| Author |
Garden Gate:  Let's Share Unusual Gardening Tips!  |
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 05 2016 : 07:03:13 AM
|
Hi girls -
When I first joined MJF, boy was I green with gardening (no pun intended!). Over the years, I've learned so much from all of you, THANK YOU! I've also been picking up new little tips of gardening wisdom as I go that I haven't seen on MJF before - or, at least, I don't remember them. I'm sure you have, too. Let's share here as we go along!
Here are a few I've learned recently:
- Squash bugs are a real pain and can wreak havoc in the garden. I've learned that spraying them with soapy water can do wonders. Add about 1/4 cup of dish liquid to 1 gallon of warm water. Spray the squash bugs really well, the plants and the soil around the plant, then walk away and do something else. The soapy water will kill the bugs, and the ones that survive will come to the top of the plant to try to get away. When you come back, spray the ones that have come to the top again. Do this a couple of times a week and you'll significantly reduce your squash bug problem.
- To remove squash bug eggs from leaves, use packing tape. Just wrap it around your hand, tap it against the eggs, and it will lift them right off the leaf without doing any damage. Crush the tape under foot to kill the eggs, then pitch it in the garbage. This should also help tremendously reduce your squash bug population.
- Cut a few of the larger leaves off of your zucchini plants to help promote air flow which reduces powdery mildew. This also leaves less places for squash bugs leave their eggs.
- Planting flowers among your veggie plants is a great idea to help attract beneficial insects. Be sure to pick flowers with a single ring of petals (cosmos, for example), because those are usually the flowers with the most nectar and pollen. The additional benefit of flowers in your veggie patches is that they just make your garden look more happy, enchanting and alive with color!
- Save your crushed eggshells! Rinse and dry after use, and save them up in a baggie until tomato planting time. When you dig your hole, place a small handful of crushed eggshells in the bottom, then plant and water your tomatoes as usual. This really does work for preventing blossom end rot - those nasty looking black spots on the tomato bottoms. If you do get those spots, though, don't worry. Just cut them away - the rest of the tomato is still good eatin'!
- We all know that pinching suckers off of tomatoes is important. For indeterminate tomatoes only (the ones that grow and grow in height - not the compact, bushy ones), it is also extremely helpful to pinch all the leaves from the ground up to about a foot up the vine. Not only does this send most of the nutrients to the rest of the plant to help tomato growth, this also helps air flow and helps prevent fungal infection. When it rains, any fungus in the soil springs up and lands on lower tomato leaves. If you remove the leaves, the fungus doesn't really have anywhere to go, so it cannot take over the plant. You can spray the stem and the rest of the plant easily with homemade fungicide of 1 gallon of water mixed with 1 tablespoon baking soda. I have also seen where people add a tablespoon of oil to that mixture to help make the mixture "stick."
- Did you know that tobacco plants are great for attracting nasty bugs and insects like mosquitoes, aphids, gnats, spider mites, etc.? The tobacco leaves are very sticky on their tops and bottoms. The "nasties" are attracted to the plant, and then die when they get stuck, kind of like a venus fly trap! How cool is that?!
That's it for now!
So... what other cool things do you know or do that might not be common garden knowledge? Do share!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
|
|
nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
3004 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
3004 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2016 : 7:31:55 PM
|
I have not tried it, but I was told that if rabbits are eating your lettuce you should "plant" a glass pop bottle upside down next to the lettuce and the rabbits will stay out.
~Heather
Farmgirl Sister #4701
September 2014 Farmgirl of the Month
http://nndairy.blogspot.com/
"The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment" - Yogi teabag
|
 |
|
|
gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2016 : 7:56:24 PM
|
I need to know if anyone has any remedies for mice eating the seeds I plant. I planted 40 feet by 6 feet of corn I have exactly 6 corn-stocks. They dig it up and I can't keep up with them.I can't think of any netting/fence that could keep them out and I really don't want to use poison in the garden. I have a plastic owl and put some sachets that I bought that were suppose to drive them away.Anything I could plant around the corn area that they would not like.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
|
|
|
ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13573 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13573 Posts |
|
|
churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3919 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3919 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2016 : 06:20:37 AM
|
To nourish my garden and clean the bugs out, I pour my dish water over parts of the garden. I mark the last row I "dishwatered" with a stone so I know where to put the next batch. When I have finished hand washing my dishes, I bail the sink out into a pail, carry it out and splash the water across the plants and soil. The oils and food bits provide nourishment for the soil and the soap is a pesticide. Ladies in England have been doing this for their kitchen gardens for a long time.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
|
|
|
rachelbee
True Blue Farmgirl
207 Posts
Rachel
Carmel
IN
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2016 : 07:01:53 AM
|
Thank you for the squash bug tips! I looked it up and it seems that the eggs I found last night are squash bug eggs- now I know what to do about them!
