Greener Garden Accessories

 

We’ve spent the last few days happily planting vegetable seeds on our farm.  As every gardener does, we are hoping for a prolific harvest.  To achieve that of course you need a combination of sun and rain; in dry spells you have to water.

Traditional garden hoses use a lot of water and are manufactured with toxic materials. Fortunately manufacturers understand the importance of and the growing market for “green” household products and are now making eco-friendly hoses with patented water restrictors.  The restrictors control pressure and use at least 50% less water; they also help with puddling and soil erosion.  Earth friendly hoses are made from at least 50% recycled material, usually polyurethane, rubber or a combination, and are generally much lighter than the common rubber hose.  (It is important to choose a hose with UV protective coating to prevent cracking from direct sun exposure.) And on those hot days when you need a drink of water, you can safely drink from an eco-friendly garden hose.  They can be found on-line at greenhome.com.

100% recycled soaker hose

Conserving water is always a concern and using a rain barrel to capture rainwater makes good sense.  The spouts can easily be attached to your garden hose and you can put two or more barrels together for more water!  Check out these rain barrels from Gardener’s Supply.

Rain Barrel

To mark your plants in the garden, here’s a clever upcycling tip.  If you have some old venetian blinds hidden in your attic, cut them in pieces for garden stakes and label them with a sharpie.  It keeps the blinds out of the landfill and saves you a few dollars.

Show off the fruits of your hard labor and spotlight some of your plantings or light up a garden path with solar lighting.  They last for years and work just as well as conventional lighting.

Gardening is naturally a green activity, but make it even more so by using greener garden accessories.

Recipes for Safe Weed Control

Happily spring is here  - trees are flowering, flowers and shrubs are blooming and lawns are turning green.  Oh lawns, we love them and we hate them.  They add beauty to the landscape and are a playground for our kids and pets, but to maintain a “picture-perfect” lawn requires a lot of time, money, energy, and usually toxic chemicals.    A conventional lawn is the largest irrigated “crop” in the country.  With an organic lawn you mow less, water less, thatch less and skip high nitrogen-based fertilizers and herbicides.  Organic lawns are clearly the safer alternative, but you have to be able to tolerate a few weeds as your lawn transitions from a chemical free lawn to an organic one.  

What can you do about those dreaded weeds?  First of all, realize that a monoculture, like a lawn, is not usual in nature.  With the more natural approach, there will be some weeds.   Change your perspective about them.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What is a weed?  A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”  Weeds are a messenger of problems in your soil and will grow where nothing else will. Many are an edible and nutritious food.  If you really can’t stand them, try the simple and safe recipes for weed control I’ve listed below using ingredients right from your kitchen.

VINAIGRETTE “DRESSING” FOR DANDELIONS

A well-placed shot of vinegar right on the plant can thwart dandelions or other broad-leaved weeds.  Be careful not to splash it on the turf or any plants you want to keep, because vinegar will kill grassy plants as well. A section of newspaper or cardboard can act as a shield for desirable plants.

Ingredients

Vinegar (as close to 10% acidity as possible); Dishwashing Liquid (optional); Pump Spray Bottle

Directions

Fill the spray bottle with undiluted vinegar (or mix 3 parts vinegar to 1 part dishwashing liquid).  Spray a narrow stream, dousing the weed’s leaves and crown (the area at the base of the plant).   Rinse the sprayer well with water, especially if it has metal parts because vinegar is corrosive.  This is a spot spray only!

ALCOHOL ATTACK

Rubbing alcohol is a simple way to kill a weed.  Mix it with water and it will dehydrate almost any weed.  This also works against spider mites, aphids, and scale, but may require some experimentation to find the right level of effectiveness.  Test spray on one leaf to check for burning.

Ingredients

1-quart water; 1 (or more) tablespoons rubbing alcohol; Pump spray bottle

Directions

Mix water and alcohol in the spray bottle. (Use 1 tablespoon of alcohol for weed seedlings or thin-leaved weeds and 2 tablespoons or more for tougher weeds.)  Spray weed leaves thoroughly but lightly.  (Avoid surrounding plants.)

SORRY, CHARLIE

Creeping Charlie is a low-growing, yellow-flowered perennial weed that can be a real nuisance in lawns.  If you have noticed it in yours, borax can be a very effective weed-killer, particularly in late spring or early summer when weeds are growing most actively.

