1Before starting seeds, microwave moistened starting mix, roughly 10 minutes per 2 quarts of moistened soil. Or bake in an oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (Do not use potting soil.)
2Starting plants from seeds? Sprinkle ground cinnamon powder on the soil to prevent fungus that causes damping off.
3Cover seedlings with an upside down clear drinking glass or clear plastic cup. It will hold in moisture and protect the plant from cold air.
4Rooting a plant in water?
Adding an aspirin will help with water absorption and root growth
5Sowing seeds outdoors? Sprinkle flavored gelatin over them as you sow. Then cover the seeds as usual and water them. The sugar feeds helpful bacteria in the soil and the gelatin provides nitrogen for the plants
6Don't know what type of soil you have? Try this: Take a handful of moist (not wet) soil from your garden and squeeze it firmly in your hand. Then open your hand and observe what happens. If it holds its shape but crumbles when you give it a light poke, you have loam and will be the envy of other gardeners. If it holds it shape and doesn't respond to being gently poked, you've got clay soil, which is nutrient rich but dense. If it falls apart as soon as you open your hand, you've got sandy soil. Once you know what you're working with you can both improve it if necessary and choose appropriate plants.
7No need to buy a pricey soil testing kit when you can easily do it yourself. Scoop some soil into a container. Add a half cup of vinegar. If the soil bubbles or fizzles, it is alkaline. If there's no reaction, scoop up some more soil into a second container. Add a half cup of water and stir. Then add a half cup of baking soda. If the soil bubbles or fizzles it's acidic. If you want a precise pH measure, contact your local university extension office or watch the newspapers. Nurseries will sometimes run promotions with free soil testing.
8Read your weeds if you want to know your soil's pH. If you've got a lot of dandelions, dock, crabgrass, or plantain your soil is acidic. If ironweed, pennygrass and peppergrass are rampant, your soil is alkaline.
10Do you use a shredder? Add some shredded paper to your compost pile (just avoid glossy printed material)
11Have a pet that sheds? Or perhaps you're a haircutter or know someone who will save a bag of swept up haircuttings for you? Hair is even higher in nitrogen than manure. Add it to your garden or compost pile.
12Composting not moving along fast enough?
Heat it up by adding some comfrey leaves..
13Live near a beach? Gather some seaweed, rinse the salt off with a hose and add it to your compost pile. (Do this in a paved driveway - do not let the run-off into your garden. The salt is not good for it - just the seaweed.)
14No room to make compost or need some in a hurry? Put a variety of food scraps (vegetable peels, apple cores, etc. No meat or dairy products.) in a food processor or blender and process until a consistent liquid. Add an equal amount of water and pour on plants. Cover with a layer of peat moss.
15Do not add winter mulch until after the first frost. Otherwise you may wind up protecting insects by providing them a warm, safe haven.
16Know a micro-brewer?
Used hops are great for mulching.
17Mulch acid-loving
blueberry plants with evergreen branches.
18Newspaper makes great mulch and suppresses weeds but colored ink and glossy sections leach chemicals into the soil. Wanna be sure you aren't doing any harm? Many newspapers sell cheap rolls of unprinted paper.
19Do not use bark nuggets for mulch.
Your plants will be nitrogen-deficient if you do.
20Feed your plants pelletized horse or cattle feed from your local farm supply store. The nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium in the feed
is just what your plants need. Just lightly sprinkle some on the soil around your plants or put some in the bottom of your planting holes and cover with a thin layer of dirt before adding your plant.
21Have access to a pond?
Feed your plants nutrient-rich Algae.
22Use a wood stove or fireplace? Keep the ashes in a metal can and use it as needed to feed evergreen shrubs.
23Cut up banana peels and bury them around your rosebushes
to add potassium and phosphorus to the soil.
24Gone fishing? After you clean your catch, bury the scraps under and around your veggie plants and rosebushes.
25Crushed eggshells, crab shells and oyster shells sprinkled around tomatoes will add calcium to the soil.
26Another way to add calcium to soil:
Use the water from boiled eggs. Let it cool and water calcium hungry plants.
27Use flat club soda to water houseplants.
They'll appreciate the nutrients in it.
28Boiling veggies for dinner?
Don't pour the nutrient rich water down the drain. Let it cool and use it to water potted plants.
29Just about everyone knows that corn, beans and squash are the "three sisters" of the Native Americans and are best planted together. But did you know that morning glories planted with corn and melon will increase their yield?
30Plant basil with tomatoes.
The basil will repel some tomato pests.
31Plant tomatoes with asparagus to keep asparagus beetles at bay.
32Do Not plant peas, beans, or peanuts near garlic, leeks, shallots or onions.
33Avoid planting potatoes near squash and tomatoes.
34Plant garlic and onions among your roses to repel pests.
32Do Not plant peas, beans, or peanuts near garlic, leeks, shallots or onions.
