Happy Garden Newsletter - October 22, 2009

Vol. 4, Num. 43, October 22, 2009 (Read It Online) Today, we have an article from Ellen on protecting your tree seedlings from deer. Please chime in if you have experience with this problem, in the feedback. We are also still looking for fall garden photos and tips for our next newsletter, as well as last call for any Halloween tips or photos, for the big day next week. Thanks for reading, The ThriftyFun Team Send to a Friend! Submit Your Gardening Tips Submit Photos of Your Garden Submit a Gardening Request Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Photos: Ripening Green Tomatoes Inside Garden: Wine Press Planter Use Hay In Your Outdoor Decorations Tips and Articles: Protecting Pine Seedlings From Deer Browsing New Requests: Cleaning Terra Cotta Pots What is this Plant? Sprinkle Used Coffee Grounds Around Plants Making a Garden Bench Drainage for a Sloping Vegetable Garden Difficulties Growing a Sugar Maple Planting Trees and Shrubs Near a Septic System Hibiscus Losing Leaves Today's Sponsor: Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml Photos: Ripening Green Tomatoes Inside A few weeks ago, I was concerned about an impending frosty night and decided to pull up all my tomatoes. There were tons of green ones that hadn't ripened yet. I read through a lot of feedback to look for the easiest way to ripen them inside and came up with this. I had a bamboo screen, just made of small bamboo stalks woven together into panels and then attached, so it can fold. It was in my garage because I don't currently have a place for it in my house. I took the tomato plants and hung them upside down by sticking the rootball through the top of the screen. This allowed the tomatoes to hang freely down the screen. Some were long enough to reach the floor. I gathered up any that fell and started my tomato basket. Every couple of days, I go out and harvest any that are starting to turn color. They go in the basket to ripen and then be eaten. I doubt they are as good as if they had been vine ripened in the sun, but they must be better than what you get in the grocery store at this time of year. My garage is cool, but not freezing, unless it gets much colder outside. I have a small amount of light all the time out there, which I understand to be important for the ripening process. I'm thrilled to have this extended growing time. By Jess Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35764248.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Garden: Wine Press Planter This wine press has been in the family for about 50 years and has seen many, many boxes of grapes and we have enjoyed many, many bottles of homemade wine. The day finally came when the press was ready for retirement and I turned it into a lovely garden piece. The old(er) aunts, uncles and cousins love what I've done with the press and whenever they see it, the reminisces begin. What fun! By Wilhelmina from Amherstburg, ON Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf69753739.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Use Hay In Your Outdoor Decorations Hay! A great yard decoration for the fall season By Lee from Nova Scotia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37374130.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Tips and Articles: Protecting Pine Seedlings From Deer Browsing By Ellen Brown Young trees are a favorite snack of hungry deer, especially in the spring and fall while there's still snow on the ground. Most young pines can recover from minor amounts of repeat browsing as long as the terminal bud remains intact. Here is a cheap and effective solution to protect terminal bud clusters and help get your pine seedlings get through the winter. Why Protect the Terminal Bud? A tree seedling's terminal bud (the bud or cluster of buds at the very top of the tree), is a key factor in determining the overall height and future growth of the tree. As long as the terminal bud remains undamaged, growth continues in a vertical manner and the tree's natural shape is maintained. However, when the terminal bud is eaten or damaged, growth can become restricted, deformed and unbalanced. Many trees will never achieve their natural shape or true growth potential once their terminal bud is chewed off by deer. They may adapt when an adjacent branch bends upward and eventually takes over as the "leader" branch, but their growth and form may be forever compromised. Bud Capping: A Cheap and Effective Solution Bud capping is a method of protecting tree seedlings that has been used in forest management for years. It involves stapling a small "cap" made from paper around the terminal bud cluster on the leader branch. The caps are typically applied in the fall before snow cover forces the deer to start nibbling on whatever they can find above ground. If left on through the following spring, new growth is simply pushed out through the opening in the folded paper. Bud caps should be applied annually until the terminal leaders are at least 4-5 feet tall and out of reach of hungry deer. Constructing Bud Caps To construct bud caps, cut paper into 4 x 6 inch pieces. Use the lightest weight paper possible (fax, photocopy, notebook, etc.) so that new growth can push through easily in the spring. White pines have fragile terminal buds, so the paper should only be 3 x 4 inches in size. The weight of snow sticking to the paper can cause the terminal bud to bend over, and a smaller piece of paper will not catch as much snow. Applying Bud Caps Using a common office stapler, fold the piece of paper around the terminal bud of the leader branch and using three staples, staple it to some needles near the top. The paper should be positioned so that the terminal bud cluster is at least 1/2 inch below the top of the paper, but no lower than the paper cap's mid-point. Apply each staple no more than 1 inch from the edge of the paper. Place one staple vertically near the middle edge, and one each near the top and bottom corners at 45 degree angles. The bud cap should be secured tight enough with the staples so it won't blow off in the wind. Summary Bud caps should be applied in the fall before the first snowfall (usually October, no later than December/January). A bud cap only needs to last a few months, so use a lightweight paper like computer paper or notebook paper. Caps manufactured from metal or plastic mesh can be purchased in bulk from tree farm supply companies. If you plan to leave caps on all year, they may be better than paper because they allow air and light to reach new growth. Caps are normally 4x6 inches but may be smaller for tree species with weak terminal buds like white pines. Use three staples, each containing some needles, to hold the cap snugly in place. Depending on the tree species, caps should be applied annually until the sapling's terminal leader grows too tall for browsing. If you have a large number of tree seedlings that need protecting, you may want to contact a local tree service to request a bid for this type of work. Bids should be submitted on a per tree or per acre basis. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, about 200-300 bud caps can be applied per hour by an experienced person and may average about 5 cents per tree. Bud caps will not prevent the rest of your seedling from being eaten by deer. Most trees will survive minor browsing, however in areas of heavy browsing, bud caps may not be enough to deter deer. In these cases, use tubing or fencing to protect seedlings from damage by deer and other animals. Hardwood Tree Seedlings Bud caps are usually used on conifers, but hardwood seedlings (like oak) can be bud capped, too. This can also be done during the dormant season (fall), however they typically get browed most heavily as new growth emerges in the spring. As an alternative to paper bud caps, hardwood seedlings can be protected with ordinary latex party balloons. These can be applied in the fall after the seedling goes dormant (leaf off) and removed again in the spring (April/early May) before bud break. Use a balloon with the appropriate size opening and pull it down over the top buds and down over the stem. The bottom end of the balloon (the open end) can then be stretched out and stapled shut close to the stem to keep it secure. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60338332.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Contest! Tip Contest Submit a Tip or Recipe! Photo Contest Submit a tip with photo! The above contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners, 2 photo winners (1 photo and 1 pet photo) and 1 recipe winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! New Requests: Cleaning Terra Cotta Pots Can terra-cotta be put in the dishwasher? I have a small terra-cotta bird bath that I was thinking about putting in the dishwasher (alone) to get it clean. By Maryeileen from Brooklyn, OH Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73439769.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | What is this Plant? I have a plant question. I have gotten a plant given to me it looks something like a Wandering Jew only it has stiff leaves and is all purple. It grows upright and gets white flower's in every-other leaf. I am looking to find someone that might know what this plant is. I think it may be a plant that grows outside for boarders, but not sure. Please let me know if any one knows what this is. I have no image at this time. Thanks. Debra Hardiness Zone: 5a By Deb from White Cloud, KS Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf70271373.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Sprinkle Used Coffee Grounds Around Plants I know coffee grounds are good for the garden, but are they also good for indoor plants? Hardiness Zone: 6a By Joyce M. from Pittsburgh, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf77959092.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Making a Garden Bench How do I make a garden bench? By Anita Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000890.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Drainage for a Sloping Vegetable Garden I have dug out a vegetable patch and because it is on a slope the water runs down. I have dug a trench about 1 foot deep at the end so the soil doesn't slide down. Now what I would like to know is what can I put in the trench, eg. bricks, and what type. Thanks. Michelle. By Michelle Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37501592.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Difficulties Growing a Sugar Maple I have a Sugar Maple that I planted in our front yard 15 years ago and half of it is growing well and the other half is stunted. I have to trim the growing half back to be equal with the other side. The stunted side loses it leaves earlier than the other side, too. The trunk at the base of the healthy side is enlarged somewhat. I dug around recently and the roots are going sideways as far as I can tell. Not sure what to do. Hardiness Zone: 6a By Don from Pittsburgh, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf97357872.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Planting Trees and Shrubs Near a Septic System We are new home owners in Advance, NC. Our home has a septic system and we have never had this before, always public sewer. We are on 3/4 of an acre and I would like to plant flowering trees and hopefully some maple trees to give us some privacy. I also would like a somewhat wooded area. What type of trees, shrubs, flowering trees, etc. can I plant to be safe? Hardiness Zone: 7a By Barbara M. from Advance, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79490389.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Hibiscus Losing Leaves I bought a hibiscus for the first time this year. It was so beautiful all summer. Many, many blooms. It is still blooming, but I brought it inside and put it in my bathroom. Now it is losing its leaves. There are still lots of buds and it is blooming, but losing its leaves. Should I put it back outside and cover it up so it doesn't freeze? I really want to save it. Thank you. Hardiness Zone: 6a By Carole from Burtchville, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf99174756.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here Today's Sponsor: Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml More Stuff Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users. Submit a Request... Frugal solutions to everyday problems.