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Organic Gardens/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| fertilizer | 1/25/2012 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: How to convert dry and dead leaves of apple trees into fertilizer and how to improve soil PH. A: Please visit our website http://www.avant-gardening.com/ for all our information about soil ... | ||
| Moss | 1/24/2012 | Mack Jean |
| Q: Will plowing Moss under kill it or make it spread? The reason I'm asking is because there is moss in ... A: Plowing moss under will likely kill it if tilled to a reasonable depth. Consider what conditions ... | ||
| Beatle Question | 11/6/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I live in Queens County, New York. I am guilty of using a lot of chemicals outside on the yard ... A: Just as you wouldn't take a group of people and call them all "rich", or a collection of houses and ... | ||
| horse manure | 10/28/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: the farmer tells me it caught fire some months ago. What is left is a mixture of ash, partly cooked ... A: Ashes are very alkaline, so if you have acid soil it would be ok. I would sift it first by using ... | ||
| Beatle Question | 10/27/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I live in Queens County, New York. I am guilty of using a lot of chemicals outside on the yard ... A: Beetles are beneficial. Researchers in England investigated the activity of Ground Beetles at ... | ||
| old railroad ties bordering my garden | 10/9/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: Old railroad ties border my property along one side. The area was formerly a driveway. There is a ... A: I am sorry to say that if you want to grow organic food, I would not grow it anywhere near creosoted ... | ||
| apple | 9/18/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: i have apple farm and i want to know can i use organic fertilizer and spray.kindly tell what organic ... A: http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/sg/Organic%20Fertilizers - Planet Natural Peaceful Valley ... | ||
| invasive wisteria | 9/16/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: how can i organically or environmentally safe, kill wisteria sprouts, I dont want to kill the plant ... A: After you dig up the unwanted shoots, I would dig a trench and line it with 12 inch roof flashing ... | ||
| mising fertillizers | 9/16/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: How do you add the npk of different fertilizers together. I have bone meal, kelp meal, cottonseed ... A: The three numbers that you see on a fertilizer label, such as 5-5-5, tell you what proportion of ... | ||
| Looks like a blueberry | 8/14/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: My Mom's been picking blueberry-like berries from her balcony. I've tried them and they're safe; ... A: I would pick a stem with berries and take it to a local extension office or horticultural society ... | ||
| Green Beans | 8/5/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: My green bean plants look green and lush, however the beans themselves grow to an inch or two and ... A: Based on your description of the symptoms of your green beans, I suspect that the plants are ... | ||
| orange tree | 7/27/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: i have an orange tree for couple of years, about 2 feet tall right now. the tree was dying when I ... A: Orange Trees - no house is a home without at least one. Capital idea, Min my friend. A few things ... | ||
| Green Been Problem | 6/9/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: What could be affecting my green beans? The plants grow until they have about two to three leaves ... A: I think you have a beetle that is eating your beans at night. Rotonone is an organic insecticide ... | ||
| Three questions | 6/5/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I have few questions you might be able to answer for me.I live in western Canada near the U.S. ... A: Oh Canadian gardener. Pleased to meet you. Let's get down to business: 1. What you really want to ... | ||
| green bean plants | 5/31/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: My green beans have grown about 6 inches tall, and now all the leaves are full of holes. Is this a ... A: Your description tells me that you have a pest attacking your green beans. The Mexican bean beetle ... | ||
| Planting 1st garden | 5/27/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: I will be planting a few hills of potato's for the 1st time. A friend of mine showed me some gross ... A: For potatoes and corn I would plant them in rows....about 6 inches apart in all directions. Corn ... | ||
| organic gardening; no chances of survival? | 5/22/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: I planted peppers, eggplants and a nice array of other veggies and spent over 200$ worth of organic ... A: ....flea beetles will die if you use Rotenone (an organic pesticide) but so will bees and other ... | ||
| organic gardening; no chances of survival? | 5/22/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I planted peppers, eggplants and a nice array of other veggies and spent over 200$ worth of organic ... A: Adry, I feel your pain. Yes, I hear what you're saying. Yes, yes, yes to all of the above -- it is ... | ||
| Yellow tomato leaves | 5/21/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: I live in central Florida and looking at the causes of yellow leaf, I have them all especially the ... A: Sucking insects such as the Sweet Potato Whitefly may remove the nutrient-filled products of ... | ||
| Planting 1st garden | 5/12/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: I will be planting a few hills of potato's for the 1st time. A friend of mine showed me some gross ... A: First of all, do not worry yourself sick. Plants want to grow even more than you want them to.... ... | ||
| Weed killer for local companies | 5/11/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: The mayor of our community is looking for an alternative for weed control companies to use. We live ... A: If you are concerned about Weed control in Lawns, start to take mowing very seriously. There's ... | ||
| strawberry problem | 5/10/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: A week or so ago I noticed some of my strawberry plants looked like they had been snipped off at the ... A: I think that there are some beetles that will eat things down like that..I remember it happened to ... | ||
| fencing | 5/10/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: I have a chipmunk problem in my garden -they eat all my tomatoes- I'm building a new fence that is ... A: Re: Your follow-up question The mesh overlay at 2 feet high will still be susceptible to climbing ... | ||
