Gardening Tips

Fertilizing your garden

How to Make Your Own Compost

Insects in the garden

Keep Your Houseplants Healthy

Getting started in the business of organic gardening

How to Grow Beautiful Healthy Roses

FERTILIZING YOUR GARDEN

"The Master's" All Purpose Fertilizer

1 can of beer
1 can of cola (any kind, NOT diet)
1 box or cup of apple juice
1 cup lemon scented liquid soap
1 cup ammonia
1 cup liquid lawn fertilizer

Mix together all ingredients. If you buy liquid lawn fertilizer with a hose sprayer attachment, you can use the attachment with any 1 liter bottle to make a 50 gallon sprayer. Spray your lawn and garden with the above mixture every 3 weeks, early in the day.

For houseplants, mix 4 shot glasses of the above mixture to 1 gallon of water and add 1/4 tsp knox gelatin.

Non-Flowering Houseplant Fertilizer:

Add 5 tbsp black coffee for acid loving plants

Water your plants with this mixture once a month.

Spring Lawn Feeding:

1 cup Epsom salts

1 cup ammonia

To use with a hose sprayer, mix with enough water to equal 1 quart total volume and pour into the sprayer container. Fertilizes 2,500 square feet of lawn.

Fall Lawn Feeding:

2 cups Epsom salts

3 tbsp baking powder

To use with a hose sprayer, mix with enough water to equal 1 quart total volume and pour into the sprayer container. Fertilizes 1,500 square feet of lawn.

Fertilizer for azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and hollies:

4 cups coffee grounds

1 cup bonemeal

1 cup wood ash

Mix well. Scatter evenly over ground shaded by the plant. Use 1 pound of fertilizer for each 1 foot of the diameter.

Garden vegetable and flower fertilizer:

1 part dried poultry manure or 5 parts dried horse manure
1 part bonemeal
1 part wood ash

Mix well and spread over garden soil before planting.

How to Make Your Own Compost
Compost is the richest fertilizer you can use. And you can make it yourself with a little effort. Compost consists of decaying organic material. Things like leaves, grass, decomposable kitchen scraps, even hair clippings can be used to make compost. These materials are layered in a container (or pile) with soil and manure or a high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Start with a layer of dry "brown" materials, like wood chips, dried leaves, sawdust, or straw.
Add a layer of moist "green" materials, such as grass cuttings, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, dead flowers, or prunings from your garden.
Keep adding layers, alternating quot;green" & "brown" materials with a layer of soil and manure.
The mixture should be kept warm and wet (water with a hose once a week to keep entire mixture moist), and aerated (it's got to breathe!). It will need to be turned, or mixed, every week or so.
Add chicken manure or bone meal (for nitrogen) if your compost isn't decaying.
After 2-3 months, the compost will be ready to use in your garden! Your compost is ready when it is dark and crumbly and looks like soil.
Things To Use:
Mix compost into soil around existing plants once or twice a year. Prepare new planting areas by working liberally into soil. Spread around the base of shrubs and flowers as mulch.
Although compost can be made in an open pile, you'll get faster results if you use a bin. A small Kitchen Compost Carrier can hang on the cupboard door or even sit on your kitchen counter.
Larger bins for your yard are available for purchase everywhere now, but if you want to try making your own, see Making Your Own Compost Bin.
Things NOT to use: ashes from the barbeque, animal by-products (meat scraps, grease, bones), milk or dairy products, dog or cat droppings, cardboard, diseased plants.

INSECTS IN THE GARDEN

APHIDS:
To keep aphids and other pests off your roses: Finely chop

1 onion
2 medium cloves of garlic

Put ingredients into a blender with 2 cups of water and blend on high. Strain out pulp. Pour liquid into spray bottle. Spray a fine mist on rose bushes, making sure to coat both tops and bottoms of leaves.

ALUMINUM FOIL "FOILS" APHIDS

Use an aluminum foil much around the base of plants such as tomatoes. The reflection confuses the insects and drives them away.

SPIDER MITES:
Combine 1/2 cup buttermilk, 4 cups wheat flour and 5 gallons water. Suffocates spider mites and other mites.

MEALYBUGS:
Apply rubbing alcohol to insect clusters with cotton swab. Wash with insecticidal soap and rinse. Isolate infected plant if possible.

