Happy Garden - March 29, 2007

Hello,

This week we have tips for Protect Your Plants from Slugs, an article about Rain Garden Basics and More.

We would love to see what you are growing.

Submit Pictures of Your Garden...

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Photos:

• Windowsill Celery Hearts
• My Christmas Cactus!
• Doors As Yard Art
• Country Garden Decor

Tips and Articles:

• Rain Garden Basics
• Pinch Dead Blooms
• 7-11 Cups For Seedlings
• Protect Your Plants from Slugs
• Homemade Wasp Traps
• Starting Geraniums from Slips
• Grow Your Own Avocado Houseplant

New Requests:

• Tips for Growing Sunflowers
• Brown Rot on Apricots
• Creating a Cozy and Beautiful Backyard
• Lemon Tree With "Sweating Leaves"
• Maintaining a Compost Pile in the Winter
• Transplanting Crepe Myrtles
• Nursing a Lilac Bush Back to Health
• A Nice Green Lawn on a Budget

Growing Guides:

• Growing: English Mallow
• Growing: Thyme

Windowsill Celery Hearts

By Jantoo from Kenosha Co., WI

Editor's Note: This was a new one for me and I tried it. The picture is my celery heart plant. I bought some candle holders from Big Lots that work very well as a little vase for rooting. It was lovely and lasted for a long time. I'm going to start a new one and try planting it in the garden.

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My Christmas Cactus!

Enjoy the photos!

By Jackie from Norton, MA

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Doors As Yard Art

Living in the country is wonderful and having a huge yard to decorate is so much fun. My husband just built an arbor from barn beams (he was given for free) and two matching interior doors from a flea market for $20.00.

We picked a spot, measured and planted the doors vertically in the ground (attach pressure treated wood to the bottom of the doors to prevent rotting). He then took the barn beams spaced evenly across the top of the doors and attached. We stained the whole arbor with a whitewash and hung a flower basket dead center from a beam.

We even gathered flat rocks to make a pathway through the arbor and placed a section of fence on each side with a coat of white wash (using scrap wood). Next, we planted brown eyed susans along the fence to complete the look. Very countrified without a lot of expense.

By Tracie from Mexico, NY

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Country Garden Decor

My husband and I are always looking for ways to decorate our country home yard. A recent project is an old wood chair that we found for free at a yard sale and a $2 old wash basin.

We whitewashed it and removed the seat. Took the basin and drilled holes in the bottom, for a planter. Too sweet!! Added some real grapevine growing in our yard to the chair for a finishing touch. I can also decorate it for the different seasons and holidays.

By Tracie from Mexico, NY

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Rain Garden Basics
By Ellen Brown

Anyone with a roof, sidewalk or driveway has storm water runoff from rain and snow. And if you have any runoff at all, you're contributing to water pollution. Most water pollution falls under the category of 'nonpoint' source pollution (pollution that comes from several sources, including industry and individuals. Planting a rain garden is one way gardeners can help improve water quality. It's also attractive and it's an easy do-it-yourself project. Here are some basics on how to get started.

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Pinch Dead Blooms

Pinch off dead blooms from flowering plants. It will help keep your plants flowering longer. If blooms or leaves have fallen onto the soil they should also be removed.

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7-11 Cups For Seedlings

This is a quick tip for starting those seedlings inside. I get people to save me their plastic cups from 7-11. They are perfect for starting plants and with the dome lid, it is like a mini greenhouse. Great for tomatoes.

By Pico from St. Paul, Alberta

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Protect Your Plants from Slugs

Slugs thrive west of the Cascades Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Damaged plants are marked by slime trails and irregular-shaped holes with smooth edges. You can follow this link for more information on slugs.

• OSU - Slug Information

Here are some more tips from the ThriftyFun community on slug control.

Recycle Window Screens As Slug Deterrent

Sharp Edges Deter Slugs

By Sue L.

Copper And Nasturtiums

By Jess

Salt Around Plants, Not On Plants

By elva

Prevention And Lure Techniques

Organic: Barrier methods - sprinkle eggshells or diatomaceous earth around individual plants. The sharp edges deter/kill the slugs.

Lure And Kill Methods: Bury a small margarine container so the rim is level with the soil surface, put an inch of beer in the bottom. Slugs will be attracted by the beer and fall in and drown. Lay thick slabs, (10 - 20 pages), of wet newspaper out in the garden beds at night. In the morning when they've finished munching, they will withdraw to the dark dampness under the paper. Collect by hand or stamp on them in heavy boots, the added satisfaction of revenge! Put a bounty on their heads and send the neighbourhood kids out just after nightfall to collect them for cash.

