Small Garden Question?

Hey all, since this place has been so helpful, i just thought id ask another question... I live in a small apartment that has a patio area outside... When i first bought the apartment i noticed the person before had a small garden outside... So i decided to take up after it... I filled it pretty good with some soil and mulch as well, but the thing is, when i plant things in it, they usually die... Or when i water the plants i have, it seems that they are not getting enough water... I have no idea what im doing wrong, if anything? Is it a drainage issue? What can i do? Thanks for the help... I have 2 Lillies growing, 3 geraniums, and some Cilantro...
Small Garden Question?
You didn't mention any kind of fertilizer, so I'm assuming you bought some topsoil or gardening soil from the store. The thing is, a lot of the storebought dirt you'll see (despite the grandiose claims on the bag) contain roughly the same amount of nutrients as the soil in your average suburban backyard -- which isn't that much.



So what you can do about that is amend the soil with some natural fertilizer like cow manure or mature compost. Mix it in between your plants, using a few good-sized handfuls per square foot, and work it into the soil about half a foot deep.



If you're new to gardening, you may be over-watering. That's OK, I do that as well. Keep the soil moist, but never soggy or soaking wet. Stop watering before it starts to pool in the dirt. Mix in some ordinary playground sand for better soil drainage. Neither the sand nor the compost/fertilizer should be that expensive. Maybe $1.50 or $2 for a small bag.



Also, before you transplant store-bought plants, give the roots a nice massage with your hands to loosen up the roots. The plants need to spread their roots in their new "home," so give them a little water when you plant them as well.
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