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Fruit From Washington - Plant Care and Other Garden Tips |
Fruit From Washington Plant Care and Garden TipsYou lifetime gardeners have your own methods of caring for your roses and vegetable gardens, I'm sure. But if you are new to gardening or haven't come across some of these handy gardener helps, you might be surprised by how simple and effective they are in improving the quality of your special plots of land. So here is a safe and simple recipe for plant disease control, and some advice on fertilizers and tips on composting. Grub on! A Safe and Simple Spray for Plant Disease Control This recipe for controlling blackspot and mildew in roses was developed at Cornell University. According to the experts, baking soda is one of the most effective, environmentally safe, broad-spectrum fungicides there is. The horticultural oil in this simple recipe acts as a spreader allowing the baking soda to stick to the leaves of the plants. Reportedly, the oil also "cleanses pathogens from the feeding parts of aphids that might feed on infected leaves and then transmit the disease to other plants" (Source: Eugene Register Guard). You can also use this spray on vegetables such as squash, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and tomatoes. Besides powdery mildew it should help in controlling leaf blight, gummy stem, anthracnose, leaf spot and early blight. Remember, for added control of blackspot disease in roses, pick off infected leaves and put them in the trash (not the compost). Be Selective in What You Choose to Plant
You may discover that the attractive flowering plant you are thinking about ordering from your nursery catalog is actually on the United States Department of Agriculture's most wanted noxious weed list for your area. Protecting the health of local agriculture includes eradication of noxious weeds. Do your research before you buy! Link to USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine Noxious Weeds Home Page |
If
you are a green thumb gardener then you will enjoy plants that thrive
in your garden. However, you may find that some plants will grow
beyond the limits of your control. Do your research when planning
your garden. Find out the growth habits of the varieties you plant.
If you do decide to cultivate plants that have an invasive, spreading
habit in your area (such as horseradish, comfrey or bamboo) then
prepare to contain their spread before they go in the ground. You
can leave them in pots or containers which can be buried in the
ground, or you can deep edge garden beds with metal strips to keep
roots and rhizomes from spreading. If your garden is large enough
to allow indiscriminate growth and your esthetic sense is not bothered
by an unkempt corner, you can surrender the battle, let it grow
and post a sign offering "Free Horseradish U-Dig"!
FruitFromWashington.com Plant Care and Gardening Index Blackspot and Mildew Spray • Composting • General Fertilizer Mixture • Manure Tea • Beneficials • Garden Catalog Links • Herbs
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