If you’re growing any boxwoods in your yard, you might want to make a note to check them starting next spring for the latest deadly threat facing our top-selling shrub. A new bug called the box tree moth officially entered Pennsylvania this fall. The state Agriculture Department confirmed reports of the bug’s […]
I’ve been eating dozens of bioengineered purple-fleshed fruits of the new Purple Tomato for two months now, and so far I can report that I’m not taking on any snapdragon characteristics. I say that facetiously because this first-year variety is controversial for being the first bioengineered or “GMO” (genetically modified organism) vegetable being […]
Whether you’re trying to start new grass or whip a sad lawn back into some semblance of decency, the weeks between Labor Day and early October are the year’s best. The warm soil, cooling temperatures, and more frequent rain add up to ideal grass-seed sprouting (usually). It’s also the perfect time to […]
The upstate New York seed company, Fruition Seeds, is taking a rather radical step for any business. As of today, the producer of organic, Northeast-adapted vegetable, herb, and flower seed is shutting down its online seed sales and moving to what co-owner Petra Page-Mann terms a “gift culture.” From now on, Fruition […]
Earthworms have long been a gardener’s friend – aerating the soil with their tunneling, decomposing organic matter, and leaving behind nutritious “castings” in the process. But there’s a new worm in town, and this one is as destructive to the soil as good ol’ earthworms are helpful. The newcomer is commonly known […]
Doctors can ask patients where and how it hurts to zero in on a diagnosis. It’s not as straightforward in the landscape when you’re trying to figure out what’s going wrong with your plants. Although plants can’t talk or point, they are good at giving us clues. We just have to pay […]
Way back when I was a Cub Scout leader, we started the year by having the boys discuss what the pack’s rules should be. The 8-year-olds’ first suggestion was, “No killing.” I wouldn’t have thought of that, but it was definitely a good place to start. That also happens to be […]
June is one of the busiest months of the year for pruning. It’s prime time to size-control the evergreens, trim the hedges, and thin out and cut back the flowering shrubs that bloomed earlier in spring, such as azaleas, lilacs, weigelas, and deutzias. For most people, pruning means getting out the power […]
I’ve been growing home-garden vegetables in Pennsylvania for 44 years now, which I suppose qualifies me as a seasoned, old, compost-stained soil jockey. Although I’ll admit I still can’t out-smart a groundhog or out-maneuver a deer, I have learned to circumvent many of the other obstacles that stand in the way of picking […]
When is it “safe” to plant the tomatoes and summer flowers? That’s a question gardeners wring their compost-stained hands over every year at this time – especially the eager ones who don’t want to miss a day of potential frost-free grow time. Not that long ago, Harrisburg-area gardeners could rely on the […]