Recently I attended a CEFS workshop presented by David Orr, a professor in the Department of Entomology at N.C. State University. The “Habitat for Multiple Ecological Services” half-day session included presentations from Orr, research updates from two of his graduate students, and a visit to some of the test areas planted for pollinators.

At the workshop, I learned that managing land for agricultural purposes and managing your backyard lawn and garden aren’t as different as you or I once might have thought.

Lurking in the ag-speak at the session were ways to make gardening at home easier and more rewarding for you and your plants.

From monoculture to wild culture

A farm field planted entirely with one crop – corn, for instance – and a home landscape planted mostly with one plant – say, turfgrass – are, essentially, the same thing. Corn is a grass (a large grass), for one thing. But what makes these two landscapes similar is that they are monocultures – pieces of land planted entirely with one type of plant.

It takes a tremendous amount of resources to maintain a monoculture. Think about your lawn maintenance: mowing, watering, fertilizing, weed control, pest control. The list goes on. The same is true of farm fields. The reason? There’s no biological diversity in a monoculture. In the wild, nature’s “garden,” there’s a system of checks and balances.

Orr showed a slide with research results from scientists studying the “food web” or system of organisms associated with a balsam fir and six caterpillars that live on the fir. There were 120 different organisms interacting with each other in that web. On the white oak, there are 450 leaf-eating insects that live in the tree, and all of the different bacteria, fungi, insects and plants associated with those insects. There are bacteria that feed on the insects and bacteria that feed on the bacteria feeding on the insects. The only way, Orr said, that the whole country isn’t knee-deep in houseflies are the natural biological controls keeping them in check.

Try this at home

It’s impossible to replicate the wild in your backyard. You don’t even want to, really.

A climax community hardwood forest is no place to grow tomatoes. There are tricks to making your yard work less taxing and your garden more productive, though.

The main problem with farm fields and home landscapes is that they aren’t diverse. A vegetable garden with all tomatoes and nothing else is a Mecca for tomato-munching critters. Plant some marigolds or some basil or mountain mint in your vegetable garden and you’re welcoming pollinators (thus increasing your tomato harvest) and providing food and a home for other beneficial insects and organisms.

When adding plants to your garden, it’s important to think about what will lure beneficial insects, not pests. For example, non-native butterfly bushes draw butterflies, but they also draw the moths for squash vine borers, one of the very worst pests for southern vegetable gardeners. Instead plant native butterfly milkweed, lance-leaf coreopsis, mountain mint and partridge pea.

Choose plants that bloom in the spring, summer and fall to keep the good bugs coming year-round. Whenever possible, grow natives, as those are naturally adapted to feed the insects and birds you want in the garden.

Features: 343-2343

A variety of insects may damage or destroy vegetable plants. They may feed on the roots, foliage, stems or fruit. Some may be as small as less than a half inch, making them hard to see.

They include:

Thrips: Thrips feed on vegetable and ornamental plants. They can be a serious problem on tomato plants. Thrips suck the sap from plants causing distorted and discolored flowers or buds and gray or silvery specks on the leaves. If you have thrips in your garden, you may want to remove the infested plant.

White flies: There are several species of white flies. They are all small insects with broad wings covered with fine, snow-white waxy powder. They feed on foliage by sucking juices from the underside of the leaf. They cause the plant to turn yellow.

Squash vine borers: Squash vine borers are thick, white, wrinkled caterpillars with brown heads. They produce yellow sawdust. Infested vines are often completely girdled and usually become rotten and die.

Most of these insects can be controlled by organic pest control or chemical control.

Check with your local nursery or garden center for the best method. But don’t be too quick to pick up chemicals. Some insects may be on your side. They include:

Ladybugs or lady beetles: Adults are oval and most are orange or red with black markings or black with yellow or red markings. They typically feed on aphids, scale insects, mealy bugs, mites and other soft-bodied insects.

Praying mantis: The adults are usually more than 2 inches long and brown or green. They feed on many small insects.

Lacewings: These insects are found mainly in grass, weeds and shrubs. Most are green and about ¾ inches long. They feed primarily on aphids.

Spiders:Most spiders feed on insects that attack plant foliage. Most spiders are brown or black with antenna-like legs. The brown recluse and black widow are poisonous. Most spiders capture their prey in webs, but many of the more beneficial spiders do not spin webs.

E-mail your questions to bleigh1@utk.edu. Include your name and area where you live. For more gardening information, call the Tipton County Extension office at (901) 476- 0231 or the Shelby County Extension office at (901) 752-1207. Booker T. Leigh is the extension director for Tipton County.

In our area the three most common rose diseases are black spot, powdery mildew and rust. The worst of the three is black spot.

The first sign of trouble begins when dark spots appear on leaves. Then the infected leaves turn yellow and begin to fall. The result is an unsightly, weakened plant subject to dieback.

Powdery mildew looks like the leaves are covered with powdered sugar. It’s not overly harmful to the plant, but it looks horrible and can weaken the plant by reducing photosynthesis.

Rust begins with orange or yellow pustules under the leaves. Once infected, the leaves turn an ugly brown before withering and falling off.

When it comes to these diseases, the best offense is a good defense. Replace highly susceptible roses with ones labeled as resistant. Plant your new rose in morning sun where foliage tends to dry sooner, and avoid wetting foliage when watering.

If you can’t bear to part with a favorite rose that is prone to these blights, it may be necessary to apply protective sprays once per week to prevent these diseases from gaining a foothold, particularly in rainy weather.

Neem oil is an environmentally friendly product that is highly effective if applied before the leaves become infected. Store the neem oil somewhere sufficiently warm. When it’s cold, the oil forms a blob that is extremely hard to mix with water in order to spray effectively.

Plant desert candles

to light mixed border

Eremurus, commonly known as foxtail lilies or desert candles, are some of the showiest plants available for the mixed border. They proudly strut their stuff in early summer. These lily relatives feature spectacular towering spikes of intensely colorful blooms.

Depending on the variety, the densely clad flowering spires can reach anywhere from 3 to 8 feet tall, and come in white, pink, orange or yellow.

I have an incredible collection of these winter-hardy beauties. All they require to stay looking great is well-drained soil and a sunny location. By now you’re probably wondering where you can buy one of these magnificent plants.

The bad news is that they rarely show up as potted plants in your local nursery, and when they do, they’re quickly snapped up.

The good news is that they are readily available to purchase as bulbs next spring at the Northwest Flower Garden Show. Try pairing a few tall growing orange and yellow varieties with a dark blue Delphinium.

Private garden tours

What can be more fun than going on a garden tour? Not only will you visit magnificent private gardens rarely open to the public, you’ll also discover new plants and plant combinations. On many tours, you’ll meet the garden owners and learn what inspired them to create their beautiful garden.

A fun one coming up Saturday is the Secret Gardens of Lake Forest Park Garden Tour. The tour includes five private gardens with either an artist or a musician working or performing in each one.

Tickets for the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. garden tour are $15 (or $12 in advance). Information at www.secretgardensoflakeforestpark.com

The event also includes a plant fair held in the Third Place Commons that is free and open to the public. There will also be a master-gardener clinic, and I’ll be broadcasting my radio show from 10 a.m. to noon.

For a complete list of garden tours and information about them, visit the Elizabeth Miller Library website at depts.washington.edu/hortlib/calendar/tours_sales.php. Also keep an eye on my “Garden Events” section that I include here every week.

Ciscoe Morris: ciscoe@ciscoe.com; “Gardening with Ciscoe” airs at 10 a.m. Saturdays on KING-TV.

The Liberty Hill Garden Club put together “Notes for Hill Country Gardeners” which they made a gift to me when I spoke there a couple of years ago.

Here is a short list of Annuals that loves the Summer heat; purslane, petunias, marigolds, cosmos, pentas, copper plant, zinnias, vinca (periwinkle), portulaca (moss rose) and Joseph’s coat.

Perennials that do well in the Summer heat are, cannas, lantana, verbena, plumbago, hibiscus, sage (Salvia), Mexican heather, Mexican firebush, coneflower, and bougainvillea.

I did not give you the rest of the plants suggested as they use way too much water. The little booklet was written way before the awareness of the shortage of our water resources.

Mosquitoes

Boy are the mosquitoes out in force. This is part of being blessed by all that rain we have been enjoying. Now that we have them lets protect ourselves. On page 84 of my book “Gardening in the Texas Hill Country”, I have the solutions. First and the easiest is the white ceramic dish, water and Liquid Lemon Joy mosquito trap. This is really effective; however, please place the dish in an area away from where you are going to be. This solution will attract the mosquitoes to it and you if you sit next to it, so place it in another location some 25 to 50 feet away from the area where you will be. Fill a white ceramic dish with water adding several drops of Lemon Joy dishwashing soap and mix together. Mosquitoes will be attracted to it a drink the mixture whereby they drink and die within fifteen feet of the dish. This solution is not harmful to pets or children. Is that cool or what, now you can enjoy being outside once again.

While walking or gardening in the early morning or evening use a sheet of Bounce with no scent. Place it on your clothing with a pin or clamp. You can also use the sheet in a front pocket of a shirt and leave the majority hanging out to repel those little dive-bombing devils. Did you see the email that said they wished the mosquitoes would suck fat instead of blood?

June Gardening

Wow! It is already Summer and the weather is certainly responding to the call of the season. Bad news is we are beginning our extreme weather. Good news is now we can grow those wonderful mouth watering tomatoes and all those veggies that we miss during other parts of the year. Can you tell I am hungry for the fresh fruit that is available this time of year? The Farmers Markets are the best place to get really fresh peaches and other fruits available this time of year.

Are you mulching your vegetation? Our plants, shrubs and trees need at least 3-4 inches of mulch this time of year. Warning: Don’t allow the mulch to touch the base of the plants as it can cause a disease problem. Mulch not only helps maintain the moisture in the soil but it keeps the plants cooler in this heat and the real heat to come in August. What type of mulch is best? Well that is really a personal preference. I prefer Ashe Juniper (Cedar) for mulch as I have plenty of it, bugs don’t particularly like it, and it stays in place and it gives me an excuse to remove Ashe Juniper from my place.

Watering is so very important this time of year when historically we are short of rainfall. When watering always water below the plant at ground level including veggies and tomatoes. By watering this way you will not interfere with the pollination of the plant by washing away the pollen (blooming and setting of the veggies). Watering time is best early morning or in the evening, never in the heat of the day the same time that the mosquitoes are out so arm yourself.

As our plants enter this stressful time of heat and producing fruit we need to fertilize. We can do that by side dressing the plants with fish emulsion, seaweed extract and our ever-dependable compost tea (liquid humate). Products that promote this are Medina Plus, Lady Bug products all are available at your favorite gardening center if they are not available ask for them.

Pinch back (dead head) blooms: Chrysanthemums, Mexican Marigolds, Geraniums, and the like. This action promotes more blooming and keeps your plants looking pretty for the neighbors to envy.

Start cutting your lawns higher throughout the Summer as it promotes deeper root system for the grass and it will be healthier and use less water. Bermuda grass should be cut around one inch, Buffalo grass two and half inches, St. Augustine three inches and Zoysia approximately one inch. The turf experts recommend these levels of grass heights. Warning: Never cut more than one third of the grass at one time.

Got Weeds?

Do you all have weeds in the driveway or patio? Use a mixture of equal parts vegetable oil and water and spray on the weeds in the hottest part of the day. The heat and the oil will fry the weeds.

If you have tougher weeds then mix a gallon of twenty (20) percent white vinegar with two ounces of orange oil. Warning: This will kill whatever you spray with it. If you don’t like to mix stuff then purchase Gardenville Weed Killer it is basically the same thing. Use it straight from the container.

Any applications for weed spraying is more effective if the weeds are cut first. The weeds absorb more readily.

Till Next Month!

Keep your souls and your soles in your garden!

Remember the True Master Gardener: Jesus said, “I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener.” John 15:1

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I could write a book about the things my husband and I have done wrong since buying a “place in the country” six years ago. We had a blank slate except for one hundred and forty four tall Italian Cypress trees. But, I want to tell you the five most important things we have done right to turn a practically barren landscape into many lush flower gardens.

1 Develop a plan

OK, we never really had an overall plan, but in hindsight I wish we had. I recommend that it be the first thing you do. We just started making one flowerbed at a time without really thinking about water and maintenance for the whole property over the long run and we had to take things out and move them here and there. The plan should indicate areas of shade, sun, and morning sun only, and then appropriate plants selected for those areas. You need a definite plan for irrigation whether drip, overhead or popup sprinkler systems and a timer system to schedule irrigations. Try to avoid dragging hoses and watering manually.

2 Know what your soil is like and amend it if necessary

We knew that our soil was alkaline and compacted. As such it did not sustain earthworms. Therefore, the second most important thing, which we did do, was to incorporate composted steer manure into every new flowerbed we created. This added necessary organic matter and nutrients to aid in plant growth and helped with moisture retention. Then, out of nowhere, earthworms appeared! We knew other beneficial soil creatures were active when we saw the earthworms.

