--Home Gardening Guides--Garden travels: The Huntington Botanical Gardens--Home Gardening Blog --

A few days ago, I wrote about visiting the Los County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens while in Southern California for the annual Garden Writers symposium. Today, I want to show you another amazing garden that was truly the highlight of my time down there: Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

It was wonderful to explore the enormous grounds that are broken into different regions, but I should also point out that it was 104 degrees that day. Ugh. So the biggest challenge was seeing most of it without having heatstroke!

The Huntington, as it's most commonly referred to, was originally established by Henry E. Huntington in 1919. He was a wealthy businessman who had a passion for collecting artwork, books and manuscripts, and plants from around the world.

At one point, I went into the Library to escape the heat and had the privilege of seeing the Gutenberg Bible, Chaucer's Tales, Audubon's "Birds of America," Shakespeare's First Folio and so on. What a rich history I found, all in one place!

But, as a passionate gardener, I was particularly interested in the gardens. They cover an impressive 120 acres, so you can imagine what a challenge it was to not become too overheated that day.

Highlights of the gardens include a delightful Children's garden (we should create one for Spokane, don't you think?), the Australian garden, the desert garden, a formal herb garden, a wonderful rose that I enjoyed strolling through, the jungle garden, the lily ponds, the Shakespeare garden, the subtropical garden, the Japanese garden, and much, much more.

My one regret was that I didn't see the Chinese garden. I really wanted to but was feeling very lightheaded from the heat by that point, so I reluctantly gave up and headed back to the entrance.

Before I forget, the gift shop at the Huntington is not to be missed! (and air-conditioned, thank heavens) It is huge and the selection of goodies runs the gamut from garden-themed items and fun things for kids to home decor and jewelry. You can even shop online!

Please have fun browsing through the photos below. Remember that you can click on any of them to view a larger image.

For more information on the gardens at the Huntington, follow this link to the listings.

Children's garden

Children's garden - fun tunnel to wander through.

Rose garden

Rose garden

Jungle garden

Desert garden

Lily ponds

Japanese garden

October 2015 - Hello Friend gunderson-assessment,In the article you read this time with the title October 2015,we have prepared well for this article you read and download the information therein . hopefully fill posts we write this you can understand. Well, happy reading.

Judul : --Home Gardening Guides--Garden travels: The Huntington Botanical Gardens--Home Gardening Blog --
link : --Home Gardening Guides--Garden travels: The Huntington Botanical Gardens--Home Gardening Blog --

October 2015

A few days ago, I wrote about visiting the Los County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens while in Southern California for the annual Garden Writers symposium. Today, I want to show you another amazing garden that was truly the highlight of my time down there: Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

It was wonderful to explore the enormous grounds that are broken into different regions, but I should also point out that it was 104 degrees that day. Ugh. So the biggest challenge was seeing most of it without having heatstroke!

The Huntington, as it's most commonly referred to, was originally established by Henry E. Huntington in 1919. He was a wealthy businessman who had a passion for collecting artwork, books and manuscripts, and plants from around the world.

At one point, I went into the Library to escape the heat and had the privilege of seeing the Gutenberg Bible, Chaucer's Tales, Audubon's "Birds of America," Shakespeare's First Folio and so on. What a rich history I found, all in one place!

But, as a passionate gardener, I was particularly interested in the gardens. They cover an impressive 120 acres, so you can imagine what a challenge it was to not become too overheated that day.

Highlights of the gardens include a delightful Children's garden (we should create one for Spokane, don't you think?), the Australian garden, the desert garden, a formal herb garden, a wonderful rose that I enjoyed strolling through, the jungle garden, the lily ponds, the Shakespeare garden, the subtropical garden, the Japanese garden, and much, much more.

My one regret was that I didn't see the Chinese garden. I really wanted to but was feeling very lightheaded from the heat by that point, so I reluctantly gave up and headed back to the entrance.

Before I forget, the gift shop at the Huntington is not to be missed! (and air-conditioned, thank heavens) It is huge and the selection of goodies runs the gamut from garden-themed items and fun things for kids to home decor and jewelry. You can even shop online!