| fencing | 5/5/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: I have a chipmunk problem in my garden -they eat all my tomatoes- I'm building a new fence that is ... A: Using 1"x1" grid fencing will provide limited control of the chipmunk pest. Suggest you consider ... | ||
| orange peels | 4/27/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: Can citrus fruit peels such as orange, lemon, lime, etc be composted? They seem to tough and think ... A: There are two schools of thought on composting citrus peels. Some say that it is a good thing and ... | ||
| orange peels | 4/27/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: Can citrus fruit peels such as orange, lemon, lime, etc be composted? They seem to tough and think ... A: It's not the thick skin of citrus that resists decomposition. It's their oils. These repel insects ... | ||
| orange peels | 4/27/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: Can citrus fruit peels such as orange, lemon, lime, etc be composted? They seem to tough and think ... A: There are pros and cons. If you add citrus to your pile, chop them up fine, so they can break down. ... | ||
| canadian thistles | 4/25/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I have a wonderful organic fruit and veggie garden in my back yard. My biggest problem is that my ... A: 95 percent of the lawns in this country are soaking in things like Round-Up and Weed-B-Gon. Who ... | ||
| Indoor Tomatoes Blossoming | 4/23/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: Hey guys... have a quick question. I started my Tomatoes inside this year for the first time. They ... A: I presume they are in a greenhouse? Or your house. Either way, all you will get are tomatoes. ... | ||
| Weed killer for local companies | 4/15/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: The mayor of our community is looking for an alternative for weed control companies to use. We live ... A: White stone? Consider yourself lucky - imagine you had to live in Las Vegas and walk past ... | ||
| removal of wild strawberries | 4/14/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: have a problem w/wild strawberries in my flowerbed.i'm raising hostas ,amrillis,lillies and other ... A: My favorite way to control weeds is using the commercial product "Preen". Checkout the products ... | ||
| Weed killer for local companies | 4/14/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: The mayor of our community is looking for an alternative for weed control companies to use. We live ... A: Valiant goals, yours - our planet depends on people like you. Glad to help. First, I have to ... | ||
| Amounts of soil | 3/29/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: How many gallons of soil is there in 1 cubic foot of soil? A: 1 gallon of soil = 0.133680556 Cubic Feet Check the webpage URL below for a handy chart to help you ... | ||
| 20 percent vinegar for weeds/grasses in garden | 2/27/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: Where should I look to buy this vinegar locally? Mostly I have grass and Johnson grass will this ... A: It's official. The U.S. Government has declared that Acetic Acid - Vinegar - works on Weeds. Just a ... | ||
| composting with worms | 2/17/2011 | Frank and Vicky Giannangelo |
| Q: I need to know about feeding worms kitchen waste.I asked expert Greg/composting and he broke down ... A: All about composting on our website: http://www.avant-gardening.com/composting.html Like all ... | ||
| Rosemary mulch | 1/16/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: Mack, I'm learning more about vegetable/herb gardening as time passes by and I have another ... A: I'm late with this response to your question. I apologize. According to the website ... | ||
| Trial and error? | 1/14/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I'm interested in growing blueberries in a pot here in Hawaii and was wondering if you think I ... A: It is certainly acceptable to grow shrubs in pots, so long as the pots are big enough. Given you ... | ||
| Trial and error? | 1/13/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I'm interested in growing blueberries in a pot here in Hawaii and was wondering if you think I ... A: Blueberries in Hawaii... hmmm. First, lettuce venture over to the Garden Academy website's ... | ||
| How to transfer plants from out to indoors | 1/11/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: If plants are acquired from an extraneous source( outside ), how would you go about introducing them ... A: Outside plants introduced into a grow room or hydroponics environment are susceptible to a multitude ... | ||
| Growing berries in Hawaii | 1/10/2011 | Mack Jean |
| Q: Mack, I was wondering what kind of berries would be okay to grow in Hawaii. I was thinking of ... A: Blueberries are relatively new to Hawaii, yet my research indicates that many varieties are being ... | ||
Organic Gardens
Answers by Expert:
Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
We will research and answer all questions about organic gardening, soil building, square foot gardening, composting, mulching, planting techniques, sustainable gardening, sustainability, garden design, and how to create a simple reflection pool to attract birds and wildlife. Over the years we have learned that plants respond to the garden's aesthetics, soil conditions, and the attitude of the gardener. The healthier the soil and soul, the healthier the plants become, and are therefore more able to resist insect attacks.
Experience
40 years experience in private and professional organic gardening, creating formal gardens, giving organic gardening workshops, and sharing our insights, both in the Southwest and the Northwest.
Publications
"Growing with the Seasons" a book by Frank and Vicky Giannangelo about their adventures in organic gardening, community, sustainability, and personal growth.
Avant-Gardening Tid-Bytes, an online newsletter we published monthly from 2001-2008. The articles are archived on our website.
Education/Credentials
We both have BA degrees. Vicky from the University of Washington, and Frank from the University of Arizona. We have learned by experience, the best teacher...!
Awards and Honors
NM Book Awards. Second place for "Growing with the Seasons" a book by Frank and Vicky Giannangelo about their adventures in organic gardening, community, sustainability, and personal growth.
Past/Present Clients
We are now back in WA state, creating organic display gardens on San Juan Island, WA and will be open to the public for produce, cut flowers, and culinary herbs. Seasonal.
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