SMOKETOWN, Pa. â Gardeners are excited to get back to the growing season. Now is the time for some good garden tips and tricks to kick off the season.
Kathy Trout, manager at Kenâs Gardens, offers some hacks for gardeners on a budget.
Tarp as a Gardening Tool
Use a tarp as a multipurpose garden tool to pile on debris as you wake up your garden beds. Then dragging it away for disposal to spread out before potting. This keeps the patio or picnic table clean.
It can also be used to cover the mulch pile if rain is forecast.
A tarp is cheaper and easier to store than a wheelbarrow. It is also easy to shake or brush off for cleaning.
Test Old Seeds
Before planting, test old seeds to make sure itâs worth the time sowing them outside.
Put seeds on a damp paper towel in an enclosed plastic clamshell or clear bag. A few days later, check whether or not germination has occurred to determine whether they are viable or should be tossed.
Milk Jugs for Winter Sowing
Winter sowing produces hardened-off seedlings with minimal effort and no inside space or light requirements.
Gardeners won’t want to miss out on these award-winning vegetable and flower varieties from All-America Selections, proven to thrive through rigorous nationwide testing and evaluation.
Plant seeds in protective vented containers like milk jugs outside while itâs still cold. Put in a few drainage holes and keep the soil moist. Cut a hinge in the milk jug and keep it taped closed until time to transplant.
The seeds will bide their time until temperatures rise high enough and then sprout. Seeds that respond well to this method are cold-tolerant vegetables, some herbs, and flowers such as poppies, marigolds and cosmos.
Seedling Swap
Host a seedling swap with friends or neighbors. Start the whole packet of seeds, and trade the extra seedlings for something your friends grew.
Organized groups can plan ahead to avoid duplicates and get the varieties they want.
Create Roomier Beds
Divide perennials like rhubarb, black-eyed Susans, hostas, and daylilies in early spring and share with friends. These plants benefit from roomier beds, and free plants are a nice bonus.
Protect Seedlings with Household Items
Protect vegetable seedlings from cutworms with toilet paper tubes or cut-out tuna or cat food cans. Gently press them into the soil around the seedlings.
Milk Jugs to Stave Off Birds
Shield seedlings from hungry birds with cut-off gallon milk jugs or green mesh berry boxes set like a little cage around them.
Color and Light to Keep the Birds Away
Choosing starter seeds for this year’s vegetable garden can seem overwhelming, but Victory Seed Company’s regional seed bundles can make it easier for gardeners to plan their plots.
Another bird hack is to set up fluttery, shiny, bright objects to deter birds from snacking in your garden. Use foil pinwheels or pie pans, strings of tiny mirrors, and lightweight curls of shiny gift-wrapping ribbon.
Birds particularly dislike the color red. Change up the scary things throughout the season or birds can figure out the ruse.
Old Pantyhose in Lieu of Zip Ties and Twine
Tie up fragile plants with strings of pantyhose or strips of old tee shirts â a softer alternative to zip ties and more durable than twine.
Create Raised Beds with Pallets
Use a pallet for a raised bed. Place it flat on the ground with the slats up. Optionally, put landscape fabric under it, fill with soil and plant leafy greens and herbs with shallow roots.
