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Volume 2, Number 34, August 30, 2007 (Read It Online) I hope everyone is having success in their gardens. I am in the process of moving so it hasn't been a really productive season for me. Do you have a gardening tip or photo to share? Feel free to submit in on one of the contest pages. Thanks for reading, Susan
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By Tena from Champaign, IL
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Rate It: Successfully Replanted Rose Of Sharon We always had bad luck replanting others free give-a-ways to us. My daughter gave us this Rose of Sharon tree and we talked and watered daily and guess what? Success and a beautiful plant from her yard to mine. Now, when I go and see my little flower garden, I see the tree of love and success again? Don't give up...By Chris from Buffalo, NY
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Rate It: The Morning Luster of a Crimson Beauty (Hibiscus) This plant has decorated my backyard deck so beautifully this summer and has become a conversation piece when guests arrive.This is a Dinner Plate Hibiscus which is so vibrant in color; the buds are so dark in crimson color and very large; the foliage is green and lush and to enjoy this plant this summer has been amazing to see the transformation of the large bud into the large crimson beauty. I have photographed these blooms all summer; the photos will be framed and enjoyed for years to come. By WandaJo from Tennessee
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Ingredients:
Directions: Combine all the ingredients; mix well. Put in an onion bag or suet feeder, or pack in pine cones or into the bark of trees. Then watch the birds enjoy this hearty feast. By Mythi from Silverdale WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37624444.tip.html
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Rate It: Question: My husband and I recently moved to an apartment. I am seeking ideas for inexpensive vegetable patio gardening. There isn't much direct sunlight on our patio. Hardiness Zone: 8a Michelle from Dallas, TX Answer: Michelle, Growing vegetables on your patio certainly doesn't need to be expensive. The lack of sunlight, however, could prove to be a problem. For successful growth, most vegetables will need a minimum of 5 hours of direct sunlight a day. Some will need even more. "Leafy" vegetables (cabbage, lettuce) will tolerate the least amount of light, but vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots will need more sun. You'll have to experiment to see what grows best. To maximize the light you have, use strategically placed shiny materials and light colored rocks around your containers to reflect light back onto the plants. The most inexpensive way to start vegetables is from seed. Varieties labeled "patio, bush, or dwarf" are often bred specifically for container gardening. Saving seeds from year to year will cut down on expenses even further, but you'll need to start with heirloom seeds and avoid hybrids if you want offspring true to the parent plants. Just about anything that can hold a soil can be fashioned into a container: pails, trashcans, dishpans, plastic detergent or cat litter containers (cut down), wooden or wicker baskets, or even old leather or rubber boots. I like containers made from plastic materials, even though they tend to deteriorate over time with repeated sun exposure. They don't dry out as fast a terra cotta, transfer heat or rust like metal, and you can usually recycle them when you're done using them. If you use plastic containers, try not to spend much on them. Crops with shallow roots, like radishes, beets and onions, will grow just fine in old cake pans. Provide cages or trellises for climbers like beans, peas and cucumbers to save space, or plant them in hanging baskets and let their vines trail downward. If you don't have anything suitable on hand, shop around at flea markets, rummage sales or dollar stores. Make sure your containers have adequate drainage holes on the bottom. In regards to a growing medium, plan on using a very light soil or a soil-less mix-something that will drain rapidly, yet hold nutrients and keep the plant's roots consistently moist. You'll need to water your vegetables daily and feed them frequently with a 1/2 strength liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion. Ellen
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Rate It: Protecting Knees While Gardening To protect your knees when gardening, sew patch pockets on the knee area of your pants. Slip sponges or soft foam into the pocket. When you bend or kneel, these knee savers wont move or fall off. They're always ready and available when you want to use them. Have a safe, productive gardening season! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39729446.tip.html
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Rate It: Killing Grass in Rock Ground Cover Question: Do you know of any homemade weed killing formulas to get rid of small patches of grass growing up through my rock ground cover? Hardiness Zone: 9a Sharon K. Palmer From Las Vegas, NV Answer: Sharon, Here is a recipe for homemade weed killer. Spray it directly on small patches of grass growing up through your rock ground cover. You can also use it to kill weeds in gravel walks, between bricks or stones in walkways and paths and on weeds growing between cracks in your driveway or sidewalk. Be careful not to spray it on plants that you want to keep because it doesn't discriminate. Also, don't spray it on bare soil in areas where you intend to plant or garden in the future.