CABBAGE WORMS:
Sprinkle flour on developing cabbage heads. The flour swells up inside the worms and bursts their intestines.

SLUGS:

Sprinkle salt directly onto slug. They shrivel up and die.
Place shallow bowl of beer on the ground near slug trails and leave overnight.
Copper wire? That's what Martha Stewart says. Coil a piece of wire around the base of your plants to give slugs a shocking experience. They won't come back.

GENERAL INSECT REPELLENT:

To help protect flowers, vegetables and shrubs from insects attacks.

Recipe 1:

1/2 cup dead insects

2 cups water

When insects infest flowers, vegetables or shrubs, identify and gather the pests. Collect at least 1/2 cupful. Place in an old blender with the water. Blend on high, and then strain out the pulp using a cheesecloth or fine sieve. Dilute at a rate of 1/4 cup to 1 cup of water. Pour liquid into a spray bottle and apply to plants. Will keep up to a year, stored in a tightly sealed container.

Recipe 2:

3 hot green peppers (canned or fresh)
2 or 3 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp liquid soap
3 cups water

Puree the peppers and garlic cloves in a blender. Pour into a spray bottle and add the liquid soap and water. Let stand 24 hours. Strain out pulp and spray onto infested plants, making sure to coat both tops and bottoms of leaves.

CAUTION: Always test any new insecticide on a few small leaves before starting a full-scale application.

Keep Your Houseplants Healthy

Below are the most common houseplant problems and suggested treatments. In some cases where disease or insect infestation is severe, plants may need to be isolated, or even destroyed, especially in the case of bacteria or viruses that might endanger your other houseplants. It's best to keep constant watch on your plants to try to catch early infestation or disease. (And, they do better with constant attention. :)) If you get a houseplant as a gift from a friend, put it in an isolated spot for a while and make sure it doesn't carry any disease before you incorporate it into your household greenery.

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION/
SYMPTOM SUGGESTED TREATMENT

BROWN LEAVES Leaves develop brown tips and margins. Plant growth may be checked. May be caused by buildup of mold or salt, dry soil, or low humidity. Leach salt from soil by running water through pot. Increase humidity by placing pebbles or marbles and water in a tray under the plant.

YELLOW LEAVES Old leaves turn yellow, brown-spotted, dry or curl and drop. Leaves yellow but remain firm. Caused by overwatering, poor drainage, excessive light, or too much lime in soil or tapwater used to water plants. Limit light source and aerate soil (gently poke small holes down into soil), water less frequently. Remove damaged parts of plant. Use filtered water when watering and replant using acidic potting mix.

LEAVES DROPPING Yellow and dropping leaves and buds at various levels on plants. Can be caused by either over or under watering, shock due to sudden change of light or temperature, mealy bugs, spider mites or scale insects. Change your watering procedure. Remove plant from drafts, and provide better lighting. If this doesn't work, see Formulas for Insects in the Garden for remedies for insect damage.

LEAF SPOTTING Leaves have water-soaked spots with yellow margins. Entire leaf wilts and stem rots. Possibly caused by bacteria leaf spot, cirus, edema or dropsy. Improve light conditions, reduce humidity. Do not overwater. Pick off and destroy infected leaves.

LEGGY GROWTH Small leaves and elongated stems. Plant grows lopsided. Caused by incorrect light, humidity too low, temperature too high. Move plant to a better light source. Increase humidity (place marbles or pebbles in water in a tray underneath the plant) and lower the temperature.

STUNTED OR WEAK GROWTH Leaves are light green or yellow, crinkled, mottled, deformed or undersized. Can be caused by underwatering, poor drainage, excess warmth and/or light, lack of fertilizer, and low humidity. Move plant to a cooler, less lighted location. Fertilize, and increase humidity. Aerate existing soil or replant using more porous soil.

ROTTING Leaves or stems turn mushy brown or black. Plant wilts, dies or rots. May be caused by soil borne bacteria or fungus disease. Remove infected parts of plant. Treat soil with fungicide and/or systemic pesticide, avoid overwatering.

WILTING Plant produces small leaves and wilts often. Possible causes: pot too small, air too hot or dry, over or underwatering, root rot. Check drainage and change watering schedule. If soil is dry, add moisture and spray leaves frequently. Repot if necessary.

