Happy Garden - May 10, 2007

This week we have some weed killer recipes, ideas for making planters from tires and more tips from readers.

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Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Photos:

• Stellar Dogwood
• Gazing Ball
• Make Your Concrete Patio Look Like Brick!
• Coffee Can Composting

Tips and Articles:

• Planting Easter Lilies
• Hot Caps For Delicate Seedlings
• Alfalfa Flakes For Mulching
• Easy Rooting Instructions
• All About Strawberry Pots
• Use Cat Hair to Keep Rabbits Away from Flowers
• After Tilling - Let the Weeds Come Up
• Keeping Bugs off Plants
• Empty Yogurt Containers For Starting Seeds
• Cleaning Tiller Tines
• Make Your Own Weed Killer Recipe
• How To Make Tire Planters

New Requests:

• Snail Repellents
• Clover Taking Over My Lawn
• Bamboo Invading Our Yard
• Natural Snake Repellents
• Tomatoes in Hanging Planters
• Color Washing Off a Vinca When I Water It

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Stellar Dogwood

Jess in Portland

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Gazing Ball

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Make Your Concrete Patio Look Like Brick!

I love the way my patio looks now and it sure beats the cost of installing brick pavers!

By Marianne from Trenton, Ohio

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Coffee Can Composting

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Planting Easter Lilies

I was given 6 Easter Lilies plants from my church after the Easter season. I was told that if I cut off all but 3 inches from the bottom and throw them into the ground that they should bloom again in August. Then yearly afterwards. I'll try it and see. Maybe now that this plant is no longer popular, you can check your nursery and see what kind of deal you can make and do the same as I am. (I was also told this works for tulips too.)

By LRP from LWL, MA

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Hot Caps For Delicate Seedlings

Make a mini greenhouse or "hot cap" for your tender vegetable transplants, using plastic one gallon milk jugs. Simply remove and discard the cap and cut the bottom out completely following the natural square shape of the jug. I use a very sharp pointed knife to make a nice clean, even cut. Place the jug over the transplant, pushing down just enough to press the bottom about 1/2 inch into the soil. Use some soil mounded slightly all the way around the outside bottom to anchor the jug in place and keep it from blowing away.

I have used these to give a good start and some early protection to all kinds of vegetable transplants. Generally, I use them to protect plants from days or nights that are either too cool or windy, or if there is a heavy damaging rainfall. I use a large tomato cage or two set right in the garden to conveniently store the jugs after removing them. That way, they are handy to put right back on when needed. Using these mini hot caps have allowed me to get tender plants out in the garden and rooted sooner than I could if I waited for perfect weather conditions.

By Linda from Hamlin NY

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Alfalfa Flakes For Mulching

On the subject of mulching to control weeds, I would like to add that flakes (or the two to four inch thick sheets that naturally peel off a bale) of alfalfa hay work very, very well. They are thick enough to prevent most any weed from germinating through them, and there are enzymes in the alfalfa (not to mention the nitrogen) that promote growth of whatever plants you are mulching. Other mulch or decorative rocks can be put over the top for a more finished look.

If you are in a rural area, you can often run a cheap ad in an appropriate newspaper for hay that is too spoiled to be usable for feed for livestock. Most people will give it away or sell it very cheaply in this condition. If that is not an option, it can of course be purchased from a feed store. Alfalfa hay or hay pellets can be used in your compost bin to add the benefits of alfalfa.

By Gina J. from Colorado

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Easy Rooting Instructions

Root your plants and shrubs by cutting a small piece from your plant. Take a paper napkin or paper towel and fold it to hold a handful of garden soil. Place the bottom of the plant in soil and wrap the napkin around the bottom of the plant. Tie with a rubberband to keep soil from falling out and place it in a freezer type zip lock bag. Moisten dirt, not soggy and close ziplock bag. Place in a window and forget it for about 6 weeks. Wala, you now have a plant with roots. This works very well with roses also!

By Sharon from Florida

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All About Strawberry Pots
By Monica Resinger

Strawberry pots are the pots that are shaped like an urn and have 'pockets' up and down the sides of the pot. They are made especially for growing strawberries and are easy and convenient. You can also grow herbs, flowers or other plants in them. Plants that have a hanging habit put the pockets of strawberry pots to good use. Strawberries do have a hanging habit and don't mind being cramped because their roots are shallow so are an excellent choice for growing in a strawberry pot.

