A great question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd: "It's Yvette from Mar Vista!!! I have a BURNING QUESTION!!! We have a big big rainbow eucalyptus tree in our front yard that is causing big, big problems with our raised beds...the roots (mostly small tangly ones) keep invading and stealing all the water and nutrients from them and we had a horrible harvest...we want to put in a root barrier but we don't know anything about it. Might you…
It's time for a new YouTube video, and this one is about storing seeds to keep them vital for years. It's as simple as 1, 2, 3, and we'll walk you through it. Seeds lose viability if stored improperly. By storing them in the right way, you'll save money, and you'll be ready for survival after the zombie apocalypse when the time comes. Storing Seeds to Make them Last for Years See? It's pretty straight forward and simple. How do…
We've been busy making instructional videos, and the latest one is all about harvesting compost. Here you'll learn simple tricks and tools to get your compost from the bin to the garden bed in an efficient way. We've event added a few tips on what to do with the grubs you find in there, and a bit about compostable cutlery. As you probably know, compost is the most important ingredient in a healthy garden. You'll enrich your soil and enhance…
We've posted a new YouTube video about harvesting and storing leeks for winter. You'll find a neat trick for keeping leeks on hand all winter long. Learn the best way to choose which leeks to pick and how to keep a continuous supply growing. Tune into YouTube each week for a new garden tip, and be sure to subscribe if you haven't already. To learn more about growing leeks and what to do with them, check out these other blog…
I had the opportunity to provide a Green Tip for Jeff Davis's Go Green America TV a short while ago, and today it's live. It's part of Jeff's Green Tip Tuesday series, bringing helpful, environmentally-friendly tidbits to viewers every week. The Green Tip answers the question, "Why should I grow heirloom seeds?" Check it out below: For more information on growing heirloom seeds, here are some previous blog posts to help guide you: Seed Libraries: Check it Out! Seed Catalog…
Gardenerd is happy to announce the addition of video to our arsenal of way to deliver tips and tidbits to you, our wonderful readers. Over the next 10 weeks, we'll be posting a new helpful video each week to get you growing this season. This week: Bed Prep for Fall and Spring Gardening. It's simple and easy to do, but very important for gardening success. Learn how to get your beds ready for your next crop. https://youtu.be/0QYxh46kvCM Tune in each…
A great question came in from a curious gardenerd this week: "Just started composting! I have a composting tumbler in my yard as there are many animals I would need to keep out of a pile eg. deer raccoons, etc. I have a separate bin where I plan to collect autumn leaves to have available for adding to the composter with the green material. Is this acceptable? I have read elsewhere that it's better not to use dead leaves as…
A great question came into Ask Gardenerd this week about plant protection: "It seems that every time I start seeds or plant out transplants in my raised bed, they get eaten overnight. It's so frustrating. Help!" Home made cloches work wonders for protecting seedlings. I have had the same problem over the years and I have found a few solutions that can help. The primary defense against nocturnal foragers is a physical barrier. Let's look at the options: Cloches -…
It's time to start planning and planting that spring garden. Most gardeners in climates with last frost dates in March can start seeds indoors now. If you live in a warmer, frost-free zone, you can still start seeds indoors, but you'll soon be able to plant out in the ground next month. A question came in from a new garden about what to plant now. Here's our helpful spring planting guide: Cool Weather stuff: Asparagus – plant crowns and slowly…
A familiar question arrived in the Ask Gardenerd Inbox this week:
"Hi Gardenerd! It's been slow getting started with my garden because my life has been chaotic for a while. Anyway, I started some seedlings inside and potted them in small pots outside and some in a long box but they haven't grown, they still look like seedlings for two months now, and my broccoli raab, red kale, and red romaine wouldn't grow past four or five inches. I'm so discouraged but my sister ...