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1500 questions
9
votes
8 answers
What is the best way to compost a large pile of leaves with minimal effort?
Where we live you have to bag your leaves. We have about ¼ acre and lots of trees, so it's really impractical to bag all of those leaves. I was thinking of simply making a big pile and trying to compost them, but I'm looking for some tips.
I don't…
user379468
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9
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5 answers
What maintenance does a lawnmower need?
What basic maintenance should be performed on a lawnmower regularly to ensure it stays in good repair?
kzh
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9
votes
3 answers
Tips to help an ash tree, trying to grow from the roots of an EAB victim
Two years ago, emerald ash borer struck my region. I and several of my neighbors made the tree services rich, taking down the trees before they came down on their own and causing damages. I lost three trees total (although I gained 2.5 cords of…
cobaltduck
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9
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1 answer
Do wattles have the same ability to fix nitrogen from air as other legumes?
Do wattles (roughly Australian Acacia species) have the same ability as other members of the Fabaceae (legume) family to fix nitrogen from air via symbiosis with soil bacteria? For instance, it's well known that peas and beans do, but what about the…
Lisa
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9
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1 answer
What is the best way to over-winter bananas?
The new house also has a couple of banana trees! What is the best way of over-wintering them? I am in USDA Zone 8a and we've just started to get frosts.
From the research/asking around that I've done, it sounds like there are two main approaches:…
winwaed
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9
votes
4 answers
Does compost replace fertilizer?
I make compost in my backyard. I also buy fertilizers for vegetable and fruit plants from the big box stores. My question is really when to use compost vs. fertilizer? Can I eliminate the use of fertilizers if I have enough compost or do I have…
JStorage
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9
votes
1 answer
Caterpillars don't lay eggs so how is this happening?
I noted a very large number of cabbage white (the yellow and black ones) caterpillars on the side of my house recently - the house bounds a field currently growing cauliflower. The caterpillars look fat and healthy, I'm not sure why they crossed…
Mr. Boy
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9
votes
2 answers
Can bulbs be stored in the fridge for over 60 days?
I stored some bulbs in the fridge a while ago. Now it is already the 50th day. I am wondering, if I store it longer than the recommended duration (60 days), would anything happen to them?
lamwaiman1988
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1 answer
Are 'winter' varieties important when sowing beans & peas in late autumn/fall?
This list of jobs for November suggests sowing peas and broad beans. The comments section is more specific about varieties to go for, namely: Aquadulce for Broadbeans and Douce Provence for Peas.
How important is it to use the suggested varieties?…
Tea Drinker
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9
votes
2 answers
What are these woodlouse-like bugs and how do I kill them?
I have these black woodlouse like bugs that infested my whole back yard. They are eating through many of the leaves in our garden and wreaking havoc.
(Click to enlarge)
What kind of pesticide / approach can I take to eliminate them or reduce their…
Sam Saffron
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9
votes
1 answer
Why can't I compost dog & cat faeces?
Looking at this answer made we wonder again about why we don't compost dog and cat faeces. Any guide to composting will always caution against including dog (and cat) excrement (examples here and here).
Is it simply that pet faeces are dangerous to…
Tea Drinker
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9
votes
2 answers
How can I measure the pH of my soil?
I was told to measure the pH of my soil to help identify some of the symptoms on my vegetable plants. Does anyone have recommendations of a device I can purchase to measure soil pH?
JStorage
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9
votes
1 answer
What sort of hose nozzle should I look for such that it won't spring a leak after just one frosty night?
I bought a hose nozzle that looked robust (though made mainly of plastic) last year and let it sit out over the winter (temperatures get down to -30 ºC). This spring, naturally, the nozzle was leaking from all its seams. I bought another one of…
Om Patange
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9
votes
2 answers
How do I prepare and sow a lawn organically?
Sowing a lawn organically seems to have 2 problems that need solving:
Killing the weeds prior to sowing
Avoiding weed growth after sowing
Once the soil is levelled, I'm considering trying the false seed bed technique to kill off any remaining…
Highly Irregular
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9
votes
4 answers
Can I revive my basil that wasn't watered for a week?
I went on vacation and left a generous amount of water in my supermarket bought basil pot that I keep outside of the window. But it is very sunny in that spot as it's high up and facing South, and the last couple of days have been hot I think, so…
simbabque
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