Earth Day Apps
E-waste recycling is an important way to keep hazardous waste and recyclable products out of our landfills.
Stopping Sow Bugs
Sow bugs can be beneficial to the garden (or at least your compost bin) because they till the soil and are part of the Soil food web. But they are a problem because they eat decaying matter. But they also love strawberries.
Monarch on a happy milkweed plant
Ask Gardenerd: Milkweed for New York?
A question came into Ask Gardenerd this week about milkweed plants and seeds: "Could you please recommend a reliable source to buy African milkweed? I would like to grow some in Rochester NY. Is this the correct kind for my area, by the way? Thank you, Julia Joshpe" Hi Julia, while African Milkweed is beautiful and fun to grow, it's not a native milkweed in New York. Take heart, though. We found a site that has plenty of recommendations for…
Gardenerd on Hallmark’s Home and Family Show 4-13-16
It's been three years since my last appearance on the Hallmark Home and Family Show, and I'm happy to return this Wednesday (it repeats on Thursday, so I am told) to share information with you about growing sunflowers for pollinators. Tune in Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 10 a.m./ 9 a.m. central for fun and flowers as we discuss bee-friendly gardens, why pollinators are important, and how to grow sunflowers for color, pollen, and food. The photo above was taken…
Swarm Season
The queen takes a little more than half the worker bees and moves to a new location, leaving behind enough food and potential queen cells to hatch and lead after she’s gone.
22 different tomato seedlings under grow lights.
Wordless Wednesday: April Garden
They say April showers bring May flowers, but it's more like February rains bring April abundance here in Los Angeles. Color and new life reign supreme in the April garden, as we transition from winter to summer crops in a flash. It's time to plant warm-weather crops in warm-winter climates. Here's a look at what's growin' on in our Test Garden. Enjoy your April garden and get out there and plant something!
Multicolored carrots include Yellowstone, Cosmic Purple and Scarlet Nantes
YouTube: How to Harvest Carrots and Other Root Vegetables
You've got great foliage, but you pull a carrot and it's nowhere near ready to pick. How do you prevent this from happening again? The trick is easy and Christy shares it here in the latest Gardenerd YouTube video. We show you how to harvest carrots and other root vegetables with confidence from now on. Lift the veil of mystery and know forever more how to choose the right root veggie to harvest. Watch below, and like, subscribe and share…
We used home grown cabbage and sugar snap peas with spices and peanuts to make this great dish.
Recipe: Stir-Fried Cabbage with Chilies, Peanuts & Peas
Believe it or not, we're still working on that giant cabbage we picked a week or so ago. They keep so well in the fridge, but they take up a lot of space. So it was time to pull out all the stops and use the bulk of it all at once. This stir-fried cabbage with chilies, peanuts & peas recipe is incredibly satisfying and goes well with the "emergency" pre-made Indian food we have in the pantry. The recipe…
Securing Plants Against the Wind
For crops like favas and grains, place stakes around the perimeter and run several levels of twine around the circumference. This will keep your upright crops upright.
Where's Gardenerd sporting a rain hat and cloak. Our participants sure know to keep him clean and dry.
Where’s Gardenerd – San Jose, CA
Mr. Nerd made his long journey across the ocean, from New Zealand back to the United States. He met up with Alys Milner in Silicone Valley--San Jose, CA to be specific. Alys shares her gardening experience through her blog Gardening Nirvana and showed Mr. Nerd a good time while he was there. Presenting: Where's Gardenerd - San Jose, CA. Northern California benefits from more rain than we do here in So Cal., but they have been suffering from the drought,…