Q: I’ve always wondered what the bright orange thread‑like plant that I’ve seen growing along roadsides and in undeveloped areas is. It’s such an amazing color. What is it?
A: I hope you didn’t bring any home for your garden! The plant you describe is dodder, a parasitic plant that can infest many garden plants, especially ivy.
In case you find it in your garden, the only way to eliminate it is to cut it out before it forms seeds in the fall along with any parts of the infested host. The area should then be treated in the spring with a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent the germination of any seeds that are in the ground.
Q: I purchased a very nice composting drum and I’ve been able to produce quantities of compost for my garden beds. Will these additions of soil amendments eliminate the need for fertilizer?
A: Organic soil amendments are valuable in improving the physical qualities of a soil. They improve water infiltration of a heavy soil and water retention of a light soil, and they make the soil easier to work. However, except for manures, most soil amendments such as compost and decomposed leaves will only increase the soil’s fertility slightly.
The actual fertility level of your compost will depend on the ingredients you used. In fact, the addition of some organic products to your soil, such as uncomposted or under-composted plant materials, wood shavings and sawdust will actually deplete the soil’s nitrogen content.
Consequently, a regular fertilization schedule should be maintained even when soil amendments are used. By observing the performance of your plants as they are growing in the amended soil, you may find that you are able gradually to reduce your dependence on purchased fertilizers, but, unless you are extremely careful in balancing the organics that you add to your compost, I doubt that you will be able to eliminate the use of fertilizer entirely.