33Avoid planting potatoes near squash and tomatoes.
34Plant garlic and onions among your roses to repel pests.
35Marigolds and Monarda protect cucumbers f f from nematodes and attract pollinating bees.
36Tall, sturdy sunflowers provide good support for beans or cucumber plants.
37Plant radishes with vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower to deter cabbage moths.
38Growing hot peppers with squash plants keeps squash bugs away.
39For plants such as roses and tomatoes that are prone to fungus and viruses: Add a tablespoon of powdered milk to the soil around each plant early in the season to prevent or at least minimize problems.
40
Too late to do that? You can use a spray bottle of spoiled milk diluted with water to spray the infected leaves.
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Too late to do that? You can use a spray bottle of spoiled milk diluted with water to spray the infected leaves.
41Not sure when to prune roses? Take your cue from forsythia. When they start blooming it is time to prune the roses.
42For stronger color roses, sprinkle ½ cup epsom salts around each mature rose bush.
43Sprinkle tea leaves under rose bushes before watering them. Roses will appreciate the tannic acid.
44Want invisible ties to help train your climbing roses? Mint dental floss is strong and will be virtually invisible.
45Roses bothered by disease? Protect them from powdery mildew and blackspot by spraying them with this: 3 tablespoons baking soda per gallon of water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid added.
46Banish blackspot by spraying roses with mixture of baking soda and soybean oil. For each gallon of water, add a tablespoon of the oil and 2 tablespoons of the soda. Spray in the morning once a week or more often if rain washes it off.
47Want more roses on your climbers? You'll get more blooms from a branch that is trained horizontally. Climbers naturally grow vertically, but branches that are horizontal will yield a lot more blooms. Train them horizontally along a fence or weave them across a trellis or arbor in a horizontal fashion as they grow for a lush bloom covered plant. It will take longer to cover a vertical structure this way, but the coverage will be spectacular and not scrawny looking.
42For stronger color roses, sprinkle ½ cup epsom salts around each mature rose bush.
43Sprinkle tea leaves under rose bushes before watering them. Roses will appreciate the tannic acid.
44Want invisible ties to help train your climbing roses? Mint dental floss is strong and will be virtually invisible.
45Roses bothered by disease? Protect them from powdery mildew and blackspot by spraying them with this: 3 tablespoons baking soda per gallon of water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid added.
46Banish blackspot by spraying roses with mixture of baking soda and soybean oil. For each gallon of water, add a tablespoon of the oil and 2 tablespoons of the soda. Spray in the morning once a week or more often if rain washes it off.
47Want more roses on your climbers? You'll get more blooms from a branch that is trained horizontally. Climbers naturally grow vertically, but branches that are horizontal will yield a lot more blooms. Train them horizontally along a fence or weave them across a trellis or arbor in a horizontal fashion as they grow for a lush bloom covered plant. It will take longer to cover a vertical structure this way, but the coverage will be spectacular and not scrawny looking.
48Aphids can be picked off by hand or you can get rid of them with a spray of equal parts of antiseptic mouthwash and water.
49Don't like to pick them off? Wrap a wide strip of tape around your hand, sticky side out, and pat the plants. The aphids will stick to the tape. (Don't forget the undersides of leaves where aphids like to hide.) Remove tape and discard when finished.
50Want to remove aphids from a distance? Brew a strong tea from citrus peels. Cool and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray infested plants. Won't harm your plant but will burn the aphids.
51Ants raise aphids so to get rid of aphids, you have to get rid of ants. Dousing ant hills with white vinegar a few times should do the trick.
52Boric acid also kills ants. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of boric acid and a cup of sugar in 3 cups of hot (almost but not quite boiling) water. Let it cool and soak cotton balls in the liquid and use as bait. It will poison the colony.
53Keep ants away from humingbird feeders by coating the wire or chain holding it with petroleum jelly.
Ants will not cross it.
54Green lacewings and ladybugs eat aphids, spider mites and similar pests. You can buy them as eggs or larvae at garden centers or by mail. If you get adults you'll have to wait since it is the larvae that eat the pests.
49Don't like to pick them off? Wrap a wide strip of tape around your hand, sticky side out, and pat the plants. The aphids will stick to the tape. (Don't forget the undersides of leaves where aphids like to hide.) Remove tape and discard when finished.
50Want to remove aphids from a distance? Brew a strong tea from citrus peels. Cool and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray infested plants. Won't harm your plant but will burn the aphids.
51Ants raise aphids so to get rid of aphids, you have to get rid of ants. Dousing ant hills with white vinegar a few times should do the trick.
52Boric acid also kills ants. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of boric acid and a cup of sugar in 3 cups of hot (almost but not quite boiling) water. Let it cool and soak cotton balls in the liquid and use as bait. It will poison the colony.
