Category Archives: Sage Advice

Ask Gardenerd: Why Won’t My Plants Grow?

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Christy

A familiar question arrived in the Ask Gardenerd Inbox this week:

“Hi Gardenerd!  It’s been slow getting started with my garden because my life has been chaotic for a while. Anyway, I started some seedlings
inside and potted them in small pots outside and some in a long box but they haven’t grown, they still look like seedlings for two months now, and my broccoli raab, red kale, and red romaine wouldn’t
grow past four or five inches. I’m so discouraged but my sister …

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Posted in Sage Advice | 10 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: Save Seeds …then what?

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Christy

I love these kinds of questions:

“I was unable to attend to my garden for a few weeks and some of my chard, salad greens and cilantro plants shot up and are close to flowering. I’ve never collected seeds before, but I’ll try.
What do I do with the plants afterwards? Keep or remove them?  Thanks, Nazie”

Nazie, thanks for writing in. Before we talk about what to do with the plants, let’s start with a few seed saving tips. …
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Posted in Sage Advice | 4 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: Spots on My Herbs

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Christy

A question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd that I have been asking myself for awhile, but never felt compelled to research the answer. Now I have
no excuse:

“Hello!   The leaves of many of my herbs have white speckles on them lately. (It almost looks like they’re variegated). It’s definitely not on the leaves, but more so ‘in’ the leaves
and is appearing on many of the varieties, such as thyme, basil, and cilantro.  Any …
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Posted in Sage Advice | 5 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: Bugs in my Cabbage

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Christy

A question came into Ask Gardenerd this week:

“Hi!,  In my garden my cabbage is being infested with these white bugs that look like they fly….I have taken out a couple of my plants that look destroyed but still have more in the
ground, also my Brussels sprouts have them too!   I have used spinosad organic killer and I am concerned it will get on my other crops…..what do you recommend??  Thank
You!!!   Jill”

You’re not alone Jill. Many people …
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Peat Moss vs. Sphagnum Moss and more

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Christy

The mailbox of Ask Gardenerd has been receiving some great questions this week. Here’s another about the difference between moss and moss:

“A question about moss… What is the difference between peat moss, sphagnum moss, and the green moss that grows around the ground?  Going into the 3rd year with my raised bed, and it has
many patches of green moss. Is this detrimental to the plants?   Should it be removed or turned back under into the …
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Posted in Sage Advice | Tagged | 8 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: How to Build a Mini Greenhouse

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Christy

A fun question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week:

” I have a big south facing back porch. I would love to make a small greenhouse where I could start seeds and, maybe, even let herbs [over]winter. Do you have ideas for making my own
greenhouse?”

There are many options, from a mini-greenhouse to the full-fledged, brick and mortar English greenhouse. I used to create my own mini-greenhouses by taking tomato cages, laying them on their sides
…
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Posted in Sage Advice | Tagged , | 2 Comments

How to Know if it’s GMO?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Christy

“Dear Gardenerd,

How do we know if our seeds are genetically Modified?”

Excellent question! I have answers for you.

The good news is that GMO seeds are widely available to the commercial agriculture industry, but the push to sell them to home gardeners is not yet popular (and most likely not lucrative).
   The bad news is that farmers growing non-GMO crops for seed are having a harder time isolating themselves from farms that …
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Ask Gardenerd: When is it Organic?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Christy

A very thoughtful question came into Ask Gardenerd this week:

“I’m new here. So far my big challenge is getting started. I do have a question. I do want to eat organic. Let’s say I get a small plant, like an herb, from Home Depot or a similar store, I plant
it and grow it organically with no man-made chemicals are pesticides. Does that make the plant organic? Is it kind of organic? If I keep it growing year-after-year and grow it organically, will
…
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The Trick to Bigger Garlic

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Christy

A question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week:

“Hi, I’ve just harvested my garlic and it’s ok but a little small. Any tips to get it fatter. John, ps Love your site”

Thanks for writing in John, and I’m glad you like the website. Since your email address seems to be in Australia, it makes sense that you would be harvesting garlic right now.

I have my own answers to growing big garlic, …
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Pruning Asparagus

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Christy

A question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week:

“Could you please help me understand how to
trim my 4’ tall asparagus patch that was planted in the fall? Does it need to turn completely brown? How low do I trim it?“

Great question, and the answer can be confusing, because there are two schools of thought on the matter. Many gardeners, including those at Peaceful …
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Posted in Sage Advice | Tagged , | 25 Comments