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Ben Barkan
Garden & Landscape Designer
Education
- Associate Degree in Sustainable Food and Farming, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Professional Achievements
- He has over 15 years experience leading HomeHarvest LLC
Certifications & Organizations
- General Contractor's License
- Permaculture Design Certificate
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Forum Comments (1)
While mushrooms play a vital role in soil health, some can pose a risk to pets. A mindful balance—respecting their ecological function while ensuring a pet-safe yard—is the best approach. If removal is necessary, do so selectively, rather than trying to eradicate all fungi, which are a natural part of the ecosystem.
If a large number of mushrooms suddenly appear in a yard overnight, it's typically a sign of healthy soil conditions and recent environmental changes that favor fungal growth, such as cooler temperatures combined with rain.
Q&A Comments (50)
Co-authored Articles (589)
How to
Care for Peace Lilies
Peace lilies are one of the most popular varieties of houseplants. They're easy to maintain, and they can make a lovely addition to your home. By properly caring for your peace lilies, you'll have beautiful houseplants f...
How to Kill Weeds with Vinegar + How Long It Takes to Work
Make your own DIY herbicide with expert tips & household itemsIf you want a natural alternative for getting rid of weeds in your yard or garden, vinegar is the perfect option. The acids in vinegar kill whatever part of t...
How to Replace Your Weed Eater String
Straightforward steps on restringing your weed wackerIf your weed wacker keeps getting caught on thick overgrowth or the string on your trimmer keeps getting tangled up, it may be time to replace the wire. This is typica...
A Guide to Spider Plant Propagation: 4 Easy Options
Root spider plant babies in soil, water, & moreSpider plants, also known as airplane plants and spider ivy, are beautiful houseplants that have long, grass-like leaves. After a spider plant flowers, baby spider plants ap...
How to Kill a Tree with or without Chemicals
Fast and easy ways to remove a problematic tree Trees are great as long as they aren’t in the way, but they can become a nuisance if they’re at risk of damaging your property. While you can always pay a professional ...
How to
Build a Lean to Shed
A lean to shed is a great structure to keep in your backyard and fill with gardening supplies, landscaping tools, or whatever else you need to store. You can build a lean to shed relatively inexpensively with materials p...
How to
Prune Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a climbing, flowering vine or shrub native to Brazil. This tropical perennial gained its nickname, "paper flower," for its delicate bracts that come in a variety of colors, including purple, red and oran...
How and When to Apply Weed & Feed to Your Lawn
What you need to know about preparation, application, and aftercare Got a lackluster lawn with wild and wicked weeds? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Weed and feed products can be a helpful tool for eradicating ...
What Plant Am I Quiz
There’s no doubt about it: plants are a beautiful (and super important) part of the natural world. Just imagine you could spread your branches (or petals) and live as a plant for a day: which one would you be? To help...
How to
Prune Dracaena
There are over 40 types of dracaena species, and you can easily prune all of them with a pair of garden shears and a few snips! While pruning is not required, it is fun and gives you control over the shape of the plant. ...
When and How to Prune an Olive Tree: Your Questions, Answered
A guide to pruning and shaping olive trees Olive trees make for fantastic additions to orchards and gardens. But you’ll need to prune them if you want to keep them healthy. This guide will teach how to do this, step by...
How to
Straighten a Tree
Trees usually grow straight up just fine on their own, but sometimes you’ll have that one tree in your yard that’s growing crooked because of high winds or storm damage. Luckily, you can straighten out a crooked tree...
How to
Level Dirt
Leveling is the first step in many lawn-improvement projects, such as building a deck, paving a patio, or putting in a vegetable garden. “Level” isn’t the same thing as “flat,” however, which is why it’s impo...
6 Ways to Make a DIY, Natural Rooting Hormone
Effective, safe rooting tonics for healthy growth and propagation If you’re worried about the synthetic chemicals in commercial rooting hormones or just want to take your green thumb to the next level and make your own...
How to
Prune a Schefflera Plant
Schefflera, or Umbrella plants, are common houseplants that are easy to grow because they can thrive in artificial or moderately bright light conditions and are susceptible to few pests. However, they may require pruning...
How to
Prune a Crepe Myrtle
How to prune a crepe myrtle to keep it healthy and strongCrepe myrtles are shrubs or small trees that produce large flowers in the summer. They are distinguished by their multiple trunks and mottled, peeling bark. They p...
How to
Prune Forsythia
Forsythias are large bushes with bright yellow flowers that bloom in the early springtime. When pruning, aim to give each stem lots of room as it grows. If you want your plant to grow as many flowers as possible, prune i...
How to
Identify Sweetgrass
Sweetgrass, botanically known known as Hierochloe odorata or Anthoxanthum, is a tall, flowering grass that grows near wetlands and rivers across the United States and Canada. This plant has played a significant role in N...
How to Make Your Lucky Bamboo Houseplant Thrive
A guide to growing your lucky bamboo indoors in soil or in standing waterCaring for a lucky bamboo plant is a relaxing pastime that's great for reducing stress. This houseplant is simple to take care of, and it's believe...
How to
Prune a Magnolia Tree
Magnolias are beautiful but dense trees that can grow to magnificent heights. It may be tempting to prune back an overgrown magnolia, but generally, magnolias don’t respond well to heavy pruning. In fact, removing too ...
