Gardening Tips from Our Members
ORGANIC WEED KILLER
The recipe for all natural homemade vinegar weed killer, ideal for driveways and paths:
CULTIVARS FOR FLOWER ARRANGING
Blue and pink cultivars cut well in August. Cut flower heads when out. Snip off leaves at the stem end. Put stems into several inches of boiling water and then into cold water. To cut when not all the way out, dip the stems in hot water and then dunk into tepid water up to the flower (I have gotten the flower soaked and it seems to not mind, just shake gently and hold upside down till damp, not dripping). This comes from a wonderful guide FLOWERS FOR BOUQUETS Conditioning Plant Material for Flower Arranging by Joanne Lenden. The book is a bible given to members of O&D Garden Club, and also available from the author. (Name and address available if interested to order) The dunking can be a few minutes (or more if the phone rings ). The beauty of this method is that the stems stand up instead of drooping with the weight of the beautiful blooms.
PLANT PICK-ME-UP
If your plants, such as Rhododendron and Pachysandra, are looking pale and anemic, try using a little Liquid Iron on them, either as a foliar spray or soil drench. Be sure to water in well after soil applications.
MOSS BE GONE
To quickly and easily get rid of moss where you don't want it, sprinkle baking soda from the refrigerator on the moss, then water in lightly. Note: To permanently stop moss from growing you have to change the PH of the soil — a much harder job. It's easier just to like your moss.
KEEP SLUGS AND SNAILS AWAY
Egg shells for dahlias and hosta:
I’ve found that egg shells don’t compost well. Alternatively, use them against slugs and snails. Rather than spending money on slug and snail deterrents, try crushing your used eggs shells and scattering them around dahlias and hosta. Slugs and snails will not crawl over egg shells because they are sharp. I was amused to hear Mary Barry make reference to this fact recently on a Great British Bake Off Master Class.
PLANTING A NEW GARDEN
If you are planning a new garden, forget the roundup, the double digging and the weeding. I use old cardboard boxes after they are too beat up to store my Dahlia for the winter, or easier yet, The New York Times. Put a thick layer down in September where you want to plant in the spring. Cover it with compost and water it enough so that it won’t fly away. I keep a pile of flat rocks handy to weight down the edges. Then just forget about it. In the spring you can dig a hole right through the paper to plant your perennial or shrub. I have never tried this with vegetables but the Times hasn’t used lead ink for many years. It is all soy ink now.
I tried something different this spring. I want to plant more daffodils in my rough meadow, which is very hard to dig in. While the ground was still soft in April, I poked around to see if I could find some places where I could find enough soil to put some bulbs in. I would need a pick axe to get in that ground now and probably in October too. I had some old beach towels beyond redemption. They were really easy to put down and I just covered the bright colors with compost. In such a rough spot, the towels were definitely easier to use than paper or cardboard. The grass under them will decompose, adding organic matter to the stony soil and making it easier to dig in the bulbs. At least I hope that is what it will do.
CUT BACK ON PERENNIAL WATERING
We have been dragging hoses for many weeks and watering daily, except for one small perennial bed, to which I had added Osmocote chrystals. Have not had to water that one in 12 days.
FALL PERENNIAL, SANGUISORBA OFFININLAIS - GREAT BURNET
This tall, billowy, clump-forming perennial plant adds height and offers a quintessential ethereal mood to garden beds. It grows tall (3-5 feet) on thin stems with small, dark reddish bottlebrush heads in dense clusters, providing superb ornamental character. It's the perfect English border garden plant as a culinary herb to add to soups and salads, enhancing them with a cucumber-like flavor.
The recipe for all natural homemade vinegar weed killer, ideal for driveways and paths:
- 1 gallon Agricultural Vinegar 30%
- 1 cups epsom salt
- 1/4 cup Dawn dishwashing soap
CULTIVARS FOR FLOWER ARRANGING
Blue and pink cultivars cut well in August. Cut flower heads when out. Snip off leaves at the stem end. Put stems into several inches of boiling water and then into cold water. To cut when not all the way out, dip the stems in hot water and then dunk into tepid water up to the flower (I have gotten the flower soaked and it seems to not mind, just shake gently and hold upside down till damp, not dripping). This comes from a wonderful guide FLOWERS FOR BOUQUETS Conditioning Plant Material for Flower Arranging by Joanne Lenden. The book is a bible given to members of O&D Garden Club, and also available from the author. (Name and address available if interested to order) The dunking can be a few minutes (or more if the phone rings ). The beauty of this method is that the stems stand up instead of drooping with the weight of the beautiful blooms.
PLANT PICK-ME-UP
If your plants, such as Rhododendron and Pachysandra, are looking pale and anemic, try using a little Liquid Iron on them, either as a foliar spray or soil drench. Be sure to water in well after soil applications.
MOSS BE GONE
To quickly and easily get rid of moss where you don't want it, sprinkle baking soda from the refrigerator on the moss, then water in lightly. Note: To permanently stop moss from growing you have to change the PH of the soil — a much harder job. It's easier just to like your moss.
KEEP SLUGS AND SNAILS AWAY
Egg shells for dahlias and hosta:
I’ve found that egg shells don’t compost well. Alternatively, use them against slugs and snails. Rather than spending money on slug and snail deterrents, try crushing your used eggs shells and scattering them around dahlias and hosta. Slugs and snails will not crawl over egg shells because they are sharp. I was amused to hear Mary Barry make reference to this fact recently on a Great British Bake Off Master Class.
PLANTING A NEW GARDEN
If you are planning a new garden, forget the roundup, the double digging and the weeding. I use old cardboard boxes after they are too beat up to store my Dahlia for the winter, or easier yet, The New York Times. Put a thick layer down in September where you want to plant in the spring. Cover it with compost and water it enough so that it won’t fly away. I keep a pile of flat rocks handy to weight down the edges. Then just forget about it. In the spring you can dig a hole right through the paper to plant your perennial or shrub. I have never tried this with vegetables but the Times hasn’t used lead ink for many years. It is all soy ink now.
I tried something different this spring. I want to plant more daffodils in my rough meadow, which is very hard to dig in. While the ground was still soft in April, I poked around to see if I could find some places where I could find enough soil to put some bulbs in. I would need a pick axe to get in that ground now and probably in October too. I had some old beach towels beyond redemption. They were really easy to put down and I just covered the bright colors with compost. In such a rough spot, the towels were definitely easier to use than paper or cardboard. The grass under them will decompose, adding organic matter to the stony soil and making it easier to dig in the bulbs. At least I hope that is what it will do.
CUT BACK ON PERENNIAL WATERING
We have been dragging hoses for many weeks and watering daily, except for one small perennial bed, to which I had added Osmocote chrystals. Have not had to water that one in 12 days.
FALL PERENNIAL, SANGUISORBA OFFININLAIS - GREAT BURNET
This tall, billowy, clump-forming perennial plant adds height and offers a quintessential ethereal mood to garden beds. It grows tall (3-5 feet) on thin stems with small, dark reddish bottlebrush heads in dense clusters, providing superb ornamental character. It's the perfect English border garden plant as a culinary herb to add to soups and salads, enhancing them with a cucumber-like flavor.
