Gardening Tips from Heirloom Seeds

GARDEN TIPS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Presented by HEIRLOOM SEEDS

Try to avoid the use of chemical pesticides. There are many organic and botanical sprays or powders on the market that work quite well in controlling insects.
Make sure to draw a map of your garden every year, so you can keep track of your plantings from season to season. This will enable you to rotate your crops on a four year cycle.
Is your garden too small? Try using wide rows and growing your vine crops vertically.
Look into the use of a floating row cover. They are very easy to use and offer excellent protection from insects, plus they are not harmful to the environment.
The use of some kind of mulch around your plants will keep down weeds and help retain soil moisture during dry spells.
Don't rely entirely on chemical fertilizers to nourish your plants. Use of compost, manures, grass clippings, leaves and organic mulches all add humus to the soil and promote good plant growth.
Plan for a Fall garden! Most gardeners only plant a spring crop. This is a mistake! Many vegetables grow better in the cool Autumn weather... and wouldn't fresh produce taste good from your garden this Fall?
Make a raised bed this year. Two by sixes nailed together and filled to the top with loose soil, make an excellent medium for root crops.
Buy a few soaker hoses this year. They are relatively inexpensive and the water they conserve will pay for them in a short time.
After purchasing your seeds in the springtime, store in a cool, dry place till planting time. Try placing them in an air-tight jar (a wide mouth canning jar works well) in the coolest room of the house. This will keep the seeds fresh until sowing.
Here's James' tip on making a "lazy mans garden". In the fall, construct some raised beds in the garden. Cover these beds with 8 inches of hay or straw. In the spring, when time is of the essence, just pull the mulch to the sides of the bed to plant. If planting warm weather crops, make sure the soil is warm before planting. As the plants start to grow, pull the mulch back around the plants. The mulch will choke out weeds and keep the soil moist (you will not have to water as often). As an added bonus, James states that the earthworm population in his garden has greatly increased since using this method. This has worked for just about everything in his garden except for corn and sunflowers (makes them too shallow rooted, thus suffering from wind damage). So if you are always rushed to get your garden planted in the spring, get out in the garden now and give James' "lazy mans garden" a try! From James Lee M. in Mexico, Missouri.
All parts of the Yarrow plant can be sprinkled over the green matter in the compost heap. This will cause the matter to decompose very quickly. Even a few Yarrow leaves placed on the compost material will begin to decompose the pile in a hurry. From Patricia J. in Rakaia, New Zealand.

Editors note:

Yarrow planted throughout the garden will help activate the disease resistance of nearby plants. It also intensifies the medicinal actions of other herbs.

If you have a problem with cabbage worms in your garden, try this non-toxic trick! By sprinkling the plants with hot water for a few seconds, you can kill the pesky cabbage worms. Fill your watering can with hot (130 to 150 degrees F.) water and sprinkle the plants for 1 or 2 seconds. This will not harm the plants, but will kill the cabbage worms infesting them! from Charles in Bangor, Maine.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This will work on cabbage, broccoli and other cole crops. Just make sure the water is not too hot and do not sprinkle for more than 2 seconds to avoid damage to the plant!