Please have fun browsing through the photos below. Remember that you can click on any of them to view a larger image.

For more information on the gardens at the Huntington, follow this link to the listings.

Children's garden

Children's garden - fun tunnel to wander through.

Rose garden

Rose garden

Jungle garden

Desert garden

Lily ponds

Japanese garden

Read More

--Home Gardening Guides--Product Review: Water Right Garden Hose--Home Gardening Blog --

Susan watering her winter garden, using the Garden Right hose.

You might be thinking that all garden hoses are the same, right? Nope! After hearing high praise for the Water Right garden hose from fellow garden writer Joe Lamp'l (host of "Growing a Greener World"), I decided I should investigate it further. After all, I know you appreciate hearing about great gardening products.

I'll be honest with you: this hose is expensive and I found myself wondering what would justify the price. It turns out there are plenty of reasons one would want to buy it and it is an example of the old adage, "you get what you pay for."

The first time I hooked it up to the faucet in my garden to do some hand-watering, I was already sold. The hose is incredibly lightweight. How many of you find it annoying to drag heavy hoses around your garden? As someone with cranky shoulders, I immediately noticed the difference and enjoyed how easy it was to move it around the edges of my raised beds.

The next thing I liked was how the hose didn't kink. Our heavy-duty hoses just love to kink at the most inconvenient times. What a difference the Water Right hose makes in that regard. It helps you get down to the business of watering, easily and quickly, instead of having to fight the hose.

Another detail I'm fully supportive of is that the hoses are made in the USA. I think it's important to buy U.S.-made products whenever you can, so here's a great reason to do that.

If that weren't enough, how about a hose that has a 5-year warranty? How many hoses do you know of with a guarantee like that?

Other features you should be aware of include that the hose stays flexible in hot, cold or freezing weather, and that the fittings are brass. I should also mention that the hoses come in cool colors. Other than your basic black, they have gun metal (brown), olive green and eggplant! You can make a fashion statement in your garden.  :o)

Now for the details: I tested a 50-foot 500 series 1/2" polyurethane hose. It retails for $79.95. You can learn more by going to the Water Right website, or by either calling (800) 796-5420 or emailing them.

You can also view the video Joe Lamp'l made after testing the hose at his farm near Atlanta.

October 2015 - Hello Friend gunderson-assessment,In the article you read this time with the title October 2015,we have prepared well for this article you read and download the information therein . hopefully fill posts we write this you can understand. Well, happy reading.

Judul : --Home Gardening Guides--Product Review: Water Right Garden Hose--Home Gardening Blog --
link : --Home Gardening Guides--Product Review: Water Right Garden Hose--Home Gardening Blog --

October 2015

Susan watering her winter garden, using the Garden Right hose.

You might be thinking that all garden hoses are the same, right? Nope! After hearing high praise for the Water Right garden hose from fellow garden writer Joe Lamp'l (host of "Growing a Greener World"), I decided I should investigate it further. After all, I know you appreciate hearing about great gardening products.

I'll be honest with you: this hose is expensive and I found myself wondering what would justify the price. It turns out there are plenty of reasons one would want to buy it and it is an example of the old adage, "you get what you pay for."

The first time I hooked it up to the faucet in my garden to do some hand-watering, I was already sold. The hose is incredibly lightweight. How many of you find it annoying to drag heavy hoses around your garden? As someone with cranky shoulders, I immediately noticed the difference and enjoyed how easy it was to move it around the edges of my raised beds.

The next thing I liked was how the hose didn't kink. Our heavy-duty hoses just love to kink at the most inconvenient times. What a difference the Water Right hose makes in that regard. It helps you get down to the business of watering, easily and quickly, instead of having to fight the hose.

Another detail I'm fully supportive of is that the hoses are made in the USA. I think it's important to buy U.S.-made products whenever you can, so here's a great reason to do that.

If that weren't enough, how about a hose that has a 5-year warranty? How many hoses do you know of with a guarantee like that?

