Clip and save gardening hints #2-2011

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

•Two Crops – One Planting
Sometimes you can get a second crop from some plants like green and yellow beans, lettuce, Swiss chard and other greens. After they have finished producing, try chopping them down about 3 inches above the soil. You can either cut with scissors or pruners or if you have a large patch use the lawn mower set on the highest setting or garden shears. Keep watering as usual and in about a week you should see the stumps sending out new shoots. In about a month to six weeks, depending on the weather, you should be picking a new crop.
•Handy Tool Storage
A great place to store your hand tools right in your gardening area, is to use a metal rural mailbox. You can mount it on a post, an old stump or place it right on the ground. You can even buy one from a crafty person already painted up. These are great to store all your hand tools, gloves and small odds and ends right where you garden and out of the elements. I have found an antique napkin dispenser that looks like a mail box for this purpose.
•Make Hand Tools More Comfortable
If you find handles of tools, mowers and shears uncomfortable, apply pipe insulating foam or foam bicycle handle bar grips. Either can be cut to make a custom fit. Glue in place if needed or uses electrical tape.
•Planting Bareroot Trees
When planting bareroot trees and shrubs, make sure to spread the roots out so they are all evenly spaced and untangled because twisted roots stunt growth.  As you cover the roots with soil, gently wiggle the plant in its spot, from time to time to allow the soil to drop down well between the roots.  Make sure to water well after planting.
•Keeping Hanging Pots Moister
If not already in your potting mix that you put in your containers and hanging baskets, add perlite to the mix as it absorbs moisture when water is plentiful and releases it when the compost is dry.
•A Kneeling Pad
I have found that an old carpet remnant is the best kneeling pad for working in the garden. I just shake it off after each use and hang it in the shed so any moisture can dry off of it before the next use. I often have two to rotate. They usually last 3-4 years if taken care of, can be washed if too soiled and cost only a dollar or two each from a carpet store or are free if left over from a project. The size is nice too because you can sit or kneel on the carpet. Those rubber pads are much smaller.
•Economical Plant labels
An old metal venetian blind can be cut up into smaller pieces and made into plant labels. You can find these at garage sales or thrift stores. I recommend purchasing a paint marker from a hardware or craft store for a long lasting, sun proof label. I have spent hours in the past using other permanent markers or grease pencils only to find my hard work bleached away by the sun and rain.
•Mini Greenhouses
Save the clear produce or fruit containers that often cannot be accepted in our recycle bins, as they make great mini greenhouses for starting seedlings. Seedlings can be started in one half and covered until they grow too tall. Empty ones can also be placed over tender seedlings in the garden. Just bury the edges thoroughly so the wind doesn’t take them away. A few 3” nails punched through the edges and then into the soil will help to secure them as well.
•Pest Barrier
For the most part, animal pests like skunks, squirrels and deer don’t like strong-smelling plants. Surround your garden with marigolds, zinnias, silver mound, aromatic herbs, onions, garlic or any other strong or foul smelling plants.
•Fake Snakes
To keep small animals and some birds out of your garden, cut an old hose in three-foot lengths (black works best but green is okay too). Place the pieces around your garden to look like fake snakes. Move them around every once in a while.