Blog grid – Lee Reich

Mole painting, Johann Andreas Wagner 1855

MOLES, THE FURRY KIND

September 30, 2026

I find moles so ugly that I feel sorry for them. But not so sorry that I don’t them out of my garden and lawn. What’s the problem with moles? Anything good about them? How do I deal with them? Read all about it in my latest blog post.

A MAYAPPLE IN SEPTEMBER

September 23, 2026

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An apple in May? No. A mayapple in September? Yes. Except it's an herbaceous woodland plant, not an apple. But it is edible sort of. I won't eat it. Curious? Check out mayapples in my latest blog post:ee

Weeping figs, Puerto Rico and windowsill

BRUTAL BUT HAS ITS BENEFITS

September 16, 2026

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It sounds brutal but plants bear it well, and it’s often necessary, for example, for digging up moving large plants or for keeping a plant small enough to not go through your ceiling or just to be cut. My latest blog post, here, covers the why, the how, and the wherefore about root pruning:

BORING TROUBLES NO MORE

September 9, 2026

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Are your squash plants petering out? Mine are still growing and bearing like gangbusters. I’m not bragging, though, because I’ve had little hand in this. In my latest blog post I describe a boring pest, some ways to deal with her, and my favorite — and very easy — way. Click on the link for the post.

OTHER CREATURES ALSO LOVE APPLES

September 2, 2026

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Wanna grow great tasting apples? Choose good varieties from among the thousands that exist, and then get ready, depending on where you grow them, for possible pests. My latest blog posts covers the major threats to your fruitful future, and how to thwart them.

WOULD THE REAL (BEST) OREGANO PLEASE STAND UP

August 26, 2026

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How I replaced my almost flavorless oregano with the real thing. Maybe. No matter which of the many names oregano parades under, this one is deliciously aromatic. And what is it’s real name? Read here:

EVERYONE LOVES GARLIC BUT ME

August 18, 2026

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I once grew garlic and followed all the rules. I no longer cultivate garlic and still can harvest all I need. Read about when to plant garlic and how I manage to harvest all I need just a few steps from my back door in my latest blog post, here:

SMUT POPPING OUT OF YOUR EARS

August 12, 2026

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Smut popping out of your ears, your corns' ears?! Spongy galls, looking like corn kernels that have been pumped up with steroids and painted silvery gray, ooze from between the husks? Not a pretty sight, but look at those puffy masses in another light. They are the fruiting bodies of a fungus, as are mushrooms. Huitlacoche, as it is called south of the border, is eaten boiled or fried, and its popularity has spread northward. Read more here: https://leereich.com/2026/08/smut-popping-out-of-your-ears.html

THOSE “OTHER” RASPBERRIES

August 5, 2026

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Those other raspberries, flowering raspberry and wineberry, each have their beauty. Look at the stems closely, flowers, the unripe fruits, and the ripe fruits. Here’s your introduction to them in words and photos: