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Vol. 3, Num. 26, July 3, 2008 (Read It Online) I hope everyone has a wonderful Fourth of July weekend in the US. In this week's issue, Ellen answers more of you questions. She also share an article about Creating Beautiful Hanging Baskets. We have some new Gardening videos this week about growing potatoes: No Dig Potatoes
Growing Potatoes Tips
Thanks for reading, Susan
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Grow a Sweet Potato Vine Right in Your Home! Here's an interesting and fun indoor project, that can be shared with your children/grandchildren!At the supermarket, select a sweet potato that will fit in a see-through container. (A canning jar works nicely.) Position the potato, so about two-thirds of it is down in the jar. You may need to insert 2-3 round toothpicks into the potato at the jar rim level, so the potato can "sit" in place. (See Photo). Fill the jar halfway or more, with water. Now, everyone can watch as within a matter of weeks, the potato roots in the water. Keep adding water, as needed, and then vine sprouts will appear on top. Once the vine begins to grow, it is fascinating to see it daily. And it is pretty, too! By Maggie from Park Hills, MO
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Rate It: This is my granddaughter looking at my garden of flowers that my husband made for me for Mother's Day. My child also bought flowers for my husband to put in the garden. The colored flowers are supposed to be a waterfall. By Maria from Cedarville, NJ
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Rate It: Wild Rhododendron - Western Washington This is a wild Rhodie bush. They grow all over here in WA.By Sherry from Silverdale WA
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Question:I have a partially shaded hill that leads down to the river. The soil is poor but grows weeds quite well. Does anyone have a suggestion on a maintenance free ground cover?Hardiness Zone: 4b D.M. Answer:Hi D.M.,Although I'm still a firm believer that grass is as good of a low maintenance ground cover as any (no weeding, just mowing), here are three good suggestions for ground covers. These will all work on shady slopes, but some amending of the soil will be necessary, or you can expect the weeds to take over once again. Periwinkle (Vinca minor): This is a beautiful ground cover with dark green foliage and blue, lavender, or white flowers. Periwinkle is supposed to grow where nothing else will. It is said to be tolerant of nutrient poor soil and dry conditions. I'm not sure who is responsible for making those claims, but if you hope to see any significant growth at all (and it's rather slow growing in the first place) your Periwinkle is going to need plenty of water. At least that has been my experience. Lungwort (Pulmonaria): This is your best bet in terms of showy foliage. Depending on the species, Lungwort displays flowers in red, purple, white, or blue. The green foliage usually features silvery speckles, splotches, or white variegations. This ground cover grows from 8 to 12 inches tall and will fill in quickly (in just a few seasons) depending on how thickly you space the plants. Woodland phlox (P. divaricata): I really love these. Variations of this species may even grow wild in your neighborhood. Woodland phlox colonize into thick masses of color. They have deep green foliage with lavender, blue or white flowers in spring. They blend very well with other woodland plants and grow from 12 to 15 inches tall. Just my two cents, but you might also consider just letting the slope go native. With time and patience, native plants will eventually establish themselves in the area, or with the help of a local native plant nursery, you can help nature along a little faster. The taller plants and grasses will also do wonders to filter any run-off leading down to the river. Everyone wins-you, local wildlife, and water quality. Good luck! Ellen
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Rate It: Should I Deadhead a Hydrangea? Question:I bought beautiful hydrangeas from a nursery for my patio and they have lasted about 2 months. The blooms have died. If I deadhead the blooms, will I get more or is that it? I live upstairs in a condo so have no yard and must use a balcony--so there is no way I am able to plant outside and wait until next year.Hardiness Zone: 8b Fran from Dallas, TX Answer:Fran, I'm afraid your hydrangeas are done blooming. Two months is a good long time to see blooms, though, especially since you have no way of knowing how long they were blooming at the nursery before you purchased them. Hydrangeas only bloom once per season, so deadheading them will not encourage a second flush of flowers. The good news is that the blooms are one of the easiest to dry, so you keep on enjoying the flowers for months to come. To air dry your hydrangea blooms, simply leave the spent blooms on their stems until late summer. As the season progresses, the blooms will take on an aged look and may start to display some unique colors as they dry. To completely dry them, simply remove the flowers from the stems and cut them to the desired length. There is no need to hang them upside down to dry, just remove any unwanted leaves, and arrange them as you wish. Ellen Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf11442668.tip.html
