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Be
aware using Pressure Treated Lumber in your garden
A reprint of an article that appeared in Organic Gardening magazine about
the potential leaching of arsenic into the soil when pressure treated
lumber is used in the creation of raised beds.
Go
>>
Source: Colorado Education Organic message board
Raised
Beds
For those with clay or poor quality soils, raised beds are a good option
as they provide better drainage, and an easy way to start with better
soil. This website suggests that you provide a bit of support for your
beds, to prevent the sinking and erosion that plague normal raised beds.
Go
>>
Source: The Vegetable Patch
Garden
Links on the Web
With over 1800 sites listed on this directory of sites with gardening
related themes, this is a pretty decent resource. Bonus: English, Dutch
and German sites listed. Wünderbar! Go
>>
Source: Gardensearches.online
I
am a mole and I live in a hole
In response to a posting on the LakeChamplain.com
forum on Moles, we offer this article on living with your mole-ish neighbors.
Go
>>
Source: Gardens and Flowers
Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle, Re-think
Any third grader would recite the first three R-words as ways to reduce
our impact on the environment. This article points out that Re-thinking
is vital if we are to move towards gardens with less environmental impact.
Go >>
Source: Natural Life Magazine
NYCAP
(New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides) HomePage
NYCAP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit grassroots organization committed to the
elimination of pesticide hazards. Go
>>
Source: NYCAP
Common
Sense Flea Control
NYCAP offers you flea control alternatives to the traditional shampoos,
powders and bombs. Probably the best argument is that children are especially
susceptible to the neurotoxins contained in these chemical treatments.
Of course, they also spend the most time with your pets. Go
>>
Source: NYCAP
Mulch
Matters
More than decorative, mulch has a purpose.
Mulch has both positive and negative effects. It can protect your plants
through the winter, and will smother out competing plants in summer. On
the other hand, it provides the idea environment for pesky earwigs and
grubs. Go
>>
Source: Better Homes & Gardens
InfoDigger
WOW! This is a very cool page if you have questions about your garden.
Use InfoDigger to search the National Gardening Association's database.
With more than 17,000 answered questions, 800 gardening tips and 600 articles,
this is a valuable resource. My search on "roses" and "black
spots" returned 20 articles! This server seems to go down frequently.
Go
>>
Source: My Seasons.com
Field Guide to Compost Use
Most people think of the backyard clippings and kitchen waste pile or
bin when you say composting. However, composting is can be used on a much
bigger scale. This website is where municipal composting programs go to
find serious, scientific information on these large scale projects. With
information on "Part 503 Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) Regulations"
this is not your run of the mill, "Composting if fun" website.
Bonus: Nutrient Loading Estimator and other very scientific formulas.
Go
>>
Source: US Composting Council
Natural
Ways to control Pests and Bugs
Using pesticides is likened (although not in so many words) to closing
the gate after the horse is gone! This website encourages good gardening
practices that will make your garden less inviting to insects. By pulling
up the tiny hostile insect welcome mat, this site avers, you'll save yourself
time, money and aggravation in the long run. Bonus: 30 bugs covered,
see link at bottom. Go
>>
Source: Garden Guides
Locate
a composting facility in NYS and Western Vermont
The Cornell Waste Management Institute conducted a survey to locate composting
facilities in NYS. This survey also included the westernmost edge of Vermont.
You can view their results and use them to locate a composting facility
nearest you. Go
>>
Source: Cornell Waste Management Institute and
Cornell Composting
Composting
101
Brought to you by the folks at Rot Web (don't you love that name!), this
site is about the joys of decomposition. Put billions of tiny workers
(microbes including fungi, bacteria, etc) to work in your garden. The
author's love of compost obviously goes deep, to wit; "To tell you
the truth, well-finished compost looks so fine that I'm tempted to eat
the stuff sometimes" While I couldn't recommend following that advice,
otherwise this site is a very complete guide for the beginner (or advanced)
composter. Go
>>
Source: Rot Web
MicroClimates
Different weather zones exist in your backyard.
Understanding that your garden has mini environments is important when
planning your garden. Learn what a microclimate is, and how to find them
in your garden. Go
>>
Source: Staff Writer
Local
Conditions: USDA Plant Zones
The USDA plant hardiness zone map divides
North American into regions based on minimum winter temperatures. But
other factors influence the region. See where the Champlain Valley fits
in. Go
>>
Source: Staff Writer
Find gardening organizations
GardenWeb's directory allows you to look
for organizations by type of program (i.e. educational, charitable, membership)
and by region. A very useful search tool. Go
>>
Source: GardenWeb
Does
Soil type really make a difference?
It sure does!! And this page proves it.
Look at the results of an experiment involving three different types of
plants (sunflower, begonia, marigold) and 5 different soil mixes. Go
>>
Source: Fantasy Gardening
Cold
Frames: A gardener's helper
Learn what a cold frame is, and how it will
help get vegetables to your table earlier. Go
>>
Source: Staff Writer
Are your seeds still good?
Test your older seeds to make sure that they will still germinate! This
will ensure that you don't get a nasty surprise! Go
>>
Source: Garden
Mag
Autumn Foliage
Originally created in 1998, and updated in 2000, this webpage is a good
place to start your leaf peeping. With links to regional foliage pages,
fun foliage facts (i.e. the color change explained), and lots of fall
pictures. Go
>>
Source: Rochester Gardening
GardenScape
-- The first seven years
Pictures from the 1999 GardenScape garden show. Large thumbnails can be
clicked on to make them even bigger and see details like the designer
and awards. Go
>>
Source: Rochester Gardening
Seed
Catalogues
Leafing through seed catalogues is a favorite winter activity for many
gardeners. Browsing is a great way to identify new trends and varieties.
But you should bear in mind these five tips to make sure that you're happy
with your selections. Go
>>
Source: Staff Writer
Aliens
are amongst us
They are small, they are green, and they are invading us. But they’re
not from Mars. Alien plants are a growing problem. Native plants are being
out competed by plants which were introduced as ornamental plants. Go
>>
Source: Staff Writer
Winter
Gardening related websites
Here's an archive of all the winter gardening websites that were posted
on LakeChamplain.com for Winter 2001-2002. Go
>>
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