Ingredients

5 Teaspoons borax, like 20 mule Team Borax, for every 25 square feet of lawn; 1-quart water; Pump spray bottle

Directions

Mix borax in water.  Measure exactly: Too little and it won’t kill the weeds, too much and you could kill the grass too.  Spray to cover a 25-square foot area.  Water and fertilize your turf after the treatment so that it rapidly fills in the space left by the dead weeds.

SPRAY AWAY BROWN PATCH IN LAWNS

Brown or yellow rings that die out in your lawn, caused by rhizoctonia fungi, which comes from poor drainage, too much rain and/or too much nitrogen fertilizer, can be treated with this simple solution.

Ingredients

1 rounded tablespoon baking soda or potassium bicarbonate  (a better choice since it has less salt); 1-tablespoon horticultural oil; 1-gallon water

Directions

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Spray lightly on your lawn.  Avoid overuse or drenching the soil.

DELUXE BAKING SODA SPRAY

For a very effective disease and insect fighter, go no further than your kitchen.  This concoction works best as a preventative, so spray susceptible plants before disease  symptoms start and continue at weekly intervals.

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons baking soda; 1-tablespoon canola oil; 1 cup plus 1 gallon water; 1-tablespoon vinegar; Backpack or pump sprayer

Directions

Mix the baking soda, soap and oil with 1 cup of water.  Add the vinegar.  Don’t mix the  vinegar in until last or the mixture may bubble over.  Pour the mixture into the sprayer and  add 1 gallon of water.  Shake or stir to combine the ingredients.  Spray plants, covering the bottoms and tops of the leaves.

PLAIN AND SIMPLE GARLIC JUICE

If you are a garlic lover, you may want to use this simple recipe to fight diseases and insects on your plants.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves; A blender; Pump Spray Bottle; Molasses (optional)

Directions

Liquefy 3 garlic cloves in a blender that is half-filled with water.  Strain out the garlic, then mix the remaining liquid with enough water to make 1 gallon of  spicy concentrate.  Two tablespoons of molasses will help the mixture adhere to the leaves.

CITRUS KILLER FOR APHIDS

Aphids and other leaf-sucking insects can cause considerable damage if you don’t control them.  This mixture neutralizes aphids and can also act as a deterrent to ants!

Ingredients

1-pint water; Rind from 1 lemon, grated  (or orange or grapefruit rind); Cheesecloth; Pump Spray Bottle

Directions

Bring the water to a boil.  Remove from heat and add the grated lemon rind.  Allow the mixture to steep overnight.  Strain the mixture through cheesecloth, and pour into the spray bottle. Apply the mixture to plant leaves that are under attack.  (This mixture must come in contact with the insects’ bodies to be effective.)

WEEDS IN HOT WATER

Use boiling water to eliminate weeds from sidewalk or driveway cracks.  Be careful not to splash it on to neighboring plants or turf.

Ingredients

Teakettle or pan

Directions

Boil a full kettle of water.  Pour slowly and carefully, dousing both the weeds and the soil immediately surrounding them.

For more recipes, email me at greenwithbetsy.com.

Recipes for organic weed, insect pests and disease controls compiled from Great Garden Formulas, 1998 Rodale Press, Inc.

 

Information compiled from: lawncare.about.com/od/lawncarebasics/a/historyoflawn.htm

 

THE ECO-FRIENDLY APPROACH TO FALL LEAVES

There is nothing more beautiful than fall foliage, but what do you do with the fallen leaves?  Yard waste is the second-largest component of our trash stream (behind paper and corrugated boxes), according to the EPA, and makes up roughly 20 percent of most communities’ haul. Additionally, trucking the bulky bags to the dump requires a lot of fuel.

Americans can be obsessive about fallen leaves on the lawn.

Image by dasmant Flickr.com

We need to understand that dead leaves are actually Mother Nature’s food, rich in minerals, falling right where they are needed.  They can be composted into nutrient-rich soil for your spring garden. The leaves of one large shade tree can be worth as much as $50 of plant food and humus, according to CompostGuide.com. Leaves are a great soil conditioner and can be added to your perennial beds for nutrients and as protective mulch. With a good mulching mower you can leave a large number of leaves on the lawn to add nutrition, but don’t leave so much that they smother the lawn and cause snow mold. If you prefer to get rid of them, check and see if your community has garden waste recycling programs, or offer them to neighbors, garden clubs or local farmers for composting.