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Rate It: Transplanting A Hydrangea Bush Question:I need to transplant a medium/large well established hydrangea bush ASAP. However, I don't know if this is the safest time of year. Should I act now or wait until fall? Any other transplanting tips on this bush would be very helpful. The bush has sentimental value and losing it would be tragic.Hardiness Zone: 7b Jean from Farmingville, NY Answer:Jean,The best time to move a well-established hydrangeas bush is during winter dormancy-after its leaves have fallen. The most risky time to transplant a hydrangea is in the spring, right about the time its leaves are starting to emerge. If moving it now would be easiest for you, then go ahead and do it. It may take a season or two to reset its clock, but with a little TLC, it should survive the move just fine. To transplant it, wait for an overcast day (make sure it's not too hot) and dig out as much of a root ball around the hydrangea as possible. More is better, as this minimizes the risk of inflicting irreparable damage to the roots. If the hydrangea is thriving in its current location, try to relocate it to a site that mimics the same conditions in regards light, wind, etc. If necessary, amend the soil at the new site and make sure it allows for plenty of drainage. Water in the hydrangea well when you transplant it, and be prepared to monitor it closely for the rest of the summer. Never let it fully dry out, but take care not to water too frequently either. Hydrangeas appreciate plenty of water, but they don't like to stand in it. Don't give it any fertilizer for several weeks, or until you start to see new growth. Here's a great link to step-by-step instructions for propagating hydrangeas. Because this plant is of great sentimental value to you, consider propagation in addition to transplanting the established plant. It's a great way insurance policy just incase you suffer some losses. Good luck! Ellen
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Rate It: Do I Need to Remove Fruit from My Fruit Tree? Question:I have a naval orange tree that is loaded down with new fruit. Do I need to get rid of most of the fruit? I know that the branches will not support the weight of more than one or two naval oranges. I also have the same problem with my lime trees. Thanks for any help you can give.Hardiness Zone: 9a Jean from Savannah, GA Answer:Jean,When citrus trees are allowed to bear all of the fruit they set in the spring, the results are usually less than optimal. You will either see lots of small fruits or inconsistent crops over the course of several years. Thinning the fruit of younger trees is important for good crop production, and it promotes the growth of the canopy, which produces a healthy, more disease resistant tree in the end. In order for trees to produce a good quality crop consistently, it is recommended to thin fruit clusters down to a single fruit so that each fruit hangs no more than 6 inches from the next. With limes trees, I believe 2-3 fruits per cluster is considered acceptable. In general, if you make a fist and find you can touch 2 fruits at the same time, your citrus tree needs thinning. Thinning should be done in the spring or mid-summer, after the tree thins itself naturally (also known as fruit drop). At this point, the fruit will still be a manageable size (between the size of your thumbnail and a golf ball). If you wait too long, any benefits gained by thinning will be lost. The thinning process is best done with a pruning shears or scissors. Leave the largest, most vigorous fruits on the tree and when removing the others, make sure to remove the fruit as well as the entire stem from the tree. I hope that helps! Ellen
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Rate It: Paper egg cartons work wonders for starting your seedlings! Cut off the top of the carton and place under the egg compartments. Add seedling mix and seeds. When you water, the paper carton will hold the moisture for a long time and it adds support for handling. When you're ready to transplant, just break off each section. You can plant the biodegradable carton sections, with the seedling, to reduce transplanting shock. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf57068221.tip.html
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Rate It: Use Recycled Buckets for Irrigation I live on a hobby farm and we've planted an orchard on our property. With the droughts that have been going on we didn't want to lose any trees. My husband came up with this idea on his own a few years ago and we even use it in the gardens now: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73695209.tip.html
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Rate It: Creating Beautiful Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets are a great way to dress up your yard and garden. Not only do they add color and interest, but because ornamentals, herbs, and vegetables can all be successfully grown in them, hanging baskets are also an excellent way increase your available planting space.
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Rate It: Use Colored Gelatin When Planting Small Seeds If you are planting very fine seeds, such as carrot, lettuce or wildflower; mix the seeds with some colored gelatin powder. It really helps to spread the seeds evenly and makes it very easy to see where they've been sown. The gelatin seems to help them grow too! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17494485.tip.html
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Rate It: How to Make Sugared Flowers
There are a wide range of flowers that are edible, such as begonias, sunflowers, roses, violets and gardenias. Not only can the petals be washed and used in salads or as garnish, but they can also be combined with sugar and a little food color to make a delicately flavored enhancement for teas, baked goods and desserts. Here's a recipe for that homemade flower sugar. Ingredients
DirectionsSelect edible flowers grown without pesticides. Roses, sunflowers pansies are good ones to start. Remove petals from flowers and discard stem.Rinse flowers in colander, then blot on paper towels to dry. Place the sugar in ziploc bag, and add clean, dried flower petals. Squeeze out air from bag and seal, then place in cool dry place for 3-4 days to allow flower essence to blend with sugar. Carefully remove petals from sugar, then zip bag closed and knead gently with hands. Sugar is ready to use. To color sugar: Squeeze a tiny drop of food coloring (blue for lavender, pink for rose, yellow for sunflower, etc.) into the bag. Knead and shake bag gently. to distribute. Leave in bag, or store sugar in an airtight container.
