| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| Fertilizers | 11/3/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: FirstIs Roundup really any worse than using 5% vinegar? Please be very detailed in your answer so I ...
A: 1. Roundup is a chemical pesticide, toxic to plant life. Vinegar is an organic method of killing ...
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| bouganvilleas | 11/1/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: actually, i have 2: 1. My white and deep purple bougies are not flowering. why not? 2. Something is ...
A: Question #1. Re: Not flowering: Bougainvillea need a well balanced slow-release fertilizer, too ...
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| Mulching over leaves | 10/25/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: Frank and Vicky: I have large areas of plants and shrubs. Over the years I have used a mulch which ...
A: You can find opinions either way about the toxicity of cedar mulch. Our experience comes from the ...
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| Mulching over leaves | 10/24/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: Frank and Vicky: I have large areas of plants and shrubs. Over the years I have used a mulch which ...
A: You could try to take the cedar layer off and get rid of it, or you could just add a four inches of ...
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| Mulching over leaves | 10/24/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: Frank and Vicky: I have large areas of plants and shrubs. Over the years I have used a mulch which ...
A: The best mulch is to get a bale of alfalfa hay, and break it apart and mulch with it. You can just ...
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| Mulching over fallen leaves | 10/24/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: I have large areas of plants and shrubs. Over the years I have used a mulch which has been treated ...
A: There are 2 keys to successful mulching: (1) the right material, and (2) the right thickness. Weeds ...
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| Mulching over fallen leaves | 10/24/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: Mack: I have large areas of plants and shrubs. Over the years I have used a mulch which has been ...
A: An excellent dual action approach and an ideal soil additive!! For landscape applications it is best ...
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| Earthworms | 10/18/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: I'm a 6th grader going to a magnet school. We have a project going on requiring us to interview ...
A: Earthworms survive best in temperatures ranging from 50° F to 75° F, which is the approximate ...
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| manure cropping | 10/14/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: i am a student who is doing a science project on if manure is a good fertilizer or not. Do you think ...
A: Boy have YOU come to the right place for a question like that! Do I have an opinion on this? You ...
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| Scholarship | 10/8/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: Please i would like to know if can get a scholarship to study masters degree in organic farming in ...
A: Listed below is a website that I recommend for your review: ...
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| sowbugs | 10/8/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: Sowbugs have decimated our greenhouse--again! They have taken out almost everything we've planted. ...
A: Sowbugs usually feed on decaying organic matter, help recycle nutrients into the soil, are active at ...
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| rhubarb, winterizing in northern Mn | 9/20/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: My rhubarb has finally taken off, now how do I winterize it for northern Minnesota winters? Do I cut ...
A: Rhubarb needs cold to trigger spring growth. Rhubarb tolerates cold temperatures (-20 degrees F) ...
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| toxicity of cement on plants next to foundation wall | 9/13/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: Something's been bothering my hubby & I for years. We have a fairly successful organic veggie garden ...
A: Actually the answer is really simple....not enough water. The cement absorbs water, acting like a ...
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| science fair project | 9/12/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: I want to do a science fair project on organic fertilizers(cow manure) versus compost versus ? does ...
A: Great Science Fair topic, Catherine. First, if you are going to use Manure to grow anything, it ...
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| Pole bean pests | 9/9/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: I had a fully grown row of scarlet runner beans. Then whole stems stated dying. I found that the ...
A: Some kind of chewing insect - you could try BT, an organic worm and caterpillar biologic control, or ...
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| noodle water on garden | 9/8/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: Can i put cooked noodle's water onto my garden. Will it help any or just be like water?
A: If you cooked the noodles in WATER ONLY without added salt, vinegar, or other additives; then the ...
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| freeze yellow squash | 9/5/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: can i freeze yellow squash and how?
A: Yes, you can freeze yellow squash. The Internet link below will give you all the details on the ...
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| Converting lawn/grass to garden | 8/31/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: Looking to expand existing flower beds and read somewhere that you can place 5 layers of newspaper ...
A: Yes. You can use newspapers and mulch to kill grass, but I would make sure I had at least an ...
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| moths | 8/25/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: We have loads of brown moths approx.3/4 in long on all of the shrubs around the foundation. My ...
A: The best way to control moths and their larvae is a product called BT. BT is an organic insecticide ...
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| chia | 8/18/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: 1)How to cultivate Chia (Salvia hispanica)or condition of growing chia seeds in garden?thanks
A: Annual wild flowers, such as chia, are generally planted directly into a prepared bed or border ...