Here is Kathleen's tip on an inexpensive way to keep the bugs off your cabbage. Give them each a "hat" to wear! She used old panty hose cut into 6-8 inch lengths and tied in a knot at one end. While the cabbage plants were still small, she placed the open end of the panty hose over each plant, with the excess material on the bottom near the ground. As the cabbage grew, the panty hose enlarged with the plant and kept insects from causing damage. She states they last the whole gardening season, and grew the best cabbage ever with its use. She even got a few chuckles from other gardening friends, but she bets they'll be using her tip this year! from Kathleen in Sparta, TN.
Want to make better and quicker compost? Want your garden to be healthier and more productive? Then go for a worm walk! After a good rain, Vicki and her children grab some plastic bowls and comb the neighborhood for earthworms. Look on the edges of lawns where the grass ends, in the gutters, on the ends of driveways, etc. or grab a flashlight and look through your yard in the evening. (You can also look in your neighbors yard in the evening, just make sure you get their permission first). The rain forces many of the worms up to the surface, where they are easy to pick up. Have a contest with the children to see who can capture the most worms (dead ones don't count!). After you have a supply of worms, dig down into your compost pile, water the area thoroughly, add the worms and recover. You now have a compost pile filled with hundreds of tiny workers to help break down the compost! When adding the compost to your garden, you will also be adding earthworms to the soil. Just a reminder, earthworms find chemical fertilizers very toxic. Try to refrain from adding these fertilizers to your garden if you want a healthy population of worms in your soil. From Vicki in Tustin, California.
Grow your tomatoes upside down! Start out with a large container that can be used as a hanging basket. The hole in the bottom of the container should be about the size of a ping pong ball (you may have to enlarge the hole on some containers). Then take a small tomato seedling and work it carefully through the hole from the inside of the container. Fill the container with good potting soil, and hang your upside-down tomato outdoors in an appropriate spot. Carole says she gets lots of surprised looks and comments about this unusual way of growing tomatoes. Another plus, she notes, is no staking, no slugs, and diseases are reduced. Remember, though, the potted plants need to be watered daily (larger varieties may need watered twice a day). Although any variety of tomato will work, we think the cherry type tomatoes would be the most attractive hanging. Before you know it, you'll be picking delicious, home-grown tomatoes!

From.Carole N. in Lynnwood, Washington

Many salad greens do best in cooler weather. In areas with very warm summers, you can grow tastier greens during the warm summer months by providing a little shade for those plants. What better way than to provide shade using another vegetable plant!

I put simple lattice supports for my cucumbers (made from 1" by 1/8 " lathe boards) over a framework of 1/2" square cedar garden stakes. The trellis is leaning and positioned to provide plenty of shade underneath during the afternoon sun. I am able to grow wonderful salad greens under these structures, even during the heat of summer. It also provides a little extra sun for the heat loving cucumbers that grow up the lattice work. Other vining crops such as peas, beans, small melons, tomatoes and some squash could also be grown on the trellis, by adjusting the height or size of the support to accommodate the size and weight of the variety you wish to grow. Using these supports, I can grow cool weather crops during the summer, plus save space by growing the vining crops up, instead of sprawling on the ground. From Steve L. in Oregon City, Oregon.

Mint can be very effective in keeping cabbage moths out of the garden, but mint plants can quickly spread and become a problem in itself. Try growing your mint in containers. You can move the plants around the garden to control the moths wherever you have a problem, and still have plenty of mint for your own use! From John D. in Wagner, South Dakota.
Dale reminds us of an old gardening rule of thumb. When sowing seeds, plant one seed to grow and two for the birds. Here is his tip for discouraging birds in the garden. If birds become a problem and eat your newly sowed corn, bean, or squash seeds or sprouting plants, try this method of scaring them. Run temporary string along every second or third row, tying white strips of old sheeting to the string at one-foot intervals. Position the string three feet above the rows. The string can be attached to temporary wooden poles or stakes. The strips of sheeting should be 3 inches wide by 2 feet long. The strips blow gently in the wind and scare the birds away. Remove the strings after the plants have become established. From Dale Z. in Ponca City, Oklahoma
Here is Jo-Ann's suggestion for an effective, simple and environmentally friendly way to kill weeds in your garden. (We've tried it in our test gardens and it works!)I have 15 raised beds in my garden and even though I mulch, I still get weeds in the aisles between the beds and around the parameter of the garden. My solution is simple. When I make my morning coffee, I boil a couple of pots of water at the same time. I then go out into the garden and pour the boiling water on the weeds. It kills them and saves me weeding time later on.

Note: Be careful not to pour the boiling water on your garden plants, as it will kill them too! From Jo-Ann F. Spillimacheen in BC, Canada.

