Happy Garden - August 2, 2007

Volume 2, Number 30, August 2, 2007 (Read It Online) We had a wonderful gardening post on one of the My Frugal Life blogs that I wanted to call readers attention to it. It's a post about Volunteer plants in his backyard. You can read it here: http://www.myfrugallife.com/post36689791_dgruver.html 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: Tree Stump Garden Giant Zucchini Woodpecker Flower "Bed" That's Different Old Timey Lawnmower Lawn Decoration My "Moon-Kissed" Double Delight Rose Picture of Our New Pond Tips and Articles: Share Your Gardening Abundance How To Keep Deer and Rabbits From Eating Your Plants Easy Recycled Bird Bath A Guide to Planting Trees Natural Weed Control Aphids on My Roses New Requests: Marks on Lawn from Dog Urine What Is This Plant? Keeping Cats From Eating Houseplants Growing Pumpkins Borax For Poison Ivy Growing Grass On Top of Concrete Flowering Outdoor Plant with Rubbery Leaves Pecan Trees With Rotten Pecans A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder Tomato Plants with Yellow 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: Tree Stump Garden Here is a picture of the little garden scene I have in my front yard. we cut a tree down and the stump was there. I just planted some flowers and put some yard decorations around it and here is how it turned out. It looks much better than it did. By Sandy from Bluff City, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43562122.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Giant Zucchini I just wanted to show everyone the giant zucchini I grew this year. This is the first year I have grown them and this is a whopper. It is 14 1/2 inches long. I'm sure it probably would have gotten bigger but my dear husband pulled it off first. By Sandy from Bluff City, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82138962.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Woodpecker This little woodpecker lives in our tree that sits in our front yard. He can sure make a racket sometimes, but isn't he cute? By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf45312633.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Flower "Bed" That's Different Want something different for your front lawn or garden? Use an iron chair or glider and fill it with ivy and flowers. My husband put some wooden sides on it and I lined the bottom with coconut liners. I filled the bottom with several inches of potting soil and planted away topping off with pine straw. Every year I try a new plants for variety. By Tammie from Moody, AL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf88408695.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Old Timey Lawnmower Lawn Decoration This is a picture of my old timey lawnmower that I have in my front yard for decoration. I hung a cute bird house and put in some fake sunflowers. By Sandy from Bluff City, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf83830406.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print My "Moon-Kissed" Double Delight Rose This rose begins with a light color with light pink coloration with darker pink outlines on the outer petals. As it matures, the coloration gets darker; I photographed this rose with a different setting on my camera and it appears like the moon is casting a lovely shadow on the rose. It is amazing to watch the transformation of a rosebud into a exquisite rose blossom. By WandaJo from Tennessee Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf68663688.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Picture of Our New Pond My mother and I built this pond. By Debbie from Mansfield, OH Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf45195065.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Tips and Articles: Share Your Gardening Abundance Yesterday, while at the church helping with Vacation Bible School, a fellow church pal made a surprise visit and brought in several bags of produce from her garden to share. Lots were able to benefit off her over abundance and generosity of her savvy gardening skills. A nice and so welcomed gesture! By Terri from NV Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf10919099.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print How To Keep Deer and Rabbits From Eating Your Plants I like to use this recipe to help deter deer from eating my plants. This makes 1 gallon of spray. Beat 1 egg in 1 cup of water and sieve to get out white strings or clumps. Add to a gallon jug, add 1 Tablespoon of regular dish soap, 1 Tablespoon of cooking oil, 1/2 C milk Fill jug partially with water, shake to mix, finish filling gallon jug with water. I keep this in an extra refrigerator, it can get smelly, but that helps deter the deer and rabbits. Mark your bottle - deer repellent, so no one drinks it. Fill your spray bottle and spray your trees, lilacs and plants. Don't spray on anything you want to eat, but I do spray my peas and beans before they start to blossom. Spray after every heavy rainfall. I find after doing it 3-4 times the deer get the hint and quit coming. If you have a problem with deer eating young plants and trees, begin spraying early in the spring, before damage begins. But spray it during the day, so it has a chance to dry on the plant before it would freeze. By Marcia from New Auburn, WI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf57740391.