GETTING STARTED IN THE BUSINESS OF ORGANIC GARDENING

1993 by Home Business Publications

Organic gardening is growing and marketing health foods that have not been treated with commercial chemicals. Only natural fertilizers and pest repellents are used to qualify for the higher, health food prices.

The primary equipment for health food growing is to not use the chemical fertilizers or toxic pesticides.

Natural and organically grown foods command higher prices because they cannot easily be mass-produced and generally require more TLC.

Not only are natural foods more expensive, they are mandatory for people who cannot tolerate many of the chemicals commonly used by the majority of growers today. There are also many people today who feel very strongly about chemicals and are willing to pay extra for all natural products.

The organic grower screens pests from the garden, uses insect repelling plants (like marigolds) and natural enemy insects (praying mantis, ladbugs) and natural, non-toxic pesticides to reduce crop damage.

Some organic growers confine their operation to green houses or shade houses, where control is easier.

Natural foods include fresh fruit and vegetables, dried, frozen or canned foods, as well as seeds, powders and juices.

They can be sold through health stores, directly from your garden roadside stands, or to markets in the area. It is also important to note that processed natural foods are equally as much in demand.

When advertising your organically grown produce, be sure to emphasize the "all natural" aspects, which is one of your best selling points.

Setting up to grow health foods is very much like readying a normal garden, except that you take special care to avoid the use of "forbidden" chemicals.

Fertilizers are restricted to barnyard products and natural plant left-overs which can be combined into an excellent (and low cost) garden fertilizer.

In the natural food garden business, you will soon develop a routine to make your own compost almost exclusively from waste products -- plant trimmings, fruit hulls. All plant parts that are not otherwise used ( or diseased) are recycled into compost, along with other materials that you have on hand or can buy inexpensively.

The degree of isolation needed for an organic garden depends on its location. If you live in a hot area, consider a shade cloth enclosure to screen insects as well as the direct rays of a hot sun.

Greenhouse enclosures are often used in the more temperate areas where frost is a consideration.

If your garden is in a relatively insect free and not down wind from fields that are sprayed with commercial chemicals, you may need no special considerations other than some of the accepted insect deterring techniques.

Perhaps the most needed assistance for your organic garden will be compost, which is sometimes called (ironically) artificial fertilizer.

The purpose is to fertilize and simultaneously, add humus (decayed animal and plant matter) to your growing medium. Depending on the needs of your soil, it may be necessary to add specifics to attain the desired composition.

If you cannot test it yourself, take several small samples from different locations in your garden and have them analyzed.

State universities and some large (especially, chain) nurseries will often provide this service at little or no charge. Call your county agriculture agent to find other sources of soil analysis (and remedial actions that may be unique to your area).

In a commercial operation, you will undoubtedly want to generate at least some of your own compost. You should have at least two compost piles so you can be using one while the other is "working."

One way to build an inexpensive compost box is to make an enclosure of wood and chicken wire, some 3 feet wide, 15 feet long and perhaps 4 feet high.

Use metal or treated for the four corners and re-enforcing posts every 3 -4 feet on the sides. There should be no bottom (just bare soil).

Add the compost materials: dry leaves, grass clippings, cotton hulls, straw, fruit peelings, sawdust, vegetables, and manure (clean sacked is fine) in one foot layers.

Kitchen scraps are usually avoided because they give off odors and attract flies, as are any diseased plant parts. Mix in a shovel full of regular garden soil here and there, along with some hybrid earthworms if available.

Between layers, sprinkle well with some 8-8-8 or 5-10-5 commercial fertilizer (about a pound per square foot of compost surface).

This small amount of commercial chemical doesn't count as a directly applied chemical. It acts as a catalyst to speed the decomposing action.

Keep the compost pile moist and use a fork to turn and stir the material every few days to help foster decomposition. Add more clippings as the pile shrinks (decomposes).

When re-starting a compost pile always leave a couple inches of the old compost on the ground to acts as "starter". Depending on the weather and how well you take care of your compost pile, it should be "ready" in 6 to 8 weeks. Of course, if you heavier products, such as wood that has gone through a compost machine, it will take a little longer.

Tip: If you can't afford a compost machine, put leaves and other small clippings into a clean metal garbage can and insert your weed-eater. This won't work with larger pieces, but does fine with the light material.