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Rate It: Using Soda Bottle To Protect Seedlings And Delicate Plants Cut off the tops of 2 liter plastic soft drink bottles to use to protect seedlings (and to discourage cutworms). Use the bottoms of the bottles as saucers for potted plants. They work great and will protect surfaces from spills if you over water. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf95787230.tip.html
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Rate It: Run Your Mower Out of Gas Before Storing If you have a gas lawn mower, every time you use it, before storing it, make sure the mower runs out of gas. You'll stop the carburetor from gumming up. Also, they make a fuel additive for lawn mowers, that helps clean the carburetor. This will make the mower easier to start the next time. Remember to change the air filter regularly. More so in dusty conditions. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf59979474.tip.html
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Rate It: Plant Onions at the End of Gardening Rows When planting your seed rows, plant a few onions on each end of the row so you can tell where the rows of slow germinating seeds are. By the time the onions are ready to pull, the seeds will have sprouted. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf66854537.tip.html
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Rate It: Cocoa Bean Mulch Can Be Toxic to Dogs Pet owners should avoid use of cocoa bean mulch in landscaping around dogs with indiscriminate eating habits. Source: From the ASPCA By Sherry from Silverdale WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47534286.tip.html
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I received this plant as a gift and I am not sure on what it is. Could anyone tell me? Thanks. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51730634.tip.html
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Rate It: Is Georgia subtropical? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf70562424.tip.html
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Rate It: Birds Messing Up Newspaper Under Mulch We have trimmed the area around our trees with wet newspapers covered with mulch. Now the robins are picking away at the newspapers and it's a mess. any way to get them to stop, or should we have used something besides newspapers? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf42051008.tip.html
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Rate It: I need help with my lavender plant. I bought it in early May, an already established plant, Munstead variety. I re-potted it together with rosemary in a nice size pot, because I heard that they are good companion plants. Rosemary is doing beautifully, while lavender has not grown a single millimeter, it looks exactly the same as the day I bought it!? No flowers, no new growth, nothing! It does not show any signs of disease or dying, but not growing either. Please help! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf25333151.tip.html
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Rate It: Storing Peach Seeds Until Planted I want to plant some peach seeds that I recently acquired, but everyone says to plant them in the fall. So what do I do with the seeds right now? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf44068557.tip.html
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Rate It: I am starting to get my back yard cleared out. About 15 trees will be removed, grass seed will be planted and I would like a small patio area to be exposed from the French Doors I hope to have installed. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf10943562.tip.html
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Rate It: We have two cherry trees (do not know variety) but are 4-5 years, both trees have fruit all over this summer. However, the cherries were the size of small peas. Both trees are a good 8-10 ft tall, maybe taller and are planted on a slope for drainage. We live in the middle part of East TN. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98384798.tip.html
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Rate It: Why are my rose bush leaves turning yellow all of a sudden? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf54550054.tip.html
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Rate It: I have a hibiscus plant that will bloom, but the blooms will not open up completely before they die. I have planted it in the ground and fertilized it. I water it everyday, but nothing seems to work. What should I try next? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60850258.tip.html
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Rate It: Using Beet Juice To Kill Weeds I was wondering if anyone had used beet juice to kill weeds. If so did it work and how do you make it? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22169560.tip.html
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Rate It: Keeping Cats Out Of Flowerbeds I am looking for any help with keeping the stray cats that live on our porch out of my flowerbeds. There are 9 of them that my two daughters keep feeding! I have tried moth balls but they just push them aside and do their business. Please Help. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf24633406.tip.html
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Rate It: How long before clematis starts blooming? I planted from a gallon container. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf15641732.tip.html
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Rate It: I need a homemade recipe to remove "doggy odor" from my house. I live on very limited budget. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf21248981.tip.html
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Rate It: I am looking for tips on growing burning bushes. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52138569.tip.html
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Rate It: Why are the leaves on my sunflowers turning yellow and then brown? The leaves are doing this on my geraniums as well. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56099335.tip.html
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Rate It: I never seem to know when to cut my lavender to get the best fragrance. Also, what is the best way to dry it. Hardiness Zone: 6b Rose from Malvern, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf92592924.tip.html
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Rate It: Does anyone know how to make a waterer from a soda bottle? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf11641650.tip.html
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Rate It: Plums Falling Before They Are Ripe Why do the plums fall off the tree every year before they are ripe. I do everything I was told to do but nothing helps. Opening it, spraying it, etc., I think I'll cut it this fall, unfortunately. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf99531266.tip.html
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Rate It: How do I transplant strawberries from my earthbox? Do i need to buy another box? A man once told me not to use the first year runners, if so should I just snip them off? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf58207688.tip.html
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Rate It: Tomato Plant Leaves Turning Black In my greenhouse last year my tomatoes leaves went black and crispy. Now I have noticed the same is beginning to happen again. How can I stop this before I lose my plants? Would I need to disinfect the greenhouse? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf29360118.tip.html
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Rate It: Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here
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