Allepathy is how a plant interacts with the growth or germination of another plant near it. Sometimes, it hurts. Black Walnut Trees, Hickory Trees, and Juglone – Oh My A Black Walnut tree releases a chemical called Juglone that can inhibit the growth of certain plants. It mainly doesn’t get along with Solanaceae (potatoes, tomatoes, … Read more
MANY OF OUR BENEFICIAL INSECTS NEED OUR HELP – INCLUDING THE BUTTERFLIES Our butterflies need our help—especially the Monarch butterfly. Here are some butterfly gardening tips to consider this spring and summer. When planning and planting our gardens this spring, remember some of the blooming annuals and perennials that are particularly attractive for our butterfly … Read more
My neighbor came to me yesterday, showed me a bottle of insecticide, and said that caterpillars ate all of their parsley and dill last year. This year, he wasn’t taking any chances. Would this work? I asked him, “You plant milkweed for the Monarch butterflies, right?” He said he did. I said, “Well, the Monarch … Read more
THINK ABOUT ADAPTING TO SQUARE-FOOT GARDENING Last week, I wrote my blog on vegetable gardening. It is time to move forward and get our vegetables and herbs planted. Just keep in mind that vegetable gardening is just at the beginning stages. Early May is still a great time to get started. Now, back to this … Read more
Today, April 22nd is Earth Day. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed it in 1970 in response to the environmental interest created by Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring in 1962. Let’s Thank Rachel Carson, Author of Silent Spring Rachel Carson, a marine biologist, voiced her concerns about DDT and certain other pesticides in her book. This … Read more
ARE YOU READY? Here we are in mid-April. I carefully watch our weather and our extended forecast to correctly advise customers on vegetable gardening. With Virginia weather consistently breaking now (fingers crossed), many Virginians are turning their attention, once again, to vegetable gardening. I am writing this blog on April 11th. Every day, I tell … Read more
There is all kinds of information on what to do with your outdoor garden plants in the spring. But what should you do with your indoor plants? Let’s Begin With Nutrients If you have not already started feeding your indoor plants, you should start now. I usually start feeding mine end-February. Even indoor plants, in … Read more
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING IS BAD FOR YOUR SHRUBS AND TREES Happy April to everyone! A couple of weeks ago, we had our MULCH MADNESS sale. Thousands of bags of mulch were sold. It is such a popular event. And it is timely, too, because now is a prime time to apply fresh … Read more
It’s not quite time to plant your garden vegetables yet. Because our weather is so uncertain (four years ago, we had a frost AFTER May 1st), I always wait until May 1st to plant tender veggies (like tomatoes, peppers, cukes, beans, etc.). Even then, I double-check the long-range weather forecast just to be safe. Prepare … Read more
FINALLY! APRIL IS HERE! BOY ARE WE READY TO HELP YOU! Let’s re-cap March. Early March was warm, and we got a good amount of rainfall. But, starting around the middle of March, we turned dry for about 10 days, and our daily high temperatures were cooler than average. We did get some much-needed soaking … Read more