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Easy Recycled Bird Bath Take an old small plastic storage unit (like Rubbermaid) with the flip back top that has seen it's better day and remove the top. Lay this on the ground and fill with water for the birds. It's the right depth and they will love it. Most bird baths are too deep for the little birds like canaries and finches so this type is just right. By Louise from Cibola, AZ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf87231689.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print A Guide to Planting Trees By Ellen Brown Spring and fall are the optimum seasons for planting trees. And although all newly planted trees experience some transplant stress, proper planting techniques can minimize the stress and get your trees off to a healthy, vigorous start. Select a Site Consider the size of your tree, you soil and how much sun it needs. Trees are an investment and they take years to grow to maturity so select your site carefully. Avoid planting them under or near overhead utility wires, and before you start digging, call your utility company to find out about hidden underground wires or pipes. Special site considerations: Seedlings up to 12 inches tall can be spaced close together for protection (1 foot apart) for the first two years and then relocated to a permanent location when dormant. Evergreen seedlings, except junipers and cedars, should be planted in partial shade for the first few years to more closely mimic forest conditions. Determine the Proper Depth A tree planted too deeply will not thrive (it may not survive). The tree's root collar (the bulge right above the root system) should be just above the top of the soil. Many trees are planted too deep at the nursery so you may need to remove soil down to where the first large side roots occur. Prepare the Site Prepare the site by digging a large saucer-shaped hole that is 2 to 3 times larger than the root ball. Remove any sod or grass and till or break up the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches, but no deeper than you plan to plant the tree. Dig a second hold in the center of the saucer that is 1 foot larger in diameter than the root ball and as deep as the root collar. Maintain undisturbed soil beneath the root ball to prevent the tree from settling. It is better to have the tree too high than too deep. Set In the Tree & Refill the Hole Place the tree carefully in the center of the hole and back fill the hole only when the tree is straight and correctly positioned. As much as possible, use the soil that was removed from the hole as backfill. As back fill is added, lightly push the soil a round the roots and add water to the soil to eliminate air pockets (do not pack the soil after you water). Refill the hole with soil to the height just below the root collar. Again, be sure not to plant it too deep. Mulch & Water Thoroughly Apply a mulch of wood chips around the tree to a depth of 4 inches on top of the planting circle, keeping it at least 4 inches away from the trunk to prevent mold or fungus from growing. Water is very important to young trees, especially for the first year. A slow, root saturating one-hour trickle once a week is a good rule of thumb. This will provide the new roots sufficient moisture without drowning them. If it rains or is very dry, be sure to adjust your watering schedule accordingly. Fertilizing Fertilizers need to be applied carefully and in small quantities-especially in the first year. Trees arriving in containers are likely to have fertilizer in their root balls. Small amounts of compost or well rotted manure can be mixed in with the backfill during planting, but otherwise the trees can be left to settle in without fertilizer during the first year. Once on a regular schedule, trees should not be fertilized after October 1st. Pruning During the first 1 to 2 years limit your pruning to shortening the more vigorous branches for a neat appearance and remove any damaged, rubbing or crossing branches. As the plants mature, begin annual maintenance pruning. Staking Large, bareroot trees should can be staked with a single stake 3/4 the height of the tree. Set the stake in the hole 2 to 4 inches out from the center of the hole at the time of planting. Fill in the hole-tree, stake and all-and secure the stake to the tree using wire or rope. Cover the wire or rope with rubber at point of contact so you don't damage the bark. Container, ball or burlapped trees can be supported using parallel stakes set at least 18 inches out from either side of the hole. Remove stakes after the first year to avoid girdling the tree and hindering growth. Planting Balled & Burlapped Trees Balled and burlapped trees have the root ball held together by burlap that is usually encased in a wire basket or secured with twine. These trees are generally larger than trees in containers and can weigh several hundred pounds. In general, balled and burlapped trees are planted the same as bare-root trees, with a few special considerations. In order to keep the root ball intact, do not removed the wire basket or burlap until the tree is positioned in the hole. Before planting, carefully loosen the top of the burlap and probe the base near the trunk with a wire or