LET'S EXPAND ON THIS GREAT STRING OF HELPFUL HINTS!

Here's one to start anew:

Keeping soil and water in pots:
To keep the soil in a pot, put 1" of leaves or grass
clippings in the bottom before adding any soil.
To retain water, add water-retentive polymer crystals
in the middle-half of the pot, to reduce polymer costs.
Plant, grow, water, and enjoy!!!

L
BerkeleyRose

- * - * - * -

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, FABULOUS STRING:

Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by Diana in WI - Zone 4 (amerherb@chorus.net) on Sat, Jan 23, 99 at 18:18

I'll start this off. I heard this on the radio the other day. When you're finishing up a gallon of milk, and have poured the last bit out, fill the jug with water right away, but don't rinse it. Save that water for your houseplants. The nitrogen in milk is a nice little boost for them. I now have 14 jugs of milk-water, and counting! LOL! What's a neat little trick you use, inside or outside in the garden? Diana :D

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Follow-Up Postings:

RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Shannon - 6 (SRob101959@aol.com) on Sat, Jan 23, 99 at 19:14

This is a great idea for a thread! The best thing I ever read is that if you want to make an instant(sort of) garden without endlessly weeding and cultivating then you do this- Put down newspaper(only regular-not glossy ads)about 10 sheets deep in the area you want to garden. Water it well then cover it with a mix of compost and soil about 4-6 inches deep then leave it for at least 6 weeks. At the end of the time you can plant directly in the soil(tearing thru the newspaper if need be)This has been a minor miracle for me as we moved into a yard covered in a brutal mix of ivy, pachysandra and poison ivy. I've made several raised bed gardens this way and it works like a charm

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: beverly - mid mich - zone 5 (bevjim1@aol.com) on Mon, Jan 25, 99 at 22:53

One good tip I got from a friend was when planting a potted planted in the ground - fill the hole you've dug up with water and let in seep in before planting the new plant.(still have to water it in after planting) When I do this.....it seems that the new plants get off to a real good start.
I'll try to think of some more.

.....beverly

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Jen - SoCal-9/Sunset 19 (jimnjen@earthlink.net) on Fri, Jan 29, 99 at 12:08

Here's another use for those empty 1-gallon milk jugs. After rinsing, punch several small holes (about 1/8") across the whole area of the bottom of the jug. When you have a few of these jugs, you can then place the jugs between plants, fill them with water, and let the water seep out into the ground. You don't need a lot of holes in the bottom of the jug; if you have too many it will be difficult to fill it with water as it will be running out too fast.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Wanda - sunset16 (Wandaworld@pacbell.net) on Mon, Feb 1, 99 at 22:47

Someone told my neighbor he could fill 'em with water and set them on his lawn to deter invasive dogs and cats. Talk about your "tacky" lawn ornaments...didn't work, either. But frozen in the summer and placed in bunny cages, they make great coolants for overheated bunnies!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Steve - 6-3/4 Nashville (Steve.Meigs@juno.com) on Sun, Feb 21, 99 at 1:15

When planting a tomato, strip off all but the top two branches and plant it so only the top two branches show. It grows roots deeper that way, makes more fruit.
When sowing a wild meadow, kill the weeds first, then till or rake the soil to a shallow depth, an inch or two. That way you don't unearth the buried seeds of other weeds which are deeper than that, and wild meadows don't need heavily tilled soil.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: mj-ny5 (mjwarren@juno.com) on Wed, Mar 10, 99 at 9:50

Wear gardening gloves. And be extra careful when reaching downwards to gather a handful of dead plant heads with one hand and then cutting them off with pruning shears in your other hand. Easy way to lose the tip of a finger.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Jen CA9-Sunset19 (jimnjen@earthlink.net) on Wed, Mar 10, 99 at 12:30

Ditto the last suggestion; I snipped two of my fingers within a few minutes of each other last weekend. When you do cut, make sure your fingers are out of the way.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Andrea - 6 (alarmstrong@kih.net) on Wed, Mar 10, 99 at 13:01

I found a very inexpensive way to make those stakes to hold up plants ( the kind with the circle on top) Take an old coat hanger, the heavy ones, untwist the two ends but leave the half circle part, straighten out the rest of the hanger, bend the half moon down like in the advertisments. You can leave them long for tall plants on use wire cutters to shorten them any length you need. The best part is you can make dozens of these at no expense, they work good for house plants too.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Cora Lea - 5-IA (bellsrus@dwx.com) on Sat, Mar 13, 99 at 11:30

OUch! Mj and Jen - Be Careful! Its hard to garden without fingers - and I don't "think" they grow back!
Several comments are being made on the plastic milk jugs so I will share two of my favorite uses.

1. Cut them into strips, the width of plant markers, pointed at one end, any length that you like. Then, use something to stratch or etch the name of your plants into them. (I use an inexpensive electric engraver.) Push them into the dirt behind the plant and forget them. When you need to know what the plant is, pull them out, wipe them off, and the indentations are filled with dirt which allows you to read what you have written. (Sometimes it helps if you moisten your fingers slightly, if your dirt is not showing - or engrave a bit more deeply.) The great thing about these is the sun won't fade your writing!

2. Many times I sow seeds in the middle of winter for perennials. This way, the seeds get an early start and go through the proper "cooling period" - and its easier for me to put the seeds outside and forget them, than to be concerned about proper watering, etc. in the house and transplanting later. The problem is remembering "exactly" where I put the seed so I don't plant over it or pull it out in the spring - thinking it is a weed! NOW, I cut both the top and bottom out of a plastic milk jug, and bend it into the shape I prefer, "rough up the dirt where I want to plant" - not deep at all, anchor the container down with dirt built up securely on the outside, or with wire hangers which I cut and bend to hook over the top edge of the container, and push into the ground in several spots - enough to keep it from blowing away. I then scatter the seeds inside, or put them in a row - whatever works for you. Make sure you put a marker down into the dirt along the inside of the container so you know what is planted inside each jug. I can make sure they get enough water/moisture=snow, by directly placing it in the protector. When the plants start to grow, they are not only protected from the wind, but have a miniture "hot house" and are also less likely to be eaten by young rabbits, which like the "new, young growth". They also seem less inclined to put their little heads into a container to nibble. (Did I explain that last use well?)

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Oops! There's more
Posted by: Cora Lea - 5-IA (bellsrus@dwx.com) on Sat, Mar 13, 99 at 12:14

I meant to add to the above, but my "trigger finger" got "happy"...
When plants are large enough for transplanting, I remove the milk "ring", water the soil VERY well (so the ground is very soft and there is less damage to roots), separate the grouping of plants and plant them where I want them to grow. (Poppies do not like to moved, so I tend to thin by snipping the weaker plants at ground level, and plant three "rings" close together.)

The adjustment to being explosed to the elements is no longer a factor - they only have to concentrate on setting root in a new location - though I DO try not to disturb the roots any more than necessary. Make sure you moisten the hole good BEFORE planting, with water containing a good root stimulant, as someone else mentioned, and again after planting. The plants REALLY "take off" when I use this method!

(The milk jug "ring" method is great for remembering where you sow any kind of seed, even if done later in the year, with perennials OR annuals, as it is one way to get things started in a small space - thus not ending up with "holes" where seeds don't germinate - and allowing for transplanting when the plants are of correct size.)

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Tara - 5 (HippOne@aol.com) on Sat, Mar 13, 99 at 20:53

Great post Diana. Hear are a few things I like or have read.
For inexpensive grow through supports I cut a length of chiken wire and bend it in an arch. When plants get to be 1/3 their mature height place the arch over it and secure the bottom in the soil with pieces of a coat hanger bent to hairpin shape. The plants will grow through them so you will not see the supports.

I also lay pieces of chicken wire flat around plants that rabbits like and cover with a thin layer of mulch. (they don't like standing on the chicken wire.)

For those in drought areas I read of burying a 1 litre bottle with tiny pinholes poked in the bottom 1/2, around plants that want more water. With the bottle burried by the roots, when you fill the bottle water is delivered to where it is needed.

A rural type mailbox in a garden is good place to keep extra garden tools to save a trip when the desire to prune, deadhead, or weed hits you.

I like to sow seeds in the flat tray you get when you buy a flat of plants. Much easier to prepare than individual pots or six packs.

If you do not have a mulching mower but do have one with a side discard chute: keep the chute on the side of the next pass to be mowed. You will then be mulching the last pass's clippings. No raking.

