The Survival Gardener

by David The Good

Discover Our Latest Posts

Crops, Garden design, Greenhouses, Pineapple, Zone-pushing

Pineapple Cultivation in Britain

Did you know pineapples were once grown commercially in both the Netherlands and Britain? “European pineapple cultivation was pioneered…
Coconuts, Fruit trees

Lethal Yellowing

After much scientific chopping with a machete, I believe this tree was dying from lethal yellowing. There are weevils that…
Nitrogen-fixers, Trees, Tropical gardening, Videos

Deliciously Illegal Tonka Beans

I never heard of tonka beans until last week when a farmer shared some with me. Now I’m amazed by…
Clay, Composting, Soil, Videos

Why You Should Put Clay in Compost Piles

Steve Solomon recommends you add clay to compost piles, especially if you have sandy soils. Putting Clay in Compost Since…
Composting, Garden design

Ways to Keep Your Compost Pile from Losing Nutrients

There are some good tips here: He missed my favorite method, though: build your compost pile where you plan to…
Aminopyralid, Composting

Great News: Vermont Bans Aminopyralids!

It’s a start: “An herbicide that tainted Green Mountain Compost last summer can no longer legally be used on Vermont…
Food Forest, Fruit trees, Garden design, Mango, Plant propagation, Seeds, Soil

Gardening in Shells and Mango Propagation

I’ve got two questions from a reader I’ll answer today today: gardening in shells and mango propagation. Let’s jump in!…
Articles

Quit Throwing Out the Scary Stuff: Compost It Instead!

I had the chance to do a guest post on the always entertaining Garden Rant: “As I emptied buckets of…
Composting, Manure, Mulch

Nitrogen-Rich Mulch with Jagannath K

This is a cool experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGT9NQ_5eNQ I have mulched with half-finished compost, seaweed and even kitchen scraps. Though I often…
Announcements

Freedom Day

Leaving the US took us almost ten years. I had wanted to leave since the George W. Bush administration but…
Fruit trees, Pear

Pear Varieties for the South: What Will Grow?

Back at the beginning of 2014 I posted my survival plant profile on pears, covering pear varieties for the south,…
Composting

Here’s Why You Should Compost Right On Your Garden Beds!

Long-time reader W. R. sends in a composting field report: “It is good to see you all are having fun…