Monthly Archives: March 2016

3-10-2016 Blooms are fleeting but cheeseweed is poised to be a problem

Cheeseweed, aka “little mallow.” Photo By University of California By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record POSTED: 03/10/16, 11:53 AM PST | UPDATED: ON 03/10/2016 Behold! Spring! (Imagine your arms wide open, head tilted toward the sky like the children from the … Continue reading

Comments Off on 3-10-2016 Blooms are fleeting but cheeseweed is poised to be a problem

3-17-2016 How to make a backyard compost sifter

Mark Stemen stands tall with his compost sifter, made from wire mesh and wood. ‹› By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record For best results, a compost pile needs to be at least three feet high and three feet wide. Mark Stemen … Continue reading

Comments Off on 3-17-2016 How to make a backyard compost sifter

Life may be a bowl full of cherries infested with bugs Jan. 14, 2016

Spotted wing drosophila Photo courtesy University of California By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record It’s bare-root season, when local nurseries have dormant trees and plants for sale. These are usually less expensive than plants sold in large tubs filled with soil. … Continue reading

Comments Off on Life may be a bowl full of cherries infested with bugs Jan. 14, 2016

Sow There! 12-17-15, How to accidentally grow zygo cactus

Zygo cactus. Heather Hacking — Enterprise-Record By Heather Hacking, Blooms of a Zygo cactus (right) are stunning on cold days. On the left is a jade plant.Heather Hacking —Enterprise-Record A week until Christmas and I am feeling calm and collected. … Continue reading

Comments Off on Sow There! 12-17-15, How to accidentally grow zygo cactus

Sow There! Freeze and thaw, the winter cycle of cold-hardy spinach, Jan. 7, 2016

By Heather Hacking, For the twenty-plus years I have been gardening, lettuce has been elusive. Early on, I learned that lettuce planted in the warmth of spring will soon bolt, go to seed and die. Later, the plants were literally … Continue reading

Comments Off on Sow There! Freeze and thaw, the winter cycle of cold-hardy spinach, Jan. 7, 2016

3-3-2016 Weeds can see you when you’re sleeping

Here’s the weed some folks call Velcro weed. It sticks to your shoe and the hind legs of the cat.Heather Hacking — Enterprise-Record By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record POSTED: 03/03/16, 9:25 PM PST | UPDATED: ON 03/03/2016 0 COMMENTS I … Continue reading

Comments Off on 3-3-2016 Weeds can see you when you’re sleeping