Before getting down and dirty in the garden. Put hand lotion on and scrape a bar of soap with your fingernails so it gets under them. Makes cleanup a lot easier. I wear gloves but still end up looking like Pigpen.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: marilyn - 5 (herbs@nbnet.nb.ca) on Fri, Mar 19, 99 at 20:36

This is for gardeners who live in areas that have SNOW.
Make markers using venetian blind (cut about 1 foot long). You can write the name of the plant or any message using an HB lead pencil on the inside curve of the blind and it will not erase - in fact I have markers 2-3 years old and the messages are still clear. We have a large field of herbs so I keep track of where the herbs are (as they are hidden under straw for the winter). I put messages such as: "32 lovage"; "40 thyme - pot up spring '99"; "garlic chives - divide and move to row X", etc. etc. ML

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Bill - 5 (bhrost@yahoo.com) on Sat, Mar 20, 99 at 1:40

There's one that I read in a tree book that I've found works really well concerning tree pruning. If damage occurs to the bark on a tree (say a lot of woodpecker holes that create dead areas), or any type of wound that creates a blocky exposed area - this type of wound often callouses very slowly.
A pruning cut that is narrow at the ends and widens gradually in the middle (sort of like an eyesocket shape)heals much faster - I guess because the sap flows much more readily with this shape. So it is often better to take a utility knife and actually create a larger wound (though no larger than it needs to be to achieve this shape) with it's long axis parallel to the trunk or limb which includes the block shaped or patrchy wounds within it. Wounds which would otherwise take a half dozen years or more to heal may take only 2 or 3 years to callous over.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Diana in WI - 4 (amerherb@chorus.net) on Tue, Mar 30, 99 at 15:50

WOW! I knew you guys were full of it...full of GREAT ideas! Let's have more! Here's one: Start perennials from seed in large containers in the late summer (for your area). They'll be about half grown by the time the hard freeze hits. Overwinter them in your (unheated) greenhouse or in a cold frame for the winter. (This gives them the "down time" they need.) When you notice green coming up the following spring, start to water, and move them to a warmer place. You should have good, sturdy and practically FREE perennials to plant the next spring. I'm going to give this a try this fall. Diana :D

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: A Luft - 5b (alofpa@webtv.net) on Wed, Mar 31, 99 at 17:14

For anybody in a deer zone, like me, when your tulips first show signs of munching, take a bar of Irish Spring Soap (the original) and a cheese grater and grate it using the half moon side around the plants. I've had wonderful tulips the last four years in a heavily deer populated park. The soap lasts for weeks, as long as you can see the shavings there is no need to redo the process. I guess it's the pungent smell that masks the plants odor and the deer can't find the low growers.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Joe (king@positive-thinking.com) on Thu, Apr 15, 99 at 11:24

I've had trouble in the past finding reasonably priced supports for perennials such as peonies that don't get REAL tall, but need support because they are so top-heavy when they bloom. Here's what I did: I took the standard, three-ring tomato supports (that are in reality too small for tomatoes) and cut them down to size to make two supports. I cut the "stakes" on them that you drive in the ground, cutting them just above to lower ring. This leaves the top two, larger rings with supports to drive into the ground, the perfect size for peonies. The bottom ring with the original stakes can be used for smaller clumps or plants with a single top-heavy bloom, such as parrot tulips. Use heavy-duty wire snips to make the cuts, but be careful ... you may get jagged edges that can cut.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: dirtpig - 4a (dirtpig@hotmail.com) on Thu, Apr 15, 99 at 17:20

Hi,
I too use tomatoe cages for support for taller plants . I cut up the side through the three rings and bend them open . I put the cages out early so the plants grow around it or should I say through it so you can't see the cage and the plant gets the support it needs . I also use milk or oj jags for watering pumpkins and tomatoes that like lots of water . I bury the bottles where needed , also use for plant food for the fussy plants that have specific needs like rhododendrons and azaleas .

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Diana in WI - 4 (amerherb@chorus.net) on Thu, Apr 15, 99 at 21:16

Moving post to the top. I know there are lots more ideas out there! Diana :D

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Lisa - Zone 7 - 7a (elisa1@arkansas.net) on Sun, Apr 18, 99 at 21:30

I think the one I've used the most is to cut your panyhose in one inch rings, stretch,and cut the ring. These are the softest things I've ever used to tie up plants and my kids love to do the stretching part.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: marilyn - 5 (herbs@nbnet.nb.ca) on Wed, Apr 21, 99 at 19:18

Put styrofoam packing chips in the bottom of a large patio pot before putting in the soil and plant - saves on soil but also makes the pot much lighter and easier to move around.
See also
http://tv.cbc.ca/canadiangardener/intro.htm

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Paula - 8-SC (PaulaCat@aol.com) on Thu, Apr 29, 99 at 17:05

Two earlier suggestions were also good for people with outdoor pets. Milk jug rings (or soda bottle rings) placed around small plants discourage cats from digging them up. And...cats, like rabbits, don't like standing on chicken wire...and they can't dig through it, so I often place it over areas where I'm planting seeds.
2 or 3 liter soda bottles make great mini-greenhouses if you experience a later-than-normal cold snap. Simply cut off the bottom and place over plant, twisting to push it down in the soil a little. I usually leave the top off, so that if I leave the bottle in place during the day, it doesn't get too hot. (If you can't push it down in the soil, you can secure by sticking a long metal skewer through the open top down into the soil.)

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Dianne - 8 (Joesye@aol.com) on Sat, May 1, 99 at 22:07

I've also tried the newspaper for detering and killing weeds, but better than newspaper is cardboard which most stores compact or throw away. It has helped with my weed in zone 8. It takes longer to break down than newspaper. The only problem is that you need to plant your plants first. Then place the cardboard down so it overlaps. This is very much like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. After putting down cardboard, then cover with mulch. So far it has worked for me.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Evelyn - 34432 (evelynMP@gardenweb.com) on Tue, May 4, 99 at 21:47

IT WORKS! HEY GARDNERS , IF BOTHERED WITH SNAILS /SLUGS ,JUST START CUTTING YOUR HAIR AND PUT IT AROUND YOUR PLANTS. HAIR NOT ONLY PREVENTS SNAILS/SLUGS,BUT IS A GOOD SOIL BUILDER.DON"T FORGET IT TICKLES THE RABBIT NOSE ALSO! HA! (YOUR HAIRDRESSER WILL BE HAPPY FOR YOU TO SWEEP HER/HIS FLOOR!(:

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Jenra - 9 (corko2@ix.netcom.com) on Wed, May 5, 99 at 0:13

Evelyn:
Would you by any chance know if dog hair would work as well as human hair? Our dogs are shedding their winter coats and it seems that there should be some use for it.

Jenra

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Moving To the Top
Posted by: Diana in WI - 4 (amerherb@chorus.net) on Thu, May 13, 99 at 10:15

Any more ideas out there? I don't want to miss any!
Diana ;D

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Kim - Chicago 5 (ksterr@aol.com) on Fri, May 14, 99 at 22:00

Jenra -
Dog hair WILL help deter rabbits. Good thing I've got a shedder, it makes it a little easier! My friends request the dogs' hair for their gardens as well!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Jenra - 9 (corko2@ix.netcom.com) on Sat, May 15, 99 at 0:03

Thanx, Kim. I don't have a problem with bunnies, but I do have snails and slugs. Since hubby is in charge of brushing both dogs (not that they mind, they love it) he now knows to save the hair so I can give it a try.
Maybe someone can answer this question for me? Why do husbands have to give big sighs and roll their eyes to the heavens when we make these type of requests of them? LOL!

Jenra

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: jane - 7 (zeugmatics@aol.com) on Sun, May 16, 99 at 18:24

To clear an area that's full of brambles, weeds, vines, etc., cut everything down as best you can, cover with flattened cardboard cartons, and cover this with a thick layer (six inches or more) of leaves, grass clippsings, straw, or anything you would be putting on the compost heap. Next year, you have a plot all ready for planting. (Ruth Stout just used 10" of hay, but the cardboard cartons really smother the tough stuff.)