Another variation:
Mix ingredients well and transfer into a hand-held spray bottle for application. Ellen More Answers:
Vinegar Try straight vinegar. Pour it onto the weeds and let the hot sun bake it. You can see the weeds die within the hour on a hot day. It unfortunately doesn't kill the roots so when they come back pour more! Happy Gardening! By Connie A. Boiling Water Boiling water is one way, and is the least harmful to the environment. Vinegar is another but it will upset the PH balance. By MJM Rock Salt I use salt. I like rock salt or the salt you use in water softners, but be careful if you have any plants you want to keep, because it kills everything and it does not come back. By Karen 20% Vinegar Spray with 20% strength vinegar from a plant nursery or Home Depot on a hot, sunny, dry day. Be careful, this stuff is potent. 10% vinegar also exists - and the one you use depends on the plants. By Cookwie Block the Sunlight I cover the area, even if it is small with black plastic. I weight it down with rocks or something. I also use metal jar lids, anything that will cover the weed and block out the sun and light completely. I killed a tree stump one time this way. I used a bucket. By Suzq Vinegar Warning White vinegar works very well but be careful not to get it on any plants you don't want to die. The plants won't come back. I once sprayed a patch of dollar weeds in my front yard and they died but there was a bare area until the grass grew over it! By ldyharley
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Rate It: Q: My newly adopted dogs have made a mockery of the lawn and garden in my back yard. Besides rocks, what can I use that is bug free and safe that will keep them from dragging mud in my house and deter them from digging up my flowers? Jennieb from Pt. Pleasant, NJ A: Jennieb, Congratulations on your new companions! The first thing you need to consider is why your new canines are making a mockery of your lawn? Dogs dig for a variety of reasons. Are they bored? Are they acting out an instinct to dig out prey? Are they feeling confined or not getting enough exercise? Are they seeking out cool places to lie down? Any measures you take are likely to be unsuccessful for long unless you establish the reason driving their behavior. They'll simply channel the digging energy into something else, like chewing-or worse. If you have the space, why not designate an area in the garden just for them to dig up? Dig up a small area and fill it with sand instead of dirt. Locate it as far away from the house as possible and their paws will have plenty of time to unload the sand in your grass before reaching the door to come inside. Reward them for using it by burying their favorite toys and food treats in it. For areas around flowers, you can lay down chicken wire and clip openings around plants. Cover the wire slightly with soil to hide it. If they have spots they seem to favor over and over, try this recipe:
Mince the garlic, onions and jalapenos and combine them with the other ingredients. Let everything marinate in a container overnight, then sprinkle it over problems areas. Above all, as their pack leader, make sure you let them know what your expectations are for their behavior. Ellen More Answers:
Dog Feces This doesn't sound pleasant but my son used this method on his dog and it worked for him. Wherever his dog would start to dig, he put some of his dog's own feces in the ground. It took some time but the dog did eventually stop digging. Some dogs will dig more than others. I have read that if you can't stop your dog, is to let them have an area of their own using a sandbox. Make a game of it by burying their toys in the sand so they get to dig. By mkymlp Chicken Wire When our dog used to dig around the fence, we buried chicken wire all around the edge of the fence. We put it only about an inch underground and when she dug, she didn't get anywhere so she stopped digging. By Kathy in Colorado Don't Use Mothballs I've heard that people use moth balls, but moth balls are poisonous, so DO NOT go that route! I've also heard that you can sprinkle pepper flakes or spray with pepper spray, which also keeps bugs away... By Manson
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Rate It: Growing With Artificial Lights
The best light for plants may be natural light, but using artificial lights to sprout seeds and grow plants does have its advantages. It's never cloudy and windy indoors, artificial lights eliminate the need for south facing window sills (or any windows at all), and we can make "sunny days" last as long as we want them to no matter the time of year. In short, our gardens can keep blooming all year long! Choosing the Right Light There are so many different lights designed and marketed specifically for growing plants, that figuring out which type to use can seem like a real challenge. Incandescent: These lights don't work well for indoor growing. They are inefficient, don't emit the right quality of light, and the heat they generate can damage plant leaves. Grow Lights: Specially designed high output fluorescent ("grow") lights work great, but unless you operate a green house or your livelihood depends on selling seedlings, you may find the fixtures and replacement bulbs too costly. Compact Fluorescent Lights: Some high output CFLs are currently marketed for growing. They require the purchase of special (expensive) fixtures and replacing just one bulb (although you won't have to replace them often) can cost from $50-$200. In some cases, the smaller versions currently used for home lighting can be used successfully on single plants or flowers with a suitable fixture like an overhead desk lamp.
