Boardash: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Sunday November 1, 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Sunday November 1, 2009

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Advice from Carolyn Hax

Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Sunday November 1, 2009

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)
Q&A: Compost Questions
Q&A: Easy-Care Roses
Tip: Make One Last Mowing
New Healthy Life Daily Videos
Reader Photos

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)

Today's Featured Plant
Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)

Read the full profile of this plant at ArcaMax.com.

Interested in reading about other plants? Search through hundreds of plant profiles and helpful articles by keyword.

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Q&A: Compost Questions

Question: I built a compost bin early last spring. When I recently added the compost to my garden, I noticed that it contained a lot of brown beetles and slugs. I saw no ordinary earth worms, though. Are these critters supposed to be in the compost and do they help the process of composting at all? The compost has a slight foul odor to it as well.

Answer: A healthy compost pile should be teeming with creatures of all kinds, ranging in size from microscopic to inches long. You've probably uncovered some potworms, and some scarab beetles. These are normal discoveries in a compost bin. Earthworms are sensitive to heat and generally stay out of compost bins, preferring to live in the cool, moist soil. Don't worry about most of the creatures you see, as they won't hurt your garden or growing plants. Their preference is to feed on and break down organic debris. Slugs are another matter, though. They will feast on your plants, so keep an eye out for them and remove them. Foul-smelling compost is a sign of too much moisture. Try turning the compost to incorporate some air, and helping excess moisture evaporate. The pile will heat up when it has the right moisture content, and you can keep things cooking by moving the cooler material on the sides into the center of the pile. The insects and worms will stay in the cooler parts of the pile to continue feeding on decaying organic matter. Your compost will be ready to use when it's brown, crumbly, and has unrecognizable bits of organic matter. It should smell like clean soil. If you can still identify roots or leaves, the compost needs more time.

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Q&A: Easy-Care Roses

Question: What is the easiest rose to grow? Are there any that do not need regular spraying with pesticides?

Answer: There are many disease resistant, hardy roses available, but none are "bug-proof" or "disease-proof." When shopping for roses, look for varieties described as "resistant to black spot," a notorious fungal disease of roses. Rugosa roses are a good choice. Though they can look a little more "wild" than tea roses, they tend to be more rugged and resistant to pests.

Japanese beetles, rose chafers, and aphids are a few examples of rose-loving insects. Fortunately, there are organic, neem-based repellants available that have shown some success in keeping these critters at bay, so long as they are applied before the insects arrive.

There are many different kinds of roses (floribundas, hybrid tea, shrub, miniature, etc.), so you'll want to do some "window shopping" to see what type fits your situation. Then search out a disease-resistant, hardy variety in that category.

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Tip: Make One Last Mowing

On cold winter areas it's time for the last mowing of the season. Leave grass clippings on the lawn as a fertilizer for this last mowing. The clippings will slowly breakdown over winter and provide a light mulch this winter.

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Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors

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