Other features you should be aware of include that the hose stays flexible in hot, cold or freezing weather, and that the fittings are brass. I should also mention that the hoses come in cool colors. Other than your basic black, they have gun metal (brown), olive green and eggplant! You can make a fashion statement in your garden.  :o)

Now for the details: I tested a 50-foot 500 series 1/2" polyurethane hose. It retails for $79.95. You can learn more by going to the Water Right website, or by either calling (800) 796-5420 or emailing them.

You can also view the video Joe Lamp'l made after testing the hose at his farm near Atlanta.

Read More

--Home Gardening Guides--Garden travels: Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden--Home Gardening Blog --

When I was a little girl growing up in Southern California, my Mom used to take me to the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden as a treat. It was commonly referred to as "Lucky Baldwin's" back then -- after Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin, who purchased the property way back in 1875 -- and it was always a thrill for me to see the peacocks there.

There are many diverse plantings.

There are many peacocks there today, as I happily discovered while attending the Garden Writers Association's annual symposium in Pasadena recently.

Some folks might recognize Baldwin's guest house, known as "the Cottage," from the old "Fantasy Island" TV series. (you know, "Da plane! Da plane!") It's situtated on the edge of Baldwin Lake.

So what all does this have to do with gardening? Plenty! In 1947, Los Angeles County purchased acreage surrounding Baldwin's homesite, for the purpose of creating an arboretum and it has been steadily expanded upon over the course of many years.

"The Cottage" 

Visitors will find orchid greenhouses, a formal rose garden, an herb garden, perennial test gardens, water conservation gardens, the Prehistoric and Jungle Garden, a waterfall and more. You would be amazed by all of the different plant collections representing Australia, Africa, Madagascar and the Canary Islands. And oh yes, there are lots of peacocks!

I've assembled some photos here to give you a mini tour of the gardens. It is well worth a visit!

Part of the formal rose garden.

Zucchino rampicante (similar to what I grew this summer).

Beautiful raised beds in the vegetable garden.

Turtle pond.

Oh, and did I mention peacocks?

October 2015 - Hello Friend gunderson-assessment,In the article you read this time with the title October 2015,we have prepared well for this article you read and download the information therein . hopefully fill posts we write this you can understand. Well, happy reading.

Judul : --Home Gardening Guides--Garden travels: Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden--Home Gardening Blog --
link : --Home Gardening Guides--Garden travels: Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden--Home Gardening Blog --

October 2015

When I was a little girl growing up in Southern California, my Mom used to take me to the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden as a treat. It was commonly referred to as "Lucky Baldwin's" back then -- after Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin, who purchased the property way back in 1875 -- and it was always a thrill for me to see the peacocks there.

There are many diverse plantings.

There are many peacocks there today, as I happily discovered while attending the Garden Writers Association's annual symposium in Pasadena recently.

Some folks might recognize Baldwin's guest house, known as "the Cottage," from the old "Fantasy Island" TV series. (you know, "Da plane! Da plane!") It's situtated on the edge of Baldwin Lake.

So what all does this have to do with gardening? Plenty! In 1947, Los Angeles County purchased acreage surrounding Baldwin's homesite, for the purpose of creating an arboretum and it has been steadily expanded upon over the course of many years.

"The Cottage" 

Visitors will find orchid greenhouses, a formal rose garden, an herb garden, perennial test gardens, water conservation gardens, the Prehistoric and Jungle Garden, a waterfall and more. You would be amazed by all of the different plant collections representing Australia, Africa, Madagascar and the Canary Islands. And oh yes, there are lots of peacocks!

I've assembled some photos here to give you a mini tour of the gardens. It is well worth a visit!

Part of the formal rose garden.

Zucchino rampicante (similar to what I grew this summer).

Beautiful raised beds in the vegetable garden.

Turtle pond.

Oh, and did I mention peacocks?

Read More

--Home Gardening Guides--Susan's Vegetable Picks for 2015--Home Gardening Blog --

I'm frequently asked what my favorite vegetable varieties are. That can be tough to answer, though, because it's often difficult to choose from so many wonderful offerings.

