Human Impact & Home

Peter's Garden and Eco Tips...

By Peter TongeStoves for People and Plants.

We all know that a wood stove is a great source of supplementary heat in the modern home, particularly valued when a power cut comes along. But did you know it's indirectly great for plants too? The creosote and soot you clean out of your chimney each year is a fertilizer, rich in slow-releasing nitrogen.

Tulip meals.

The Dutch were forced to eat some of their precious tulips to survive during World War ll but they never touched the daffodils. Same with some little furry critters in your garden. They'll eat the tulips but not the daffodils. So if need be, surround the tulip bulbs at planting time with a handful of protective pebbles. The daffodils can take care of themselves.

It's Easy to Recycle.

It may seem like an extra step, but it really simplifies your life to recycle most things you would normally throw in the trash. When you look at the all the trash you have left by the curbside on the day your garbage is collected, you might be embarrassed to know that you could have recycled or composted as much as 90 percent of it. Many communities offer curbside recycling where you don't even have to separate most of the recyclable materials. Only your paper and cardboard materials need to be separated out. Things like plastic milk, juice and soda bottles, cans, newspapers, food boxes, wrapping paper, glass containers, cardboard boxes and all related material can simply be placed together and left for collection on |recycling pick-up day.2 Just set aside a paper bag for your paper materials and a plastic bag for everything else for your recycling. And, if curbside recycling is not yet available in your community, a weekly trip to the recycling center can be a fun and rewarding trip for you and your family. Plus, you will have the pleasure of reducing the enormous amount of useable material that would be otherwise buried in our landfills!

Meals included.

Spring-flowering bulbs come complete with all the stored food they need for the first season's display of splendor. Bulbs left in the ground to naturalize need to be fed immediately after the spring display so they can regenerate. In the fall it helps established beds if you top dress with compost or well-rotted manure.

Keep a ruler handy.

September and on into October is planting time in the North for spring-flowering bulbs; later if you live further south. Plant larger bulbs, tulips and daffodils for instance, around 8 inches deep; smaller bulbs, like the ever-popular crocus and grape hyacinth, 5 inches deep.

Water wisely.

If you water your garden with a sprinkler do so early in the day because the last thing you want is to send plants to bed on a hot humid night while they're still damp. That invites disease. On the other hand if you can place water at the base of the plants, do so in the evening. That way they have hours of cool night to take in the moisture and face the next hot day fully charged, so to speak.

Strike up the band or at least put one in place.

We're talking about summer fertilizing. Highly productive plants need plenty of food so place a band of fertilizer, a few inches away from the stems, in a shallow trench scratched in the soil around or alongside each plant. Cover over with soil and your plants will thank you for the banquet you've just provided.

Orange-red, not deep red.

That's the clue when it comes to harvesting tomatoes. At this stage flavor is at its peak and the flesh is firm. Overripe tomatoes lose flavor, and are soft, better suited for cooking than fresh eating.

Pick early and often.

Studies show that cucumbers harvested on the young side out-yield plants that are left to grow more mature fruits by a long shot. Seems the chemical balance in the plant changes once it produces mature seed and this tells it its reproductive job is done and it can start to slow down --same for zucchini and green beans.

Apple spacing.

Apple trees invariably produce more fruit than they can hold each spring and the June apple drop is a natural response to overproduction. However most trees still hold more apples than is good for them and you can lighten the load by removing the excess. Ideally apples should be spaced about 6 inches apart on a branch.

Tomato booster.

Spray diluted (half strength) fish emulsion on tomatoes and other crops every two to three weeks during the growing season. Leaves take up nutrients just like roots and while foliar-feeding is no substitute for regular fertilizing it's a great way to boost production.

Blossom-end rot.

A common problem in tomatoes, often shows up after hot dry spells. It's generally associated with uneven water uptake. So, be sure to water regularly and plentifully. Remember, on very hot days a mature tomato plant can use up one and a half gallons of water just to stay cool!

Pies in midwinter.

If you've got more rhubarb than you know what to do with right now, that's great. Storing rhubarb is simple. Just cut the stalks into short pieces, place in a freezer bag and drop them in the deep freeze. Hot pies in January are a taste treat most everyone appreciates.

Rhubarb rewards.

In Maine I pick rhubarb through July 4, then fertilize, water well, and leave the plants to grow and store energy for next spring's production. In warmer regions you can pick a little later into the month because of a longer growing season.

When to mulch.

Start mulching when the soil warms up to save having to weed later on.

Two other plusses: mulch conserves moisture and prevents soil temperatures from fluctuating. Three inches is a good depth. Another weed-beating approach is to cover the soil with three or four sheets of newspaper and top this with two or more inches of mulch. Decorative bark, straw, or well-rotted manure make good mulches.

Black-ant visitors.

