Ask your organic gardening guide
Your organic gardening guide will answer questions about growing organic gardens, compost, saving seeds, planting or pruning fruit trees, garden pests and diseases......Submit your question or check for answers that may already be waiting for you. You are also welcome to comment or add some advise to other gardening questions. Click on your organic gardening guide to see what other gardeners have asked.
Have a problem ask the organic gardening guide
I have been growing organic gardens for the last 35 years and have put my knowledge and theory's to the test.
Previous gardening questions and answers
Click below to hear what other visitors have asked and to see the answers to their questions.
Homesteading
Hi Farmer Dave
I enjoy reading your blog. My husband and I are planning to relocate to Northern California. We want to grow our own food, stay in touch ...
Pruning Watersprouts
Water Sprouts
It seems that the more we cut off water sprouts from apple trees, the more there are the next year. Is there a technique to prevent reappearance ...
recycled cans for garden pots
Cans for garden pots
I was wondering for seed starting and also for an organic herb garden can you use recycled cans like bean or tuna cans? or could ...
Building A Greenhouse
I have some insulated glass windows would they be alright to use in a small greenhouse?
Farmer Dave's answer
Insulated Glass is great for a green house ...
Soil Problems
Soil Problems for growing root crops
In 2009 I had a soil analysis performed through the cooperative extension service. The results showed that everything ...
Do you allow posting of blogspot addresses on your site? I have a blog that I started on 31 May 2010 on Back Yard Organic Vegetable Gardening. If I actively participate in your site, is it permissible to leave ...
cabbage worms Hello! I recently planted some Kale, and I've noticed some holes are appearing in the leaves of some of my kale (not all). I've attached a picture. What ...
SAVING ONION SEEDS
HOW DO I SAVE THE SEEDS WHEN THE GREEN ONIONS GO TO SEED SO THAT I CAN PLANT THE FOLLOWING YEAR?
Saving onion seeds
It is easy to save onion seed, all ...
watermelons THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR TO GROW A GARDEN. I HAVE PLANTED WATERMELONS AND HAVE PRODUCED ABOUT 10 MELLONS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY HAVE ALL ROTTED AT THE ...
cold nights I live by a lake in Idaho where the summer days are in the 80s but at night the temp drops to the low 50s. My tomatoes grow fine but do not bud. Can I ...
Is it to late for planting garlic? I live in Northern Ca and we have a solid 3 month frost free zone and usually a 4 month frost free time from Mid May to Mid September. I usually plant ...
Greenhouse
Greenhouses
Paulette
You should consider your green house needs and your budget, how much of a do it yourself-er you are etc. On my site I have links ...
Pruning Winter fruit trees in frosty weather
Pruning Dormant trees
Can trees (apples & pears) be pruned during frosty spells without any detrimental effects? I'm thinking of waiting until the ...
Compost in the Winter
can I start my compost in the fall and keep it going all winter won"t it freeze? I've never done this before.
Farmer Daves Reply
No Problem doing compost ...
Spinkler Overlap I am wondering if overspray from my lawn sprinklers will hinder the bacteria growth in my organic garden. or have other negative affects. the garden is ...
Compost
Hi Dave,
thank you for posting my question about the hay. I have another compost question. Are dry roasted peanuts that have turned ransid be ok in the ...
Compost Straw Compost Straw We have a stack of straw bails that was here when we moved here they are at least three years old. (It has been out in the weather all that ...
Fig leaf eater I have a banana fig tree that has lots of figs but starting at the top of the tree, something is skeletonizing the leaves. Most of the top is gone. There ...
Water Supply Tried to buy a hose splitter. Brass one has warning (California state) about lead. Stainless steel one has CA warning about carcinogens and reproductive/...
Fruit buds and leaf bud
how do i identify the difference between a fruit bud that will bear fruit and a
leaf bud that will generate a leaf or branch
kathy collins
Farmer ...
Is my soil safe? We are about to move to a new piece of property that has existing gardening beds. The owner of the property was renting it out and has no way to tell me ...
Chickens and compost
Chickens and Compost
I am getting ready to start raising urban chickens.Also doing first time composting. Can I compost the nesting and chicken manure ...
Gracious thanks! Thank you so much for your quick and informative, not to mention encouraging response. My inner "barnheart" was telling me to get seed started in the greenhouse ...
Spring Garden Planting
Spring garden Planting
Hello there! I'm not sure where you are located, but I'm in Hayward, Ca. and I have no seeds started and nothing in the ground ...
Feathered Maiden Plum Tree with Broken Spurs I have just brought 4 trees from a mail order company. When they arrived I noticed that the Victoria plum tree has some broken spurs (lateral branches)...
Using one of your pictures from your website.
Please may i use one of your pictures for my school work to include in a flash banner?
Sure
Thank you for asking
Pruning Pear Trees We have recently moved into a new home. There is a pear tree in the back yard which appears to be reasonably mature. The problem is pruning. There are ...
Sheet Composting
Sheet composting is one of the simplest methods of composting. It entails covering your beds with a two to
six inch layer of organic matter and waiting ...
Soil testing
How can we get our soil tested? Garden plants turn brown and die.
Farmer Dave's reply:
Sounds dreadful and testing the soil is a good place to start....
Cover crop or green manure
Planting Cover Crops
We would like to turn a sideyard of dirt to an organic salad and herb garden. What would be the best cover crop - green manure ...
walla walla onions
Walla Walla Onions
We live outside of Seattle, wa. This year we planted Walla Walla sweet onions for the 1st time. We had a cool, wet spring and start ...
winter composting My husband and I live in a neighborhood on a decent sized lot and we're trying to grow as many veggies as possible. We're about to purchase a Sun Mar ...
Saving Seeds
Saving seeds!!
Its more important than ever for all of us to be saving seeds, trading and sharing and developing seed saving networks.
There is a push ...
Homemade pest and disease control
I would like more information on homemade tonics for lawn weed control, pest control, fungus control, and fertilizer that really work.
Thanks for your ...
composting
Hi there,
I teach 8th grade science and am looking to start a composting project on my school campus. Although it does not seem extremely expensive, I ...
growing cucumbers I want to prepare a portion of the yard for cucumbers for next year. what characteristics of soil do they like? Is there any way to head off cucumber beetles ...