remove some soil to determine where the root collar is located (right above where the large roots begin). Dig the planting hole to a depth to just cover these rootsno deeper. Carefully place the tree in the hole and cut away as much of the wire basket as you can without disturbing the soil ball and cut and remove all twine and rope from around the ball. Remove any nails or staples holding the burlap together and gently fold the burlap back and cut away the exposed burlap without damaging root ball. Leave the remaining burlap and/or wire under the root ball. Roots grow out, not down. Trees in Containers Container trees come usually come in paper or plastic containers or wooden bushel baskets. It isn't safe to assume that container trees have been planted in their containers at the correct depth. Remove the soil down to the root collar where the first large side roots begin just to determine the right depth for planting. Try to determine if the tree roots hold the soil together in the pot or if the soil is loose. If the soil is packed or the pot is root bound, carefully remove the tree from the pot. You may have to lay the tree on its side and press the pot to free it from the soil ball. If the tree's roots are wound tightly inside the pot (it seems they usually are), make a vertical slice up each quarter of the root ball (1 - 1 1/2" deep) and cut an X across the bottom of the soil ball. Continue planting in a normal manner. If the tree is too large or the root ball is loose, place the tree and pot in the planting hole and adjust for final position. Next, carefully cut around the base of the pot. Then make a slice up one side of the pot. Gently back fill and then remove the sides of the pot. If you need to, you can leave the bottom of the pot in the hole. Roots grow out, not down. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17536931.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Natural Weed Control Natural recipes or products that will kill weeds and not grass. Tips from the ThriftyFun community. Natural Weed Control Recipe I have been told to take a gallon of vinegar, add 2 Tbsp. of salt, and a squirt of dish soap (like Dawn or Ivory), mix well and use a sprayer. Absolutely nothing will grow where you squirt it. My mother swears by this, I have yet to try it. By Sally Boiling Water I have heard of pouring boiling water on weeds (like between stones in a patio or walkway) to kill them. By Kathy K. Fertilize Your Lawn A well guarded secret by bowling greens and golf clubs for weed control is for fertilizing the grass they use ammonium sulphate as this promotes grass growth and discourages flat weeds from growing fertilizers high in nitrogen only encourage both grass and weeds to grow quickly.Both of the above options should work also for weed control. The other option is to dig the weeds out. The other problem you may have is grass grubs. You will need to lift a section of grass to see if any grubs present. The only natural method of control of them is a heavy roller. Someone else may know the answer to that question. All the best By Brent Get A Soil Analysis I attended a seminar on lawns and the expert said that he can tell what a lawn needs by the type of weeds it grows. He suggested first to get a soil analysis before anything else - simple tests available in most hardware stores with garden centers. After that, it was coring the lawn in the fall, amending with compost and possibly corn gluten to do weed control. Check the company, Gardens Alive! for some good organic info. I believe they have a web site. By kamor Gardens Alive GardensAlive.com has the best non-pesticide lawn and garden products. Also great products for pets with allergies. Short-term slightly expensive, but longterm great, carefree results. By Ingrid Salt Water Try using 1/4 Cup of salt to 1 quart boiling water. Thats about as natural as you can get. It will kill what you have. So use it sparingly. By Merryjean100 Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35791127.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Aphids on My Roses Aphids are invading my roses, anything organic that I can use? Tips from the ThriftyFun community. Try washing them off with the garden hose first. A few high-pressure bursts of water will dislodge most of them. You can support the stems with your hand while spraying if you're worried about them breaking. You may need to spray them every other day for awhile to eliminate them. Otherwise, use a safe, commercial insecticidal soap or make your own with 1 tbsp liquid dish soap and two cups of water. Strong smelling roots and spices such as garlic, onions, horseradish, ginger, rhubarb leaves, cayenne and other hot peppers, are all known to repel insects. To add any one (or all) of these to your spray, chop them finely and put them into a glass jar. Add 2 cups of boiling water, cover tightly and let everything stand over night. The next day, strain off the liquid and add your dish soap. Freeze any leftover mix to use the next time. Good Luck! Ellen http://www.sustainable-media.com Ladybugs Ladybugs. I believe you can actually buy some, but they DO eat those aphids. By smcarney RE: Aphids on My Roses This is the simplest one to fix. Mix soap, not detergent, with water and mix it up. Spay over roses and aphids are history. Dish soap is just