Growing and Harvesting Ground Cherries
It's always great to discover you can grow something in your climate that you didn't think was possible before. This is true of ground cherries for me. Until this spring, they were a mystery to me, relegated to northern climates, or so I thought. Then a friend sent seeds from Canada and I couldn't resist the opportunity to see how they would do in a completely different latitude. Ground cherries, otherwise known as Physalis, are in the nightshade family and…
Ask Gardenerd: Make my Hydrangea Blue
I think we've all asked this question at least once in our gardening lives: "What do I have to do to make our light pink hydrangea to blossom blue. Everyone has different opinion on this subject, your help is very much appreciated. Thank you, Ana" Good question, Ana, and there are several answers, all arriving at basically the same solution: You need to lower the pH of your soil in order for hydrangeas to flower blue instead of pink. Now,…
Where’s Gardenerd: Golden Isles, Georgia
We've received our first report from Where's Gardenerd on the road. He's in Golden Isles, Georgia, and has been spending time at the headquarters of Modern Mia Gardening. It seems Modern Mia and the Wonder Kids have been showing Gardenerd around their prolific garden. He's also been traveling to Georgia shores and elsewhere. Check out his latest adventures in four parts: First up: Where's Gardenerd toured the homestead, inspecting tomatoes, peppers and citrus trees. Looks like they grow well in…
Ask Gardenerd: Mildew on Grapes
This week we explore powdery mildew on grapes: "Every year we have a good crop of grapes, but they are covered by mold. What should we do? We sprayed our grapes with milk & water (equal parts) to no avail. Any suggestion? Thank you. Ana & Joe Liper" You're not alone, Ana & Joe, molds such as powdery mildew are very common on grapes and other vining crops like melons and cucumbers. Once it takes hold it is very hard…
Soil Food Web Intensive – Part 2
In our last episode, we shared the wonders of Dr. Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web Intensive course. Today, we'll continue with more tidbits and tricks that will help you build better compost (and compost tea) for a healthier garden. In my opinion, every gardener should have a compost bin. It's not only the best way to reduce what goes in the garbage, it's the best way to improve your soil for all eternity. What is compost? I've said it before,…
Ask Gardenerd: Growing Chicken Feed
Heads-up homesteaders, this Ask Gardenerd question is for you: "I want to start having my chickens eat things from the earth, than from the store. They are were born in April. I saw your video on YouTube about making that grass cover for them. Do you recommend compost piles and the turf for the chickens? Would you feed them other things as well? Or do you have resources that you think might get us in the right direction. Thank you!…
Soil Food Web Intensive – Part 1
I've just returned from spending 5 glorious days with Dr. Elaine Ingham, the soil microbiologist who coined the term "Soil Food Web." It was, indeed, intense. Even though I'd been circling this information since 2009 when I saw Jeff Lowenfels speak about the Soil Food Web and his then upcoming book, Teaming with Microbes, at the San Fransisco Garden Show, there's nothing like getting it from the source. Dr. Elaine Ingham has been solving soil issues around the world, soil…
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