Ask Gardenerd Archives - Page 7 of 7

Diatomaceous earth or DE is safe for use in organic gardens without harming the good guys of the soil food web.

Ask Gardenerd: Roly Poly Problems

Here's a new question that came in this week: " I have a ton of roly poly bugs in my raised beds right now... They at the roots/stems of my last round of cucumbers and I would like to get rid of them without hurting my worm population. Can I use Diatomaceous earth? - Tia" Hi Tia, Yes, you can use diatomaceous earth (DE) to get rid of the pill bugs (A.K.A. roly poly) without hurting your worm population. Diatomaceaous…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 1, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:8 Comments

Cosmos are beneficial insectaries for bees and other pollinators.

Ask Gardenerd: When to Spray to Avoid Bees

Another great question to share with you this week from Melody Girard: "Are there certain times of the day that bees and other pollinators in our area routinely forage? If so, when would that be? I've read that if you need to use an organic spray to control pest, that you should avoid using it at times when bees are foraging." Knowing when to spray is tricky one, because there are some species that are out all day long, and…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 29, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:0 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: Make my Hydrangea Blue

I think we've all asked this question at least once in our gardening lives: "What do I have to do to make our light pink hydrangea to blossom blue. Everyone has different opinion on this subject, your help is very much appreciated. Thank you, Ana" Good question, Ana, and there are several answers, all arriving at basically the same solution: You need to lower the pH of your soil in order for hydrangeas to flower blue instead of pink. Now,…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 15, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:0 Comments

Picture perfect grapes on a vine

Ask Gardenerd: Mildew on Grapes

This week we explore powdery mildew on grapes: "Every year we have a good crop of grapes, but they are covered by mold. What should we do? We sprayed our grapes with milk & water (equal parts) to no avail. Any suggestion? Thank you. Ana & Joe Liper" You're not alone, Ana & Joe, molds such as powdery mildew are very common on grapes and other vining crops like melons and cucumbers. Once it takes hold it is very hard…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 1, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:3 Comments

Food grade barrels are best for use in vegetable gardens.

Ask Gardenerd: Using Rainwater

A great question came into Ask Gardenerd this week: "Is it safe to use rain barrel water on the organic vegetable garden? My first concern is that the plastic the rain barrels are made of. My second is that we have several of the barrels catching water from the composite roof. What are your thoughts on this? Thank you, Tia" Yes, you can use rainwater to irrigate your vegetable garden. We've been watering with rainwater exclusively since December. Veggie gardens…

Post author:Christy
Post published:June 9, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:2 Comments

Golden Guardian marigolds reduce root-knot nematodes

Ask Gardenerd: Root Knot Nematodes

A great question came into Ask Gardenerd this week: "Do you have any tips on getting rid of root rot nematodes? Thanks! - Max" There are natural ways to rid or drastically reduce your soil of pesky nematodes, Max. But first a clarifying question: when you say "root rot nematodes" did you mean "root knot nematodes?" Root rot is usually caused by something else, like a fungus or by critters like beetle grubs eating the roots. Root knot, on the…

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 15, 2014
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:8 Comments

Flowers form into balloon shaped "hairy balls"

Ask Gardenerd: Pruning Back Milkweed?

A question came into Ask Gardenerd this week that I even asked myself last year: "First year planting swamp milkweed for Monarchs - just had two butterflies exit their cocoons this morning. Had five plants this year - going big next year. Question - lots of info on how to get plants started but nothing on end of season maintenance. Should we cut back the stems on the existing plants or do we just leave them? Not sure what to…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 22, 2014
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:114 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: Tree Roots in my Garden

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…

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 13, 2014
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:7 Comments

Rats in the Garden

A concerned gardener wrote in this week: "Rotten rodents!...I have some rodent, maybe squirrels but more likely rats, that help themselves to whatever is young and tender in the garden."

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 20, 2008
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:0 Comments