If you know anything about gardener’s
you know that they cannot
keep a secret, gardening secrets that
is.
They love to pass along their
knowledge or some new tip they
have heard of.
Red Bluff Garden
Club members are always seeking
out new ideas to try out and then are
happy to share that information
with others.
The following is an assortment
of helpful tips and gardening information
collected over the years, and
yes, most from other gardeners.
Hot weather is upon us and these
are ways to save water in your garden.
Set you automatic sprinklers to
run in the early morning and finish
before 8 am, this will reduce evaporation.
You will also find that plant
disease and water damage are
reduced.
Observe your sprinklers as they
run. Adjust them as necessary to
reduce overspray on sidewalks,
roads and patios, etc. Repair damaged
sprinklers immediately. Quick
repairs and adjustments can save as
much as 500 gallons each year.
Minimize water loss in pots by
using water-retentive potting soils
in all container gardens.
Add soil
polymers to your potting soil at
planting time. Polymers store water
for plants’ use as the soil dries.
When is the “right time” to
divide plants? The general rule is
that you divide plants in the opposite
season of their bloom, in other
words, divide summer or fall
bloomers in the spring and spring
bloomers in early fall.
Birdbaths
filled with slimy green
algae?
To keep algae down in your
birdbath spread pennies over the
bottom, I have tried this and it works
well.
Another trick is to fill your
birdbath with fresh water and place
six to eight stems of lavender flowers
bound together with a daylily
leaf and lay the bundle in the water.
(My grandmother used this trick).
One bundle of lavender will keep
the water algae-free for two or three
weeks.
During really hot weather
change more frequently.
Disinfecting your pruners
between cuts is an important way to
keep your plants healthy and disease-
free.
When using your pruning
tools to cut diseased stems or
branches, disinfect them after each
pruning session with a solution of
three parts rubbing alcohol and one
part water.
Keep the mixture in a
clearly labeled spray bottle, soak
cutting surfaces with it and then
wipe the pruners dry with a cloth to
prevent rust.
When deadheading or
pruning your rose bushes use a
Clorox disinfectant wipe to clean
the blades of your clippers after
each rosebush.
Did you know that bananas are
good for your roses?
Forget expensive
fertilizers for your garden.
Old
banana peels work just as well for
growing fabulous flowers and
yummy veggies.
That is because
they are rich in potassium and phosphorus.
Banana peels are especially
helpful for roses.
Save them until
they are crisp and crumbly, cut
them into small pieces, and bury
them a few inches in the soil around
your rosebush.
—–
The Red Bluff Garden Club is
affiliated with Cascade District
Garden Club; California Garden
Clubs Inc.; Pacific Region Garden
Clubs and National Garden Clubs,
Inc.
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