Gardening

We have a neighborhood news sheet we put out for our own folks who are mid income and some are currently unemployed, so to help them cut some gardening dollar corners, might you have an idea that we could share in our next note to everyone? Some have curbside pick up for branches and such, and many do not…most yards are 1 quarter acre or less.Thanks in advance for your help.

Some suggestions:

Get donation of seeds from the local organic gardeners.

Buy different varieties of seeds and share among;

Enjoy organic fruits like all types of melons; or vegetables (with lots of seeds)
like pumpkins, squashes, and so on together, and share all the organic seeds.

Exchange saved organic seeds with each other each year.
Exchange vegetables and fruits harvests with each other.

I hope it helps!

I want to start a small garden and grow squash, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, peas, watermelon, and morning glories. The tomatoes and peas and 1 pot of morning glories would be on my porch. The rest would be around my trailer. I was planning on using morning glories as a bug repellent. What are some other natural bug repellents? I don’t really like the idea of using chemicals.

Garlic and onions are a natural repellent for ants. Rosemary repels many flying insects (including flies and mosquitoes). When I plant garlic or shallots with my tomatoes, the vines grow much faster and thicker. Plant icicle radishes (let them go to seed) and yellow nasturtiums in with your zukes and melons to repel insects. Marigolds repel nematodes. Which kind of peas, green or "southern"? Don’t plant any member of the onion family around beans or peas. The vines will be stunted. Green peas get some protection from insects by planting them with geraniums or aromatic herbs. Southern peas like to be planted with cucumbers, corn, petunias, and radishes.

Good luck!

I’m in Texas close to Dallas and am starting a garden this year. I’m planting tomatoes , squash , bell peppers , cucumbers ,okra , and herbs.. The past few years I have had no luck with tomatoes at all and I’ve tried everything. I did the topsy turvy thing last year and my plants got water loged and died. Any tips for me would be great, And also does anyone know anything about having a raised garden?

Hello fellow Dallasite. Check the link for Texas A&M info. Covers everything about our area. Raised garden info is there among a bunch of other info.

I can tell you from experience, planting small tomato varieties will help you be successful. Large tomatoes take too much time to ripen before the heat in mid summer kills the plant. A really good producer with excellent taste is the Sun Gold tomato. And the Butterstick Yellow Zucchini grows well.

Soil amendment is key, so a raised bed with compost as the soil really helps as well.

i love my flora and green space so what can i do to give it that extra bit of oomph this year.
fabulous answers from everyone.

Tabasco and water spray on the tomato plants for bugs(I use crab boil)
Plate of beer on the ground to catch slugs (just a little, drink the rest)
Coffee ground in the soil (nitrogen)
Banana peels in the rosebeds (potassium)
Egg shells in soil (calcium)
Epson salt and water sprayed to strengthen plants (magnesium)
Rusty nails in watering can (iron)
Keep garden tools handle up in a bucket of sand (prevents rust)

You know. Secrets. List them if you can. This is for a website design project for school, so feel free to get creative or silly with your answers.

use newspaper

Guess thats what i should have asked the first time.

? Every yime you plant a plant in the ground bury a fish with it.

Hiya so i moved and i now have my own back garden (yay!) but i don’t have a clue how to garden! Any tips?? What sort of stuff would i need to do it? Thanks
Just basic starter tips

This question is far 2 big and varied to know where to start. If you can tell us what you want to do first of all then maybe some of us can help you.

More tips for the aspiring gardener brought to you by Simply Media.

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Winter is just around the corner. Short days and long nights mean temperatures, especially in our valleys, can dip below freezing. Take the necessary steps to protect plants from frost.

Keep Soil Moist: If you hear of a frost warning in your area, water your garden thoroughly before evening. The moisture from the soil will evaporate and warm the air around your plants.

Cover  Your Garden: Plants heat up during the day. Trap this heat by covering plants with light materials such as paper, cloth or tarps prior to dusk. Stake up the frost shield if you are protecting delicate flowers and are worried the plants may be damaged by the weight of the covering. If not, drape the protection directly over the plants. Be sure to remove the covering the following morning to prevent plants from overheating during the day.

Protect Your Potted Plants: Potted plants do not have as deep a root system as plants in the garden. This means they are more susceptible to serious frost damage. Consider moving potted plants indoors or under patio covers on cloudless, cold evenings.

Keep Pesky Weeds From Overrunning Winter Gardens:  Often, the first heavy winter rain will cause dormant weeds to grow. To help control weeds during winter months, turn over soil after each rain and cover the area with a layer of mulch. Just as in the year’s growing months, an inch or two of mulch will prevent weeds from sprouting.

Select a Living Christmas Tree That’s Right for Your Yard: Purchasing a living Christmas tree to plant after the holidays can be a wonderful tradition. Select a tree that fits your yard. Popular living Christmas trees are Norway Spruce, Alberta Spruce, Noble Fir and Scotch Pine. Decide on a location in your yard for the tree and then visit your local nursery to select the best Christmas tree for the site. Since the small Christmas tree you purchase for the holidays can grow considerably once planted, take into consideration tree and root growth and proximity to your home.

Bill Camarillo
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/december-gardening-tips-for-southern-california-675870.html

Lots of people are concerned a lot while it comes to caring for their plants. When talking regarding house plants, there is no requiring worrying. There are just a few things you require to think about.

1. Watering Overwatering kills nearly all houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to observe if your soil is dry sufficient to water, try the finger test. Put in your index finger up to the primary joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, do not water it.

2. Feeding Foliage plants more frequently than not have high nitrogen wants, while flowering plant, K2O is wanted. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed with the compost. Though, certain plants similar to cacti and orchids require particular fertilizer. Feed plants through their most active growth era.

3. Lighting Plants similar to Sanseveria and Aspidistra need no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants require semi-shade. You can put plants similar to these close to a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to observe what your plant requirements.

4. Temperature Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good quality for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm circumstances, do not put it close to an air conditioner in the summer.

5. Humidity some houseplants need a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants jointly frequently creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you desire, you can spray them with water once or two times a day depending on the temperature.

6. Re-potting some plants need re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small sufficient that they do not need re-potting. One way to check if your plant wants re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and make sure its roots. If roots are all you observe, then re-pot. From time to time the roots will come out of the pot. You should also cut them off or re-pot the plant.

You just require having a little care for your plants and in turn, you will reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your decoration, but also provide much pleasure to the inside gardener.

getallabout
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/troublefree-tips-on-gardening-718063.html