Question: I had a big problem with groundhogs in my vegetable garden this year. It is so disheartening. What can I do, short of shooting them, to keep them out⢠I want to keep gardening, but they're driving me nuts.
Answer: Keeping groundhogs out of the vegetable patch is a battle unlike any other. They are proficient diggers, able climbers, and are particularly good at taking one bite out of every ripe tomato. It's nearly impossible for a garden and a groundhog to coexist. So, if you aren't a hunter, it's important to know that there is an option that actually might work to deter the critters.
After conducting numerous tests, the folks at the Humane Society of America have determined the most reliable fencing solution to protect your garden without harming the hogs. Buy enough 6-foot-high galvanized box wire fencing and 4-foot-high metal stakes to surround your garden. Hammer in a stake every 6 to 8 feet. Fasten the fence to the outside of the stakes so that the lower two feet of fencing makes an L against the ground (the L is formed to the outside of the garden). Use U-shaped landscape pins to hold the outer edge in place. Fasten the fence to the stakes, but leave the top 18 inches loose by not attaching it to the stakes at all.
When the groundhog tries to dig under the fence, it will not be able to burrow through the fence; and, when it tries to climb up, its body weight will cause the top of the fencing to flop down and fold over, knocking the hog off and (hopefully!) keeping him out of the garden.
Q: I want to grow horseradish but I have no idea how to do it. Any suggestions?
A: Horseradish is one of only a handful of perennial vegetable crops. It's very easy to grow and provides quite a pungent reward. Like any other vegetable, the best flavor comes from plants you grow yourself. Here's how: Plant finger-width root pieces in the spring after choosing a sunny location with fertile, well-drained soil. During the course of the growing season, sucker the plant by removing all but one or two of the growing shoots. This forces the plant to form a heftier initial root and fewer side roots. Harvest your horseradish by digging up the roots in late autumn (be sure to save some of the smaller side roots for replanting). Wrap the harvested roots in plastic and store them in the fridge. Peel and grind them as needed.
Horticulturist Jessica Walliser, co-author of the book "Grow Organic," can be heard from 7-8 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio's "The Organic Gardeners." You can also find her teaching at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, where she has been a faculty member for more than 12 years.