fine. Spruce also get aphids. Any spruce needs a dose of soap and water to get rid of aphids. Don't go to the store and buy the commercial soap, it is the same thing. By Bev Pulling Aphids With Gloves I have been pulling aphids (squishing) them with gloves every spring for years. I do use a soap solution to "drown" Japanese Beetles, which appear on roses (and other plants) later in the season. The beetles are weak in the mornings, and you can push them into a cup of soapy water. By Kayla Plant Onions Near Roses My mother used to work as a secretary at Ohio State University in the botany department. She once heard that planting onions around roses keep aphids away. She had a miniature rose bush and placed a pot of chives (onion family) near it and the aphids left, never to return! The professors gave her a good-natured teasing about that one, but it sure worked! By Margie Try Rubbing Alcohol I know of two methods that both work well. One is ladybugs, they eat aphids. The other is rubbing alcohol. Now if it's the entire plant you'll want to dilute it and put the mixture in a spray bottle but if it's for just a few leaves on a plant you can dab a cotton ball in the rubbing alcohol and swab the leaves. By michellejones3 Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf36228205.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: Marks on Lawn from Dog Urine Does anyone know what to do when your female dog urinates and burns the lawn each and every time? We are giving her tomato juice with her food which we were told would offset the acid in her urine.. Thanks, Terry from Fall River, Nova Scotia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf11538071.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What Is This Plant? I'm trying to find out what type of plant this is, so I may better care for it (as it seems to be struggling to survive). I really enjoy this plant because each leaf is uniquely colored with green & white. I appreciate all help/responses. Thanks! Hardiness Zone: 6b Patrick from Saddle Brook, NJ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35420260.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Keeping Cats From Eating Houseplants My elderly mother lives with me and the two joys in her life are playing bingo and her cat. My problem is how do I stop her cat from eating my indoor plants without harming them? Eating them doesn't seem to harm the cat and I have spider plants, crotons, palms, etc. Has anyone any ideas before my beloved plants are all ruined? Cettina from Malta, Europe Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56217595.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Growing Pumpkins Do pumpkins still grow as they are turning orange? Thanks Sandy from Bluff City, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf16082793.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Borax For Poison Ivy I've heard that poison ivy hates boron-rich soil, and that an easy way to kill it off and prevent it from re-growing is to add borax to the soil. Has anyone else heard of this? And do you know if it would hurt other plants as well? I have three 100+ year old maples that I really don't want to kill. I have tons of poison ivy, and this seemed like a relatively cheap and safe way to get rid of it. Any ideas? Hardiness Zone: 5a Beth Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52719044.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Growing Grass On Top of Concrete Our inground 16x32 pool has been filled in. We have a concrete patio surrounding the pool, we would like to grass over the concrete, possibly drilling holes into the concrete for drainage. Removing all of the concrete is not an option! If anyone has filled in their pool and have pix would love to see them. Hardiness Zone: 5a Thanks, Gen from Medford, MA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf65519665.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Flowering Outdoor Plant with Rubbery Leaves I'm looking for the name of a flowering outdoor plant that is rubbery feeling. Any ideas? Monica from Fennimore, WI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47476272.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Pecan Trees With Rotten Pecans I have native pecan trees and have lost all my pecan. The pecans that have fell off look like they have a white mold on them and they are soft. We have had an above amount of rain this summer. All 3 of my trees lost there pecans but my next door neighbor is fine. The leaves on the tree look great. I don't want this to happen next year. Help Hardiness Zone: 8b Robbin from Central Texas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52367499.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder I hung a humming bird feeder last year, no problem. I hung one this year and the ants took it over! Any suggestions? Sandie from Morganton, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf548947.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Tomato Plants with Yellow Leaves Why are the leaves on my tomato plants turning yellow and the flowers will not set? Hardiness Zone: 6a Dorene from Tonawanda, NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf482428.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 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.