Blog grid – Lee Reich

BORING TROUBLES NO MORE

September 9, 2026

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:

WHAT GAVE SUSAN HER BLACK EYE?

July 29, 2026

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What gave Susan her black eye? Her central florets, that’s what. Black-eyed Susan flowers, blooming now and for the next few weeks, are actually made up of two kinds of florets, or small flowers. In the center of each flower are small, tubular flowers called disk florets. Those tubular petals are dark. Hence the black eye. But there’s more, botanically and horticulturally, of interest in growing this native flower, covered — as you might guess— in my latest blog post, here:

DINNERPLATE DAHLIAS, AND MORE

July 22, 2026

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Pinch your flowers. This is but one of a few ways to direct their grow, depending on whether you want a few large flowers or a spray of small flowers. In my latest blog post, I excerpt information from my book THE PRUNING BOOK to cover how various types of pruning can let you direct growth of your flower plants:

ENOUGH WATER?

July 15, 2026

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What could be more pleasant than standing in place gently showering your plants on a hot day while, in your other hand, you're holding some drink for yourself? Win, win. But are the plants really getting their thirst quenched? Probably not. That's what this week's blog post is about: How to tell if you've really watered your plants enough.