53Keep ants away from humingbird feeders by coating the wire or chain holding it with petroleum jelly.
Ants will not cross it.
54Green lacewings and ladybugs eat aphids, spider mites and similar pests. You can buy them as eggs or larvae at garden centers or by mail. If you get adults you'll have to wait since it is the larvae that eat the pests.
55Slugs? They'll drown themselves in beer (see our next tip) or you can repel them with strongly scented plants like lavender and rosemary.
56Parially bury a few tuna cans or small yogurt or margarine tub types of plastic containers so that the top of the container is level with the soil. Fill with beer near dusk. The slugs will be attracted by the beer and drown in it. Empty in the morning and repeat.
57You can also deter slugs by using sand or gravel around the garden. They can't move around without a moist surface.
58Coffee (caffeine) will kill slugs and snails. Spread used grounds around base of plant or saturate with leftover coffee.
59Sprinkle crushed eggshells, crab shells and oyster shells around hostas and other plants slugs love. The sharp shards will deter them.
56Parially bury a few tuna cans or small yogurt or margarine tub types of plastic containers so that the top of the container is level with the soil. Fill with beer near dusk. The slugs will be attracted by the beer and drown in it. Empty in the morning and repeat.
57You can also deter slugs by using sand or gravel around the garden. They can't move around without a moist surface.
58Coffee (caffeine) will kill slugs and snails. Spread used grounds around base of plant or saturate with leftover coffee.
59Sprinkle crushed eggshells, crab shells and oyster shells around hostas and other plants slugs love. The sharp shards will deter them.
60Plant a clove of garlic with each tulip bulb to keep squirrels and other rodents from eating them.
61Soak garlic cloves in a large jar of water. Keep the lid screwed on to contain the odor. The longer you soak them the better. Watering your plants with the garlic infused water will repel pests.
62Pour boiling water on weeds growing in the cracks in cement. It will kill the weeds and any seeds that might be hiding there too.
63Invite toads to your garden with a damp shady spot and a clay pot on its side for shelter. They eat loads of bugs but not plants. Give them a source of water to immerse themselves in too since they drink through their skin.
64Gnats and fruit flies a bother? Cut the top off a soda bottle or use a wide mouthed jar as a trap by filling it with a bit of apple cider vinegar added to water. Place the jar near the infected plant or area where they swarm. The jar will attract and drown them.
65Cutworms destroying your tomato plants? Cut a toilet paper roll in half and press half-way into the soil around each seedling as you plant them. It will serve as a barrier and is biodegradable to boot.
66If your haircutter or dog groomer will save you a bag of swept up hair on occasion, rake some into the top inch or two of your garden beds to keep squirrels and rabbits away
67Rinds from citrus fruit will keep cats away from your garden. They do not like the smell.
68Mice a problem? Do not mulch until after the second frost.
69Wipe mealybugs off plants with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.
68Mice a problem? Do not mulch until after the second frost.
69Wipe mealybugs off plants with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.
70Add a bat house and watch your harmful insect population decrease substantially.
71Want to attract ladybugs to your yard? Plant parsley and tansy.
72Plant lavender to repel ticks.
73Before planting in a terracotta pot, submerge it in water and let it absorb as much as it can or it will soak water away from your plant.
74Line the bottom of a flower pot with a coffee filter and the soil won't spill out when you water the plant.
75Age that terracotta flower pot by "painting" the outside with yogurt, which will attract lichen and mosses.
76Have potted plants that are difficult to keep from drying out in the hot weather? Freeze water in small plastic bottles and turn the bottle upside down in the pots for a steady drip..
74Line the bottom of a flower pot with a coffee filter and the soil won't spill out when you water the plant.
75Age that terracotta flower pot by "painting" the outside with yogurt, which will attract lichen and mosses.
76Have potted plants that are difficult to keep from drying out in the hot weather? Freeze water in small plastic bottles and turn the bottle upside down in the pots for a steady drip..
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77If you are planting a large pot, fill the bottom with recycled foam chips or pieces of styrofoam before adding soil. You'll need less to fill it and the pot will be lighter and easier to move.
78Rusty tools? Soak overnight in apple cider vinegar. Wipe off residue with a cloth.
79If you're putting your gardening tools away for the winter, coat them with petroleum jelly to prevent rust.
80Spray your lawnmower blades with non-stick cooking spray before mowing and grass won't stick to the blades
81Storing sharp tools? Cut a piece of old garden hose the length of the blade and slice along the seam. Place over blade.
82Don't discard an old garden hose. Cut it into pieces and scatter around your garden under plants. Rodents and some birds will think they are snakes and avoid the area.(Got kids? See Bonus Tip Below)
79If you're putting your gardening tools away for the winter, coat them with petroleum jelly to prevent rust.
