Happy Garden - October 30, 2008

Vol. 3, Num. 43, October 30, 2008 (Read It Online) If you have read this newsletter over the last couple years, you probably have noticed that a lot of the content is by Ellen Brown. Her contributions have been a big part of establishing this as quality source for Gardening information. Ellen has decided to take a break from answering readers question and writing article for ThriftyFun, so you will be seeing less of her content in the coming months. We are currently working on a strategy to fill the void left by Ellen's departure but wanted to use this space to express our sincere thanks to Ellen Brown for all she has done for this newsletter and ThriftyFun in general. We still have some articles by Ellen to publish, so you will see more content from her in coming issues. And we have left the door wide open for her if she ever decides to come back. Thank you Ellen! As usual in the winter, the gardening issues get smaller with less tips, photos and requests. You can help keep this newsletter colorful and vibrant by sharing your fall and winter gardening tips and pictures. Feel free to submit them on one of the contest pages. 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: Use Your Lawn Mower To Move Leaves Garden: Squirrel in a Ponderosa Pine Black Flamingos For Halloween Garden: Pumpkin Planter Tips and Articles: Storing Root Crops Outdoors Over Winter Very Few Iris Blooms Colorado Potato Beetle Spray New Requests: Keeping Animals from Eating Pumpkin Decorations What is This Plant? Winterizing Roses Using Loamy Soil When Planting In Sandy Soil Getting Rid Of Invasive Ferns Bird Feeder Suet Recipe Protecting A Geranium Plant In Winter Green Slime on Surface Of Pond 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: Use Your Lawn Mower To Move Leaves This is gardening tip and a how to. We have 3 English walnut trees. When the leaves fall, we like to clean them up because we heard the leaves are toxic. Every fall we blow them in a pile then unto a large tarp. He uses an "s" hook in the corner grommets of the tarp and hooks it to the back of his lawn mower. One year he tried pulling the tarp by himself and pulled a groin muscle. That was not fun. By Donna from Millbury, Oh Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf49660987.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Garden: Squirrel in a Ponderosa Pine Have been feeding and taking pictures from my balcony of the squirrels that hang out in the courtyard of my apartment building for a few months now ... They have become much less afraid and yesterday I was able to get this zoom photo of one of the squirrels hanging out in the Ponderosa Pine tree just fifteen feet from the balcony railing :-) Gave me great joy :-) By Deeli from Richland, WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63950486.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Black Flamingos For Halloween When my pink flamingos faded I decided to spray paint them black for Halloween decoration. Sorry the picture is a little blurry. By Karen from Bolivar, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf54333726.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Garden: Pumpkin Planter Since its coming up for Halloween, I thought after making my soup I'd put my pumpkin to good use. With some of my summer plants gone, I think this adds a bit of colour. By Gillie from Banffshire, Scotland UK Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78970719.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Tips and Articles: Storing Root Crops Outdoors Over Winter By Ellen Brown Storing garden vegetables whole is quicker and more economical than freezing, canning or dehydrating them.This is especially true for certain root crops. Potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, rutabagas, winter radishes, and parsnips, adapt well to winter storage. No room indoors? No worries. These crops store best at cold temperatures with a high relative humidity and temperatures between 33 and 45 degrees. Under the right conditions, they can be kept outdoors all winter long. Here are 5 cheap and easy ways to store root vegetables outside over winter. Outdoor Pit Outdoor pits can be lined or unlined. The advantage to a lined pit is that it is better protected against ground water infiltration and damage from rodents (Liners might consist of a plastic tarp or styrofoam). Place a thick layer of straw on the bottom of the pit (or liner) and place your veggies on top. Cover the vegetables with another layer of straw, and finally a layer of soil to hold the straw in place. The straw layers should be 1 to 3 feet deep, depending upon how cold your winter gets. Above Ground Mound The above ground mound is similar to an unlined pit, but it's above ground. It works well in low areas where groundwater infiltration is a problem, or where storage periods will be shorter and temperatures milder. Pile your vegetables on a layer of straw on top of the ground. Cover the vegetables with an additional layer of straw, and finally a layer of soil to hold it in place. A mound like this will usually accommodate one or two bushels of mixed root crops, but bear in mind that they will not be protected from rodent damage. A Cardboard Box and Sawdust This technique isn't really suitable for outdoor storage, but it does work well in an unheated garage or garden shed. Use fresh sawdust to avoid adding any unpleasant taste to your veggies. Add three to four inches of sawdust to the bottom of a large cardboard box. Next, add a layer of carrots. Make sure that the carrots are at least 4 to 5 inches from the sides of the box so they stay properly insulated from the cold. Cover the carrots with an inch of sawdust and keep alternating layers of carrots and sawdust until the box is full. In lieu of sawdust, you may also use thick layers of vermiculite. A Gym Locker/Kitchen Cabinet This technique is similar to an outdoor pit. Bury a metal gym locker or old cabinet in the ground with the door facing up for easy access. Line the insides with 2 to 3 inches Styrofoam or a thick layer of straw for extra insulation. Fill the cabinet with alternating layers of vegetables and straw. Cover the top with straw bales. A Whiskey Barrel/Garbage Can Place a layer of straw in the bottom or a whiskey barrel or garbage can that is lying on its side. Create alternating layers of mixed vegetables and straw, leaving a small amount of room near the cover for air circulation. Once full, the barrel or garbage can either be turned upright and sunk into the ground, or with thick enough layers of insulation, stored above ground on its side. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82666721.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Very Few Iris Blooms Question: Does anybody know why my Irises didn't bloom very much this year? I had lots of foliage but very few blooms. We've only lived here a year and I can't remember what they did last year but this year I watched. I'm dividing them now (right or wrong?) so maybe they were crowded? Hardiness Zone: 4a Judi from Elgin, Oregon Answer: Judi, Your assessment of the situation is probably right on the money. Irises grow in clumps. As they grow, they start to get crowded and their productivity declines. Dividing them every 2-3 years will easily solve this problem. To divide your irises in the fall, cut the fans (leaves) back to 3 to 4 inches in length and use a sharp spade or shovel to separate them from each other so you can lift them out of the ground. When replanting, make sure you pick a sunny spot and that you plant the rhizomes so that the tops are exposed at the surface of the soil, or only slightly covered with soil. Water them in well. Other factors that can affect how well your irises flower include the following: Sunshine. To maximize flowering, your irises should receive at least 6 hours of full sun each day. Make sure that the trees and shrubs around your irises have not grown up to the point of blocking out their sunlight. Fertilizer. A fertilizer high in nitrogen will stimulate vegetative growth at the expense of flowers. If you fertilize your irises, choose a fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus than nitrogen (e.g. 5-10-5) Water. Too little in the late winter/early spring can adversely affect flower production. Watch moisture levels in the spring to ensure your irises are getting the moisture they need for proper development. Ellen Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22585926.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Colorado Potato Beetle Spray If you have problems with the Colorado Potato Beetle, this is the recipe for you. 6 tea bags to 1 pint of water 1 cup camomile tea 1 cup tobacco juice (see below) 1 cup antiseptic mouth wash Combine the above ingredients and put in sprayer and spray onto plants. This works well. Apply liberally and repeat often as necessary. Tobacco juice - combine a couple of dried tobacco leaves in 1/2 gallon of water. Bring to a boil and let stand until cool. Strain to use as tobacco juice. Source: My brother-in-law By Beth from Bloomfield, IN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf53683889.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, 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: Keeping Animals from Eating Pumpkin Decorations I have this problem every year and wondered if anyone else did too. I love to put 1 or 2 pumpkins on my front step for decorating at Fall season, but within days, the squirrels have chewed large holes in them and seeds are everywhere. Is there a way to keep animals from eating them? I would love to be able to keep them on the step longer than 2 days. I don't know what to do to keep the squirrels out of them. It happens every year and no matter where I've lived, it happens. Thanks very much! Mia from Phila Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf45040100.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What is This Plant? I give this plant sunlight and water. What is this plant? By Joyceann from Danvers Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86295453.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Winterizing Roses In winterizing roses, do they have to be confined by cones. I am tempted to try hilling alone and wish to use shredded leaves mixed with top soil. Does this make sense? Also, I would like to cut up cross sections of paper leaf bags to act as restraining devices for the leaf/soil mix. Any advice gratefully received. Hardiness Zone: 5a Jim from Detroit, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56534842.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Using Loamy Soil When Planting In Sandy Soil I live in the tropics, on the beach. The ground of course is very sandy. I am aware of certain plants/trees that love sandy soil - coconuts, tropical pine, papaya, mangoes, citronella, passion fruit. There are many tropical fruit trees (guava, banana, avocado) that need a loamy type of soil which I do not have. My question is, if I were to dig a large hole and fill it up with loamy soil ( say 1 ton ) and then plant the tree in it, would this work or would the salt eventually bleach the loamy soil and kill the tree? Hardiness Zone: 11 Marangman from Malaysia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf80766886.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Getting Rid Of Invasive Ferns How do I safely rid my yard of invasive ferns? Hardiness Zone: 8b Sherrie from Florida Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94127508.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Bird Feeder Suet Recipe Would anyone out there know how to make homemade suet? We have lots of beautiful birds around in the winter and we try to keep them happy. Thanks. Barb from Mountaindale, NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf66891909.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Protecting A Geranium Plant In Winter I have a huge geranium plant planted in a pot and would love to try to save it. However, I really have no where to sit it indoors. I'm afraid the red pedals will fall on the carpet and stain it if they are stepped on. I know I've seen on this website suggestions about how to save them when dormant for the next growing season. Can someone give me those instructions again please? I can store it under the house in a crawl place. I need to know how to prepare it. Do I cut the blooms all off? Water it? Cover it up with a grocery bag? Take it out of the pot? At what time exactly to I move it and prepare it for the hibernation? Hardiness Zone: 6a Donna from Millbury, Oh Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf61095790.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Green Slime on Surface Of Pond We have a green (almost a fluorescent green color) algae-like material covering the whole surface of our pond. If you put your hand in it to scoop it up it looks almost like a bunch of tiny seeds and slime that sticks to your hand. Each year it gets worse and this year there are actually plants growing about 6-10 inches high on it. It hardly resembles a pond any more. Does anyone know what this is and how to get rid of it? jho from Chassell Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf19353153.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.