The peony bulbs are forming and pretty soon the black ants will come visiting. That's no cause for alarm. They're enjoying the ant equivalent of a latte - the sweet fluid produced by the peony buds. In the process they jealously guard the flowers, warding off insects that might otherwise nibble on the flowers themselves.

Keep em compact.

As those over-wintered chrysanthemums begin to grow, keep pinching out the tips of each new shoot every 4 to 5 inches. This way the plant will stay compact and spread to form a dome of glorious color in the fall.

Support those tomatoes.

There are several ways to do it but caging is the simplest. Make a cylinder out of concrete reinforcing wire around each plant and leave it to do its thing. You'll get the most fruit and the heaviest overall harvest from this method. In contrast you can adopt the single stake system. Tie the plant to a stake every 12 inches or so and restrict the plant to one stem by pinching out all the side shoots as they form. This way you'll reap a somewhat earlier harvest and slightly larger individual fruits.

Keep next year in mind.

When you've removed the old spent flowers of tulips, daffodils, and other spring-flowering bulbs, remember to give the now fading plants some tender, loving care. A little fertilizer now and regular watering in the weeks ahead, especially in dry weather, goes a long way toward developing a good healthy bulb for next spring's glorious show.

Taste test.

At a flower show I once attended, I bought a French tarragon plant for my garden. Trouble was, it turned out to be Russian tarragon which looks similar but has nothing like the same flavor. So, if you're looking for the true French variety, take the taste test before you buy. You want to feel a tingle on the end of your tongue and savor a sweet anise flavor.

Lime or sulfur.

A standard formula to raise the pH of soil one degree (most garden plants do best between 5 and 7 on the pH scale) is to add powdered lime at rates that range from three pounds per 100 square feet in light, sandy soils to eight pounds per 100 square feet in heavy clay soils. To lower the pH one point add powdered sulfur at rates ranging from 1/2 pound for 100 square feet in light soil to 2pounds in heavy clay soil.

Surface weeding.

An easy way to stay ahead of annual weeds in the spring is to draw a weeding hoe lightly over the beds, just below the surface of the soil. This cuts them off at the roots. No need to remove the severed weeds. They'll wilt and vanish within a day or two, returning valuable nutrients to the soil in the process.

Standing tall.

The peonies that flower so beautifully in my garden sprawl all over the place once the heavy flower heads form - unless they're given support. That's not easy when the plants are large, so I place peony rings (galvanized metal supports) over the emerging shoots in early spring. The rings, soon hidden by the emerging foliage, enable the flowers to stand tall, flaunting their beauty all summer long.

Best in the bag.

The Japanese are thought to have begun the practice but increasingly organic growers and home gardeners are picking up on the idea here in the US Ç bagging apples while they're still on the tree. Do this when the apples are 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Place a #4 brown paper lunch bag over the apple and staple it tightly on each side of the stem, then close the bag securely with a few more staples. Protected from insects, and to a large extent from disease as well, the apples grow beautifully. Red varieties won't color up properly under these conditions so remove the bag two or three weeks before you plan to harvest them.

Support those canes.

Tests at Canada's University of Guelph in Ontario show that tying raspberry canes to a simple wire trellis can double yields of fruit in windy areas. Researches tested two varieties, "Boyne" which yielded 68 percent more berries and "Regency" which jumped a remarkable 189 percent. The conclusion reached was that supported canes produced more leaves than those that were left to blow around in the wind.

Deerfly doom.

One of the best ways to thwart stinging deer fly attacks when you garden is to wear a light colored hard hat on which you have spread Tanglefoot or other insect-trapping goo. Deer fly always circle your head and attack from above, getting stuck to your hat in the process. And now there's a commercial product that does the same thing with a more comfortable soft hat. It's called Deer Fly Defense Patch. Check it out at http://www.gardens-alive.com/

Immediate payback.

If you've struggled through a cold and costly winter, and face an even more costly summer of high air conditioning bills, put insulating the attic at the top of your home improvements list. Place 6 inch bats of fiberglass above the ceiling, or better still two layers to form 12 inches, and you can expect to cut heating and cooling costs by as much as 25 percent.

Time to shape up.

Prune your roses at the first sign the buds are beginning to swell. This way you'll easily be able to distinguish a dead branch from a living one. First remove all dead growth, Then start pruning for shape. The idea is to keep the center free of thin, twiggy growth. This way you'll boost blooms and reduce the chance of disease.

Nothing to fear here.

Any day above freezing, spray your fruit trees and other deciduous trees with dormant oil spray. If pesticides and their possible toxic side effects in your garden concern you, have no fear. Dormant oil is a mechanical killer. It smothers pests and their eggs while they're sleeping out the winter in the tree bark.

Recycle plastic knives.

I hope you've saved your old plastic picnic knives. They make sturdy, durable row markers for seeds or even as identification tags in the perennial bed. Otherwise, cut strips from old white food containers. Marker pens write well on plastic and show up clealy on the white background.