As you've probably noticed, I love trying new varieties because I'm always in search of the perfect tomato, the most tender bean and so on.

However, I've put together the following list of some of the best veggies I've grown, just to give you ideas for next year's garden. Most varieties should be easy to locate at a large, well-stocked garden center. If you aren't able to locate some of them, try searching for the variety name on the web. And if you're still stumped, drop me a note! My email address is inthegarden@live.com.

Artichokes _ Green Globe, Imperial Star

Arugula _ Sylvetta

Basil _ Italian Pesto, Lettuce Leaf

Beans, Bush _ French Filet

Beans, Pole _ Italian Snap

Beets _ Cylindra, German Lutz, Chioggia

Cabbage _ Caraflex, Early Jersey Wakefield, Kalibos

Carrots _ Red Core Chantenay, King Midas, Starica, Tendersweet, Purple Haze

Celery _ Tango

Cilantro _ Slow Bolt, Sabor

Corn _ Luscious, Peaches & Cream, Silver Queen

Cucumber _ Straight Eight, Lemon

Eggplant _ Rosa Bianca (Italian), Ichiban (Japanese)

Kale _ Dwarf Siberian, Vates, Redbor

Leeks _ King Richard

Lettuce _ Red Sails, Vulcan, Outredgeous, Ruby Glow, Romaine, Buttercrunch

Melons _ Arava (honeydew-type), Napoli (Tuscan type), Alaska hybrid

Onions _ Copra, Yellow Sweet Spanish, Walla Walla Sweet, Highlander

Parsnips _ Andover, Cobham Improved, Hollow Core

Peas _ Green Arrow, Golden Sweet, Laxton�s Progress

Peppers _ Sunset Mix, California Wonder

Pumpkins _ Spookie Deep Sugar, New England Pie, Casper (white)

Spinach _ Bordeaux

Squash, Summer _ Romanesco, Sunburst pattypan

Squash, Winter _ Sweet Meat, Sweet Dumpling, Delicata, Lakota, Blue Ballet or Baby Blue Hubbard

Swiss Chard _ Bright Lights, Peppermint Stick, Pot of Gold

Tomato _ Jet Star and Chef�s Choice Orange (slicing); Sungold (cherry); Fantastico (grape); Amish Paste - Kapuler and Italian Pompeii (paste)

October 2015 - Hello Friend gunderson-assessment,In the article you read this time with the title October 2015,we have prepared well for this article you read and download the information therein . hopefully fill posts we write this you can understand. Well, happy reading.

Judul : --Home Gardening Guides--Susan's Vegetable Picks for 2015--Home Gardening Blog --
link : --Home Gardening Guides--Susan's Vegetable Picks for 2015--Home Gardening Blog --

October 2015

I'm frequently asked what my favorite vegetable varieties are. That can be tough to answer, though, because it's often difficult to choose from so many wonderful offerings.

As you've probably noticed, I love trying new varieties because I'm always in search of the perfect tomato, the most tender bean and so on.

However, I've put together the following list of some of the best veggies I've grown, just to give you ideas for next year's garden. Most varieties should be easy to locate at a large, well-stocked garden center. If you aren't able to locate some of them, try searching for the variety name on the web. And if you're still stumped, drop me a note! My email address is inthegarden@live.com.

Artichokes _ Green Globe, Imperial Star

Arugula _ Sylvetta

Basil _ Italian Pesto, Lettuce Leaf

Beans, Bush _ French Filet

Beans, Pole _ Italian Snap

Beets _ Cylindra, German Lutz, Chioggia

Cabbage _ Caraflex, Early Jersey Wakefield, Kalibos

Carrots _ Red Core Chantenay, King Midas, Starica, Tendersweet, Purple Haze

Celery _ Tango

Cilantro _ Slow Bolt, Sabor

Corn _ Luscious, Peaches & Cream, Silver Queen

Cucumber _ Straight Eight, Lemon

Eggplant _ Rosa Bianca (Italian), Ichiban (Japanese)