When gathering your leaves, rakes are more effective, cheaper and certainly “greener” than a leaf blower!  And – you burn calories.  If you must use a leaf blower, try a quiet, energy efficient electric one.

If you do bag your leaves, use biodegradable ones. Green Genius makes bags that are the same strength and price of regular trash bags, but biodegrade within 1 to 15 years.  You can purchase them at Whole Foods or Hannafords.

Fallen leaves are part of nature’s perfect system, so please don’t interfere and throw them away.

Conserve Water During Dry Conditions

According to a report from the National Climatic Center in Asheville, NC and the Huffington Post,  “The nation’s widest drought in decades is spreading, with more than half of the continental United States now in some stage of drought and most of the rest enduring abnormally dry conditions.”  As I write this post from my farm on Cape Cod, the thermometer says 88 degrees (though it feels even hotter), much of my lawn looks brown and my flowers, vegetables and normally hearty hydrangea look wilted.  And there have been many days this summer just like this.

We obviously need to water to keep our plants alive. However, we need to think about water conservation too in such dry conditions with little or no rain in the forecast. A lush green lawn is lovely, but turf grass is our largest irrigated “crop” using as much as half of all fresh water used in urban areas each year. Typically, at least half of all water consumed by households is used outdoors. Lawns require two-and-a-half to four times more water than trees and shrubs, and a typical suburban lawn uses 10,000 gallons of water over and above that provided by rainfall in a single year.

What can you do?  Lots…

• Mow high.  Longer grass encourages longer roots, which require less water and food. It also holds moisture better.
• Avoid mowing during the hottest part of the day.
• Don’t mow if you don’t have to.  Save the gas instead.
• When you do water, water deeply and infrequently.
• Water between 4 and 6am when the demand is low.  After 10 am much of the water evaporates.
• Check your automatic sprinkler system periodically to make sure the heads are actually watering the lawn and not the sidewalk or your house.
• Since there seems to be a trend towards hot, dry summers, consider re-landscaping to minimize grass areas in your lawn, lowering your demand for water.
• If you can, let your lawn go dormant during this drought period.  Lawns are supposed to go dormant in the summer – we just keep them artificially green by watering.  If your lawn has a good root system established, it won’t die and will bounce back during the cooler temperatures of fall.
  

  Very green grass, despite the drought (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Information compiled from http://www.bouldercolorado.gov and http://web4.audubon.org/

 

 

 

Happy Arbor Day!

With Earth Day over (though everyday is really Earth Day), it’s on to Arbor Day. The last Friday in April is Arbor Day, a national holiday dating back to 1874 when J. Sterling Morton, a journalist and editor of an important Nebraska paper, founded it. (Arbor Day does vary in some states based on the best tree planting time.) His idea was to set aside a special day for tree planting; it is estimated that more one million trees were planted that first Arbor Day in Nebraska.  The tradition began nationwide in 1882 and continues today with individuals and groups celebrating trees and nature.

Tree (Photo credit: Adnan Yahya)

Planting new trees and caring for existing ones is more important than ever as we battle exotic invasive insect pests, air pollution, soil compaction and contamination, limited water and nutrient availability and the overall effects of extreme weather conditions and climate change.  Trees are much more than just a beautiful big plant; their social, communal, and environmental benefits are numerous.

• They manufacture oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.
• They provide shade in summer and windbreak in winter.
• The beauty and serenity of trees have been shown to help hospital patients recover more quickly.
• Trees reduce crime in low-income urban areas and increase property values.
• Trees help us save energy, improve air quality, conserve water and provide homes to wildlife.
• Trees offset our carbon footprints.
• Large and majestic trees are a major asset to any community.

This Friday, Arbor Day, plant a tree, learn how to care for a special tree in your yard or neighborhood, read a tree identification book, conduct a big tree search, or simply take a walk and appreciate their beauty, especially this time of year.  For group activity ideas, go to arborday.org.

 

 

Edible Landscaping

The local and organic food movement is a good one, ensuring a tastier, more nutritious and safer food supply, while reducing carbon emissions with food grown closer to home. Many people are growing some of their own food, going beyond the typical vegetable and herb garden to edible landscaping.

