Grow dozens of plants in just over two square feet of floor space with the new 2-Tier 2-ft. Light Garden. As much as I appreciate living in a region with four distinct seasons, winter’s gray skies and the frozen tundra outside my back door can start to wear me down. The seed catalogs, with their glossy photos of colorful flowers and vegetables, can seem like a tease — I know spring will come, but I’m antsy to get out in the garden….
I worked for a summer on a dairy farm so I can attest to the fact that a cow produces a lot of manure. Matt and Ben Freund, the two Connecticut dairy farmers who invented biodegradable Cowpots, estimate that a cow produces about 120 pounds of manure per day. When seedlings are ready to be planted in the garden, the Cowpot goes right into the ground with the plant, reducing transplant shock. Cowpots are available in four sizes: 2.75″, f…
…nd what went into producing it. So how come I can’t have the right to know what’s in the food I buy in the store? That’s the goal of the Just Label It campaign, which last month submitted a record-breaking 1.1 million signatures to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in favor of labeling genetically engineered (GE) foods. And in polls by ABC, MSNBC, NPR, the Washington Post, Consumer Reports and others, consistently…
When starting plants from seed, it’s a good idea to experiment with different sorts of pots and trays. I like the fact that gardening is a leisure-time activity that doesn’t require buying a lot of stuff. Of course my basement, barn and garden shed tell quite a different story, but most of it isn’t anything I really NEED to be a successful gardener. That said, I’ve found there are a few gardening activities in which gear does…
If you’re going to be starting seeds indoors this springunder lights, on a windowsill or in a greenhouseyou don’t want to be using regular potting soil. It’s too heavy and dense for the delicate, hair-like roots of a newly-germinated seed. The best soil mix for seed starting is not really soil at all. It’s a growing medium comprised of sphagnum peat moss and small amounts of vermiculite and/or perlite. This blend helps ensur…
With our new mixes, gardeners go from seed to harvest — 100 percent organic! Our Germinating Mix has been a longtime favorite among folks who start their own seeds. Online reviewers give it high marks because the finely textured blend makes an excellent “foundation” for seedlings and ensures fast growth, well-developed root systems and sturdy plants. And now, we’re pleased to offer Organic Seedstarting Mix, a com…
…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…
…tes hosts a trailer, brings it in when it is full, and returns with an empty one,” Cline says. Steve Cline sorts plastic pots and cell packs at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s recycling program, where they collect 100,000 to 140,000 pounds of horticultural plastic every year. 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 s…
Flat-leaf parsley I used to do much more canning and freezing than I do now. With our household down to just two, we’re cooking smaller meals and don’t need to have as much food around. But there are still quite a few garden crops that I squirrel away in my freezer or pantry, and one of those is parsley. I can chop and freeze a huge basket of fresh-picked parsley in about 15 minutes. With a half-dozen sessions like that throughout the…
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…