Click On/Off Gardening Tips and info from Others Some old timer lore and info sent to me by B.J. Sparling: Was back to visit, checked the gardening info. Come from farm family, northeastern Washington. The short growing season has made necessity of many short cuts. One my Grandfather taught me was to take old window frame put hinges on it and put next to house. Early radish, lettuce, etc. Even could put heat tape in ground. Some of the old tricks were something. Iron for green beans were made by putting nails in can of water then pouring it on to the plants. Rabbit droppings were also considered a great find. A real hot manure but great for composting. Thanks for the info B.J. Helpful garden hints sent to me by The Raven THE EASIEST WAY TO SOFTEN CLAY SOIL! Also gives a boost to potato production! Just sprinkle pelleted gypsum (available at garden centers and nurseries) on your garden and reap the back-saving, spud-boosting benefits! Pelleted gypsum dissolves into a fine powder as it gets wet, so it goes to work quickly. QUICK-FIX MIX! Keeps moles out of your flower and garden beds! Works against rabbits, voles and skunks too! 1 Tablespoon castor oil 2 Tablespoons liquid dishwashing liquid 6 Tablespoons of water Mix oil and soap in blender until mix has consistency of shaving cream. Add water and blend again. Use two tablespoons in a watering can (2 1/2 gallon size). Stir and pour over mole-infested yard and garden areas. Reapply after a rain. HOT PEPPER SPRAY! Save money by making your own pest-repellent spray. Its EASY! 1/2 cup hot peppers 2 cups water Blend the peppers and water in a food processor. Strain the mix and spray on insect prone plants. Wear goggles and gloves for eye and skin protection. KITCHEN COMPOSTING WITHOUT THE SMELLY MESS! Save those frequent trips to the compost pile. Try John Schumacher's newspaper secret for kitchen compost in a five-gallon bucket! Adding layers of carbon-rich newspaper cuts food scrap odor and turns scraps into compost faster and with less smell and mess too. "NAIL" YOUR CUTWORM PROBLEMS COLD! The best thing I have found for thwarting cutworm problems is a 10-penny finishing nail. Simply place it in the ground alongside the plant so that 1 1/2 inches of the nail sticks out of the soil. The added with from the nail interferes when the cutworm tries to curl around the stem to feed. Later, when the plant grows, you can pick up the nails and reuse them. Amazingly effective!! Honest!! EASY SPRAY ZAPS SLUGS! Its organic, clean, quick, and cheap. Just fill a spray bottle with a solution of one part non sudsing ammonia and two parts water and spray liberally. AUTOMATIC MULCHING - LET THE BIRDS DO IT Try this easy mulching tip. Hang a couple of bird feeders in your fruit trees and fill them with sunflower seeds. Hulls and uneaten seeds will fall to the ground effectively mulching the trees. This "no work" trick also saves on watering, keeps weeds down, and creates a haven for beneficial earthworms under your trees. Hope these hints help!!! LINKS TO MY OTHER PAGES Cheetah's Home Page If you have any comments, questions or any info you would like to share email me. My Email address is:cheetah@evansville.net Thanks for visiting!! You are the Wonderful Visitor to Cheetah's Site. To get Your Free Geocities Home Page. Created by Cheetah Credits for any Graphic, Midi, or Service used can be found on my Home Page Making Page