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Gardening Tip Contest
(September 1 - October 31, 2017)

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September 1 - October 31, 201719


Silver Post Medal for All Time! 418 Posts
September 19, 2017

After a couple of days in the sunshine, the leaves on my hanging basket of petunias look pitiful. To bring them back to life, I put water in a pan and put the basket in the pan to soak up the water overnight. The next day, the dirt in the basket is heavy with water and the leaves on the flowers look lively again. This is easy and there is no dripping when I hang the basket back up.

Watering Hanging Baskets - hanging basket and plastic tub

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5 Tips for Winter Houseplants - group of plants
5 Tips for Winter HouseplantsHere are some tips for caring for houseplants during the winter. 1. Add coffee grounds into your potting soil to maintain moisture during the winter months. 2. Use your cooled veggie water to give your houseplants some natural fertilizer. Read on for more.

 
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3 Organic Ways to Control Insects In Your Garden - variegated green and cream leafed plant
3 Organic Ways to Control Insects In Your GardenControlling your garden pests is easy with natural pest control. Natural pest controls allow your plants to grow in natural harmony with nature. Even though the insect eats your plants they are a crucial part of the system. When finding insects in your garden, take time to watch what they are doing.

 
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Weigela florida in bloom, with pink and white flowers.
Weigela Florida As Privacy ScreenI had never grown weigela. I learned a lot in a short amount of time. First, I learned just how easily cuttings can be rooted. 4-6 inch tips taken from the plant, inserted into soil and covered with a clear plastic dome will readily root. It takes about 6 weeks for good root formation.

 
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A potted vegetable next to the root end of a celery bunch.
Regrow Vegetables on Your WindowsillMake your vegetables go further by re-growing them. The trimmings of certain vegetables will grow again if you put them in a pot of compost, place them on your windowsill and keep them watered. The photo shows celery leaves grown from the base of a bunch of celery.

 
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Free Houseplant Soil - hand holding dark leaf compost
Free Houseplant SoilTechnically, this would be a 'medium' rather than soil, but some people haven't caught on to that word, yet. And too, if you have access to enough, it would be great for the garden as well as your houseplants.

 
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Save Money On Pansies - pansy seedlings in hanging baskets
Growing Pansies From SeedI have saved lots of pansy seed from store bought plants over the years. Force of habit, I guess. I never planted them, though. What a shame. That wasteful practice has come to an end, as of now.

 
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Moving Houseplants to Your New Home
Moving Houseplants to Your New HomeI moved my mother from Wisconsin to Dallas in December years ago and she wanted to take her houseplants. We made a small section in the back seat and stacked the the pots on each other and then secured them by putting boxes around them to keep them in place. I also covered them with a sheet to keep them warm.

 
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Rose Witches Broom - Dark Desire Witches Broom
Rose Witches BroomOne disease which affects roses is called Rose rosette. The common name for this disease is 'Witches Broom'. It is caused by a virus which is spread by a very small, eriophyid mite. According to Clemson.edu, 'Plants infected with the Rose rosette virus cannot be cured. These infected plants should be removed.

 
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Logo for ThriftyFun Tips
Use Coffee Grounds In The GardenThe next time you have coffee grounds, dump them in the garden. They will keep slugs and other pests away.

 
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Wisteria Serves Double Duty - Vigna blooms in wisteria
Wisteria Serves Double DutyI've done 5 posts on a certain vine and still don't know what to call it. I think it could correctly be called Cochliasanthus caracalla. Having a young wisteria standard (tree form) in my back yard, I decided to keep the Vigna in a 5 gallon bucket and let it grow up and around the wisteria rather than on my clothesline.

 
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Corkscrew Vine Bloom Time - flowers beginning to bloom
Corkscrew Vine Bloom TimeI've gotten some private messages asking for further information on the corkscrew vine (Vigna Caracalla). I'm making this post so all who are interested can share this information.

 
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Hairnets To Protect Small Plants - plants covered with hair nets
Hairnets To Protect Small PlantsThis past spring, I had access to 3 two inch gardenia pieces. Just the very tips, mind you. I brought them home and rooted them. Now, I find there are other creatures that love the gardenia just as much as I do.

 
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Green beans that have ripened entirely.
Using Tough Overgrown Green BeansIf you have left any green beans too long on the plant, they will be too tough to eat. However, they need not go to waste. You can remove the beans from the pods and boil and eat them on their own. You can save a few to grow next year.

 
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Know Your Beneficial Insects - lady bug larva
Know Your Beneficial InsectsMost of us know ladybugs are just one of a group of insects that are beneficial to the garden. But what about the ladybug in other than the adult stage? I discovered something very interesting.

 
5 CommentsComment
Use Kitty Litter Bins as Pots - kitty litter bins and plastic bucket planters
Use Kitty Litter Bins as PotsMy family enjoyed having a large garden for many years. We grew potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, sugar snap peas, zucchinis, eggplants, corn, jalapeños, green peppers, watermelon, and cucumbers in our yard. We had edible landscaping. At our new home we can not have a garden so we are trying container gardening.

 
6 CommentsComment
A compact seed starter tray, made from recycled materials, filled with dirt.
Compact Seed Starter TrayI am in the process of planting several thousand pansy seed. This being my first time to grow pansies from seed, I really wasn't prepared. I have various trays and flats about, and just about anything else that will hold the seedlings until they're ready for transplanting.

 
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A garden flag secured by a metal clip.
Securing a Garden FlagLast year, while walking, I found a decorative flag out in the middle of a field. I picked it up and located the owner. The next day, when I walked, I placed the flag back on the flag holder and secured it with one of my metal spring clamps. I noticed that she has changed the flag but is still using the same metal clamp.

 
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Deadhead Roses for Better Blooms - pink rose and withered bloom
Deadhead Roses for Better BloomsYou should discard, or deadhead, spent blooms on roses so the plant doesn't expend any more energy on them. When you deadhead, the plant will use its energy to make more blooms, and larger blooms.

 
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