What is edible landscaping?  According to virginiaberryfarm.com, “edible landscaping replaces plants that are merely ornamental with food producing plants, allowing you to create a multi-functional landscape providing returns (fruits, berries, etc.) on your investment of water, fertilizer, and time”.  In today’s world where food safety is a growing concern and food prices escalate with the price of fuel, it makes good sense. Food also tastes better and has more nutrients immediately after it is harvested; produce trucked from long distances loses much of its nutritional value and doesn’t last as long.  Working in the garden and connecting with the soil is good for the body and soul, with nothing more gratifying than picking your own food for dinner.

We have good soil in New England and can grow a diverse crop right in our own backyard as hedges, ground covers, patio plantings, ornamental trees and on trellises.  Popular ornamental trees, pear, plum, and late producing apple like granny smith and golden delicious, are good choices, which don’t require much pest control.

High bush blueberries, as well as blackberries and raspberries, make excellent deciduous hedges or interspersed in an existing hedge.  They have lovely spring flowers and beautiful fall color. Native low bush blueberries and strawberries spread by their roots and can be used as a ground cover.  Both are drought-resistant and trouble-free.  Blueberries are an important part of a healthy diet, loaded with anti-oxidants and considered one of the “power foods”, but typically heavily sprayed with pesticides.  (Check out the dirty dozen list of fruits and vegetables.)  Rather than pay the price for expensive organic ones, grow your own.  Who can resist the taste of a freshly picked berry?

First blueberries of the season. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Grapes are ideal trellis plants providing beautiful shade and fresh healthy clusters for picking.

I can’t think of any reason not to plant an edible landscape, wherever you live! Be patient though. It takes a few years for your plants to produce - it works on root development for the first couple of years. Remember this gardening saying:  “The first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps”.  Happy planting!

One caveat:  birds and other animals sometimes get to the fruit before you do.  Email me for suggestions on how to control this problem, or just enjoy feeding nature’s creatures.

Some information compiled from virginiaberryfarm.com.

 

CUCUMBER AND VODKA – NOT A COCKTAIL BUT A GREEN ALTERNATIVE!

Many foods and spirits can be used as green alternatives to conventional household and personal care products.  Below are some ideas sent to me from a couple of readers.

Cucumber is a nutritious vegetable with many more medicinal uses than listed here.

• Cucumbers are loaded with vitamins and minerals and make an energy-boosting snack.
• Rubbing a cucumber slice on a fogged up mirror will eliminate the fog and provide aromatherapy at the same time.
• Cucumber slices in an aluminum pie tin will repel grubs and slugs from your garden.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off an undetectable scent to humans but not to garden pests.
• Cucumber is especially beneficial for the skin.  Rub a slice of cucumber on your cellulite and wrinkles to tighten the skin. Cucumber also reduces eye puffiness.
  

  Image by Betsy Wild

• Eating a few cucumber slices after over imbibing and before going to bed helps to eliminate a hangover.  The sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes in the cucumber replenish essential nutrients.
• Shine your shoes with cucumber – the chemicals provide a quick shine that also repels water.
• A cucumber slice pressed on the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds kills bad breath germs.
• Clean your faucets and stainless steel with cucumber slices – it safely removes tarnish and leaves a shine.

Vodka has the same antiseptic properties as rubbing alcohol.  It’s expensive, but in a pinch you can:

• Clean windows with diluted vodka as an alternative to chemical cleansers.
• Shine chrome with a cloth soaked in vodka.
• Preserve cut flowers by mixing a few drops of vodka with a teaspoon of sugar.
• Remove stains like ink, grass and some foods from upholstery.  Dip a clean cloth in vodka and rub it on the fabric.
• Kill broadleaf weeds – Mix 1 ounce of vodka, a few drops of liquid dish soap and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.  Apply on a sunny day to cause the weeds to dry out.
• Clean mold and mildew – spray tiles and caulk with vodka and let stand for 20 minutes.  Scrub with a brush and rinse thoroughly.
• Soothe sore muscles with a cold pack made from equal parts vodka and water.  Put in a resealable bag and freeze.
• Spritz the insides of your shoes with vodka to eliminate the odor.

 

Vodka information compiled from THISOLDHOUSE.COM (Jan/Feb.2012). 

