Garden Tips and Advice
My Advice
Don't listen to my advice. I'm still learning
Other's Advice
Placement
Some useful info
http://www.i-55.com/lan/fruitguide.html
http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_fruit_tree.htm
Some radical advice for close quarters planting:
(plant 2-4 fruit trees together, or in hedgerow, or espalier)
http://www.crfg.org/tidbits/backyardorchard.html
Examples of High-Density Planting
http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/gardencompass/gc01_mar_apr_01.html
General
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/huber/2982655.html
"wait until mid-March, when the soil is warmer, to plant citrus and figs."
"Kumquats are especially cold-tolerant. Not only easy to grow, but they're also easy to eat"
"The trick to growing these and other citrus is to plant them 10 feet apart in existing soil with no standing water and at least a half day of sun. Little or no pruning is required."
"Kumquats are not citrus but are of the genus Fortunella. The small orange fruit is eaten whole, rind & all (the flavor is in the skin) or used in candies, jams, & sauces. They are the most cold hardy of all citrus, withstanding temperatures below 20 degrees. Beautiful small trees to 12’ tall unless grafted on the dwarfing ‘Flying Dragon’ rootstock. They make exceptional evergreen ornamental trees with their compact growth habit, ideal for growing in containers."
- trellis blackberries
- trellis or arbor muscadines
- circular bed for blueberries
- oranges, grapefruit, grow appprox. 20' tall 15-20' diameter
- Tangerine, mandarin trees are much smaller than orange or grapefruit
- Plant meyer lemon in protected SW exposure near house wall
- Grow key lime in very large pot; lakeland limequat from seed in ground
- Pomegranates, full sun, 8' radius
- Yellow raspberries are a special boon to the home gardener: they're even sweeter than red ones, they're rarely sold in food stores, and - for some mysterious reason - birds don't seem to care much for them.
- If you plant both red and black raspberries, keep them at least 300 feet apart. The reds, though outwardly healthy, can transmit diseases to the less-resistant blacks.
- Both aphids and Japanese beetles like blackberries and raspberries as much as they like their close relatives, roses. Ladybugs and praying mantises should keep the aphids under control, but if the population gets out of hand, a good spray from the garden hose will send them packing. To deter the beetles, plant garlic among your bramble fruits; any brave souls who show up anyway can be picked off by hand or hosed off like the aphids.
Gardening by the moon
http://alleyspc.com/mosquitoes.htm:
Peppermint, vanilla, bay, clove, sassafras, and cedar have all been used as bug repellents.
Buy citronella candles or by the bottle. Mosquitoes hate it. Set mosquito traps around your home by putting water in a bucket and add a good measure of dishwashing soap. When the mosquito lands to lay her eggs, she won't be able to escape from the slick emulsion. Plant a barrier of tansy or basil near doorways or around outdoor patios. Mosquitoes as well as flies and ants are repelled by them. If you're having a barbecue, throw some sage and rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitoes.
Make the body emit odors that repel mosquitoes: Take your B1 .
Eat plenty of garlic in foods or take garlic pills. Not only good for your health, but noxious to insects. Rub some apple cider vinegar on exposed skin to keep away pests. (Also works on sunburn, so my mother says.) Crush fresh parsley and rub it on the skin. Try spraying Avon's Skin-So-Soft bath oil spray on exposed skin. Some folks swear by it. Some don't. Maybe again it is a matter of how body chemistry comes into play. Break down and Buy Bug Repellents but read the Centers for Disease Control's report on precautions first.
Bt bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis), attack mosquito larvae but pose no threat to other life forms.
rooting:
willow water
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesorg/msg0720433521555.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosespro/msg0807005616751.html
Plants love coffee grounds
Slugs and snails are repelled by caffeine (i.e. coffee grounds)
http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Business/coffeefert.htm
- Posted by steve2416 z7 NC (My Page) on Mon, Nov 6, 06 at 18:06 In my town they start vacuuming up leaves in mid-November. I call the Director of Public Works each year and request that when they are working in my area they drop me off a few loads. They are happy to comply. This year I asked for 3 truckloads -- 10 cubic yards of compressed leaves per truck that usually slide out like a giant hay bale with the strings cut.
