Gardening tips?

[kiki]

I received this e-mail with tips for the garden this morning. I was wondering if you have your own special tips to add.



A beautiful garden doesn't have to be expensive


I don't know what I was thinking the year I bought a dozen tomato plants (they were small) plus enough planting mix to cover a small farm. Then I figured I might as well pick up some mulch, root stimulator, liquid fertilizer, time-released fertilizer, pest control, slug and snail bait, metal cages (one per plant) and special green "tape" to tie up the branches. And that was just on the first trip to "My Big Fancy Garden Center."
Talk about an agricultural nightmare. My first attempt at gardening produced the best looking foliage in three counties, but hardly any tomatoes. I could have fed my entire family for a month on all the money I wasted -- about $37 per tomato.

Thankfully, I've learned the only difference between a gardener and a cheapskate gardener is the amount of money they spend to achieve the same results. Here are a few quick hints:

PANTY HOSE: You can't find better ties for plants and trees than strips of panty hose material. They're stronger than twine or tape and if you have a pair you were already planning to throw out, they're free. When used in the garden, they surprisingly blend right into the environment.

CALCIUM BOOST: Crush eggshells and add them to the soil surrounding your tomato plants at least once a month. Calcium encourages the formation of healthy plants and root growth.

BOOST THOSE BUDS: When your tomatoes, eggplants and peppers begin to bloom, give them a healthy watering with this potion: 2 tablespoons Epsom salts dissolved in 1 gallon of water.

CLEARLY APHIDS: They're easy to control. Wash them off with clear water. They will return, but keep hosing every few days. You could buy expensive pesticide, but the instructions are going to say "Repeat every few days." Clear water is best for all involved.

GOOD, GOOD GARLIC: Here's a quick recipe that will help keep bugs away and plants healthy. Puree 2 cloves of garlic in the blender on high for a minute. Slowly add 1 quart of water and continue blending for 6 minutes. Strain and add 1/8 teaspoon of liquid soap (not detergent). Cover and store in the refrigerator. To use, mix 1 part garlic mixture with 10 parts water and spray for pests or on plants with fungal, viral and bacterial diseases.

GROUNDS FOR YOUR SOIL: Save your coffee grounds (or pick up a bag at your local Starbucks, no charge). About once a month, add a thin layer to the soil of acid-loving plants like azaleas and gardenias.

SNAILS AND SLUGS: Hit snails with a direct spray of one-third household ammonia mixed with two-thirds water. Slugs usually hide way before the sun comes up. So, bury a butter tub, half-full of beer, level with the ground in the slug areas of your garden. They'll crawl to the tub to drink the beer at night, fall in and drown. Be careful using this method in areas where there are unsupervised pets and children, though!

BUTTERMILK SHAKE: Scientists at Purdue University developed this buttermilk spray to fight spider mites. Mix together 1/4 cup buttermilk, 2 cups wheat flour and 2-1/2 gallons water. Shake ingredients thoroughly and spray on plants.

MAKE YOUR OWN PLANT FOOD: Mix 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon household ammonia, 1 tablespoon Epsom salts and 1 teaspoon salt in 1 gallon water. Shake or mix well. Use as plant food once a month for all your flowers and plants, both indoors and out.


http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//ed_cheapskate.asp

Kiki

 

[housemouse]

My best garden tip is to get your seeds from Johnny's Seeds in Maine. This is particularly true if you grow your own tomato plants from seeds.

Many of the seed sellers get their seeds from the same suppliers, and many times the seeds are actually mislabeled. Johnny's is an exception, and if you order "Brandywine" seeds, you get exactly that, and the right strain of these as well.

Our growing season is a bit short for Brandywines, but they are so good I usually grow some hoping we will have a late frost.

One variety, not heirloom, that is my husband's very favorite is Johnny's "New Girl". It is early, reliable, and very tasty for an early tomato.

Another tip on tomatoes for making homemade sauce is to use three different types in makng the sauce. To explain, you will get a much more complex flavor if you use plums, sandwich, and grape tomatoes in making your sauce.

I freeze my sauce in the canning jars, rather than water-bath processing. It saves time, and it tastes fresher to me. I figure if the grid goes down, I will build a good fire, and can the thawed jars in a jiffy.

 

[rb.]

I plant Roma tomatoes for sauce. I may have read this here, but I'm not sure. When they're ready to pick, I pick them, rinse them, and put them into a plastic shopping bag. I tie the bag and throw them into the freezer. When the season is done, or later, I open the bag when I want spaghetti sauce. I fill a large bowl 2/3 full of hot water, and dump in a bag of frozen tomatoes. Let sit a minute, then slide skins of each tomato and drop it in a pot. Skins slide off easily. I then compost the skins.

A weed killer my mom told me about yesterday that I will try if the sun ever comes back. 1 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Mix and put in a spray bottle. On a sunny day, spray weeds in lawn (or wherever) liberally. May take a few apps to kill weeds. Will also kill the grass so try not to get it there. I think I'll use a flexible piece of cardboard, like a cereal box, to create a circle around the weed. Will report in a few weeks as to how well it works. That is, if the sun EVER comes back.

 

[Vicki]

Great tips, thanks! I have a tip my dad taught me but I must say I don't usually do it. He pokes a whole in the bottom of a coffee can and plants his tomatoes in those. They then get planted directly into the garden still in the coffee can. He says it takes less water and when he fertilizes them, it stays right in the can. Interesting anyway!

Vicki

 

[delta lady]

for plant pest control, I use a spray bottle filled with cheap medicinal alcohol.. Also use it in the house on 'critters'. I haven't bought bug spray in decades.