We have had raised beds built to minimize the need for kneeling in the garden as we get older. We have excellent garden soil from decades of incorporating leaves, grass clippings and wood chips. Is there anything we should be adding to this soil as we put it into the raised beds?

I NEED help! I grow pretty much a full organic garden and want to know how I can control a few pests that truly destroyed many of my cruciferous vegetables last year. I have alot of slugs, both whitish and the typical along with a very hard multi segmented thick shelled type worm/centipede or millipedes within many of my raised beds and then these black tiny specs at the base of my brocolli and brussel sprouts where they connect to the stems. How can I control or rid my garden of them? I don't mind sharing some of my crop, but they really

What kind of tree would you recommend for planting in an area between 2 houses near the street? The area between the 2 driveways is approximately 15 feet wide but my property would only extend 5 or so feet. I would like to plant a suitable tree that could handle our changing weather as we are in climate change. I like deciduous trees. My property is on the edge of the Grotto in NE Portland. The trees behind my house that are mainly fir trees. Another factor is that I might need to down size one of these days but I do not know exactly when. Would it be wise of me to plant a tree when I cannot be certain I will be here long enough to take care of It? I want to help with improving the tree canopy in Portland. I might have to remove a couple of smaller shrubs in the area that I want to plant a tree in in order to plant a tree.

I have been trying to do the training to become a volunteer. I finished the first section a couple times. It finally acknowledged that now I have been on the section covering regarding reporting and protecting youths, I finished the first one, I have gotten to the end and some how sent back to signing back in. Sometimes to the starting completely over about volunteer. What am I doing wrong.

It is Feb. 7 and I just received a dormant spicebush plant. What is the best way for me to keep it alive until I can plant it in early May? I live in Gambier OH and am hoping to draw in a Spicebush Swallowtail when the plant is large enough.

I am a beekeeper and wonder when maples will bloom around Lansing Pollen source for bees

Can you please help me identify these eggs? They are the size of a small pea. They are in an corner by the door if an old farmhouse.

Could someone please identify the bug below I found in my condo in St Paul? I know the photo is not perfect, but I hope it is detailed enough. It is a bit bigger than 1/8 of an inch. It was dead at the time I found it. Our pest control company said it was a stink bug, I don't think so and it looks very similar to a bed bug and I would like a second opinion, if someone is willing to give me one! Kindest regards,

When I moved here to northern Todd county (nearly 40 years ago) my neighbor warned me that I would not be able to grow beets in my garden, She said despite successfully growing them in her previous garden only a few miles away, they would not grow here. I planted them anyway, and they germinated normally, but when the first true leaves started developing, they quickly turned purple, stopped growing, and fairly soon withered and died. I have occasionally tried making a test planting over the years, but still no real success, with mostly the same results of turning purple and dying young. I began with basically pure sand whose main "crop" was sand burrs. Over the years I have improved it, adding cattle manure until I now have a very productive garden . . . but one that will still NOT grow beets. Is there some trace mineral or other remedy you think might help?

I have a problem with raccoons digging up my back yard for bugs. My understanding is that they are going after grubs. I would like to put down grub control but also have bird feeders in my back yard. Is there any safe grub control that will not hurt birds? Also have a rhododendron with brown spot on leaves and part of the bush appears to be dying. If i use an antifungal on the bush will the affected parts come back?