Regulars (All)

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin - 4/26/12

Horse Hooey in the Garden

Never use horse manure without composting it first

The proliferation of horse farms in southern Maryland has resulted in owners convincing their friends and neighbors that horse manure is great for the garden. After one experience with using horse manure in the garden, you’ll discover that it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. Unlike cow, llama, alpaca, chicken or pig manure, which can be incorporated into the garden as soon as it drops to the ground, horse manure must first be composted. A horse is not as...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin - 4/19/12

Tops and Bottoms

When moving trees and shrubs, if you interfere with one, leave the other alone

When you’re transplanting a tree or shrub, leave the branches alone. Once upon a time, gardening wisdom advised pruning back the branches to compensate for the roots lost when the plant was dug. I have been convinced for some time that this practice had been laid to rest, until I recently heard a garden expert on the radio recommend it to a listener who had called for advice. The science of horticulture has discredited this practice, whether the plant is dug with a...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 4/19/12

A Shower of Stellar Debris

The new moon bodes well for this year’s Lyrid meteor shower

The new moon in the nether hours between Friday and Saturday leaves this weekend’s night skies clear for the annual Lyrid meteor shower, which peaks Saturday-Sunday. While the Lyrids seldom storm like the Perseids and the Geminids, they are reliable stalwarts, with recorded sightings dating back in China more than 2,500 years. The Lyrids, producing long glowing trails that can last several seconds, range between 10 to 20 meteors an hour. Every so often, however, they...

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 4/19/12

Jumping Shad, Singing Reels

You don’t need to keep the fish for the fishing to be fine

The sound of the rushing water was tranquilizing as my cast quartered downstream and settled softly. The small fly touched and disappeared underwater just above the churning white cauldron where I hoped some shad might be frisking. My line immediately snapped tight, and my energy flowed back. I held the line firmly with my hand for just an instant to be sure of a good hook-set. Then the fly line was ripped roughly through my fingers as a graceful silvery rocket shot out of...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin - 4/12/12

Prune Your Roses

And cut out all stems infested by cane borers

Roses need to be pruned yearly to keep the plants strong and healthy. Now is the time to prune summer-flowering roses. Wait to prune spring-flowering roses until after they have flowered. Hybrid T and floribunda roses in the ground five years or less should be pruned to within 12 inches of the graft union. Cultivate Your Asparagus Bed Now is the time to hoe out the weeds and cultivate the soil over the dormant roots of asparagus in your bed. Both chickweed and henbit...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 4/12/12

Join the Globe at Night Count

How many stars can you spot with the lion’s perch?

This next week marks the last of this year’s Globe At Night citizen-science sessions, where ordinary folks like you and me lend an eye observing the night sky. This month’s target is the constellation Leo. Armed with a star chart downloaded from the group’s website, backyard astronomers count how many stars they can spot. You can submit results — from one or more locations — thru the 20th. Collectively, the data mined from the Globe At Night...

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 4/12/12

Back on the Water Again

With the fun of fishing comes responsibility

Since we spend so much time on the Chesapeake, boating anglers have a particularly important responsibility in maintaining habits that promote a cleaner, healthier Bay. The foremost of those is avoiding polluting behavior in the first place. The single most effective action any angler can take is avoiding and discouraging the use of older, two-cycle outboard motors. Fishfinder The dogwood trees have blossomed, and the hickory shad run is red-hot. The Conowingo Dam, Deer...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 4/5/12

Following the Full Moon

While its glow overwhelms some objects, it points to others

Friday’s full moon is commonly called the Grass Moon and the Egg Moon. As the first full moon following vernal equinox, this is also the Paschal Moon, used to pinpoint the dates of Passover and Easter. The moon appears full through the weekend, shining pretty much from dusk till dawn. Blue-white Spica twinkles a few degrees away, while golden Saturn is a little farther still. Saturn is at its best this month, revealing its rings to even a modest telescope. Spica is the...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin - 4/5/12

Pruning Hydrangea

You’ve got to know who’s who before the how-to

Four different species of hydrangea grow in Maryland, and while now is the time to prune them all, each is pruned differently. So you’ve got to know who you’re pruning to know how to prune. Hills-of-snow hydrangea grows entirely from a crown close to the ground. It produces stiff upright stems in the spring, two to four feet tall and, starting in July, large creamy white flowers. This variety can be pruned with a sturdy hedge clipper in the same way you prune...

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 4/5/12

The Big Day Nears

When trophy season for giant rockfish opens, it’s catch and keep them if you can

April 21 is the date some 300,000 anglers have been waiting for since the season closed more than four long months ago. That’s opening day of rockfish trophy season, when giant striped bass — ocean-running beasts some of which were born decades ago in the Chesapeake — return to their natal waters to spawn. Fishfinder Early birds scoping out the trophy season are encountering plenty of big rockfish, many over 40 inches, on both sides of the Bay. It’...