Lilac before its annual pruning

MORE PRUNING?

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Here on the farmden, the main spring flowering show is past. With various pruners in hand, I plan for an showy encore, next year. Join me in pruning various shrubs, the why and the how much, in this latest blog post:
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Garlic mustard leaf

MY BRIEF AFFAIR

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Like most brief affairs, this one ended without rancor. A friend had introduced me to garlic mustard, our meeting coming at a time when I could look fondly upon any wild edible plant. What went wrong, oh so wrong? I bare my feelings about all this in my latest blog post.
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Composted garden beds in fall

ORGANIC FOODS FOR YOUR PLANTS

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I feed my soil and plants organically. Organic feeding is functionally different from feeding synthetic (chemical) fertilizers, and the differences must be taken into account when using them. I cover timing and ways of using organic fertilizers in my latest blog post:
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Figs ripening

FIG UPRISING

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In my latest blog post I write about my success with overwintering figs outdoors here in cold hardiness zone 5. This method will work in even colder climates. Last winter, temperatures got down to -18° F here on the farmden. Here’s the link/address to the post:
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Pruning young pear tree, showing where I prune

NATURE’S DESSERT

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Do I hear my fruit trees asking something of me? Yes, pruning. I describe how to deal with these pruning-needy trees in my latest blog post:
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All from a seed like this sprouting one

I PLANTED MY FIRST SEED

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Growing trees from seeds is a long-term project, which makes it all the more satisfying. Just getting them to sprout is exciting, and then you get a special affection for them as they grow. I write about tricks to getting tree seeds to sprout and other suggestions for this also fun and useful activity in my latest blog post:
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Cold damaged rhododendron

WHAT’S DOING IN YOUR ‘HOOD

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Wilting or browning leaves on your rhododendrons? Are they dead from some infection? Should those stems with browned leaves be lopped to the ground? Wait! Before you do anything, read the backstory to all this, with advice on where and when to yield your pruners, all in my latest blog post.
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Many seedlings in spring

WATERING SEEDLINGS MADE EASY

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With so many pots to water, I could be tethered to my home like a dairy farmer to his cows. But I’m not, thanks to capillary watering. In my latest blog post, I write what it is, how to buy it or make it, and how best to use it.
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nursery trees, bare root 2

TREE PLANTING MYTHS DEBUNKED

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I love to plant trees, and I’ve planted plenty. Some are now 60 feet tall. If you plant correctly, its really not very difficult to get a tree into the ground properly, especially if you ignore a few myths of traditional tree planting:
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