Boardash: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Sunday February 28, 2010

Saturday, February 27, 2010

ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Sunday February 28, 2010

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Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Sunday February 28, 2010

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
Q&A: Rock Mulch vs. Organic Mulch
Q&A: Cooking with Broccoli Raab and Relatives
Tip: Control Lawn Red Thread
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Reader Photos

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Today's Featured Plant
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

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: Rock Mulch vs. Organic Mulch

Question: I am converting a large portion of my yard from lawn to gardens and plan to plant various shrubs and trees in it, as well as a few perennials. Which is better, mulching with rocks or with an organic mulch like bark chips?

Answer: Both will help maintain soil moisture, reduce soil temperature, and help control weeds. However, organic mulch breaks down over time and releases nutrients into the soil, while rock mulch does nothing to improve the soil. You might consider an organic mulch for around the plants, and stone along the paths.

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Q&A: Cooking with Broccoli Raab and Relatives

Question: Are broccoli raab, rapini, Chinese rape, and rapeseed all the same thing? I have come across each in recipes and don't know if they are interchangeable.

Answer: There are many variations of these members of the Brassica, or cabbage, family, and various names are sometimes used interchangeably. It can get pretty confusing. The different types may or may not be interchangeable in recipes, depending upon the plant part that's called for in the recipe. You'll have to experiment by growing your own and tasting each in different stages of growth.

Broccoli raab is a Brassica, but it is not a true broccoli. It is also known as rapini and rapine, and has a flavor similar to broccoli, but is usually more bitter. Rather than forming a large central head, it is grown for its leaves, shoots, and small florets.

There are several different types of rape, another Brassica. Some are grown as a vegetable, including some which are similar to broccoli raab and are called flowering rape. (This may be what you are referring to by Chinese rape.) Some types are grown for their high oil content--the term canola oil is used to describe oil pressed from edible oilseed rape.

I hope this helps!

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Tip: Control Lawn Red Thread

Lawns of bluegrass and fescue in mild areas may have rusty red leaf grass tips. Red thread fungal disease thrives in cool, wet weather. To control, fertilize with nitrogen, mow off the red tips, and water the lawn deeply.

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Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors