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Usually I can count on my herbs to stay healthy and bug free. Not this year!! I have a small bug, perhaps a bit smaller than a lady bug, black and fluorescent green vertical stripes, soft bodied but looks like a beetle. They are all over my mint, sage, oregano, bee balm and lemon catnip--pretty...

Hi all--I had never even heard of transplanting beets and thought the growers at a recent learning session were joking. But, it turns out some vegetable growers start their beets inside the greenhouse and transplant in spring. My questions: Does anybody here do this? How early could I...

Who uses chickens for pest control in their gardens? By pests, I'm talking about the insect kind. Boy, I'm sure getting excited about gardening. I'm also determined to do better about my arch nemeses: weeds and bugs. I'm converting conventional land to organic. Even though I'm working on...

I was at a fascinating organic growers meeting yesterday all about weeds. I'm sure this has been covered before, but we have so many new, enthusiastic members that I thought I would toss it out again. 1. What tools do you use for weeding? 2. What other materials do you use--like mulches...

I've read an article or 2 about installing bat houses to cut down on various bug populations. I'd like to do this for my gardens. Has anyone else tried this? Noticed a difference? Have plans for how to build one or a cheap source for buying them outright? Thanks! me&thegals

Would anybody be interested in doing a seed train? On BYC they are doing one, but it moves awfully fast! Basically, you offer some seeds you have on hand. If anybody wants to accept, they reply to accept and in the same post offer seeds of their own. Full rules and details here...

Does anybody have a reputable mail-order fruit source in Southern Canada/midwestern US? Every year, those beautiful photos just pull me in and I start dreaming. Mmmmmm.... Paw-paws, currants, blueberries, strawberries, plums. Oh, yum! Then, reality hits. They arrive in April/May, dead-looking...

Does anybody know the details of creating one of these, what plants really suck up the water? In central WI last summer, we had terrible flooding. Our yard is at the base of a bluff, fairly level, so it and my gardens were okay. However, once the bluff water picked up speed, the no-till fields...

This link will lead you to a Mother Earth News blog about this plant and free seeds. It is a "spinach" variety that is hardy to zone 4. I got the free seeds last year, but none of them came up. Has anybody grown this or used it? IMO, if it is unusual, perennial, healthy and easy, I want to grow...

How do you all grow onions? From sets (bulbs), plants or started from seed at home or in the garden? Our local implement store sells the bulbs for $1/lb, so I usually plant scads that way. This last year, I got some plants that produced pretty big onions. A farmer's market friend sold me...

I see so many ads for different tools like diamond back hoes, cobra-head hoes, etc. I have such very basic tools and can't help but feeling that maybe there are some really cool ones out there that could save me a lot of back-breaking work. I really rely almost exclusively on a metal rake, hoe...

One of my favorite parts of gardening is trying out new, unusual things. By trying new things, I've come to love Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, all varieties of beets, kale, arugula and others. What sorts of things do you love to grow and eat that may not be found in a typical grocery store?

Hi everybody--Are you all getting as excited about next year's garden as I am? I've been thoroughly enjoying the laziness of winter, so I wasn't prepared for the sheer joy of paging through garden catalogues in late Dec. But, there you have it :) So, here's my question. What perennial...

After seeing Beavis' awesome cardboard roll method, I thought I'd toss mine out there, too. No pictures, alas. I save 18-count egg cartons throughout the year. When I use eggs in the kitchen, I crack off only the top third of the egg shell, throw that part away and save the empty 2/3s. Then, I...

I couldn't find a definitive answer on this when doing a search. Can anybody help me? I have some enormous Amish Pie Squash that haven't ripened yet. We got hit with our first frost Sat morning. With all the vines dead now, what would happen if I picked and stored these? Also wonder about using...

Please excuse my rhapsodizing! I am just gaga over the squash and pumpkins in my garden and would like to plug one of them: Thelma Sander's sweet potato squash. I got the seeds from Seed Saver's Exchange. They were going to be my final shot at searching for an edible acorn squash, which I find...

Hi everyone--Last year I enlarged my gardens and decided to sell at market. After a month or 2, I started also delivering weekly boxes of produce to customers. This year, I formally began CSA (community support agriculture) farming for 10 families. Folks pay for their share up front before...

I got some great big beauties from a woman who grows them near me. Does anyone have an especially way to use these? I have a good soup recipe, but it seems a shame to lose it in a multi-ingredient soup... I will post also on SS. Thanks!

Does anybody have a fabulous, tried-and-true recipe for mint jelly? I have a wonderful patch of chocolate mint and would love to try making jelly. I've had not-so-good jelly before and want to get a great recipe/variety this time. Thanks!