Do you have any good gardening tips/hints/shortcuts to share?

9 Responses to “Do you have any good gardening tips/hints/shortcuts to share?”

1. redunicorn says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 9:48 AM

   Join a gardening club to get free or cheaper plants.

   Get free mulch from the county tree removal service. It is not pretty but it is the right price.
2. bradymsu says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 9:55 AM

   Put some sort, any sort, of weedblocker down on your garden. Layered newspapers are the cheapest and can be composted. More people give up on their gardens because of weeds than any other reason.
3. Wood Smoke says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 10:22 AM

   Control erosion with small “banks” of rock, brick or stones.

   smile
4. gardengallivant says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 10:49 AM

   Old baby gates make great trellis to support cucumbers or other heavy squash. Hammer two 1×2 posts into the ground and stretch the gate between. Use zip ties to attach. At the end of the season it all goes back into storage.
   Old front bicycle wheels on top of pole trellis. This requires a pipe, slightly larger in diameter than the wheel hub’s axle (the place the skewer goes through). Drill holes in the pipe 1 inch down. Place the wheel across the end of the pipe. Lash with zip ties. Insert the pipe’s other end well into the ground. Run string down to the ground from all around the rim of the wheel. The string attaches to tent pegs or soil staples. The string will stabilize the wheel on top of the pole and support green beans or other vine.

   Use old mini-blind slats for plant labels.

   Put cotton balls in the tips of garden gloves to protect your nail. It also keeps the gloves from wearing out at the tips.

   Old white sheer window curtains can drape plants to keep out insects or light frosts.

   Disposable chops sticks from the last take out make stir sticks for mixing in the garden shed. They also make seed dibbles for sowing or for pricking out seedlings when transplanting.

   Old window screen cut to fit the bottom of flower pots keeps soil in. Also used coffee filters will work.

   Tuna or cat food cans with ends removed make cut worm barriers. place over the transplants and press into the ground to prevent cutworms from chewing the seedling.
5. poopinmypocket says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 11:12 AM

   crushed egg shells keep slugs and snails out. a bowl of beer will kill grasshoppers, I don’t know why, but they love beer, and drown in it
6. TrueSunn says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 11:57 AM

   Fish emulsion stinks to high heaven, but is a great fertilizer for houseplants and seedlings.

   Test your soil once a year with a $5 kit from the garden store to see what amendments need to be made before planting.

   Don’t add raw manure to your garden- it will burn the plants! Make sure it’s aged in the compost pile first.

   Pinch early blooms off your veggie plants, or you will get less harvest later. Wait til the root system is better developed to let fruits develop.

   To grow huge pumpkins and watermelons, only allow one fruit per vine to develop.
7. Kim P says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 12:47 PM

   * if you have aquarium fish, use the water to fertilize your plants
   * use crushed egg shell around plants to discourage slugs
   * banana peels worked into the soil around your roses will provide much needed potassium
8. cal72036 says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 1:17 PM

   Without a doubt, listen to the advice of your wife, if it dont
   work, there is nothing for you to feel bad about.
9. Jae says:

   Friday,June 18, 2010 at 1:52 PM

   hey thanks