Read more about the article Growing Horseradish

Growing Horseradish

Continue ReadingGrowing Horseradish

Here's one I hadn't encountered before:

"We have a horseradish root that we bought at the store and on a whim
we put the top part of the root into some potting soil, we now
have growth. Our question is what type of soil does it require and how
much sun will it need to grow properly. Dave Garman & Karen Blessington"

Good for you for being adventurous!  And lucky for you, you've chosen a really easy plant to grow.  Horseradish has no particular soil requirements and basically likes to be ignored.  It prefers full sun, but can handle ...

Read more about the article Sprout Struggles

Sprout Struggles

Continue ReadingSprout Struggles

A curious question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd:

"Hello-I'm starting some cool season plants from seed inside my house. I
planted some De Cicco Broccoli seeds in seed starting mix, and placed
in a window sill. The seeds sprouted in 3 days, which was definitely
exciting! But now a few days later, the little sprouts' stems are about
2 inches tall and they are falling over. What may cause the sprouts to
grow too fast and become top heavy??"

First of all, congratulations on starting broccoli from seed!  It isn't always the easiest thing to ...

Moldy Soil

Continue ReadingMoldy Soil

A great question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd:

"My garden soil has this yucky whitish hue to it. I am assuming it is a
type of mold (I do think I have been overwatering). When I took it out
of the bags (10 bags)a few months ago, it did have a few "moldy"
looking spots (I took back some of the bags but they told me it was
"normal"). Is there any way I can salvage this soil?"

I understand your concern, but the folks at the nursery are correct.  The mold in your soil is totally normal.  Most good ...

Raccoon Troubles

Continue ReadingRaccoon Troubles

A great question came in this week:

"Hi Christy, I live in Santa Monica and I have Raccoons!  We caught a
giant one rustling through our soon to be bountiful garden a few nights
ago and now know who has been munching on our strawberries and also
took a bite of a green Serrano (I think one bite was enough for him).
The last straw for me was that he got his hands on an heirloom tomato
that was just nearing ripeness and ripped it off the plant!  Considering
the amount of tomatoes I have planted, he must ...

Artichoke Care

Continue ReadingArtichoke Care

A question came in this week:

"I have some lovely modest artichokes on one plant that I planted this
spring. I can't decide if I should cut 'em and eat 'em, or let them go
to flower!  I'm not sure what would be best for the future life of the
plant... and what is the life cycle of the artichoke, anyway?  What do I
need to do to keep it healthy and happy in my garden, year after year?
Thanks. I love the being a gardenerd!! Liza"

Well, those are all good questions, Liza.  Artichokes can be intimidating, I think, ...

What Wood Would You Use?

Continue ReadingWhat Wood Would You Use?

A gardener wrote in this week:

"Hi there - I SO enjoy your newsletters and info! I have a question - we
are making containers to grow vegetables. At first my dad thought
pressure treated because it will last longer on the island where we live -
but I said no way!  They use pesticides to treat the wood and that
defeats the whole purpose!!  Do you have any suggestions?  Would cedar be
good?  Do you know anyplace that has pre-fab ones?  Also - what should we
use for soil and fertilizer?  I want our veggies to be ...

Flying Green Things

Continue ReadingFlying Green Things

A new question came in to Ask Gardenerd:

"Hi, I'm an organic gardener growing my own food in Hollywood. I have a
well-established herb garden, but all of the sudden my herbs seem to be
infested with teeny tiny green flying insects that swarm around when I
shake the plants. They seem most attracted to my woody herbs (rosemary,
oregano, thyme) but are also in my mint. Any idea what they are and
what I can use to reclaim my crops? Thanks."

Those flying green things are most likely one of the many varieties of aphids on our ...

Read more about the article Rabbit Retribution

Rabbit Retribution

Continue ReadingRabbit Retribution

Gardens are springing up everywhere - providing snack bars for woodland creatures all over the globe.  Here's a question that came in last week:

"Dear Gardenerd, I am starting a garden in my back yard.  I would LOVE to
convert my useless front lawn into an edible estate but can't spend
thousand of dollars on a fence to keep out the wild rabbits.  Do you
have a simpler suggestion to keep the rabbits at bay? Thanks, Caroline"

I can make a few suggestions, but honestly a fence is the best answer. 
Rabbits burrow, so any fence you put in needs to go down at ...

Zucchini Mishaps

Continue ReadingZucchini Mishaps

An intriguing question came in last week:

"Dear Gardenerd,  I just planted my garden and am looking forward to summer
harvests, but wanted your advice on my zucchini.  Last year, in the
middle of summer, the leaves turned gray and the plants eventually
died.  None of my other veggies were effected, but this also happened
the year before last as well. Is there anything I can do to avoid this
transpiring? thanks so much, Pascal"

Not that this is an answer to your question, but I have to commiserate and say that last year was a rotten year for squash in my ...

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