Garden chores can be real time-robbers such as plowing, planting, mulching and cultivating. Then there's watering, harvesting and pest patrol. All these chores - the caring for, nuturing and fussing over a plot of ground - are actually a direct intuitive relationship between people and the environment. Without them, the lore of gardening, enriched by the efforts of countless individuals over the years, would be lost.
This six part series will provide some inventive gardening tips that hopefully you will find time-saving.
Seed Organizer
Have you ever missed a planting because you forgot what to plant when, or because your seeds are all mixed up in an old grocery bag? Lack of seed organization is a waste of good intent and money spent. Make a seed organizer out of an old recipe index, computer diskette box, or any suitable sized organizer with compartments. Sort the seeds by planting dates, and make labels for the compartments for those dates such as February - Indoors, April Outdoors, etc. Now the seeds packets are kept neat and you will never miss another planting!
Tomatos Allegro
Your tomatos can be up and singing within a week with this tip. Even in a room that's not well heated, a little hot water and effort will really speed things up. Place a couple of jugs of hot water in a large box about 2ft x 3ft. Plant tomato seeds in styrofoam or newspaper cups filled with potting soil and place the cups around the jugs of hot water, and cover the box with an old towel. Refill the jugs with hot water every morning and evening. Remember, it's only for a week, and well worth it.
Germinate in Jello
There are various ways to plant very fine seeds, such as carrots, turnips, etc., to try to space them evenly within their garden rows. Using plain gelatin in a dish soap bottle actually allows you to see how many seeds get dispensed per inch. Remove the pop-up part from the bottle cap and mix one package of plain gelatin with 1 tablespoon of warm water until the gelatin is dissolved. The gelatin needs to be thick enough so the seeds will stay somewhat suspended in the gel, yet liquid enough to be squeezed out of the bottle evenly. To get the right number of seeds, add a small amount of seeds to the gel, shake well, and practise squeezing out rows onto a cookie sheet, increasing the number of seeds as needed. When you've got the right proportion you can sow the seeds in the garden, squeezing the mixture out of the bottle as you move down the row, and shaking the bottle to keep the seeds evenly distributed in the gel. Cover the seeds with soil as recommended on the seed packet. You can have your garden planted in no time at all and the gel seems to promote faster germination.
Spaced out Lettuce
Lettuce seeds, being another very fine seed that tends to get sowed too thickly and time is wasted thinning the seedlings later, are well suited for another simple yet effective spacing technique. Lightly flatten rows of dirt about 6 inches wide where you will sow the seeds. Scoop up a few handfuls of dirt into a bucket and add the amount of seeds needed for the row. Mix the dirt and seeds thoroughly and then sprinkle onto the length of the row. Add about a 1/4 inch of dirt or peat moss on top and water well. Your seeds will go twice as far, no more thinning, and your lettuce will be better than ever!
Re-Fired Beans
Instead of pulling out your green bean stalks after they finished producing, try chopping them down to size. Using either a mower set on the highest setting, or garden shears, cut the stalks leaving about 4 or 5 inches of stem remaining. The mower works better as is shreds the stalks at the same time for addition to the compost. Keep watering the bean stalks as usual and in about a week you should see the stumps sending out new shoots. Sure-shoot'in, In about a month, you should be picking a new crop of beans!
Hurry Up Okra
To hurry up okra seeds, put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them soak overnight and plant the next morning in damp soil. Keep watering daily for the first 3 days.
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