80Spray your lawnmower blades with non-stick cooking spray before mowing and grass won't stick to the blades
81Storing sharp tools? Cut a piece of old garden hose the length of the blade and slice along the seam. Place over blade.
82Don't discard an old garden hose. Cut it into pieces and scatter around your garden under plants. Rodents and some birds will think they are snakes and avoid the area.(Got kids? See Bonus Tip Below)
83Keep heavy squash and melons from rotting on the ground as they ripen by placing a heavy flat stone under them.
84Cut flowers for arrangements in the morning when they are most full of moisture.
85Prune plants by cutting on an angle. The slanted cut prevents diseases.
86Do not put the same type of plant in the same spot every year. Rotating them is good for the soil and the plants.
87If the bottom leaves of your tomato plants are yellow between the veins, add iron to your soil.
88Want your tulips to stand up straight in your vase? Drop a few copper coins in the vase.
84Cut flowers for arrangements in the morning when they are most full of moisture.
85Prune plants by cutting on an angle. The slanted cut prevents diseases.
86Do not put the same type of plant in the same spot every year. Rotating them is good for the soil and the plants.
87If the bottom leaves of your tomato plants are yellow between the veins, add iron to your soil.
88Want your tulips to stand up straight in your vase? Drop a few copper coins in the vase.
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89To keep plants healthy, clean your pruning shears with a solution of one part bleach per ten parts water before moving on to the next plant.
90Learn to "listen" to your plants and they will tell you what they need. For example, if your tomatoes are rotting from the bottom before you can harvest them, the plants need calcium. A few crushed tums dissolved in water used to water the plants will give the plant a calcium boost.
91Easy way to add iron - Soak a few old rusy nails in a coffee can or jar of water for a day or two. Remove the nails and water your plant with the water they soaked in.
92After bulbs bloom cut and remove the flower stalk but allow the leaves to yellow as they provide nutrients for the bulb for next year's flowers.
93Plant items closer than suggested. You can reduce the recommended distance by 25% (or more in some cases) for a lusher looking garden and to keep the soil covered, and roots cool while reducing the need for mulch.
94Some plants and herbs can take over your garden. If you can't resist potentially invasive plants, contain them by planting them first in flower pots and then planting the potted plant or confine their roots by planting them inside the center of a buried length of vertical pvc pipe that is longer than the roots will grow deep
95Kinky hose? Next time leave the water on while you coil it.
96Scrape your fingernails over a bar of soap before gardening - even if you wear gloves. The soap keeps the dirt from lodging under your nails and makes washing your hands a breeze.
97Have acid loving plants like rhododendrons and azaeleas? Water them with a cup of vinegar added per gallon of water to lower the pH level of the soil.
98Your potting mix or peat moss won't absorb water? Add a few drops of dishwashing soap to your watering can.
96Scrape your fingernails over a bar of soap before gardening - even if you wear gloves. The soap keeps the dirt from lodging under your nails and makes washing your hands a breeze.
97Have acid loving plants like rhododendrons and azaeleas? Water them with a cup of vinegar added per gallon of water to lower the pH level of the soil.
98Your potting mix or peat moss won't absorb water? Add a few drops of dishwashing soap to your watering can.
99Old mini-blinds are great to use for garden markers. Just cut slats to desired length on angle (the pointed end makes it easier to put them in the ground) and write on them with a permanent marking pen.
100Trim your hedges straight by sinking tall stakes into the ground at each end (or at intervals if a very long hedge). Measure the height you want the hedge trimmed to and mark each stake at that point and cut a small notch with a box cutter or similar tool. (The notch is to hold the string in place.) Tie a string between the stakes at the measured height. Make sure it is taut and level. You now have a guideline for pruning.
101Need a fast way to dry herbs? Cover the seat of your car with a sheet of newsprint paper. Lay the herbs in a single layer, close the windows and park the car in a sunny spot. The herbs will dry quickly and your car will smell great. (If you use printed newspaper, and have light colored upholstery, you might want to cover the seat with an old sheet first to prevent ink smudges. Just being extra cautious here - it usually doesn't happen.)
The Cook's Herb Garden is available at Alibris.com.
100Trim your hedges straight by sinking tall stakes into the ground at each end (or at intervals if a very long hedge). Measure the height you want the hedge trimmed to and mark each stake at that point and cut a small notch with a box cutter or similar tool. (The notch is to hold the string in place.) Tie a string between the stakes at the measured height. Make sure it is taut and level. You now have a guideline for pruning.
101Need a fast way to dry herbs? Cover the seat of your car with a sheet of newsprint paper. Lay the herbs in a single layer, close the windows and park the car in a sunny spot. The herbs will dry quickly and your car will smell great. (If you use printed newspaper, and have light colored upholstery, you might want to cover the seat with an old sheet first to prevent ink smudges. Just being extra cautious here - it usually doesn't happen.)
The Cook's Herb Garden is available at Alibris.com.
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