Grist | Topics | 20 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 20 of 20
Headline	Author	Published	Section
Super Pupa On tent caterpillars	Umbra Fisk	19 May 2008	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, In beautiful Virginia, this is the time of year that the caterpillars start making their "tents" in branches of shrubbery and trees in our yards. Conventional wisdom has been to destroy them, as they will surely eat the leaves inside the tent, causing some damage to the infected tree/shrub. So I have two questions: First, are these "tent worms" (which are really caterpillars) a stage of a butterfly or a mot ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, wildlife (all these topics)

Soiled Again On lead and gardens	Umbra Fisk	05 May 2008	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, In your reply to the question about pollution and rooftop gardening, you talked a fair amount about lead pollution. Since gasoline is no longer leaded, and since it's container gardening that wouldn't have any lead paint in it, and surely nobody has lead water pipes any more, why is lead even a concern? Teresa Brenham, Tex. Dearest Teresa, Our ecological history hangs around our necks like a lead weight. Still heavy after al ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, health, toxics (all these topics)

Sup on a Roof On rooftop gardening	Umbra Fisk	16 Apr 2008	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Growing your own vegetables is supposed to be healthy and good for the environment, but I live on a heavily trafficked avenue in Manhattan and my plants stay on my roof. Should I be worried that dirt from car and truck exhaust is contaminating my buckets of soil? Could I be poisoning myself? Should I get my soil (a mix of bagged potting soil, bagged peat moss, compost I got from the city, and perlite) tested, and if so, whe ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living (all these topics)

Lady, Bugged On fighting pests with pests	Umbra Fisk	16 May 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I have a pest problem in my backyard -- specifically, some tiny (but apparently hungry) insect is making lace out of my basil leaves. I do not want to use pesticides for many reasons, not the least of which is that I cook with the herbs I grow. I think I have found a "natural" solution, but I wanted to consult you first. My garden-supply store sells praying-mantis egg cases ("The natural pest control s ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, food, gardening, green living, toxics (all these topics)

The Hose Knows On watering the yard	Umbra Fisk	30 Apr 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Thanks for your good advice about water conservation. You failed to mention the largest (unnecessary) water user in most U.S. homes: outdoor plant watering. While Grist readers may be eco-wise enough not to water their plants, nor even entertain the possibility of managing a green lawn, there may still be a few closet waterers out there. The solution: choose the right plant for the right location; water the plant to get it ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening (all these topics)

Weed 'Em and Reap On composting weeds	Umbra Fisk	17 May 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I've been weeding the garden and yard, and got to thinking about some of the more invasive plants. I've heard that not everything goes in the compost pile, but what weeds can I toss in? I'm fairly new to the composting game, so any advice is much appreciated. Danielle Walker Monroe, Ore. Dearest Danielle, Composting is the original and highest form of recycling. People frequently write in to ask what can go into their ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living (all these topics)

Litter Bugged On kitty litter	Umbra Fisk	26 Sep 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I recently adopted a cat, and I am having a hard time deciding what to do with the kitty litter. Is there some kind of green litter that is best to use? Anything flushable and sewage-tank friendly? Or, can I compost the litter -- and what should I use to cover it up with? Kate Graves Nashville, Tenn. Dearest Kate, Just as our eco-children can be diaper-free, it appears our cats can be litter-free. Teach your cat to use the toil ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, waste (all these topics)

The Ol' Razzle-Nozzle On garden hoses	Umbra Fisk	29 Aug 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I'm diligently avoiding PVC plastics, but cannot find a good quality non-PVC garden hose. We have particularly high water pressure, so we need a hose that can withstand the pressure. I only need to water the veggie garden a couple of times a week in summer, but it's not quite feasible to do it with a watering can. To further complicate matters for you, we live in New Zealand, though we are willing to try importing a non- ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, New Zealand (all these topics)

Gray Water's Anatomy On channeling gray water to the garden	Umbra Fisk	04 May 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, As part of my water-conservation strategy, I'd like to reuse the rinse water from my laundry machine to water the native plants, many of them edible, in my yard. I've heard concerns about the soap (biodegradable) damaging the plants. There are also potentially some regulatory hurdles involved. Can you shed some light on this? Thanks, Wendy Gray All the Way Seattle, Wash. Dearest Gray All the Way, ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living (all these topics)

This Mortal Soil On mulch	Umbra Fisk	02 May 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Spring is upon us and the season for spreading shredded bits of trees around our landscaping is here. How does Umbra feel about the utility of mulching, and what is the environmental impact of mulch production? Omar Ellicott City, Md. Dearest Omar, Umbra feels excited about spring, I'll tell you that much. Umbra is jumping up and down with glee, sometimes on top of slugs. Umbra is very pro-mulch, and very happy to choose mulch ques ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening (all these topics)

