Category Archives: Sage Advice

Ask Gardenerd: Using Rainwater

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Christy

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 … Continue reading →

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Hand Pollinating Squash

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Christy

Early-season gardeners in warm-weather climates are planting zucchini, yellow crookneck and winter squashes already. Flowers open, bees and other pollinators arrive, and soon there will be an abundance of squashes for eating and sharing. But with pollinator populations on the … Continue reading →

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Harvesting Basil

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Christy

Every once in a while it’s time to return to basics here at Gardenerd. Our blog is filled with helpful hints for gardening, but we recently discovered that the basics for harvesting basil were not among those hints. So here … Continue reading →

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Infograph: How to Store Food Right

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Christy

The folks at Fix.com put together this nifty infograph on how to store food so it lasts longer in the fridge. I found a few tidbits of information that were new to me (especially the hacks at the end), so … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: What don’t Squirrels, Gophers and Rabbits Eat?

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Christy

A question came into Ask Gardenerd last week: “What don’t gophers, squirrels, and rabbits like, as I have no veggie luck. Renee” Oh, Renee, I wish I could say there is a food in the garden that these creatures don’t … Continue reading →

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When to Harvest Broccoli?

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Christy

I get this question all the time: how do you know when broccoli is ready to harvest? The answer is in your fingertips. You can tell when to harvest broccoli by touching the head, or bud (that’s what broccoli is, … Continue reading →

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Chill Hours: Choosing the Right Fruit Tree

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Christy

A question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week about fruit trees: “What peaches grow best and are most flavorful in Mar Vista? Also what types of plums/pluots? I live in west Mar Vista, CA. Thanks for your help and … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: When to Blanch Celery

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Christy

We love this question that came in to Ask Gardenerd this week: “I planted celery about 6 weeks ago (from the chopped off part of market celery) and it is doing well. The stalks are now about 1/2 inch thick. … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: Root Knot Nematodes

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Christy

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 … Continue reading →

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Ask Gardenerd: Pruning Back Milkweed?

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Christy

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 … Continue reading →

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