Backyard Gardening Tips

Image via Wikipedia Knowing how to care for your flower garden can make a big difference in the look and over-all health of your plants. Here are some simple hints to make your garden bloom with health

1. The essentials must always be given major consideration.

Your flower garden must have an adequate supply of water, sunlight, and fertile soil. Any lack of these basic necessities will greatly affect the health of plants. Water the flower garden more frequently during dry spells.

When planting bulbs, make sure they go at the correct depth. When planting out shrubs and perennials, make sure that you don’t heap soil or mulch up around the stem. If you do, water will drain off instead of sinking in, and the stem could develop rot through overheating.

2. Mix and match perennials with annuals.

Perennial flower bulbs need not to be replanted since they grow and bloom for several years while annuals grow and bloom for only one season. Mixing a few perennials with annuals ensures that you will always have blooms coming on.

3. Deadhead to encourage more blossoms.

Deadheading is simply snipping off the flower head after it wilts. This will make the plant produce more flowers. Just make sure that you don’t discard the deadhead on the garden or mildew and other plant disease will attack your plants.

4. Know the good from the bad bugs.

Most garden insects do more good than harm. Butterflies, beetles and bees are known pollinators. They fertilize plants through unintentional transfer of pollen from one plant to another. 80% of flowering plants rely on insects for survival.

Sowbugs and dung beetles together with fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms are necessary to help in the decomposition of dead plant material, thus enriching the soil and making more nutrients available to growing plants.

Other insects like lacewings and dragonflies are natural predators of those insects that do the real damage, like aphis.

An occasional application of liquid fertilizer when plants are flowering will keep them blooming for longer.

Always prune any dead or damaged branches. Fuchsias are particularly prone to snapping when you brush against them. The broken branch can be potted up to give you a new plant, so it won’t be wasted.

Growing a great rose garden isn’t always the easiest thing to do so I went for a long time just ignoring the rose but today I came across this great ebook with 101 tips for growing your own rose garden. Now I can have great looking and healthy roses, just like our neighbours.

More than 25 years ago I was an employee of Sears and sold roses through their garden department. I loved that job but then computers became popular and my life changed, but that’s a story for another day.

Selling roses is how I met Patricia, who would later become our lawyer. She and her father would come in all the time and buy roses and more roses.

Now we have a home with a property big enough to enjoy some rose gardening so I am learning what I need to know so that we can have some beautiful roses as part of our flower garden.

Not everyone is comfortable growing their own roses so they don’t but this little ebook has the answers and tips that will give you the confidence to plant your own roses, care for them correctly, pruning included and even how to cut them for your own bouquet and arrangements.

Knowing how to fertilize, water and prevent diseases will give you the confidence you have lacked in the past. If this sounds like I am talking to myself well I am. We didn’t have any confidence even though I work in a garden center. They never taught me how to grow them, just to sell them.

If you have an interest in growing your own rose garden then you need to read 101 Tips for Growing and Enjoying Your Own Great Rose Garden.

Image via Wikipedia Whether you are a retiree or just someone that likes to relax, growing an indoor vegetable garden can be a very enjoyable experience. Outdoor gardening can be a taxing and physically exhausting exercise. In contrast, an indoor vegetable garden provides the relaxation without a lot of the heavy lifting required for most outdoor garden projects.

Space, Where Art Thou?

Clearly, if you are seriously considering starting an indoor vegetable garden then there are a few things to consider. First, how much space can you realistically dedicate to your indoor vegetable garden? You may wish to feed the world with your harvest, but you should consider the hassle of an indoor vegetable garden that is too big.

Time Is A Very Fast Thing!

Next is the time it takes to raise a garden, and let’s be honest here for just a moment. We live in a busy world, and there seems to never be enough time for anything. Likely, you can find a few minutes in your day to water a few tomato plants. But, can you devote hours to a variety of plants that require special attention? It is better to start small and build your indoor vegetable garden piece by piece.

It is far easier for you to go out and buy more stock later than it would be to clean up the mess from dead, neglected plants. As well, you will want to think about how much of the harvest you can actually eat from your garden. Your enthusiasm for growing things can get the better of your indoor vegetable garden.

