Happy Garden Newsletter - March 1, 2006

Volume 2, Number 9, March 1, 2006 (Read It Online) This week we have some tips for keeping cats out of planters as well as ideas of what readers would plant in their Victory Gardens. If you have a gardening tip or photo to share, please submit here: Submit Your Gardening Tips Submit Photos of Your Garden Thanks for reading, Susan 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: Taking Garden Photographs Lantanas - Beware! Tips and Articles: Keep Cats Out Of Planters What Would You Plant in Your Victory Garden? Recycled Seedling Containers Use Newspaper For Weed Control Gardening With Your Kids An Introduction to Container Gardening Save Produce Bands For Gardening Natural Cleaner For Tropical Plants Soap Pest Spray Planting Carrots Gardening In Areas With Less Light And More Moisture New Requests: Growing Food in Buckets What Is This Plant? Ridding My Yard of Moles What Is This Plant? Fast Growing Hedges Growing Lemon Trees in Containers Photos: Taking Garden Photographs I love to experiment with my camera and take close-up photos of flowers I grow in my garden. I then frame these pictures to display around my house. By Kathy from Warrenton, VA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf66814491.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Lantanas - Beware! Beware! - The lantanas will get you if you don't watch out! Very satisfactory in our dry, WARM weather. By Marion Godbold from Brookhaven, Mississippi Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79617689.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Tips and Articles: Keep Cats Out Of Planters Tips for keeping cats out of planters without chemicals. Never Use Mothballs The following is from the Purina Website. The site clearly lists Mothballs as a potential poison whereas cats are concerned. The use of mothballs is NOT recommended. Please err in the side of caution when dealing with the health of any member of your family, be they two legged, fourlegged, winged or scaled. Many common household items have been shown to be lethal in certain species. Miscellaneous items that are highly toxic even in low quantities include pennies (high concentration of zinc), mothballs (contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, one or two balls can be life-threatening in most species), potpourri oils, fabric softener sheets, automatic dish detergents (contain cationic detergents which could cause corrosive lesions), batteries (contain acids or alkali which can also cause corrosive lesions), homemade play dough (contains high quantity of salt), winter heat source agents like hand or foot warmers (contain high levels of iron), cigarettes, coffee grounds, and alcoholic drinks. By Mrs Kathy Cohen - Northfield, VT Jacks or Sticks Buy some cheap "jacks" (the game you played when a child) and put a few around on top of the dirt on your plants. Cats do not like things that poke. I keep the neighbors cat from lying in my flower beds by sticking some small sticks in the soil. The cat doesn't even come near the area anymore, she knows it is not a good place to lay down. By Judy Water Spray Newspaper wouldn't deter my cats. I keep several spray bottles around with water. I used to mix it but vinegar I got it in one of the darling's eyes and I'll never forget the pain on his face, even though he's been dead for years. I just spray them with plain water now, sometimes ice water. This is a great way to break up fights too, even with dogs. We call it "Dampening their enthusiasm." By Linne Nylon Netting For keeping cats out of the soil of big potted house plants, try this. Buy some nylon netting at the fabric store, brown or black would blend in best, and cut it in a circle to fit on the pot (with a slit from one side to the middle). Slide it around the plant and lay on top of the dirt. Water and fertilizer can still reach the roots, and the cat doesn't like the texture of the netting and won't climb or dig in the dirt. By Darby Stones or Mulch I have found that lining my planters or potted plants with small pebbles or rivers stones work great. For the really large areas, try mulch or larger hard pieces of bark. Good luck! By Nicole Red Pepper We had several neighborhood cats using our planters for their potty but they stopped when we sprinkled the dirt with some red pepper. It really work. By Nrsnice1 Thorny Rose Cuttings To help keep cats out of flower boxes between blooms, save small rose branch cuttings and stick them in the box soil straight up. The cats push them out of the way if they are laying down. They should eventually get the drift that this box is off limits. By Mary McLuckie Orange Peels Use the peels of an orange. Toss them in your garden or planter, cats don't like them. By fido5344 Aluminum Foil Aluminum foil with holes punched in it laid over the dirt and then weighted down with a rock or two should work. By By Racer Chicken Wire And Mulch Layer the soil with chicken wire and cover with a bulky mulch like tree bark. They can't dig and the bark makes it uncomfortable to lay on, while looking nice. By By Leila View More Ideas: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000978.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What Would You Plant in Your Victory Garden? One of our members mentioned that she now considers her patio garden a Victory Garden. Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil "morale booster" - in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. (Source: wikipedia) What would you plant in your Victory Garden? Here are some ideas from the ThriftyFun community for edible landscaping and things you can grow in a small space that provide food you would normally have to buy? Start planning your spring garden today and post your own ideas below. Lettuce Around Flowers One year I planted lettuce around my flowers. You can not only pick and eat it but makes a real nice pretty border. You could also, which I plan on doing, is planting carrots in my terracotta pots. I know some have planted potatoes in tires, which could be painted to match your decor. I have not tried this yet. Mind you, we live upstairs in an apartment so there are ways to do this. You might be grateful, later, that you did. Beans can also be grown on poles staked in pots. By JSRS443 Growing Vegetables and