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Volume 2, Number 12, March 22, 2007 (Read It Online) Hello, This week we have some tips for getting rid of moles, dealing with slopes, some weeding tips and more. No photos this week. Submit Photos of Your Garden Thanks for reading, Susan
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Weeding tips from the ThriftyFun community. Weed Early In The SeasonWeed and cultivate at least once every 10 days during the early gardening (weed) season. This will allow you to keep ahead of the weeds crowding out your "wanted" plants and the roots will not have time to make it hard to pull them up.Weed Every DayWeed a little every day.By Drury Editor's Note: This may seem obvious but it really does work. Everytime you see a weed in your flower or vegetable beds, pull it up. This keeps them from flowering and spreading their seeds. Weeding When the Ground is WetWeeding used to be such a chore for me until I discovered if the earth has been wet for a while the weeds pull out so much easier and I am more likely to get the root than when dry. Also I seldom disturb the surrounding plants. This is so much easier.By Joan in CT Make Sure You Get The RootsKaliche soil in southern Texas means you weed after it rains or you water. I have a super big old screw driver with a slight bend in the tip as a "starter" to loosen the weed. Do not ever weed whack 'em and think you're done, it makes a huge root ball. My old neighbor friend put an old long drill bit on his cordless and wads up weeds, pretty funny actually. Pull close to the soil, have children pull them up and pay them by the root ball.By AE from C.C. Prevent Weeds With Organic MulchYou can prevent weed growth in the first place with a thick layer of organic mulch, I use newspaper and straw. Just cut a slit to plant your seedlings in the vegetable garden. Another good weeding tip is to give up smoking cigarettes! I did this recently and have weeded a very large area as I find it very soothing and I don't think about cigarettes at all when weeding! I'd avoid the sprays, herbicides are poisons and we are eating enough of them every day in store bought foods.By Jo Round-UpWhen we bought our home 3 years ago, it was 100 percent grass. It is now 25 percent grass and the rest are gardens and pathways. My property is well mulched with wood chips and landscape fabric, so while I do have weeds, the mulch keeps them to a minimum. Every 2 or 3 weeks, I mix up a gallon of Round-Up and for the most part, this eliminates most of the weeds. I also hand pull them as I see them, but with an acre of property, the weeds can easily get ahead of hand pulling. I tried using vinegar as a weed spray, but it was inferior to the Round-Up. It's important to get the weeds before they seed. You can pull 1 weed or after it seeds, you will be pulling 25 weeds! So, whether you hand pull or spray, do it often! Have a weed free day! By smartfell-r Related:
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Rate It: A good tip for composting if you have trouble turning the compost pile or you don't have room for one is to put all of your kitchen peelings, left over vegetable leaves, and egg shells in the blender. Put in some water and grind to a pulp, add the coffee grounds. Then dig some holes in your garden and pour the whole bunch of glop it in. Cover with dirt and it will compost quickly in the garden. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf001250.tip.html
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Rate It: Grow A Wheatgrass Centerpiece
Whether the snow is still blowing outside or your spring bulbs are already making their appearance, garden fever is in the air. One way to quench your need to get your hands dirty is to bring spring indoors by growing your own living decorations. Many gardeners are familiar with forcing cherry, forsythia blossoms & and spring bulbs but you can add to this by sprouting wheat kernels in containers for a beautiful centerpiece. In France, sprouted wheat is a symbol of the abundance of the upcoming season. March 21st, the first day of spring, also coincides with Norooz, Iranian New Year. Part of the celebration requires that green sprouts, normally wheat, decorate the table setting. The wheat sprouts symbolize the re-birth of the nature as spring emerges in the northern hemisphere.