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Use Cat Hair to Keep Rabbits Away from Flowers

If you have a problem with rabbits munching on your flowers, try brushing your cat and then sprinkling the cat hair over the plants. This was the only solution that helped me after I had tried other remedies such as sprinkling cayenne pepper, human hair and blood meal over my plants. (The rabbits ate the cayenne pepper!!) By using cat hair, I think the rabbits avoid the plants because they think a predator is close by.

NorskyGal

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After Tilling - Let the Weeds Come Up

If you have just tilled or cleared some land for planting, let it sit for two weeks so you can pull out the weed seedlings that have come up before planting. That will help you distinguish your new seedlings from the weeds.

Susan

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Keeping Bugs off Plants

To help keep the worms and leaf eating bugs off your garden plants use jalapeno peppers, boil and strain, put the pepper "broth" in about a gallon of warm water and spray plants, this is a very safe bug repellant. Use about 6-8 peppers to a quart of water.

By ZIPP2101

If you have any more tips for keeping bugs off plants, feel free to post them.

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Empty Yogurt Containers For Starting Seeds

Save empty yogurt cartons to start plant seedlings for your garden in the spring. Empty cardboard egg cartons also work good. So do clear plastic containers from the bakery-mini greenhouses.

By Melanie

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Cleaning Tiller Tines

This year we decided to have a garden of our own. So my husband bought a new toy, a tiller. The problem is cleaning the tines when he's finished. I suggested he get a bathroom brush or dish brush at the dollar store and use it to scrub off most of the dirt before he uses the hose to clean it. This worked so well and also saved him time and water. It also saved his back from having to bend over so much.

By Phyllis

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Make Your Own Weed Killer Recipe

Weed Killer Recipe

Question:

Thanks,
Mary

Answer:

Here are two homemade recipes to try. Both should be used only on plants that you want to get rid of, taking care not to spray any on surrounding plants. These are most effective when used on emerging weeds.

• 1 tablespoon of gin
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap
• 1 quart of hot water

Alternate version:

• 1 gallon of distilled vinegar
• 1 cup of salt
• 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap

Spray these directly on weeds in the garden or pour directly into cracks of walks and driveways.

By Ellen Brown
http://www.sustainable-media.com

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How To Make Tire Planters

Information on making recycled tire planters. Post your own ideas here.

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Snail Repellents

How do I keep the snails away from my house. They are taking over!

Kristen from Springfield, MO

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Clover Taking Over My Lawn

I am having lawn trouble and I'm at my wits end. I did the weed and feed thing in the early spring and now the clover and it's pretty purple flowers are taking over. Any help getting rid of it is greatly appreciated.

Hardiness Zone: 5a

Donna from Joliet, IL

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Bamboo Invading Our Yard

What can I use to kill bamboo that is coming into our yard from our neighbor's yard? It sends shoots out all along the brick fence we have and now it is even coming further into our yard by traveling under the ground and coming up wherever it wants to. We get about 10 new shoots per week. I cut them down repeatedly and some die off but others just ignore my attempts. We can't pull it out like a regular weed either.

We have talked to them about it and they don't seem to believe it is their problem to deal with. Other than this problem, they are very nice neighbors so we really would like a solution that keeps it from coming onto our property.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Threegetts from Rio Rancho, NM

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Natural Snake Repellents

I have just about given up the love of gardening because of the abundance of snakes I come across. Any suggestions?

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Kathy

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Tomatoes in Hanging Planters

I have just bought some "Tumbler" tomato plants for hanging baskets for the first time. Do I still need to pinch out the side shoots in the same way as normal tomatoes? Also, as I've never grown these before I am concerned that the basket may not provide enough depth of compost and consequently whether they will get enough water. Does anyone have any experience or tips please for growing hanging tomatoes?

Fiona from UK

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Color Washing Off a Vinca When I Water It

The color washes off the bright pink annual vinca I planted when I water it. I've never had that happen with a plant before. Does this happen with all the brightly colored vincas? The light pink ones I have look great.

Hardiness Zone: 8a

Debbie from Valdosta, GA

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Crafting for Fun and Money!

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