Harlequin bugs. You can't live with 'em, and it would certainly be more pleasant to live without them! Unlike their carnival-esque name, these mid-sized little garden pests are no laughing matter. Feasting primarily upon cabbage, broccoli and brussels sprouts--or basically any brassica they can find--these bugs tend to show up in clusters, leaving a path of destruction in their … [Read more...] about Handling Harlequin Bugs
Gardening
Garden Tips for a Rainy Year
It's been a wet year on the homestead. Between seemingly endless rain, and humidity that often sees 90-percent, I can't remember the last time I actually had to go out and water the garden. While it's hard to complain about rain when we often see so little of it, there can always be too much of a good thing. So what can too much rain and moisture do to a garden? Read on to find … [Read more...] about Garden Tips for a Rainy Year
6 Insect-Repelling Plants
Looking to cut down on the amount of bugs in your garden, the natural way? Consider ringing it with a few of the insect-repelling plants below, and watch the bugs fly away. Lemongrass First up is lemongrass, as its an obvious choice for this list. Lemongrass naturally secretes citronella oil, the primary ingredient found in many anti-insect candles and scents. Lemongrass is … [Read more...] about 6 Insect-Repelling Plants
Pruning Summer Squash? Yea or Nay
Its about that time of year. The garden is starting to blossom, and among the sea of green and brown, you're starting to see little shoots of color popping up everywhere. If you've planted summer squash, large orange/yellow flowers will be among this sea of growth. But how best should you care for your growing greens, and most importantly, should you prune them when they start … [Read more...] about Pruning Summer Squash? Yea or Nay
Zeolite: Yay or Nay?
If you started reading this hoping for a definitive answer to the question above, I'm sorry to disappoint. I've been reading about Zeolitef for a while and--given the nature of the soil in my garden--decided to give it a go this year, working about 3 pounds into roughly 300 square feet of garden space as a test. I'll report back on the yields, but how well it works still … [Read more...] about Zeolite: Yay or Nay?
