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Boston Ivy
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Date Posted: Thu, Aug 12 - 9:06 pm
- I am new to the area and looking fir a free cutting of Boston Ivy to propagate. Can you recommend any sources? Plant sharing groups? Thank you.
- Hello there, I noticed that there are plant swap groups you could contact on the internet-there's a Facebook group in particular you might want to check out. I know various neighborhoods often have informal plant swap groups. Checking with neighbors is a good way to get acquainted with like-minded souls. If you wanted to try the native version of Boston ivy you could probably find some virginia creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia) in your local woods or in a vacant lot. It's happy to grow just about anywhere. Just be mindful that it can sometimes share space with poison ivy and they have a similar look at times. Generally, the virginia creeper has 5 leaflets and poison ivy has three but that's not a hard and fast rule. If you can't find any swap groups you could buy one small plant and propagate from that plant. Cuttings take off fairly quickly. Good luck with your search!
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Holes in lawn
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 10 - 5:17 pm
- I have a large hole, about 4-5 inches across, in the front yard. My neighbor said she thinks she saw a chipmunk go down it. It is very deep. How can I take care of this? Fill it up with dirt? Put a hose down there? Not sure but I don't want animals tunneling under the lawn.
- Hello there, I haven't had a lot experience with this problem but I'll give it a try. It seems that if chipmunks were the problem the hole would be smaller 1-2 inches rather than 4-5. The larger hole would indicate possible ground hogs, raccoons or skunks. Have you noticed the tell-tale odor of skunk?? If not, then perhaps ground hogs or raccoons are giving you this problem. A description of the hole will help you determine which animal is causing the damage. Refer to the internet for images of holes made by each creature. It seems the safest way to deal with unwanted visitors is using a motion-activated light to scare them away. They are active at night looking for grubs, earthworms and other insects. Inexpensive solar-powered lights can be used assuming you have enough sunlight to collect in the place you need to attach the light. Additionally, using predator urine products placed around the outside of the hole can work to keep the pests away. Coyote or dog urine products should work. If you have raccoons or skunks that simply will not leave, you should contact a professional that knows how to handle potentially rabid animals. Best of luck!
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Bunnies
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 8:54 pm
- What is a good way to keep bunnies out of my garden? They have eaten ALL of my strawberries and are starting to gnaw down the plants. They are carving caves out of my broccoli plants and have eaten the leaves off my Brussels sprout... I put down dichotomous earth and pepper flakes to no effect. They gnawed the marigolds I put in the garden as a deterrent to a nub. They are eating the greens off my onions. They have eaten the entire stalks of all my coneflowers. My pepper plants are getting stripped. They have recently started snipping the top 2/3 of the branches on my blueberry bushes off.
- I know, it's hard to believe such benign-looking creatures can wreak such havoc....but they can. I have not had personal experience but I have heard many tales of woe. My experience has been with deer and despite the difference in size, they both seem to do the same amount of damage, actually no, bunnies are worse. The only real solution is to fence your garden. Not knowing the size of your garden, it's difficult to say how much of a project this will be. You may need to make some adjustment to the design of your garden. It could be done relatively cheaply with some fence posts and rails from the hardware store and chicken wire or preferably hardware cloth. You probably want the fence to be 2-3 feet high so they can't jump over and the wire/cloth should be buried 6 inches in the ground to prevent the bunny from burrowing under. If you have individual plants you want to protect, you can make a 2-3 ft high collar out the wire. But it will have to stay in place year round. There are other methods and products out there for consumers but many have to be reapplied frequently, if they even work. You should also have a look around the house and garden to see if there are inviting places for rabbits to hide or nest. If so, take care of that. I hope you're able to secure your plantings and enjoy the harvest!
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Round nodules on willow tree branches
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 8:51 pm
- My neighbor's willow oak dropped some branches in a recent storm and we noticed many small round nodules clusters on the branches. I have pictures and can up load if required. Neither of us have ever seen anything like this before. The tree is probably over 100 years old and is in the Museum District. Is this a disease or a parasite?
- Without actually seeing a picture of the infected branch, I believe the most likely issue is related to scale insects on the tree. They will form these nodules and feed on the nutrients in the tree branch tissues. If this is the case, the owner should determine how widespread the issue is throughout the tree. If infection is only in a few areas, or on lower branches, I would recommend cutting out those branch sections, bagging the infected material, and discard. If the infection is visibly more widespread, a safe, organic insecticidal solution spray would be recommended. Good luck, and feel free to reach out with any further questions.
