It’s almost time for you to begin planting your spring garden.
Here are some special
”
Good Things
”
– helpful tips and ideas that are sure to bring out your inner
green thumb in the weeks to come.
It’s almost time for you to begin planting your spring garden. Here are some special “Good Things” – helpful tips and ideas that are sure to bring out your inner green thumb in the weeks to come.
CHOOSING PLANTS
Here’s a tip for the next time you’re shopping for annuals: Select short, bushy plants with no flowers and lots of dense foliage instead of taller plants that have already bloomed. Plenty of branches and buds mean more flowers once you get the plant home.
SOAKING POTS
Terra-cotta pots are attractive and durable, but their porous material pulls much-needed moisture from soil. Newly potted and repotted plants are especially vulnerable to water loss. To prevent the soil from drying out, submerge pots in a water-filled basin for 20 minutes or more before using.
SOFT HANDLES
Get a better grip on garden hand tools by winding waxed cotton twine around their handles. Start by coating the top inch of the handle with permanent adhesive. Adhere a 1/2-inch end of twine vertically to the handle, then wind twine back over the 1/2-inch anchor. Continue, gluing and wrapping in 1-inch increments. If the bottom of the handle has a hole, dab glue in it to secure the final 1/2-inch of twine. Otherwise, just glue down the end of the twine.
CLIMATE CONTROL FOR FERNS
Unlike most people, ferns like a humid environment. To create the conditions they prefer, place the potted plants on a tray filled with water and pebbles. As the water evaporates, it will add moisture to the air around the fern. Any receptacle will do, such as a simple plastic saucer or a metal tray. Pebbles provide a barrier between the water and the plant’s roots and are also a source of decorative color and texture.
PLANT PROTECTOR
An office inbox can work hard outside, too. Turn one upside down and place it over young plants to protect them from curious cats and other creatures. The metal grid keeps pets from uprooting or trampling delicate plants, such as herbs, and will allow your plants to grow freely.
BETTER WATER
Houseplants need a healthy diet, and you can help by giving them clean water. Fill jugs with tap water, and leave the caps off for at least 48 hours. Some chlorine will evaporate, leaving purer water. As a result, plants will absorb nutrients more easily.
TOOL CADDY
Create a mini gardening center that you can tote while you tend your plants. Start with a carpenter’s nail belt, which has one big pocket: Measure the width of each tool, then add an inch for extra space. Use a pen and ruler to mark widths on belt. Stitch along marks, creating several pockets. Tie the belt around a bucket, which you can use to hold larger items or to collect debris.
PLANT TAMER
Here’s an attractive way to prevent invasive plants, such as the dwarf bamboo, from overrunning your garden: Plant them in terra-cotta chimney-flue tiles. Use a tile at least 4 inches wider than the plant’s root ball. Sink the tile into the soil so that the lip sticks up 1 inch. Plant inside the tile.
MAKE WAY FOR TOMATOES
Here’s one way to bolster your tomato plants (especially spindly seedlings): When transferring the plants from pots to the ground, dig holes deeper than the root balls. You can even go so deep that you cover all but the topmost two sets of leaves. Plant and backfill with topsoil. This will encourage dormant buds along the stem to form roots, making the plants denser and more likely to produce a bounty of tomatoes.
GARDEN PLANNING BOARD
When it comes to the garden, it’s never too cold to sow the first seed of an idea. Get a head start on your planning so that you’ll be all set to plant after the last frost. Designate a bulletin board over a desk or workbench for mapping out what will go where. Use cutouts from seed catalogs to design your garden’s layout. Collect color swatches to find inspiration as well. Use tacks, pins, glassine sleeves and binder clips to keep the pieces organized.
BETTER ROOT GROWTH
Keeping the wire basket around a new tree’s root ball makes it easier to plant, but will hinder root growth later. What to do? Before you move the tree into the hole, snip away the bottom of the basket with bolt cutters, then grip the basket sides to lower the tree. Cut away sides of basket, and remove.
Martha Stewart is a well-known domestic diva who has written several books on homemaking. Questions should be sent to [email protected] or to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Questions of general interest will be answered in this column; unfortunately, unpublished letters cannot be answered individually.
