1 of the most important things I learned is not to mix compost into our sandy soil - just spread it on top 1/2-1 inch thick (& oh yeah, COMPOST! Best. Amendment. Ever.)

Digging & esp. double digging is a bad idea when there are nematodes in your soil - it brings 'em up closer to the surface.

Mulching w/ hay helps prevent soil-borne diseases - esp. on tomatoes.

Rabbit food (alfalfa pellets) is a great fertiliser for just about everything.

Dusting cornmeal over plants & soil helps combat fungal diseases.

Got most of this from the Soil, Compost & Mulch forum here @ GardenWeb = )

Get all of your major gardening work done before the heat comes. This is very important! I always break this rule though:)

I am planning on giving Hydroponics a try but ....
here is my tip for my veggie patch. Raised beds with LOTS of compost,manure and castings. I put a 1/4" thick blanket of WET newspapers down between the rows and between plants(criss cross) .Not too close to the stems though. Then cover with straw OR Dry lawn clippings(Bahai is best)This keeps the papers in place and looks better than the paper.
If you keep the paper snug to the Raised bed you will only need to weed around the stem SO SIMPLE.And even better,The next year when you pull that blanket of paper back it the soil will be SO soft and easy to use. The paper and clippings will decompose so you can add more as needed.
If you need to fertilize or top dress you can always peel back the blanket of paper and tuck them in again.
{{gwi:837582}}

Chunk it down!

Facing a big project that seems daunting? Divide the project into several steps and have those be on your to-do-list, one by one.

It is amazing (and very satisfying) to me to see how much I can get done over a month or a few.

Fantasic thread idea!

Thanks I have already learned a couple of things,

Katie

I read this in the Feb/March issue of "Organic Gardening" magazine's letters to the editor.
"Squash Those Bad Bugs"....I read the article on organic squash-bug control in the June/July issue (Ask OG). Years ago, I had just about given up on raising squash, as I could not defeat the bugs using Sevin dust. Then I read an article - possibly in Organic Gardening - that recommended grinding up onions and garlic in a blender, adding water, and spraying the squash requently with the mixture. The theory was that the smell kept the bugs away. This seemed like a lot of work. So, the next spring, I saved some onion bulbs and planted two with each hill of squash and cantaloupe. As an extra precaution, I took a handful of onion tops, cut them into short pieces and dropped them on and around the plants. I have not had any squash-bug damage for 15 years. I have passed this idea on to several friends and they have all had similar results. A reader from Abilene, TX"

Learned this one at a recent gardening seminar at the Lee County Extension.

TRANSPLANTING DEPTH - Set tomato, pepper and watermelon transplants to the depth of the first true leaf for earlier yields and larger fruit size results. Source "Evaluating The Impact Of Transplanting Depth On Tomato and Pepper Yield - C.S. Vavrina, UF/IFAS

So at the base of the stem there are two little leaves that grow opposite each other called the "seed leaf" and those should be planted just below the soil.

THANKS for all the people who took the time to post some GREAT tips. Thanks :)

I'm with goldenpond on the wet newspapers. To keep from having dry soil under the paper, I soak everything, the soil, the paper before putting it down and after it's down, and the mulch on top of the paper. I've learned that by soaking the papers before laying them down, it allows rain/water to wick down to the soil instead of stopping to be absorbed by still dry paper. Wet paper is easier to cut through when planting, too.

LOVE the fix for the squash bugs!!
cora

Hey we are trying to go completely 'green' at the zoo meaning no pesticides no 'roundup' but with only 2 people to handle 23 acres it is almost unrealistic any ideas on this?

carolb - rabbit food and cornmeal I like that alot

amberroses - thats funny can I should quit work during the summer :)

goldenpond - beautiful is newspaper better than cardboard?

thonotrose - yeah I got big projects like a waterfall/pond the rocks are huge and stacked about 10 ft tall an I don't know what to do next lol

mrs tlc - wow those are great tips onions who knew

aflorida - I agree :)

Katie

Katie:

I think it is great that you want to go green. I eliminated most pesticides and chemical fertilizers in my tiny yard and I really don't notice any extra work. I do notice more bees and ladybugs and I feel a lot better about my health and the health of the environment in my charge. For your project, I think it would make a lot of sense to implement changes in phases. Maybe take one area and go total green and then see how that works and expand the area overtime. Maybe you could find a park, garden, or zoo that has already gone green and asked them for tips?

Plant sunflowers and zinnias near your vegetable garden, they attract many insects that prey on bad bugs. They also attract honeybees which in turn will help in pollination. I had sunflowers near my vegetable garden the first two years and no bugs, no caterpillars, nothing. The only reason why I don't have them now is because the deer and squirrels ravage them. Have cured the deer problem with an 8-foot fence, haven't figured out what to do about the squirrels.

I finally found something that gets rid of the Oxyalis that shows up in amongst my flowers. I know some people actually like it but I don't. Since I am a butterfly gardener I have to be careful what I spray. Hubby read about Exteriminator and heard that if you have a patch of the Oxyalis that you can "paint" it on the leaves with a small paint roller so that you don't get it on other plants. I have also used a cardboard boz, cut it down so that you can make a shield to put around th plant you want to spray. So far both ideas have worked and I haven't lost any of my good plants. It the glycol_____ in the product that works.

