Cabbage Moth Organic Control
- Cabbage butterflies are controlled organically by placing a potted plant of rosemary in the middle of a small cabbage patch. A larger cabbage patch may require two rosemary plants. The volatile oil in the rosemary leaves repels the adult cabbage butterflies, deterring them from laying eggs on the cabbage leaves.
- —alslinkard.
Organizing Seed Packets
- I always put a mailing label on the outside of my seed envelopes, mark the date they need to be planted by, and whether or not the seeds should be soaked to quicken the seeding process. Then I file them in a box by the date they should be started.
- —Guest Cheryl
Chinese Tallow Tree
- I just learned that what we call a Chinese Tallow Tree here in the West is called Popcorn Tree in Florida and nurseries are prohibited from selling it there, yet here it is a beautiful tree with wonderful red leaves in the Fall, but it is prolific.
- —Guest Jackie
Controlling Geese
- If you have problems with geese in your garden, drive 2' stakes 6' apart around the garden and string about 4 strands of nylon fishing line around the garden. The geese will not cross the fishing line.
- —Guest shular1
Organic Gardening No Pesticide Required
- I am an Organic Gardener, I treat Plants with Herbs & Spices. 1. To make the soil fertile, mix fresh Almond leaves in the soil. 2. To clean the soil and Plants of Pests, including ants,rats & snakes. Just peel an Onion, cut in slices, bury each piece 2 inches in the soil, 1/2 feet away fom the plant. If your plant leaves, curl or yellow, just place a rusty nail, a feet away from the plant. I have more tips, if interrested do let me know. I am available to solve gardening problems online. Regards B. Shah
- —shahwin
Leaves and Chickens
- I rake all those old leaves up in the fall, bag them and over the course of our miserably long winter I periodically empty a bag of leaves into the hen house.. they love them, scratch them into little bits, poop all over them and in the spring the whole lot (and by then it is a lot and mixed with straw)is shoveled onto the compost, with water and time added it is perfect for an autumn mulch in the garden. I do the same with grass clippings all summer. My chickens work hard.
- —Guest cecilia g
Paint "labels"
- I have been using free paint stirrer sticks for years and find they are large enough to see in the garden, unlike commercially-sold plant labels. Its best to give them a coat of paint and they will last for years. Art supply store or Walmart sells inexpensive bottles of hobby paints that will fill the bill.
- —Guest bobbica
Feeding Pond Plants
- To feed plants in backyard pond, place end of long pvc pipe near plant. Drop in food tablet. Put a shovel handle or broomstick inside pvc pipe and press down. The end of the stick puts the tablet in the dirt.
- —Guest lee
Watering and Fertilizing Tomato Plants
- In the vegetable garden, I take 25 gal paint buckets and set beside each tomato plant. I punch small holes in the bottom and put water soluble fertilizer in and fill with water. The water seeps out slowly and waters and fertilizes the plant.
- —Guest leslie
Cats in the Garden
- Cats always make problems in the garden. You cannot stop them without having fences and that's costly, but a very simple and cheap way to put fences around the garden is to build nylon fishing net fences. Fishing net is easily available. Place some wooden posts, five feet in height, at appropriate distances, then stretch and fix the nylon fishing net around the wooden posts. You will get rid of cats (and other pet animals) as they don't like to jump over the fences.
- —Guest Asif
Paint Stirrer or Garden Label
- I collect the chop sticks from sushi or Chinese food and use them to stir paint or I shave off a bit at the thicker end so I have a flat surface and write with a fine tip permanent marker on them.
- —Guest Adrine
Winter Composting
- During the winter when you need to take vegetable clippings to your compost and it's too cold to to decompose, put them in the blender & grind for quicker decomposing, then dump there. Rewards later
- —camperwoman
Bulb Storage
- Although too late for this year, here is a easy way to remember the exact color of your flowering bulbs. I match paint color samples/swatches to the the color of each flower and place them beside the bulb in my storage container.
- —smalough
Hose Guards on a Dime
- In my veggie garden I need A LOT of hose guards. It would be out of the question to use "purchased hose guards". I use two different sizes PVC pipes, one inside the other, the outer one shorter, to let the hose glide across it. I cut (with the proper cutting tool) the inside pipe on an angle so it's pointy making it easier to be hammered into the ground. I use to spray paint them, but since I use so many it was too time consuming. Plus the paint chips off easily so I don't bother. This makes a huge difference, lowers my frustration when I need to drag the hose through the garden, which is more than once a day during the growing season. I find many reasons to drag a hose in and through the garden other than just quenching the plants thirst. I also make them a little taller than the purchased ones. I like them taller so I can see them and not trip over them. That lesson was learned the hard way.
- —Guest Kim Whitehead
Paint Paddle Labels
- I use the wooden paint paddles to label plants. The stores usually have loads and don't mind giving them to you. Put the name of plant on them with colored or black markers.
- —Guest Gwen Holt
