Planting zones, also called hardiness zones and gardening zones, help you select plants that will grow in your climate. In this blog, I will answer the following questions:
An unusual clematis that forms a low bush of very fragrant flowers. Clematis mandshurica makes a great addition to your garden.
A while ago I wrote about using vinegar as a weed killer, in Vinegar Weed Killer Myth and reported on the scientific evidence for vinegar weed killer. It does not kill larger weeds with established roots, but can have an effect on seedlings. Vinegar is recommended so much in social media that I decided to give it a try myself.
I ran a few simple experiments to see how effective vinegar is for killing weeds.
Homemade weed killers are all the rage and vinegar or salt or a combination of the two are highly publicized. How well do they work? How do they compare with Roundup? In today’s post I will compare the three options by testing them on real weeds in my garden.
Many of you think orchids are difficult plants to keep in the home – they are not! The correct amount of water is critical, and to try and simplify watering someone came up with the bright idea that if you put an ice cube in the pot once a week, the orchid would prosper. The intent here was good. Make the watering procedure as simple as possible, so people can follow it. Unfortunately, it is a really stupid idea!
I’ll show you a much better way to water your plants – a method that keeps my orchids blooming all year long.
Anecdotal evidence is everywhere in our daily lives. Most new products depend on it to make sales, and most commercials use it to convince you to buy. In gardening, it is a very common way for people to get information about a problem. Go to any gardening social media site and ask about curing something. A dozen people will come back with different cures that they have tried – and THEY ALL WORK!
Baloney!
Why is anecdotal evidence not worth much? Why do we believe it so much? Good questions to ask if you are trying to understand why we have so many garden myths.
Slugs, slugs, slugs—everybody wants to get rid of the slugs. What about diatomaceous earth? Apparently, the sharp edges in diatomaceous earth cut the bellies of slugs, and they bleed out and die. Diatomaceous earth is used effectively for controlling insects, so maybe it works on slugs. Time for an experiment.
Hylomecon japonica is a fairly rare plant that is miss-identified frequently on the internet and in seed exchanges. The AGS seedex has been sending out the wrong seeds for a number of year and discussions on their forum make it clear that getting seed from the right plant has been a global problem (ref 1).
Instead of receiving Hylomecon japonica seed, it is common to get seed from one of the other wood poppies. Since I grow Hylomecon japonica and it’s 3 imposters I decided to prepare a complete review of the plants, and provide a list of features that will allow people to clearly identify their plants.
All of the details are based on my plants which represents a limited set of clones. If your findings disagree with mine, please let me know by leaving a comment.
Bloom Boosters are said to increase the number of flowers on your plant. Nonsense. They don’t work, and can actually make your soil toxic, making it more difficult for your plants to grow.
DEET is the standard in mosquito repellants. It is both effective and safe, as reported in DEET – Is It Safe? But what are the alternatives? Do natural extracts work as well as DEET? Are there safer man-made products? Are there better natural products? In this blog post I will review the current options that are worth considering.
If you are looking to fend off the Zika virus, check this out: Mosquito Repellents That Work Against Zika
DEET is the standard for repelling mosquitoes. Some people are looking for an alternative because they want something safer. That makes sense only if DEET is not already safe.
In some circles it is reported that DEET causes autism and neurological disorders. But is this really true? How safe is DEET?
The mosquito plant, Pelargonium Citrosum , also called the citrosa plant or citronella scented geranium, is highly recommended for keeping mosquitoes away. This plant is marketed as being specifically developed to continually give off a mosquito repelling scent. Turns out you can grow this plant in many gardens.
The mosquito plant has been confused by some in the horticulture industry, and falsely called the citronella plant. In Citronella Plant keeps Mosquitoes Away, I explained and clarified this mixup.