Kale _ Dwarf Siberian, Vates, Redbor

Leeks _ King Richard

Lettuce _ Red Sails, Vulcan, Outredgeous, Ruby Glow, Romaine, Buttercrunch

Melons _ Arava (honeydew-type), Napoli (Tuscan type), Alaska hybrid

Onions _ Copra, Yellow Sweet Spanish, Walla Walla Sweet, Highlander

Parsnips _ Andover, Cobham Improved, Hollow Core

Peas _ Green Arrow, Golden Sweet, Laxton�s Progress

Peppers _ Sunset Mix, California Wonder

Pumpkins _ Spookie Deep Sugar, New England Pie, Casper (white)

Spinach _ Bordeaux

Squash, Summer _ Romanesco, Sunburst pattypan

Squash, Winter _ Sweet Meat, Sweet Dumpling, Delicata, Lakota, Blue Ballet or Baby Blue Hubbard

Swiss Chard _ Bright Lights, Peppermint Stick, Pot of Gold

Tomato _ Jet Star and Chef�s Choice Orange (slicing); Sungold (cherry); Fantastico (grape); Amish Paste - Kapuler and Italian Pompeii (paste)

Read More

--Home Gardening Guides--Book Review: "DIY Succulents"--Home Gardening Blog --

by Susan Mulvihill

Have you been bitten by the succulent craze yet? Ever since I started seeing vertical succulent gardens and stunning arrangements made with them, I find that anything made with succulents draws me in like a magnet!

Fortunately, there�s a new book out that caters to the crafty side of folks like you and me. �DIY Succulents,� written by Tawni Daigle, is packed with over 35 project ideas that showcase these marvelous plants.

As she writes, �Succulents are rising in popularity, and with good reason. Their beauty and resilience make them perfect for creating tasteful, sophisticated, long-lasting works of living art.�

In the first part of the book, she delves into the care of succulents. Even though they can seem pretty straightforward to grow, there are some tricks of the trade one should know for the best success.

Daigle discusses the many varieties available, including growth habits, hardiness zones and how most propagate. Each description is accompanied by an attractive photograph.

She�s careful to list the few types that can be harmful to children and pets. Daigle also details the best growing conditions and how to deal with any problems that might arise.

I particularly enjoyed learning how to propagate succulents in more ways than just repotting a �pup.�

The second part of the book is what crafty gardeners will particularly enjoy. For each project, the author lists the materials needed and goes step-by-step through the process. Then she explains how to care for the plants used in the project, which is very helpful.

What types of projects will you find in �DIY Succulents�? Household ideas include a home address plaque with a small attached succulent planter, a succulent kokedama (moss ball string garden), tiny terracotta pot magnets, and a stunning living wreath.

Then there are outdoor projects such as a succulent bird cage, vertical-framed garden, vertical pallet garden, and a birdhouse with a living succulent roof.

Daigle takes it a step further with a chapter on succulent accessories such as succulent-adorned headbands and a living necklace. There are even fun ways to use succulents for holiday decorations.

Tawni Daigle has thought of every imaginable use for succulents, both indoors and out. �DIY Succulents� is sure to get your creative juices flowing! With the holidays fast approaching, wouldn�t it make a great gift for your gardening and crafty friends?

October 2015 - Hello Friend gunderson-assessment,In the article you read this time with the title October 2015,we have prepared well for this article you read and download the information therein . hopefully fill posts we write this you can understand. Well, happy reading.

Judul : --Home Gardening Guides--Book Review: "DIY Succulents"--Home Gardening Blog --
link : --Home Gardening Guides--Book Review: "DIY Succulents"--Home Gardening Blog --

October 2015

by Susan Mulvihill

Have you been bitten by the succulent craze yet? Ever since I started seeing vertical succulent gardens and stunning arrangements made with them, I find that anything made with succulents draws me in like a magnet!

Fortunately, there�s a new book out that caters to the crafty side of folks like you and me. �DIY Succulents,� written by Tawni Daigle, is packed with over 35 project ideas that showcase these marvelous plants.

