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Organic Gardens/Questions

SubjectDate AskedExpert
sugar as a shrub killer9/4/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: i am trying to get rid of a trumpet vine. my landscaper wanted to use roundup but i have outdoor ...
  A: It's very heartening to know there are still people out there who keep their focus and are willing ...
squash bugs9/2/2008Vikki Johnson
  Q: How can I rid my squash bugs without using harsh chemicals? I sparay with soapy water, but it ...
  A: I was not familiar with the squash bug but I researched on the internet and found this below to be ...
sugar as a shrub killer8/28/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: i am trying to get rid of a trumpet vine. my landscaper wanted to use roundup but i have outdoor ...
  A: I apologize for missing the Sugar reference reply - totally overlooked it, intending to mention it ...
sugar as a shrub killer8/23/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: i am trying to get rid of a trumpet vine. my landscaper wanted to use roundup but i have outdoor ...
  A: For starters, let's teach your landscaper something about Round-Up. Researchers tested Glyphosate ...
Layng sod in san diego8/17/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: In a article i read you said that a certain type of sod grass is needed for San Diego. I want to ...
  A: San Diego is beautiful. But you knew that. I won't bore you with my larger than life memories of ...
soil8/9/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: I'm looking to increase the nutrients in our organic garden. There are no manures available anyway, ...
  A: 'Organic matter' is a big universe, the source of the nutrients you are looking for. Buckwheat is a ...
soil nutrition8/9/2008Vikki Johnson
  Q: We have an organic garden and aren't able to get any really good manure for fertilizing. What do you ...
  A: .. although manure is a great way to build healthy soil, it is by no means the only way. Anything ...
heavy soil8/9/2008Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
  Q: We have an organic garden that has very heavy soil in one area (clay). I've used layers of leaves, ...
  A: For information on soil building, please visit our website: ...
tomato disease8/9/2008Vikki Johnson
  Q: I am an organic gardener, using no chemicals. This year my tomatoes have dry rot. Almost every one ...
  A: .. I am so sorry but I am not familiar with tomato rot in my part of the country (Houston, Texas). ...
crop rotation8/1/2008Mack Jean
  Q: Why is it necessary to rotate crops on a farm when in nature the same plants keep coming up year ...
  A: Crop rotation has many benefits including: the increased yields of crops, insect control, reduction ...
crop rotation8/1/2008Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
  Q: Why is it necessary to rotate crops on a farm when in nature the same plants keep coming up year ...
  A: Plants in nature generally do not need a lot of nutrients to manage to produce enough seed to ...
crop rotation8/1/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: Why is it necessary to rotate crops on a farm when in nature the same plants keep coming up year ...
  A: Good question. Monocultures like Lawns -- just like a field, right? Wrong. Those plants come up ...
brown patch7/28/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: I have used the solution of cornmeal to stop the brown patch and it seems to be working and I've ...
  A: Mid-Summer is Siesta time for Cool Season Grass. Stop watering and let it rest. Dead areas MUST be ...
eggplant7/26/2008Mack Jean
  Q: Hey Mack, We've got some kind of bug making lace out of our eggplants. We planted several ...
  A: I think you have an invasion of Vegetable Leafminer Flies. The adult is a small fly, approximately ...
green beans7/16/2008Mack Jean
  Q: Every year our green beans have multiple bug bites. This is the bean, not the leaf. The are not ...
  A: There are two types of stink bugs that attack green bean pods. Green Stink Bugs and Brown Stink ...
Short Bell Pepper Plants7/15/2008Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
  Q: I planted 4 bell pepper plants. One looks like a typical pepper plant, 20 inches tall with normal ...
  A: It may have been genetic - characteristics inherent in the seed. We go through our seed and pick ...
Pet urine7/14/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: I planted a plunking plant, it was growing great until we saw it slowing in growth and the leaves ...
  A: I don't know what a Plunking Plant is, but I know Dogs and Plunkings don't mix. Fencing it off was ...
Apple Organic Gardens7/13/2008Mack Jean
  Q: I am looking to visit an apple organic garden in Southern California. I would appreciate if you help ...
  A: I'm not intimately familiar with apple organic gardens in Southern California. In researching your ...
list of seed lifetimes7/13/2008Mack Jean
  Q: i am wondering if there is a list of the general lifetimes of seeds when store from an organic ...
  A: Often crop seed is left over in a package after planting. This excess seed can be saved for next ...
organic vegetable plants7/10/2008Mack Jean
  Q: I am so new to growing organic vegetables. I cannot find a location to buy the organic plants here ...
  A: Suggest you contact the Indiana Organic Gardening Association at their website: ...
Thinning grass7/1/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: I have recently bought a new house with a garden that has not been taken care of for many years. My ...
