Gardening Tips

The most important thing to remember about these old fashioned garden tips is that in using these ideas you will be kinder and gentler to the environment.

Having trouble with container plants going dry too quickly?
Place a sponge in the bottom of the pot then fill the pot with soil and plant and water. The sponge will absorb the water and hold excess until the plant needs it.

To start a flower bed without digging up the sod:

• lay 12 sheets thick layer of newspaper over sod, cover with 4-6" of topsoil, let set for a few weeks then plant away

Wood ashes from your fireplace added to your garden can:

• improve the flavor of potatoes
• raise the Ph level of your soil
• keep root maggots away from carrots, radishes and onions when placed around them in the garden

To keep rabbits away:

• boil red pepper, crushed garlic and water for several hours, let cool and pour through strainer into a sprayer

To grow moss:

• mix bits of moss buttermilk and water in a blender
• pour beer on area where you would like moss to grow

Get rid of weeds by:

• burning them up with a blow torch
• pouring boiling water on them
• pulling the top of the weed off and pouring vinegar or salt on the roots, if surrounded by pavement

Control black spot by:

• Mix 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 gallon of warm water. Spray on affected plants, but only when not in direct sunlight.

Slugs don`t like to crawl over:

• eggshells (will this attract rodents?)
• pine needles
• copper

Japanese Beetles eating your plants:

• sweep them up into a vacuum sweeper  

 

Improving Soil Structure

• every time you plant dig in a couple shovels of sand and peat moss(there is a concern of depleteing native bog areas. Anyone know where to get coconut fiber?
• every time you till your vegetable garden you are disturbing the good bugs and allowing good soil to be erroded away.
• mulch with straw and allow it to decompose in place

Companion Plantings

• plant marigolds, borage, basil or parsley around tomatoes to improve flavor and deter aphids and beetles
• nasturtums repell aphids
• tansy, rue, feverfew, southernwood and other artemesias, lavender, pyrethrum daisy, chamomile, pennyroyal and other mints can all discourage insects
Please share your garden tips with us.
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