Is your garden suffering year after year from sick soil? Do your plants just seem like they could be healthier? It might be infected soil, and not individual plants. Certain blights and virus' can be present in the soil, but there are some things you can do to cut down on, or eliminate the problems entirely.
--A cold and wet period at the beginning of transplanting will open the plants up to many diseases, especially tomatoes. Check the weather and hold off transplanting until you see a warming trend of at least a week to insure the roots will catch on. It is better to wait than to subject them to all the stress.
--Don't plant your plants in the same space as the year before. Don't plant same family plants in the same places as they are open to the same diseases. Tomato plants are open to tobacco virus so if you smoke, do it away from the garden.
--Carrot and root crops are subject to weevils that stunt their growth, rotate them in the garden also and treat any area that has been invaded by them.
--Keep the weeds down, insects love weeds too and move from weeds to plants.
--Stay away from the garden after or during a rain, especially at the early stage of the garden. Some plants do not weather your wet touch, beans, cucumbers and squash plants are especially susceptible.
-- When you go to the nursery to buy your plants, check the undersides of the leaves to insure that they don't have any bugs or bug seeds on them. If you see white flies or black flies skitting from plant to plant, leave them right there, don't purchase them.
--Make sure you toughen the plants up by exposing them to more and more outside time before you actually plant them. Going straight from the house or hot house will stress them, a sure sign they will be more open to any bugs Most gardeners suggest to water your plants in the morning, not at night where dampness can cause disease.
--If you see weak and infected plants in your garden, don't leave them there, take them away, put them in your trash. If you return to the garden, wash your hands or gloves. Do not recycle any weak or infected plants in your compost pile.
--If you use plant material in your garden to keep weeds down, don't put it down until the plant is off to a great growing start. Plant material around your plant will lower the soil temperature and you will want to have the greatest amount of heat for new transplants.
--Happy Gardening
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Planting now?
Yes, it is time to get your soil out and your pots and water. Onions, flowers, herbs and long developing seeds need to be started for for garden transplanting this Spring/Summer. Prepare the soil in the pots, put the seeds in and water. Then cover with a plastic wrap of some kind, put on a window sill if that's what you have (some people have plant tables with lights over them), sit back and watch the action! There are many kinds of soil you can use from many different companies, I use Gardner's gold from Garden's alive or a planting mixture from Johnny"s Seeds in Maine. While you are at it you could start a cucumber plant, stake it so that it can grow upright, and you may be able to get a few winter cucumbers, I have. So sweet, fresh cucumbers in winter. (Winters are long here, they don't end til almost April, then we have early Spring which is usually wet and cold.) If you have children, they love to plant! For some reason it's as exciting to them as it is to me to watch their plants grow! Most of the time the plants emerge in a few days, but some take 2 weeks or more, so be patient.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Potting soils
Who needs it? Why not just start the seeds directly soil from the garden and save some money? In a word, fungus. Garden soil contains various fungi that can kill the seed before it even gets a chance to start to sprout, often within hours.
Ok, so potting soil is a necessary step, so what should you look for in potting soil? Find potting soils that have both fine and course particles mixed in because this will give the soil the proper air/moisture balance that is needed for seeds to mature properly. When the soil is put in a small pot and watered, the soil should hold the water fro about 10 seconds or so before the water begins to drain out the holes in the bottom of the pot. You want the soil to remain solid, not soupy. If it turns to a mushy mess, then it's probably not the potting soil you want.
You should also only buy potting soils from reputable companies in or very near your home state, and look for companies that specialize in potting soil mixtures indigenous to your area. Call the company if in doubt. This may seem like a waste of time and money, but I think you will soon find that it will most definitely pay dividends in the end with nice healthy seedlings, and even healthier, stronger transplants. You put a lot of time into your garden, get your seeds off to a great start.
http://syracuseblog.com/syracuseblog/page/Nazareth
Ok, so potting soil is a necessary step, so what should you look for in potting soil? Find potting soils that have both fine and course particles mixed in because this will give the soil the proper air/moisture balance that is needed for seeds to mature properly. When the soil is put in a small pot and watered, the soil should hold the water fro about 10 seconds or so before the water begins to drain out the holes in the bottom of the pot. You want the soil to remain solid, not soupy. If it turns to a mushy mess, then it's probably not the potting soil you want.
