Gardens and Yards

Gardening Tips

How much sun
does your garden really need?

Vegetables prefer a full day of sun, but if you live in a shady suburb you don't have to give up the idea of growing vegetables. Here are some minimum sunlight requirements:

Fruiting Vegetables - 8 hours of sun This includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and vine crops such as cucumbers, melons, and squash.
Root Vegetables - 6 hours of sun Carrots, beets, etc.
Leafy Vegetables - 4 hours of sun These are your "greens" such as lettuce, spinach and collards.

*Keep in mind that these are minimums. Increasing the amount of sunlight your vegetables receive will increase the yield and quality of your crop.

*Even though your vegetables may get enough light when planted near a tree, they will not get enough nourishment and water. Vegetables can't compete with an established tree for essential nutrients and moisture.

Planting Trees and Shrubs

If you're planting new trees and shrubs this spring, don't spoil them by enriching the soil with organic matter. A hole full of compost and soft organic matter is a comfortable area for the roots, and they aren't likely to spread into the surrounding soil. If the roots don't anchor themselves firmly by spreading, the plant is likely to be toppled by strong winds. Here are a few other tips on planting trees and shrubs:

Labels attached to your plant by wires can girdle the branch, so remove them when you plant.
Set the tree in the soil at the same level that it grew in the nursery. Look for a dark mark on the trunk that indicates the depth.
To protect the trunk from sunscald, rodents, and lawnmower nicks, use a treewrap from soil level to the lowest branch.
If you use mulch, don't allow it to touch the trunk of the tree.
Check your plant from all angles to see that it is sitting straight before filling the hole.
Stakes often cause more damage than they prevent, so use them only when planting in a windy, unprotected area, or if you are planting a top-heavy tree. If you use a stake, leave an inch or two of slack in the wire and cover the part that encircles the tree with a protective covering.

Caring for Winter Birds

Prevent birds from crashing into your windows.
If you have a problem with birds crashing into your windows, try placing sun ornaments and other objects in the window to let them know they can't fly through. Avoid hanging plants in front of the window - this is just inviting trouble. If a bird has a mishap, place him in a well-ventilated box in a warm area to recover. He may only be stunned. Never handle birds or any other wild animal with your bare hands.

Water for Winter Birds
Birds need just as much water in winter as they do the rest of the year. In warm climates, keep clean, fresh water in your birdbaths year round. In cold climates, break out any thin sheets of ice that form on the surface of the water in your bird bath as often as possible.

From GardenGuides.com

Garden Projects for Kids

Butterfly Feeders
This is a fun project that's easy enough for the kids to do, and it can be as elegant or as simple as you like. All you need is a small jar, such as a baby food or small jelly jar with a lid, and some cotton.

1. Make a small hole in the lid of the jar.
2. Fill the jar with butterfly food.
3. Screw the lid tightly onto the jar and poke a small piece of cotton into the hole.
4. Invert the jar and hang it in the garden.

That's all there is to it! Of course, you'll probably want to decorate your jar with paint or decoupage. Butterflies locate their food sources by sight, so the more your feeder looks like a plant or flower, the better your chances of attracting butterflies. It may also help to cut out some fabric or plastic 'petals' and fasten them to the lid of your feeder.

To make butterfly food, simply dissolve one part sugar in nine parts of water. No coloring or other additive is needed.

Gardener's Tool Box
Another fun project is to make a gardener's toolbox from a standard mailbox. Decorate the mailbox any way you like, and fasten it to a fencepost near the garden. A mailbox is the perfect size for a spare pair of gloves and a few hand tool. This is a great rainy day project for the kids, and it makes a terrific personalized gift.

Using Manure In The Garden

Animal manure is not only a good fertilizer, but also helps to condition the soil. Here are some guidelines for using manure in the garden:

Don't use dog or cat manure. These manures often carry diseases that can be spread to children.
Never use fresh manure, since it contains soluble nitrogen compounds and ammonia that can burn plants and interfere with seed germination. Manure that is well composted or has aged for about six months is best. When added to the compost pile, manure will speed the composting process.
Manure tea can be used for periodic feedings or diluted and used every time you water. Do not allow undiluted manure tea to come into direct contact with foliage. To make manure tea, simply place a shovel or two of manure in a large container filled with water, and after a week or so, strain out the manure. To make the straining process a little easier, you can tie the manure in a burlap bag before placing it in the water.
Horse manure may contain a good many weed seeds, so compost it in a hot compost pile before adding it to your garden

Dormant Oil Spray

Dormant oil is a nontoxic spray to control sucking and chewing insects in the egg stage before they can do any damage. Use dormant oil on trees, shrubs and evergreens in early spring while they are still dormant, before buds develop. You can buy the spray from any garden supply store or make your own from mineral oil and soap using the following recipe:

1 gallon mineral oil
1 pound oil-based soap
1/2 gallon water

Combine all ingredients, boil, and mix very well. Dilute 1:20 with water and use immediately because the ingredients separate quickly.

Spray on a day when the temperature is above 40 degrees and you are not expecting a freeze for at least 24 hours. Drench the branches of your shrubs and trees thoroughly - it's impossible to overdo it.

For citrus trees, you should buy a special dormant oil from your garden supply store. Citrus leaves can be damaged by the film that remains on the leaves.