Fluorescent Tubes. Regular old "non-fanfare" fluorescent tube lighting is the easiest and most common type of artificial lighting for growing plants and starting seeds. It is also highly efficient and the least expensive form of artificial lighting. The bulbs themselves are around $2-$3, compared to a minimum of $20 for most "grow" lights, and use very little electricity. You should be able to find a shop light fixture compete with hanging chains and two fluorescent tubes for around $20-$35 at most home and hardware stores. The fluorescent tubes are usually rated to last anywhere from 18 months up to 4 years but lose 85% of their intensity before they burn out. For plants that require a maximum amount of light intensity, replace bulbs about 70 percent of the way through their rated life. If you are using more than one light, you can alternate changing them out to maintain intensity. The Right Light Color Plants grow best when provided with the same spectrum of colors (violet to red) as natural sunlight. Although some artificial lights can come close to the quality of natural light, most produce either more or less of certain colors in the spectrum. Fluorescent tube lights are available in either cool white colors (producing light in the blue range) or warm white colors (producing more light in the red range). Ideally, you'll want to use one "cool" bulb and one "warm" bulb to provide the fullest, most natural spectrum of light. Setting Up Your System If you don't have a ceiling to hang your shop light fixtures from, consider buying an adjustable garment rack to hang your light fixtures from. Available at most discount stores, you can find them for as little as $15 dollars. Most also come with wheels, making it a snap to move your growing station around as needed. Try to find one with adjustable heights and widths so you it can accommodate any size platform or shelving unit you happen to have handy. Specially designed shelves and hydroponics growing racks are a nice luxury if you can afford them. They will probably eat up a large chunk of your gardening budget, but they won't result in healthier plants. For the budget minded, a couple of wooden saw horses and some scrap plywood or wooden pallets will work fine as a platform to support your plants or seed trays. The important thing is to keep them off the ground and close to the lights. Intensity and Duration Providing plants with the optimum amount of light for growth all boils down the fundamental aspects of duration and intensity. Duration is a constant for most types of plants. They need at least 12-16 hours of natural light, or sufficiently strong artificial light to maintain active growth. Less light and growth will substantially slow down. Use a timer to ensure plants get a consistent amount of light. It will save energy and free you from having to baby sit. Intensity needs can vary widely from plant to plant. In general, plan on providing 25 to 30 fluorescent light watts per square ft. for vegetables, 15 to 20 watts per square ft. for seedlings and house plants, and 10 to 15 watts per square ft. for germinating seeds. Most gardeners find that two 4 ft. long, 40 watt bulbs (placed 6 inches apart) provide adequate intensity for most of their needs. As a general rule, mature flowering or foliage plants should be placed within 6 to 12 inches below lights. Seedlings grow best under high intensity light conditions and should be kept within 2-3 inches of the lights. Draping lights with aluminum foil (shiny side down), will help capture and reflect the maximum light back on to the plants. Watch plants carefully and raise or lower the lights as needed. Scorched leaves indicate that lights are too close. Long, spindly growth or pale leave indicate that the plants are not close enough to the lights or that lights should be kept on for a longer durations. Proper Light Disposal One downside to any type of fluorescent lighting is that disposal raises certain environmental concerns. Fluorescent tubes contain a small amount of mercury necessary for initial firing. This minute amount of mercury is usually not considered a significant health threat, even if a light should happen to break. Another potential concern in older lights is the lamp ballasts. Those manufactured before the late seventies may contain PCBs, a known and banned carcinogen. The EPA currently considers most fluorescent lighting from residential waste to be safe for municipal landfills. To be on the safe side, many local communities have elected to follow their own disposal guidelines, usually involving disposal at a hazardous waste drop off site. Check with your local waste management company for proper disposal in your community. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82414197.tip.html
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Rate It: Starting a Garden with Cuttings from Friends and Family If you're wanting to landscape your property, but not wanting to spend a lot of money doing so, alert your family, friends, fellow church members, co-workers, etc., if they're going to be having any spares of plants, flower bulbs, flower or plant seeds, graftings from trees, etc. to let you know, that you'll be happy to take them off your hands. You might even get a gift card from one of your local nurseries for a birthday, house warming gift, Christmas gift, etc. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf521125.tip.html
