Yearly Archives: 2008

Read more about the article Our Landscaping Project – Part 3

Our Landscaping Project – Part 3

Continue ReadingOur Landscaping Project – Part 3

In a bit of a diversion away from the usual subject of vegetable gardening, I am pleased to report that our front yard no longer lies barren.  Plants - actual plants now reside in the space that once was a flatland of mud and weeds.  No longer the embarrassment of the neighborhood, we can now hold our heads up high - and even smile - as we approach the front door.

If you've been following the previous segments about this project, you'll remember the exciting plant removal, and pathway and irrigation installation.  (It's really worth comparing ...

Read more about the article Gray Water for Vegetables?

Gray Water for Vegetables?

Continue ReadingGray Water for Vegetables?

A forward-thinking gardenerd wrote in this week:

"I am considering a gray water system to use on a vegetable garden. Is this safe to do? If so, is it considered organic?"

My first thought was, no - it's not really safe to use, but it might be with the right system.  Then I took to the cyberspace waves and found a few bits of information:

In many states it is actually illegal to use gray water on vegetable gardens.  You should check with your municipal sewage service to see what laws apply where you live.

In states where gray water systems are legal, they ...

Read more about the article Grow a Cover Crop
Cover crops are great for feeding beds over winter, providing habitat for critters, and keeping the soil healthy.

Grow a Cover Crop

Continue ReadingGrow a Cover Crop

Whether you are closing up shop for the winter, or just getting started on your fall garden, you can enrich your soil by growing a cover crop. Learn about green manures in today's podcast.

Read more about the article Fall Gardening To-Do List

Fall Gardening To-Do List

Continue ReadingFall Gardening To-Do List

For those who are cooling down for the winter, there are plenty of things to do before saying goodbye to gardening this fall.  As the leaves change color and the weather becomes more crisp, here are a couple fall gardening check lists for your end-of-season needs:

Organic Gardening Magazine's Fall To-Do List

Better Homes and Gardens Fall Garden Checklist

I also found a section on Consumer Reports' website that you might enjoy surfing through:

Consumer Reports Fall Lawn and Yard Checklist

Happy fall gardening! ...

Read more about the article Trial and Error with Irrigation

Trial and Error with Irrigation

Continue ReadingTrial and Error with Irrigation

Every gardener has moments of trial and error, simply because there are some things you just don't know until you try.  Irrigation is one of those things for me. 

Now that the seedlings (that were started under grow lights) have been planted out into the garden, it's time to figure out how to integrate them into our new irrigation system.  The irrigation is relatively simple, in that each bed has its own spigot with a hose attachment on the end.  (You can read more about it in this blog entry).  It is complicated, however, in that each bed has different watering ...

Read more about the article Battling Mealy Bugs

Battling Mealy Bugs

Continue ReadingBattling Mealy Bugs

One more question came in this week at Ask Gardenerd:

"I have large New Zealand Flax in planters on the balcony, they got white mealy buys - how can I treat it? I removed the nearby smaller plants where the bugs seemed to have invaded...but want to be sure I can save the large flax. Please help! Is there anything organic that works... the internet suggests malathion....ekkk! thanks...Beatrice"

I'm pretty sure we can save your New Zealand Flax (Phormium), Beatrice.  But first, let's make sure we have the right bug.  Is this the culprit?

http://floriculture.osu.edu/archive/oct97/mealy2.html

If so, there are a few ...

Crow Away!

Continue ReadingCrow Away!

Another great question came in this week:

"Crows! I had to deal with tiny snails which I handpicked daily out of my basil all summer, but I was not ready for crows feasting on my tiny green onion sprouts. Short of leaving my dogs in the front yard (they'd love that), any tips on how to discourage these critters?"

My grandfather used to shoot crows off of the telephone poles when I was a child.  His neighbors didn't really appreciate it, and I can't say I recommend it either.  I have a few recommendations for you that are a little ...

Epsom Salts

Continue ReadingEpsom Salts

A gardener wrote in recently asking if Epsom Salts are organic. 

I think we should break this question down into two questions:

1) Are Epsom Salts organic?
2) Are Epsom Salts safe to use in organic gardening?

The short answer to both questions is yes, but for the sake of clarity, I'll explain a little further.

Microsoft Encarta defines Epsom Salts as the following:

"Epsom Salts, common name for colorless or white crystalline salt (magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, MgSO4·7H2O) found in the minerals kieserite and epsomite and in mineral waters. Epsom salt was first prepared at Epsom, England. ...

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