Tips to Ease/Streamline Your Gardening Chores

Used Coffee Grounds

Don't throw those coffee grounds into the trash or compost pile!

Use them inside instead! Ever watered your houseplants and seen little buggies flying from your plants? Get rid of these bugs by placing a layer of used (but cooled) coffee grounds on top of the soil . ..the grounds will eliminate these little creatures. Not only that as the grounds deteriorate (no smell) they provide good nutrients for the soil.

Also, you can let them cool - place them in an open container and set it inside your refrigerator! Those grounds will absorb any odor that might be lingering in your fridge - much, much better than baking soda or charcoal. I change the grounds in my fridge about every other day to ensure there's always an effective odor-eater in my fridge! The 'used' grounds go to the compost pile.

Epsom Salts

Adding Epsom Salts to your plants - whether indoors or out - is one of the best things you can do for them. The magnesium in the salts provides much needed nutrients to the soil. Simply add two tablespoons of Epsom Salts per gallon of water. Water plants as usual. This treatment is especially good for plants that are refusing to bloom and it's good for regenerating soils.

For more information: http://www.saltworks.us/gardening-with-epsom-salt.asp?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content={QueryString&utm_campaign=Epsom%2BSalt#houseplants

Roundup:

Got a tight place with desirable plants and you need to Roundup some undesirables that have managed to get intermingled? To solve this problem, I put the Roundup in a basting tube (the kind you use to baste fowl) then had hubby cut me a 'shield' - about 3' x 3' from thin plywood,  even though solid cardboard would work - anything will work as long as it's easy to handle and stable.

I place the shield to protect the desirables then hit the undesirables with a vengeance! A piece of paper towel is always in my pocket to dry off the tip of the basting tube before lifting it away. I'm careful to ensure Roundup doesn't get on the shield, but check it for possible contamination prior to lifting it.

Love hanging baskets but hate the mess they create? I only know of a few 'tricks'.

Following is a list of ways to conquer the problem . .I have them listed in order of my LEAST favorite method!

• Take them outside . . drench them and wait for them to drip before bringing them back inside.
• Set a drip pan under your basket for the water to drip into . .
• Slip a shower cap under the base of the basket and position as far up as possible. The rubber In the shower cap will hold it snug . .and when the soil has 'dripped' out, carefully remove the cap to avoid spills on your floor/carpet. If I've added water-soluble fertilizer to the water I'm using, I pour the drippings back into the watering can for later use.
• Or use icecubes. The cubes melt slowly - allowing time for absorption and NO drips! Just remember to keep the ice away from the plant stems.I like this method best because I can regulate the amount of water they get (10 of my icemakers cubes equals 1 cup water). I use a slow release fertilizer at the appropriate time . .and follow manufacturers instructions. Then as the plant begins to dry out, just place more ice cubes on the soil.

If you know of more tricks for eliminating this mess, please share.