2017 Gardening with the Experts
Gardening Tips
1. Put a mailbox in your garden for easy access to gloves, small tools, etc.–Greg Hinkle
2. You can use inexpensive store brand cayenne pepper to repel cats and dogs that are using your
vegetable or flowerbeds for a restroom. —Mike Harrell
3. You can use pine needles to mulch your asparagus plants—Mike Harrell
4. Plant markers-cut old mini blind slats in 6 or 8 inch lengths and use a permanent marker to ID your
plants—Jim Ruth
5. Put 2 plastic crates upside down, the lay a bag of garden soil on top of the crates. Then make holes
in the bag and plant flowers or green peppers or tomatoes. Easy gardening for a patio or balcony.—
Norma Neely
6. To keep fingernails clean while gardening, run the over a bar of soap before you start. That seals
them. When you are done, just wash your hands and use a nail brush. Or you could wear gloves!!—
Robert Neely
7. To sprout your pepper seeds quicker, place on a warm spot-top of TV or heating pad on low.—
Linda L White
8. Put a piece of plywood at the back of your wheelbarrow. This makes a good surface to plant on. —
Joan Carlile
9. Always pray after planting! Guarantees results one way or another.—Chris White
10. Put a small bar of (your choice) of soap in a leg of an old pair of pantyhose. Cut to length you want
and tie on or near outside water faucet.—Sharon Zachary
11. The quickest way to dry herbs. Just lay a sheet of newspaper on the seat of your car. Arrange the
herbs in a single layer. Roll up windows & close the doors. Your herbs will quickly dry and your car
will smell great.—Trudy Smith
12. Wrap your tomato cages with plastic wrap about 1/3 up to protect your young transplants from
wind and rabbits. They will thank you with stronger roots and more production.—Linda Goodson
13. Choose varieties that are suited for our area.—Robin Mikles
14. For gardener/fishermen: After you clean your fish, bury the guts in a hole and then plant something
on to of that. Excellent fertilizer.—Greg Hinkle
January 28, 2017
Gardening Tips
2017 Gardening with the Experts
Gardening Tips
15. Spray your shovel with silicone spray. Coat it well and all kinds of soil will slip right off the shovel.
Joan Carlile
16. Put a drop of food coloring in the bottom of your rain gauge. It makes it easy to read. Joan Carlile
17. Praying in your garden makes you grow. Sue Nelson
18. Move to California. Ed Pruitt
19. Raise chickens. They are natural soil enrichers. Shirley Pruitt
20. Simple plant food: Save the water in which you cook vegetables; it contains lots of nutrients that
your plants love. When cool, pour on your garden or potted plants. Shirley Pruitt
21. To help carrots sprout, gently rub the tiny seeds between your fingers to abrade the outer surface.
This helps them to sprout easier. Debi Renegar
22. To avoid cross-pollination, keep different varieties of corn at least 400 or more yards apart, or
stagger planting times so they tassel two weeks apart. Debi Renegar
23. To deter birds from fruit trees, hang anything shiny: old CDs, tin foil pie plates, shiny Christmas
ornaments, etc. Debi Renegar
24. For a fun project with kids, plant carrots in soft potting soil in a “cut off” two liter bottle. Punch a
few small holes in bottom of bottle. Debi Renegar
25. To get rid of gophers, fill the gopher hole with water. When gophers run out of their hole, hit them
with a shovel. C. Rogers
26. Put fine shredded newspaper into garden to keep soil loose. Steve Love
27. Put high protein dog food under tomato plants, four to five chunks per hole. Add a little dirt then
the plant. Steve Love
28. Don’t crowd your tomato plants. They need the sun exposure. Joyce Scribner
29. Plant trees and shrubs to shade the west side of your house to save money.  Diane Holtz
30. Use a disposable diaper in the bottom of a planter to help retain water for plants that need daily
watering especially in summer time. Linda Jones
January 28, 2017
Gardening Tips
2017 Gardening with the Experts
31. Fill the bottom of pots with foam packing peanuts to make them easier to move and improve
drainage. Christine Brown
32. Use vegetable cooking water to fertilize plants. Christine Brown
33. Homemade weed killer: 1 gallon of white vinegar, 1 cup table salt, 1 tablespoon liquid Dawn dish
soap. Christine Brown
January 28, 2017
Gardening Tips