaise...
...and peanut butter!
The results speak for themselves.
Tip #3
Pruning!
If you have followed all of Sam's given advice so far and have kept your garden well-hydrated and properly fertilized, it is probably doing extremely well. But what if it does too well and begins to outgrow its allotted space?
To keep your garden tidy and orderly and encourage more flowers, Sam suggests pruning back unruly stalks and shoots.
If encouraging a more bushy growth habit in a lanky but otherwise healthy plant is all that is desired, Sam recommends a clean cut near the top third of the stalk.
The trimming will encourage the plant to grow new side branches and more flowers!
But as well, Bingo has something to add! If you have a plant that is not doing well and which seems to have died, perhaps because you have drowned it or lathered it in sandwich condiments, sometimes it can be salvaged by cutting it almost all the way back to the ground.
It might go against your instincts to harm it so drastically, but don't fret!
Because with proper watering (not too much!)...
...an appropriate feeding regimen...
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...and a little bit of TLC...
You will find that your garden will grow back better than ever before.
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It seems this was a learning show after all - even for Sam himself.