Category Archives: Sage Advice

Ask Gardenerd: Pollinator Garden Density

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Christy

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 … Continue reading →

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Homegrown Goji Berries

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Christy
goji berries drying

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. … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: Saving Tomato Seeds and Blight

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Christy

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 … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: When to Water?

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Christy

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. … Continue reading →

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

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Christy

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 … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: Squash Vine Borers

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Christy

A troubling question came into Ask Gardenerd this week from Jennifer: “I’m a new gardener (4 years), and EVERY SINGLE YEAR, vine borers eat my zucchini plants. But I keep planting them because they are my favorite!! None of my … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: Protecting Blackberries

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Christy

We got a good one from Ask Gardenerd this week: “Hello, our blackberries are thriving this year, probably because of all the rain we got in SoCal, but I am afraid the birds will get them before us, like they … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: Pruning Blackberries

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Christy

As we look into the corner of the Gardenerd Test Garden, we see the need for blackberry pruning. Someone else in the Gardenerd community did the same thing and asked: “I believe you mentioned it is time to prune blackberries, … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: Tap Water Concerns

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Christy

Here’s a question urban gardeners ask themselves at least once while standing next to a garden hose as the smell of chlorine wafts across the yard. George from Wisconsin proposed it this week on Ask Gardenerd (edited for length): “Hi, … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: How to Get More Volunteer Tomatoes

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Christy

I do believe my favorite question to date just came in to Ask Gardenerd from Jeff Bremer: “Hi Christy, How do I encourage volunteers? Over the years in my tomato garden, a few volunteers would appear each season. Last year, … Continue reading →

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