By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener WARSAW — You may need to screen your vermicompost, especially if you’ve used rough stuff (sticks etc.) in the bedding that takes time to break down. A round gardener’s sieve with a 3/16 inch mesh will work best. Try to find one with stainless steel mesh, it’ll do the job …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener WARSAW — We will start with the type of worm to use for vermicomposting. These are not the usual big burrowing earthworms that live in garden soil. Here are some of the names used … red worms, tiger worms, brandlings, angle worms, manure worms or red wrigglers. They occupy a …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Advanced Master Gardener WARSAW — I was going to talk about Vermicomposting in this article, but many people would be turned off by this form of composting without knowing some facts first.  I have included several articles below about the impact our country is having on our environment from food waste. This includes …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Advanced Master Gardener WARSAW — Many of you may already know about what you can and what you should not compost. I have found the following items left out keeps the compost cleaner and able to use quicker. What I mean is that you can compost anything that is natural but in …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Advanced Master Gardener WARSAW — My new garden will be made from a compost I will have been ‘brewing’ for a year. I have talked before about the small trailer of horse manure that I mixed with leaves and gravelly dirt from a mound we have in the “back 40” of our …read more.

WARSAW — I know there are a lot of trees in this garden, but most are going to stay small. And things can change at any time and I can decide not to put all of the trees in it. I do plan to have some focal points in this garden among the foliage.

By AMY MUNCY Advanced Master Gardener WARSAW — Now I must decide where to place the trees that need to be moved out of my so called holding gardens. I have always started my trees from the Arbor Day Foundation in a small raised bed with a fence around it. The fence helps keep the …read more.

WARSAW — Generally, I do not keep a journal of my garden. Putting it all in writing in this article will hopefully help someone else doing the same. It can be daunting doing your own landscaping from scratch. Yet knowing you did it yourself is a real boost.

WARSAW — The best time to start a garden project at a site that is sod is the year before. If it is a site with unplanted soil, you can start planning the garden right away.

By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener Intern (EDITORS NOTE: This is the second of a two part article on problem areas. On Aug. 13, Muncy talked about shade, hot,dry area, slope, overgrown hedge/ugly view, unslightly features. This article continues the topics.)   WARSAW — AN OVERGROWN/NEGLECTED POND — There is a chance you can get it …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener Intern Whether a new or old garden, you will need to decide which of the existing features you want to keep, such as an old swing, an old tree or a garden shed. Other items like a fuel tank, an unattractive view or an overgrown area you may need to …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener Intern At this time, my own yard needs a lot of work as a new septic system was just installed. You need to be careful what you plant around septic systems, as some long term plants can cause damage. The biggest problem I’ve heard of is tree roots getting into …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener Intern When I drive around our wonderful county and notice newly constructed homes, many of them have what amounts to a blank slate behind them: a grassed rectangle. This gives you an opportunity to create a great outdoor living space. It is my hope this info gives someone inspiration to …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener Intern When it comes to watering, there are some tips you should know about. If you live in a city/town with a water treatment plant, you should know what is being added to the water. You can have your water tested if you like. Call your local extension office to …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener Intern Any time you move a plant, it will need time to adjust to its surroundings, even in the house. If you buy houseplants at the greenhouse, the plant may go through changes, drop leaves or droop its branches. Greenhouses are usually more humid and receive more daylight than your …read more.

By AMY MUNCY Master Gardener More on houseplants as promised in my last column. Once you realize you need to repot a plant and have chosen the correct type of pot and soil, remember the next size larger pot is all you need to put your plant in. If you put your plant in too …read more.

Spring has arrived in the area and with it comes planting time for both flowers and vegetable gardens. Not everyone has a green thumb and even those who do often have questions and concerns. InkFreeNews.com will be adding a new category to the site, “In The Garden.” We have asked three local master gardeners to …read more.