Know Your Limits

It seems like a good idea to grow a billion different vegetables. But, you should consider who you can give them to if it is too much for you alone to eat. It would be a waste to simply grow your indoor vegetable garden only to see the product of your hard work rotting on your counter. Not to mention, the increase in bugs and other vermin that such a thing would bring to your happy home.

Finally, you should consider what kinds of plants work best in the environment you can provide for it. And, if you are true beginner at the gardening game you will want to read up on the proper care and development of your indoor vegetable garden. But, most of all you want to make sure you are enjoying your indoor vegetable garden. After all, if your hobby is not fun why are you doing it in the first place?

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Image via WikipediaDan writes and asks…Do you know a “recipe” for a homemade weed killer? My lawn gets so weedy by late spring and I do not like using chemicals as 2,4-D.

A. I know the feeling. I have found a few homemade remedies and a list of suggestions to help keep your lawn free of weeds. Remember to always use caution with any chemicals, including the ones below, and to tend to your lawn with good water and food throughout the growing season. A stressed lawn is more apt to be overrun by weeds.

Weed Killer

Mix 1 gallon white vinegar, 1 cup table salt, and 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid together and spray on weeds. To do so, remove approximately 2 cups of vinegar from the jug, pour in the salt and dishwashing liquid, then return the 2 cups of vinegar to the jug. Close the lid and shake to mix.

Transfer to a spray bottle (after shaking to mix the ingredients) as needed. It works as well, if not better, than Chemicals, but is much cheaper. Be careful, it will kill whatever you spray it on!

If you go purchase vinegar, 10% acidity, 20% acid would be better, and spray it on the weeds in the heat of the full sun, you will have an effective weed killer.

http://www.netspace.net.au/~ntbandit/hintsNtips.htm

BUILDING A HEALTHY LAWN
from Environment Canada, CBC Radio Canada

• The key to a weed and pest-free lawn is to build strength in your grass.
• Overseed every year to create a dense lawn that will crowd out weeds.
• Fertilize naturally with manure and compost.
• Encourage good bugs: worms, lady bugs and spiders.
• Mow less often. Keep grass 6 cm tall to crowd out weeds and grow longer roots.
• When watering, allow the sprinkler to soak the grass, to build deep roots.
• Rake out thatch to discourage pests.
• Dig out any weeds by hand.
• Learn to tolerate some weeds.
• Pesticides are not worth the health risks.

Their All-purpose weed killer:

Boil a liter of water, add 2 tablespoons of salt, add 5 tablespoons of vinegar.

Pour directly on weeds on sidewalks, driveways, etc., while still hot.

Cheap Weed Kille

From: Paula Vogelgesang

Makes a quart

Pour 4-ounces of lemon juice concentrate in a 1-quart spray bottle. Fill it to the top with white vinegar. Shake well and spray on the weeds. This is good for spot-weeding. It will kill dandelions and Creeping Jenny although if the plants are big ones, it may take more than one dose. This is really good to spray between cracks in a sidewalk.

Safe around kids, pets etc. This is basically two forms of acid so if you really soak the ground, nothing will grow for several months.

KOTA News

CHEAP WEED KILLER

A subscriber wrote that she found a weed killer in a mail order catalog, safe for the environment, biodegradable and safe for pets, for “only” $8 per quart. It was made of lemon juice and vinegar (both cheaper than $8) so she made her own formula, tried it, and sent it to me.

I tried this and it works quite well. I called my Extension Agent and he said that basically it is two forms of acid and perfectly safe around kids and pets.

He did caution that if you use too much, it could make the ground so that it won’t grow anything for a few months … but that’s okay, especially in the cracks in the sidewalks!

WEED KILLER FORMULA

In a 1-quart spray bottle, pour 4 ounces of lemon juice concentrate (you can get the cheap stuff … it works just as well), then fill the bottle up with white vinegar (28 ounces). Vinegar (on sale) costs around a penny per ounce and the lemon juice concentrate I bought was 3 cents per ounce.

For the mixture detailed above, that’s a total of 12 cents for lemon juice and 28 cents for vinegar, which means the homemade version costs 40 cents per quart instead of $8!

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Lori writes~ I was wondering if you had a recipe for weed control. We have a very large hill that is always weed infested. We have a daughter currently going through cancer therapy, she is 7 years old. I do not want to spray any poison around her where she can breathe them. That would be wonderful if you can suggest something.