You should also only buy potting soils from reputable companies in or very near your home state, and look for companies that specialize in potting soil mixtures indigenous to your area. Call the company if in doubt. This may seem like a waste of time and money, but I think you will soon find that it will most definitely pay dividends in the end with nice healthy seedlings, and even healthier, stronger transplants. You put a lot of time into your garden, get your seeds off to a great start.
http://syracuseblog.com/syracuseblog/page/Nazareth
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Yellow to green quick tip
Have your tomato and pepper leaves turned a sickly shade of yellow? Don't call the plant doctor just yet, instead, give this trick a try. Take a tablespoon of epsoms salt, add it to the soil near the plants, and water. Before you know it, you'll have bright green, healthy looking leaves once again.
Natural pesticides
One sure fire way to rid cabbage worms and many other bad bugs from plants is to get red hot pepper powder and spread on the plants, and around the root areas of some plants. It's not fool proof as it has to be re-applied after each rain storm and after watering the garden. It does not make cabbage taste "creole style" . You don't notice any difference when you harvest it after a few rain storms. For other plants you can liquify pepper powder in water and let set. After the water is hot, spicy hot that is, strain it and put it into a spray bottle and apply to the underleaves of plants that are being invaded. Rabbits, moles, mice , etc, hate the taste as do many bugs. These treatments will not affect streams, rivers or lakes as do other "organic pesticides".
Friday, January 27, 2006
Experience helps
When I lived in ME with our rich loam and clay soil, I was able to just till the land, plant, and harvest in the fall. A wonderful garden emerged. However when I moved to the Adirondacks in NY and tried the same thing, we had corn that grew maybe 10" tall and the only produce we got were a very few beans. Then I looked at the soil and found no topsoil to speak of, mostly sand. No wonder the first settlers here starved to death over the winter. So I found a couple gardeners who had successful gardens, read all kinds of books, and fed my garden the nutrients it needed to thrive. Compost and composted horse manure, ten truckloads of it and hence a successful garden. Since I believe in organic gardens I have faithfully composted and every other year supplemented with 2 yr. old manure. Cow manure and chicken manure are hard to get here, so I went against the norm and used the horse manure. Everyone told me it wouldn't work, but it did.
My composting isn't complicated, everything that grows, like vegetable discards, grass clippings, early weeds without seeds, leftover vegetables, and I add all liquid I cook my vegatables in. Things I do not inclued are dog or cat feces, oak leaves, meat or bones (dogs are too interested in them.) I also add a compost starter with a little lime to keep down any odor that might pop up, not that I notice it, but in the neighborhood I live I don't want to take a chance of complaining neighbors.
My composting isn't complicated, everything that grows, like vegetable discards, grass clippings, early weeds without seeds, leftover vegetables, and I add all liquid I cook my vegatables in. Things I do not inclued are dog or cat feces, oak leaves, meat or bones (dogs are too interested in them.) I also add a compost starter with a little lime to keep down any odor that might pop up, not that I notice it, but in the neighborhood I live I don't want to take a chance of complaining neighbors.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The virtues of mulching
Not into heavy pesticides and chemicals to get your garden in tip top shape? Me neither. In this article I'd like to discuss why mulching and natural fertilizing are the way to go. With the advent of the health craze came terms like 'organic' 'all natural' and 'free range', and for good reason. More and more people are developing serious health problems that may or may not be related to diet/living conditions. Did you know that industrialized nations lead the world in insidious diseases like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, gastric problems of varying degrees? There is a theory that due to the reduction of family farms, and all the germs that go with it, came an increase in such diseases. There's even mention of pig whipworms as a preventative to bowel problems. Crazy, I know, but it may hold some merrit.