By Jo

Ammonia Slug Control

This is for slug control. I mix Sudsy Ammonia with water, half and half (they really won't crawl away from this mixture!), or a little more water and put it in a spray bottle. You can spray this solution right onto the flowers and plants and it doesn't hurt them. That way you get all the baby slugs that the mother has lovingly placed to feed on the tender parts! It works great! Happy slugging! By Betty

Feel free to post your ideas for slug control below.

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Homemade Wasp Traps

I thought someone might want this tip since it's getting that time of year again. Wasps can be a pain, literally, to have around! It's not difficult to create a trap to help control them, however. Here are plans for a wasp trap that has worked for many people to reduce the number of wasps in and around the yard.

WARNING: Be sure to place your wasp trap away from any areas where you will be using the yard. Don't have one within 20 feet of your picnic table or children's play areas.

The simplest wasp trap can be made from a two or three liter pop bottle. Cut the bottle right under the funnel so that you have two pieces. After baiting the trap, you will fit the funnel shaped top piece into the bottom piece. The bait can be tied onto the pop bottle opening. Make three or four holes around the top edges where the fitted pieces meet, from which to attach string for a hanger. Don't tie these on too tightly because you will need to take the trap apart frequently to add new bait and remove dead wasps. Add water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the container part of the trap. A little vinegar added to the water is reported to repel honey bees from visiting the wasp trap. The water should not come to the level of the opening of the funnel shaped insert. Put a bit of Vaseline or cooking oil around the top of the funnel so that the insects will lose their footing when they are investigating the wasp trap.

What sort of bait works well in a wasp trap? It actually makes a difference what time of year it is. In the early spring, wasps will be seeking protein foods because they will be making nests and laying eggs. Some good choices for protein baits are hamburger and lunch meat. Partially cook the hamburger so that it is easier to tie onto the trap. An advantage to setting a wasp trap in the early spring or even late winter is that you may catch a queen. If you can catch and kill a queen, the rest of the wasps will go elsewhere to make a nest. Later on in the summer, sweet foods work well as bait. You might try floating a bit of root beer or other sweet liquid on the water in the trap in a small lid. Fruit pieces work well, too, but it helps if they are cut so that the juicy smell is evident. Mashed grapes are very desirable to wasps.

Place the wasp trap away from human activity and about four feet above the ground. The trap works best at about 85 degrees F. so you may have to move it into the shade on a hot afternoon or into the sun on a cool morning. The theory behind these traps is interesting. The wasp will fly down into the wasp trap to get the bait, but will not be able to find its way out. It will fly around inside until it wears itself out, at which time it will fall into the water. The detergent in the water breaks down the surface tension of the water, making it stick to the wasp's body instead of beading up around it. Since the wasp breathes through it's body, it will drown. Many wasps are likely to visit these wasp traps, which means you will need to empty them regularly. If you don't, the bodies of wasps will create islands on which the new wasps can rest without drowning. You will need to replenish the bait every few days, too, for best results.

When you empty the trap, you need to be careful. If any living wasps escape, they may return to the nest and let the others know they are in danger. If this happens, wasps can become aggressive. They may even swarm. The same thing can happen if the dead wasps' bodies are crushed. The bodies release a chemical which can be smelled by the rest of the colony. It is probably a good idea to bury the dead wasp bodies. (Be particularly careful if it is a colony of hornets you are trying to control! It is probably wisest to have a professional exterminator take care of them.)

Wasps are beneficial insects. They are useful around gardens because they prey on garden pest insects. However, when they make their nests too close to the house, they become pests themselves. Many people are allergic to wasp stings and can die if stung. In fact, death from insect stings is not uncommon. Making a wasp trap is one way to keep them under control without having to use toxic chemicals.

By Kathy from Huntsville, AL

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Starting Geraniums from Slips

Here are some suggestions on how to root geranium slips to avoid rotting. Post your own techniques below.

Allow Cutting To Seal

Or, let it sit to dry and then dip in water to barely wet tip and then into rooting hormone and then plant in moist sterilized soil.

By Valleyrimgirl

Watch Water Levels

Nora

Put Piece With Mama Plant

By Jay

Get Flower, Leaves And Stem

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Grow Your Own Avocado Houseplant

Here's a fun summer activity for the kids to enjoy and a rewarding way to recycle the left-over avocado seeds.

1. Wash the seed and suspend it (broad end down) over a water-filled glass using 3 toothpicks. The water should cover about an inch of the seed.


2. Place the glass in a warm location, out of direct sunlight. A mature seed will crack as roots and stem sprout in about 2 to 6 weeks.