Check your calendar.

If you know the date of the average last frost in your area (check with the extension service or a local nursery) count back six weeks for sowing such highly frost sensitive plants as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Do this and they should be just the right size when it comes to planting time.

Mini greenhouses.

Confectionery containers with clear lids, the ones that came home with the pies and other desserts, make great mini greenhouses for starting seeds. The clear tops retain moisture and warmth that speed up germination. But once the seedlings are up, partially open the top for a day or so and then remove it altogether. Otherwise you risk creating too moist a situation for the seedlings to thrive in.

Test those seeds.

Here's a great way to test seed viability. 1. Take paper toweling and fold until its four or more sheets thick; 2. Wet thoroughly and press out excess water; 3. Place 10 seeds on the moist paper and put the paper inside a clear plastic zipper-type sandwich bag; 4. Close the bag and place it in a warm area, away from direct light; 5. Check at one and two week intervals. The number of germinating seeds will indicate the percentage of viable seeds.

Keep the old.

The new seed catalogs are dropping in through the mail slot right now. But, that doesn't mean the old ones are useless. Before tossing them out, cut out all cultural references to the specific plants you plan to grow this year and paste them in a school exercise book. Include an empty seed packet, too. This way you'll have a quick reference book you can keep in the tool shed. Leave space to write in your observations of this year's growing season.

Beat heat loss.

The best way to stretch your winter heating dollars is to stop heat from leaking into the great outdoors. Caulk all the cracks you can find around doors and windows etc on the inside of your home. But on the outside, leave the seams alone. That way any moisture that finds its way into the walls will be able to escape as water vapor when the heat of summer comes along.

Give Spring a nudge.

Force flowering shrubs to bloom six weeks ahead of outdoor bloom time in your area. Forsythia, magnolia, cherry, and quince all work well. When the temperature is above freezing, cut two to three feet long branches. Strip one inch of bark off the base of each stem and place in several inches of water. Cover with a clear plastic bag. Remove the bag when buds start to open.

Your tool shed.

January is a good time to ready garden tools for spring:

Wash off any soil, scrape away rust, and rub boiled linseed oil into wood handles. Sharpen tools, including spades and shovels and lightly oil all metal parts. A little work now lightens the load when spring comes around.

Bird basics.

Birds need a regular supply of food to stay warm during the bitter cold of winter. Basic feeds are black oil sunflower seeds; thistle seeds in a special feeder with tiny holes, and mixed seed along with suet in mesh bags. Place your feeders within 15 feet of trees which birds use as cover while waiting their turn at the feeders.

Santa's bird shelter.

Make use of those discarded Christmas trees to provide extra bird cover in your yard. Tie the tops of three trees firmly together then stand them erect to form a tripod. Plant the base of the trees firmly in the snow or anchor one or more of them down by tying them to a hollow concrete block or similar weight.

Mighty like a rose.

Treat your Christmas tree this year as if it were a rose destined for the vase. Just as you freshen a cut rose by trimming off the end of the stem before putting it in water, trim an inch or so off the bottom end of the Christmas tree to open up the pours in the cambium layer immediately under the bark. Or take a paring knife and trim off just the cambium layer which is where all the water is absorbed. Then place the stem end in hot water and watch the tree just suck it up. This way you keep your tree fresh and much less of a fire hazard. But remember to keep checking the water level in the Christmas tree holder. Big trees drink a lot.

Keep the mice at bay.

If you like to feed left-over turkey and other goodies to the wildlife in your area, good. But don't let them fatten up on your best trees. In other words rodent-proof your saplings. Mice and voles love to eat the tender bark around trees and will quickly girdle them, given the chance. So place plastic tree guards, available from garden centers, around the trunks. Or wrap the trunks with a couple of layers of chicken wire or hardware cloth. Bury the wire a couple of inches below the soil line and extend it up as high as the expected snow level.

Shred those leaves.

Rake up and save all those fallen leaves and maybe even grab a few from your neighbor who doesn't know how valuable they are. They make great mulch and rich leaf mold if they're left to decay long enough. But shred them first, either with a lawn mower or by putting them in a garbage barrel and shredding them with a string trimmer. Remember, just as it takes a whole airplane wing to keep a plane flying, whole leaves catch the breeze and fly around much more vigorously than shredded leaves.

Leave the roots alone.

When it comes to clearing up the fall garden, try something different this time. Instead of simply ripping out the dead annuals and throwing them on the compost heap, try cutting off the dead tops and leaving the roots intact in the soil. This way the incredibly rich populations of beneficial microorganism that inhabit the root zone will be left undisturbed in the soil to immediately colonize the roots of next year's plants. The decaying roots will boost soil structure and the dead tops are all you really need to make good compost.