…here’s nothing like banana trees. They grow fast and tall. And because it’s fairly easy to bring them through the winter, you can get bigger and bigger plants each year. Just don’t expect any fruit—they need 18 months of warm weather for that. For me, the huge leaves are enough. When I first started with bananas, I grew them in containers. But now, I put most of them right in the ground and dig them up in the fall, right after h…
The staked stem of our Himalayan banana tree, growing in Burlington, VT. For many years, we have grown banana trees in our garden. Not for the fruit, but for the large, tropical leaves and the unlikely accent they add to our Vermont gardens. In fall, I dig up the plants and drag the heavy clumps — wrapped in burlap — into the basement for winter dormancy. The unheated basement remains at about 40 to 50 degrees F., which seems to suit the ban…
…mal DNA. Many Americans are concerned about the negative effects of GMO use on the agricultural economy and small-scale and organic farming. Surveys show a wide majority of Americans support mandatory labeling. At least 21 countries and the European Union have established some form of mandatory labeling. Mandatory labeling will allow consumers to identify food products they want to avoid. So why not label? Well, here are some of the argu…
Though cold winds chill the air and snow blankets much of the U.S., pesticide use remains a hot topic — and not only among gardeners. The most recent comments come from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Environmental Health, whose December 2012 policy statement makes a clear link between pesticide exposure and children’s health problems. Published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the 60,000-member AAP, “Pesticide Ex…
…. Cline, former director of the Garden’s Kemper Center for Home Gardening, started the program in 1998. The botanical garden’s Pots to Planks program sells 6″ x 6″ timbers made from ground-up pots (No. 2 and No. 5 plastics). The rigid, heavy timbers are great for raised beds and strong enough to use for retaining walls. “They are fantastic,” Cline says. “It’s a lot of plastic in one product, but we&…
Like many who lost tomato plants to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Plant a diversity of tomato varieties to reduce the possibility of disease. Like many gardeners who lost their tomato crop to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet. The most important thin…
I used to grow enough corn that we could eat it for dinner every night during August and still have enough to freeze for winter. Once you’ve been eating home-frozen corn for a few years, it’s difficult to be satisfied with store-bought. It takes seven or eight ears worth of sweet corn to fill a one-quart freezer bag. So to get 25 quarts of frozen corn (the minimum amount I try to freeze each summer) you need to start with…
to double the amount you use in this recipe. Anytime Tabouli 1 cup bulgur 1½ cup boiling water 1 tsp. salt ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh) 1½ cup finely chopped parsley 3 scallions, chopped, with greens salt and freshly ground black pepper Put bulgur in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let sit for about 20 minutes until m…
…en the earth-friendly ones. At first, I tried neem, a relatively harmless spray that does wonders on aphids and controls blackspot on roses. It worked to control the larvae the first year, but I had to spray frequently (every 10 to 15 days). The second year, I couldn’t keep the larvae under control. My lily crop was hit hard, and I got few blooms. Last year, I decided to resort to a systemic called imidacloprid. The results were instantaneo…
…ekly or bi-weekly feedings of liquid fertilizer and keep that up right into September. I’ve used a variety of different liquid fertilizers on my flower pots, but for the past six years or so it’s been Plant Health Care. I put 2 heaping tablespoons (which is actually about the same as the 3 level tablespoons recommended on the label) into the bottom of one of my French Watering Cans and then fill it up with 3 gallons of water. Each of my big pots…