Robert Pavlis

An Introduction To Streptocarpus Houseplants

Streptocarpus are not commonly available and most gardeners either have not heard of them or they know very little about them. I was one of these gardeners not that long ago but now that I have some experience with them I can’t believe they aren’t more popular. They grow in fairly low light, are easy to take care of and flower 12 months of the year. They are also available in hundreds of colors and flower shapes including singles, doubles, straight and frilly-edged. Some of the newer hybrids don’t even look like streptocarpus. In this post, I will introduce you to streps, as they are commonly called.

Streptocarpus 'Grape Ice', source: Streptocarpus.ca — Streptocarpus ‘Grape Ice’, source: Streptocarpus.ca

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Does Clay Improve Sandy Soil?

Sandy soil can be a difficult place to garden. It dries out quickly. It lacks nutrients. The amount of microbial life is very low. But it is easy to dig. It is claimed that clay can be added to sandy soil to improve it’s qualities but does this really work?

Adding clay to sand is a popular technique in some places like Australia and China, but it is not used very much in North America. Why is that?

There are many different kinds of clay – which one is best?

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Fertilizer Nonsense #4: Soil Tests

Lots of information in books and on websites recommend a soil test to help you select the right fertilizer numbers. This is very good advice but it has limitations.

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Can Commercial Muck Reducers Clear Pond Muck?

Pond muck is the organic material that accumulates in the bottom of a pond. It can be physically removed with nets and vacuums, or you can try to degrade it using commercial bacterial products such as MuckOut, Macro-Zyme, Muck Pellets, MuckAway, Natural Clear, Mukk Busster, Muck Reducer, Muck Doctor, MuckBiotics and the product name I really like, ” Get The Muck Outta Here”. All of these products claim to reduce the amount of muck in the pond and some also claim to reduce the nutrient level.

Do commercial muck reducers work?

Can Commercial Muck Reducers Clear Pond Muck?, Credit: The Pond Guy

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Pros and Cons of a Clover Lawn – Which Clover is Best?

Turfgrass is losing its status as the golden child of groundcovers as gardeners look towards greener pastures. Clover has been getting a lot of buzz as a low-maintenance and eco-friendly lawn alternative or additive. Keep reading to find out what to expect from clover as a lawn alternative and how to add the right clover to your lawn.

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Are Castor Bean Plants Poisonous – Should Gardeners Grow Them?

Cold climate gardeners are always looking for something exotic to grow and there are few plants that beat the dark red-leafed castor bean. Unfortunately, this plant has a bad reputation for being poisonous. Many experts tell you not to grow castor beans because they are so toxic.

I used to grow it, and grew a new variety last year. I am still alive! So how toxic is it? Is it safe to grow in the garden?

Are Caster Bean Plants Poisonous - Should Gardeners Grow Them? — Are Castor Bean Plants Poisonous – Should Gardeners Grow Them? Credit: Home of miniclover

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Can You Trust Gardening Memes?

Memes have become very popular because their image fits nicely in most social media platforms, and they present information in a brief catchy format that is easy to share. Who has time to actually read and understand a topic?

Unfortunately, some are made by people who know very little about gardening or don’t take the time to check their facts. To catch your attention, authors use short catchy phrases that skip the important details. The result are memes that are wrong, or at best misleading.

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Till vs No-Till – Which Is Better For Your Garden

I started gardening a long time ago and at that time tilling was standard practice. Most gardeners did not have a tiller so they did it by hand with a shovel. In some circles the idea of not tilling started to make waves. My first introduction was Ruth Stout’s no-till garden. Just cover everything with straw. Better for the soil and a whole lot less work. No-till became more popular in agriculture in the mid 1990 but few gardeners followed suit. Even today, many gardeners have never heard of the technique and continue the practice of spring tilling.

No-till is claimed to be better for soil and the environment since it releases less carbon dioxide into the air.

I have been promoting this idea in gardening circles for 15 years or more and slowly the idea is catching on with gardeners, but it might be time to take a step back and have a close look at the claimed benefits of no-till because science now has a lot more data on this.

Till vs No-till - Which Is Better For Your Garden — Till vs No-till – Which Is Better For Your Garden

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DIY Cal-Mag Fertilizer (Calcium Acetate) Using Eggshells- Does It Work?

I recently did a post about Cal-Mag where I described the value of getting the calcium level right. As part of that work, I found recipes for making Cal-Mag fertilizer at home using eggshells, vinegar, and Epsom salts. I’d like to use this post to have a closer look at these methods to figure out if they work and if gardeners should be using them.

DIY Calcium Acetate Fertilizer - Does It Work? — DIY Cal-Mag Fertilizer (Calcium Acetate)—Does – Does It Work?

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When Should You Do Spring Garden Cleanup?

In years gone by it was common to clean up the garden in fall. It does result in a neat clean looking garden, but then we learned that all kinds of beneficial insects overwinter in that messy looking stuff on the ground, so we started to do cleanup in spring instead. To understand why, read this; Spring Cleanup Advice – Do it Right .

Now things have changed again. We are being told not to cleanup until temperatures are consistently above 10 C (50 F) to allow insects time to leave their winter protection. If you look at the recently circulated meme below, you have to wonder if this recommendation is valid. Does it really have to be 10 C? I see all kinds of insects when there is still snow on the ground. And what does “consistently ” mean? Is that nighttime or daytime temperature? Is it a daily high or low? How much harm will you do if it is only 9 C (48 F)? Is there any real science that supports this idea? Let’s find out.

When Should You Do Spring Garden Cleanup?

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Are Jumping Worms and Giant Worms Real & Other Earthworm Myths

Gardeners talk about earthworms as if they are all one species, but there are over 3,000 earthworms on Earth. Some burrow, some are small, some jump, or at least we call them jumping worms. There are also stories of giant three-foot worms, but do they really exist?

We think they are good for our garden because they build better soil, but the same earthworms are also very destructive to natural places.

And then there is the age-old story about cutting worms in half to get two worms – is that true?

Giant Gippsland earthworm, Megascolides australis, credit: u/zZBluewalrusZz

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The Organic Farming Myth by R. I. Throckmorton

I was searching for earthworm myths and stumbled upon this essay on the organic farming myth. It was published in the 1950’s or early 1960’s and the author was fighting back against myths being spread about synthetic fertilizer by the pro-organic movement. The contents really resonated with me because I have been battling the same myths for years. In fact some of the comments like “There is no evidence that mineral fertilizers, when applied at recommended rates, are injurious to soils, or that crops produced by the use of such materials are harmful to man or beast,” are identical to what I tell people in this blog and in my lectures. Ok, I don’t use the word “beast” but I think I will start using it.

It is amazing that after all this time, most gardeners still believe these myths.

I have included the complete article, without alterations, and thank Ecological Agriculture Projects, McGill University for posting it.

This article is old but the story has not changed. A 2009 review tells the same story.

The Organic Farming Myth by R. I. Throckmorton

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