My best tips
whammytap
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
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your best (and worst!) cheap, thrify, and diy garden tips?
Comments (72)One good tip I learned (from trial & error, then much research) is to plant and harvest things at the proper time for your growing zone- even in places like california where people might tell you "oh you can grow anything there all year round"... not true! some plants are warm season, some are cool season, some like to overwinter, some are annual, some are perennial, some are biennial, etc. Research each plant, and also don't assume plants that seem similar will have the same needs, for example peas and beans both come in bush and vining varieties and grow in pods, but peas like cool weather while beans like it hot- except for a few certain beans that actually do prefer it cool... Also, potatoes can tolerate cool weather while sweet potatoes don't. Kale & lettuces grow best in cool weather while chard seems to do fine in hot or cool. You get the idea. If you plant things at the wrong time you'll be wasting your time and the seeds- I tried lettuce when it was too late to be planting it and in the heat of summer it went straight to bolt. I've planted zucchini and tomatoes when it was too cold for them and they grew poorly and didn't produce fruit. Harvest times are just as important as planting times- I planted radishes once and they didn't seem to get big enough by harvesting time so I thought I could just let them keep growing for a while longer- but found out that if you leave them in the ground too long they get tough and too spicy and shrivel up instead of getting bigger! Also it may be tempting to let a zucchini get huge, thinking it will just provide more food when you let a fruit get 2 feet long... No! Harvest them young & tender and about the size they sell them in the grocery store (or smaller), any larger and you get a hard shell, lots of seeds, and very little (and quite tasteless) flesh. Moral of these stories is to research each fruit or veggie you want to grow & follow the "directions", it will mean the difference between success & failure! Also- healthy soil is #1 important thing for plants - no chemical fertilizer! Compost is your best friend. Mulch is your other best friend- use what is available & free- leaves & pine needles are what I use. Good luck!!!...See MorePowdery Mildew- treating soil?
Comments (26)I've had a terrible time here in L.A.- zone 10- with powdery mildew - this time it got my squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and bush beans; now it's working on my pumpkins. I have tried a bunch of things - milk, baking soda and a little detergent, etc.- but they seem not to work. Realize I probably water too late in the day and put manure on at the wrong time...but still! Most sites states that "treating the soil" is not useful, but one site says to cover with clear plastic and let it sit for 4-6 weeks - longer if it's rainy. Seems like a long time to wait - but I'd do anything to fix this problem! Can anyone help? Another thing - I'm from the South and can't help but notice how much better plants like melons, okra, summer squashes do there. I'd attribute this to it nearly always dropping down to the 50's and 60's at night, instead of staying hot. Am I the only one that thinks this?...See MoreMy zone 10 herbs
Comments (3)Hey thanks for the excellent rundown on what has worked for you! Your mixed success with rosemary is very interesting. I am going to try planting some in several locations this fall and see if I can find that magic spot that it likes. I haven't had much luck with nasturiums here either. I really like them to set seed - the seeds can be pickled and made into something kind of like capers. Very tasty. The ones I planted last fall got killed by the hard freeze. The ones I planted in spring just never seemed to do anything. They formed a couple leaves and then just sat there doing nothing until they eventually burned up in the summer heat. Maybe I'll try some more this fall....See Morefyi: bargain on qvc for shark steam mop $67 w/ 7 pads
Comments (3)HSN has the Bissel steam mop (I like it better) for $79.99 with either two or four clothes. My housekeeper is in love with it. Little does she know I ordered her one as well as one for my mother and mother-in-law AND the two sister in-laws. Justin...See MoreUser
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