With that in mind, I think that it's probably a good thing to 'go natural' and to get back to the basics. Now, before you go out and buy the blue stuff to fertilize your gardens with, realize that these water soluble nitrogens, while good in themselves, contribute to actual pollution in that they contribute too much fuel to the ground. Run off after rains is a leading cause of over nitrogenation. Mulching solves this problem by introducing nitrogen in a solid form rather than liquid, and it introduces it at a steady, even rate as compared to liquid that gets dumped all at once, and then leaches out during rains before the plants can really benefit. Sure, it takes a bit longer, but it also provides the needed cooling to the soil that your plants need, keeps erosion from happening so quickly, and benefits all the way around. Tumbled compost is a good mulch, but the problem is that weeds love compost. Next in line is bark or wood-shavings. They take longer to break down, but will leave your garden with a rich topsoil. Steer clear of hardwood chips though as it will actually compete with your plants for fuel as it breaks down. Bark mulch is better, but softwoods like pine and spruce break down more easily and add nitrogen instead of taking it from the soil.
Steer well clear of so called 'cedar mulch'. First off, it isn't cedar, second, it is what is called heartwood that will compete for nitrogen as it breaks down, and third, it contains dye which I'm guessing you'd rather not consume.
You will see some mulch advertised as being 'anti-fungal'. Not a good thing. Your soil needs certain fungus' in order to thrive, and these mulches tend to kill off all fungus' indiscriminately. Snub your noses at rubber, rock or even plastic mulches for obvious reasons.
Mulching is tedious work, but the benefits will outweigh the negatives in the long run, and your garden will thank you by producing healthier plants.
With that in mind, I think that it's probably a good thing to 'go natural' and to get back to the basics. Now, before you go out and buy the blue stuff to fertilize your gardens with, realize that these water soluble nitrogens, while good in themselves, contribute to actual pollution in that they contribute too much fuel to the ground. Run off after rains is a leading cause of over nitrogenation. Mulching solves this problem by introducing nitrogen in a solid form rather than liquid, and it introduces it at a steady, even rate as compared to liquid that gets dumped all at once, and then leaches out during rains before the plants can really benefit. Sure, it takes a bit longer, but it also provides the needed cooling to the soil that your plants need, keeps erosion from happening so quickly, and benefits all the way around. Tumbled compost is a good mulch, but the problem is that weeds love compost. Next in line is bark or wood-shavings. They take longer to break down, but will leave your garden with a rich topsoil. Steer clear of hardwood chips though as it will actually compete with your plants for fuel as it breaks down. Bark mulch is better, but softwoods like pine and spruce break down more easily and add nitrogen instead of taking it from the soil.
Steer well clear of so called 'cedar mulch'. First off, it isn't cedar, second, it is what is called heartwood that will compete for nitrogen as it breaks down, and third, it contains dye which I'm guessing you'd rather not consume.
You will see some mulch advertised as being 'anti-fungal'. Not a good thing. Your soil needs certain fungus' in order to thrive, and these mulches tend to kill off all fungus' indiscriminately. Snub your noses at rubber, rock or even plastic mulches for obvious reasons.
Mulching is tedious work, but the benefits will outweigh the negatives in the long run, and your garden will thank you by producing healthier plants.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Inviting Bugs
Huh? Invite bugs into your garden? You betcha. Now, you might be thinking, "Well yeah, I guess there are some 'good' bugs that can help" But I say this, "Don't just invite the good ones, be all inclusive and invite bad bugs as well".
