Amazing: life!

I talked a bit about the trouble I have growing hellebores, but today I'm amazed at something else:

I've been able to keep rhubarb alive!

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INWIG on social media

Did you know that this blog is not the only place you can experience It's not work, it's gardening?

That's right, you can find me on all of the social media sites!

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Bottomless pot test concludes

A few years ago I started an experiment: using a bottomless nursery pot as a way to give larger plants better soil without restricting their roots. If you remember, this was specifically to house a cardoon.

Well, it's time for the experiment to end. Although it seemed like a good idea at the time and could probably work under alternate conditions, it's time to try something different.

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Sneaking a peek

Here in the St. Louis area where I live, this is the time of year when there's much to do in the garden, and the time left to do it is unknown due to variable temperatures and weather. There are trees, shrubs, perennials, and bamboo to plant and transplant. Lots of leaves to rake and drag down to the compost pile. Ponds to clean out (haven't done that yet).

One thing that gardeners here don't typically do at this time of year is start seeds -- unless you have a greenhouse or plan on doing a lot of indoor growing that is. Here's something I like to do at this time of year though: sow a few seeds from various summer perennials and annuals.

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Corn gluten test 1 update

A little less than a week ago I started a little test to see if the corn gluten I had purchased as a pre-emergent herbicide would have any effect -- there have been some studies done that produced conflicting results. I made up a little tray of soil, applied the corn gluten product to half of it, then sprinkled grass seed over the whole thing.

Remember that I had some doubts about my test, mainly that the corn gluten wouldn't  have time to break down before the seeds germinated. Those doubts appear to have been quite reasonable.

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An experiment starts: corn gluten

Yesterday I posted about a lawn care task, specifically applying corn gluten as a pre-emergent herbicide. It's organic, safe, prevents weeds from growing, smells like corn-based snacks -- what more could a gardener ask for? Well, maybe that it actually works. You see, it was pointed out in the comments that another study was done, and its results questioned the utility of corn gluten as a pre-emergent. In fact, that study concluded that it had no herbicidal properties at all.

Although it's difficult or impossible for most of us to duplicate those studies that universities do -- we have everything except the time, experience, equipment, manpower, and funding -- in this case I think I can do a simple test to satisfy my own curiosity. So today I'm starting an experiment to see if the corn gluten works for me.

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