Sharyn asks the question, "Are you tired of blossom end rot on your tomatoes?"

She crushes two Tums antacid tablets and spreads them around the tomato plant before watering. She believes that the calcium in the tablets helps control the blossom end rot. She states that she has not had a problem with this disease since using the Tums tablets. From Sharyn M. in Hudson, Florida.

Have a problem with birds in your garden? Try Jean's suggestion on how to use the new computer technology to help.

Are you constantly receiving unwanted CD disks in the mail with free offers for online services? Don't throw these disks away. Jean sets up two poles (5 to 6 feet tall) in the garden on either side of the area that is to be protected from the birds. Tie a string from the top of one pole to the other pole. The unwanted computer CD's are then hung from the string with a second piece of string. The reflection of the sun from the CD's deters the birds from entering your garden. From Jean S. in Oakwood, Texas.

I've always had minor problems with different insects attacking my pumpkin vines. This year I decided to try some companion planting to see if it would help. All through my pumpkin patch I planted onions, radish and a few nasturtiums. Around the edges of the patch, I planted nasturtiums and marigolds. To my surprise, I had a pest free pumpkin patch the whole season! I've only tried this one year, and can't say for certain this was the reason for my pest free crop, but I'm sure going to try it again next year! From Melvin J. in Newton, North Carolina.
For an inexpensive way to protect young plants from a frost, make a "teepee" out of newspaper. Simply use two to three pages of newspaper and roll into a cone. Keep the papers shape with a piece of tape. Cover the bottom edges with soil to secure the "teepee" in place. For frost protection at night, close the top with a clothes pin. Remember to reopen the top during the day. The "teepee" must not remain on too long, or the plant will grow spindly and weak. A great way to help your early transplants through a little cold spell! From Caroline B. in Rawlins, Wyoming.
I planted my first garden in 1999. Being a novice, I read a few books and thought I knew what I was doing. The soil in my yard had a beautiful dark brown color, was easy to work and looked just like the soil seen on all those gardening TV shows. After tilling the soil and carefully planting the seeds, I was looking forward to a productive garden. What followed was a complete disaster. A lot of the seeds I planted didn't germinate and the ones that did, withered quickly. The corn only grew about 1 foot high and the tomato plants that I bought at a local nursery only grew to about 10 inches high and produced no fruit. Needless to say, I was ready to give up on this hobby. After visiting a friend's garden and seeing her beautiful results, I knew I could not give up after just one try. My friend suggested that I have my soil tested before planting next year's garden. The results showed that the soil did not have any nutrient deficiencies, but did show a soil pH of 4.5. With the soil being that acidic, no wonder I had problems! I added ground limestone in the fall and by the spring, the soil pH showed a 6.5 reading. My garden in 2000 was so lush and productive, that complete strangers were stopping to ask me for advise! So my tip is: Have your soil tested before planting next year's garden. You might be surprised at what you find! From Rodney G. in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Here's Brad tip on keeping insects away from your eggplant, pepper and tomato plants, in addition to increasing their production. Place aluminum foil underneath the plants (shiny side up) a few days after you transplant them into the garden. Make sure the foil extends beyond the expected diameter of the plant at maturity, using fabric pegs to secure the foil to the ground. As the sun shines on the foil, it is reflected back up onto the bottom of the leaves. This confuses the insects that normally hide under the foliage. With no safe place to hide, the insects move on to another area. Another benefit of the foil is that it exposes more leaf surface to the sun, increasing the fruit production. Brad H. from Johnstown, Ohio
Here is Lance's tip for combating cabbage moths in the garden using companion planting. To keep the moths from laying their eggs on your cole crops (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc.) simply plant radish seeds around your transplants. The radish plants help deter the moths away from your garden! Lance states that this method is about 90% effective in his garden. Another plus: Eventually the radish plants will grow taller and produce flowers, providing the cole crops with a little needed shade as the weather gets warmer into the summer. From Lance W. in Lyman, Wyoming