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| micro organisms | 7/23/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: How do micro organisms rot away organic material?
A: Reference: Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust Website All living organisms on earth will eventually ...
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| Watering gardens | 7/19/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: What is best for plants or vegeable gardens spraying or watering just the roots?
A: Drip irrigation systems are a far more efficient method of irrigating lawns and gardens. Water is ...
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| sulfur | 7/14/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: is it too late to add sulfur to a flowering veg garden? if okay, add liquid sulfur?
A: You are basically adding sulfuric acid to your plants..and it will burn them..it should be done in ...
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| epson salt | 7/14/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: I was thrilled to find your reference to epsom salt and pepper plants. I am very new to vegetable ...
A: Glad you like the site!! The recipe for the pepper spray is: In a gallon bucket mix water and ...
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| Unknown Garden Veggie | 7/13/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of plant I have here. I planted 9 of them and they ...
A: I do believe you have young cabbage plants growing...and they are absolutely beautiful!! Invite me ...
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| green bean plants | 7/13/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: Our green bean plants are beautiful except for the top few leaves, which are wilting and curling up. ...
A: I suspect your green beans may have mosaic virus disease. This disease is often carried in the seed ...
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| Organic Lawn & Weeds | 7/7/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: We currently are using a lawn service for fertilizing and weed control that is chemical based, but I ...
A: One of the things the pesticides industry has been very effective at is to present Lawn care almost ...
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| bush bean bugs | 6/24/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: A tiny, triangular-shaped green bug with 6 legs that hops is eating my 3 inch high bush bean ...
A: You could try that. I personally would use Rotonone, a fast acting light sensitive organic ...
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| green beans | 6/16/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: I read you suggested using pyrethrin/rotenone on them is that stuff natural and or safe and is there ...
A: Pyrethrin/rotenone are chemical gardening controls which are extracted from plants. However, these ...
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| corn gluten safety | 6/1/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: having read one of your previous answers, what exactly does this mean regarding use of corn gluten ...
A: Great points, Carol. I figure that for every question I get, maybe 100 people in the world will ...
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| Getting rid of biting bugs organically | 5/31/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: We have a huge bug problem in our backyard. I can hardly send my kids out to play because when they ...
A: Government stats count 63 species of Mosquito in the borders of the Garden State, which boasts not ...
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| Getting rid of biting bugs organically | 5/29/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: We have a huge bug problem in our backyard. I can hardly send my kids out to play because when they ...
A: Let's start with the Mosquitoes. The Canadian Wildlife Federation's Wild About Gardening website ...
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| Getting rid of biting bugs organically | 5/28/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: We have a huge bug problem in our backyard. I can hardly send my kids out to play because when they ...
A: Any idea what bugs these are? There are a lot of things you can do right now, but only chemicals ...
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| garden shower and garden friendly soap | 5/27/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: We live near the beach and will be building an outdoor shower in our backyard with a drywell. What ...
A: It's the bubbles and foam in shampoo, soap, dishwashing liquid etc that are said to have the ...
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| Organic fertilizer petunias | 5/26/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: Can you please recommend an organic fertilizer for wave petunias? I have planted what I hope will be ...
A: To keep up with the fast, sprawling growth of wave petunias; apply organic fertilizer monthly or ...
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| Eliminating violets from beds | 5/25/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: I am trying to remove violets that are over taking my beds. I was trying to fill a way to do it ...
A: You can use the homemade vinegar/soap/sugar mixture as a vegetation killer, with proper mixing and ...
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| Vinegar Recipe | 5/24/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: Would this kill strawberry plants or just the weeds around them?
A: Vinegar is not selective when it is sprayed on plants. It has the potential to kill any and all ...
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| Chia seed fertilization | 5/21/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: Is there any advice on how to fertilize chia seeds? What is the difference in fertilizers/pesticides ...
A: You are not just buying certified organic products, you are supporting a sustainable way of life. ...
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| Chia seed fertilization | 5/20/2009 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
Q: Is there any advice on how to fertilize chia seeds? What is the difference in fertilizers/pesticides ...
A: Miracle Grow has an organic fertilizer. Organic chia seed (or any other plant or seed) is grown ...
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| green bean bugs | 5/17/2009 | Mack Jean |
Q: will cayanne pepper powdwer work on keeping the green bean bugs off the plants
A: Cayenne pepper is an effective organic deterrent for bugs on your green beans. Here's the recipe: ...
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