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Raised beds, native ground cover, bio-diversity, dog-friendly
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 8:50 pm
- Thank you for doing this, first of all! My question is: How do I maintain a yard with raised garden beds, while also allowing natural biodiversity to thrive AND keeping it safe for my 2 small pet dogs to roam in? I am about to move into a place with a beautiful, old mulberry tree and a yard full of both native groundcover and some invasives like English ivy. I want to convert it into a big produce garden to share with my neighbors, and have planned out having 4 raised beds, along with allowing native groundcover to grow between the beds. However, I also want to be mindful of the fact that I need to keep any plants that may harm my dogs away, and keep ticks to a minimum (though I know theyre kinda unavoidable because nature is nature). Whatre your thoughts/suggestions?
- It sounds like you've got a great plan. Assuming you have the right amount of direct sun, 6 hours or more, you should have a good site for growing vegetables, herbs ,etc. You mention a large mulberry tree, I hope that it doesn't prevent you from getting the right amount of sunshine. Are you planning on building frames for the beds? I find this to be the best method. It helps deter critters (domestic and otherwise), allows for good drainage, and helps keep weeds at bay. Since you already have some native ground cover you could make the most of that by dividing the existing planting and planting the divisions between the beds. I'm not sure what native you have but if it can take some foot traffic that would be the way to go. Dividing is most successful when done in spring or fall. It sounds like you've got a good amount of yard space In addition to the raised beds so for diversity you could add native shrubs and perennials. Blueberries make an excellent edible addition to a shrub planting or border. There are many lovely native shrubs to choose from - summersweet (clethra alnifolia), fothergilla, sweetspire (itea viriginica) - to name a few. Just remember - right place, right plant. Be sure to consider the specific location you are planting in: sunny/shady, moist/ dry, etc. As far as dog-friendly plants go, I would make a list of all the plants -food and ornamental- you're considering and then check the web to see if any pose a danger to dogs. For example, some herbs are a problem for dogs and some are beneficial, so it takes some research. Regarding maintenance, the raised beds will help with this for the vegetables and herbs, and generally, all plantings (shrubs, perennials) are easier to maintain when a good mulch is applied right after planting. Also, close plantings can minimize space for weeds to take over and a mature ground cover pretty much takes care of itself. And lastly, a convenient water source is critical. I think you'll have some fun with this-Good luck!
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Insects eating basil leaves
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 8:47 pm
- Something is eating my basil! Everything else (lettuce, kale, tomatoes, cilantro, arugula) is ok...any suggestions to protect the basil leaves?
- These are likely spider mites or aphids eating your basil leaves. There are two safe, organic solutions which are effective to rid these insects from your basil. The first is a homemade soap spray solution - add 2 teaspoons of mild liquid soap to a gallon of water and use a spray bottle to spray upper and under sides of the leaves. The second is a neem oil solution in a spray bottle - add 2 tablespoons of neem oil (can be purchased at most garden stores) to a gallon of water and spray upper and under sides of leaves. Neem oil will kill the insects and halt reproduction. You can reapply every 7 days. Both solutions described are harmless to humans, birds, or other animals. Good luck! If other questions, please let us know.
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Small white bugs on tomato leaves
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 8:44 pm
- I have little white bugs on the leaves of my tomato plants, how can I remove them organically.
- Great question, and a common problem at this point of the growing season. It sounds like you have aphids on your tomato plant leaves, and a good, safe, and organic way to treat your plants is with a neem oil solution. Neem oil is plant based organic oil. Mix two teaspoons of the neem oil to a gallon of warm water, mix well, and spray your tomato plants. You can reapply every 7 days. Neem oil is not harmful to humans, birds, or other animals. In very dry weather, make sure your tomato plants are well watered before applying the neem oil solution. Feel free to reach out to us if other questions come up!
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Dog-proof ground cover
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 7:11 pm
- Hi! We have a small back yard (no trees) in the Museum District that faces southeast. It's mostly dirt and crabgrass. We also have two dogs. Can you recommend a good, tough, affordable, relatively "dog-proof" ground cover? Something relatively soft that will be okay for bare feet would be idea, if I'm not asking for too much. Thank you!
