We are love freebies. Here's some free gardening tips...please use them to get better gardening results. I use these tips myself in my day to day gardening adventures.
- To make an old fashioned rain barrel, buy a 30 gallon plastic garbage can, cut a small hole in the lid, and place it under a down spout with the spout through the hole. Then insert a cheap plastic spigot near the bottom of the can.
- Discarded shipping pallets make great compost bins. Place one pallet on the ground, and drive 2 metal support poles per side into the ground. Then slip the pallet sides over top of the poles and your bin is complete.
- Picking off flowers frequently encourage most annuals to flower more abundantly.
- Garlic to the rescue: if you put 1 or 2 garlic cloves into your rose bushes, they will never be bothered by aphids or other insects.
- You can remove the faded flowers from bulbs, but the foliage must be left on to provide the bulb with food for next year's flowers.
- If you have naturalized bulbs in your lawn, don't cut foliage or the bulbs will deteriorate rapidly.
- To start up to 12 plants at a time, use a clean egg carton as a seed starter container. Punch holes in the bottom of each section for drainage, and fill with professional potting mix.
- For no mess watering of your hanging plants, let a few ice cubes slowly melt into the soil.
- When planting early vegetables, put on south side of house or shed.This will protect from northern winds, and allow walls to absorb heat and then release that heat at night.
- Don't throw away those extra seeds left over from planting. Most seeds will last in a dry cool place for about 3-4 years.
- For the compost pile - high carbon browns are nutshells, aged sawdust, chopped cornstalks, hay, straw, dry leaves, weeds, cover crops and moderate amount of paper.
- For the compost pile - high nitrogen greens are pet and human hair, seaweed, green manure crops, fresh grass clippings, tea bags, vegetable scraps, fruit scraps, coffee grounds, fresh leaves, weeds, milk and manure from cows, fowls, horses, pigs, sheep.
- Avoid planting related crops in the same spot year after year, for example in the tomato family the related crops are eggplant, pepper, potato and tomato.
- When transplanting tomato plants try adding a blend of liquid seaweed and fish emulsion 2-3 days before you transplant.
- Do not soak bean seeds in water before planting, this will cause cracking and they will be brittle. Plant in warm soil only.
- Thin bean plants when two true leaves are formed. thinning will give good circulation to plant which is needed for disease prevention.
- When adding mulch to any garden try using a living mulch which is aged mulch that is basically mulch that turning to compost and mulch together. You get the best of both worlds.
- Since carrot seeds may be slow to germinate try spreading seeds on damp paper towels then put in refrigerator, when root tips appear mix with dry sand and plant outside.
- A strong spray of water directed on plants can blast away many pests like aphids and spider mites.
- Plant plants that keep away pests naturally, such as garlic.
Cold Weather Water Pipe Information
Tips to protect your property and prevent property damage and uncontrolled water loss due to frozen or broken water pipes:
Before Freezing Weather
- Wrap all exposed pipes located outside or in unheated areas of the home.
- Remove garden hoses from outside faucets.
- Cover vents around the foundation of your home.
- Know where your property owner’s cut-off valve is located and how to use it. Apply oil such as WD-40 to the cut-off valve before operating to prevent the valve from breaking. The valve is located adjacent to the water meter box under a 6” metal lid.
- Drip outside faucets 24 hours a day (5 drops per minute). This is not necessary unless temperatures are expected to be 28 degrees or below for at least 4 hours. (Be sure to turn off the faucets after the threat of freezing weather.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks adjacent to outside walls.
- In unheated garages, shut off water to washing machines. Water softeners should be drained and protected from freezing temperatures.
- In sustained sub-freezing weather, let water drip slowly from inside faucets.
- Take extra precautions to protect pipes that have frozen in the past.
- Shut water off at the property owner’s cut-off valve.
- Drain all outside water faucets if your house will be unoccupied for several days (leave outside faucets open).
- Or, leave home heating system on at a low setting.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks adjacent to outside walls.
