Recently a well-known gardening blog featured a guest posting by a garden writer who made a case for using Canadian sphagnum peat moss as a horticultural amendment. He defended his preference through “facts” provided by the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association.
This is kind of like relying on the petroleum industry for the most objective information on the environmental effects of oil spills. Or the tobacco growers association for data on the effects of smoking on human health. … Continue reading this article “A sustainable resource? Oh, for peat’s sake!”
Category: Knock It Off
Friday puzzle unrolled
I knew this one was pretty easy, but I have my reasons (below). Gold stars to KB, Jim, John, and Dave for correctly identifying rolls of sod (and they do seem thin, Peter):
Yes, sod. I dislike instant lawns; they never look good for very long, at least in my part of the country. And getting rid of sod (as we have in our landscape) is a nightmare with that *%&$^ plastic mesh in which the grass is embedded. … Continue reading this article “Friday puzzle unrolled”
Newsflash: trees will die if their roots can’t establish
I’ve blogged before about the importance of getting tree roots in contact with the landscape soil during transplanting (you can find those posts here, here, here, here, and here). My advice to bareroot woody species upon installation is often ignored in favor of the quick-n-easy methods so often showcased on HGTV (“A complete landscape makeover in a weekend!”). And of course everything looks great…for a while. Let’s see what happens after a few years.… Continue reading this article “Newsflash: trees will die if their roots can’t establish”
No point here, really…
Just go back and watch the video that Bert the Incensed posted Monday. I can’t top that.
Hope he’s had a beer and calmed down since. Now I need one.
My first reaction was more like slack-jawed disbelief over the nonsense contained within. A second viewing brought my blood pressure up a notch. For instance, I swear he says “Calcium nitrate” softly and then quickly rephrases it to “vitamins and minerals.” There’s more crap in this video than a dairy retention pond.… Continue reading this article “No point here, really…”
Why do we have a Garden Professor’s blog?
As (relatively) young professors at major universities, Linda, Jeff, Holly and I are busier than the proverbial one-armed paper-hanger. Every week is filled with the endless pandemonium of grant deadlines, students at our door, requests to review papers, committee meetings, speaking engagements that we agreed to 6 months ago and forgot about, calls from media, calls from growers, calls from homeowners, and on and on and on. Then, in the middle of all this tumult and chaos, we decide, like we got nothing better to do, to start posting on a blog every week. … Continue reading this article “Why do we have a Garden Professor’s blog?”
Time for another WOW (Why oh why)!
During my nursery visits this summer I came across Taxodium distichum ‘Peve Minaret’, a dwarf cultivar of bald cypress. I hate it:
Why? Because it’s a crummy specimen. If it’s not quite clear, here is a close up of the double leader:
I’ve ranted a couple of times about the production nursery practice of topping young trees to create fuller crowns (you can see those posts here and here). I’m constantly taken to task for this, with comments along these lines:
1) There’s nothing wrong with it.… Continue reading this article “Time for another WOW (Why oh why)!”
Bee studies, blogs, and biases
My original posting last Wednesday (“Ignorance and the so-called “bogus” bee study“) has generated some vigorous discussion, which is exactly what I hoped it would do. At some point, one of our readers posted the link on the original blog site, where it generated the following response:
“The issue on CCD and these studies that point to “causes” other than pesticides comes down to a question: What came first? The pesticides or the problem.… Continue reading this article “Bee studies, blogs, and biases”
Ignorance and the so-called “bogus” bee study
I’m angry. Really, really angry. And it’s all Kenny’s fault.
Kenny S., one of our long-time blog followers, alerted me to a blog posting dismissing a new study on colony collapse disorder (CCD). The post was devoid of any evidence of bogusness, other than a link to “great reporting” by New York Magazine. Aside from the general snarkiness of this article, we’re breathlessly informed that Fortune magazine (a hotbed of scientific inquiry) uncovered an unholy connection between the lead author (Dr.… Continue reading this article “Ignorance and the so-called “bogus” bee study”
Deer Finale (and then we move on…maybe)
I believe I may have shared this with you previously…pardon the recycling.
But cogent to the discussion (and still breathtaking in its absurdity…)
About $1000 worth of 10′ tall Arborvitae that were freshly dug, moved to a commercial job site, and then EATEN ALIVE before they were even planted. The remains (seen here) were shipped back to the wholesaler near Richmond. My guess is that deer evolution may be headed in the direction of longer necks. … Continue reading this article “Deer Finale (and then we move on…maybe)”
The Deer Thing
Gave a talk last week to the Arlington, Virginia Master Gardeners and friends (howdy!). What a wonderful group. I was warmly welcomed, they brought awesome goodies, and even laughed at my silly anecdotes.
As is inevitable during any plant presentation, the topic of deer came up. When the question arose of whether a particular perennial that I had enjoyed in my own garden was deer-resistant or not, I responded with “I’m not sure, I don’t have a deer problem.” … Continue reading this article “The Deer Thing”