Another idea is to mount a barrel so it can be turned daily. Have one made with a door and good latch so it can be turned without its contents falling out. The barrel can either be mounted on rollers or have axles welded on each end and fit into receptacles on a sturdy stand.

Organic gardeners learn which insects and garden denizens are helpers and which are "bad news". Some may look bad but do a lot of good.

Examples are garden snakes that eat mice and insects, spiders that eat insects, wasps that each roach eggs and lay their eggs in insects, dragon flies, and ground beetles and caterpillars.

Other beneficial creatures may be more easily recognized: praying mantis (insects and aphids), lady-bugs (aphids, scales, spider mites), bees (pollination), lizards (large quantities of insects), frogs, toads (ditto), pirate bugs (mites, eggs and larvae of other insects), birds (worms, bugs), dragonflies (flies, mosquitoes, etc.).

There are also "organic" pesticides that are used, but one must be very careful not to step over the line to toxic chemicals and lose their "organically grown" label!

As you learn more and more about organic gardening, you will discover many other tricks that work in your area. Some are iron-clad rules; others may be debatable, but in the final analysis, what works for you is best for you! Some organic gardeners NEVER plant anything in the same row twice -- to reduce the possibility of pests and disease.

For example: Tomatoes are especially sensitive to nematodes (root insects) as well as tomato worms. A crop of tomatoes may be followed by onions of cereal (not regular winter) rye for a winter green fertilizer (turned) under in the spring).

The latter is reputed to kill nematodes which become tangled in the thick rye roots. Many organic gardeners routinely place marigolds and other insect repelling plants between rows and/or 5 castor beans to help repel flies and moles.

By subscribing to a good organic gardening magazine, and trial and error in your particular locale, you will soon become an expert for the products you raise.

BUSINESS SOURCES

NATIONAL AGRICULTURE LIBRARY, 10301, Baltimore Blvd.,Beltsville, MD 20705. Offers free list of over 200 sources of information on organic gardening and farming.

ORGANIC GARDENING, 33 E Minor St.,Emmas, PA 18049. Magazine for organic gardeners (both amateur and professional).

GROWER TALK, Box 501, Chicago, Il 60185. Trade magazine for greenhouse growers.

NICHOLS GARDEN NURSERY, 1190 North Pacific Highway, Albany, OR 97321. 503-928-9280. Specializes in herbs and rare seeds; offers supplies, instructions, ore and advice. Good selection of organic pest controls.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, PUBLICATION CENTER, OPGA, Washington, DC 20250. Write for a listing of available organic gardening pamphlets.

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.,31 East 2nd St.,Mineola, NY 11501. Discount books, clip art, stencils, etc.

QUILL CORPORATION, 100 Schelter Rd.,Lincolnshire, IL 60917-4700, 312/634-6380.

NEBS, 500 Main St.,Groton, MA 04171, 800/225-6380. Office supplies.

IVEY PRINTING, Box 761, Meridan, TX 76665. Letterhead and envelopes. Write for price list.

SWEDCO, Box 29, Mooresville, NC 28115. 3 line rubber stamps - $3; business cards - $13 per thousand.

ZPS, Box 581, Libertyville, IL 60048-2556. Business cards and letterhead stationery. Will print your copy ready logo or design, even whole card. Write for catalog.

WALTER DRAKE, 4199 Drake Bldg.,Colorado Springs, CO 80940. Short run business cards, stationery, etc. Good quality, but no choice of ink or color.

How to Grow Beautiful Healthy Roses

Roses are my favorite flower. Not only do they look beautiful in a vase with some greenery, but they're perfect for drying and using in a dried flower arrangement or potpourri. And since roses come in such a wide variety of colors and types, you can find a rose bush to fit virtually any landscaping need. And you don't need to be an expert gardner to grow beautiful roses. They're a fairly hardy plant, but the following tips can help you make sure your roses grow lush and healthy.

Types of Roses ...

When planting roses, you'll need to consider the space you want the rose bush to fill, as well as the climate you're in. Some roses are hardier than others. Below are some common rose types to choose from:

Hybrid Teas: These combine the ever-blooming quality of old tea roses with the hardiness of hybrid perpetuals. They come in a wide color range, have large, fragrant flowers, and will survive temperatures as low as 10-20° with winter protection.