3 Group plants with similar light, water and nutrient requirements

We purchased annuals, perennials, vines, roses, many bushes and small trees with little thought to each of their water requirements. What were we thinking? We had some automatic sprinklers but not nearly enough to water each plant. We are still attempting to get irrigation under control. We have eliminated several “thirsty” plants and replaced them with more drought tolerant, sun loving varieties. We have included many native grasses and ornamentals. We have a lot of garden space so we like that many of our annuals, such as cosmos, sunflowers, daisies, coneflowers and many others, self seed freely every year.

Published on Wednesday 13 June 2012 09:41

Nicolas Warliker offers advice and tips on how to deal with the 10 of the most common pests in your garden.

1) Slugs

The nicest way to control these is to encourage wildlife into the garden; frogs, toads, birds and hedgehogs. More uncommon are caribid beetles; these predators love to eat slugs and their eggs.

A popular method of control is to use slug pellets. Try mini pellets which are shower proof and with added animal repellent are far safer. Scatter the pellets roughly three to four inches apart for even safer application.

2)Aphides/green or black fly

There are more than 240 different types and many can have babies every six hours. A natural method of control is to encourage ladybirds, both the adults and larva. The latter can eat over 400 aphides before fully fed and ready to pupate. Another ‘goodie’ is the lacewing, whose larva are also voracious aphid eaters. Provado Ultimate Bug Killer is both a contact and systemic insecticide, so kills sap sucking insects like aphid from within as well. Avoid using on some food crops so do read the label prior to use. Py Aphid spray is an organic spray so is far safer to use, but kills pests on contact only.

3) Vine weevil

Vine weevil, at the lava stage, inhabit the soil and eat away at a plant’s roots. As adults they disfigure plants by taking horseshoe bites out of their leaves. Best control is Provado Vine Weevil Killer, which is watered into the compost. It also gives control of aphides for about four weeks. Again check to see which plants you should not apply Provado to. An organic alternative is to use Nematodes, which feed on vine weevil larva, these are microscopic bugs.

4)Lily beetle

This can destroy flowers, leaves and stems. For best results, again use the Ultimate Bug Killer (UBK) as soon as you spot the pest. Hand picking is quite effective, but beware of the lava, they have an uncomfortable habit of covering themselves with their own black excrement…rubber gloves needed.

5)Viburnum beetle

This is a fairly new but widespread pest which reduces viburnum leaves to almost lacework. Spray with UBK during the summer.

6)Red lawn ants

Perhaps one of the rather nasty pests since they can give you a nasty bite, unlike the black which do not bite. The nest is easily seen by the appearance of a small deposit of fine soil on the surface. Open the nest by driving a spade down into it and pour a proprietary Ants Nest Destroyer into the nest.

7) Leather jackets

Lava of the crane fly. Chews the roots of the grass with disastrous effect. Effective control is to moisten the area and in the evening cover with black plastic. In the morning simply uncover, sweep the area and gather up the grubs.

8) Chafer grubs

Fatter and larger than the leather jackets but can be controlled in the same way.

9) Sawflies

In the early stages, hand picking is effective, otherwise, especially on edible crops, use the safer Py Pyrethrum based spray.

10) Scale insects

Frequently, as they suck the sap, honeydew is excreted which falls into the leaves below causing sooty mould, which often can only be removed by washing the leaf. On non-edible crops use Provado UBK.

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We are almost half-way through June and it looks like the weather has gotten past the extended rainy weather. One customer told me this past weekend that one TV meteorologist said that it looks like we are in for a rainy summer. I reminded her that less than a month ago, we were told that it would be a summer of drought. Ah, weather in New England.

Over the past weekend, we had many customers who brought in leaf samples that showed signs of fungus diseases. Hopefully, you have checked your gardens and treated for this. Many plants also appeared to be suffering from a lack of fertilizer as extended rain can wash it away. This is especially true for newly transplanted flowers and vegetables.

These plants do not yet have a big enough root system to reach the fertilizer that may be deeper in the soil. You should give them an application of fertilizer to get their root system going and to spark plant growth.

The rain has also killed some of the newly transplanted vegetables. Cucumbers and squash were hit particularly hit. We had some small plants in 4-inch pots at the store that were outside during the rainy spell that we had to throw out because they basically drowned. Many of you may have had the same experience. We also had similar plants that were in the greenhouse that, naturally, were protected from the rain.

The good news is that there is still time to replant most of your vegetables and to get a good crop. In many cases, if you cannot find plants, you still have time to plant seeds.