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Rate It: Tips for getting rid of those pesky fruit flies as posted from the ThriftyFun community. Post your own solutions here. Basil Put a dish with some basil in it next to your fruit bowl or just sprinkle some basil on the fruit. Fruit flies don't like basil. By Ann Dawn This is what I do now. I got a spray bottle -- I put in it Dawn dish soap and water. I spray everything, the Dawn doesn't hurt anything. At least it hasn't here. I even use it outside for spraying the bugs, ants, and wasp. I use it for just about everything now. By Joyce wis Prevention Any bugs that suck on a plant can also be controlled by watering the plant itself with soapy water. The soap doesn't bother the plant, but the bugs hate it, and go way. In the old days, Granny would throw out the dishwater under the plants. No problem. Alternatively, I just sprinkle the detergent on the soil around the plant before watering. Easy enough. If you're going to use the soda-bottle trap, why not dig a hole and sink it to ground level? Tell those fruit flies, "Let me introduce you to my little friend." By the Oracle Fruit Fly Trap These are really pesky aren't they? I take a small bowl and pour vinegar and just a drop of liquid dish soap into it. This attracts the gnats (fruit flies) and they can't get out because of the soap. Another trick is to take a jar, glass (or whatever) and put a piece of banana in it, cover the top with plastic wrap, stretching it and holding it with a rubber band. Poke holes in the top with a toothpick. They can get in, but they can't get out. After a few days this gets really gross looking, but I have found it works. Good luck! By Connie Banana Peel Trap Here's one way to reduce fruit flies indoors: take a narrow-necked bottle, such as a plastic soda bottle. Put a piece of banana peel inside. Leave it sit, or lie on its side, overnight. In the morning, close it with the lid, and if you are quick, you will have trapped many of the nasty beasties. You can dispose of the bottle, or kill the critters and reuse it. There is also that old standby, fly paper. You can get this in grocery and discount stores, four to six rolls for $1. I'm a miser, so I hang flypaper from the knobs of the ceiling vents, and save the tacks. It just so happens that I have ceiling vents in the most convenient places to trap flies -- over the sinks, and near light sources. Just be sure you don't get your hair stuck to the fly paper! I did that once, and it wasn't fun! By Rose B, mother of three, in NC More Trap Advice Make a fruit fly trap. I use an empty juice (plastic) bottle or a gallon jug will work, too. Place inside things that will attract the fruit flies: Fruit peelings, small pieces of fruit, fruit juice, etc. It doesn't have to be a large amount of stuff. Then, make a paper "funnel" with a very small opening at the bottom and a rather large one at the top. Stick the small opening into the jug, and tape it in place securely, making sure the opening inside the jug doesn't get very big. Then set the jug out on your counter near where you've seen the fruit flies. They will be attracted to the smell, get inside and will be trapped when they try to get back out. Sometimes this takes time to eliminate them, but it really does work. Just make sure that hole inside the jug is not large enough for them to find and get back through easily. When the flies are all caught, carefully shove the paper funnel down into the jug, and cap it off. Dispose of jug. By Susan - Waverly, NY My Experience With Traps I just stumbled across this site and I'm liking it. I am very thrifty here. I've made the fly traps mentioned above, I'd think a 2 liter bottle is a bit big, but I guess you can cut the bottle down to reduce the height. The way I did it, before I learned of the upside-down soda bottle neck thing, was to cut off a circular corner of a plastic baggy, snip off the corner to make a hole and rubber-band it to the mouth of a wide-mouth glass jar with some banana peels or other strong-smelling fruit trimmings and a splash of wine in the bottom. I actually think this worked better because the hole was smaller - just large enough for the flies to crawl in. You can use spoiled milk to catch those nasty black houseflies. By Panels Zap Them Because I have pets, I don't use anything toxic. So I put something like a piece of fruit (one that is overripe is best) in the Microwave. Leave it alone for a couple of hours with the door open. You guessed it, all the fruit flies will gather inside of the microwave and then you shut the door (fast) and ZAP them! Seriously, it works! By Dorie Tupperware Traps My boyfriend and I had a swarm of fruit flies in about every room of our house. We took a couple Tupperware, put in some vinegar (enough for the smell to be strong enough for them to be attracted to it), some dish washing soap (helps the flies to sink and die), and some water. Mix and place numerous Tupperware over the house. Let it sit for a few days. You will gradually see results, I promise. By Jeannine This Worked For Me I've tried the microwave thing and the pop bottle, and what I've found so far to be the best thing is this: Take a pop