Another great question came in this week:
"Hello, I have a worm bin that I use to throw all my compostable items in such as veggies,eggshells, paper etc. I also have a big compost bin next to my worm bin, it is about a quarter full. I throw junk mail and grass clippings, tree clippings, whatever is too big for my worm bin goes in this big bin. Could I add worms to this big bin as well to aid in the speed of the ...
It must be that time of year again... here come the questions about aphids:
"The leaves on Russian kale plants have a gray aphid looking bug on them. They cluster on the leaves. How to get rid of them and keep them off. Water doesn't seem to do much."
First of all I have to say that if you planted your kale in fall, the plants are probably just finished for the season and should be pulled. My kale plants bit ...
We like gardening stuff, and every once in a while we find really cool new stuff to share. This week's tip helps you reduce and reuse in the garden.
A fun question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd:
"I am growing a pretty decent size garden in Santa Monica, and I very much appreciate your tips and help! (i.e. Mulch Pit in Culver City). We are culinary people who have found a true love in gardening. We had great success last year in most of our endeavors (38 tomato plants thanks to your fabulous cradle structures) but one category we fell short in was our peppers. We tried to grow several types ...
I've been a bit paralyzed by all the different outreach efforts and options to donate to Haiti, and I find it difficult to sort out what's legit and what's not. So because of that, I haven't felt strongly about one avenue or another for helping the Haitians recover from the disastrous earthquake that has left so many without homes or infrastructure. Until today.
I've been trying to sell my extra ...
Get your beans and peas off to a great start with this week's tip.
As a birthday present to myself, I purchased some redwood seed flats from Bountiful Gardens, the home of Ecology Action in Willits, CA. These redwood seed flats allow gardeners to start seeds very close together without the occasionally tedious limitation of trays with cells. These open "half flats" (which I purchased instead of the full size flats that are twice as large and twice as heavy) can hold up to 87 seedlings in the same amount of space ...
A recent question came in:
"Hi Gardenerd!, I enjoyed your podcast about the wildflowers, and as I already had mine purchased, I have a more specific question. Mar Vista = Clay. After weeding, can the seeds just be scattered or does the soil need amending? I bought a Xeriscape blend, and when I started weeding, I was SHOCKED by the density of clay, wet clay at that after all this rain; but, it does drain as there is no puddling. Raised beds for wildflowers ...
One of the best way to insure diversity in your garden is to start your own seeds indoors, rather than be limited to what's available at nurseries. Timing is everything and now's the time!
Get native! Your garden will love you for it. This week's tip helps you get some wildflowers and native plants into your garden.