Don't worry, I haven't lost it. There is a reason for doing so. To keep predatory insects coming to your garden, you will need to have a good enough supply of destructive bugs for the predatory bugs to thrive on. You might be thinking that if you don't have destructive bugs, then there would be no need for predatory bugs. However, you will always have a certain amount of destructive bugs, and you'll always be fighting with them for control of your garden, so, with that in mind, it's time to become proactive and create a safe harbor for predatory species. How do you do that? Plant complimentary plants that attract them. Mints (Catnip, Peppermint, spearmint) and flowers such as Daisy and chamomile, will attract predatory insects such as wasps, hover flies and robber flies that love nothing more than to munch on aphids, mealybugs, and such. Fennel, coriander, Angelica, wild carrot and dill, all attract parasitic wasps that love to dine on moth, beetle and fly larvae. Allowing a couple of your cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy to flower will attract predatory insects.
Following is a small incomplete list of beneficial insects and the destructive bugs that they help to control:
1: Aphidius, Aphidoletes, and lacewing help to control aphids- plant Achillea filipendulina, sunflower and lupine to attract them
2: Beneficial mites help to control thripes, spider mites and fungus gnats- plant Shasta daisy.
3: Ground beetles help control Slugs, small caterpillars and grubs- plant amaranthus to attract them. They need low to the ground cover plants like thyme, rosemary, or mint to shield them during the day.
4: Tachinid flies help control Caterpillars; beetle and fly larvae- plant lemon balm and parsley to attract them.
5: Lady bugs and lacewing feed on mites, aphids, scale and other soft bodied insects- plant Achillea filipendulina, Dill, Angelica gigas, Convolvulus minor, Cosmos bipinnatus, Queen Anne's lace, fennel and tansy.
6: Damsel bugs (Nabidae) are a good bug to attract as they eat many soft eggs of destructive bugs- plant fennel.
7: Pirate bugs love Thrips, aphids, mites, scales, whiteflies- plant sunflower, Shasta Daisies, and Helianthus annulus.
That about wraps it up. Remember, introduce plenty of Nematodes, plant small islands of the above plants to attract beneficial bugs, and use super-lightweight plant covers and you'll be well on your way to a much healthier garden.
Don't worry, I haven't lost it. There is a reason for doing so. To keep predatory insects coming to your garden, you will need to have a good enough supply of destructive bugs for the predatory bugs to thrive on. You might be thinking that if you don't have destructive bugs, then there would be no need for predatory bugs. However, you will always have a certain amount of destructive bugs, and you'll always be fighting with them for control of your garden, so, with that in mind, it's time to become proactive and create a safe harbor for predatory species. How do you do that? Plant complimentary plants that attract them. Mints (Catnip, Peppermint, spearmint) and flowers such as Daisy and chamomile, will attract predatory insects such as wasps, hover flies and robber flies that love nothing more than to munch on aphids, mealybugs, and such. Fennel, coriander, Angelica, wild carrot and dill, all attract parasitic wasps that love to dine on moth, beetle and fly larvae. Allowing a couple of your cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy to flower will attract predatory insects.
Following is a small incomplete list of beneficial insects and the destructive bugs that they help to control:
1: Aphidius, Aphidoletes, and lacewing help to control aphids- plant Achillea filipendulina, sunflower and lupine to attract them
2: Beneficial mites help to control thripes, spider mites and fungus gnats- plant Shasta daisy.
3: Ground beetles help control Slugs, small caterpillars and grubs- plant amaranthus to attract them. They need low to the ground cover plants like thyme, rosemary, or mint to shield them during the day.
4: Tachinid flies help control Caterpillars; beetle and fly larvae- plant lemon balm and parsley to attract them.
5: Lady bugs and lacewing feed on mites, aphids, scale and other soft bodied insects- plant Achillea filipendulina, Dill, Angelica gigas, Convolvulus minor, Cosmos bipinnatus, Queen Anne's lace, fennel and tansy.
6: Damsel bugs (Nabidae) are a good bug to attract as they eat many soft eggs of destructive bugs- plant fennel.
7: Pirate bugs love Thrips, aphids, mites, scales, whiteflies- plant sunflower, Shasta Daisies, and Helianthus annulus.