  A: Step 1: Get a soil test. Yes, I know, you're thinking, What a WASTE of money! Who needs to know ...
Vegetables and spotty leaves6/25/2008Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
  Q: I have recently built and implemented a square foot garden in an 8x5 raised bed. I have used this ...
  A: Test your soil right away, to eliminate the possibility of an unbalanced soil. It may be too rich. ...
Holes in green beans6/16/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: It looks as if some pest is boring little holes in the green beans of a neighbor of mine. I have ...
  A: Those master sleuths called SLUGS are munching as we speak, making a nice big fat juicy dinner out ...
Corn6/15/2008Mack Jean
  Q: I am growing sweet corn and don't like to use chemicals of any kind. The corn has lots of earwigs ...
  A: The earwigs on your sweet corn can be controlled using insecticidal soap which is an organic method. ...
eucalyptus and fruit trees6/14/2008Mack Jean
  Q: Good Morning, I am looking for further clarification on your 1/18/2008 response in which a reader ...
  A: Because of the nutrition and irrigation demands of your existing grapefruit and apple tree and plan ...
tomato plants6/11/2008Mack Jean
  Q: i have emailed other experts on this site before i don't use any chemicals on my tomato plants. my ...
  A: I don't think you have anything to worry about since the plants were not budding when you planted ...
HERBICIDE6/11/2008Mack Jean
  Q: How long after vinegar and salt spray do you have to wait before panting in the sprayed area. am ...
  A: Allow up to 48 hours after spraying the vinegar and salt solution before planting in the same area. ...
discouraging cats from using my garden6/5/2008Mack Jean
  Q: I've got several questions, but first things first. How do I get my cat (and any others) not to ...
  A: There's a cat deterrent product that's said to be all natural and organic in a powdered mixture and ...
Arp Rosemary5/29/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: I live in a Zone 6B area of Ontario, Canada. I am growing an Arp Rosemary perennial as I have done ...
  A: Rosemary officinalis 'ARP' takes its name from the Zone 6 Texas town where an herbalist first found ...
Johnson Grass5/29/2008Mack Jean
  Q: I have been taken over by johnson grass this season. I read some entries mentioning the use of ...
  A: Sugar has the potential to control annual weeds according to recent research trials conducted by ...
organic fertiliser5/27/2008Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
  Q: Tell me, please, is blood meal as effective as bone meal for Irises (Rhizomes),Lilies (Day or ...
  A: Blood meal will provide nitrogen. Bone meal provides phosphorus. They are two different things. ...
Greenhouse Plastic5/25/2008Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
  Q: We are wanting to build a greenhouse but have heard a lot about platic and toxins. Would the ...
  A: Not if you use Lexan, a double layer sheet of polycarbonate with air layers inbetween. There is no ...
creosote on landscape ties5/17/2008Mack Jean
  Q: Would one very old landscape tie beside a garden patch leach chemicals into the soil in high enough ...
  A: Railroad ties are soaked in creosote which is a known carcinogen therefore, even though this is an ...
BlueBerry Bush Buying5/16/2008Mack Jean
  Q: I am looking for a place to buy Blueberry bushes. - Prefer organic if possible. Any place that you ...
  A: I unaware of organic blueberry bush vendors. Listed below are vendors with their Internet ...
Arp Rosemary5/13/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: Can this be grown in Nassau County and survive the winter ? Also whay is the zone for Long Island ...
  A: Perennials die back, then re-grow new stems the following year. But Rosemary is less a Perennial, ...
how to kill weeds in a renovated lawn5/12/2008Mack Jean
  Q: Early spring, my landscaper renovated the front yard: removing some topsoil in bare spots, puting ...
  A: The homemade recipe weed killer is indeed strong enough to kill some grass as well as broadleaf ...
Arp Rosemary5/11/2008Long Island Gardener
  Q: Can this be grown in Nassau County and survive the winter ? Also whay is the zone for Long Island ...
  A: Long Island is Zone 7 -- a little warmer in certain areas than others. This is where microclimates ...
Loquat Trees5/11/2008Mack Jean
  Q: In 1974 I planted multiple Loquat seeds, in Santa Barbara, CA, which all turned into fruit bearing ...
  A: Although, I've never grown loquats, my research for your question revealed much information and ...
how to kill weeds in a renovated lawn5/8/2008Mack Jean
  Q: Early spring, my landscaper renovated the front yard: removing some topsoil in bare spots, puting ...
  A: A good organic solution to manage the weeds in your lawn is a homemade recipe: Weeds Be Gone Recipe ...
Creating a new organic vegetable garden4/28/2008Mack Jean
  Q: I am about to create my first vegetable garden, ever. I am a converted organic locavore! I want to ...
  A: Congratulations on becoming an organic convert!! You can use a sunny spot in your lawn and ...

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Mack Jean

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Certified Master Gardener (University of Georgia, 1987: Raised Bed Gardens, Container Gardening, French Intensive Gardening Method, Organic Gardening Methods, Vegetables, Fruits, Composting, Herbs, Roses, Lawns, Flowering Shrubs

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