Some gardeners start seedlings in vermiculite purchased at
garden supply stores, but this medium does not contain the
nutrients needed for sustained growth, so seedlings should be
transplanted to soil when the second pair of true leaves form.
Containers from the kitchen can be recycled for starting seeds.
Aluminum trays from frozen food just need a few holes poked to
provide drainage. Other possibilities are cottage cheese
containers, milk or ice cream cartons, Styrofoam egg cartons, or
paper cups. All should have drainage holes.
Exhibit heavy plant containers on dollies or platforms with
wheels or casters for ease of movement. This is especially useful
for apartments or balconies, so plants can be moved to get the
most sunlight.
Dish gardens are ideal for gifts for mothers, dads, and
grandparents. Use several foliage species, some ceramic figures
or driftwood, and perhaps some unusual ferns.
Catnip is a hardy plant, but grow it in a large pot or tub to
contain its invasive habit.
Make your own potting mix for outdoor containers with one part
rich productive garden soil, 1 part leaf mold or compost, and 1
part builder's sand or perlite. Add 1 tablespoon dry, 5-10-5
fertilizer and 1 tablespoon dolomitic lime per gallon of mixture.
A clipboard to which you can attach your notes while working in
the garden is a helpful gardening aid. Using graph paper, map out
your plot. Note the varieties and dates of planting to aid in
planning successive plantings and to help determine the expected
time of harvest.
In your flower arrangements, avoid mixing cut daffodils with
tulips. Daffodils produce a chemical "slime" that injures tulip
blooms. If you wish to use these two flowers in an arrangement,
place the daffodils in another container for a day after cutting,
then rinse off the stems and add to the vase of tulips. Adding 1
tablespoon of activated charcoal or 6 drops of bleach to each
quart of water also helps.
Topiary is the art of clipping and trimming a plant into
unusual designs. Forms for indoor topiary can be purchased or
shaped by hand from galvanized wire. A media mix for topiary
forms is 1 part peat moss to 1 part potting soil surrounded by
sheet moss. English ivy and creeping thyme work well for this.
A child's first garden should include sunflowers from seeds.
The large seeds sprout quickly and dependably, and the strong
seedlings can push their way through crusted soil. If you are
shooting for record sunflowers, your plants will need to top 20
feet in height with seed-head diameters of 2 feet to be in the
running.
Mulches can change the soil temperature. Black plastic warms
the soil and should be applied before planting. Organic materials
delay the sun's penetration thereby keeping the soil cooler.
Apply organic mulches after plants are 3 to 4 inches tall and the
soil is warm.
Cover old stumps with soil to hasten decay.
Turn the compost pile and add manure.
Place bird houses outdoors early this month. Birds will begin
looking for nesting sites soon, and the houses should attract
several mating pairs. Ideally, houses erected on smooth metal
poles where predators cannot climb are most often selected, but
placement on top of fence posts or in trees will usually suffice.
Don't overexert those underworked, winter muscles as you begin
your spring gardening. Bend at the knees and lift with your legs,
not your back.
When setting out transplants in peat pots, be careful not to
allow the rim of the pot to protrude above the soil level. It
will act as a wick and draw moisture up from the plant. Break
away the upper rim of the pot before planting, and make sure none
of the peat shows above the soil.
Canola, a relative of cabbage and broccoli, could become an
alternative cash crop in some northern states. A member of the
mustard family, canola is an edible form of rapeseed. Currently,
most of the crop is being processed for vegetable oil.
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but two carrots a day
can cut cholesterol levels by 10 to 20 percent, say USDA
scientists. Carrots, as well as cabbage and onions, contain a
type of fiber that lowers cholesterol.
The most common nematodes are saprophytes that feed on decaying
organic matter. They play a critical role in maintaining the
balance of nature and in returning nutrients to the soil.
We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between we garden.
--Author unknown
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