Floribundas: These usually require less care than hybrid teas. Large clusters of flowers from June to frost. Best for mass plantings and landscaping. Will survive temperatures as low as 20-30°.

Grandifloras: Because of their robust growth, healthy foliage, and profuse bloomage, these are excellent roses for beginners and can survive temperatures as low as 10-20°.

Hybrid perpetuals: Rose collectors prize these roses. They bloom mainly in the spring and are very hardy in the winter.

Polyanthas: These average 18 inches in height. They produce small flowers in large clusters and work well in mass plantings and borders. Very hardy.

Climbers and Ramblers: Some shrub type roses can be trained as climbers, and you can find hybrid tea, floribunda and polyantha climbers. Generally a climbing rose will produce relatively little growth from the base of the plant. They need good circulation and, of course, good support.

Creepers: These provide cover for banks and walls. Most varieties are quite hardy, but the flowers aren't as pretty as some other roses.

Miniatures: These carry one-inch blooms and reach only 6-12". Good for rock gardens, borders, edgings and containers.

Planting Tips ...

When to Plant: Generally if your winter temperatures stay above 10°, plant any time of the cool season when plants are dormant (no growth is visible on the canes). If your winter temperatures stay above -10°, plant mid to late fall, or early spring. If your winter temperatures regularly go below -10°, wait until spring to plant. Plant just as soon as the ground thaws.
Where to Plant: Roses like at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. If you have to choose between morning or afternoon sun, morning is best. Dewy leaves will dry sooner, cutting down on the possibility of some diseases. Most shrubs require plenty of space - plant 2-2 1/2 feet apart. Climbers may require up to 6 feet spacing.
Prepare the Soil: If your soil is good enough to grow grass, shrubs and flowers, it will probably grow roses. But you may want to add organic matter such as peat moss, compost, or decomposed manure. (Try this: Save old hair from your hair brushes and combs. Spread a handful of old hair in the bottom of the hole, then cover with organic material.) Fertilize entire bed at a rate of 3-5 lbs per 100 square feet. Use a plant food containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potash in a ration of 1-2-1.
Planting: Keep roots moist until you're ready to plant. The hole should be deep and wide enough not to cramp roots. Trim away dead or broken root tips, then spread roots over low mound in hole. Adjust depth so that the graft "knob" is one inch below surface in the North, or one inch above in the South. Firm soil over roots to within 3 inches of ground level. Fill hole with water and let it soak in. Refill, then add soil to proper depth. Prune tops back to six inches using slanting cuts 1/4" above strong outside buds. Treat stub tips with wound compound. Mound soil over stubs and leave it all winter if you plant in fall. Hose mound away in spring when new shoots are 1/2" long. Spring planting may require mounding too, especially in lower temperatures.

Caring for your roses ...

Fertilize: During the growing season, fertilize twice - once after spring growth starts and again in midsummer.
Winter Protection: During the winter, protect your roses with an 8-12 inch mound of soil or mulch. Fabric or plastic can also be used to surround the base of plant.
Pruning: Avoid pruning roses in freezing weather. Wait until mid to late spring, when new growth appears. First, cut back all winter-killed dead-wood to live, green stems. Then, choose an outward-facing bud and cut at a 45 degree angle about 1/4 inch above the bud.
Thinning: Keep your rosebushes healthy by thinning out straggly, overly long shoots. Cut away any dead or diseased stems and remove faded blooms (deadheads) to encourage new growth.
When Cutting Flowers: Leave two healthy five-leaflet leaves on remaining stem to help the plant maintain its vigor.

Propagation ...

You can start a new rose bush by taking cuttings from your favorite bushes. Propagating roses just requires some tender loving care...
First select vigorous new growth canes. Make a slanting cut on stem and leave a bud just above the cut.
Next remove leaves and buds and place the cutting half it's length in water or moist vermiculite. A rooting compound added to the water or vermiculite can speed up root development. Leave in a well-lighted place at a temperature of around 70° for around 4-6 weeks. Keep from direct sunlight by shading with cheesecloth or nursery netting.
Then when roots are developed, plant them carefully in pots containing a mixture of 1/2 sand and 1/2 compost. Bury the pots outdoors in a sheltered spot and water regularly. Wait until plant is growing vigorously before transplanting.