Entries by Lee Reich

CLEAN APPLES, EDIBLE APPLES

Most people, when they’re ready to plant fruit, plant apple trees. But apples are the hardest fruit to grow over much of the country and that’s mostly because of pest problems. You could spray chemicals. Or you could grow them organically, using various means of keeping the culpable insects and diseases at bay. All covered — you guessed it — in my latest blog post.

RDS (ROSEMARY DEATH SYNDROME) SOLVED?

RDS (Rosemary Death Syndrome) has struck again, to my two, once attractive rosemary “standards.” Was it due to lack of water? Perhaps. But I have a new theory, which is . . . if you want to know, read about it in my latest blog post.

PLOTTING ALONG

Is gardening a relaxing hobby? Not for me this time of year, when it’s time to plot out the vegetable garden factoring in crop rotation, succession cropping, etc., etc. Actually, for years it’s been easier than it was early on, especially when I realized that I should never delay planting for lack of a plan. Read how I got from there to here in my latest blog post.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE

As we celebrate Washington’s birthday, let’s question his honesty — about the cherry tree and all that. What are the chances that he even chopped down a cherry tree? I look at this question from a horticultural perspective in my lates blog post.

OUT TO PRUNE, WITH WHAT?

It’s an especially nice day to be outdoors — and pruning. What am I going to take with me? What am I going to prune? No matter; just three tools will do just about everything. Read about these tools and my favorite models in my latest blog post.

FRUITFUL THOUGHTS

Winter can easily conjure up future visions of branches laden with delicious fruit ready for you to pick. But wait! What about pest control? Pruning? No problem if you choose your fruits and varieties carefully. And details about that, of course is what I write about in my latest blog post.

THE GARDEN IN WINTER

The winter garden is more worth a look if it has some things to anchor it, whether they’re arbors, stone walls, evergreens, or dense, deciduous plants. Read about some of what I’ve created serendipitously or planned in my latest blog post.

ORANGES IN NY’S HUDSON VALLEY, OUTDOORS

Yes, I am growing an orange tree — actually a “hardy orange” and it’s a bush — outdoors here, where winter temperatures regularly plummet below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Why? For a few reasons, some obvious and some not so obvious (until you see the plant). If all this seems obfuscatory, it’s clear in my latest blog post.

GARDEN FRESH, STILL

Potted herbs gracing windowsills with a backdrop of snow are enticing scenes for garden catalogs, but the idea doesn’t usually pan out in practice. Except in the case of two woody plants — rosemary and bay laurel. Read why in my latest blog post.

YES, WE HAVE NO BANANAS (title of 100-yr-old song)

Grow bananas here in NY’s Hudson Valley! I tried many years ago, with mixed results which, if you must know, read about in my latest blog post (my name dot com slash blog). Now I’ve come upon some candidates with more solid prognosis for success, one in particular and all with one caveat. As usual, if you’re interested, it’s all detailed in that latest blog post (my name dot com slash blog).