Embrace Beneficial Insect Allies in Your Garden
pollinators and predators, oh my!
The summer solstice is nigh and we are happily gardening these days with a little more warmth and sunshine than we encountered this past spring. Many plants have finished blooming and many others are just making an appearance. Along with all those fabulous flowers follows a plethora of amazing and beneficial garden allies in the […]
Fun With Food Scraps!
Sue Hartman - Garden Hotline educator emeritus
We throw away a lot of food! According to Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle residents throw out approximately 100,000 tons of food annually. Composting food waste is an important step in reducing this mountain of garbage that is now hauled 300 miles away for disposal in a landfill in Eastern Oregon. But you don’t have to […]
The Waning Days of Summer
What a summer we have had in the Pacific Northwest! From record heat to minimal rain to smoky skies that kept us indoors we have all been challenged to keep our gardens alive and thriving. Our rainfall measure since April ended (and that was a rainy month!) stands at 0.88 inches total. An average summer […]
Mulch 101
Laura Matter, Garden Hotline Educator
What is Mulch? Mulch is a form of organic matter spread on the surface of the soil around plants to keep weeds down, conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures all year long. Fall is a great time to apply mulch—getting ahead of cool season weeds and freezing winter temperatures. When applying mulch to beds with […]
Tomato Late Blight Season is Upon Us!
Melissa McGinn, Garden Hotline Educator
It’s mid-summer and you have your tomatoes planted in healthy, well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. You water your tomatoes with a soaker hose in the early morning before work. Your staking system is a work of architectural perfection. But with one swift wind on a cool, humid day, spores from an infected plant up to 30 miles […]
Flea Beetle Season!
An open letter to the Seattle P-Patch Community Gardens
Dear P-Patch Gardeners, I’ve been answering questions about flea beetles recently, which seem to be pretty numerous this year, so I thought I would share the info I have gathered with all. This is lengthy but hopefully helpful. Flea Beetles are very small, very active beetles that feed on numerous garden crops. They usually cause […]
Berry Bonanza!
Tips for Organic Berry Growing in the Pacific Northwest.
Sue Hartman, Garden Hotline Educator Our region is a prime area for growing and enjoying delicious and nutritious berries. They are available as U-Pick produce at many local farms and flood our farmers markets each summer with their colorful bounty. They are also very easy to grow and harvest if you pay attention to their […]