Fruit From Washington

Fruit From Washington - Plant Care and Other Garden Tips

Fruit From Washington Plant Care and Garden Tips

You 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

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"!

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

Take proper care of your roses and you will get lovely blooms all summer.

Blackspot and Mildew Spray for Roses

1 T. baking soda
2 1/2 T. lightweight summer oil (such as SunSpray Ultra-Fine Horticultural Oil)

Mix in 1 gallon of water and apply when leaves first begin to appear and every two weeks thereafter.

Definitions

Anthracnose - Any of several diseases of plants caused by fungi, and characterized by dead spots on the leaves, twigs, or fruit (Source: The American Heritage Dictionary).

Manure Tea

Plants, especially roses, love this liquid fertilizer. To make a batch of manure tea, place some shovelsful of manure (horse manure, preferred) in a bucket or barrel, fill with water, cover and allow to steep for a few days to a week. Pour off the mellow, dark liquid and use to fertilize your garden.

General Fertilizer Mixture

This mixture makes a good all around plant fertilizer. You will need the following ingredients which usually can be found at a feed store or garden center.

4 parts seedmeal or fishmeal
1 part agricultural lime or dolomite
1/3 part rock phosphate
1/3 part bonemeal
1/3 part kelpmeal

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and use to feed your plants.

Composting

Straw...greens...manure...straw...greens...manure...is the composting mantra of one of my gardener friends. He claims that the secret to successful composting is the layering of those three materials: straw, greens and manure. You will find a good compost pile also needs some elbow grease for stirring the mixture plus a goodly amount of time and lots of tiny digestive organisms to break it all down. The result of your backyard compost project will be the sort of rich, black woodsy smelling humus that sells for big bucks at the garden centers and nurseries.

Links to Composting System products and supplies for Worm Culture.

Many more Homemade Organic Recipes for Better Gardening

Backyard or small farm composting is a worthwhile project.

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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Page Update May 25, 2011