Recent content by snewman

While I feel discouraged and frustrated right now, I'm sure next spring I'll be itching to plant, so I'll probably get suckered in again. Maybe just a little smaller. At least now I don't feel like I need to keep working on the garden this year. It can just do its thing, or not, and I'll see...

Hmm, thank you for all of your replies. So by trying to make the garden better and working like crazy to mulch it with the llama manure, I did myself in. That's sad. It sounds like exactly what happened. I am, at least, relieved that there is an answer and it's not just a strange mystery of...

I busted my butt this spring/early summer, determined that this year I would keep control over the weeds. So I mulched with cleanings from my llama barn. This was back-breaking, sweaty work, but I did it! Covered up/smothered the grass that always wants to take over. Now I have these huge...

Has anyone tried to grow peanuts? I ordered some, and they supposedly can grow in the north (I'm in WI), as long as they have four months of frost-free weather. So, should I start them inside first, then transplant, or just sow them outside maybe in early May? We should be frost-free from at...

In the past I have ordered small bare-root trees from various companies. I have had very poor luck keeping them alive. Does anyone have a suggestion for how to nurse little things along until they are strong enough to survive in a permanent spot? Should I pot them? Plant them in a temporary...

There also are kits that can be grown on some other substrate, like coffee grounds or shredded paper, as opposed to having the right type of logs handy. I'm growing oyster mushrooms in a five-gallon bucket of shredded paper right now.

Excellent thoughts!! We really don't have much of a bird population, except for stupid house sparrows. We also have swallows in the summer, and they are certainly welcome. I haven't put up any feeders, as I spend an awful lot of money on food for my own critters (and I don't think the...

I have a blank slate, a large area around our new porch to landscape and plant. Hubby will not interfere for the most part. I would like to plant as many edible things as possible. I'm starting with a couple of dwarf blueberry bushes. I'm not sure if they'll succeed or not, but what else can...

Thanks for the input!

We finally built our wraparound porch, which means I can do lots of landscaping this spring. I would like to use as many edible plants in my plan as possible, and I was wondering about some of the the low-bush or dwarf blueberries. Has anyone grown them? Do you like them? Do they end up...

I forgot to add my zone, but did add my location. I think most of Wisconsin is zone 4, with a little of 5 and 3 thrown in for good measure. If I stretch it, I'm technically in zone 5, but I usually try to play it safe, especially since anything I grow has really no protection from the...

I've been doing my best to sort of reforest our 8 acres of former farmland. When we moved in, the house had two large silver maples and that was it. Not a single smaller tree, bush, perennial, bulb or sprout. I thought all farms came with at least a lilac bush :) I've planted six apple...

Excellent advice, thank you very much. I'll get them prepared for their big day and then sit back and wait for the leaves to fall. Thanks again!

I have three silver maples that I planted a couple of years ago as very small seedlings. I planted them temporarily in a small area that I could easily water (I'd had bad luck with putting such small things in their forever spots, then forgetting about them, my husband mowing over them, etc)...

Thanks! I placed my order and they'll be on their way. Shipping was a little high, but I got five, 5-6 foot sugar maples for $60. They're guaranteed to leaf out in the spring or will be replaced. Seems ok to me, what do you think?