Shlyj writes~ Is there a good home recipe for a weed and grass killer that won’t have an adverse effect on my iris’ ?

A. Here are some products safe for your family:

Stop dandelions and weeds with all-natural WOW!® Plus. Combines a corn byproduct with a complete lawn food so you can weed-and-feed in one application.

Granulated WOW!® Apply with either type of spreader. For broadcast spreaders OR drop spreaders. Same formula as original WOW! but you can apply it with either type of spreader.

Weed Barrier Mat - Medium Weight. Peas, cucumbers, and tomatoes stay clean and less vulnerable to soil-borne diseases. Guaranteed for 3 years! Cuts weeding time and retains moisture in soil. Harvested crops are easier to prepare. 3 ft x 24 ft mat.

Original WOW!® (Without Weeds). Stops emerging weeds in your lawn or garden! Original pre-emergence weed control kills weeds and keeps your lawn green and beautiful. Nontoxic to humans and pets.

N-Lite!™ Special Lawn Food. Used with WOW!®, N-Lite!™ provides complete nutrients for healthy, thick turf. Use with WOW!® to provide the balance of other important nutrients your lawn needs to thrive.

U-Shaped Pins. Handy for weed barrier mats, floating row covers, and super-light insect barrier. Easiest way to hold down row covers and weed mats.

http://www.gardensalive.com/prog_display.asp?PROG_NBR=17

Recipe for Weed Killer:
1 oz. white vinegar
1 oz. cheap gin
8 oz. water

Mix together and pour this on the weeds and they will be long gone.

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How to Kill Weeds in Cool Climates

Ray writes~
I live in Tacoma, Washington, 40 miles south of Seattle, and the temperature ranges are cool, from 40 to 60, during all the spring months, and even through the month of June. During these moist, cool months, from February to June, weeds grow profusely, go to seed, and reproduce abundantly. The well known weed killers, such as, Roundup, Weed-B-Gone, etc., do not work during these cool temperature months. For them to work, the temperature must be in the 70’s and our area may not reach the 70’s until July. By July, weeds dominate everything that is not hand weeded. Please do your research and discover a Weed Killer that will work in the 50 to 60 degree temperature range.

A. I was not able to find much for you except this website. Check here for more details:

Apply pre-emergent weed preventers in late winter and very early spring to keep pesky weeds from sprouting in lawns, shrub beds, tree wells and flower gardens next growing season. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth several pounds of cure! Weed seeds lie dormant all winter before “springing” to life as temperatures warm. Get the upper hand by applying pre-emergent herbicides early to keep these seeds asleep permanently!

To clear up confusion, a pre-emergent (weed preventer) keeps seed from sprouting while post-emergents (weed killers) kill weeds that have already sprouted. Neither one will do the job of the other… Pre-emergents are often combined with fertilizer in products, like Best Turf Supreme Crabgrass Preventer Plus Lawn Fertilizer and Scott’s Turf Builder Plus Halts, to wake up your lawn in spring while making sure weed seeds never wake up. Other Pre-emergents like Portrait and Amaze Granules can be spread without feeding the lawn or other plants. For a complete discussion of pre-emergent weed

http://www.starnursery.com/tips.cfm?Tip=31

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Organic Weed Control

Pat writes~
Will you please provide a recipe for killing weeds? I would appreciate this so much. We, here, in Florida, have brown grass, due to no rain, but plenty of weeds. We have to watch our budget, are not permitted to water, get fined.

Lilac writes~
I was wondering if you had a recipe for weed control. We have a very large hill that is always weed infested. We have a daughter currently going through Cancer Therapy, she is 7 years old. I do not want to spray any poison around her where she can breathe them.

A. This time of year, yards are full of weeds, but there are organic ways to get rid of them. Spraying 100 percent vinegar on weeds works great. Or, trying using a hula hoe to cut weeds below the root line. The small hoe is available at any home center, hardware store or nursery.

To get rid of weeds at the roots, use Finale or Round-up. Use either product early in the morning and don’t water for at least 24 hours. Make sure the surrounding plants are healthy before you spray.

For a more potent mixture, mix a little ammonium phosphate and soap with Finale or Round-up. This works well on Bermuda grass. Contact Herbicide is good to use on annual weeds and will kill only the leaves. I like Weed Be Gone, but any brand will work. It is available at any home center.