___________________
Rachel, #6992 |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2016 : 08:49:33 AM
|
Heather, I have never heard of that before! I am going to have to look into it - I wonder why that detracts them? Probably because they see their reflection in the glass and it frightens them? So interesting! Thanks for sharing!!!
Diana, my first reaction was to tell you to get a cat! LOL! I'm allergic to cats, myself, so that wouldn't work for me (I don't shy away from strays who like to visit the yard on occasion, though!). We ended up having to use mouse traps... And a rat trap... Last summer we caught a couple of each. This summer, the mice were coming out of their nests to check out what we were doing right while we were planting! Eeeewwwww!!! We resorted to snap traps again. So far, so good. The one thing I have read, but never tried, was to use peppermint oil on cotton balls all throughout your corn, OR to make a spray out of water and peppermint oil and spray it all over your plants (no harm). The mice really don't like the smell, so they will stay away. I've also heard of using plastic snakes, which not only scare the mice away, they keep the birds from your delicious golden kernels as well. And I read last night that you can visit your local pet store and ask them to give you snake poo which can then be placed around your corn patch. It dries quickly, but apparently still packs a nasal punch that will keep the mice away. The mice are apparently have a very keen sense of smell, and when they smell the poo, they scram. Hope some of this helps you!
LOL! CJ! That is AWESOME!!! My aunt (the elder farmgal in the family) used to tell me to save our own hair when I cut it, then spread it around the perimeter of the garden/yard (we have a small yard) to keep critters away! I had never thought to try using our Pawlee's fur when she was alive! GREAT idea!!! (Wonder if that will be enough to convince my hubby it's time to get another dog! Hmmmmm....) Thank you!!!
Marie! How cool! I did know about nourishing the soil with your dish water, but I never realized the soap would be a type of pesticide! WOW! Thank you!
You're welcome, Rachel! I HATE SQUASH BUGS! They found my organic garden a few years back, and have been the bane of my existence ever since! I am vigilant when it comes to killing them and their eggs! Just make sure you get all the eggs and squish the beegeebies out of them. I missed some that first summer and threw them in the garbage can outside. They hatched! Eeeewww!!! This summer we've had unusually cool weather. I found a couple on the tops of my sunflowers (they LOVE sunflowers as well as squash!), and when I went to pinch them, they FLEW AWAY!!! I've never seen one fly before! Needless to say, my neighbor wore his coffee that morning... I screamed like a banshee! LOL! (Ahem. I'm not very good with bugs.) Good luck!
Thanks for keeping all these tips and ideas coming! I love it!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 06 2016 08:50:07 AM |
|
|
|
MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6726 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6726 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2016 : 10:31:13 AM
|
I don't have any tips for gardening as this is my first year with a garden but your tips are going to benefit me greatly! Thank you for sharing! This helps the newbies!
Krista |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2016 : 7:03:21 PM
|
You are SO welcome, Krista! We can never get enough information about gardening! I saw your peppers in your other post! BEAUTIFUL! I don't know if you know this, but sprinkling epsom salts - just plain, old epsom salts (unscented) - on and around your pepper plants before watering (or, as is my favorite time, before it rains), your plants will suddenly start having abundant flowers! I did this last weekend, and by Friday my pepper plants were loaded with flowers! I am SO excited for the peppers to come in!!! :)
Boron is very important for growing big, healthy beets. To encourage growth and prevent boron deficiency, sprinkle borax on the soil around them just before watering (or, again, before a good rain).
