It appears overnight and looks like a horror-show blob that’s slithered its way into your garden. The gross-looking substance known as slime mold shows up on mulch and lawns, but is harmless to plants. Instead it feeds on decaying matter, fungi or bacteria, according to Neil Bell, a horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service. […]
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Secrets to Growing Great Squash
Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau From seed to harvest, learn the secrets to growing a bumper crop of delicious summer and winter squash. Summer and winter squash are crops that offer huge payback. They’re both easy to grow, fairly low maintenance, and there are so many delicious varieties to try. Summer squash plants yield tender […]
Butterflies wing their way into the garden with the proper room and board
Fragile, beautiful and fascinating, butterflies flutter their way into our gardens and seem to just as quickly wing their way out. It isn’t because they necessarily want to leave, said Heather Stoven, an entomologist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Rather they don’t find what they need to park themselves permanently. As detailed in […]
Take Time Now for a Hydrangea Check Up
Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau Are Your Hydrangeas Blooming? Every gardener I talk to, especially in the northeast and New England, is doing a happy dance this season: their hydrangeas are in full bloom. Despite temperature fluctuations, the sudden freezing temperatures of November 2019, and the wacky late spring weather we had (hailstorms, sub-freezing […]
Get big flavor from tiny microgreens
Go small with microgreens and grow tiny plants with big flavor for soups, salads and sandwiches. Growing microgreens is fun, easy and a great activity to get kids involved in gardening, said Brooke Edmunds, horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service. They can be grown from kits or seed packets. Almost any kind of herbaceous […]
It’s Time for A Bit of Summer Garden Maintenance!
Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau Summer Maintenance Tips for Your Victory Garden 2.0 “When the pandemic hit, I decided to plant a vegetable garden.” I’ve heard this from consultation clients and Plantrama listeners for the past three months, and my response is always the same. “Congratulations! You made a terrific choice.” I recognize that the […]
When it’s time to say goodbye to lawn, uproot it first
Grass lawns are the default for most yards, but some people want other options, like edible or ornamental landscaping, mulch or low-maintenance groundcover. “Maybe you have a lawn full of difficult-to-control weeds like annual bluegrass or rough bluegrass and you want to start over,” said Alec Kowalewski, turfgrass specialist with the Oregon State University Extension […]
7 essential summer tasks for a raised bed vegetable garden
Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau and All-America Selections. The key to a high-yielding raised bed vegetable garden is to grow healthy plants. Vegetable plants that are provided with plenty of sun, consistent moisture, and a steady supply of nutrients are more likely to produce a heavy crop. The great thing about gardening in raised […]
Tomato lovers: Grow the best by recognizing and solving common problems
Knowing the hows and whys of tomato diseases gives gardeners a leg up for successfully growing the most-treasured of vegetables. Brooke Edmunds, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service, troubleshoots the following common problems that might afflict your tomatoes as the season goes on. Blossom drop: It’s usually caused by dry soil and dry […]
15 Growing Watermelon Questions Answered…
Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau. Growing watermelon can be done successfully in all parts of the country. For those gardeners in northern or cooler climates, where hot days may not be long enough, choose an earlier-to-mature variety like AAS Winners ‘Shiny Boy’, ‘Golden Crown’, or ‘Yellow Baby’ that all mature in 70-75 days. For […]