Gardening Question of the Day for Monday, June 15, 2009
(Via Gardening Question of the Day (from The Old Farmer's Almanac))
I was given a bamboo shoot about three inches long in a cup of water, and was told to change the water every two weeks. Question: Will the bamboo grow in soil, and if so, how often do I water it and what kind of soil do I use? (answer).
I was given a bamboo shoot about three inches long in a cup of water, and was told to change the water every two weeks. Question: Will the bamboo grow in soil, and if so, how often do I water it and what kind of soil do I use? (answer).
From The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Dear Carol and Dee (friends and gardeners, week 15)
(Via Idaho Gardener)
Dear Carol and Dee, my gardening friends,
Good Grief! Egads! For crying out loud! What is WITH this rain? This is going to go down as one of the wettest Junes on record for Boise, Idaho. It has rained every day, and not just a little spritz here and there. Nosireebob! It’s been a down pour every day. One evening I checked the rain guage and found it held two inches. Impossible I am thinking?? We never get rain like that. The weather man said we had about .14 inches of rain (in the newscast). Just so happened I ended up hanging with said weatherman and asked him, oh great wise one, how can it be??
Of course he attempted to give me the old razzle dazzle fo’ shizzle about orographic effects and yes, I DO live in the Foothills with a capital “F” and I understand we sometimes get more rain here than at the airport, HOWEVER, 1.86 inches of precip in a desert is a huge discrepancy. Let me just say, he didn’t answer my questions to my satisfaction.
So, under the guise of Father’s Day, I came up with a plan. I bought Flyboy a nice weather station as a gift. The dog is taking credit for the gifting. Indy (that would be Carol) gave me some great pointers on buying a weather station – hers has been up and running for a couple of months. Anyway, imagine his surprise when he got his present early! Now, if he’d just get it set up so I can use it. Sheeeeesh.
I have saved enough money on my water bill this month to pay for the weather station and a few new plants. Normally, July-September we have to water every third of fourth day, just to keep the plants and lawn alive. I turned the sprinkler system off a couple of weeks ago. This is an excellent development if you ask me. Everything is so lush and green (providing ample feasts for the damn aphids, but lush and green). I am planning to get out there and weed, weed, weed on Monday. The soil is so soft and nice, the weeds are growing like crazy but also pull out very easily.
Of course, the raspberries are still coming along, none for feasting yet. And the tomatoes are setting a couple of little fruits. The Chinese red noodle beans aren’t up yet, but anyday.
Ah! And I am thrilled to report I have two new espaliered pear trees in my possession. Each tree, about 4 feet high, has 6 nice branches and each branch has a different pear variety: Comice, Red Bartlett, Bartlett, Bosc, Flemish, and Anjou. I have visions of spinach and pear salads dancing in my head. Pear brandy. Pear butter. Pear compote. Spiced pears. A pear and a spare. I’ll stop now.
Today is the 23rd Annual Garden Tour in Bozville (slang for Boise), so I am out the door and headed for duty at one of the gardens as a coordinator. Please please please make the rain stay away until 5 pm.
From a deliciously rain-soaked Ranch du Bois,
Your Dirt Diva, Ida-Hoe
Ps, By this time next week I promise you I will have all my plants in the ground -including the newest acquisition, a ‘Grace’ cotinus (purple smoke bush), which is now hiding resting quietly in the truck.
Ppss, White Flower Farms will replace those Mara des Bois strawberries next season. I’m happy.
a
Who’s responsible for weed control?
(Via Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas)
The gardeners blame the nurseries. The nurseries blame the botanic gardens. The botanical gardens blame the government. And, the government blames the home gardener. If you're looking for someone to pin the blame on then it seems the obvious choice is - somebody else.
The gardeners blame the nurseries. The nurseries blame the botanic gardens. The botanical gardens blame the government. And, the government blames the home gardener. If you're looking for someone to pin the blame on then it seems the obvious choice is - somebody else.
Trying to stop plants becoming invasive weeds is almost as impossible as attempting to contain swine flu. No sooner do you think its been restrained then another outbreak occurs in an area where you least expected it. It appears, on the macro level at least, that weed control is as probable as reaching the mythical "gold at the end of the rainbow".
The problem is that weeds don't usually start out as weeds. Instead they commence life in our gardens as endeared plants that are lovingly cultivated and enjoyed. Yet, somehow, they morph from being nurtured plants to becoming an invasive species threatening to ruin our indigenous flora.
How do they get to this point?
For whatever reason that plant you bragged about with your gardening friends really did grow well in your garden. So well, in fact, that it escaped your boundaries and began growing just as well in that fertile soil along the local creekbed.
How did it get there? It arrived in this new haven of contentment when birds picked up the fruits or berries and dropped them along the way. Or, when gardeners discarded their unwanted plants in bushland. Or, when the wind carried flower seeds over your fence and into areas of less habitation.
We propagate them and share with friends or on-sell them at weekend markets. We dispose of them at the local refuse site expecting that action will finally rid us of this plant. We might even carelessly throw them into a compost heap that isn't see a lot of heating action at the moment.
The truth is that weeds are plants that have become a problem. And while you may assume that this might be the case with your neighbours garden, nearly every plant in YOUR garden is a ticking time-bomb. Given the right conditions many of your plants could, they may already have, escape from your boundaries and become problematic in other places.
So this is where the weed control balme game starts. Gardeners blame the nurseries for selling them the plants in the first place. The nurseries blame the botanical gardens for producing them and making them popular while the botanical gardens blame the government for not providing enough information to home gardeners. It's a dire chicken-egg scenario that seems to have no outcome - certainly no positive outcome, anyway.
While the other links in the chain continue to argue the point, home gardeners need to take some responsibility for weed control in their own backyards. Deadheading plants before they produce seeds, growing plants that are not listed on the local invasive species list, and taking precautions when passing on plants to other gardeners or discarding them are all positive steps that we can take to reduce the spread.
On the micro level, home gardeners can have a huge impact on the course of future weed growth.
Gardening Question of the Day for Sunday, June 14, 2009
(Via Gardening Question of the Day (from The Old Farmer's Almanac))
What makes my ficus tree drop leaves like crazy? (answer).
What makes my ficus tree drop leaves like crazy? (answer).
From The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Gardening Question of the Day for Saturday, June 13, 2009
(Via Gardening Question of the Day (from The Old Farmer's Almanac))
I discovered witch hazel in my woods. How can I make witch hazel extract? (answer).
I discovered witch hazel in my woods. How can I make witch hazel extract? (answer).
From The Old Farmer's Almanac.
