Ask a gardener of any skill level what the hardest part of having a garden is and they will all tell you the same thing – getting rid of weeds.
24.07.2023 - 12:25 / hgic.clemson.edu
If you are anything like me, you are constantly adding to your gardening toolbox. Below are a few tools that I cannot live without in my gardening adventures. The best news is that for $40, you can enjoy these tools and the entertainment they provide for years.
A cheap Jeweler’s loupe can be the best pest management tool in your arsenal and can provide hours of upon hours of entertainment. A jeweler’s loupe can magnify objects from 5 to 20X, providing an eye witness account to what may be causing your plants to suffer. I watch National Geographic a good bit and am fascinated by how cheetahs hunt gazelles on the African savannahs. The same sort of thing happens in your garden, except the hunters are praying mantids, wheel bugs, lacewing larvae, and lady bird beetle larvae, and the prey are mites, thrips, aphids, and whiteflies. To catch some of this action, a jeweler’s loupe is needed to provide the up-close footage happening on your plants. For more information on beneficial insects, check out HGIC 2829, Natural Enemies: Predators and Parasitoids. Go ahead and thank me now and cancel your cable service.
I’m talking about a $20-30 trowel or heavy-duty garden knife that you can use for years. I have one that I carry in my truck to use for pulling soil samples. It has indentations in the metal that indicate the depth of the soil so you can pull samples from the correct depth. The trowel I use is tough enough to use in very heavy clay soils seen in the upstate. I consider my trowel a multi-use tool as it is great for digging holes for transplants, mixing potting soil, dividing perennials, and even as a weapon to throw at invading squirrels. That may be good entertainment considering you’ve canceled your cable service by now.
Ask a gardener of any skill level what the hardest part of having a garden is and they will all tell you the same thing – getting rid of weeds.
Birds make a great addition to your garden, they’re great to look at and they’re useful as well. For instance, they will eat slugs, snails, aphids, insects and other well-known troublemakers.
The growing season might be in full swing, but there are still ways to upgrade your garden game. From keeping out unwanted pests (or pets) to building your own customized trellising and irrigation—it’s time to make your beds work smarter, not harder. We’ve got five ways to customize your planters this summer that will not only make things look fantastic, but will take your growing capabilities to the next level. Whether you choose to tackle them all or just add one to your list of weekend to-dos, I promise it will be a noticeable refresh with rewarding results.
All varieties of squash will cross pollinate with each other, resulting in some unusual squash varieties. They are also intentionally bred in an effort to produce squash with unique traits. Some of the weird squash varieties that result may be found on the dinner table or may simply end up as interesting yard art.
Some Tips for Encouraging wildlife into your garden:
It may be boring but what better way to set off your garden than by getting everything neat, tidy, sorted, spick and span.
Summer is over and we had the first Autumn frost last night 26th September. It was only a light frost and we have some cloud cover for the next few nights so it won’t be as cold tonight. Still I set-too to protect some plants.
This summer has been damp and the plants have grown lush. In some way this has contributed to a dramatic cut in the number of greenfly on my roses and other plants (perhaps they found other feeding grounds or did not mate as prolifically).
Sometimes as gardeners, we place all the emphasis on plants. However, a few well positioned ornaments and focal points can heighten the interest and drama within a garden.
Autumn may seem a strange time to start a gardening business but it is the time to focus on what you want to do. Get all your ducks (or seedlings) in a row and ensure you have the detail sorted and with that I include enough cash to see you through and chosen customer groups. How to Start Your Own Gardening Business An Insider Guide to Setting Yourself Up as a Professional Gardener is a useful tutorial if you want to set up a gardening business. I recommend you consider your aspirations and limitations carefully and either set up a ‘Life Style business’ or consider becoming a qualified, professional career gardener.
As gardeners mature they enter a purple patch in their life and potentially in the garden. Some of the best plants with purple or coppery coloured leaves take several years to mature like the notional gardener. Amongst the favourites must be the copper beech and the many Acers with reddish leaves.
Virtually no flies on your car windscreen, sterile fields with no hedgerows and a multi-million pound insecticide industry not much heaven for insects. The hope for bugs, flies and little creatures may rest in your garden.