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Rate It: Amaryllis Bulb Stopped Growing Question:My Amaryllis bulb (Red Lion) sprouted a tip of a leaf or stalk two weeks ago and stopped growing. Any ideas how to make it grow? The growth is green, just not getting bigger.Alina from Hoffman Estates, IL Answer:Alina,As long as you're satisfying all of its requirements for growth, I wouldn't worry too much, just make sure it's getting enough sun, keep the compost moist (not wet) and make sure the temperature of the room it's growing in falls in the mid-60's to mid-70's ranges. They are tropical bulbs, so they like moist soil, warm temps and plenty of light. At this stage in the plant's growth, you should also give it a _ strength liquid plant fertilizer every 2 to 4 weeks. The key to growing Amaryllis is really about temperature and light. Plants kept in warmer rooms grow faster and once you see new growth appear, they need a lot of sunlight (direct is okay) or they tend to get tall and floppy. As soon as the flowers start to open, move the plant out of direct sunlight and place it in a cooler part of the room. This will help the flowers last longer. As the blooms start to fade, snip off the flowers to keep the plant from expending energy for seed. Ellen
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Rate It: Have a problem with moles in your yard or garden? Here are some tips for removing the pests from our ThriftyFun community. Post your own solutions below. Grub SprayIf you have a co-op or tractor supply store, perhaps even a discount store would have this spray, in your area they have a spray that kills the food source (grub worms etc) of the moles. Food source gone=moles gone. I have used this spray and it really works. I have also used the mole pellets and they did not work for me. Good luck, those critters can wreak havoc in a short time.By Celeste More About GrubsThe moles are there because there is food for them to eat, they eat grubs. If you get rid of their food source, you'll get rid of them. Go to your local home improvement store and buy a bag of grub killer to spread on your lawn. It lasts all year. Also, moles are sensitive to noise and vibrations, so if you can stand the look, go out and buy cheap dollar store pinwheels (like the ones we had as kids which turn in the wind) and stick them in the ground at various locations where you know they tunnel. It drives them crazy. I've also used "mole peanuts", a type of tasty poison, but be careful if you have pets or kids.By debbie Smelly SolutionsI have never tried this, but I read somewhere to take used dirty cat litter and put it in the holes and that this will chase them away. It sounds like it would be worth a shot!By Dianne Plant Castor BeansIf you don't have kids or pets coming around the garden, you can get castor beans from mail order gardening supply catalogs and just plant the beans and it will keep moles, gophers and voles out of the area. The roots are poisionous to them and they won't come around them. But be sure and wear gloves and wash your hands after handling them, they are toxic to humans as well. Also Jerry Baker has some good tips on this as well. Also the castor bean plant is a great looking plant and you can save the seeds, year to year.By Darrell Cat To Chase Moles AwayGet a cat! They love going after the moles. My mole supply has gone way done. My neighbor loves Zoe, our cat, because she has destroyed the mole population in her yard too. Haven't seen any snakes around either. They must hide.By SueBee Whirly FlowersUse the plastic flowers that spin in the wind, the vibration scares them. I have been using them for years. You also could flood their holes with water.By bluetopazsue Mole TrapYou can purchase a mole trap at the hardware store that will catch your moles. It has long teeth and goes through the mole as it comes underneath, killing the darned thing. Our yard looked like a road map from all the mole runs and we got rid of every single one with the traps but the neighbors will also have to do the same or they will come back.By Cookie Call Extension OfficeCall your local state univ. extension office, they are full of resources and will be able to help you.Don't Use ChemicalsDO NOT use chemicals! They will poison the ground and contaminate the water table under the ground. Use natural methods to get rid of these beneficial rodents that eat grubs and other root killing insects! Think of your pets, children and the future of our ecosystem before using man made harmful chemicals.By Louis Water And Sonic NoiseI have killed several gophers this year by being watchful as I spend time outside. When sprayed with a hose while hiding in a crevice or getting washed out of their holes, they are momentarily stunned and moving slowly. The sonic eradicators (about 1' long, push into the ground) beep about every 30 seconds, have worked very well in my heavy clay soil in the past.This spring, however, families of deaf gophers seem to have moved in. In the past, gophers would come through for a week or two, and then move on. This year, they are staying a little longer. Gopher pellets have helped a bit, but I cannot use it in the back yard because of my dog. By Kathleen
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Rate It: African Tulip Tree Damaging a Brick Wall Question:My neighbor has an African tulip tree that they refuse to take responsibility for, despite repeated requests (by myself) over several years and repeated promises (by them) to do so. It is planted right next to my brick wall and the invasive roots are not only damaging my pool pipes (right next to the wall) and popping up in my lawn, but now the wall is buckling as well. How can I kill this tree cheaply as they don't seem to care about the damage it is causing.Cathy from Townsville, QLD Answer:Cathy,First off, understand that I am neither a lawyer nor an insurance professional, and I would recommend you consult with qualified professionals before taking any course of action. Second, don't attempt to kill their tree or you may find yourself in legal trouble. If a neighbor's tree fell in your yard and damaged your property, it would probably be covered under your homeowners insurance. When a neighbor's tree causes damage to your property due to his or her negligence, and it can be determined that they knew about it but failed to act, the circumstances are (usually) a bit different. In negligent cases, you may be able to submit a liability claim against their insurance company to cover the cost of the damages. A lawsuit is also not out of the question. Consult with your insurance agent and legal counsel to clarify the insurance and legal issues involved before taking action. You may want to have a tree expert (or pool repair company) come out to give you a written estimate of the damages. Send a copy of this estimate to your neighbors with another request to resolve the situation and make sure to keep records of everything. Remember that a tree expert or repairman cannot legally go on your neighbor's property without their permission. Do not try to cut down or kill off your neighbor's tree until you know the legal ramifications. Trees are considered personal property. If you kill or damage the health or structure of your neighbor's tree, you could be held liable. Whatever you do, try to maintain a neighborly attitude. Depending on your relationship, you may even offer to help buy them a replacement tree or cover part of the repairs. Good Luck!
