GARDENS GALORE
Tim Bassinger sprinkles lime on his corn rows to keep birds from pulling up the plants; Barbara Sabatos sprouts seeds in a large electric food-warming tray; Bette Caldwell grows basil at the base of each tomato plant; Grant Kothiringer makes plant and row markers from scrap vinyl siding; Thelma Graham keeps moles from her peas with kerosene; Ronna Kelly shares four ways nylon net helps her garden; Dennis Willie uses a saltshaker to distribute tiny seeds; Fred Race makes a salad of cattails; Cathryn Marshall uses carpeting to prevent weeds in the garden; Todd Drake uses branches to support vining plants; Clarence Hoffman recycles plastic bags to tie up tomatoes and other plants that need support.
COUNTRY LORE
RELATED CONTENT
The history of March, spring temperatures and special sky events for spring....
Israel's Solar-Powered Car
The engineering department at Tel Aviv University uses solar pane...
Relieving colic in a quarter horse, the advantages of foremilk stripping, docking lambs' tails and ...
Fourteen-year-old author's poem and homage to Edgar Allan Poe....
Just Tell the Truth September/October 1988 WELL SIR, IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE the traveling rail rid...
A hot tip for seed starting, and more.
For years I had problems with birds pulling up as much as
50% of my germinating sweet corn. A friend advised me to
sprinkle lime on the row, and on either side too, just as
the corn breaks through the soil. Since doing this I
haven't lost a bit of corn.
—Tim Basinger
Campbellsburg, Indiana
The Choice of Experience
I start more than 500 seedlings in flats each spring, and
over many years I've experimented with various
bottom-heating methods to speed the sprouting process and
promote deep root growth. My time-saving favorite is a
large electric food-warming tray (they're fairly common at
garage sales and secondhand stores). With the tray's heat
control at the lowest setting, an entire flat can be
sprouted in 48 to 72 hours. Plastic wrap placed loosely
over the top retains moisture. As each flat of seedlings
sprouts, I set it under fluorescent lights in our cool
basement and keep it moistened with rainwater collected
throughout the summer and stored in gallon plastic jugs.
—Barbara A. Sabatos
Howell, Michigan
A Blend of Friends
Good cooks know that basil and tomatoes make for a tasty
combination, but I carry this a step further. Once my
tomato plants get a good start in the garden, I grow basil
at the base of each one. Not only do I have dried basil for
seasoning, but my tomatoes seem to have an especially
delicious flavor.
—Bette Caldwell
Stronghurst, Illinois
Vinyl Verifiers
I make plant and row markers by cutting strips from scrap
vinyl siding. The vinyl can be easily cut with tin snips or
a knife, is virtually indestructible, and can be labeled
with a pencil (which is erasable) or waterproof ink (which
can be washed off with ammonia). A siding contractor would
probably give you all the material you'd need to make as
many markers as you wish.
- Grant Kothiringer
Seneca, South Carolina
Plentiful Peas
I've got a trick that keeps moles from ruining my rows of
peas. When I'm ready to plant the seeds, I shake them in a
can into which I've poured about a teaspoonful of kerosene.
By also planting early to harvest before summer, I've
always had a good crop.
Page: 1 |
2 |
3 |
Next >>
