Monday, April 23, 2018

Method to Grow Tomatoes

Bury tomato slices
You read that right. This method, is cheap and easy. All you need is some potting soil, an overripe tomato, and a few pots.

Fill a large pot most of the way full with potting soil. Then add a few tomato slices (about 1/4 inch thick) on top. Make sure the slices you choose have plenty of seeds and cover them with just enough soil to bury them. Wait a week or two for them to sprout. ​

After about a week, your tomato seeds will start to sprout. You may get as many as 60 seedling sprouts in one pot! Look for about four or five of the biggest (strongest sprouts). Remove those sprouts and replant them in another pot. 
Watch the new plants for a few weeks. You'll likely notice that one or two of the plants seem to be growing bigger and stronger. Remove the other two plants to give your stronger plants more room to grow.




http://diyeverywhere.com/2017/04/10/stop-buying-tomatoes-use-these-4-smart-methods-to-grow-an-endless-supply

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLfpeUtyDII

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23gT5g4k400

 

Tea Bags in the Garden

The bags decompose: Did you know that most British tea bags are made from a relative of the banana? Manila hemp is made from the fiber of abaca leaf stalks. The bag itself will break down and the very little plastic they use to seal the tea bags virtually disappears within six months

Tea adds nutrients to the soil: Tea leaves contain tannic acid and nutrients that are natural fertilizers for a garden. As the tea leaves decompose, they release nutrients into the soil, creating a healthier growing environment

Tea bags keep pests at bay: Used tea bags (and coffee grounds) will help keep bugs away from your plants. The odor deters pests from chewing on your flowers and veggies. 

The smell of tea works on cats too: Sprinkle coffee grounds or used tea grounds around your garden to keep Fluffy from urinating on your favorite plants. You can do use this with indoor plants as well.

Tea bags do wonders for the garden. They enrich the soil by increasing nitrogen levels, and also give earthworms (fertilizers) something yummy to eat.  Just be sure to remove the tags first. They take a long time to break down and might be plastic coated.

Your tea bags can grow a garden: Believe it or not, you can grow your own garden with used tea bags, seeds, a plastic tray, water and a paper towel. You'll germinate your seeds with the tea bags and then plant them in the garden,

You will need:

21 used tea bags
A paper towel
A small plastic tray
Water
Seeds. Try pansies, lettuce, broccoli or marigolds.

What to do

Fold the paper towel, put it in the tray and wet it.
Soak the used tea bags and pack them together like pillows in three rows on the paper towel.
Make a hole in each bag and poke in a seed.
Put the tray in a warm place out of the sun. Take care to keep the paper towel wet. It will keep the tea bags moist. This is VERY IMPORTANT.
When the seeds germinate and the seedlings are about 2 cm tall, plant them in their bags in the garden.

Tea increases the decomposition of other items: If you use tea bags in your soil or compost pile, the acid in the tea can speed up the decomposition process of other things in the compost bin, which means you can use the compost faster.

Worms eat the tea leaves: Worms can safely consume tea leaves. Once they digest the leaves, they produce a more "nutrient-rich fertilizer output," making your soil healthier for growing plants.

Water retention: Bury your tea bags near the root of your plants, flowers and veggies to help the plants retain more water and stay healthier.

Tea bags help keep weeds at bay: When you bury your tea bags in the garden, they can help impede the growth of weeds

Links
https://thegardeningcook.com/tea-bags/
http://diyeverywhere.com/2017/03/20/dont-throw-away-your-teabags-heres-10-reasons-why-you-should-plant-them-instead
http://kcc.org.nz/portfolio/grow-a-tea-bag-garden/
http://www.veggiegardener.com/the-benefits-of-tea-leaves-in-the-garden/

Cinnamon in Your Garden

With origins dating back to as early as 2700 B.C., cinnamon is a popular spice all over the world for uses in cooking and medicine. Once a very valuable trade commodity, you can find ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks at most grocery stores at a fair price.

1. Deter ants
Cinnamon will actually kill ants. The powdery substance will suffocate the bugs when inhaled. The aroma can also make it hard for ants to smell food sources, but it's nontoxic for kids and pets. 

2. Defeat fungus
When you sprinkle ground cinnamon on soil, it kills fungi. The cinnamon targets surface-level fungi, so you might need to use other solutions in addition to this one, according to Indoor Gardening. You can use cinnamon to kill wild mushrooms too.
How to do it: dust a layer of cinnamon on the top of the soil; cinnamon is known to repel female gnats (rather than lay eggs on the cinnamon they'll fly around to try to find somewhere else).

 3. Protect seedlings from disease
The antifungal properties in cinnamon make it a great tool for protecting seedlings from rot and disease, also known as damping off. Keeping moisture at bay is key; dusting the seeds with cinnamon and using a doming tactic can protect the seeds until they grow. Check out a comprehensive how-to from The Rusted Vegetable Garden.

4. Root and graft plants
You can make your roses (or other plants) sturdier after cutting and replanting by first dipping them in cinnamon powder, which works like a rooting hormone, a bit. The cinnamon kills off the competition, so to speak, so that your flower can grow better. 

5. Heal sick plants
Try sprinkling cinnamon on a plant wound (from cutting or other damage) to speed up the healing process and protect it from further damage or disease.

6. Keep mosquitoes away from the garden
Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon around your plants to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away. They don't like the strong smell of cinnamon, so you can enjoy your garden (even at night) in peace.


http://www.indoorgardener.org/2014/07/getting-rid-of-fungus-gnats-with-drying.html
https://therustedgarden.blogspot.ca/2013/02/using-cinnamon-on-seedlings-stop.html
http://gardeningtips.diyeverywhere.com/2017/05/22/cinnamon-isnt-just-for-the-kitchen-here-are-6-reasons-to-use-cinnamon-in-your-garden
http://diyeverywhere.com/2017/03/20/dont-throw-away-your-teabags-heres-10-reasons-why-you-should-plant-them-instead