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Evelyn Smith - Georgia (alsmith@ellijay.com) on Wed, May 19, 99 at 17:44

Plant supports----I use small bare branches(especially those from Mountain Laurel)Trim a point on the end and stick it next to the plant. It is almost invisible, unlike the wire supports. And it is free.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: dicken - 5 - SW mi (bkeech@remc11.k12.mi.us) on Thu, May 20, 99 at 15:22

my goodness!! someone else who's read Ruth Stout! there may be hope for us, after all!!
-d.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: June T - 8-9 TX (junett@hotmail.com) on Fri, Jul 16, 99 at 4:13

to sow small seeds directly in the garden:
cut the top and bottom off of a cardboard box (1'x1'x 6")
you now have a 6 inch rim of cardboard. place this directly over the area you wish to sow. sow your seeds. place a piece of glass or plastic on top. this is like a mini portable greenhouse. your seeds stay moist until they germinate, then you can remove and use elsewhere.

you can make it any size you want, and using any material.
another suggestion is to remove the bottom of a large fiber pot,leaving only the rim.

i make my own using two by fours for the frame, a convenient size is 1.5 ft square.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Dee S. - 5 Michigan (dsadro@iavbbs.com) on Fri, Jul 16, 99 at 16:12

Instead of soaking my morning glory seeds I place them between wet paper towels. Just keep the towels damp until you see the seeds sprouting. Then plant in pots, flats, or whatever. This way you know you've got 100% germination. Sometimes I put the wet paper towels with seeds inside a plastic bag..they don't dry out as fast. The bag needs to lay flat so the seeds don't fall into a heap at the bottom. This really works for me.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Chris - 5 (hinton@vax2.concordia.ca) on Sat, Jul 17, 99 at 21:16

Use copper plumbing pipe to make arbours or any support. It will last forever. When it oxidizes it turns that pleasant green colour. There are many angle connectors available, and it is possible to purchase a copper pipe that bends reasonable easily.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Penelope - 6,Ontario, Canada (penelopea@sprint.ca) on Mon, Jul 19, 99 at 13:22

i have a fairly large garden and am forever planting and transplanting. trouble is, when you do this (especially in the middle of summer LOL) you must water frequently until plants become established and i often forget where i've planted what. now, after i have planted something, i stick a 3' bamboo stake in the ground next to the new planting and tie a piece of flourescent plastic tape to the top of the stake (can be purchased at safety supply stores). when watering time arrives, no problem remembering those new plantings!! i leave the stakes in place for a week or two until i feel plants no longer need 'special' attention.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Zeigler - 5 (jzeig104@inxpress.com) on Sat, Jul 24, 99 at 14:39

i heard about the use of hair for deterring squirrels from digging up spring bulbs, so i got some from my hairdresser. she said lots of people ask for it. my bulbs all came up the next year! the year after, i got some dog hair instead from my friend who is a pet groomer. didnt work at all with the new plantings of bulbs and the squirrels got many. go figure. all i can think of is that human hair has a different scent or something. also to make this work, when applying in fall before the snow flies--you have to reapply if it is a very wet fall. dont know why--this has just been my experience.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Jul - 3/4 (Hansonhome@webtv.net) on Mon, Jul 26, 99 at 0:27

When I am spring planting. I roll up a fat roll of newspaper and soak it in water. once it wet it doesn't unroll. Then I lay in down in the hole under my tomatoes. The idea is that the newspaper retains water, and will aid in watering the plant throughout the season , and then degrade over the winter to supliment the soil.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Lee Ann - 6 (lee_ann_barnhart@hotmail.com) on Wed, Jul 28, 99 at 16:02

I tried the newspaper mulch and it disappeared in one season, what a bother for me. If you have a huge area to cover, like I do, call a furniture store and ask for their cardboard - it's huge. I also asked what days were best for picking it up, what days their trash pickup is, so I can be there first. I remove any metal staples (few are stapled) and peel off any tape (most boxes are taped), toss back into their dumpster, and fold cardboard to fit in back of car. I've gone so long that the employees now ask about my gardens. The bonus is there are often filler pieces inside shipping boxes to keep furn. from getting rub marks. Bigger boxes can be torn down to smaller sizes if that's what you need, but it's sure great to not wrestle small boxes when covering a large area.
When transplanting new flowers from pots, I dig a hole bigger than needed and add a couple of trowelsful or shovelsful of peat moss/humus to hole bottom, put in plant, fill around plant w/more peat, add water, pull soil from hole over top and make a dam of any left-over dirt to get water down to roots when watering. I also use the boxes draped over tomato cages laid on sides to give shade to newly transplanted plants to shield from too-hot sun. Also keeps the ground around them moist w/fewer waterings.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Shirley Cleveland - zone 4 (bookworm@superior.net) on Thu, Jul 29, 99 at 16:45

What a great thread!!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: kathy - ky (jatkins2@webtv.net) on Fri, Jul 30, 99 at 1:56

The linning from baby diapers can be added to your soil when planting in the ground or in a pot .
they hold water and are much like what is used in nurseries to help hold water for the plants.
Use tomato cages to support your tomatoes they hold mulch well and give support for cucumbers to be planted around them making more use of your garden space.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Daphne - Zone 8 in Tacoma, Wa (dmstannard@home.com) on Sat, Jul 31, 99 at 1:58

TRANSPLANTING -- I make sure the rootball of each plant is wet when I plant it. I use a large, shallow plastic bowl to soak each plant that is really dry when I pop it out of its container. This only takes a few minutes of soaking time. I just pop 4-6 out, check the moisture content, and put the ones that are really dry into the bowl of water. Usually by the time I've planted a few moist ones, the dry ones are now wet and ready to go. (I squeeze out excess water if they have gotten too wet.) I also make sure the hole is damp, too. I keep a watering can with me to make sure.
I cringe when I see TV gardeners planting a dry plant in dry soil. They always say to water in well after planting, (which I do, too), but I know from experience how hard it is to get totally dry soil to absorb water. I started planting this way after I had to dig up plants I had recently put in (to move them) and found the root balls to still be totally dry, even though I had 'watered in well after planting'.

For the small plants that come in 4 or 6 packs - I try to remember to split the rootball vertically through the middle from the bottom up about halfway. Then I spread the two halves out and plant this inverted 'T'. This is supposed to give the roots a bigger area of contact with the new soil. Seems to work. (Saw this on TV somewhere.)

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Suzy - SC(coastal area) (sc@sccoast.net) on Mon, Aug 9, 99 at 23:55

These are wonderful tips! I want to keep this on page 1 so I can get to it quicker.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: andy - NJ (adutko@amesrubber.com) on Wed, Aug 11, 99 at 10:11

Hi. Thanks for this posting Diana. great idea.
Has anyone used the emply egg carton method of starting seedlings? I read it in a book and I'm going to try it next spring.

You take the egg carton, tear off the top and you are left with 12 holes where the eggs rested. Into each hole you put half an egg shell with a hole punched in the bottom for drainage. Fill the shell with seed starter mix and add your seeds. Once they start, remove shell and all and bury it, crushing the shell as you plant it. I'm going to try it on my poppies next spring even though I know they don't like to be moved. It should allow me to better space the plants. But that's that old saying? - If it sounds too good to be true...

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: tony - 8b (tony128@canada.com) on Thu, Aug 12, 99 at 19:39

Hello there:
When opening up a new plastic jug of herbicide or pesticide, they usually come sealed with an aluminum flap glued onto the lid. Don't peel it off! Poke a small hole in it with a toothpick. This way it doesn't spill out all over the place when all you need is 5ml per litre of water.