That about wraps it up. Remember, introduce plenty of Nematodes, plant small islands of the above plants to attract beneficial bugs, and use super-lightweight plant covers and you'll be well on your way to a much healthier garden.
More Bugs
Blister Beetles: distinctive for their black stripes over a yellow-ish body and long antennae. Handle with care as this tiny 1/2 inch bug can cause blisters if you crush them with your hands. They aren't fussy about what they eat.
Help: Spray with Pyola or liquid Rotenone/Pyrethrin
Corn Earworm: prefer sweet corn, but will eat all corns. You'll find the larvae on the silk of the corn. Larvae emerge to feast on the cob.
Help: Nematodes applied to the inner husks will feast on the emerging Earworms. Bulls Eye Spray applied to the silk will help prevent eggs from developing.
Cabbage Maggot: During cool moist periods, cabbage maggots feed on the roots of Cabbage plants. Take a look at your plant. If it appears unhealthy, wilted etc, then you probably have Cabbage Maggots.
Help: Nematodes applied when transplanting will happily feed on the emerging maggots. Apply liberally to the base of the cabbage plants.
Carrot Weevil: Brown headed burrowing larvae. Characteristic brown "tunnels" will appear on the carrots- usually at the top.
Help: Again, Nematodes provide effective relief. Also consider getting a Super Light Insect Barrier to cover the plants with. These barriers can be used to good effect on most plants as well.
Cutworms: If you see plants suddenly toppling over, check their stems. If it appears that the plants have been 'logged' or sawn asunder, then you most likely have cutworms. These caterpillars will ball up when handled, and are a brown, gray color, and just generally ugly looking.
Help: Again, Nematodes are your source of salvation. Apply when transplants are first transferred to your garden.
Stay tuned for more tomorrow.
Help: Spray with Pyola or liquid Rotenone/Pyrethrin
Corn Earworm: prefer sweet corn, but will eat all corns. You'll find the larvae on the silk of the corn. Larvae emerge to feast on the cob.
Help: Nematodes applied to the inner husks will feast on the emerging Earworms. Bulls Eye Spray applied to the silk will help prevent eggs from developing.
Cabbage Maggot: During cool moist periods, cabbage maggots feed on the roots of Cabbage plants. Take a look at your plant. If it appears unhealthy, wilted etc, then you probably have Cabbage Maggots.
Help: Nematodes applied when transplanting will happily feed on the emerging maggots. Apply liberally to the base of the cabbage plants.
Carrot Weevil: Brown headed burrowing larvae. Characteristic brown "tunnels" will appear on the carrots- usually at the top.
Help: Again, Nematodes provide effective relief. Also consider getting a Super Light Insect Barrier to cover the plants with. These barriers can be used to good effect on most plants as well.
Cutworms: If you see plants suddenly toppling over, check their stems. If it appears that the plants have been 'logged' or sawn asunder, then you most likely have cutworms. These caterpillars will ball up when handled, and are a brown, gray color, and just generally ugly looking.
Help: Again, Nematodes are your source of salvation. Apply when transplants are first transferred to your garden.
Stay tuned for more tomorrow.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
FeedBack
Feedback or suggestions would be welcomed- if there is anything you would like to see posted as far as advice articles, or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll try my best to post on the topic as soon as possible.
Thank you
Thank you
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Natures Pesticides
Quick Article discussing some common pests and the best ways to handle them naturally.
Aphids: Tiny hard to spot bugs that can range in color from black, green, yellow, orange or almost white. The largest will be about 1/16" and the smallest will be barely visible. You'll find htem on leaves in clusters usually, and resemble living caviar. They love a cold spring, and multiply faster than natural enemies unfortunately.
Help: Lacewings love aphids as do lady bettles. You can set out yellow sticky traps to control their numbers as well. Pyola is great for knocking the wind out of them as well. Check with the links I've provided in my articles for more methods of control, as they have plenty of suggestions and products. Bean leaf beetles: Red, green or orange with black head and black spots. Larvae feed in the ground on roots. Adults take their toll on the grown leaves of plants.