As she writes, �Succulents are rising in popularity, and with good reason. Their beauty and resilience make them perfect for creating tasteful, sophisticated, long-lasting works of living art.�

In the first part of the book, she delves into the care of succulents. Even though they can seem pretty straightforward to grow, there are some tricks of the trade one should know for the best success.

Daigle discusses the many varieties available, including growth habits, hardiness zones and how most propagate. Each description is accompanied by an attractive photograph.

She�s careful to list the few types that can be harmful to children and pets. Daigle also details the best growing conditions and how to deal with any problems that might arise.

I particularly enjoyed learning how to propagate succulents in more ways than just repotting a �pup.�

The second part of the book is what crafty gardeners will particularly enjoy. For each project, the author lists the materials needed and goes step-by-step through the process. Then she explains how to care for the plants used in the project, which is very helpful.

What types of projects will you find in �DIY Succulents�? Household ideas include a home address plaque with a small attached succulent planter, a succulent kokedama (moss ball string garden), tiny terracotta pot magnets, and a stunning living wreath.

Then there are outdoor projects such as a succulent bird cage, vertical-framed garden, vertical pallet garden, and a birdhouse with a living succulent roof.

Daigle takes it a step further with a chapter on succulent accessories such as succulent-adorned headbands and a living necklace. There are even fun ways to use succulents for holiday decorations.

Tawni Daigle has thought of every imaginable use for succulents, both indoors and out. �DIY Succulents� is sure to get your creative juices flowing! With the holidays fast approaching, wouldn�t it make a great gift for your gardening and crafty friends?

Read More

--Home Gardening Guides--Organic orchard report--Home Gardening Blog --

No, we don't have frogs on our apples but thought you'd enjoy this photo!

Earlier this season, I wrote how my husband Bill and I have been growing our tree fruits organically for several years. And how each year, it's been a learning process.

While plums are quite trouble-free, apples, pears and cherries are a whole different matter! Apples and pears -- which belong to the same family -- are susceptible to both insect damage and many diseases. Cherries primarily have one problem that requires action: those pesky little worms that burrow through the fruits. Yuck!

Let's look at cherries first. Cherry fruit flies are the parents of those horrid white worms. Bill hangs cherry fruit fly traps in the trees once the cherries start turning light green. The traps are used as an indicator of when the cherry fruit flies are active in the area.

Bill sprays an organic product called Spinosad every 10 days. It kills the fruit flies before they can lay eggs. This worked really well for us and we had a wonderful, worm-free harvest.

Now let's look at apples. Note that our pear trees are quite young so we haven't had to go through the full routine that I'm about to detail for apples, but the method for both types of trees will be identical starting next year.

When it comes to growing apples, our main nemesis is the apple codling moth. The adults lay eggs on the surface of the young fruits; the resulting larvae burrow into the apples to feed. They later drop from the apples to the ground to pupate, then later emerge as adults to begin the cycle all over again. Most adults overwinter in the bark of the trees.

Nylon footies

Each year, we  thin the fruits so the trees won't have too much to support and mature throughout the season. And each spring, we dutifully cover the young apples with little nylon "footies" to confuse the adults so they will hopefully not lay their eggs on them. Yes, it's tedious work but it has been worth the effort. However, there's more that has to be done to thwart the moths.

At regular intervals, Bill sprays our trees with a solution of kaolin clay (a natural substance) and water, which puts a powdery coating on the leaves and fruit. This also seems to confuse the moths into thinking they haven't landed on an actual leaf or apple.

With the combination of the nylon footies and kaolin clay mixture, we usually have about an 80% success rate (no worms).

Last season, in addition to the nylon footies and kaolin clay, Bill was occasionally using Bt. He found that it worked really well.

So this season, he decided to conduct an experiment by just using the Bt and kaolin clay, and not using the footies. For a while, it was looking really promising and we were excited to think that we wouldn't need to go to the time and expense of using footies.

