Entries by Lee Reich

SWEET CORN: OLD VARIETY, MODERN GROWING

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You don’t grow sweet corn!? Then you’re missing one of summer’s pleasures, that of stepping outdoors to your “patch” and selecting a dead ripe ear to bite into right then and there, or to roast or steam. There are so many kinds of sweet corn and varieties of each kind, many better than what you can purchase because they handle well commercially. Check out my latest blog post for the kinds of sweet corn, my favorite kind and variety, and how I — and you — can grow them.

A GEM OF A MARIGOLD

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Bored with marigolds? There are some interesting kin of the common French or African species. A couple have leaves with an anise smell. But my favorite of all  is . . . well, you’ll have to read this week’s blog post:

THINNED TREES AREN’T SKINNY

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With blossoms past on fruit trees, you’ve got to thin — not you, the fruits. Doing so brings many benefits, which I recount in my latest blog post. The post also tells how to do it, how much to do, and when to do it (not just now). Read about thinning here:

A CASE FOR ASPARAGUS

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Have you ever tried really fresh asparagus, spears that have been harvested in the last few hours? If not, you can be in for a taste delight. The easiest route to this experience is by growing your own, which I detail in my latest blog post. And, as I point out, flavor alone is not the only reason to recommend growing asparagus.

FORM & FUNCTION MEET WITH ESPALIER

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Espalier is an attractive and functional way to grow fruit plants. Success comes with making the right choice of plant, training it well, and then making the right pruning cuts at the right time. All this is detailed for red currant, an easy espalier, in my latest blog post.

HENRY THE EIGHTH OF HORTICULTURE

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Joyce Kilmer ended his poem “Trees” with the line “But only God can make a tree.” Not so! I make, and you can make, trees by grafting. Learn how to graft at my May 4th 2024 workshop, and read about how to make a bark graft, both detailed on my website: www.leereich.com.

DEER FOOD

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Deer love (to eat) tulips. Actually, humans have been known to eat them. (Important information about this in the blog post). Plenty of bulbs are deer proof. Join me as we time travel through spring and summer to enjoy more deer-proof bulbs in my latest blog post:

DAMN-PING OFF

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The fungi that cause damping off are everywhere, just waiting to topple seedlings! The why’s and the wherefore’s of controlling this horrendous disease are the topic of my latest blog post.

IS REAL SOIL GOING TO POT?

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Bags of potting mixes now line shelves of garden centers, building supply stores, even food market. And with good reason. It’s time to grow seedlings and repot house plants, and some sort of potting mix is just the ticket for these plants; straight garden soil, even good garden soil, is unsuitable in pots. What’s really in these bags of potting mix? Can you make your own mix? I (figuratively) dig into these bags as well a provide my own (not so) secret recipe for potting soil in my latest blog post.

HAVE YOUR “CAKE” AND EAT IT, TOO

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Some of my favorite trees, shrubs, and vines bear luscious fruits on plants that also grace the landscape with attractive flowers, leaf color, and/or winter form. They’re also all very easy to grow, not needing the pruning and pest control demanded by apples, plums, and other common fruits. Read about my picks in my latest blog post.