THAT RED MULCH
Following a previous tip about using red plastic
mulch for tomatoes and peppers, a number of
TipWorld subscribers requested information on
locating the mulch. (If you missed the tip,
red mulch, like other plastic mulch, warms the
soil and conserves moisture. But according to
studies, the red plastic also reflects far-red
light wavelengths upward into the plants, which
triggers a protein that stimulates enhanced
growth and development.)
This product seems to be catching on, but if you
can't find it at your local garden centers or home
improvement stores, here are two catalog sources:
Gardener's Supply Company (800) 863-1700
http://www.gardeners.com
Garden's Alive (812) 537-8651
http://www.gardens-alive.com
PLASTIC-EATING BUNNIES
One of our recent "rabbit deterrent" tips advised
the use of plastic chicken wire to create a barrier
that thwarts rabbits and other critters who are
intent on turning your garden into a buffet.
"I used the plastic wire last year, but the
bunnies just chewed through it."
She then shared some good news:
"This year, I noticed that the rabbits were eating
birdseed that had fallen out of the bird feeders.
I started dropping a little extra and haven't had
a problem with them. Just thought I'd pass along
what has worked for me."
Thanks, Nikki! (So far, my local rabbits have not
attempted to gnaw through the plastic chicken wire
that surrounds my raised bed gardens--but at least
now, I'll be ready with the birdseed... and the
metal chicken wire.)
SIMPLE SOIL SIFTING
Have you ever started to cover a row of just
planted seeds with a gentle scattering of nice,
fine soil, only to come up with a fistful of dirt
clods? Not terribly conducive to nurturing new
seedlings. Those seeds need to come up through a
light medium when they germinate, not fight their
way through an obstacle course of rocks, sticks,
or hard clumps of dirt.
One good way to keep the rougher stuff out of your
planting soil is to sift it--and here's a handy,
low-tech method for doing it. All you need is a
plastic flat from a nursery or garden center--the
kind of flat that has a mesh like bottom. (Some
flats are solid, some are like big grids on the
bottom--the kind you need here has small openings.)
At planting time, simply dump a shovel-full of dirt
in the flat, then shake it back and forth above
your row of seeds. The finer soil will sift out,
leaving the bigger, rougher elements in the flat.
EXTRA PROTECTION AGAINST
POISON IVY
Even if you're scrupulously careful about wearing
garden gloves when you're working areas where you
might encounter poison ivy, you still may brush
against it with your arms as you reach into an
overgrown spot. To make sure you don't wind up
with a swath of poison ivy blisters on your
forearms, you might try the sock trick.
Hang onto worn-out and discarded tube socks or
knee socks. Then, when the time comes to venture
into possible poison ivy territory, cut finger
holes in the toes of the socks. You can slip the
socks onto your hands and up to your elbows, then
put your garden gloves on over the socks. That
way, your arms are protected as well as your hands.
After you finishn gardening for the day, reverse
the process, being careful to shuck the gloves and
then peel off the socks--into the washing machine.
