Be Careful When Using Bluestone For Pond Algae Control
You’ve probably heard somebody say they used bluestone for getting rid of algae in ponds or you’ve read somewhere about this miraculous method. Let’s put our enthusiasm aside for a few brief moments and consider the reality of what happens when you add this to water. Bluestone is copper sulfate and it does indeed kill […]
Free Organic Gardening Downloads
This is part of the eCommons System at Cornell U. Here’s a treasure trove of free organic downloads. (Do scroll down past the dairy farm information.) The only “problem” is the information is aimed at farmers so the scale to the home garden is going to be a bit “off”. But the data — particularly around things like the […]
Why Growing Long Stem Roses Won’t Work In The Home Garden
Growing long stem roses is something you can do in your home garden but you might find it a bit time-consuming. It also depends on the weather (which is why most long-stemmed roses are grown in greenhouses). Grading Long Stem Roses Long stem roses are graded according to the stem length and the bud size. The […]
Horticultural Glue: The Simplest, Easiest Method To Reduce Insect Problems
Tanglefoot or other horticultural glue is one of my biggest garden friends. This is a glue that doesn’t dry right away – has the consistency of putty, is really, really sticky and is an amazing little bit of hort “stuff”. And these homemade sticky traps are simply the easiest way to control insects in your […]
Can I Turn My Swimming Pool Into A Pond?
I had a reader who wrote, “Can I can turn my swimming pool into a pond because we got tired of swimming in it?”Here’s my response:Sure you can, but… The decision point though is what kind of pond you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a pond for fish,Some folks say you don’t have to […]
How To Understand a Landscaping Contract
There are 3 important things in a landscaping contract (and as a consumer you really want one of these if there is major work being done). First – those signing must have the ability to enter into a contract. In other words, you have to own the house or have the right to make modifications, […]
Bad Gardening Tips and Doug Shakes His Head
Good grief but it really annoys me (I wrote another word here but realized it wouldn’t pass the family-acceptable standard I like to publish) when I see the amount of really, really bad advice in online forums and social media sites. The fall garden season is almost over, gardeners are flocking online to help each […]