When you ask the cashier at the feed store whether the chicks she's ringing up for you have been sexed, and her answer is, "Ninety percent!", you know your odds are really 50/50. From there it's a waiting game to find out whether Betty is a Billy, unless you know the tell-tale traits of chicken sexing. We waited. And now we have a problem. Regulations in Los Angeles dictate that no one may own keep a rooster unless 100 feet…
If you haven't discovered the new Gardenerd Tip of the Week Podcast format, now's your chance. This week's guest is Barbara Spencer of Windrose Farm. We interviewed her at TomatoBration at Ocean View Farms Organic Community Garden awhile back about her farm, and we asked about her tomato-rearing process. Barbara shares her tomato tips for raising healthy tomatoes with Gardenerd listeners. Barbara Spencer This Week's Tip We're not going to reveal the awesome tip Barbara shared on the podcast this…
Tried and True Tips for Healthy Tomato Plants this season with our podcast guest, Barbara Spencer
Our 5-year-old hive up and died the other day. About a month ago, we noticed a pile of dead bees outside the hive. We didn't think much of it at the time. We've seen it before and nothing bad happened. We inspected and everything looked active and fine. But then...Bee death. It appears to have taken several weeks for most of the bees to leave or die, but when we cracked open the hive the remaining bees numbered in dozens…
David wrote in to Ask Gardenerd this week: "Hi Christy. Where do you recommend getting Kelp emulsion and how do you recommend using it? Thank you." We use several different liquid kelp products, depending on what's available. There are several available at nurseries (rather than big box warehouse nurseries). Here are a few to find: Liquid Kelps GrowMore is one brand that we've seen at nurseries, and of course you can get most things on the interwebs. We've used this…
"Help! The squirrels clean[ed] my 3 Loquat trees, not one piece of fruit left. Quite the surprise. Now I'm fretting over my tomatoes. How do I keep them away for my ripening fruit?"--Kim Sorry to hear about your squirrel issues, Kim. It's devastating to foster trees to fruitful production only to have them stripped bare by furry beasts. Let's look at some options for deterring squirrels: Squirrel Solutions First - read up on proposed solutions (like pet hair, predator urine…
Explore Treatment Free Beekeeping Methods with our podcast guest, John Lyons
New growth brings hope of delicious rewards this spring. As the weather warms up, plants burst forth with young leaves, flowers, and foliage. It's also an early swarm season for bees; we've rescued 3 swarms so far from the same location in the Gardenerd Test Garden. Spring flourish, indeed! Enjoy these shots celebrating spring this week. Spring Flourish Never a dull moment here at Gardenerd. Happy spring gardening!
Today’s guest post is by Hydroponics & Aquaponics blogger Jonathan de Araujo. Read more of Jonathan’s articles at uPONICS.com. The Science of Aquaponics The science of aquaponics is as much fascinating and forwarding-thinking as it is simplistic and age-old. Aquaponics has really only been making waves over the last few decades despite the practice dating back thousands of years. The reason behind this trend is a heightened interest in organic foods, sustainable living, and self-sufficient lifestyles. So what is aquaponics…
Our podcast is all about the bee with founders of Honeylove.org, Rob and Chelsea McFarland.