Help: Grub Away nematodes, apply shortly after planting time. Pyola again can be used to control the adults. Keep applying every 2-3 weeks if you see more bettles.
Cucumber beetles: A menace to say the least.Body is about 1/4" long, they have a distinctive 12 spots on their wings. The Striped Cucumber Beetle is about the same size, but has yellow and black striped wings instead of spots. They lay their eggs at the base of plants where the largae can munch on roots.
Help: For the adults, spray Rotenone/Pyrethrine. For the larvae, use "Grub-Away nematodes. Also consider covering your plants with lightweight insect barriers which you'll find at the link above.
I'll post more insect help later tonight to break up the articles for easier reading.
Aphids: Tiny hard to spot bugs that can range in color from black, green, yellow, orange or almost white. The largest will be about 1/16" and the smallest will be barely visible. You'll find htem on leaves in clusters usually, and resemble living caviar. They love a cold spring, and multiply faster than natural enemies unfortunately.
Help: Lacewings love aphids as do lady bettles. You can set out yellow sticky traps to control their numbers as well. Pyola is great for knocking the wind out of them as well. Check with the links I've provided in my articles for more methods of control, as they have plenty of suggestions and products. Bean leaf beetles: Red, green or orange with black head and black spots. Larvae feed in the ground on roots. Adults take their toll on the grown leaves of plants.
Help: Grub Away nematodes, apply shortly after planting time. Pyola again can be used to control the adults. Keep applying every 2-3 weeks if you see more bettles.
Cucumber beetles: A menace to say the least.Body is about 1/4" long, they have a distinctive 12 spots on their wings. The Striped Cucumber Beetle is about the same size, but has yellow and black striped wings instead of spots. They lay their eggs at the base of plants where the largae can munch on roots.
Help: For the adults, spray Rotenone/Pyrethrine. For the larvae, use "Grub-Away nematodes. Also consider covering your plants with lightweight insect barriers which you'll find at the link above.
I'll post more insect help later tonight to break up the articles for easier reading.
Wow!
Not sure what happened last night- I had all my links nicely rowed, all my advertisements finally symetrical, everything was looking nice after hours of work, and wham! Something went horribly wrong. I logged back in, and text was all over the place, half of one article was missing, and the ads were scattered left and right- some even duplicated. Bah! The internet!
Please bear with me as I get this straightened out and repost everything correctly.
Please bear with me as I get this straightened out and repost everything correctly.
Dating Frosty
Just a quick article today. I thought that I'd list the average 'last frost dates' for the different climate
zones throughout the U.S. Generally, the seed packets that you buy will have instructuctions for when
to start particular varieties depending on the frost dates, but If you're not sure that the frost dates are,
here's a handy general chart for you to go by. However, keep in mind, times can and do vary each
year, so keep an eye on the weather forcasts as well.
Zone 1: June1 - June 30
Zone 2: May 1 - May 31
Zone 3: May 1 - May31
Zone 4: May 1 - May31
Zone 5: March 30 - April30
Zone 6: March 30 - April30
Zone 7: March 30 - April30
Zone 8: February 28 - March 30
Zone 9: January 30 - February 28
Zone 10: January 1 - January 31
Zone 11: Frost Free Year Round
zones throughout the U.S. Generally, the seed packets that you buy will have instructuctions for when
to start particular varieties depending on the frost dates, but If you're not sure that the frost dates are,
here's a handy general chart for you to go by. However, keep in mind, times can and do vary each
year, so keep an eye on the weather forcasts as well.
