Getting Rid of Ground Moles
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener There are no guaranteed results when it comes to getting rid of moles. What works great in one location may not work at a different location. There are, however, two methods for me that seem to work time after time. The first is Talpirid, a worm lookalike product, usually purchased online. If a mole eats a Talpirid worm, they simply lay down, go to sleep, and die. Critical to success is...
Compost Your Garden NOW!
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener I start to get antsy every January, wanting to have everything for my gardens ready and in place for the soon-to-be growing season, onions excepted, which were put in the ground I mid-late January. One of the biggest items every year is the soil. Have I improved it from last season without resorting to tilling? Is there enough food for the vegetables to use in growth and producing? During...
French Marigolds in Your Vegetable Garden
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener French Marigolds (Tagetes patula) are an excellent plant to grow in your vegetable garden. They look good, smell nice, and make excellent companion plants for your vegetables. I understand they are ranked as the number one flower to plant in a vegetable garden. Many don’t even consider planting flowers in a vegetable garden, but French marigolds should be the first of several exceptions....
Reusing Last Year’s Potting Soil
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener Many grow vegetables in 5-25 gallon pots using potting mix, soil mix or compost. At the end of the growing season, a question of whether the soil can be reused the following growing season. Answers range from no to yes, BUT. potting soil (Photo Credit: simpleandgrand.com/) First off, at end of growing season, get every growing plant or critter out of the pot. You don’t want anything...
Planning For A New Shade Tree
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener When a family member decides it’s time for a new yard shade tree, the next step usually involves a trip to local stores, whose employees may or not know much about what’s available and is best for your yard. The three items to consider are usually fast growth, quality, and durability. If possible, stay away from fast growth and look for quality and durability. Shumard Oak Chinquapin Oak...
Don’t Throw Out Leftover Coffee — Diluted, It Can Serve As Organic Fertilizer For Some Houseplants
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener My houseplants love coffee, so pour your leftover coffee on them rather than down the sink! Dilute it first, and then pour the liquid mixture on your container’s soil. Both the water and coffee must be at room temperature. If either one is high or low, combine them and let the mixture sit until room temperature is reached. A leftover coffee liquid mixture can provide a valuable,...
Growing Onions
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener Onions are a fun crop to grow, requiring some soil preparation, but very little maintenance. They tolerate most soils and transplanting extremely well. Onions have a history possibly exceeding 5,000 years, so they’ve been around awhile, and it’s hard to imagine many foods without them. I have no idea how many varieties there are but suffice it to say there’s a heap of...
Do Garden Vegetable Seeds Expire?
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener Seeds do expire (germination rate goes through the floor), but several factors influence “when,” and even then, that so-called expiration date is a guesstimate. Expiration date on a vegetable packet| Photo credit: Ferry Morse Many people mistakenly think a date written on the seed packet backside and is an expiration date. Seeds are alive and able to be stored for several years while...
Worm Castings Can Be A Game Changer For Indoor Plant Growth, Production
A bag of earthworm castings By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener We’ve all heard about the benefits of using worm castings (much more refined than saying worm poop!) in our gardens. Well, that should go double for indoor plants. Actually, worm castings can be a game-changer for growth and production. Similar to animal manure, worm castings provide bacteria and nutrients (a lot of them!) to your indoor plants, they can...
Thinking Ahead To Your 2023 Garden? Consider Ordering Seed Catalogs
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener tomatoes Well, your 2022 vegetable gardens are put to bed now, so it’s time to relax: right? Perhaps, but some of you are already thinking about what you might want to plant in 2023. Unfortunately, most of your local feed, hardware, and nursery garden stores have removed all their vegetable seed packets and will not make them available before probably the end of January at the earliest....