It turns out we were wrong! But not only was that in regards to the codling moths, we also encountered two unforeseen problems.

We had more worms in our apples than we usually get so it appears the footies were really helping more than we thought. Apparently they really do confuse those moths.

The first unforeseen problem: if you live in the Inland Northwest, you know we are in the middle of a drought and also had extended periods of high temperatures this summer. We broke all sorts of weather records.

This is what stink bugs look like.

Because of things being so hot and dry -- and unbeknownst to us, I might add -- birds were flying into our little orchard and pecking the apples. Sometimes it was just a small hole but often there were quite large holes pecked into the fruit. When I picked our Jonagold apples last week, I was dismayed to get a much smaller harvest due to this problem.

The second unforeseen problem: Bill discovered stink bugs were piercing the skins of our McIntosh apples and sucking some of the juices out of them. These apples have thin skins so it was easy for the bugs to do that. This caused a lot of problems for us.

The bottom line: If we had used the footies, we believe they would have thwarted the codling moths, kept the birds from pecking the apples, and made it much more difficult for stink bugs to do their thing.

I wish I could've told you our experiment was a resounding success because that would mean much less work for all of us who are trying to grow our tree fruits organically! Unfortunately, that's not the case. Our plan is to go back to using the footies next spring, as well as to continue with the kaolin spray and occasional use of Bt.

Like I said earlier, it's always a learning process!

October 2015 - Hello Friend gunderson-assessment,In the article you read this time with the title October 2015,we have prepared well for this article you read and download the information therein . hopefully fill posts we write this you can understand. Well, happy reading.

Judul : --Home Gardening Guides--Organic orchard report--Home Gardening Blog --
link : --Home Gardening Guides--Organic orchard report--Home Gardening Blog --

October 2015

No, we don't have frogs on our apples but thought you'd enjoy this photo!

Earlier this season, I wrote how my husband Bill and I have been growing our tree fruits organically for several years. And how each year, it's been a learning process.

While plums are quite trouble-free, apples, pears and cherries are a whole different matter! Apples and pears -- which belong to the same family -- are susceptible to both insect damage and many diseases. Cherries primarily have one problem that requires action: those pesky little worms that burrow through the fruits. Yuck!

Let's look at cherries first. Cherry fruit flies are the parents of those horrid white worms. Bill hangs cherry fruit fly traps in the trees once the cherries start turning light green. The traps are used as an indicator of when the cherry fruit flies are active in the area.

Bill sprays an organic product called Spinosad every 10 days. It kills the fruit flies before they can lay eggs. This worked really well for us and we had a wonderful, worm-free harvest.

Now let's look at apples. Note that our pear trees are quite young so we haven't had to go through the full routine that I'm about to detail for apples, but the method for both types of trees will be identical starting next year.

When it comes to growing apples, our main nemesis is the apple codling moth. The adults lay eggs on the surface of the young fruits; the resulting larvae burrow into the apples to feed. They later drop from the apples to the ground to pupate, then later emerge as adults to begin the cycle all over again. Most adults overwinter in the bark of the trees.

Nylon footies

Each year, we  thin the fruits so the trees won't have too much to support and mature throughout the season. And each spring, we dutifully cover the young apples with little nylon "footies" to confuse the adults so they will hopefully not lay their eggs on them. Yes, it's tedious work but it has been worth the effort. However, there's more that has to be done to thwart the moths.

At regular intervals, Bill sprays our trees with a solution of kaolin clay (a natural substance) and water, which puts a powdery coating on the leaves and fruit. This also seems to confuse the moths into thinking they haven't landed on an actual leaf or apple.

With the combination of the nylon footies and kaolin clay mixture, we usually have about an 80% success rate (no worms).

Last season, in addition to the nylon footies and kaolin clay, Bill was occasionally using Bt. He found that it worked really well.

So this season, he decided to conduct an experiment by just using the Bt and kaolin clay, and not using the footies. For a while, it was looking really promising and we were excited to think that we wouldn't need to go to the time and expense of using footies.

