Plant Marigolds With Tomato Plants From Master Gardener David Wall
April 14, 2024 – When it comes to growing tomatoes, one of the best ways to use the power of companion planting to help grow a bigger and better harvest is to plant marigolds with or near your tomato plants. Marigolds add color to a vegetable garden, and their fragrant foliage and colorful blooms help protect tomato plants from pests, while simultaneously attracting beneficial insects! Many old-time gardeners used to ring their...
This and That for April 2024 From Master Gardener David Wall
April 9, 2024 – For those who, for whatever reason, choose to cut the corn off the cob after cooking and before eating, holding on without burning or scalding you hand is always a problem. Fortunately, a simple, easy, and mess-free solution is to use an angel food cake pan. Simply place the stem end in the center hole and then slice downward with a knife to remove the kernels. Plants don’t just emit water vapor to the sky, they...
Growing Vegetables In 5 Gallon Buckets From Master Gardener David Wall
April 3, 2024 – Whether lack of garden room, sick of a large garden, unable to bend over to pick fruit, or just want a few peppers, tomatoes or cucumbers, consider growing the plants in 5-gallon buckets. They’re low maintenance (easy watering and fertilizing), higher above ground, and virtually weed free. The depth and circumference can support the roots for any pepper plant. A stake, trellis or cage is still necessary, but you...
Marigolds and Tomato Plants Together From Master Gardener David Wall
March 31, 2024 – Growing marigolds with your tomato plants is one of the best ways to keep tomatoes happy, healthy, and productive. Marigolds are considered to be one of the best companion plants for many vegetables, but especially for tomato plants. Unlike other annuals, marigolds stay with you under the lousiest of conditions, including drought, bright sunlight, and strong winds without damage while they deter many of tomato...
What’s the Best Shovel for Your Garden From Master Gardener David Wall
March 26, 2024 – For most of us, a shovel is a shovel is just a shovel, never mind that there are so many types; short-handled, long-handled, rounded, round-point, flat, ditching, long bladed, trenching, and serrated. Additionally, there’s the digging spade, garden spade, perennial spade, and scoops. They’re made from steel, plastic, stainless steel, carbon fiber, and aluminum. And, there’s the price from under $10 to over...
Coffee Grounds in Your Garden Soil From Master Gardener David Wall
March 17, 2024 – Many of you use your “used” coffee grounds for fertilizer in your gardens. You like the results but have to experiment to find the best way to do so. Used coffee grounds for fertilizer is not exactly a new idea. Additionally, many of you put coffee grounds in your compost piles where it mixes with other organic contents, eventually resulting in great soil additives. It must be noted, however, that this is done...
Change is Inevitable From Master Gardener David Wall
March 10, 2024 – Inevitably when gardening, things that were standard a few years ago become outdated or just wrong. For example, the literature used to recommend placing an egg and banana in the tomato planting hole. In fact, you can still occasionally find such a recommendation today. Such recommendations, however, ignored the rotting time needed before the basic elements could be used by a growing tomato plant. Then, placing...
Try Milk in Your Garden From Master Gardener David Wall
March 3, 2024 – Powdered milk is made by evaporating milk until only a powder remains. A major benefit for gardeners is the powder is rich in calcium, and other nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, elements all plants need. If you are looking for powdered milk, be sure to read the contents and choose a product that has been fortified with calcium. Next, read the label, and mix with water according to...
Interesting Facts for February From Master Gardener David Wall
February 25, 2024 – While most people avoid them, watermelon seeds are rich is proteins, vitamins, omega 3, zinc, fatty acids, and so on! Blue whale hearts weigh nearly a ton and only need to beat once every 10 seconds. Sunlight converts cholesterol in our skin to vitamin D3. Eating kiwi fruit reduces eye problems and increases eyesight. China is constructing the world’s first forest city where all buildings are covered by a...
Is Pine Needle Compost OK for Vegetable Gardens? From Master Gardener David Wall
February 11, 2024 – There are two uses for the pine needles in your garden. For the first, pine needles make an excellent mulch for your vegetables. They don’t press on the soil and let plenty of air through them. They don’t affect soil pH, because they are above ground. It’s that simple. On the other hand, should we allow needles to be used in compost? It’s an interesting question, and the answer, after studying, is easier than...
