Boardash: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Wednesday October 14, 2009

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Wednesday October 14, 2009

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Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Wednesday October 14, 2009

Meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris)
Q&A: Controlling the Spread of Bamboo
Q&A: Crop Rotation
Tip: Use Fall Leaves
Advice from Carolyn Hax
Reader Photos

Meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris)

Today's Featured Plant
Meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris)

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: Controlling the Spread of Bamboo

Question: Bamboo is taking over my yard. What is the best way to contain this "weed"? (I now know I should have planted it in containers, but it's too late now.)

Answer: Bamboo spreads by underground stems. Since it was not planted in a container originally some sort of barrier needs to be installed. You will probably have to install metal edging at least one foot deep around the bamboo to keep it contained. It would be best if there was lawn on the other side of the edging, so you can mow down and kill any errant sprouts that come up.

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Q&A: Crop Rotation

Question: I live in Baltimore, MD and have a small rowhouse garden. I have been planting tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. I put 10-10-10 fertilizer and cow manure into my soil each year. The tomatoes have been performing orse each year, last year the prppers were great, but I got no eggplants at all. I have tried not to put tomatoes in the same spot each year, but I think it may be time to give the soil a rest from tomatoes. Any suggestions?

Answer: Crop rotation is an important aspect of growing healthy plants. By planting different crops in your garden, you'll outwit overwintering insects and outsmart overwintering disease pathogens. The key to crop rotation is to plant members of different plant families in the sites. The plants you've been growing are all members of the Solanaceae family, so you've been defeating the purpose even though you've been rotating your crops. A good rule of thumb is to rotate your crops on a three year cycle, growing root crops one year, leafy crops the next year, and fruiting crops the following year, followed by root crops, etc. The fertilizer and manure are fine amendments to your soil, so keep adding them! Just try planting carrots, or beans or lettuce in the bed this year instead of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. If you can't survive a summer season without vine-ripened tomatoes, grow one or two plants in containers on a deck or patio instead of directly in the garden. Hope this clarifies things for you.

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Tip: Use Fall Leaves

As leaves fall, shred them with a lawnmower and mix in the compost pile, spread a 3 to 4 inch layer around perennials, leave a 1 to 2 inch layer on the lawn, or till them into the vegetable garden.

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Advice from Carolyn Hax

Advice columnist Carolyn Hax is famous for her ability to get to the root of people's problems -- not just what they say, but who they are and what they're thinking.

The resulting advice is often ruthless, sometimes controversial, and always hilarious.

See for yourself what great advice Hax has to offer. Subscribe to ArcaMax's Carolyn Hax ezine, and receive her witty, helpful advice free by e-mail!

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-- From the ArcaMax editors

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Today's Reader Submitted Photos

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Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors

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