Cucumber information compiled from: www.cropking.com/cucumberbenefit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUTUMN AND THE HARVEST

Image by Tony Libby

Autumn’s crisp blue sky and the brilliant reds, yellows and oranges of the trees make it a special time of year.  Fall is also harvest time when the growing season ends and mature crops are gathered.  The cranberry harvests on Cape Cod are a sight to behold. CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and Farmer’s Markets are winding down and farmers put their fields to bed and get some much-needed rest from the busy season.

This year, think about eating locally as much as possible throughout the fall and winter.  Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables at the Farmer’s Markets, mostly root vegetables, apples and cranberries in New England,  and store them in your basement or cold storage area.

Canning and freezing are great ways to extend the life of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you have a garden, you probably already know how to make and can fresh tomato sauce, applesauce, jellies and jams with the abundance of summer fruits. Herbs freeze well too, so gather some before the first frost. “Fresh” herbs are a welcome surprise to winter dishes.

Eating locally all yearlong is getting easier with winter CSAs and winter Farmer’s Markets.  Many communities now offer them.

Eating organic food grown locally is important for many reasons – its fresher, more nutritious, supports local farmers and requires less oil because it is not transported far and grown organically.  As Barbara Kingsolver says in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, (a wonderful book about her family’s experience eating only seasonal and local food for one year – I highly recommend it.),  “If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. …  Becoming a less energy-dependent nation may just need to start with a good breakfast.”

Celebrate autumn and the harvest this year and enjoy great food all year long.

SAFER WEED KILLERS

Lawns, we love them and we hate them.  They add beauty to the landscape and are a playground for our kids and pets.  They also take a lot of time, money and toxic chemicals, especially if you want that golf course look.  These chemicals seep into the soil, the water table and the air. Our children and pets play on those chemicals where they are tracked inside with no sun or wind to break them down.

Organic lawns are the safer way to go, but you have to be able to tolerate a few weeds as your lawn transitions to a chemical free lawn.  Weeds are a symptom of poor soil. Crabgrass for instance grows where grass won’t, like near the driveway.  Once the soil is corrected and a deeper root system develops to encourage thicker turf, weeds will eventually be crowded out.

If weeds really bother you, there are several non-toxic remedies for eliminating them like using cider vinegar. For recipes, click here.   But for those of you who prefer to buy a ready made product, I just discovered an all natural organic weed control called Garden Weasel Crabgrass Killer.  Its active ingredient is cinnamon bark and is effective in killing crabgrass, chickweed, clover and other similar weeds.  Garden Weasel AG crabgrass control is safe around people, pets and the environment and is easy to use.  Just wet the area you want to treat with water and then sprinkle the product.  It will only kill the active crabgrass and weeds, not the grass or seeds.  You can order it online from dirtdoctor.com.

So, make the change this year to an organic lawn.   Everyone benefits from safer lawns.

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR INSECT BITES

Ah, summer is here at last and so are the mosquitoes.  After a very rainy spring, they are out in full force.

Image by ViaMoi Flickr.com

There are several precautions you can take to repel mosquitoes, like using a safe, non-toxic personal repellant, covering your arms and legs at dusk when the mosquitoes come out, avoid keeping standing water around in birdbaths or buckets, and placing certain aromatic plants like scented geraniums, marigolds or rosemary on your patio or deck or in your garden to help repel them.  But, even with these precautions, most of us will usually get bitten, and some people more than others.  I know I am a mosquito magnet – my husband says when he is with me, he never gets bitten!  So, what non-toxic relief can you get for those nasty, itchy, inflamed bites?  Lots!  Below is a list of common household products, which relieve itching and help to heal the bite.

• Toothpaste (peppermint works best)
• Salt – Moisten first then rub table salt on the area.
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Witch Hazel – Make a paste out of witch hazel and baking soda. Or just  baking soda and water (works for bee stings too!)
• Aloe relieves the itch and heals the wound.
• Lemon is good when you just have to scratch.  Cut it in half and use the pulp side.  Helps reduce the chance of infection from scratching.
• Deodorant – Rub on immediately after getting the bite.
• Lavender, tea tree or neem base essential oil (just a drop) reduces inflammation and prevents infection.
• Garlic salt and seasoning salt mixed with an equal amount of water.
• Saliva

Each remedy works better for some people than others.  When you get your next bite, try some and let me know which remedies work for you.  

Some information compiled from www.home-remedy.org and Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles.