Garden caretaking tips

I know this may sound redunit. Everything we do each day to make the caring of our Gardens easier may be helpful for others. Here are my tips:

1. A sweat headband (2" is better than 1")
2. A towel pinned to my pants.
3. Freeze a thermus cup of water and keep adding to it. (I love straws)
4. Big Tablespoon to scrape and clean around Iris. (Does anyone make a really small trowel?)

Anyway, that is my full battle array when I go out every morning to care for my Iris. Would love to hear yours.

A hat and mosquito netting for early morning and evenings. keeps the black flies and mosquitos off too. It really works.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/COLEMAN-MOSQUITO-HEAD-NET/13848609?sourceid=1500000000000003260410&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=13848609

Polly! You know I live in the mosquito state! Next year start taking Spring Valley B Liquid Complex in April. (It takes a couple weeks to take hold.) You squirt this in your mouth, under your tongue for 30 seconds. I swear I have mosquitos land on me but they don't bite. It cost $8.00 but says it has 59 doses. What a bargain!

I'll give it a try. Thanks Sharon!

Really it's the black flies, or gnats that get me the most. They get in my hair and eyes. What will help with them?

I love my Cobrahead tool. Just got it last year and now it is just about the only tool I use.

I take out a screwdriver to get in the nooks and crannies to scrape out any rot.

I sit on an old plastic milk crate. Easy to move around and can put it over the top of many plants without hurting them. I can't squat or kneel easily due to a back injury.

There's always the Epson salt to kill the never-ending slugs at my house. "Help, I'm melting..."

When it gets really hot, we take out our cooling neckbands. Daughter and I made them. They have those water absorbing polymer crystals in them like you'd put in the soil for moisture retention made into neck bands. We made several so a few can stay in the cooler and then we swap them out when they get warm.

Those neckbands are really nice, dancingbear. I have some of those I made also.

I will have to try the vitamin B junk, as mosquitos love me.

The rest I do some of the time. What I am starting to use is Agi Strep cost 42.00 for 2# but you only mix 1T per gallon...so you store in the freezer and it stays good forever.

Where I used it the rot stopped and the rhizomes started to grow again in many times.

D

D,
How do you apply the Agi Strep ?
Store in small quantities in freezer and remove small container and thaw to use ?
etc, etc, ?

Dennis

Great thread!!! All my years of gardening and it never occured to me to pin a towel to my pants. I just always wiped on my clothes and came out of the garden looking like Pigpen on Charlie Brown. LOL Going to use that tip today!

I also followed your link Polly and ordered some mosquito nets. Wal-mart is having an end of season -- free shipping promo.

I'll have to look for the: Spring Valley B Liquid Complex. Is it a vitamin supplement?


Small trowel: I use the small tools they make for inside bonsai gardening. Big lots carries them in the spring ... and some dollar stores. They come in a set with a handheld miniature shovel, rake, and trowel. About 10 inches long. I'll try to get a picture later today.

Roxy

During the growing season when I am out taking pictures I have a spray bottle filled with a quart of water/agri strep and at first sight spray if kinda more along take my bonsi tool get the rot scooped out and then spray...

I mix one gallon and put the powder sealed in plastic in the freezer until I have used all of the gallon.

D

I'm so glad I started this thread. 'Cobrahead' is exactly what I needed! Amazon had it at a good price so I will be good to go soon! I also like the 'milk crate' to get in and sit. We need to sit awhile to give our backs a break.

I've found 3 plants in the last two days that have developed 'mushy, stinky, rhizome rot! I dug them up and soaked the 'good' parts of them in clorox/water solution. They are now drying. This disease is worse than the 'leaf spot' but perhaps less than the Iris Borer. Who knows? I just know it has almost destroyed two thriving clumps of, 'Designer's Label' & 'Bold Fashion'
.
If you/anyone see 3 or more leaves lying on the ground,... this was my first 'clue' and new to me.

Sharon

Well Sharon -- what is causing the rot?

Here in the PNW from April thru June we had 30" of rain, normally that is the YEARLY total.

This year doing sand compost only, drenching all the bags in Cleary.

D

I still say you should grow Lousianas there Dee.

Glad you liked the net heads, Roxy. They allow me to get out earlier and work, and in the evening, when the skeeters are really bad.

No Polly I have enough now...

D

I know, I know.

But, I get such good bearded and beardless from you, and I NEED some Louisianas.

Actually I've got an order in for Lousiana Iris Farms. Can't wait to see them. I ordered some Louisianas from someplace else, and they were not great, even though the Japanese were, go figure.

Anyway, sorry to get off topic here.

You can grow all you want, here most are such weeds that I would have to divide yearly.

D

You could divide them and send them to me :)

My versitile garden bench is so so handy. It has a little compartment where I can store some small garden tools. Its my go to place when I need a trowel.

When I turn it upside down, it has a padded knee rest ..... and a little push on the upright legs makes getting back up after kneeling so much easier.

We do not have mosquitoes in my area. But we do have coyotes. We do not bitten, we get eaten. LOL

My DD gave me one of those fold up camping triangle chairs. I love it. She always racks her brain for my Christmas present because if I want it I buy it.

Weather was beautiful today. 100 downtown but 92 up here by the mountains.

We have coyotes here too, and coywolves, which have grey wolf in them. But they leave us alone. The pups are very cute. Very spooky when they make that siren sound, isn't it?

Yes, and very spooky when they wander up the greenbelt from the golf course. I thought they were cute the first year until they started jumping over fences and eating dogs.

ouch you to. But I am a big lover of wolves you both will see when you come here

We have an organization in one of the small towns just a few miles from here that have wolves and bison in the same area. Here is a link: http://www.wolfpark.org/
We were there several years ago and we plan to go back this fall. They have lots of events and sometimes have pups behind windows that you can watch grow.

I have a wonderful padded bench that I can sit on or turn upside down to kneel. The sides are easy to grab onto to get up. I really love it! I have seen it for more than $50 including shipping in several garden catalogs but I got mine at Collections, etc for less than $20. My SIL ordered one this summer so they still have them. They are on the web.

I use that type of bench. I can kneel without it, but have a very difficult time getting up without it. Just press down on the handles & up I come.

I am the same way, I can get down but getting up is the problem. I do not understand. I can walk 18 miles but I cannot get up off the ground. I think that is a cruel trick someone has played on us gardeners.

I used to use the padded bench also and loved it. A few years ago I had 2 total knee replacements. It solved my knee problems, but the scars it left on my knees makes it impossible to kneel without severe pain. I'm afraid sitting on a milk crate is as close as I can get to the ground now.

Roxanne

All those aching knees... wish I had a cure!

Milk crate works nice because it serves dual duty since you can carry all your "goodies" to where you'll be working and then pack them up and carry them away in it. And it was FREE!

I've tried the little benches. They look like they work wonderful for some people. They sit too low for me though and my back starts throwing out the sciatica zingers.

We all have our maladies don't we now? Might slow us down but doesn't keep us from our beloved gardens. Something rejuvenating about them isn't there!