Sage Advice Archives - Page 5 of 24

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
Post comments:0 Comments

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
Post comments:3 Comments

Nature gives us answers if you know where to look.

Ask Gardenerd: Onions Didn’t Bulb Up

We received a great question from Sue Payne regarding onions this week: "I planted yellow Spanish onions last September from seedlings that I picked up in a nursery (they were little, about 3" tall, 1/16" in diameter, in soil). I planted them in a garden bed with compost, about 6" apart. They grew nicely, but have never "bulbed". I just noticed that many are starting seed heads, so I don't think I'm going to get onions. I'm guessing I planted…

Post author:Christy
Post published:April 24, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:13 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: Preventing Compacted Soil in Pots

Here's a cool question that came into Ask Gardenerd this week: "Hi Christy, When transplanting plants grown in pots, I usually find large sections of soil that are dry and hard, often near the bottom, but not always. I've tried pushing small sticks into the soil to create a channel for water to follow, but it hasn't helped significantly. Do you have any suggestions on how to keep soil in pots watered evenly? Thanks, Jeff Bremer" Solutions for Compacted Soil…

Post author:Christy
Post published:February 6, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:7 Comments

Fig Beetles are green and iridescent. They lay eggs in garden soils, compost bins and lawns.

Ask Gardenerd: Grubs and Raccoons

A question came into Ask Gardenerd over the holidays: "How do I discourage the raccoons digging in my raised veggie beds?? They don’t dig on the hillside, where their efforts would be appreciated! :) So far vinegar; cayenne pepper hasn’t worked! I know they are looking for grubs. I read that BT will kill the grubs, but not sure that I want to do that since (I think) the grubs may be beneficial for the soil.-- Cynthia" You're right, those…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 23, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:5 Comments

Honey bees taking pollen and nectar from wisteria blossoms.

Ask Gardenerd: Pollinator Garden Density

A very cool question came in to Ask Gardenerd from Trevor Pratt this week: "How geographically dense does the distribution of pollinator gardens have to be in the LA area to support bees and other interesting threatened species of pollinating organisms? I am not sure what the problem is but it seems they need a network. Pollinators are neat." Great question, Trevor. The good news is that statistically speaking, bees and other pollinators in urban areas like Los Angeles are…

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 31, 2017
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
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A small but proud harvest

Homegrown Goji Berries

Our first year of growing experimental goji berries comes to a close and we actually have something to show for it. Some readers may recall that we won two goji berry plants at the Garden Writers Association Symposium in 2015. It took a year for the plants to get established and 2017 was the first for fruit production. This week we harvested and dried our own goji berries. Here's how: The Harvest The harvest was small, but enough to claim…

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 3, 2017
Post category:Blog Sage Advice What's Growin' On
Post comments:6 Comments

Tomato seeds being soaked to remove the membrane around them.

Ask Gardenerd: Saving Tomato Seeds and Blight

A question came in to Ask Gardenerd from Jeff Bremer this week: "This is a two-part question: 1. I save seeds from each year's tomato crop to plant the following year. I can never get all the "meat" of the tomato off the seeds. How do you clean these seeds? 2. Can early blight be transmitted through tomato seeds? Thanks, Jeff " Great questions, Jeff. Let's start with saving tomato seeds. Saving Tomato Seeds Saving tomato seeds is relatively easy,…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 5, 2017
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:2 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: When to Water?

A question came in from Karen at Ask Gardenerd this week: "During these very hot summer days, what's the best time of day to water my vegetable garden?" Irrigation is key during hot weather in climates where rain is scarce. Here in Los Angeles, where days are topping 108° in the Valley and other inland areas, and rain is non-existent, it's important to water regularly to keep plants happy. But when? It's a good question. Ideal watering times Watering is…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 19, 2017
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:4 Comments

Droppings and munching are a clear sign you have tomato hornworms.

Tomato Worms, Flies, and Flower Drop – Oh, My!

Several questions came in all at once from David this week. He asks, "How do I get rid of flies that like to hang around in my back yard and bask in the sunlight? Also, why would my tomato plants not produce any fruit? The flowers just shrivel up and die. AND, what can I do to prevent the worms from eating my tomato's and apples? Thank you." Those are all great questions, David, with varied answers. Let's start with…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 12, 2017
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:5 Comments