One of the best gardening tips that I learned last year was to get some cattle panels to use for vine support (green beans). Much stronger and attractive than flimsy wire fencing. This is Tom's idea and he showed us many pictures of how he uses the cattle panel. I'm sure he will post pictures again this year.

This isn't a gardening tip, but thought you might find it useful. I have a Labrador Retriever (white) so I always carry puppy wet wipes in the car. They got all dried out and I was going to throw them away when I realized that they are made out of pretty sturdy stuff. I used them to clean my house instead of throwing them out and they worked great as dust cloths, cleaning windows, cleaning sinks, etc. They are lint free too. I rinsed them out to see how they would be after all that cleaning and it looks like I'll be able to use them at least one more time.

I guess it just makes me feel better knowing that at least they were re-purposed before being thrown out!

Bumping this up and also asking for some more knowledge from everyone. Great tips here!! Would love to hear more on combating fungal and pest issues. :)

Hubby mows the lawn and I use the grass clippings as mulch in my veggie garden. After 15 years of this I have black soil and worms in my veggie garden. And no weeds.

I read, and tried, and it's true - to instantly kill squash bugs spray them with Dr. Bonners Magic Soap. Peppermint is recommended (which was out so I bought Eucalyptus) and mixed 2 TBSP to a large spray bottle of water.

Oh, and dog hair sprinkled around the gardens help to deter squirrels. Helps, not a total prevention. Unless maybe I created a dog hair blanket?

~dianne

Thanks gardengimp! I love Dr. Bronners and have the liquid peppermint and also the baby mild bar soap, but didn't know if it could be used on plants. I'm going to try it today :)

Did some searching and found a great Youtube video of Lisa Bronner making an insecticide soap.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lisa Bronner on insectidal soap solution

I love all the great info here...I already have onions, sunflowers and zinnias in my garden, but I didn't know they had beneficial uses in there. Thank you all so much.

I don't know if I should classify this as knowledge or laziness :), but this is what I am trying:
Spinach planted directly in the bag of soil. This has actually worked great with many of the greens I've tried.

I am also trying gutter-growing with peas. I'll let y'all know how I do with the harvest later

Trini
I'm lovin' the gutter idea! But is there going to be enough soil for the growing roots? Will the peas start to grow downward for easier pickin'?

Please tell us more.

Thanks Susie

Susie, this is truly an experiment. I did some research and some claimed to have had success with it but I guess I will find out. I know I have to use alot of compost tea to supplement the nutrients. So far, they look healthy and are growing. I will post my progress as time goes.
T-

Hi,
here are a couple of my tips:
1:milk added to water(mix at about 25% milk to water)can work as a fungus preventative,when sprayed onto "at risk" plants weekly.It will not cure fungus that has already took hold,but can help prevent it-I got this from a book that I can't remember the title of.
2:It sounds nasty,but I place dog poop around the perimeter fence of my veggie garden.I live in a very rural area & have had problems with deer,racoons & the odd bear going over the fence & into the garden.Since using the dog poop-so far so good
3:Raised beds-I don't think I would ever garden without them.They are more work (& expense)upfront,but I think they have so many positives,that it is worth the investment.
Hope these help

One of the best things I learned from this site is the use of cattle grate (thanks Tom), just picked 3 lbs of green beans growing on the grate this morning and it is so handy. When it comes time to clean the old growth off, it is a snap.

SWB (self watering buckets)made from Burger King pickle buckets are a god-send in this sand nematode infested area. I've used different mixes in these buckets. One of the best is so far is 40% peat, 40% compost, 20% perlite with a handful of lime and 1/2 cup of time release mixed together. Then add two strips of fertilizer on top before closing the top off with plastic wrap.

Am currently using palmetto "coir" that I harvest from my property here instead of peat. It is definitely renewable, constant battle to keep it from taking me over.

Make my own compost from horse stable cleanings.

Am also trying Silvia and Tom's touted Al's mix in some single buckets watered and fed from the top. I could not get this mix to wick in the SWB's.

Haven't learned to grow squash and cukes successfully yet :>(

Learned from list that you can grow Black Jungle Butterbeans and yard long asian green beans in the summer heat. Also get okra and eggplant and sweet peppers.

Thanks to the list I've been fairly successful and I've only been gardening for 2 years now.

bernie

...I've only been gardening for 2 years now

Well then, that makes you and old-timer ;-)

Tom, you know full well I am an "ol timer" , just not at gardening. 74 years young in Jan . Getting old is not an option, maturing is. That's what my 13 year old grandson sez all the time.

This may qualify more as advice than knowledge but if a plant is in the wrong place, just move it. Don't agonize over it, just do it. Dig it up and put it the ground somewhere better. It may not survive the move (although most of mine seem to) but then it still is no longer planted in the wrong place.

Happy Gardening to all.

Melissa

My lessons learned:
Cukies love fertilizer! In the same other conditions, the same location that gave me only problems last season, with a fertilized added did great and I had many of them!
Tomatoes: as soon as temperature above 80 day and night - spray spinosad almost every 2 weeks, or something will attack them!
My broccolis and cabbage: