A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Gardener's Chat Gardening Tips and Tricks 'Chat Room' About Gardening

Let me explain.....I got this book, no picture, but 370 pages of nothing but gardening tips. I thought it would be nice to have a chat room where we could basically share our own tips, secrets and ideas. I was going to show you a picture of my book if I could get it down to a small size, but stupid PB is not cooperating!!

Since this particular forum is called Gardeners Chat I figured this was the appropriate place to start this thread.

I know we share beautiful flower photos in this forum, and some tips, but I guess I'm lazy and hate to go 'search' if I want to know how to do something or what to use. I enjoyed Lynne's thread in here called Cool Tool. That would be just the kind of thing to put in here.

I just thought I would like to have a 'chat' place (and hope all of you will enjoy using it too)where we can talk about our gardening experiences and know-how, and what we might use to make our own gardening easier...including the pros and cons of an item or tip.

Do any of you think you would like this and would contribute info in here from time to time? I think it would be fun to share, and to have it all in one space.

For one thing, I hope someone...or more....talks about the virtues of a kneeling pad versus a kneeling bench; what's best on the back etc.

I will start this off, in the next post, with something I learned about with "first hand" experience, so to speak! and want to know more detailed information about.

Shirley take the book back.

How would it look if your vacation had no photos?????????

LOL

More shirley More.........Show us Cincinnati..

b

What?? What do you mean 'show us Cincinnati'?

Not what this is about. Sorry. Go back and read.

I was never, basically, concerned with compost. Mainly because I knew nothing about it. But I did always know that I loved rich, dark soil!!

While in Texas I got to encounter Diane's wonderful compost! I just had to stick my hands right down into it!
When mixing it into my garden I started there, Diane asked me if I wanted some gloves. 'NO way!' I said. I wanted my hands in that wonderful stuff, with nothing between it and my skin!! Her compost is so dark and sweet smelling, and so light and fluffy!! I've never seen anything like it! (I'm hoping she will post in her and tell exactly how she makes it...I can then copy it and put it in my file ).

I would like to hear anyone elses offering about composting.....and don't forget the kneeling pad vs. bench.

I know I only have a small indoor apartment garden, but I am collecting as much knowledge as I can in anticipation of moving to Virginia in a year or so, and hopefully having a small outdoor plot! I will need ALL of this forum's help!!!

Am I allowed to post this???

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/compost.html

ROFL! b/c I'm in Cincinnati & I'm tempted to say, "Nothing to see here, move on." But that's not what the thread's about. Sorry Shirley!

This is a great idea for a thread, Shirley. And I do hope someday very soon, you get that plot of land to play in - can't wait to see what you do with it, since your indoor plants are so wonderful!

Cindy - I am so glad that stool works for you! It would not for me though - it would kill my back to have to reach further down to plant.

One of my tips is to always have water or something to drink nearby. It's too easy to get dehydrated when we are so absorbed in our gardening.

My neighbors start with grass clippings.
Add stuff off the table like peelings.
lime I think and turn it .. Apples

Good luck in virginia......YOu will be closer to me to haunt you.LOL
b

Forgot

Son bought me a knee pad to use for kneeling on .
It is cute..

I couldn't garden without the foam kneeling pads - even with them sometimes things get through and hurt my knees, but without I would not enjoy gardening so much.

I've also seen the kneeling benches, which, turned up one way lets you sit on them but turned over the other way you kneel on them. I wonder what the advantage would be with one of those? If you sat on it wouldn't you have to lean over too far, hurting your back more....or only do that when trimming a low plant right in front of you?!

I like the idea of this thread. All the good information in one place.


I think it was Cindy Lou Roscoe who sent me my first kneeling pad and I still have it. It's shaped like a flower. I don't always use it but know it's there when I need it. I usually just squat and do my work. My husband bought me a bucket with a padded seat (like I don't have enough padding of my own) but it bothers my back to have to bend over.

As far as compost. I have a compost pile and love the stuff. I think it makes a huge difference in the health of plants.

I am going to move this topic into a new forum so different tips can be new topics... Is that ok with you Shirley?

Yes! That would be great!

You're so funny! The Great gnome can post anything, anywhere!

Shirley, this is only my opinion but, i think if you were say working on a bush or some other high plant than the kneeling bench turned up would be beneficial. ??

I have one of those kneeling pads too, I love it--well, I will love it again when I can go out & garden!!!!

Sheri...(this is only my opinion but)...that is great! I hope this will be about everyone own opinions and ideas of what they do and how they do things!

Make sure when you plant hardy plantz that you space them far enough apart so air will circulate around them, it will cut back on fungus, Each year as they come back they will grow in size, be sure to read up on them so you will understand how to divide your plants should you need too,
Also when I was in Cedar Hill Bill showed me a tool that pulls weeds,, NO Bending,, I loved it but I haven't seen any of them here . You Pushed it into the ground at the base of the weed stepped on a lever and it yanked the weed up root and all!
Bill what was the name of that and did you purchase it on line or at a store in your area??

I'm thinking of looking into the carpenter's knee pads. They look substantial and that's what I'm looking for I've got 250 pounds to support. I have a kitchen step like Cindy mentioned. I've tried it out in the garden but getting up and down was a pain. I'd rather scoot. Although I'd love to be able to kneel and work even better. But that's waiting on getting a really well padded and constructed knee pad. So right now I use the soggybottom method of gardening.

It's really cool to hear that you'll be moving to Virginia. I'm in Gladys near Lynchburg and I love it. With an acre and a half I have more yard than I can handle but that's cool too. If you end up around here I'll share my garden with you.

Another thing is use a wheel barrow or a garden wagon,, or even a kids wagon to toke things ( compost. fertilizer. gardening tools, from area to area. Anything on wheels you can pull around from area to area is a huge help,.
Use a separate plastic Box you can put your drinking water in, a travel size pkg baby wipes< or similar ( for a quick hand cleaning), and I use the individual "off" towelettes to keep biting flies and mosquitoes off me when I work outside in the garden ~ they work pretty well.

BILL _yes please let me know TOO--

I cannot bend (I did yesterday to pull a few weeds & I think I hurt my back again)---
I am in need of suck a device and would be ever so grateful to know its name---and possibly where you got it. Not to mention my flower bed up against the back of the house would be happy too if I would get such a tool.

Shirley This is the best explanation for compost



Only thing different I do is put it in a container not an open bin or outside area ,
I Use a Huge rubbermaid trash can with a hinged lid and wheels on it, I cut holes around all sides and the bottom so air can circulate and stir / turn it every few days,, when it's all cooked I sift it keeping the larger pieces to to being another batch to get it going,,

Diane, what you said about spacing the plants far enough apart is something I will need to take heed to. I have a tendancy to plant too close together. I want my garden to look pretty right now without having to wait....I'm all into 'instant gratification' I guess

I do hope Bill will post here, or even better start another thread in here like, Gardening Tools and Implements, and tell us all we need to know about this weed puller he has. My back, too, really hurts when I am bent over for long periods of time.


tkhooper--that was exactly what I have been thinking about-a carpenters knee pads. I have arthritis in my knees and it is painful to kneel. I was hoping those would make it more comfortable. If I get to move to VA, my son is a carpenter and he would give me some!(Rocky Mount, VA near Roanoke)That was sweet of you to offer letting me share your garden!


Diane, since whatever area I would have would be small, your idea of carting stuff around in something with wheels is a good idea to remmber, and I would use a small childs wagon. I could leave a couple of potted plants sitting in it when not in use and it would look cute sitting out there somewhere.

Also the link put here to the composte site here in the Garden Helper was good, although I love hearing people tell me how they do things. (Maybe that's that 'instant gratification' thing again. LOL . You must have learned well!!! You could sell yours as gold!!! Wonderful stuff!!!

I hadn't thought of that, Carol - you are so smart!!!

I usually just sit on the ground with a lawn chair cushion under me, and a kneeling pad for my knees If I have to reach back behind something at ground level, And I use a small sturdy step ladder if I need to get up higher then I can reach, To Prune higher then a step ladder will allow,, I use an extended pruner reaching to 15 feet I believe is it's max length, Anthing higher than that forget about it,,

Roanoke isn't that far away. Maybe we'll be able to meet when you come out here. That would be really nice. I've met Jiffy so far and it was a great time. I met her and her husband.

If/WHEN I get to move there, we could do that!

Do you have one for me, since you are going to make me pull weeds when I get there?? Just kidding!!! I don't need one!!!

In my book I read this, about killing weeds:

Pour boiling water on weeds! It will kill existing weed and its seeds waiting to grow.

Wash weeds with soap. Just mix 5 tblsp. of regular dishwashing liquid with one quart of water, then spray weed leaves liberally on a HOT day.

Has anyone done either of these things??
If this works why would anyone use chemical, expensive, herbicides??

I'm not convinced boiling water would do it...weeds are so tough, they'd probably just drink it up.
The soap idea is a pretty sure bet, the main reason you DON'T spray garden plants on hot, sunny days is because of Phytotoxicity, a fancy word for sunscald or suffocation, essentially.
I have been hearing for years about industrial strength vinegar for weeds...it is as much as 20% acidity, dangerous if not handled with care, but doesn't have a long term impact on the environment. I haven't seen it sold, but it can be ordered.

Shirley, I have tried it and it didn't work for me. The weeds didn't even turn brown like they were burnt. Someone also told me to mix Borax with boiling water and that would kill weeds. Not in my yard.

I'll bet my weeds know your weeds, they sound a lot alike!

UP......

Great topic...

I've used straight ammonia with a spray bottle for weeds as well as the boiling water...the ammonia was just easier and very cheap.

help me remember to use this when we actually get to garden this year, OK Tamara ???

I'm going to try and get an early jump on the weeds this year.

I use plain old vinegar in a spray bottle and it seems to work great for me.. I don't really spray too close to the plants in the garden though, more in the yard. It does seem to work better on certain weeds better than others as they need a 2nd or 3rd spraying...

I love the page on the composting! I must admit I am a little s scared of it (silly I know) but I don't want to get burned.. How will I know that it is 'finished' and is not hot any longer?

Keep your compost turned and it eventually looks like rich soil. What I'll be putting on my garden this spring and summer has been cooking since last summer.

I have used soapy water to kill bugs (larval stage) in the ground. I do not think it harms plants, but I'm not sure.
So I guess I do not think soap would kill weeds, but hot water after tilling might make weed seeds not grow (My logic: Cooked rice won't grow :)
I have wondered about using soapy water for insects in my garden this year, but I don't know. If it does harm plants, then, of course, I don't want to use it. does anyone out there know?
Jo

Borax and water is an ant killer. When the ants eat the mixture it causes gasses to build up in their system until they explode.