Every year as far back as I can remember, I place tin cans around my vegetable plants when transplanting them into the garden. Just take out the tops and bottoms of the cans, place one can around each plant, then press it into the soil about an inch or more. The tin cans help deter cut worms, protect the young seedlings from the birds and helps shield the plants from the elements while they adjust to the outside. From Marcia F. in Waupun, Wisconsin.
When planting your tomatoes, place 2 crumbled egg shells in the bottom of each hole. This is an excellent source of calcium (an insufficient amount of calcium can cause blossom end rot). Since I've started to use this method, I haven't had a problem with blossom rot. I also use crumbled egg shells around the base of my plants to protect them from cut worms. From Bill D. in Louisville, Kentucky.
I always like to have fresh herbs ready to use in the kitchen whenever possible. During the growing season, I cut a stem or two from the herbs I use most often and place them in a glass of water in the refrigerator. Whenever I am cooking, I can simply go into the refrigerator and "pick" a few leaves of whichever herb the recipe calls for. This saves me a trip to the garden every time I want some herbs (also saves me from getting wet on a rainy day!). The herbs will last about a week when stored in this manner. From Carol G. in Hillsboro, Ohio.
My garden is in a somewhat shaded location, but I still manage to coax some sun loving crops out of it. I painted the privacy fence along the one side of the garden, the color white, to help reflect the sun's rays back into the garden. I covered the paths between my raised beds with crushed white rocks, which also helps to reflect the suns rays. And finally, I used a mulch of aluminum foil (shiny side up) around my tomato and pepper plants. Before I started doing all of this, I was never able to get a decent crop of tomatoes or peppers. Now I am able to harvest enough for may own use and still manage to give a few away to my non-gardening friends! From Lance B. in San Francisco, California.
My husband and I originally lived in Wisconsin and always grew fresh peas in our garden. Once we moved "down south", we were told it would be impossible to grow these taste treats in our new, hot location. But we were determined to try! We started by choosing early maturing varieties, Alaska and Early Frosty. Next, we picked an area of the garden that was shaded from the afternoon sun. The most important step was determining when to plant the seeds. Since peas do not grow well in hot weather, we planted the seeds in September. We continued to plant additional seeds into October. While our pea harvest was not as large as the ones we had in Wisconsin, we did manage to grow enough of this "northern vegetable" to satisfy our desire for fresh peas in our new climate. With the success we had last year, we may enlarge our garden to try growing other heat sensitive crops this fall! From Margaret V. in Lake City, Florida.
Three years ago, I had a few extra hot pepper plants and planted them at the end of my row of squash plants. During the summer, I noticed that the squash plants near the hot peppers were not bothered by squash bugs, while the ones away from the hot peppers were. The following year I planted two hot pepper plants near every squash plant. This has almost eliminated the problems I had with squash bugs. I find this also prevents insect problems in my melon patch, but you need to plant hot peppers on all four sides of the melon vines. From Joe F. in Holt, Missouri.
Last summer I came across some old hoses someone had discarded, because they had a few leaks. I gave them to my son, who spent a little time with a sharp nail poking more holes into the hoses. Now we have "free" soaker hoses that we use to water the garden. So, don't throw those old hoses out - they can still be put to good use! From Johanna G. in Tres Pinos, California.
Here's my tip on growing cool weather crops during the heat of summer! Choose a 4 by 4 foot square in the garden. Place metal fence posts into the ground in each corner of the square. Fasten a piece of lattice work on the fence posts with twine, leaving one panel tied in a way that can easily be loosened, giving easy access to weeding and watering. You now have a 4 by 4 foot shaded box that can grow lettuce, spinach, radish and other cool weather crops in warm weather. It's also very easy to take down for storage, so it can be used again next year!

From Chester A. in Danville, Virginia.