How do you measure 5 ml without contaminating you measuring spoons? Get a clear film canister (from Fuji Film) and measure in 5ml gradations with water. Mark each 5ml gradation with a Sharpie. A film canister can measure out 25ml. You now have an accurate measuring cup for those herbicide/pesticide/insecticide concentrates you can use over and over.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Dot - 7 (dcdevore@home.com) on Sun, Aug 15, 99 at 12:02

Marilyn - Great idea about the styrofoam, but WATCH OUT!! They are now making biodegradable styrofoam - it dissolves in water. So, before you fill the bottom of your pot with the chips, take one and wet it and see what happens - I almost used a bunch of it myself. Fortunately, somebody warned me to check before I put the dirt on top of it!!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Tan Boon Kiat (boonboon@mbox2.singnet.com.sg) on Sun, Aug 15, 99 at 15:06

What a good thread with lots of ideas and amazing tips! Any objections from the contributers if I ask my gardening society editor to publish some of these ideas in this coming September issue newsletter 'GRAPEVINE'?
regards,
Boon Kiat
Singapore

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Cathy D - 7b (juddster@mindspring.com) on Fri, Aug 20, 99 at 21:58

I LOVE YOU GUYS!! As a fairly new gardener, these tips are so wonderful! Picked up a great one from my mother-in-law: my daisies & mums bloomed this spring with very small, wilted looking petals. Mom told me to put my used coffee grounds around the plants, and now that they're blooming again, they're beautiful! Apparently my plants have taken on my personal traits--can't function properly without some caffeine! :)
Happy Gardening, everybody! Keep these wonderful tips coming!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Jo-Anne - 8 (jsturch@direct.ca) on Sun, Aug 22, 99 at 17:08

Soap Ends: Put those annoying pieces of soap ends into a mesh bag (the ones onions come in) and hang the bag by the outside faucet. Rubbing wet hands on the mesh bag full of soap ends creates great lather and some of the soil is left in the garden, not down the drain.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Marilyn (herbs@nbnet.nb.ca) on Tue, Aug 24, 99 at 20:50

Dry rot at the stem end of your tomatoes? They need calcium. Next year, sprinkle some powdered milk and work into the soil around your new tomato plants and you'll have the sweetest, healthiest tomatoes. I learned this from an experienced farmer.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: JonPen - 8 (jonpen@vicksburg.com) on Mon, Aug 30, 99 at 23:44

Handy plant rot-proof markers can be made out of the slats
of a discarded mini-blind. With scissors just cut the slats
into various lengths. I use 6 inch ones and with a #2 pencil or a Sharpie permanent marker you can write info such
as plant name, source, date of planting, etc. These are
handy for future reference when you want to check on a plant's data. I stick them into the ground behind the plant
so they don't show. Also they are useful to stick in flats
of seeds you start and cuttings you are propagating.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Chris - 6 (GUSOOME@AOL.COM) on Thu, Sep 2, 99 at 16:28

For new gardeners or the clueless: Green side up. :-)

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Min - 7a (the_fitful_gardener@yahoo.com) on Tue, Sep 21, 99 at 2:15

1. Are squirrels raiding your bird feeders? Next time you fill up the feeders, be sure to add one or two table spoon fulls of hot chilly powder with the bird seeds. Birds do not seem to taste the hot taste, and will be happy to eat the seeds. Squirrels, however, will be bothered by the hot taste, and will be suitably deterred. (Like human beings, though, there are some squirrels who like it hot - so be warned.)
2. Squirrels robbing your fall/winter planted bulbs? Put chicken wire over the top of the soil and hide this with a layer of mulch. Once the shoots have emerged, you can remove the mesh (or else, leave it alone, if it doesn't bother you. It's best to remove it if you intend to plant something else on the same patch of soil).

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Steve - 6-3/4 (steve.meigs@juno.com) on Thu, Sep 30, 99 at 1:27

Next time you have a garage sale, add some plants, and mention it in the advertisement.
I sold every plant I had potted up, including the orange ditch lilies.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: tammy - indiana (garya@one.net) on Fri, Oct 1, 99 at 15:46

Hello everyone. I found this out by mistake, and maybe many of you already know this, but I've only been gardening a few years now and just learned that lavendar roots easily from stems laying on the ground and covered with leaves, mulch, or dirt. What a nice surprise it was this past spring to see that I had more lavendar to share throughout the yard. Happy Gardening.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: tanya - CT-6 (namastegardens@hotmail.com) on Sat, Oct 2, 99 at 1:09

when dividing or moving plants shake excess soil off roots and place in a bucket of water in the shade. let sit in the water for a bit before planting again. i've left things for days and planted with great success.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Trish - 6 (mjlsr1@famvid.com) on Tue, Oct 5, 99 at 23:35

Here's something people don't think of: keep a garden diary. Oh, not every day, of course, but once a week or so write down the weather conditions, what plants are doing well, etc. I've been doing it for three years now, and seeing what happened in previous years has been a big help to me.

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Free lumber for garden structures ....
Posted by: Ann Zone 6 - 6 (af@msn.email.com) on Mon, Oct 11, 99 at 19:08

I rarely pay for wood for garden structures. Instead, I stop by local construction sites and get free wood from them. Most construction companies put wooden planks right into the dumpster and have to pay to have them hauled away. They are frequently happy to have local people haul them for free. I've gotten wood to use for informal wooden fences (I garden in a rented plot in a field) and also for raised beds or compost bins. You can also get small pieces for use in building bird houses.
I also got a free end-of-the-roll of cement support wire. It's at least 10 feet long and over five feet tall and made of very heavy wire. It's going to make a great trellis for heavy cherry tomatoes.

'Reusing *is* recycling.'

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: di - 6 (stanolbernchance@hotmail.com) on Sat, Oct 16, 99 at 10:19

I always seem to have trouble finding string when I want to tie something up. But, it is always easy in summer in my garden to find wilted iris leaves, and they are extremely fibrous and strong. I use them to tie up roses, clematis, or whatever else needs attaching to a fence or support.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Clairabelle - 4b (claire.kingston@ppg.ulaval.ca) on Tue, Oct 26, 99 at 20:58

Tips to save you time and money:
1. Compost compost compost !
2. That funny rubber hose with all the holes in it! "Plant" one just under the surface of hard-to-get, usually dry areas(like under eaves, for example)for instant --well almost-- gratification! Instead of standing around for hours watering, this automatic system lets you get on to better things, like more planting, hammocking and cool-drinkizing!
3. Your old pantyhose is just right for securing delicate vines and branches in place. Cut in strips and store in pocket!
4. Yes, human hair works to ward off the hungry varmints. Also try dryer softener sheets tied around the base of plants, the critters hate the smell.
5. Don't pull the plug on your dishwater! Throw it in the garden!
6. Hold on to the water you've cooked your veggies in, and throw that outside too!
7. Don't be shy... take pictures and document your achievements/learn from your mistakes!
8. Share your passion (especially with the neighbors!)
If at first you don't succSEED, plant plant again!
Now: aren't we SPECIAL! LOL

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Susan Carroll - No CAZ9 - 9 - sunset 17 (arib@ix.netcom.com) on Mon, Nov 8, 99 at 21:16

Forget regular gardening gloves! -Playtex household "living gloves" are the way to go. You can tell what you're doing and aren't clumsy at all, but your hands stay clean, warm and dry.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: vickie - 8 (fairytern@aol.com) on Mon, Nov 8, 99 at 21:54

My dishwasher soap comes in large 3 gallon buckets. I reuse them in my potting shed and they come in handy for all sorts of things.Toting compost to the beds, picking up doggy doo, storing plant foods and slug baits. One of my favorite uses for them is to fill with medium grain sand and add a little mineral oil. Then I can just shove in my trowels and pruning shears and other metal garden tools when done using them and the next time I go get them they are clean!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Rose - 5 (Msbierne@aol.com) on Tue, Nov 9, 99 at 0:21

Hi Everyone! I'm fairly new here and certainly enjoyed this post. It's printing and has been for a long time. There goes a ream of paper, but well worth it. I wish I could commment on everything because everything was great! I have a couple of comments:
Jenra, my husband does the same thing, but deep down inside we are making them feel useful, don't you think?

Chris, you talked about copper trellises. I've seen this idea before and think they are beautiful--what about the metal retaining heat? Does this not hurt the plants?

To everyone else, Hi. Enjoyed it!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Mary - 5 USDA (rwforest@eoni.com) on Thu, Jan 6, 00 at 18:27

Use your grass clippings around your plants to help retain moisture while they gradually break down and add to the soil.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Susi Torre-Bueno - 10 (jdelatorre@ixpres.com) on Sat, Jan 8, 00 at 19:01

Never go out into the garden without a pair of scissors in your hand - you know you always end up wishing you had them!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: karen z6 - 6 (karen@apo.nmsu.edu) on Mon, Jan 10, 00 at 23:12

Since I have a lot of pine trees on my property, my favorite tip is a way to get pine sap off your hands.
To remove pine sap, rub your hands with petroleum jelly. The sap will come right off and the petroleum jelly will leave your hands moisturized.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Kim El Paso (kawn1955@yahoo.com) on Wed, Jan 12, 00 at 23:17

Great Tips... My favorite is planting a banana peel next to our rose bushes. Also put a large tin can open at both ends.
Fill up with water. They really like it. Gets to the roots.
Good Luck....

