| A small length of hosepipe
wound between plants helps keep off cats and birds as they don't like snakes. |
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Protect tender plants during
winter by lining hanging baskets with straw then turn over and place over plant. |
| A piece of wood placed upright
in a plastic water barrel will prevent the barrel splitting when it freezes. |
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An old plastic sweet jar
(available from most sweetshops) makes an ideal propagator. Lay sweet jar
horizontally and place plant tray inside. Replace lid. |
| To "age" new garden
statues, smear with natural yoghurt. Algae will quickly cover the item making it
look older. |
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If you don't have a spreader
for dry fertilizer etc., use an old coffee jar. Drill holes into the plastic lid,
fill with fertiliser which can then be shaken as and when required. |
| Use old
blankets to line hanging baskets, these can be purchased for a few
pence at car boot/jumble sales.
Sent in by
Trevor Sanderson |
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To water hanging baskets
slowly and gently. Place a handful of ice cubes in the centre of the basket
overnight. The cubes will thaw slowly and water the plants. |
| If you have problems with
moles in the garden, find the run and place a small piece of gorse in the bottom.
The prickles on the gorse will stop them returning. |
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Alternatively, a child's
"windmill" (the sort you get at the seaside) poked into the ground above the run
causes vibrations which deters moles. |
| Cut top and
bottom off large
plastic bottles to use as sleeve and arm protectors when pruning or hedging. |
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Banana skins placed around
rose bushes will rot down and provide nutrients. |
| Line flower pots with damp
paper when planting as this will help preserve moisture. |
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A natural way of removing
flying insects/eggs etc. in greenhouses is by using a vacuum cleaner. |
| To prevent ladders sinking
into foliage when hedging, get a piece of timber approximate 4ft in length and nail two
short lengths of drainpipe the same width as your ladder, at right angles. (making a sort
of ---H--- shape). Place the top edge of your ladder into the drainpipes.
The plank spreads the weight across the hedge. |
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Wipe tools with an oily rag
before putting them away to keep them in good order for next time. |
| Plant bulbs in a buried flower
pot which can then be lifted when bulbs have finished flowering. |
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To combat
blackfly on runner beans, use cold washing up water in an empty
washing up liquid bottle and that way you can reach the topmost part
of the plant.
Jill
Jones |
Making your own liquid feed for tomatoes, peppers, aubergines:
Collect some
stinging nettle and comfrey leaves.
Put them in water
and leave them to rot for a week. You will get a smelly green
liquid.
Dilute this until
the feed is a light green in colour and feed the plants with it.
Please note it
does work very well on the plants growing in the soil, outside or in
the greenhouse border.
Lajos
www.seedparade.co.uk
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