A trick I've used for years to grow summer crops in winter (even tomatoes) is to drive iron rebar upright into the ground at about 3-4 foot intervals down each side of my 4 foot wide raised garden bed, leaving enough room for me to walk between the bars and the beds. Slip each end of a PVC pipe over the pairs of bars so that it forms arched ribs over the beds. The length of pipe will be determined by how tall you want the arches to be. I have mine long enough that I can stand almost upright to harvest the vegetables. Throw a piece of clear plastic over the entire structure. Pile soil on the edges of the plastic to hold it down. You now have a temporary greenhouse for the winter months. You will want to make envelope folds on the ends and seal one end with duct tape to keep out cold drafts from the direction of the prevailing winds. Seal the other end with smaller tabs of duct tape to allow for access to the "greenhouse". Any days that are warm enough to allow it, open that end just a little to provide some ventilation.

My covered bed gardens of this kind even withstood one of our ice storms! The whole structure was covered with ice, but when I swept it off with a broom, the ice shattered and the flexible PVC pipe arches returned to their original positions!

From Bonnie B. in Tutwiler, Mississippi.

I like to cook with ginger and so whenever I purchase ginger root, I store it in the soil of one of my potted basil plants that I keep on my back porch. In this way, I always have ginger available and it seems to store well in this manner. I discovered, quite inadvertently, that my basil plants love ginger root.The basil plants that have ginger planted with them are flourishing and producing many more leaves and off-shoots than the basil plants without ginger root planted in them. From now on, all my basil plants will be planted with ginger! From Kathryn W. in Acworth, Georgia.
I used to have problems with squirrels and rabbits digging up my perennial flower bed. Here is how I solved this problem. Go to your local hairstylist and ask them to save a bag of hair for you. Most of the time, they will have some the same day you ask. About once a month, work some of this hair into the soil of your flower bed. This has really worked for me! A friend of mine uses hair from the dog groomer with the same results. From Bruce B. in Red Bluff, California.
To get my heat loving plants off to a good start, I bought some inexpensive wire tomato cages and placed them over each transplant in the garden. Next, I wrapped the cages with sturdy, clear plastic, leaving enough loose plastic at the top to fold over the cage. During the day, keep the top open, and at night when it gets cooler, close the top with a clothespin. These little "mini" greenhouses enable you to start your plants a little earlier in the season! From Bob S.
"If you live in the city like I do, and have little or no access to open ground, here's what to do. I'm growing many kinds of vegetables in large storage-type plastic containers. For a few dollars, I get a few large (3' long by 2' wide and 12-16" deep) plastic storage boxes and drill holes in the bottom. Now I can grow baby carrots, cabbage, just about anything that needs a deeper root or more space. I'm no longer hampered by living in the city. Because these containers are clear, I can better tell when the plants need watering, too. This year, I'm growing a farm's worth!" From Roselyn C. in Chicago, IL
Jean has a great tip for making a homemade spray that will control aphids!

Chop up a few garlic gloves, one large onion, a few chive leaves and place in a blender. Fill the blender half full with water. After you have blended the ingredients well, strain to form a clear solution and discard the pulp. Add additional water to make a gallon of spray. When using on plants, make sure to spray the undersides of the leaves where the aphids hide. This spray will kill the aphids but not harm other beneficial insects. It also helps to control whiteflies. From Jean C. in Kirksville, Missouri.

Note: Before using this or any other homemade spray, always pretest on a small area of the plant to make sure it will not harm it.

To grow salad greens such as arugula, endive, lettuce, mache and spinach, try working rabbit food (alfalfa pellets) into the soil before planting. Use one cup of rabbit food for every 10 square feet of soil. The rabbit food is a good source of slow release nitrogen that salad greens really love!

Note: Keep this tip in mind when planting your fall crop of salad greens!

From Karen P. in Lexington, North Carolina

Want to kill weeds in your garden without using harmful chemicals? Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and zap the weeds with it - just make sure not to spray your nearby crops! This will work on weed seedlings as well as full grown plants. For particularly tough weeds, use cider vinegar, which has a higher acidity. From Diane Hartson in Fort Valley, Virginia.

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