When you read some of these wacky garden tips and tricks, you might think I’m a bit crazy, but you will be surprised that they really do work.
Shake Your Tree…It’s not a dance thing! It’s a tree thing!
Give your tree a shake. That’s right, give your deciduous (leafy) trees a gentle shake through the first growing season. Deciduous trees do well with a gentle shake once a week to help stimulate root development and growth. The shaking acts like a gentle breeze, which triggers the roots to grow and stabilize the tree. Now, you won’t shake the tree so hard it cracks; however, gently shaking it back and forth does wonders. If the neighbours are watching, I suggest you do this while holding a glass of wine.
Planting Spring Bulbs.
When it comes to planting small spring bulbs, I can never tell if the pointy end of the bulb is up. The nice thing is that bulbs don’t care. If a bulb is planted on its side or even upside down, it knows which way is up. The green stuff will grow up, and the roots will grow out and down. They’ll get themselves turned around and arrive in bloom as planned.
Vicks VapoRub is a Rabbit Repellant.
You don’t have to apply the Vicks VapoRub to the rabbit; just a few popsicle sticks with Vicks VapoRub placed in your gardens will help deter rabbits and their damage. Rabbits don’t like the strong menthol smell, and the Vaseline gel holds the VapoRub in place even when it rains. This is a simple and quick solution to help plants thrive even with rabbits in your gardens. This solution will deter many garden critters.
Recycle Your Banana Peels.
Bananas are high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphates and sodium – all nutrients needed for healthy plant growth and disease prevention. Banana peels decompose quickly, so no need to worry about messes or smells. Cut the banana peels into smaller pieces or chop them in the blender before applying them around the plant roots. Great under roses or tomatoes. Psst… don’t forget to eat the banana first.
Use Panty Hoses for Support.
If you need to tie a tree to a stake, roses to an arch, or vines to a trellis, panty hoses will do the trick. Cut each leg from the hose and remove the closed toes. Cut open the leg until you have one piece and snip it into sections large enough to tie your plants to their supports. Panty hoses are stretchy, allowing the plant a bit of movement without snapping it off. They’re easy to tie, they blend within with plants as the foliage grows, and they are in boundless supply. PS…the whole leg of a pantyhose is great for storing onions and garlic. Hang from a hook in a cool, dry place with good air circulation. A great dollar-store purchase!
Trouble with Slugs?
Slugs can be a common problem if you grow hostas in a damp environment or if we have a really wet, rainy summer. Typically, slug damage can be seen as ragged holes in plant leaves with what looks like dry, shiny, slim trails. Because slugs are active at night, you won’t see them during the day as they are tucked away under rocks, mulch, or plants. To rid your plants of slugs, place a shallow container filled with beer into the ground next to the damaged plants. Slugs will crawl into the beer bath at night and perish. Check your beer container daily for slugs – remove the decease slugs and top up the beer. Slugs have soft bellies, so placing crushed eggshells around plants will also help deter slugs (and snails) from reaching plant leaves and causing any damage.
Plant as the Sun Goes Down.
I’m not suggesting you get out there in the dark with a flashlight to install your new plants. However, I suggest you select a time later in the day when temperatures are cooler to plant them out. This later-day planting helps prevent sunburn on tender leaves, which reduces plant stress. If you water after planting, plant roots have time to take up much-needed water during the night.
Wacky or not, these garden tips and tricks do work!
The Gabby Gardener
October 2024