- Ok, we'll have to laser focus to meet the requirements. I think a planting of dutch clover might do the trick for you. You're probably familiar with it, it tends to pop up in lawns frequently. You're going to have to kill the crabgrass before you attempt anything else. I generally suggest covering the area with tarps, newspaper, and/or cardboard to smother the weeds. However, this process could take a couple of months and you want to plant the clover about 6 weeks before a frost. If your space is small you could remove the weeds by hand, that would be quicker. Throw the pulled weeds in the trash, you don't want weed seeds winding up in your new clean space. Till the earth you've just cleaned up and spread the seed! Next-water. The clover will sprout in about 2 weeks. You'll need to keep the seed bed moist. Once the clover goes through a winter it will be established. Then you want to weed whack or mow the clover once a month when it's actively growing to keep the planting nice and thick. This choice would be the most cost-effective way to establish a walkable ground cover. An added benefit of clover is that is adds nitrogen to your soil. Of course, there are many other interesting choices for a sunny ground cover. You might want to experiment adding other plants and creating a bit of embroidery. There's always scotch or irish moss, mazus, ajuga, speedwell, or even creeping thyme, to name just a few other possibilities. Good luck with the project!
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Gardening in Raised Bed
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Date Posted: Mon, Jul 05 - 6:29 pm
- I bought a cedar raised bed kit from Lowes that stands on legs off the ground. I bought bags of organic raised bed soil as the kids suggested. I planted lettuce in it and it only made seedlings. So I put the tomato plants in it but they didn't grow either. I watered every day and it was in direct sun. Why would this be happening?
- Good afternoon! Thank you for your question. I know from experience that it is frustrating when you put time and effort into planting new plants, only to have them not thrive. Gardening is certainly a learning experience! From the information you provided, I am assuming you planted the lettuce and then the tomatoes in recent weeks. The first thing that comes to mind as far as the lettuce goes is that lettuce is a cool season vegetable, best planted in very early spring (March) for harvest in late spring or early summer. I'm wondering if you planted your lettuce from seed in late spring and by the time germination occurred the weather was already getting too warm. If lettuce is planted in late spring, it will certainly need some shade as summer approaches. Your best bet is to try planting your lettuce again in the fall season. And as you did before, water frequently and keep it in a sunny location during the cool fall season. With the tomatoes, it sounds like you planted them at the appropriate time, and in a sunny location which they require. My only thought here is that the tomatoes may have been watered too frequently, and the soil did not have a chance to dry out enough before a subsequent watering. Overwatering tomato plants can cause the leaves to turn yellow if the roots are not getting enough oxygen from overly saturated soil that does not have a chance to dry out. You may also want to check the drainage in your raised bed. Does it have a liner? This could be a factor in water retention in your bed if you are perhaps watering too frequently and proper drainage is not occurring. The best rule of thumb to check soil moisture is to insert a trowel, or wooden dowel, about 6 inches into the soil, and check to see if it comes out clean (soil has dried out), or if it comes out with damp soil clinging to the trowel or dowel. If it comes out with damp soil clinging, you do not need to water. Overwatering is a common mistake in gardening, and growing plants in pots or raised beds makes it even trickier. But with the right practices in routinely checking your soil moisture several inches down into the soil (before watering), you should have better success. If you have other questions, or experienced other circumstances than what I assumed above, feel free to reach back out to us and we'll be happy to help!
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Mulberry debris
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Date Posted: Tue, Jun 22 - 4:11 pm
- A neighboring mulberry tree drops berries into my small patio/mulch bordered backyard. We sweep the berries off of the patio daily but are not able to effectively clean the mulch area where the berries fall. I've noticed an uptick in bugs, birds, weeds/growth/sprouts, etc. in the mulch. 1) Should I work harder to clear the mulch area of these berries or is it okay to let them fall and naturally "decay" in the mulch? 2) What would be the best groundcover (mulch, dirt, stones, etc.) to be under a mulberry tree constantly dropping berries?
- Hello there, As you know mulberry trees are prolific berry producers. I don't see any reason not to let the berries compost into your mulch. However, it would be a good practice to hoe the mulch every now and then to prevent the berries from growing into trees. Also, they will still attract the birds and bugs that you've mentioned so that may not be a satisfying practice for you. One option would be to change the mulched area to tightly laid pavers. Then you could sweep that at the same time you sweep your patio. I suggest tightly laid because any open ground will provide a hospitable place for the mulberries to sprout. They are determined plants. Another option would be to have a polite conversation with the owner of the tree requesting that the overhanging limbs on your property be trimmed. If the tree is properly pruned, the offending branches on your property would be removed and the rest of the tree should be pruned for balance. You may want to bring this to the owner's attention to ensure a correct pruning job and to make sure all parties are happy with the results and the tree is properly preserved. Hope the helps!! Let us know if you have further questions.