Now that the tomato plants are in the garden, put in place the supports that they will need.

You can use tomato cages or wooden stakes to help hold up the tomato plants. No matter what method you choose, you need to remember that even though the tomato plants are small now, they will get big soon. The plants will get loaded with many tomatoes. The combination of tall plants and the weight of the tomatoes means that you will need a substantial support to keep them from falling down.

Yes, you can buy the small tomato cages and, yes, you can buy the 3-foot-tall wooded stakes. But sooner or later you will have to add on additional support to keep those tomato plants upright. You might as well do it right the first time and get the bigger supports now while the plants are small.

You also should be aware of the potential for your tomato plants to develop blossom end rot. When tomato plants go through a period of wet soil followed by a period of dry, the flower buds are deprived of calcium. This will cause a black patch to form on the tomato’s bottom. Once it forms, there is no way to fix the problem. You need to maintain a steady supply of moisture around the roots of your tomato plants. If this is impossible, you can spray liquid calcium onto the leaves. Also make sure to have sufficient lime applied around the plants. Lime has a large amount of calcium that will help to prevent the blossom end rot.

Well, that’s all for this week. I’ll talk to you again next week.

• • •

Tim Lamprey is the owner of Harbor Garden Center on Route 1 in Salisbury. His website is www.Harborgardens.com. Do you have questions for Tim? Send them to ndn@newburyportnews.com, and he will answer them in upcoming columns.

Here it is the middle of June and the weather is still a bit variable – not that it is a bad thing. For late planters (like me this year), it has a plus. Plants put into the ground over the weekend get a few humid and not terribly hot days, so their roots can begin to grow into the surrounding soil. The cooler, moist weather has been perfect for all sorts of greens – that is, if you can keep the slugs away from them, as this weather is perfect for them, too! I already harvested the spinach, some Chinese greens and leaf lettuce twice and they still are not bitter.

Slug battles will continue until the weather warms up and the soils dry out some. In the meantime, you can try to control the slimy creatures with iron phosphate, diatomaceous earth and copper strips, or to capture them using beer, grapefruit rinds or boards. Be careful if using iron phosphate. While iron phosphate by itself will not injure pets, it is usually combined with another ingredient such as EDTA, which makes it more soluble and toxic to slugs but also more soluble and potentially toxic to pets. Keep baits in bait stations or cover with a broken clay pot.

Now until the middle of July is a good time to prune evergreens. Broad-leaved types such as rhododendrons and azaleas usually just require a light shaping and maybe some touch-ups to try and camouflage the deer damage. If you have the time, twist off spent flower clusters and seed pods. Cut back new growth on yews to a leaf bud if possible, so you won’t leave little stubs. Pines, spruces and firs can be pruned by clipping back candles (young shoot tips) about halfway when they have elongated but not fully expanded. Junipers rarely need pruning, but if they do, cut just below an upward pointing shoot to avoid stubby ends.

Stake taller perennials, if you have not already done so. Use bamboo stakes, pea brush or purchased metal stakes or hoops. Pinch mums, asters and boltonias for more compact, bushier plants.

Whether cutting roses to enjoy indoors or removing matured blossoms, prune back to a five-leaflet leaf. I have been on the look-out for pear slugs which skeletonize the leaves of roses, especially the antique varieties. They are hard to spot because they feed on the undersides of leaves.

I did notice the beginning of some black spot on one of my hybrid teas. This year I was planning on trying Remedy, which is a potassium bicarbonate (think baking soda) based spray that is supposed to control a number of fungus diseases including black spot and powdery mildew. There are a number of both chemical and natural fungicides that can be used to control diseases in home gardens. In order for almost any of them to control diseases effectively, however, they need to be sprayed as a preventative measure before the plants are totally infected. Once the plant shows signs of disease, it is often too late to spray.

Roses can be fertilized in mid-June and again in mid-July. Generally one-quarter to one-half cup of a 5-10-10 or an organic fertilizer equivalent can be applied around each plant based on its size. Speaking of fertilizers, corn, tomatoes, winter squash and other long season vegetables will probably appreciate a side dressing of fertilizer late this month or in July. If you are using a water-soluble fertilizer like Miracle Gro or fish emulsion, keep in mind that since they are soluble, the nutrients leach from the soil rather quickly and these types of fertilizers do need to be reapplied every few weeks. Synthetic granular fertilizers like 5-10-10 will last for six to eight weeks, while slow-release natural organic fertilizers may continue to gradually supply nutrients for several months.

If you haven’t fertilized your lawn yet, either do it some time this month or wait until September. Raise the blades of your lawn mover to 2 and a half to 3 inches. Longer grass not only helps shade out weed seedlings, but it will also keep the root zone a little cooler during the hot summer months and slow down evaporation.

Those experiencing problems in their yards or gardens can call the UConn Home Garden Education Center, toll-free, 877-486-6271, visit the website www.ladybug.uconn.edu, view the weekly blog at www.uconnladybug.wordpress.edu, or contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

West Iron County second graders get green thumb technology tips from Caryn Johnson, executive assistant at NorthStar Health Systems, with some coaching encouragement from Denise Maloney, WIC Wellness coordinator, as the students got ready to plant a school garden at the hospital. NHS will be tending garden duties during the summer until fall, when the students will return to reap their harvest. It’s all part of the WIC’s commitment with NHS to develop healthy lifestyle goals for students.
IRON RIVER—West Iron County’s second graders took time off from the classroom to learn a few lessons on gardening as the school year came to a close.
 On May 23, the students began the spring planting process of their school garden, assisted by WIC and NorthStar Health System staff and volunteers, with a variety of vegetables in hopes of a “bountiful fall harvest,” noted Denise Maloney, WIC Wellness coordinator.

 “The hospital will attend to the garden over the summer months,” said Maloney. “When school begins again next fall, these same children, who will then be third graders, will go back to the hospital to harvest the garden.”
 At that time, said Maloney, will be assisted by the NHS kitchen staff in using these fresh vegetables to prepare a meal to enjoy for a harvest celebration.
 “West Iron County Public Schools chose to bring the second graders because the life cycle of a plant is one of the Michigan state benchmarks in the second grade science curriculum,” said Maloney.
 “We felt that is a wonderful opportunity for these children to have a ‘hands-on’ learning experience to watch the process of a seed growing into the end product. Children learn best when they are actively engaged in their curriculum.”
 According to Maloney, this experience again helps to reinforce the “farm to table” concept. Earlier in May, the school’s third graders visited State Rep. Ed McBroom’s dairy farm in Vulcan, where they had the opportunity to experience life on a dairy farm.
 “Many children today do not know where their food comes from,” said Maloney. “These are all great opportunities to expose our students to this.”
 While the primary goal of schools is academic, she noted, equally important is developing healthy lifestyle goals and habits in the students that will carry them through a lifetime.
 “West Iron County Public Schools is passionate about creating a healthier generation. We have incorporated a new health curriculum and physical education component.
 “We have begun a walking club where students have already walked thousands of miles. Our students and staff participated in our school’s first ever 5K earlier in the week. We have brought in registered dieticians and a sports nutritionist from Bellin Hospital in Green Bay to work with our students.”
 The school staff has also participated in an employee wellness program as well, said Maloney.
 “We all wore pedometers at school to count our steps and charted our eating and exercise habits. Research and data tell us that children learn best when they are physically healthy and active,” said Maloney.
 “We are very grateful for our community partner, NorthStar Health System, in partnering with us on this project. West Iron County Public Schools and NorthStar Health System share a common goal of growing healthy children, healthy families and, ultimately, a healthy community.”

gardening tool

TORONTO STAR

Now that summer is weighing down on us, our gardens are in need of special attention. Whether your are an avid or reluctant gardener over doing it can be a pain in the back. Positioning your body correctly reduces the strain on muscles and joints. The Ontario Chiropractic Association offers these tips to help you plant and rake without the ache.

1. Alternate your tasks. Switch between heavy chores such as digging and lighter, less physically demanding tasks such as planting.

2. Do the “scissors” when you rake. Stand with one leg forward and one leg back when you rake. Switch legs and hands every few minutes.

3. Kneel to plant and weed. Constant bending can put strain on your back, neck, leg muscles and joints, so kneeling is recommended. Use kneepads or a kneeling mat (with handles) to minimize the amount of bending required, and to make kneeling more comfortable. Keep your back straight.

4. Change positions frequently. Make a point of changing position every 10 to 15 minutes. Move from kneeling to standing, from planting to digging.

5. Pace Yourself. A minimum of three brief breaks each hour is recommended. Take a few moments to move around, stretch your muscles, have a drink or simply sit and relax. Spread the work over several days – you will still achieve the same great results.

Source: The Ontario Chiropractic Association

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