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Rate It: Make a tabletop terrarium from those odds and ends that tend to accumulate and clutter your cupboards. Use a shallow basket, lined with a plastic bag and filled with potting soil, and choose what small plants you want to work with and pot a couple of them in the soil. Turn a goblet or extra clear clean candle holder over the top. You might like to try to reuse a glass candy jar with a lid and put a small plant inside. Arrange the containers in the basket to suit yourself. Add a rock or a piece of pretty glass or driftwood or even a figurine, if you like. You might like to try a votive candle in stemware. You could also garden a few herbs this way! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55374878.tip.html
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Rate It: Ask Dairy Farmers For Free Manure If you're doing some gardening this spring planting season, check with your local dairy farmers for free cow manure. It's great fertilizer. Most farmers will allow you to come and take all you want. Till or plow it into your gardening soil well, when preparing your garden. By Terri from NV Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf57673409.tip.html
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Rate It: Irrigation Jugs for Tomato Plants It will soon be time to plant tomato plants. This is a great way to make sure they get water all summer long. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60514324.tip.html
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Rate It: Preparing Your Soil to Avoid Tomato Blight If you have a problem with tomato plants contracting a blight that starts at the bottom and works its way up until the plant is dead, or even the beginning of a blight, you need to cook your garden bed. Once tomatoes are infected, they cannot be helped. The key is solarizing the soil to kill the bacteria before they get to the plants. As soon as you can work the soil, turn the entire bed to a depth of 6 inches, then level and smooth it out. Dig a narrow 4 to 6-inch deep trench around the whole bed and thoroughly soak the soil by slowly running a sprinkler over it for several hours. Cover the bed with a clear, heavy plastic painters drop cloth. Lay the edges of it in the trench and cover with soil to keep heat from escaping. The sun should heat the area for at least 6 weeks. The longer you leave the cover in place, the better. In the meantime, try growing some of those new verticillium and fusarium-resistant varieties in another location, or in containers of sterile potting soil, as you let your infected tomato bed cook. This gardening information comes from Veggie Grow How, by Glen O. Seibert, "The Greenman". http://www.backyardlivingmagazine.com/podcasts.aspx By Connie from Oden, Arkansas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63525537.tip.html
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Rate It: Strategies for Gardening On Slopes
Not everyone has the luxury of gardening on perfectly flat terrain. In areas where houses are constructed to take advantage of stunning views, homeowners are often left with the challenge of gardening or landscaping on steep sloping lots. If this sounds like you, here are some strategies for gardening on slopes.
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Rate It:
I want to grow sunflowers but I can never get them to grow into the big beautiful flowers with thick stalks. Whats the secret? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf18866289.tip.html
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Rate It: I have 2 geisha girl plants that seem to have got what looks like tiny black bugs on its leaves. How do i get rid of them and will it spread to other plants? How do I get my heabes to flourish, they just don't look like they are growing. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47593720.tip.html
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Rate It: Can I use a weed killer in my flower bed? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf643318.tip.html
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Rate It: I live in California and I would like advice on plants that can be hung in pots on a sunny, hot side of the house. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf72650113.tip.html
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Rate It: I had planted a beautiful lilac bush 3 years ago 4 feet from our septic tank not really thinking about how big it would get. This bush had gotten huge and growing twice as fast as all the other beautiful lilac's I have around the house, my only concern is what is the root system like? I am concerned that the roots have gone into our septic tank. How do they root? Can I move such a big bush now? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf93012094.tip.html
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Rate It: Weeping Cherry Tree Not Flowering I've had a weeping cherry tree for about three years now. It was transplanted, and it was about 8 or 9 feet tall then. There were leaves on the tree, midsummer, I believe. She's done well ever since then except for the fact that every year up until this year she's bloomed about 5 blooms total each season. Last year she only bloomed 3 flowers. This year she's not bloomed at all, but she's putting out big beautiful leaves like always and growing like crazy. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94749044.tip.html
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