It turns out we were wrong! But not only was that in regards to the codling moths, we also encountered two unforeseen problems.

We had more worms in our apples than we usually get so it appears the footies were really helping more than we thought. Apparently they really do confuse those moths.

The first unforeseen problem: if you live in the Inland Northwest, you know we are in the middle of a drought and also had extended periods of high temperatures this summer. We broke all sorts of weather records.

This is what stink bugs look like.

Because of things being so hot and dry -- and unbeknownst to us, I might add -- birds were flying into our little orchard and pecking the apples. Sometimes it was just a small hole but often there were quite large holes pecked into the fruit. When I picked our Jonagold apples last week, I was dismayed to get a much smaller harvest due to this problem.

The second unforeseen problem: Bill discovered stink bugs were piercing the skins of our McIntosh apples and sucking some of the juices out of them. These apples have thin skins so it was easy for the bugs to do that. This caused a lot of problems for us.

The bottom line: If we had used the footies, we believe they would have thwarted the codling moths, kept the birds from pecking the apples, and made it much more difficult for stink bugs to do their thing.

I wish I could've told you our experiment was a resounding success because that would mean much less work for all of us who are trying to grow our tree fruits organically! Unfortunately, that's not the case. Our plan is to go back to using the footies next spring, as well as to continue with the kaolin spray and occasional use of Bt.

Like I said earlier, it's always a learning process!

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--Home Gardening Guides--Oct. 4 column--Home Gardening Blog --

2015 was a great year for growing peppers!

Well, I hope this won't make you sad, but my column in today's edition of The Spokesman-Review is my last one for the 2015 garden season. But not to worry! I'll be blogging away and posting to my Facebook page all fall and winter long! And you'll start seeing my columns again in about the third week of February.

But before I get too distracted, here's a link to today's column: Hot summer skewed garden results. This one is a season wrap-up which includes a bit of a "report card" on how some of the newer vegetable varieties I grew this year did.

I'm always hearing from readers that they love seeing the list of what I plan to grow in my first column each February. But what I think is also important is letting you know how they performed in my garden.

As I mention in my column, it might be a bit unfair of me to judge their performance solely on what turned out to be a very challenging growing season. For those of you who don't live in the Spokane or Inland Northwest, we had an exceedingly hot, dry summer. Some plants thrived in the heat and others struggled. And so did this gardener, for that matter!

I hope you'll enjoy today's column. Remember you can always email me (inthegarden@live.com) with a question or a suggestion of what you'd like to see on either this blog or on my Facebook page. I'm always happy to oblige!

Happy gardening!

October 2015 - Hello Friend gunderson-assessment,In the article you read this time with the title October 2015,we have prepared well for this article you read and download the information therein . hopefully fill posts we write this you can understand. Well, happy reading.

Judul : --Home Gardening Guides--Oct. 4 column--Home Gardening Blog --
link : --Home Gardening Guides--Oct. 4 column--Home Gardening Blog --

October 2015

2015 was a great year for growing peppers!

Well, I hope this won't make you sad, but my column in today's edition of The Spokesman-Review is my last one for the 2015 garden season. But not to worry! I'll be blogging away and posting to my Facebook page all fall and winter long! And you'll start seeing my columns again in about the third week of February.

But before I get too distracted, here's a link to today's column: Hot summer skewed garden results. This one is a season wrap-up which includes a bit of a "report card" on how some of the newer vegetable varieties I grew this year did.

I'm always hearing from readers that they love seeing the list of what I plan to grow in my first column each February. But what I think is also important is letting you know how they performed in my garden.

As I mention in my column, it might be a bit unfair of me to judge their performance solely on what turned out to be a very challenging growing season. For those of you who don't live in the Spokane or Inland Northwest, we had an exceedingly hot, dry summer. Some plants thrived in the heat and others struggled. And so did this gardener, for that matter!

I hope you'll enjoy today's column. Remember you can always email me (inthegarden@live.com) with a question or a suggestion of what you'd like to see on either this blog or on my Facebook page. I'm always happy to oblige!

Happy gardening!

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