Decoding Gardening Advice : The Science Behind the 100 Most Common Recommendations

Everyone seems to have advice for budding gardeners-divide perennials only in spring, never water plants in direct sunlight-but how much of this advice is grounded in science, reality, or even common sense?

Jeff Gillman is an associate professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. His previous books include The Truth about Garden Remedies and The Truth about Organic Gardening. Meleah Maynard is a journalist, editor, and master gardener. She writes regularly for many publications, and her garden and horticulture stories have appeared in magazines such as The History Channel Magazine, Gardening How-To, Garden and Deck & Landscape.