bottle, cut off the top (where it's straight not curved) and don't forget to remove the cap. Fill the pop bottle with an inch or two of apple cider vinegar. Then take the top that you cut off, turn it upside down and stick it in the remaining pop bottle. Tape around the edges so nothing can escape. Put it in the most infested area and wait. The flies go in but can't get out, and eventually drown. By Sam Black Flies I thought I had fruit flies - little black flying insects. They were in my bathroom where I have plants, but NO fruit. It turned out it they were black-fly in my house plants. I used vinegar on leaves, but rinsed it off and sprayed vinegar on the potting soil around the plants. I have grand kids and dogs around and didn't want to do anything toxic. It took several days but seemed to work. By Vicka Alcohol I have had just a swarm of them in my house! My daughter says that spraying just plain old alcohol around (just as you would insecticide) will kill them. I'm trying that and it does seem to have helped. I've also been keeping the drains in the sinks, bathtub covered as much as possible and that, too has helped. I don't have too many of the flies left in the kitchen or rest of the house. There is also a product to treat drain flies that you can get at a professional exterminators store that also helps. By a Reader Warning About Alcohol First of all, Fruit flies and drain flies are the same. Second, if your using alcohol to try and control the problem you might like to read this: "And once they're established in your house, they can sustain themselves on an impressive range of nutrients. They can live on the slime inside a sink drain. They can flourish on a sour mop. They'll eat damp flour or food fermenting quietly in a crack in the floor. They've even proven capable of existing on a diet of alcohol fumes, their bodies deploying a special chemical that converts the alcohol to nourishment before it can poison them." By Allison Vick's Vaporub I used Vicks Vaporrub and put it at my door frames, window sills and anywhere else I saw the flies. They don't like the smell. by E. Kane Fruit Fly Battle I have had a battle with fruit flies this past week. Let me tell you, I swatted them, sprayed them with Windex, and then put baking soda in every drain in the house and followed up with vinegar. This will foam up and kill the varmints plus clean your drains. I then stopped up the drains for a day to avoid any new bugs who may have hatched. I feel like a one woman swat team. By Janie
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Tips on Getting Kalanchoe to Bloom I need tips on getting kalanchoe to bloom? I started a kalanchoe plant from a cutting this past winter. The plant is huge and beautiful, but it has yet to bloom. The last time I started cuttings, I got blooms in a few months after they rooted. Any suggestions? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf93981292.tip.html
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Rate It: Severe Itching Caused by Okra Plants Every year I have my vegetable garden and I always plant Okra, which I love. When I get around the plant and start picking, I start itching like I have gotten into poison ivy. I use long rubber gloves for my hands and part of my arms, but my neck, face and the rest of my body itches so bad that I can't wait to take a shower and lotion down. Can anyone help me with this problem? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73428695.tip.html
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Rate It: I am looking for information on how to grow watermelons. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35559143.tip.html
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Rate It: Any ideas on how to get rid of ant hills in the lawn? This year my Mom and I both have really bumpy lawns, and we both seem to have been overrun with ants. I would like to be as natural as possible. I have tried hot water but they just seemed to come back. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf68135385.tip.html
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Rate It: Does anyone have any tomato growing secrets to share? My tomatoes this year were puny and cracked. I live in hardiness zone: 4b in southern WI. Does anyone have any suggestions for tomato varieties? Thanks Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf80412504.tip.html
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Rate It: Transporting Seeds to the Philippines My father in law would like to find out information about purchasing garden seeds in the U.S. and transporting them to the Philippines. He would like to grow American veggies and a greater range of flowers than are available there. Does anyone know what the customs requirements are for this area or have any experience with this? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf95440506.tip.html
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Rate It: Could someone please tell me why my tomatoes are cracking? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96395501.tip.html
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Rate It: Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here
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:
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