You might not have considered it but there is a groundcover that can be a beautiful addition to your gardens and ground cover. It's moss! It add texture and color to landscapes and is easy to cultivate. Right about now, mosses are reappearing on rock ledges as the snow melts as an early and welcomed harbinger of spring. In this episode, Charlie will share an actual recipe you can whip up for making and spreading moss in your yard.
Emerald-colored and lush mosses are showing up under trees and on ledges as snowpack recedes and we can enhance it even further! If your lawn or landscape has some dark, moist areas with lots of shade, you can cultivate your own with a simple recipe.
You can take a cup of moss and mash it up with two cups of buttermilk and then paint it on areas where you want it to spread, like rocks and ledges or sap buckets.
And Irish and Scottish moss are not true moss. These are actually perennials and have small white flowers. These plants need sun and well-drained soil and work best in a rock garden or between stepping stones, not like the good old growing-in-dark-and-wet-areas moss.
Q: I plant my onions from seed in early March and transplant them one or two times as they grow. They take well to the garden and seem to grow well, but the onions never get very big. What is the best soil for onions? — Stephen, in Reading
The best soil for onions is a sandy, loamy soil. Perhaps, first, you might find out for sure if your soil is up to snuff.
Once things dry out and thaw, consider doing a soil test. You might find your soil has a deficiency like phosphorus, which is key in growing great onions.
Or you can switch to growing your onions and other veggies in raised beds, as that set-up will provide well-drained soil.
And Christina in East Burke sent us a note to say, “I have a garden space that I have planted over the last 10 years or so. It has done well except for the deer that ate my green beans a couple years ago. I have discovered that I really like watching it grow, weeding it, but I'm not crazy about eating the veggies! I'm over 70 now and a little slower. I was wondering if I could find someone else who loves the veggies to use the space for their own garden. I can watch it grow and do some weeding throughout the summer. Has anyone ever done something like this before and how should I go about finding someone?”
All Things Gardening listeners, if you have an idea or suggestion for Christina, send it along and we’ll pass it on to Christina! Other ideas Christina might try are to reach out to the Vermont Master Gardeners or a local garden club. Those resources might be great places to help find a gardening partner.
Q: We have a pet bunny in the house and we use pine shavings for his bedding. Are the shavings okay to put directly on the garden, or will it be too acidic? — Kelli, in Mancelona, Michigan
You can use bunny poop and shavings for fertilizer, just let it sit and compost for about three to six months first then spread onto your garden!
All Things Gardening is powered by you, the listener! Send your gardening questions and conundrums and Charlie may answer them in upcoming episodes. You can also leave a voicemail with your gardening question by calling VPR at (802) 655-9451.
Hear All Things Gardening during Weekend Edition Sunday with VPR host Mary Engisch, Sunday mornings at 9:35.
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