Raspberries

We have a few raspberries growing in garden but the birds usually get them before we do. You can plant raspberries just about anywhere but they do like a big handful of compost when planting. You should plant them at least 3 feet apart...red raspberries 1 inch deeper than the root ball. They like good drainage we have ours planted so the water drains down the hill.

I suggest that you plant them in a long row...and keep sister plants from growing in the middle of the beds. I just cut them off to the ground when they start appearing in the spring.

Don't forget that raspberries are biennials this means that next years growth will come from new canes...and last years will die after fruiting. Make sure you cut them to the ground and prune back all woody canes. Try to keep your beds nice and tidy...keeping the middle of the beds clear.

Happy Gardening..

Lynn

5 reasons why we stake our tomatoes

We have always staked out tomatoes but I am sure some wonder why so here are a few reasons why we do.....

1. Fruit is cleaner...keeping fruit off the ground.

2. Slugs love tomatoes. (keeping tomatoes off the ground keeps slugs from eating your tomatoes)

3. Keeps garden tidy

4. We think we get more tomatoes (we don't prune our tomatoes)

5. You don't have to bend over as much...which wastes time.

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Staking Tomatoes...

Great recipes for Tomatoes, Peppers and Azaleas

Azaleas : Love left over tea and tea leaves....finished with that last bit of ice tea pour it over your Azaleas.

Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants: They love a drink of Epsom Salts water. 2 tablespoons Epsom salt to one gallon of water. Give them a pint of water to each plant until they begin to bloom.

Asparagus love manure apply a thick layer of manure over your asparagus patch after the ground freezes in the fall...this will give them that added protection along with great nutrients they will need to make the new plants for spring.

Happy Gardening..

Lynn

Composting

We have a huge pile of compost in our backyard. We don't have a fence around it or any pretty fancy boards just a big pile of grass, leaves and scraps. We have ours out in the sun too!

Here is a list of composting materials:

hair,
grass
leaves,
shredded paper
coffee
egg shells
tea bags
vegetable peelings
evergreen needles (not to many)
bag from vacuum sweeper

No meat or dairy products this will just encourage mice and other animals to visit your compost pile. Don't forget to turn the pile with a shovel everyweek to let the compost get some well needed air.

Happy Gardening..

Lynn

Cover Crops

I love the use of a cover crop. Cover crops really help to improve your soil....just plant it during late summer or early fall let grow and turn under when spring arrives. You can get many at your garden supply store...you might have to ask for it.

My favorite cover crops are:

hairy vetch

barley

oats

winter rye

wheat


Here are a few that can be planted in the spring and can be carried over until the next spring.

alfalfa

clover

sweet clover

This will improve your soil for many years to come.

Happy Gardening,

Lynn

Cutworms

I used to have cutworms kill my new transplants...... now I have a few ways to keep that from happening....

You can use a tin can with the top and bottom removed. I place this collar 1 inch into the ground over my new transplant.

You can also use paper cups with the bottoms taken out

You can re- use milk cartons this way too.

These ways should keep that cutworm from killing your plants.

Keep the Raccoons out of my corn

We have had raccoons in our corn for years....here are a few ways to keep them out.

1. We keep a radio on in our garden at night...Place it in a plastic bag if calling for rain.

2. You can interplant corn with pumpkins and squash....raccoons don't like stepping on the prickly vines and leaves.

3. Our favorite way is to place a floppy chicken wire about two feet wide over the top of your garden fence. It won't support the weight of the raccoon and they should flip right off.

I hope this saves your garden from the raccoons.

Happy Gardening...

Lynn