Winter is the perfect time to re-evaluate your gardening. When spring comes, none of us want to waste time and energy. Here are some simple tips that can make gardening easier.
Seed tapes are a great way to grow vegetables and flowers, especially small seeds like carrots. The seeds are properly placed in the band, so just spread it around the garden and cover it. However, seed chips are expensive and often only available in a limited selection. So do it yourself. Start with the seeds of your choice, a roll of toilet paper, some flour and glue. Distribute the length of the TP to suit your garden. You can fold the strip and cut it in half to make a narrower strip. To make dough, mix 1/2 cup of flour with a pinch of salt and 1/3 cup of water. Apply the paste in the middle of the strip. Place the seeds on the glue at the recommended distance and let everything dry for a few hours. Wrap the tape and label and in spring it can be planted.
Do you have an ant problem in your garden? Buy the cheapest bottle of cinnamon from a discount store and shake it generously to keep the ants out of the way. They hate it and leave the site immediately. This is an old beekeeping trick that I use in my hives. They got scared and ran away with their larvae and eggs.
Are you suffering from the problem of soil leaking out of the bottom of small pots? Before planting, place a coffee filter in the bottom of the pot and fill it with your favorite soil. A coffee filter over the drain hole ensures that excess water can drain away easily but keeps dirt particles in place. In the fall, filters and soil can be easily composted.
When growing potatoes, planting can be a lot of work. Instead, create a mound of soil about 10 inches high where you want to plant the potatoes. Moisten the soil with an ordinary hose until the water reaches the depth. Slice the potatoes, then place them evenly spaced and about 6 inches deep in the bottom third of each side of the mound. The potatoes will be out in a few weeks and the pile has plenty of room for the tubers to grow. This method produced about 200 pounds of potatoes from a 20-foot row last summer.
If a weed has overgrown your perennials, you can easily get rid of it without having to dig up the bed by spraying it on a cotton mitt. Mix a small amount of your favorite pesticide and wear rubber or surgical gloves. Place a cotton glove over the base glove and dip it into the pesticide mixture. Squeeze it to keep it from running and gently wipe away the blades of grass.
