I thought I did everything right! I put up two fences around my garden to keep out animals. One fence was a made of three foot chicken wire which I buried about one foot deep and the other was a four foot wire fence that was loose on top so animals could not climb up and get in. I planted six tomato plants, six lettuce, six cucumbers, and six zucchini plants. Everything was great. I mulched with the grass clippings from my lawn and watered regularly.

Then one morning I went out to watch my garden grow and notice all my zucchini plants where gone. Whatever got into my garden ate just my zucchini plants and left the rest of my garden alone.

The only thing I can think of is something got into my garden started chomping away on my zucchini and then got interrupted by a noise.

If I didn’t think of something fast I might lose the whole garden to an unknown critter. I can’t stay up all night and keep guard over my garden! I have a motion detector light that is close by, but clearly that did not help. I need something that moves and makes noise but what? Later that day when I was rinsing out plastic and tins for recycling, it came to me. Pie tins!

And that’s what I did. I hung pie tins on all sides of my garden. They make noise in the slightest of breeze and if something was trying to climb my fence they would surely make a clatter. I also added a small beach ball to roll around gently inside the garden just in case those critters get past my pie tins.

It’s been a month since I installed my pie tins and my vegetables are flourishing including the zucchini plants that I replanted.

I still don’t know what ate my zucchini plants but I’m sure glad I decided to make a pie!

Got a gardening question or issue that you just can’t figure out? Click here to send us a note with your garden problem and we’ll do our best to find you a good solution!

]]> http://www.borntogarden.com/2009/07/one-more-vegetable-garden-problem-solved/feed/ 0 http://www.borntogarden.com/2009/04/planning-your-vegetable-garden/ http://www.borntogarden.com/2009/04/planning-your-vegetable-garden/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:42:02 +0000 Planter1 http://www.borntogarden.com/?p=108 The first step to planning your vegetable garden is to figure out what and how much vegetables you would like to grow. For example, if you like tomatoes or cucumbers make sure to plant enough for you, your friends, and your neighbors because everybody loves homegrown vegetables!

The next step is to plan your garden out on paper.  You will need to make sure you do not plant your vegetables too close together or too close to your garden fence. You will want to be able to move around them to weed and pick your harvest.

Step number three will be deciding whether you will buy already grown little seedlings or start your garden from seeds. If it is early in the season you can start your vegetables from seeds. When you choose your seeds make sure to check the planting zone on the back of the seed packet. You can purchase seed packets in many different stores including garden centers, grocery stores, and home centers.  

If you decide to start your garden indoor from seeds, you can use small paper cups and some potting soil. Following the directions on the seed packets will get you off to a good start. It will take several days for the seeds to germinate, but soon you will see little leaves and stems start to poke out of the dirt and develop.

Whether you purchase seedlings or seeds you will need to wait until all danger of frost is gone for your area to start planting your seedlings into your garden. Make sure to check the spacing of the plants from the seed packets or the plant tabs. You may also want to attach the empty seed packet or plant tab to the area of the plants you have planted. This will help you remember what plants have been planted where.

If you follow these steps you are on your way to a productive, healthy garden.

Well I received a white poinsettia for Christmas this year and have confiscated my sister’s white poinsettia – which was going down hill quickly. My goal is to grow both of these poinsettias in pots and have them healthy, happy and ready for next Christmas.

Repotted Poinsettia Plants

The first thing I did was replant them into new pots – they came in those really cheap plastic throw-away pots that were way too small for them. I put about an inch of gardening stones at the very bottom of the new pots. This helps with drainage. Then I added enough potting soil to allow the plants to sit high in the bigger pots. I wanted the roots to be no more than an inch or so from the rim of the new pot.

After carefully removing the plants from the old pots, making sure to retain as much of the original soil as possible, I gently sat them in the new soil and filled in around the sides. You want to keep the original soil around the roots – this will prevent the plant from going into shock.

I felt that the original soil was quite moist, so I did not water them into the new soil as I might normally do. I’ll watch them this week and if the soil seems dry, I’ll water. With poinsettias, you want to let the soil dry out before watering. Since I added the rocks to the bottom of the new pots, I’m not too worried about over watering, but I still have to be wary about it.

I’ve posted some photos of the plants in their new pots. Every few weeks I’ll post new photos and keep you updated on how they are doing.

If you save your poinsettias from year to year, please let me know. I’m open for all the pointers I can get!

Thanks and Happy New Year!

A healthy Poinsettia plant can last for months or even years!

‘Tis the season for Poinsettias! These beautiful plants are synonymous with the Christmas season and if you’re not giving anyone a Poinsettia, chances are, you’ll be receiving one (or more!).

So we’ve put together some information about caring for this lovley plant – pass the info along to anyone you gift with a Poinsettia this year.

Some background and history of the Poinsettia:

• Poinsettias are the most popular flower plant during the Christmas season. They are the largest flowering plant crop in the U.S., with sales of over 63 million pots!
• Native to the warmer southwestern U.S. climates and Mexico, Poinsettias are susceptible to cold and frost. So don’t leave them in your car while you shop – bring them home as soon as you buy them.
• Poinsettias are named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first Ambassador to Mexico who brought the plant back to his Greenville, S.C plantation. He grew them and gave them out as gifts.
• Poinsettia Day is December 12th. It was declared in honor of the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett on December 12, 1851.
• Poinsettias are not poisonous as many believe. But eating them could give you a stomach ache.

How to Choose Healthy Poinsettia Plants

• Look for lots of dark green leaves and bright colored flowers. If the leaves or flowers are dry or brown around the edges, choose another plant. Look for flowers that are completely open. Poinsettias are slow to open, but once they bloom, the flowers will remain full and attractive for several weeks.
• If the weather is cold, make sure to wrap up the plant well for the trip from the store to the car. Even short exposure to cold and wind can damage your Poinsettia.

How to Care for Your Poinsettia

• Poinsettias are easy to keep. They retain their blooms long after you have put away the Christmas decorations, possibly lasting until Valentine’s Day. Keep them in a sunny room with an ideal temperature range of 60 – 70 degrees. Don’t put them near drafts, and don’t put them near high heat, like a furnace vent or fireplace.
• Water thoroughly, then let the soil dry between watering. If they begin to dry out, water them and they will bounce right back. If the leaves turn lighter green, give more sunshine.
• During the summer move your plant outdoors to a sunny location or plant it directly into your garden. Give it a good trimming. Use general purpose fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks.
• Bring the plant indoors before the first frost. Poinsettias cannot survive a frost.

Forcing Poinsettias (to bloom at Christmas time)

Forcing Poinsettias to bloom is a difficult task. Many have tried, but few succeed. But, if you want to try, follow these instructions:

• Any time in late September put the plant in total darkness for 12-14 hours a day. **Any small light can upset the process. During the day, it should get six hours or more of sunlight. Continue this process daily until early November, then bring it out into the room. Now with a little luck, your Poinsettia will be in full bloom during the Christmas holiday. Fingers crossed!

Tip: A black plastic bag works well. Place the plant in the bag and  twist tie it at the top. Each morning, remove the twist tie and lower the bag to the floor.

Got a tip for caring and keeping Poinsettias? Click here to send it to us or feel free to leave it as a comment to this post.