Carrots need potassium to grow. Incorporating wood ash into your soil before planting will help them to grow strong and sweet.
If you have mint growing in your yard, cut some stems and lay it around your broccoli plants, cabbages, etc. Mint deters white cabbage moths, flea beetles, ants, and aphids, as well as rodents. You don't want to actually plant the mint in your garden because it is extremely invasive. Simply laying it around the plant it works as a repellent, and then will decompose to add nutrients to your soil.
Planting a few radish seeds in with your zucchini or other squash, as well as with your cucumbers, will help deter squash bugs and cucumber beetles.
You've most likely heard of the "three sisters" method of planting corn, beans and squash together. This year I tried something similar. I planted peas in the middle of my turnip patch, and then sprinkled lettuce seeds all around. The peas grew up a tomato cage "trellis" (until the birds found them!), the lettuce served as a type of 'pick and come back again' ground cover (no weeding), protecting the turnips which have absolutely been thriving! Looks pretty, too!
Hope some of these suggestions help!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 12 2016 09:19:13 AM |
|
|
|
ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Carole
New York
USA
899 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2016 : 07:23:09 AM
|
Nini, great post! Thank you so much for sharing your gardening wisdom. And thank you to the rest of you for adding more! What a great post!
We did have a Squash bug problem last year. Yew... they are disgusting. I'll definitely try your tip if we have any this year. We did more the zucchini to a different area.
Carole
Farmgirl Sister 3610 - Nov 7/2011
http://www.carolesquiltingetc.com
http://www.fibrejunction.com |
|
|
|
rachelbee
True Blue Farmgirl
207 Posts
Rachel
Carmel
IN
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2016 : 07:28:17 AM
|
Ok I think I used the wrong soap or made it too concentrated because in addition to my squash bugs dying, my leaves look horrible now :( but the bugs are gone and the squash still looks good! Is it best to use a particular brand of dish soap?
___________________
Rachel, #6992 |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2016 : 08:45:56 AM
|
Thank YOU, Carole! I'm glad you're finding some of this helpful! I am far from garden-wise, though - just learning as I go! Thank GOD for our farmgirl sisters who have guided me along the way, too! Hopefully we will learn more interesting techniques and tips here as time goes on! :)
Rachel - I've been there - SO upsetting! I'm so sorry that happened! I bet your plants will be okay when you start to see new leaf growth. Hang tight!
I didn't think to mentioned this until I read Rachel's post - I apologize... I only recently learned myself that the time of day when you spray is really important. I always managed to burn my plants' leaves in the past because I sprayed (milk, baking soda, etc.) at any old time of day. Spraying between 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (my time), you can actually burn your leaves because the direct sun will "cook" your spray onto the plants. They say - and I've found - if you spray super early in the morning before the sun gets hot, or early in the evening as the sun is going down, you should have much better success. When things cool down in the evening, the spray won't damage anything other than what you're targeting. By morning, you should be fine. The only thing for me is, I am seeing a LOT more squash bug activity when the sun is up. I think they love the heat, the little buggers. I try to kill them by hand (eek - so gross - gives me the willies) at that time of day, and then remove the eggs with the packing tape. My spraying is limited to the early evening simply because I'm too afraid of burning my plants again.
As far as the brand, I don't think it matters. They all do the same thing. BUT a guy at the store a couple of weeks ago HIGHLY recommended Dawn (it seems to be good for everything!). I use an organic dish soap that I purchase at Costco, and it works just fine.
I've had GREAT of success with food grade diatomaceous earth. It's made up of fossilized microscopic photoplankton, which means it's an all-natural application, and it is full of minerals that really help your plants thrive. HOWEVER, it's not a fun thing for insects at all. Basically, once you spray it (dry) on your plants, as the bug moves along the coated surface the D.E. scrapes its underbelly and shell which causes the bug to dehydrate and die (this can take a few hours in some cases, but it really does work!). You just have to be careful and hit the target areas, because it can also kill beneficials. Just please remember that you absolutely do not want to use diatomaceous earth that is made for your pool - that is something completely different and NOT safe for humans or animals. The food grade stuff can be irritating to the eyes and skin, so you want to protect yourself when you apply it and be sure to wash any exposed areas (hair, skin) after applying to avoid irritation. If you'd like to learn more, this is where I buy mine: http://www.earthworkshealth.com/products.php?gclid=CP6g8LWi7s0CFVhahgod61kDvw They have LOTS of information on their site, so please do check it out!