Manage kills nut grass and purple and yellow nut sage. Pre-emergent kills weed seed in the soil before the plants emerge. Always wear gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and a hat when using any chemicals. A mask to cover your nose and mouth is also a good idea.

From: www.azfamily.com

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Amber writes~
Weed killers: Is using vinegar and lemon juice safe on lawns?

A. That would depend upon the concentration used. If you poured it straight out of the bottle onto patches of lawn, no, it could seriously burn the areas. I am curious what weeds you are trying to kill. There are organic, safe substances which may be used to kill weeds in beds and lawns. Check for ‘Safer’ products, for one. Both vinegar and lemon juice have not been proven to eradicate weeds effectively.

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Karen writes~ I used vinegar and lemon juice and only 5% strength vinegar for dandelions. I now have burned grass..any suggestion?

A. The recommendation was to spray only on what you wish to kill. You need to aim the spray right into the center of the dandelion plant and all the leaves around it. If you spray it on grass in the heat of the day, you will kill some of the blades. It will not kill all the roots, so keep this damaged grass well-watered and do not feed. It should pop back within a month. Or, you can use chunks of sod as plugs into the areas which were damaged, as you would where pets have ruined lawn areas, simple die offs, and fungal infections. This is what the GardeningWithGary site says:

“It works as well, if not better, than chemicals, but is much cheaper. Be careful, it will kill whatever you spray it on! If you go purchase vinegar, 10% acidity, 20% acid would be better, and spray it on the weeds in the heat of the full sun, you will have an effective weed killer.”

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I need a weed killer recipe that is safe to use around an above-ground swimming pool. In the pool care manuel it says to use a non-petroleum weed killer, so it won’t destroy the vinyl liner. I haven’t been able to find any weed killer of this kind.

A. After searching around, I have not located any information on a non-petroleum weed killer for your needs. The pool area must not be sprayed with any petroleum-based oil as it certainly may damage the liners. The best source said to consult your local pool supply company or the company which sold the pool and/or vinyl liners. Soy and other vegetables bases have been cited as desirable.

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Lou writes: I am interested in finding an organic weed killer for dandelions .. what exactly is in your product “WOW”?

A. As mentioned in my page on Weed Killers, a by-product of corn syrup production, a pre-emergence weed control, all-natural WOW! (with-out weeds) Plus can weed-and-feed naturally in one operation. Ingredients are not listed, but described below.

Just the term herbicide conjures up all sorts of dangerous feelings and one wonders how safe are these products. There are several alternatives to eradicating weeds. One is to hand dig or pull them out. However, everyone is looking for something easier.

Two such possibilities are a corn gluten weed killer and a weed eraser. The corn gluten weed killer can be bought under several brand names: WOW!, WeedzSTOP and A-mazing Lawn. All three of these products are made with a high concentration of protein extract from cornmeal. They should be applied early in the spring and again in early August. They work by preventing the germination of seeds.

This may work up to 6 weeks.

Be careful and not use it in the veggie garden or on a new lawn since it will kill other seeds too. The cornmeal will also act as a nitrogen fertilizer. The weed eraser is made from a pelargonic acid. This is a fatty acid found in grapes, apples and carrots. It performs by lowering the pH level just enough to kill broadleaf weeds such as the dandelion and pigweed.

WOW! Plus controls crabgrass, dandelions and other pesky weeds while feeding lawn with a complete, balanced, all-natural fertilizer. It is easy to apply and saves you time and effort; you can weed and feed your lawn naturally with just one application. It reduces germination of dandelions and other broadleaf weeds by as much as 90% allows kids and pets to play on the lawn right after application. It provides nitrogen and other nutrients grass needs for strong root growth, stress resistance and a beautiful green appearance releases nutrients gradually, as nature intended.

How WOW! Plus Works: Soon after sprouting, young weeds send out secondary “feeder” roots that draw nutrients from the soil. But WOW! Plus stops these roots from developing, so seedlings quickly die, usually before you see any green growth! Dandelions, crabgrass, creeping bentgrass, foxtail, lamb’s quarters, purslane, redroot pigweed and many others cannot survive. Do not worry about overapplying WOW! Plus.