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Mindy - 5/6 SE Indiana (mjdaily@seidata.com) on Thu, Jun 8, 00 at 4:13

I think this has alot of great tips even tho' so old. Thought I would keep it going.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Margaret - 7 VA (abemar@widomaker.com) on Tue, Jun 13, 00 at 20:50

I hate wearing gardening gloves, and it takes me ages to scrub my nails clean, so I dig my nails into a bar of soap -washing my hands afterwards is a breeze.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Doris - 7 - AL (muff55@juno.com) on Wed, Jun 14, 00 at 7:49

To grow vines on a privacy fence or the like, use plastic fencing (sold in a roll). Staple on top, stake a few inches away from fence so that the vines can grow through the mesh. The mesh disappears in no time.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Steve - TN (steve.meigs@juno.com) on Wed, Jun 21, 00 at 1:22

There is a kind of ladder looking wire used to reinforce concrete. It is quite pliable, will bend. You can get it at any home improvement place. It's great for any kind of plant that climbs. It's also galvanized and resists rust, and costs 99 cents for about eight feet.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Sudha - 6 (sudhaturaga@hotmail.com) on Tue, Jun 27, 00 at 13:42

I make plant labels from yogurt cans. Use Sharp permanent markers.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Elfrieda (elf@brevard.net) on Fri, Jul 14, 00 at 21:54

We should keep this one going. I have quite a few tips in my files and will dig them out to share. But, meanwhile, don't throw your eggshells out; wash them I then leave them in a bowl for a few days to dry. Then I mash them by kneading them with my fingers until pulverized. Sprinkle in your flower beds. It's calcium !. If you time it right and realize that the birds are nesting/producing in your area and are coming to your feeders ; put some of those pulverized egg shells out as a little "side dish" with, or by the bird feeder.
Another; sometimes it is so good to soak your feet. Isn't it ? Year-round living in Florida helps ! Anyway; sometimes when I relax on the patio and decide to treat my feet to a little relaxation (in a foot bath)- I always use Epsom Salts. It's been touted for years as a wonderful balm to soak feet in. The plus is that you just throw that water out - preferably around your roses. They love Epsom Salts. I have just noticed recently that in the W-M's and H-D's place they actually have cartons of "fertilizer" containing --- oh, my gosh ! Epsom Salts. It's going to cost you more, of course, more than if you went to the pharmacy section and just bought a container of Epsom Salts ! Gotta check out my files and post some more good hints.

Regarding using water that your vegetables have cooked in, to use in your flower beds; this should not be done if you use salt to cook your vegetables ! No ! No !

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Steve - 6-1/1 (steve.meigs@juno.com) on Sun, Jul 16, 00 at 22:48

Do you ever use a long extension cord in the garden? If so, you know how it gets tangled and twisted while making those big round loops (like taking up a garden hose)to take it back inside. You decide how big the loops are going to be, and you make loop after loop and somehow the doggone thing looks twisted and starts fraying after a few trips to the garden and back.
The secret is put on every other loop backwards. Assuming you've got the loops in your left hand, and you're gathering a loop with your right hand, every other loop, right before you drop it into place, reverse your hand and drop it in. Describing this is a test of my technical writing skills, though it is very simple really.

Holding loops in one hand, the other hand comes bringing a new loop of extension cord and drops it into place. The next time the hand comes with a loop, right before it drops the loop, rotate your hand so you drop the loop into place with that hand facing the other way.

Oh well, that's the best I can do for an explanation. The wires inside an extension cord, looped like a hose, are twisting over and over again (and this is what causes extension cords to get all bent out of shape). If you reverse each loop, that takes the tension out of it. It may seem odd when you first do it, but it really works. (I learned this while taking a course at a cable access television station).

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Muffi (sandrap@epix.net) on Mon, Jul 17, 00 at 16:36

What a great thread! I used to always end up cutting spring bulbs when planting in the fall. Now I cut large plastic pots into 2" rings and when I plant new bulbs, I cover with soil and near the top of the planting area, place the ring. When I plant in the fall, I am careful with the first plunge of the spade,carefully checking if there is a ring in sight. If I dig near one, it pops out before I am able to damage the bulbs below. It has really saved my bulbs.
Muffi

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Elfrieda (elf@brevard.net) on Mon, Jul 17, 00 at 21:33

Got to add one more that I feel is really important -- will try to add more if this thread keeps going and my memory doesn't fail. Anyway, for all you southern gardeners who have had their run-in with fire ants. I don't have a "fire-proof" way of getting rid of them. BUT, when you are bitten, slosh on some WHITE VINEGAR. I can't remember where I read this years ago; but honestly it works. I keep a large SAM's size bottle in my garage and a spritz bottle of the white vinegar which I take out with me when I'm gardening. I just can't stand to wear sneakers out there (too hot); so I usually end up with the "flip-flops" not good I agree - especially with all the other critters one might encounter on the ground. But I can't emphasize enough how instantly the white vinegar will put an immediate end to the painful bite; let along the postules that come later and the unbelievable itching. It just stops it all right away. I have told so many people about this, especially those with small children and some co-workers have even made sure that their day-care centers have the white vinegar on hand. Some years ago I remember reading about a small child (somewhere in Florida) who had fallen into a fire ant's nest; her little head and face were covered. The mother just couldn't get them off and couldn't wash them off either. The poor child died. I will never forget reading about that and thinking if only she had a bottle of white vinegar handy she might have had a chance.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: DeaMN (higg@rconnect.com) on Tue, Jul 18, 00 at 9:58

And here's one more tip..I haven't used it as yet as I am new to gardening and haven't started anything from seed as yet, but it sounds like it would be a good idea. It has to do with egg shells as well...use them to plant your seeds in and when the seeds are ready to be planted, just plant shell and all. Gives the seeds a little extra "something".

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Preventing tangles & kinks in garden hose
Posted by: Cajun Joe - 9 - New Orleans (cutebuns@bigfoot.com) on Thu, Jul 20, 00 at 10:48

To prevent tangles or kinks in a garden hose =
When rolling up a hose on the ground, roll it up in and S shape each time. Thereafter when you go to use it, it will uncoil straight.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Elfrieda (elf@brevard.net) on Sun, Jul 23, 00 at 20:37

The plastic stuff that comes in a pack, with a couple of strips that you break a piece off -- usually used to "tack" your kids' posters to the bedroom wall - without using thumb-tacks --I just can't remember what it's called. Anyway; its great for fastening vines to a wall or wherever you want to train it until it gets to where you want it to go !!! It can also be used, with or without a stick, to bind up a plant that is bent or partly broken.
And for slugs -- apart from the beer suggestions; here's a couple more; a small amount of bran placed around the garden will attract slugs and kill them quickly (don't know how !); also after squeezing oranges, keep the empty halves and put them in your garden face down, along a flower bed containing seedlings. slugs will crawl underneath and can easily be removed each day.

And, for you northerners who have a fireplace; to revive tired roses; take soot from a chimney or stove where wood has been used as a fuel. Put it into a container; pour boiling water over it and when cold use every day to water the roses. The effect is remarkable; it deepens the color and produces the rapid growth of shoots. Try with other plants as well. Remember my mother in England though, using horse or sheep manure (collecting that is a whole other story !); in a bucket and pouring boiling water over it, making a sludge/slurry. When cooled she used some of that, with regular water in another bucket to water the roses; she swore it was the best for her roses. Got to admit, she had the best in our neighborhood; huge blooms.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Tom - 5 (tomwenzel@deseretonline.com) on Tue, Aug 1, 00 at 2:18

I put some well composted manure a few inches under each plant I transplant in my garden as well as under seeds I sow. By the time the plants need a fertilizer boost they get it!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Kate G - 6 (Katherippy@hotmail.com) on Thu, Aug 3, 00 at 16:26

I've said before that the ABSOLUTE best place you can plant most plants is in a compost pile. If you ever have an old compost pile (mostly made of grass clippings, newspapers, etc..) and don't really want to keep adding to it but you know how unsightly it can be.. go on, and plant your prettiest flowers in it. The newspapers and grass clippings keep everything underneath so moist and warm, even in cold spring weather or fall weather! So if you plant, say.. some Columbines and some Daisys in early Spring, and you have a drought-like summer, you flowers will have lots more water underneath those composts than any other flower around!!