Flowers My husband and I always can tomatoes every year. This year we have 110 jars and will do salsa this week. This isn't exactly a tip but it shows what can be done. I planted 2 packages of mixed flower seeds in my terrace garden and amongst the 'flowers' that came up were 8 huge carrots, 3 radishes, and several tomato plants! How they got in sealed flower packets, I don't know. But I do know the tomatoes lived and thrived amongst the flowers. They turned out to be Roma tomatoes, so we are going to make the salsa from free-bee plants! Try vegetables among your flowers. They add nice green color and edibles too. Square Foot Gardening I plant peas along the fence of my vegetable garden in spring and fall. Also you can plant the new container sized plants for peppers, squash, tomatoes, eggplant. Herbs, lettuce and spinach always go well in planter boxes. And you can mix edible flowers like nasturtiums and herbs, with edible crops. Tomatoes and herbs can be frozen (whole or sliced) for later processing just by rinsing and sticking in freezer bags. Then there are the Native American three sisters to plant together. Plant the corn, then a week or 2 later, the beans (to climb the corn) and the pumpkins to grow in between. Square foot gardening utilizes planting closely together with compatible plants which saves effort, space and water. By Britathrt Good Container Varieties Here are a few of the varieties that work well in limited space (even containers). Lettuce: most varieties are a good bet in a small garden. Peas: Mighty Midget, Tiny Tim, Little Marvel. Pumpkins: Small Sugar, Spirit, Cheyenne. Tomatoes: Patio, Pixie, Tiny Tim, Small Fry, Goldie. Cucumbers: Pot Luck, Bush Champion, Spacemaster. Carrots: Little Finger, Lady Finger, Gold Nugget. Beets: Little Ball, Gladiator. Also keeping whatever you can growing into the fall and winter is good by protecting the plants so they produce longer. There is a good article online about stretching your gardening season (link below.) Stretching The Garden Season View More Ideas: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf001081.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Recycled Seedling Containers I love to start seedlings early, and didn't have anything to put the soil and seeds in to get started so I went to the kitchen and there was my answer! You know the containers that the floor cleaning cloths come in, they are perfect for starting seeds in. You use the container part for the soil and seeds and the cover to place under the container. This works great and you're recycling too. By Joyce from Tennessee Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf18517661.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use Newspaper For Weed Control You can use newspaper for weed control, place 3/4" overlapping layers of newspaper around your shrubs/plants. Soak it down with water and wait for 24 hours before you place decorative mulch on top. It keeps weeds away while recycling. Save lots of $, no need to buy black gardening plastic. Don't have enough newspaper around? Ask your neighbors for their newspapers and help save the earth. By Tracey from Thomasville, GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf40875203.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Gardening With Your Kids I have two little boys and they are growing pumpkins this year in our garden. We bought these little kits for a dollar each but you could use a recycled container and a package of pumpkin seeds just as easily (maybe a yogurt container). I hope we will get some great Jack-o-lanterns this year but even if that doesn't pan out, it will be a fun experience. Gardening with your kids is a great activity. I find that my boys will eat vegetables easier if they more involved with where they come from. They can watch the plants grow every step of the way, help with weeding and other pest control (slugs beware!). Plus they get to dig in the dirt, look at all sorts of interesting creepy crawlies and be connected to the natural cycle of seasons. It is a wonderful project for the whole family. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf41056795.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print An Introduction to Container Gardening By Ellen Brown If your ability to garden is limited by a lack of space, a lack of accessibility or poor quality soil, then consider container gardening. All you need is a selection of plants, a few containers, the proper growing medium, and a sunny window, balcony or porch and you're on your way to an excellent crop of vegetables or flowers. View This Article: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf446045.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Save Produce Bands For Gardening Do you buy lettuce, broccoli and other vegetables in the supermarket? If so, you probably have noticed that some distributors wrap their vegetables with a green Velcro-like band. Well, save those bands! They make perfect ties for staking tall annuals, perennials and vegetable plants in your garden this summer. The best part is that you can adjust the size of the tie very easily as the plant grows, so you never have to worry that it's too tight. And as a bonus, they're green, so they blend right in to nature's color scheme. By Lydia Theys from Woodbridge, CT Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48323434.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Natural Cleaner For Tropical Plants Question: I am looking for a natural cleaner for tropical plants. jrhilary from NOTL, ON Answer: jrhilary, The best natural cleaner for your tropical plants is water. After all, what tropical plant doesn't love a good rain shower? The extra moisture will also help temporarily increase the humidity of the air your plants. Not only does dust spoil the appearance of the foliage, but it also clogs leaf pores and prevents light from fully penetrating the leaves. The dust that settles onto leaves can also contain damaging chemicals. Small plants can be immersed in water and large ones sprayed off in the shower. It's a good idea to wipe down leaves before washing or the dust may form a mud-like adhesive when it gets wet. Use a soft cloth, cotton swabs or sponges. Support the leaf with your hand and try not to apply too much pressure on the surface of the leaves when polishing. Some people use dilute solutions of milk, vinegar or beer, but these will not add any shine to the leaves. Ellen Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55010628.