You can use eight times the recommended rate without harming your grass, and you’ll find that high doses are even more effective in controlling weeds. Do not worry about lingering synthetic chemicals. There are none. Unlike traditional chemical treatments, WOW! Plus is safe right after application. Start using in the Spring. Apply 10-20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. when forsythia starts to bloom, through July. This timing corresponds with the time when crabgrass begins and ends germinating.

Yearly spring and fall applications at 10lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. provide as much as 85% weed control after two years and 91% after three years. Plus it provides balanced fertilization. Applications at 20lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. provide even better control, because the percentage of weed control increases with higher application rates. Water deeply after application. (Do not use WOW! Plus on recently sown grass, because it will affect lawn seed germination, too. Wait until after the first mowing to apply.) WOW! Plus is granulated for use in either drop or broadcast spreaders. All-natural WOW! Plus is not toxic to humans and pets.

http://www.gardensalive.com http://www.emilycompost.com/nontoxic_herbicides.htm

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Audrey writes~

Does anyone know how to get buttercup weed out of a lawn without poison. I thought I heard of Borax but I’m not sure.

A. - A good nonchemical method to kill these fast growing and spreading Buttercups? Believe it or not, buttercups are pretty low on the “impossible to control” scale (compared to other weeds and grass). They pull out fairly easily and do not seem to regenerate from root fragments. Then mulch heavily with very coarse wood chips to smother and impede any new growth. Some gardeners weed with blow torches these days, but you may find that a bit extreme. Since the 1920s, borax
detergent has been used as an herbicide to eradicate weeds.

Apply borax when it is actively growing in the spring, when no rain is expected for 48 hours. The borax treatment appears to be most effective during warm summers when soil moisture is ample. If the borax solution is applied in too high a concentration, or repeatedly, it will then be toxic to grass and many other plants. This treatment can be applied only once each year for two years. Be sure to use the borax spray only in the lawn because research shows established grass is tolerant of the spray. It should not be used in gardens.

A healthy lawn is the strongest defense against weeds. Maintaining a regime of proper mowing practices, watering and fertilization will enable any gardener to combat weeds in a lawn.

Borax Solution Control: Dissolve 10 oz. Twenty Mule Team Borax in 4 oz. (½ cup) warm water. Dilute in 2.5 gallons of water. This will cover 1,000 square feet. If you have a smaller area to treat, cut the recipe accordingly.

Image via WikipediaWhen you love the taste of fresh vegetables, you probably wish you knew how to start a vegetable garden and grow your own. It can be quite a simple, yet physical task but the rewards of fresh vegetables and knowing you had a hand in them is well worth the effort. In addition, when you involve your children in the planting and cultivating process, they are more likely to eat what they have raised, meaning better nutrition for them.

The First Steps

The first step in the “how to start a vegetable garden” process is choosing a sunny location for your tasty bounty as they need sunlight for optimal growth. Whether it is a bare patch of ground or you have to create a raised bed using landscape timbers, you want to ensure the area gets plenty of sunlight as well as have proper drainage. Don’t become ambitious and create a huge garden as it may become unmanageable but instead choose a smaller plot, no more than 80 square feet, to get your newbie gardening toes dirty.

Secondly for your quest on how to start a vegetable garden is the selection of the type of vegetables you wish to grow. You will want to choose seeds and plants that are grow well in your particular region but if you are willing to protect plants with covers and such as needed during inclement weather, then you can broaden your choices. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, beans, squash, cucumbers and carrots are all great starter vegetables to try as they are easy to grow and tolerant of inexperienced gardeners.

Furthering the Agenda

Next on the “how to start a vegetable garden” process is preparing the ground for planting which includes tilling the ground to break it up. Depending on the ground soil’s condition, you may have to add top soil, humus or even compost until the soil is the proper consistency for planting. Sometimes, the seed packages or the plant pots dictate the type of soil needed while other times you may have to ask the garden center’s advice.

Following preparation of the soil, the next activity in the process of how to start a vegetable garden is planting your seeds and/or plants. Tomatoes and peppers are best started from small starter plants while other vegetables do quite well starting from seed such as the cucumbers and beans. You will want to properly delineate each row with a sign so you know what has been planted.

Watering is the final step in how to start a vegetable garden and you should do so once the seeds and plants are in the ground and covered. Continue to water every other day or as needed and pull weeds as they will choke out your vegetable plants. Eventually, you will have a bumper crop of vegetables just waiting for you to pick, wash and consume as you wish.

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