Here is a link that might be useful: KaterTater's Homepage

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Evelyn - 7-8/N.CA foothills (email4evelyn@netscape.net) on Sat, Aug 12, 00 at 13:55

In order to weed in between perennials and any other plants that are fairly close together, I use ordinary steak knives. I try to find some on sale and buy a quantity of them as they eventually get dull and cannot be resharpened. They get the whole weed, root and all! I cannot even imagine using any of the commercial weeders, as they are too clumsy for me.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Helen - 6 (helenh@netins.net) on Tue, Aug 15, 00 at 23:26

Carry a large plastic container in your trunk or a large sheet of black plastic so that you can buy half price broken bags of potting soil or mulch at Wal Mart and Lowes.
Plant easy flowering shrubs like Diana rose of sharon for elderly parents who love plants but can't garden any more.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: OUTABE - elf in Florida - 9 plus a little (elf@atlbrevard.com) on Wed, Aug 16, 00 at 22:12

Plastic in your trunk - good advice Helen. I am on a waiting list at my office for those huge long bags they use in our manufacturing area that hold the styrafoam peanuts. Fits beautifully in the trunk. I also keep a large cardboard box there; you know, the carton the copy paper comes in; great for newly purchased pots or plants so they don't slide around in the trunk.
And, my final gardening tip; please, please don't do what two people did this past week (one a co-worker and one a neighbor); after carefully selecting, digging and wrapping plant roots in wet paper towels in plastic bags, or in a bucket with some water-- plants they had admired -- and wanted to have in their gardens -- PLEASE don't tell me that they died because you FORGOT to plant them ! I could have given those plants to another person who would not have forgotten to plant them

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Trudi Davidoff - Long Island, Zone 7 (sdavidof@optonline.net) on Thu, Aug 17, 00 at 21:34

How to Winter Sow Seeds Outdoors
First, let me give you a little background as to why I sowed the
seeds during the Winter. I live in a very small house, a cottage
actually and I simply do not have room for a light set up, also
any window space I have must be fought from the cat and "Prinny"
likes to look out on the street and watch the world go by, so I
have to give her a windowsill. She's a good cat and deserves her
place in the sun.

I got hooked on seed trading, and as you all know seed trading is
like Pokeman......you gotta have 'em all. I had tons of seeds, I
had them all. Though I am not a novice at gardening I am a novice
at growing seeds, this was my second season doing so. Because of
my lack of experience with growing seeds, and not having a light
set up, I always traded for "easy to grow" seeds: I had to start
them in the windowsill or out on the patio in flats during Spring
and Summer which I did the previous year with good success too.

I was thinking a lot last Winter about how I was going to start
all these seeds, I needed an easy way out. I knew that many seeds
needed to be pre-chilled, and I knew that many plants will reseed
outdoors without our intervention. I thought about this for a few
days and put 2+2 together. I would so them into flats, and take
them outside for the Winter, if all went well then they would
germinate in Spring.

I am a true believer in "recycle and reuse". I had been saving my
take-out containers from the Chinese restaurant (not those typical
white boxes that have a metal handle and white rice inside), I was
saving the foil pans that have a separate clear plastic lid,
they're usually round or rectangular. These containers were just
perfect......plus I didn't have to go to a store and open up my
wallet (hmm, look at all the moths fly out), if I can get away
without having to lay down a buck I will. I did need soil though
and so I went to Walmart and got their brand which is the cheapest
I could find.

Seed selection:

Take a look at a seed catalogue, most will have some sort of
notation about a seed's germination requirements, or you'll pick
up a few clue-in phrases. Look for these terms:

Needs prechilling (freeze seeds, refrigerate seeds, stratify for x
amount of days or weeks)
Needs Stratification
Will Colonize
Self Sows
Sow outdoors in Early Autumn
Sow outdoors in early Spring while nights are still cool
Hardy Seeds
Seedlings can withstand frost
Can be direct sown early

Look for names that might indicate an origin in a temperate climate:

Siberian
Chinensis
Polar
Alpine
Orientale
Canadensis
Russ (or variant indicating Russian origin)
etc

Think about your own garden, and your neighbors' gardens too. Do
you find plants that have volunteered each Spring and shown up as
seedlings that you didn't sow? These are very good choices. (let's
say that your orange marigolds have returned in Spring as
volunteer seedlings.......you can then be pretty well assured that
gold, or lemon, or African or French varieties will also reseed
for you too, when it comes down to it a marigold is a marigold is
a marigold).

I like Park's Seed Catalogue, it has a great germination table
right in the middle of the catalogue. They have a numbered guide
indicating the best germination requirements for seeds. I took a
yellow highlighter and went down that numbered list and
highlighted all the numbers that would be appropriate for Winter
Sowing, then I carefully went through their list of seeds and
highlighted the varieties that corresponded to the correct
numbers. This is how I chose which varieties I would Winter Sow. A
lot of catalogues, not just Parks, will have a germination table,
or some sort of info like that, look at them, study them, and
learn.

To make a flat you take the foil container (of course it's clean,
washed in hot soapy water) and a paring knife. Stab a few slits in
the bottom of the pan, this is for drainage. Now fill the pan with
soil to about a half inch from the top. Give it a real good drink
and let it drain. I do this in my kitchen. (I have a sprayer on a
hose at the sink and I use this for the watering, works well and
doesn't gouge out holes in the soil.). After the pan has drained
sow your seeds and pat them down. Cover them with more soil to the
correct depth if necessary. I like growing plants with tiny tiny
seeds, they're really just the very most easiest sow. Sprinkle
them on top of the soil, pat them down, and that's that.

Now you need to put the lid on BUT FIRST.........and this is the very
most important step.......take the knife and poke several slits in
the clear plastic lid. This is for air transpiration. Think about
it, you're making a little mini greenhouse. If you don't vent the
air that is heated by the sun then you'll cook your flat and the
seeds won't germinate. You've baked them to death. Okay, put the
lid on secure by folding down the foil rim. Now the seeds are
sown.

Uh oh.......back it up, I forgot a step that you may wish to use:
labeling. I didn't label mine as I like suprises, however this
concept may pop the heads of gardeners who enjoy having everything
"just so". Get some freezer tape, or any tape that you know will
work well after being frozen. Pull off a six inch piece and write
on it with a laundry marker (or a sharpie) the variety name. Stick
it to the bottom of the flat. You can do this before or
after sowing, if you do it after make sure you wipe the bottom of
the flat well, freezer tape doesn't really adhere as good as you'd
like to a damp surface. The label is on the bottom of the
flat because the sun can't bleach it down there. I haven't yet
found a marker that won't bleach out in my strong Long Island sun.

All right, the flat is now sown and covered (with little slits in
the top, yes? don't forget!!). Now take it outside to somewhere it
will be safe for the Winter. I put them on a picnic table top away
from my curious puppy. I learned my lesson, I lost a flat of
daylilies, the first I sowed this way, because I put them on the
ground under a bush and the puppy found them and thought the flat
was a toy and she promptly killed it by shaking it to death. After
that all the flats went up on the table out of her reach. Sad
loss, but an excellent lesson.

Now you just wait it out. When the weather warms the flats will
freeze and thaw repeatedly as Winter gives way to Spring. This
action of freezing and thawing out helps loosen the seed coat
(you'll often see the term "nick or file seeds prior to sowing" in
germination databases: this is to duplicate Mother Nature's work,
now you don't have to do that anymore).

Amazingly, just when Winter is about to break, and you're still
getting nightly freezes, the first of your flats will begin to
germinate. When I saw this I thought that the seedlings were
goners, but they thrived. I guess the seeds know when it's okay to come up.
Now is the time to check the moisture in the flats, on an above
freezing day open them up and if they look like they need a drink
give them one. The excess water will drain away. Don't forget to
replace the lids tightly.

As your seedlings grow start widening the slits in the covers, once
a week or so make the slits a little bit bigger, eventually you'll
have more open areas than covered and you'll be able to transplant
the seedling into the garden because they are completely hardened
off. I have put in seedlings that barely had their first set of
true leaves and they thrived in the ground.

After transplant care is typically the same as for indoor sown
seedlings, they need a drink, just a little bit of food (10%
strength after their first week in the ground, then increase
slowly as the season progresses. After about eight weeks and a few
feedings your seedlings will be able to take a full strength
feeding.

Alternate seed flats:

I have used plastic milk jugs and 2 litre soda bottles too, just
cut around the middle almost all the way through. Make the
drainage slits. Fill with dirt, water, drain, sow, cover with more
dirt (the same procedure as above). Tape the cut edges together
and simply remove the cap for air transpiration.

Cardboard orange juice or milk containers can be used with a
baggie too. Cut them in half, horizontally or vertically, make the
drainage slits and sow your seeds by the same method above. Slip
the flat into a baggie, tie it closed with a twist tie or a knot
and use the knife to make a few slits for air transpiration, put a
few slits in the bottom of the baggie too (drainage).

Coolwhip tubs: Make the drainage slits, sow your seeds as above.
Take a scissors and cut out the center of the lid, leaving about
an inch around the inside of the rim. Put a piece of saran wrap
over the tub, put on the lid. This holds the saran wrap "window"
snugly. Take the knife and make some slits in the saran wrap for
air transpiration.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So that's how to do it, if I remember something that I have
forgotten I'll post an addendum, but I think I have it all
covered. The major principles of outdoor Winter Sowing are
selecting the appropriate seeds, and providing adequate drainage
and adequate air transpiration. Do all these and you'll have a
success.

Did all my flats germinate? NO! I had about eighty or so of these
made and I had eight not germinate. Was it the seeds? was it the
method? was it me? I don't know. But I did have around seventy
flats that did germinate. Outside!

I forgot to mention that I also used four kiddie pools too. These
were used the summer before as container gardens (lots of soil,
lots of big slits for drainage). I simply direct sowed these, and
didn't cover them. They got snowed on, the snow melted, it rained
while the base of the kiddie pools were still frozen and the rain
didn't drain. They all were frozen with ice at least an inch
thick.......aarrgghh, panic Panic PANIC....I couldn't do anything
about it. The warmer weather came, the pools thawed and drained,
and the seeds came up! YEAH!

That's it. As you see it's not hard to do at all and I sowed these
flats at my leisure throughout the Winter. Everyone talks about
going bonkers in January and February because they can't get out
and do any meaningful gardening, and there are only only a few
varieties of seeds can be successfully sown this early
indoors....frustration and gardening fever sets in. While all the
other gardeners were chomping at the bit I was being self
indulgent and playing with dirt and mud and seeds at my own lazy
bones pace.

I took a leap of faith doing this, I kept the faith, and I was rewarded. I
believe in this method, it works, it really truly works. Too much
emphasis has been made on indoor sowing under lights. It takes up
time, it takes up space, white flies take to the air, damp-off
kills your effort, your seedlings, your spirit. Did I forget to
mention that there was NO EVIL DAMP-OFF? The freezing action
killed whatever nasties that are in the soil that cause young
innocent seedlings to perish so tragically, so sadly. And it is
sad, you take a lot of time and care, they're sometimes like
children, it's really depressing when they don't make it.

I encourage everyone to try this Winter Sowing method, if you want
to hold back some seeds the first time you try it that's great.
Save some seeds to sow indoors of a variety you have placed in a
Winter flat, compare the differences in the seedlings, and then
the compare plants when they mature. Learn from what you observe.

Trudi Davidoff

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Barb - 5 - Mich (crafty_crafts@email.com) on Sun, Aug 27, 00 at 18:09

I just wanted to let you say something about the suggestion of pepper powder in the bird feeders to ward off squirrels....in some places it is now illegal to do this. Research has found that the pepper burns the squirrles eyes, nose, and mouth, the same as it would any of us. They use their "hands" to eat the seeds, then "wash their faces" with the pepper on their paws. Ever touch your eyes or nose after handling hot peppers? I did once...OUCH!!!
I have learned a nice watering tip though - I keep the water I boil my pasta in and 'fertilize' my potted plants with it every 2 weeks or so. But I DON'T add salt to my water to make it boil faster (I don't think that trick saves much time anyway). Of course, if anyone else knows of this possibly hurting any particular plants, please let me know. I don't want to hurt my plants, just help them to grow. - Barb

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: L.A. Allen - 7 (laallen@tds.net) on Sun, Oct 1, 00 at 10:51

Eggs shells,
My mother would save them and set them in the oven, bake for a bit, cool, crush and feed them back to the chickens.
This would kill any bad thing on the shells. Would it hurt to bake before planting seeds in them? L.A. Allen

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Weedwacker - 5 (homegardener@yahoo.com) on Wed, Jan 24, 01 at 8:24

When I got tired of birds and rabbits picking on my seedlings, I sought for ways to outsmart them. Going through a desk drawer, I discovered a few computer CDs that we had gotten in mail advertisements. The hole in the middle of the CD made it easy to tie on a length of string. I tied the other end of the string to a metal plant support, which is tall enough to dangle above small plants and twirl with the slightest breeze. The reflection of light on the CD really annoys the birds, and the rabbits have left this area undisturbed.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Best of Home Gardening

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Anne, Outer Banks, NC - 8a (jawhite1@mindspring.com) on Wed, Jan 31, 01 at 22:00

Often plants are rootbound from sitting too long in six packs. Use a dinner fork to fluff up roots - pulling them out in all directions. This helps them spread out instead of continuing to circle, which helps them grow better. I agree with writer who said water the hole first, then place the plant in it, then water bed again after you get everything planted.
If you dig up perennials you can separate them better if you use a bucket of water to clean off the roots. Helps you see most effective place to divide the root ball. I use a butcher knife to divide clump. This trick can also be used if your perennials have weeds growing up through them so bad that you have to dig up the plant to pull out the weed - in my yard that confounded bermuda grass is the worst culprit. I had a broken foot last summer and have had to dig up most of my perennials to pull out that pesky grass this winter. It got away from me bigtime.

The bucket dunk and swish works for multiple seedlings growing close together in a starter pot too. Dowse them up and down in the water and pull gently to separate seedlings with minimal root loss. I'm always throwing a bunch of old seeds in a pot and sometimes get way more seedlings in a small space than I counted on - dowsing is the way to get them into the six packs with a minimum of damage.

Love winter seeding idea from Trudi. This should work great here where winters are usually mild - don't forget to try local wildflower seeds this way. Plant them in pots in the fall when you gather seeds and leave them outdoors all winter open to air, rain and cold. Often they will germinate in spring just as nature intended. When I lived in zone 6 I used to pile leaves around the pots in an open coldframe, with just tops exposed. I even grow native shrubs, vines and trees this way. If it is a seed I really want to germinate, I place seeds in soil in refrigerator for the winter and pot them up in spring.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Zanne - Eastern KY(6-7ish) (Zannedjinmonet@aol.com) on Tue, Feb 20, 01 at 13:22

Just remembered this one as I had to do it today.... Before and after digging or whatever backbreaking thing in garden, stretch,(slowly and carefully), all leg, arm, back, neck, etc. muscles for at least 15 min. And if it's digging, take a short walk somewhere before coming in and stretching. Do not come in and sit down. (Arghhhh! I know!lol!) This is not just for old people,:) , I'm 26 & have done this with my Mom many times as a child and teen! This little thing makes it sooooo much easier to get up the next day and do it again! Also, drink a good bit of plain water an hour or so before heavy exertion.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Diane - 5 (jfrankl@earthlink.net) on Thu, Feb 22, 01 at 11:19

I saw a seed saver box in one of my gardening catalogs for $20.00 and used their description to make my own and I love it.
Take a plastic tote box (many kinds are avialable) that will hold hanging file folders. Put the file folders in with lables on them describing what will be in that folder. Keep your seeds in zip lock bags. I have even put those little dessicant-silica gel packets inside the bags. I find them in new shoe boxes etc.
You can make a file for notes and pens and plant markers etc. also.
I use zip lock bags with paper towels (single fold so you can easily seed when they sprout) for sprouting seeds and reuse them so they are stored in this box also.
This keeps all my seeds in one place and easy to find. For a few dollars I made something that would have cost me $25.00 to order.
I put a tool in my garden last year that was wonderful. It was something for cutting carpet and has a curve to it. Someone suggested it for cutting sod when I bought it. It stayed in my vegetable garden all summer. I have found that I will be just walking around the yard not intending to pick anything but often end up picking anyway. This tool was always there waiting to be used. The curve in the blade made it handy for cutting broccolli and summer squash. It sat out in the rain but it didn't hurt it. I also started leaving buckets out in the garden for unexpected picking.
Happy Gardening- Diane

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Ronda - 7a-upstate SC (RonJonRJ@aol.com) on Fri, Feb 23, 01 at 14:02

Fishing twine makes a great 'trellis' for clematis etc to climb and it is invisible from a distance. Works great on the front of houses or other areas where you wouldn't want a noticable trells.
Eggshells crumbled around plants deter slugs. I microwave mine to make them extra crunchy and crumbly. Sandpaper can also be consealed under the leaves of a hosta and also deter them. Grapefruit rinds work. Cut grapefruit in half and eat...then place half-rind face down in flower bed. Throw your slugs in the trash the next morning. This is good for you...and bad for slugs!!

