Blog - Page 68 of 217

Three types of basil, ready for transplanting

June To-Do List

Summer is almost here, the weather is warming up, and the garden is really taking off. I don't know about you, but in June I'm hankering to get away, to put my garden on autopilot and take a vacation. But that's right when things start getting good! Here's our June To-Do List for your vegetable garden: June To-Do List Hand Pollinate In the early morning, get out your paint brush and hand pollinate squash to ensure plenty of fruits for…

Post author:Christy
Post published:June 5, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Cilantro bolts to seed all over the yard. The bees love it and we'll let it re-seed for another round.

Wordless Wednesday: June is Nearly Here

Despite bouts with the flu, our recent bee loss, and discovering one of our new hens is a rooster, we're still hopeful about gardening as June approaches. Here are some photos to inspire you even in hard times. Setbacks are part of gardening. Even the smallest victories help keep us going. We're celebrating the harvest every day, and we're plugging away at the problems. Enjoy your garden no matter what is happening in life.

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 30, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Betty turned out to be a Billy

Chickens: When Betty is a Billy

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…

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 29, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Barbara Spencer of Windrose Farm

Podcast: Tomato Tips with Barbara Spencer of Windrose Farm

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…

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 24, 2018
Post category:Blog Podcast What's Growin' On
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Barbara Spencer of Windrose Farm talks tomatoes and apples.

Tomato Tips with Barbara Spencer of Windrose Farm

Tried and True Tips for Healthy Tomato Plants this season with our podcast guest, Barbara Spencer

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 24, 2018
Post category:Blog
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Only a few dozen bees remain in the hive.

Bee Death

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…

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 22, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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We soaked our plants in kelp emulsion for a few minutes to hydrate and feed.

Ask Gardenerd: How to Use Kelp Emulsion?

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…

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 16, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
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Loquats ripen on a small tree. We try to pick them before the squirrels get them.

Ask Gardenerd: Squirrels Eating My Fruit!

"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…

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 15, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
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John Lyons in his natural habitat. Christy talks bees with him on the Gardenerd Tip of the Week Podcast.

Bees and Gardens with John Lyons of The Woven Garden

Explore Treatment Free Beekeeping Methods with our podcast guest, John Lyons

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 10, 2018
Post category:Blog
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Tri-color sage lends beauty to any garden. Perfect for container gardens.

Wordless Wednesday: Spring Flourish

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!

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 2, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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