Hope this helps a little!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 12 2016 08:49:15 AM |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2016 : 09:18:39 AM
|
Carole - I meant to tell you.... WATCH THOSE PLANTS! Squash bugs fly! And they are SMART! They will find your plants!
Another tip I forgot to share is that nasturtiums are great to companion plant with your squash. Their leaves are slightly similar looking, and they flower much sooner than your squash do. Squash bugs will see their flowers and will go elsewhere looking for squash plants. I always plant them in a circle around my pumpkins and it really helps. I have read that nasturtiums attract aphids, but I have never had that problem. I have also read that they draw squash bugs, so you want to plant them away from your squash plants, but that has not been my experience, either. I had read that squash bugs avoid red flowers (I can't remember why...), so I plant red and orange nasturtiums like King Theodore and Empress of India from Baker's Creek.
Another thing I've learned is that squash bugs LOVE sunflowers. At first, that made me hesitate ever growing them again, because the last thing I want to do is draw them in only to have them find my squash and go to town. Having said that, however, I still plant them among my vegetables. For one, they're just pretty and cheerful and make me smile. For two, the birds love the seeds, and while they visit to snack on the flowers, they also swoop down and eat pests like cabbage worms and other tasty bugs (I've heard they will eat squash bugs, too, so - BONUS!!). For three, the squash bugs do come in to land on the sunflowers long before the squash plants thrive and attract them, so this gives me an opportunity to catch them before they can get to my squash plants. Fourth reason is that they provide protection from the wind and heavy rains, as well as cool shade for my plants when the hot sun is beating down. Fifth reason is that their roots are strong and help break up compacted soil. And finally, the birds will drop the seeds throughout my garden, anyway... I love when they just pop up out of the blue! Volunteer plants can be so exciting! Now, if I can only find a place to grow the black seeded sunflowers abundantly enough to extract homemade sunflower oil! All in due time... ;)
There is a lot to be said about planting flowers and herbs among your vegetable beds. Not only do they look attractive, they attract good bugs and repel bad bugs, and some can really help your soil or protect your vegetables. If you have time, please do read up about companion planting. It has made all the difference to my garden!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 12 2016 09:21:15 AM |
|
|
|
rachelbee
True Blue Farmgirl
207 Posts
Rachel
Carmel
IN
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2016 : 11:13:39 AM
|
Thanks Nini!
I'm betting I just scorched the leaves, on the plus side the bugs are gone :)
___________________
Rachel, #6992 |
|
|
|
Lady in Pearls
True Blue Farmgirl
105 Posts
Ashley
Texas
USA
105 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2016 : 1:14:32 PM
|
What a great topic! I'm still a "green" Gardner, so I'll definitely try these tips!
One thing I've started to do to help with watering is to slice a few small holes ion the bottom of old, clean milk jugs. I fill them up in the morning and set them near, under, around my fruits and veggies that require more even watering. This has been nice, since my multiple gardens are inconvenient for soaker hoses. No cracked tomatoes for me! Haha! They also help keep perennial plants alive during serious heat (like my Texas 100+ July and August).
“If more of us valued good food and cheer above hoards of gold, it would be a merrier world." - Tolkien
http://myfrenchreligion.blogspot.com/ |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2016 : 08:23:21 AM
|
Good morning, girls!
Ashley - that is such a GREAT idea! They say it's really important to water at the roots, too, in order to avoid problems like powdery mildew and fungus issues. I bet you're attacking a multitude of problems with your watering jugs. I'm going to have to ask some friends to start saving their jugs for me! THANK YOU for the great idea!
Okay, so I learned something pretty neat this past week that I thought I would share. You know how the fertilizer bags and boxes in the store always have those three digit numbers (like Jobe's Organic Vegetable Fertilizer's 2 - 7 - 4) on them? Well, I always knew that those number indicated the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer, but I never really understood why all the fertilizers for the same types of plants had different levels. I also knew that each of the elements had different purposes for the different plants themselves (i.e. potatoes require different nutrients than watermelons or broccoli or beets or tomatoes), but I really still didn't understand why the different fertilizers for say, vegetables, would have different levels of each. That just didn't make sense to me. Was it simply because one brand is better than the other?