Peroxide and water 1:4 to water seedlings. I never have damping off anymore. Also misting with Chamomile tea works. Chamomile tea has anti fungal properties.

Want snapdragons to self sow. Bury a brick half way in the soil and sprinkle seeds on the shady side of the brick. Keep brick moist and the snaps will pop right up!! Then you can transplant where you want them. Notice I said soil and not dirt...moisture is key here.

Store seeds in stamp envelopes. They can be purchased at office supply stores. Silverware baskets..plastic or wicker hold them perfectly!

Store seeds in fridge in a ziplock bag over winter. They stay fresh!! This also gives seeds that need cooling, the 'winter' they need!

When picking cosmos for indoor arrangement burn the end of the stem with a match or lighter. They will last over a week!!!

I got more...um.....let me go walk thru the yard lol
Ronda

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Zanne - eastern KY (6b-7a) (Zannedjinmonet@aol.com) on Sat, Mar 3, 01 at 8:13

For those using jiffy pots, or those peat with netting starters, Before putting in ground, really soak the outside of jiffy pot in some non-clorinated water (in a wash pan near hole is easiest), and soak the planting hole. Otherwise they won't break down! Tear of that netting around the peat things. I've tried other less drastic ideas and the plant was still in the netting long after it should have expanded and left.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Barbara B 5or6 (candybar13@msn.com) on Tue, Mar 20, 01 at 20:03

Well, considering that I stumbled upon this forum, I can honestly say that this is by far the most interesting and informative one of all. If my memory were a little better, I could thank so many of you by name. Each idea is so useful and workable. I've been gardening for umpteen years, and can't think of a thing to add, but will work on it. Please accept my sincerest thanks for all the interesting reading, and I sure do hope this forum doesn't end here. Barbara

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: dawn_quixote 7 (My Page) on Thu, Mar 22, 01 at 2:08

If you have to fix a broken pvc water line or faucet, right
before you get ready to glue the pcv together, stuff the
leaking side (unless you have all day to wait,) with as much
bread as you can and it will stay dry long enough to seal
and then it just disolves..I was the 6th female Irrigator
in Texas...

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Eddie-GA--Zn 7A 7A (eddie@greenthingie.com) on Fri, Mar 23, 01 at 7:53

I have two tips: The new polymers like Water Grabber or Super Sorb can be pulverized to a powder, soaked and used to dip roots in for transplanting or shipping plants.This eliminates shock and promotes better growth.
The backs of those zinc metal markers can be used for information such as planting date (many times people ask how old is that plant), price, and source.
More tips on link below

Here is a link that might be useful: Bittersweet Gardens

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Carla vashon 8 (kiiskila1@excite.com) on Tue, Mar 27, 01 at 23:18

Rubber gloves for gardening
Go to Goodwill or Salvation Army and buy old sheets - great for collecting weeds as you pull them, dump grass clippings from the mower, rake leaves into it, then gather up and carry to compost bin

Use Dacron sheer curtains over PVC pipe hoops in place of reemay - cheaper and more permanent block to carrot rust fly

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Marie 6 (Cricket@hotmail.com) on Fri, Mar 30, 01 at 17:29

I drench compost in my garden. I collect cut up banana skins, orange skins, coffee grinds, tea bags, egg shells, etc. in a large empty coffee can. As soon as the coffee can is full I dig a drench 5 to 6 inches deep in my garden and add these ingredients and they melt away in the soil. The earthworms do the work. Try it -- it definitely works. My soil is working all the time.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Mary (Mtchbx1@home.com) on Fri, Mar 30, 01 at 18:58

Love pickles? We do, and when they're gone, I pour the juice around my acid loving plants.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: judi va-8 (vixen281@yahoo.com) on Fri, Apr 6, 01 at 18:20

I live by the sea and every year I collect garbage bags of seaweed;take home and dump on driveway and put the sprinkler on it for awhile-I use the seaweed,crab,shrimp and lobster shells and aged manure in the planting hole before placing tomatoes,peppers etc,works great!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Steve TN (star-stephen@juno.com) on Wed, Apr 25, 01 at 0:45

If you have a window air conditioner, the type that drips water, plant impatiens beneath it, even in the sun they do fine.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Steve TN (star-stephen@juno.com) on Thu, May 17, 01 at 0:44

The best place to plant impatiens is under an air conditioner that drips.
The best place to plant mint is by a faucet. Keep it contained unless you want it to spread all over. A bucket with the bottom cut out is good, an inch or so sticking up above the ground.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Linda 7 Ga. (LDuncan121@aol.com) on Sun, May 20, 01 at 22:45

This is a great thread. So many wonderful tips. I get the large wall calenders every year, and keep track every day of what I planted, where, and also what is blooming that day. I have done this for about 9 years, and it's so handy to know when you planted what; and where you planted what; and what blooms when. Also you'll have a record over the years of what, where, and when you planted say-that dwarf apple tree, and shouldn't it be making fruit by now.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Debbie P. (Debbie337@msn.com) on Tue, May 22, 01 at 21:13

I'm new here and have been WAITING for three days for my conformation number to become a member offically!!!! I would like to share my favorite gardening tip with everyone...Take a stroll every evening through your gardens and admire the collaboration of art and nature you have created!!!! Thanks!! I love this fourm and site!!!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: MRobbins 6b - Brooklyn (My Page) on Tue, May 29, 01 at 19:57

I've just started a sort of Hindsight Diary. Every time I finish a garden task I wish I'd done earlier, I take out my 2002 calendar and pretend it's this year, and write down the weekend I wish I'd got it done. Hopefully next year I won't be such a dunderhead as to look at "Order Tomato Seed" in February and wonder, "Now why would I want to do that so early?"

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: sherri 6 (sherribruce@hotmail.com) on Sat, Jun 2, 01 at 19:20

A tip from my grandma: Save eggshells in a container, cover with boiling water, let cool. Water indoor & out door plants with the water. I do this always with my houseplants & they LOVE it! Then crush the shells and place around your slug attracting plants!

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Lois Barton NY (ljblib@aol.com) on Sat, Jun 2, 01 at 20:28

My thanks to Trudi Davidoff who posted last Aug. 17, 2000 in the Garden Hints her method of seed sowing ,OUTSIDE, in winter. It worked great and I transplanted lupines, poppies, morning glory, snaps, alyssum etc. into the garden this week. No damping-off, no watering constantly and no clutter of artificial lights for indoor seed starting ever again...It was fun to plant in February when all was covered in snow outside, just stick containers out on the snow covered picnic table on the patio, and let nature take its course. Only a little watering was required and enlarging the vent holes as the weather warmed. It's great to have no problem of "hardening off" when you put seedlings out for the first time. Thanks Trudi for your detailed directions! The post is still on this list if you go back to August...
Lois Barton

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Precious z6 KS (My Page) on Sun, Jun 3, 01 at 13:49

I also have that pesky bermuda grass in my yard. I found out by accident one way to get rid of it. I have 2 large trees in my front yard, plus the wind seems to blow all the neighbors leaves in my yard in the fall. :(
My husband raked up the leaves into 2 large piles. He said he was going back out to bag them up. He never did & that pile of leaves sat in my yard all winter & into the spring.
Other than a few dandelions, that wiggled up, nothing lived under those 2 piles of leaves. The bermuda grass was completely dead under there. I think i'm going to leave a pile or 2 on purpose this fall.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Lee Anna z8 (ldarby@wolfenet.com) on Tue, Jun 5, 01 at 17:11

I don't think I've seen this one yet - keep the tags that come with your plants. I keep mine in a photo album along with the date they were planted. That way, I always know what specific variety I have.

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RE: Favorite Gardening Hint or Tip
Posted by: Rita_NH z4 NH (My Page) on Wed, Aug 29, 01 at 22:09

So many good tips!
I have always picked all the leaves off my tomato plants except for the top 2.... Then lay the tomato plant lengthways on the soil, with the soil dug from underneath it and the cover up the plant leaving the top 2 leaves above ground, large plants with lots of fruit :)
my pop (grandfather) told me to do it this way..works for me :)
hope this made sense, not good at describing lol