Every Worm Is Sacred On composting	Umbra Fisk	06 Jan 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Can you tell me what is the best and most effective composter for a small urban backyard? Joe Baltimore, Md. Dearest Joe, Sort of. It's ultimately a very personal choice, and one that depends on what you will try to compost and the amount of time you are willing to spend helping the compost along. You may be familiar with the concepts of "aerobic" and "anaerobic" decomposition. Aerobic is better, and co ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, food and agriculture, gardening (all these topics)

Heavy Metal Garden On composting paper	Umbra Fisk	12 Feb 2004	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Two questions: Does the colored ink in newspapers still contain chemicals bad for a compost pile? Also, what about the colored ink printed on cardboard boxes? I want to have a safe compost pile to use in a garden. Anonymous Dearest Mysterious Reader, Some readers may find gardening questions in February a bit jarring. By choosing to answer this one, I'm taunting those of you who don't live in the Pacific Northwest. True ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, toxics (all these topics)

Salad Daze On Roundup	Umbra Fisk	18 Aug 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I have a large, organic (hopefully) vegetable garden. However, I occasionally use Roundup around the edges to keep invasive grasses from creeping in. Now, I have been given to understand that Roundup is relatively safe and breaks down almost immediately. What are your thoughts on this subject? I totally trust your judgment. Betsy Michigan Dearest Betsy, Roundup is relatively safe -- it's not as bad as, say, depleted uranium -- but that ...
Topics: advice, agriculture, Ask Umbra, food, gardening, GMOs, health, organic food, toxics (all these topics)

Rat Combat On keeping compost rat-free	Umbra Fisk	30 Apr 2003	Ask Umbra
Hi Umbra, I live in Providence, R.I., and I have a basic composting bin; it's about three feet tall, made of black plastic with ventilation shafts on all four sides and on top, but it has no bottom. I want to set this up in my tiny side yard for my neighbors and me to use. However, we have a big rat problem here and I am afraid all this delicious, rotting food will attract them. Is there any way to keep a rat-free compost bin in a ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, wildlife (all these topics)

Mulch It Over On making mulch from paper	Umbra Fisk	14 Nov 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I know this is a silly question, probably the strangest you've ever gotten, but I'm curious. Where I live, there isn't a place nearby to recycle paper. I reuse most of my paper as scratch paper and have attempted to make my own paper using a blender and a screen. The problem is, making my own paper isn't worthwhile, and I can't possibly use that much scratch paper. Besides, what do I do with the paper after I have use ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living (all these topics)

Cushion the Grow On cushion planters	Umbra Fisk	14 Nov 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I have been cutting out old cushions, filling them with dirt, and planting them for some years now. I found the first two floating in the river (while canoeing). Since then, I've gotten them from the trash; I don't pay anything for them. I use them to grow everything from herbs to prairie plants to succulents to water plants. I have even used cut-up, leftover cushions in bog gardens (in the bottom part along with newspape ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, toxics (all these topics)

For Whom the Roto Tills On killing your lawn	Umbra Fisk	19 Sep 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I just moved into a house with a large backyard. I would like to xeriscape 90 percent of it, but I must first learn how to kill and remove the grass. I'm not a fan of chemicals and would like to find an alternate solution. Most of the yard is very, very brown these days due to the drought. Will a rototiller do the job? Frank Dearest Frank, For befuddled readers, a xeriscape is a water-saving garden, usually instal ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, placemaking (all these topics)

Deft Pallet On wooden pallets	Umbra Fisk	06 Sep 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I've scrounged some old wooden shipping pallets for garden projects -- compost piles and raised planting boxes. They appear to be untreated wood, but I'm feeling paranoid. Is there any way to know? Do companies that make pallets routinely spray them with any preservatives? Thanks, Jim Dearest Jim, Great nations consider your humble garden pallets to be of vital economic importance. As world trade expands, the global market ofte ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, toxics (all these topics)

Weed Creed On weeding	Umbra Fisk	30 Jul 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, We moved into a suburban neighborhood in Ft. Collins, Colo., last year and I began my usual organic gardening practices. I created a beautiful flower garden in our front yard, but I still receive complaints from my neighbors because I refuse to apply herbicides to kill the dandelions and other weeds in the lawn. At least they are all green and neatly mowed! My scientific explanations about the dangers of herbicides and pesticides and th ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, education, gardening, green living, toxics (all these topics)

A New Day Lawning On lawn and garden pesticides	Umbra Fisk	30 Jul 2002	Ask Umbra
Dearest Umbra, Goddess of Green Knowledge, A few years ago, a farmer friend of mine argued that more pesticides and chemical fertilizers are applied to suburban lawns and gardens than are used in commercial agriculture. I can see how this might be the case, given the massive size of the lawn and garden chemical industry, but I haven't been able to verify this information. Can you help? Ed Hunt Dearest Ed, Supplicant, The l ...
Topics: advice, agriculture, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, health, toxics (all these topics)

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