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Soap Pest Spray Mix two tablespoons liquid Ivory soap and one gallon water. Use a spray bottle to apply to your plant's leaves. It will help eliminate aphids, cinch bugs, spider mites, and white flies. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf71968927.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Planting Carrots Question: Where is a garden should carrots be planted? Hardiness Zone: 11 Penny from Johanesburg, South Africa Answer: Penny, Carrots, like most other roots crops, like deep, loose soil that retains moisture, but drains well. Carrots are highly sensitive to compacted soils, shallow soils and soils that are cloddy and or contain a lot of rocks. They will sometimes develop forks in response to encountering hard, heavy soils or rocks while growing. For this reason, it's best to plant them in an area of the garden that has loose soil and sees less foot traffic. Areas immediately next to walking paths or near garden boarders tend to have more compact soil. You can easily get around poor soil problems by growing carrots in raised beds or in containers that are at least 12 inches deep. Carrots do appreciate nutrient-rich soil, but fresh manure also causes roots to fork, so make sure to add well-rotted manure or finished compost to the soil several weeks before planting. Carrots can be side-dressed with compost again mid-season. Make sure to rotate crops. Carrots should not be grown in the same location in the garden more than once every three years. This reduces incidents of carrot rust flies and bacterial soft rot. Ellen Related: Growing Carrots Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74005237.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Gardening In Areas With Less Light And More Moisture Tips for anyone with less light and more moisture in their wishful new garden planting area*: To each 5" round/sq. planting hole about 6-8" deep, add two teaspoonsful of crushed, new, untreated charcoal briquettes over 1 cup of gravel and 1 cup of straight compost. On top of the compost, add 1 tsp. of crushed, new, untreated charcoal briquettes and 1 cup of washed playsand. Place a 4" size young plant that requires less sun into the hole and add compost all around to fill in sides about 3" with medium pressure, water with 1 cup of 1/4 tsp. vinegar water and 1/4 tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) to each 16 oz. water, filling loosely with compost for any remaining space uncovered and lightly tamp down all around plant. Break in half one old or damaged Computer Disk and place on top of smoothed soil around stem of plant base, silver side up, so that it reflects sunlight to the plant AND repels many plant pests/birds. The plant will seldom need watering, and the moisture that is in the soil already will be sweetened by the Vinegar/Soda water, charcoal and sand, allowing for plant growth, UNLESS there is underlying fungus, mildew, or disease already in the area. Even so, the solution/mixture/drainage layers should retard it's spread to the new plants. Should the plant base be larger or multiple stalks, simply widen the spread of the two Computer disk space to accommodate the width needed OR, if necessary, add a third disc half overlapping the first two. Then, if labeling is needed or desired, break off the plastic handle of USED white disposable flatware, and mark with a Sanford Ultra Fine point permanent marker, the plant name/date planted, and stick outside of the dripline of the plant, near outer edge of discs. *Remember to keep all unnecessary branches, dead or alive, trimmed from what is over-shading the area as well, if possible. If the soil is rocky or filled with extensive roots, this formula will not work unless roots are small enough to cut out. Do not use this formula for cactus or Sedum that require much sun and dryer soil. However, plant growth for partial shade loving plants will be competing with the overgrown root system and new plants will likely not survive. Use wisdom and common sense in any case. By Lynda from TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf92666946.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print 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 and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! New Requests: Growing Food in Buckets My hubby got me some 3 gallon square buckets to start a garden (fruits and veggies) and I need some advice as to what to plant and where to find the seeds for it. I have never had any luck with grocery store seeds so I'm looking for other places. Hardiness Zone: 8b Thanks, Denise from Mcrae, GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf12482164.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What Is This Plant? I want help identifying this houseplant. Hardiness Zone: 5a Thanks for helping me, Sharon from Missouri Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf26708091.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Ridding My Yard of Moles How do I rid my yard of moles? Hardiness Zone: 6a Reg from Wheatfield Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf31527522.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What Is This Plant? Here's another plant I was hoping to get identified. Hardiness Zone: 5a Thanks, Sharon from Missouri Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52649194.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Fast Growing Hedges I need advice about purchasing cheap hedge type plants that are fast growing for a full sun, dry climate. Hardiness Zone: 5b Thank you, JK Finnell from Rifle, CO Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf62865881.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Growing Lemon Trees in Containers I am looking for information on growing lemon trees in containers. Hardiness Zone: 9a Calvin from Mandurah Western, Australia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96130255.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here More Stuff Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users. Submit a Request... Frugal solutions to everyday problems.