Helpful Gardening Tips for Everyday Gardeners...get rid of wasps, slugs and a great fungicide recipe

Gather Some Helpful Gardening Tips...

Check back often as I am always adding new tips!

Keep the flower or plant ID tags. Wash off and keep in a file box or photo album for future reference





Make a short video of your garden. Most digital cameras can now record in at least five minute intervals





Make a photo album of your garden. Take pictures either very early in the morning (6:00am), on a cloudy day or after it rains





Draw out and label your planted garden on paper. Trust me, unless you have tagged each plant, you won't remember what you planted where





Always consider if the plants you want to grow spread vigorously. Read the tag carefully or research growing patterns





When planting consider the wind sweeps through your garden, especially narrow side gardens. Winds can damage young shrubs or young plantings





When planting know whether the plants require dividing often or conversely do not like being divided or moved such as the Butterfly Bush





By the same token, if the plants are blooming and doing well, why divide and cause extra work?





If you are transplanting, do so on a cloudly or in light rain. Less shock for the plant





In the spring, fertilize when soil warms up (50 degrees F or 10 degrees C) otherwise the plants and soil will not react with the fertilizer





Sprinkle slow-release fertilizer on a rainy day (gentle rain, not a down pour). Mixes better into the soil than applying when the soil is too dry





When planting, consider mature height, plant fullness and balance





Don't over fertilize your roses, especially with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer (chemical symbol N). This signals the plant to produce more foliage than blooms





Feed your roses banana skins. High in calcium, magnesium, sulphur and phosphates. Work into the soil at the base





Keep your plants accessible. Use stepping stones or apply a ground mulch





Mix up the angles in your landscape design. Use circles, ovals gardens, curved pathways





The same goes for your front garden. Don't line up your shrubs against the house. Design so that your flowerbeds are drawn out from the house in curves. Plant in layers.





Use low voltage lighting to highlight features in your garden or to draw the eye to the end of your property





Not enough room? Try window boxes, trellis planting or tuck an art object into a shady unused corner space





Pick your herbs on dry days only, late in the morning after the dew has evaporated but certainly before the heat of the day





Use good quality landscape fabric (or wet sheets of newspaper) in between plants. Keeps the weeds down. Then cover with soil or mulch





Use disposable gloves. You can buy them by the case. Can be found in the cleaning aisle of many department stores. If not, try a medical supply store for surgical gloves





Purchase a child's size metal rake (if you can find one). The best garden tool by far. The rake tongs are flexible metal and just the right size to get in between plants and under shrubs





It's always great to purchase your plants from a garden center that will recycle the old pots





Re-use that gallon ice-cream pail for deadheading your plants. I find that the pail is the perfect size to move around the garden with me instead of a huge bucket.





Add pickle juice to your compost. Helps increase the acidic value

More Gardening tips: for misbehaved plants...

Instead of throwing out 'badly behaved' plants like Dead Nettle Herman's Pride or Lady's Mantle, find a spot for them in the very back of your yard and dig them in. I already have a spot in mind for this year's crop. Or better yet, give some away to friends and neighbors. Remember the old saying, 'one person's trash is another person's treasure' so don't throw them out.

More Gardening Tips: Get rid of slugs tip...

Yes, we have all heard of the beer in a saucer, or the half grapefruit placed upside down, but have you heard of using vinegar? Try a 50-50 solution of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. The slimly pests disintegrate within a few minutes and you haven't hurt your plants. How's that for a great tip? Or if you are not grossed out, pick them off by hand as I do...

More Gardening Tips: A great fertilizing tip...

If you are using a granular product: When fertilizing your shrubs and trees, try making a 12 inch hole in the soil with a one-inch wide broom handle along your tree or shrub's drip line. Evenly add the recommended amount of fertilizer to each hole and then cover the soil. This lets the fertilizer slowly seep into the ground with each watering and rain.

More Gardening Tips: Garden Recipes for Wasps and Slugs

For wasps:

If wasps are bothersome, here's a great recipe...

Mix the ingredients together and pour into a wasp jar or any other heavy flat bottom container. This recipe really does attract the little 'stingers'.

Basic Fungicide Recipe

Mix the baking soda and water together first. Then add the dish soap and stir. Pour into a clean spray bottle. Spray the plants and soil. Leave on the plants 3-5 days. Do not spray plant leaves in direct sunlight.

Coming soon...be on the look-out for new, great spring gardening designs and gardening ideas...

Well...no gardening happening in Winnipeg, Manitoba ...however I managed to capture a great image.

This image was taken on October 8, 2009. Winnipeg received a 'freak' snowfall. Thank goodness my camera was close at hand and I was able to grab the winter wonderland image before it all melted.

Related Information:

Please visit Hydroponics At Home for homemade hydroponic system design and general information.

View My Annuals from the 2008 Makeover Season

View My Perennials from the 2008 Makeover Season

Check out My Annuals for 2009 Makeover Season

View My Perennials from the 2009 Makeover Season

Check out My Garden Shrubs

Or just go to my Site Index page for a complete index list of plants.

Check out my Site Index

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Additional Related Information:

Visit Avant Gardening for creative organic gardening information.

Please visit My Gardening Resources and Products Page for additional gardening links.

Natural or Synthetic Fertilizers Page
Sun Loving Annuals and Perennials Page
Shade Loving Annuals and Perennials Page
Plant Selection Page
MYKE's Growth Supplement Page

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