3. When a stem grows to six or seven inches, cut it back to about three inches.


4. When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in a rich humus soil, leaving the seed half exposed. Use a terra cotta pot with a 10-1/2 diameter.


5. Water the avocado plant generously, but let it dry out somewhat between watering.

By Connie from Oden, Arkansas

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Tips for Growing Sunflowers

I've a question. I'm interested in growing sunflowers in my front porch of my house but do not have any knowledge of growing sunflowers.

I understand that sunflower is an annual thing. I'm staying in Malaysia, summer all year round. Do I start with seeds? Do I have a "time" to harvest/seeding?

I saw a sunflower plant, the height is about 4 feet tall at a nursery today. If I buy that plant back. How long will the flower bloom? And what shall I do after that?

Fern from Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia

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Brown Rot on Apricots

I got brown rot on my apricots last year and was wondering if there is something that can do to prevent it from happening this year? I prefer natural ways but open to an effective way. I have a peach and a plum tree. Neither got the disease. Last year was the first year of produce of the tree we bought at COSCO. The tree is at my guess 3 years old being one year planted in my yard. Is there something I can do?

Hardiness Zone: 9b

Thanks,
Bruce from Murrieta, CA

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Creating a Cozy and Beautiful Backyard

My name is Erin, a recently married woman. As you see the pictures for my back yard, there is nothing. My husband moved into this house 7 years ago and he said he never went out to the back yard since he moved. Please help us to have a little cozy, beautiful back yard!

Thank you,
Erin from Redondo Beach, CA

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Lemon Tree With "Sweating Leaves"

My lemon tree, which I bring indoors during winter, has the leaves producing a lot of glue like acid on the leaves. It looks as though it is sweating. Please advise.

Thnank you,
D.S.

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Maintaining a Compost Pile in the Winter

I want to start a compost pile but am not sure how it is cared for over winter. Is there any special things I must do? I have Fibromyalgia and I don't do cold weather well, so if it must be worked in winter I may have to pass on this idea. Any help would be appreciated.

BTW: I love this site! I have learned so many wonderful things. God bless each and every one!

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Okscooter1 from Locust Grove, Oklahoma

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Transplanting Crepe Myrtles

I am looking for information about Transplanting Crepe Myrtles and dogwoods, what is the best way?

Thank you,
Rox from Arkansas

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Nursing a Lilac Bush Back to Health

I have a really large old lilac bush that is a sentimental favorite of my wife's. 2 falls ago I cut out a really large amount of poison oak that had been growing up though the center. The diameter of the main poison oak was about 4-5 inches and about 8-9 feet tall. I also have had a lot of off shoots trying to grow that I keep mowing. This bush went many years with no kind of care at all, no fertilizer, extra water other than rain and no pruning. After cutting the poison oak out it left a gapping hole where it had basically killed off any growth from the bush. I tried to prune it last year but I may have been a little late. This January I put down black plastic covered with about 3-4 inches of mulch all the way around to try to kill off the remaining poison oak and then removed the plastic leaving the mulch in the middle of march just as the 1st signs of growth appeared. I also think that it may have some fungicide because every year the some of the leaves turn brownish yellow but not the entire leaf mainly in the center of it. I am wanting to bring it back to a very full life and eventually even it out as one side is fuller and taller than the other. My wife says it does not bloom as full or last as long as it used to. What can i do? Please help.

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Paul from Lynchburg, Virginia

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A Nice Green Lawn on a Budget

I am on a very limited budget. How can I get a nice green lawn. I've planted grass seed, but it never seems to grow, but the weeds sure do. The location is hot and sunny. If there aren't weeds growing there, then it is hard baked earth. Any suggestions would be helpful. My zone is 4.

Hardiness Zone: 4b

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Amelia from SD

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Growing: English Mallow
By Ellen Brown

With the right conditions, mallow can grow to 3 or 4 feet high. Native to the marshes and damp meadows of England and Denmark, this lovely perennial herb has been used for its culinary and medicinal properties since ancient times. Pale pink (sometimes white) saucer-shaped flowers sit on top of simple stems with dark-green, velvety oval leaves, giving the plants an appealing informal look, perfect for a country garden.

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Growing: Thyme
By Ellen Brown

Thyme is a highly aromatic herb that makes an attractive edging or perennial border and a culinary staple for any herb garden. Native to the Mediterranean, Thyme grows best in the cooler zones, where it is less prone to insect diseases that it is when grown in the south. These plants come in many varieties, but most only grow 6 to 12 inches in height, with dark green to gray leaves and pale pink flowers that appear at the tips of the stems in mid summer.

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