Well...Here's what I found out:
Nitrogen (N) is for plant growth. You need more of it when starting your plants, and then a continued feeding of it, but not quite so much, once the plant is established. Once your plants take root and start growing, nitrogen will help your plants stay healthy and lush. It's just important to remember you need more nitrogen for a good healthy start.
Phosphorus (P) is necessary for flowering and fruit production.
Potassium (K) is important for root health and disease resistance.
SO...
When you are starting your garden, you'll need a fertilizer that is higher in nitrogen. Through the growing season, phosphorus is more important. Potassium is important right through the entire season.
Aha! So THIS is why all those bags of fertilizer that claim they're specifically for veggies can have different combinations of N-P-K levels! In the beginning of the season, when you're planting, you'll probably want to use a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen count. For example (and I've never used this, and am NOT endorsing any one product, believe me) Urban Farmer's All-Purpose Vegetable Fertilizer has a 4.5-2.5-6.0 NPK. It would help with initial plantings and roots because it has higher levels of nitrogen and potassium, but since flowering and fruiting aren't important in the beginning, you don't need a higher level of potassium. Then, later in the season when your plants are well established, a fertilizer such as Dr. Earth's 1012 Homegrown Tomato, Vegetable and Herb Fertilizer would make more sense for your veggies. It has an NPK of 4-6-2, which means it would still have plenty of nitrogen for lush, healthy plants, but it has more phosphorus which your plants will need for flowering and fruiting. Since at this point in the season root health is important, you still want potassium in the fertilizer for your plants to stay healthy; but root growth isn't as important now as it was in the beginning. Make sense?
Ideally, I would prefer to use all-natural soil amendments like compost, manure, compost tea, etc. But I have a very small, postage-stamp sized lot and garden, and we're not allowed to have any livestock - not even chickens and rabbits - where we live. Obtaining manure isn't too, too difficult because we are surrounded by farms and other townships where people raise animals and are happy to sell you their poo. But I still do sometimes resort to store bought organic fertilizers and other amendments (like straw for mulch that decomposes and enriches the soil). There is a whole host of information out there about the benefits of compost, manure, etc., and the levels of NPK in each, as well as how they break down and enrich the soil short-and long term (i.e. manure has both quick and slow nitrogen release components), and what plants require more of which type of amendment. I strongly urge you to read up on it, if you have time. The stuff is amazing. But there is also a downside to using natural amendments if you've purchased them instead of creating them for yourself. How were the organic materials incorporated into the compost grown? What were the animals fed, or what types of drugs were used in raising them? Questions like this are really important when you're trying to maintain an organic environment in your garden, especially if you're doing it for your own family's health reasons. These same questions go unanswered when you're buying store bought fertilizers. You just have to do the best you can do.
We maintain a small bin of organic compost, and I'm very careful about what goes in. We also have used well rotted manure in the past, but there are a whole host of issues with using manure in the garden. We had an amazing garden the year we used several-year-old well rotted pig manure from a friend. We know him well and how he raises his pigs, so the organic aspect of the manure wasn't a question. However, later we learned that you can still get sick when using well-rotted pig manure in the garden. Further, we were advised by a local nursery/farmer that you never want to use pig manure consistently for years in a row because it is so naturally high in sodium content that it can actually end up harming or even neutralizing your soil. Needless to say, I'm learning as I go, just like all of you! :) Trust me, we're all in this together!
There is just so much to take in and consider when building up your garden soil. Sometimes it absolutely boggles the mind - LOL! I've been overwhelmed by all of this at times, to be sure. I do think, however, that the whole NPK level thing is extremely interesting and that this information really can help us make the right decisions when amending our gardens throughout the seasons. For me, it was like a light was turned on! I hope it's helpful information for you, too!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 16 2016 08:28:56 AM |
|
|
| |
Garden Gate: Let's Share Unusual Gardening Tips! |
|
|
|
Let's Share Unusual Gardening Tips!
