No matter how long you have gardened , there ’s always something raw to instruct . Looking over back issue ofNorthern Gardenerand detail on this web log and the oneI write , I found scores of steer that could be considered among the good garden tips of 2013 . So as the old year conclusion and the newfangled one begins , here are 13 that worth keeping in mind for 2014 .
1)Water tomatoes with a 5 - gallon pail . We’ve find out this in a distich of places . ( The ace I remember are from Bobby Jensen ofGrow with KAREandEric Johnson , one of ourNorthern Gardenercolumnists . ) The idea is that vegetables , especially tomatoes , need consistent watering , and one way to do that is with a 5 - gal pail . In the bottom of the pail , you drill several really bantam holes ( 1/8 column inch or less ) . Set the bucket in the garden near the plant that call for water , then once a week , fill it up . The water will easy seep into the ground , give works a unwavering , equal supply of piddle . I tried this with a tomato layer this retiring season and those tomatoes did well than any other ones I grow .
2)Plant leaping vegetables in mid - summer . Jackie Smith , a Carver - Scott County Master Gardener , proffer this mind at a horticulture day last year . Our spring in Minnesota are short , knotty and irregular , so skip the nuisance of trying to grow “ natural spring vegetables , ” such as Chinese cultivated cabbage and prickly-seeded spinach , in spring and plant them in mid to previous summer . Then , reap the crop when the temperatures cool in fall .
Water consistently for a great tomato crop.
3)Grow potatoes in containers . I heard about this on a garden tour in Duluth twelvemonth ago , but have n’t try it until this past yr . Just plant the potatoes in a big container – I used one of those50 - gallon plastic containers – filled with compost and potting mix . The potatoes grow well and were quick for harvest time ahead of time . Another side benefit : No problems with insects .
4)Bring indoor plants outside for the summer . A lot of houseplant really benefit from a summer vacation . ( insure out what find tomy mom ’s succulent collectionwhen alfresco for the summertime . ) There are a duo of tricks . First , just as you would ease vegetable plant grown under lights to the open air , you need to do the same with houseplants . Give them a few day of going to a shady speckle before expose them to full sun . When they arrive back indoors in fall , give the mint a full bath and check them carefully for bug .
5)Engage visitors at the front door . One ofNorthern Gardener’sgreat garden profiles of 2013 was ofHeidi Heiland ’s garden . The clause , which appear in the May / June issue , was full of mind and innovation tips . But here ’s a capital one : Make certain your front door is ask round . Even if most of your gardening is out back , people will hail to your garden through the front . Containers , shrubs and a dainty wide path or court tell your Edgar Guest they are welcome at your seat .
This simple entry garden is welcoming even in early spring.
6)Search smartly when you have a plant job . The Internet can be a scary place , full of tribe trying to sell you things and hoi polloi with half - bake musical theme . If you think you have a plant disease , here ’s a skillful means to ensure your Google hunting leads you to research - free-base entropy . Put in the symptoms or other keywords in the lookup loge , then typewrite “ site : .edu ” . This will run you to university websites , which are most probable to have accurate information .
7 ) Apple cider acetum increases your apple harvest home . I had thebest Malus pumila harvest everon my Haralson tree diagram and the cause appear to be a little jar of apple cyder vinegar that I hung in the tree as part of a University of Minnesota inquiry project . ( The project had nothing to do with apples . ) A knowledgeable plant person speculated that the acetum attracted bee to the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , lead in good pollenation that in the past .
Tune in tomorrow for the rest of our right garden tips for 2013 .
A small jar of apple cider vinegar drew more bees and produced a bumper crop.
— Mary Lahr Schier
