Gardener's Corner

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Comment by Chief Walks on March 27, 2019 at 8:04am

Children love to water plants. Generally this is good news, and watering is a helpful chore the children can take on in the garden. Sometimes, though, overenthusiastic watering can be bad news — plants can become waterlogged and seedlings can rot away. Sometimes seedlings can be damaged in a deluge, and sometimes, especially in a class garden, you simply don’t have enough watering cans to go around. This DIY watering can with a rose head could be the ideal solution. Made from a plastic milk bottle or similar carton, it’s free and a great way to upcycle your junk into something practical. It’s easy to make and holds just the right amount of water, so it’s not too heavy for young children, and everyone can take a turn at watering without causing a flood.

Materials

• 1-quart plastic milk or juice bottle with a lid
• Craft knife or scissors

Instructions

1. Start by washing out your milk bottle. We use a quart-size bottle, which gives enough room to fill with a good amount of water without the bottle’s being too heavy.
2. Use a knife or a pair of scissors to make small holes in the bottle’s lid. Give the knife a little wiggle to create a hole rather than a slit, to allow the water to come out freely. Always consider safety: this might be a job for an adult.
3. Remove the bottle top to fill your new watering can with water, pop the lid back on, and you’re ready to go. The handle on the bottle makes it comfortable to hold, and if necessary, a gentle squeeze can help the water come out.

Comment by Chief Walks on March 27, 2019 at 6:55am

Comment by Chief Walks on March 21, 2019 at 6:47am

How Do I Attract Earthworms to My Garden?

Practical ways to increase the earthworm population in your soil.

Organic amendments earthworms 
Organic amendments and regular watering go a long way toward encouraging earthworms to take up residence in your gardens.

Organic amendments earthworms 
Q: How can I encourage more earthworms in my soil? — Tracy Musicc

A: Any and all natural, organic amendments and fertilizers will encourage earthworms. Well-made compost may be the most efficient way to go, especially if made with pumpkin, which worms love. Rock minerals, such as lava sand, basalt, and Azomite, are also important for encouraging worms.
While adding good stuff to the soil, stop using toxic pesticides and high-nitrogen synthetic fertilizers, which are damaging to soil microbes and other life, including earthworms.
Watering properly and keeping the bare soil around plants covered with a mulch of shredded native tree trimmings is the final step to encourage beneficial soil life. I also have good results drenching my soil monthly with a mixture of 1 cup of concentrated compost tea and 1 ounce each of apple cider vinegar, liquid seaweed, and liquid molasses per gallon of water.

Comment by Chief Walks on March 7, 2019 at 6:14am

Homegrown Herbal Bug Spray Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon each herb, finely chopped
4 to 6 ounces almond or olive oil
2 ounces neem oil or cedar-infused oil (recommended)
4 ounces witch hazel
Instructions:
Make sure everything is dry because water increases the chance of mold. Combine chopped herbs in a glass half-pint jar; add oil.
Use a spoon to push herbs down. Add extra oil if needed to submerge.
Label jar, and infuse 1 to 3 weeks in a cool place.
Strain oil, pressing as much oil out of the herbs as possible.
Add neem or cedar oil and witch hazel, then shake until well combined.
Fill a spray bottle or perfume roller, and shake well before each use.
Store leftovers in a cool, dark place. To store for more than a few months, place the bug spray in a refrigerator.
Note on Consistency: If you prefer a thinner spray, add more witch hazel; for a thicker, lotion-like texture, use vegetable glycerine instead of witch hazel.

Comment by Chief Walks on March 5, 2019 at 5:52pm

Comment by PITA SIKSIKA WARRIOR on February 5, 2019 at 2:17pm

thank you my dear brother

Comment by Chief Walks on February 3, 2019 at 12:54pm

Starting seeds in sponges is a neat trick that is not difficult to do. Small seeds that germinate and sprout quickly work best for this technique, and once they’re ready, you can transplant them to pots or garden beds. Try starting plants with small seeds on a simple kitchen sponge as a fun project with the kids or just to try something new.

Why Start Seeds on Sponges?
While the traditional way to start seeds is to use soil, there are some good reasons to use sponges for seed growing:

You don’t need messy soil.
You can watch the seeds grow and roots develop.
Sponge seed germination happens rapidly.
It’s easy to sprout a lot of seeds in a small space.
The sponges can be reused if seeds turn out to be unviable.
It makes a great experiment for children.
Here are some great plant choices for seed rowing on sponges:

Lettuce
Watercress
Carrots
Mustard
Radish
Herbs
Tomatoes
How to Plant Seeds in a Sponge
First, start with sponges that have not been treated with anything, like detergent or antibacterial compounds. You may want to treat the sponges with diluted bleach to prevent mold growth but rinse them thoroughly if you do. Use the sponges whole or cut them into smaller squares. Soak the sponges in water and place them in a shallow tray.

There are a couple of strategies for putting the seeds in the sponges: you can either press small seeds into the many nooks and crannies, or you can cut a larger hole in the center of each sponge for a single seed. Cover the tray in plastic wrap and put it in a warm location.

Check under the plastic wrap occasionally to be sure there is no mold growing and that the sponges have not dried out. Give the sponges a regular mist of water to keep them moist but not soaking wet.

To transplant your sprouted seedlings, either remove them entirely and place in a pot or outdoor bed when ready or trim the sponge down and plant the roots with the remaining sponge still attached to them. The latter is useful if the roots are too delicate and can’t be easily removed from the sponge.

Once they’re big enough, you can use sponge-grown seedlings as you would any seeds you started in soil.

Comment by Chief Walks on December 23, 2018 at 2:48pm

Thanks Chris. I didn't know that about Brabbles.

Comment by Chris Durbin on December 1, 2018 at 10:01am

I thought this was an interesting take on brambles.

Comment by Chief Walks on November 29, 2018 at 8:21am

Dear Chief Walks,
I overheard two master gardeners talking about winter seeding. Ever heard of it? I could use a gardening fix.

Ben from Indiana

Ben, it’s one of my favorite things to do during the winter. In my case, I’ve already prepared some beds by covering them with several inches of compost, but you could do the same thing during a thaw.

My favorite vegetables to winter sow are radishes, lettuce and spinach. Towards the end of winter I’ll throw a packet of seeds over the compost and scratch them in. The seeds will sit there until they are ready to sprout, emulating nature. They will usually germinate early in the season, providing lots of tender, sweet thinning to enjoy in the first garden salad of the season.

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