Zone 1: June1 - June 30
Zone 2: May 1 - May 31
Zone 3: May 1 - May31
Zone 4: May 1 - May31
Zone 5: March 30 - April30
Zone 6: March 30 - April30
Zone 7: March 30 - April30
Zone 8: February 28 - March 30
Zone 9: January 30 - February 28
Zone 10: January 1 - January 31
Zone 11: Frost Free Year Round
Slugs and Such
Yuck! Nothing worse than walking through the garden barefoot and suddenly you feel something wet, slimy, and disgusting on your sole. You reel back in horrow only to discover that you're outnumbered on all fronts. What's a gardener to do? Fear not, there are several things you can try, some of which actually work.
1: Barrier plants- Huh? Yup, barrier plants. Slugs, it would seem, are fussy eaters. Planting things like red luttuce, chives, garlic, and mint will turn a slugs nose skyward faster than ... well, pretty fast. Another benifit is that other critters tend to shy away from these plants as well.
2: Beer traps (Editors note: Don't drink the beer) An old folk remedy is to set a pie tin near your affected plants, sink the tin into the soil (however, leave the rim just above the ground so as not to kill benificial insects as well), fill the tin with beer, and watch as the slugs die by the 1000's every night ... no, really. However, it isn't hte beer itself that kills, Drowning is what does the trick. The slugs are attracted to the yeast in the beer, climb down to get a snoot-full, and drown.
3: Water your garden only in the early hours. Slugs prefere wet areas to wile away the day and wait for nightfall. If you allow your soil to dry out early, you deprive slugs of a constantly moist area to wallow in. This can greatly reduce slug populations.
4: Along the lines of dampness, make sure you use mulch that doesn't provide good, comfortable hiding places for the nasty slugs. A good suggestion is to salt your mulch, but be careful not to oversalt, we wouldn't want the slugs to develope high blood pressure.
5: In the same line as mulch, we can ring the plants with egg shells beleive it or not. crush them to create nice sharp edges which the slugs find irritating.
6: Copper- A slugs worst nightmare. Buy small copper strips to ring your plants with. Slugs find copper irritating to the touch.
7: While slugs like a good cup of coffee like the rest of us, they always drink Decafe, why? Caffiene is toxic to them. Spreading coffee grounds around a plant will ward off slugs pretty effectivelty.
8: Diatomaceous earth is a product you can buy from your gardening supply store, and is a fairly good deterrent to slugs. The product is a mix of jagged microscopic seafloor creatures which slugs can't tolorate crawling over. Read the instructions though, you must wear a mask and preferably saftey glasses as well as this fine powder can get in the eyes and throat causing you the irritationinstead of your slug friends.
9: Wood Ash is also good as long as it remains dry. A slug will dehydrate while trying to crawl over it. Be careful about how much you use though as it can change your soil's pH level.
10: Slug Wrangling. Placing objects that will remain moist underneath during the day will attract slugs from miles around ... well, ok, maybe not miles in human terms, but in slug terms perhaps. In the morning, simply go out, turn the pieces of wet cardboard over, and you should see a nice assortment of slugs shivering in fear
That about does it for this edition of "SlugFest", tune in tomorrow for more great news on various other infamous creatures that invade our paradise.
1: Barrier plants- Huh? Yup, barrier plants. Slugs, it would seem, are fussy eaters. Planting things like red luttuce, chives, garlic, and mint will turn a slugs nose skyward faster than ... well, pretty fast. Another benifit is that other critters tend to shy away from these plants as well.
2: Beer traps (Editors note: Don't drink the beer) An old folk remedy is to set a pie tin near your affected plants, sink the tin into the soil (however, leave the rim just above the ground so as not to kill benificial insects as well), fill the tin with beer, and watch as the slugs die by the 1000's every night ... no, really. However, it isn't hte beer itself that kills, Drowning is what does the trick. The slugs are attracted to the yeast in the beer, climb down to get a snoot-full, and drown.
3: Water your garden only in the early hours. Slugs prefere wet areas to wile away the day and wait for nightfall. If you allow your soil to dry out early, you deprive slugs of a constantly moist area to wallow in. This can greatly reduce slug populations.
