Introducing the All-New Gardenerd Collection

Posted on November 15, 2008 by Christy

We’ve been quite busy here at Gardenerd.com over the last couple of weeks.  As a result, there aren’t many blog posts.  Here’s why:

(Cue dramatic music)
(The late great voice-over artist Don LaFontaine speaks)

It’s been two years in the making.  Hours of leg-work finding just the right fabrics and colors, even more hours slaving over a hot computer to build a brand new online store.  In a world… where gardenerds need to shop, but don’t know where to turn…the answer has come.  The Gardenerd Collection has arrived.

Click below to get started!

The Gardenerd Collection
 
Happy Gardening! …
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Our Landscaping Project – Part 3

Posted on November 7, 2008 by Christy

In a bit of a diversion away from the usual subject of vegetable gardening, I am pleased to report that our front yard no longer lies barren.  Plants – actual plants now reside in the space that once was a flatland of mud and weeds.  No longer the embarrassment of the neighborhood, we can now hold our heads up high – and even smile – as we approach the front door.

If you’ve been following the previous segments about this project, you’ll remember the exciting plant removal, and pathway and irrigation installation.  (It’s really worth comparing …
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Gray Water for Vegetables?

Posted on November 6, 2008 by Christy

A forward-thinking gardenerd wrote in this week:

“I am considering a gray water system to use on a vegetable garden. Is this safe to do? If so, is it considered organic?”

My first thought was, no – it’s not really safe to use, but it might be with the right system.  Then I took to the cyberspace waves and found a few bits of information:

In many states it is actually illegal to use gray water on vegetable gardens.  You should check with your municipal sewage service to see what laws apply where you live.

In states where gray water systems are legal, they …
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Fall Gardening To-Do List

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Christy

For those who are cooling down for the winter, there are plenty of things to do before saying goodbye to gardening this fall.  As the leaves change color and the weather becomes more crisp, here are a couple fall gardening check lists for your end-of-season needs:

Organic Gardening Magazine’s Fall To-Do List

Better Homes and Gardens Fall Garden Checklist

I also found a section on Consumer Reports’ website that you might enjoy surfing through:

Consumer Reports Fall Lawn and Yard Checklist

Happy fall gardening! …
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Trial and Error with Irrigation

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Christy

Every gardener has moments of trial and error, simply because there are some things you just don’t know until you try.  Irrigation is one of those things for me. 

Now that the seedlings (that were started under grow lights) have been planted out into the garden, it’s time to figure out how to integrate them into our new irrigation system.  The irrigation is relatively simple, in that each bed has its own spigot with a hose attachment on the end.  (You can read more about it in this blog entry).  It is complicated, however, in that each bed has different watering …
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Battling Mealy Bugs

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Christy

One more question came in this week at Ask Gardenerd:

“I have large New Zealand Flax in planters on the balcony, they got white mealy buys – how can I treat it? I removed the nearby smaller plants where the bugs seemed to have invaded…but want to be sure I can save the large flax. Please help! Is there anything organic that works… the internet suggests malathion….ekkk! thanks…Beatrice”

I’m pretty sure we can save your New Zealand Flax (Phormium), Beatrice.  But first, let’s make sure we have the right bug.  Is this the culprit?

http://floriculture.osu.edu/archive/oct97/mealy2.html

If so, there are a few …
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Crow Away!

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Christy

Another great question came in this week:

“Crows! I had to deal with tiny snails which I handpicked daily out of my basil all summer, but I was not ready for crows feasting on my tiny green onion sprouts. Short of leaving my dogs in the front yard (they’d love that), any tips on how to discourage these critters?”

My grandfather used to shoot crows off of the telephone poles when I was a child.  His neighbors didn’t really appreciate it, and I can’t say I recommend it either.  I have a few recommendations for you that are a little …
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Epsom Salts

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Christy

A gardener wrote in recently asking if Epsom Salts are organic. 

I think we should break this question down into two questions:

1) Are Epsom Salts organic?
2) Are Epsom Salts safe to use in organic gardening?

The short answer to both questions is yes, but for the sake of clarity, I’ll explain a little further.

Microsoft Encarta defines Epsom Salts as the following:

“Epsom Salts, common name for colorless or white crystalline salt (magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, MgSO4·7H2O) found in the minerals kieserite and epsomite and in mineral waters. Epsom salt was first prepared at Epsom, England. …
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Fall Garden Planning Workshop Review

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Christy

There are so many things to consider when planning out a garden, and whether you’ve done it before, or it’s your first time, the task can always be a little daunting.  Luckily, the excitement of having fresh produce growing steps away from your kitchen overshadows almost all of those feelings of intimidation.  Still, it’s always nice to have help.

That’s why at the end of September we debuted a new class.  The Gardenerd Fall Garden Planning Workshop drew five enthusiastic gardeners, each with a different plan in mind for their garden.  Some had a space already defined and needed only to fill it.  Others had a blank canvas …
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Seed Starting for Fall

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Christy

It’s a little late to be talking about this, but I just
wanted to wait to make sure it worked before reporting on my
progress.  As I wipe my hand across my forehead in relief, I can say that I
successfully started brassicas from seed indoors for the first time this
year. 

I’ve always grown them straight in the ground because I
haven’t had space to start seeds indoors.  As you know, if you’ve been
reading along, this is my first full year starting seeds under grow lights and I
have to …
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