4: Along the lines of dampness, make sure you use mulch that doesn't provide good, comfortable hiding places for the nasty slugs. A good suggestion is to salt your mulch, but be careful not to oversalt, we wouldn't want the slugs to develope high blood pressure.
5: In the same line as mulch, we can ring the plants with egg shells beleive it or not. crush them to create nice sharp edges which the slugs find irritating.
6: Copper- A slugs worst nightmare. Buy small copper strips to ring your plants with. Slugs find copper irritating to the touch.
7: While slugs like a good cup of coffee like the rest of us, they always drink Decafe, why? Caffiene is toxic to them. Spreading coffee grounds around a plant will ward off slugs pretty effectivelty.
8: Diatomaceous earth is a product you can buy from your gardening supply store, and is a fairly good deterrent to slugs. The product is a mix of jagged microscopic seafloor creatures which slugs can't tolorate crawling over. Read the instructions though, you must wear a mask and preferably saftey glasses as well as this fine powder can get in the eyes and throat causing you the irritationinstead of your slug friends.
9: Wood Ash is also good as long as it remains dry. A slug will dehydrate while trying to crawl over it. Be careful about how much you use though as it can change your soil's pH level.
10: Slug Wrangling. Placing objects that will remain moist underneath during the day will attract slugs from miles around ... well, ok, maybe not miles in human terms, but in slug terms perhaps. In the morning, simply go out, turn the pieces of wet cardboard over, and you should see a nice assortment of slugs shivering in fear
That about does it for this edition of "SlugFest", tune in tomorrow for more great news on various other infamous creatures that invade our paradise.
Spring Break
It's been a long hard winter, the days are finally starting to lengthen, and the sun is feeling just a bit
warmer. You can sense the plot of ground you garden calling out to you. Where to begin?
Well, Something happened to this article, I'll have to rewrite it-
warmer. You can sense the plot of ground you garden calling out to you. Where to begin?
Well, Something happened to this article, I'll have to rewrite it-
Starter plant initiation
Yes, it's true, even the plant kingdom has to endure initiation, especially if you live in colder climate regions. What do I mean? I'm talking of course, about slowly introducing the young plants that you've started indoors to the daily grind of variable weather that they will eventually be exposed to in the garden once they've been planted.
If you want your plants to stand the greatest chance of survival and hardiness, you'll want to expose them to longer and longer times to the outdoors. Pick the milder days to do so, and choose a spot that isn't exposed to direct sunlight for the majority of the day. A good practice is to pick days that are slightly overcast, but still mild.
After a couple of 'outings' such as this, gradually move them into direct sunlight for longer and longer periods. Do this procedure for about a week or so, until you feel the plants look healthy enough move to their new permanent home, in the garden.
With a little tender loving care at the beginning, you'll soon notice that taking this extra action produces healthier, more robust plants, and your increased bounty come mid summer will be your reward for the little bit of extra work you put in now.
Stay tuned for more hints and tricks, and remember, a healthy garden is a happy garden. In the meantime, flip through the pages over at Gurney's for some great new ideas, and be prepared for that day when the frost finally succumbs to the sun.
If you want your plants to stand the greatest chance of survival and hardiness, you'll want to expose them to longer and longer times to the outdoors. Pick the milder days to do so, and choose a spot that isn't exposed to direct sunlight for the majority of the day. A good practice is to pick days that are slightly overcast, but still mild.
After a couple of 'outings' such as this, gradually move them into direct sunlight for longer and longer periods. Do this procedure for about a week or so, until you feel the plants look healthy enough move to their new permanent home, in the garden.
With a little tender loving care at the beginning, you'll soon notice that taking this extra action produces healthier, more robust plants, and your increased bounty come mid summer will be your reward for the little bit of extra work you put in now.
Stay tuned for more hints and tricks, and remember, a healthy garden is a happy garden. In the meantime, flip through the pages over at Gurney's for some great new ideas, and be prepared for that day when the frost finally succumbs to the sun.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
