useful tips

I think this is the lady that we saw on TV not so long ago. I thinks she does rugs and other things as well. Clever idea but being a person who crochets I thought there would be too many "ends" to work in! :confused:

 

Just been reading through these tips- lots of useful ones.
About garlic to deter pests- don't plant garlic with beans or peas. Marigolds, basil, parsley will serve the purpose.
I tried a variation of DaveW's tip about carrier bags in pots- I lined my hanging baskets with plastic compost bags to help retain moisture.[ I also used water retaining gel]. One bag had a small tear in it and I have really noticed the difference in amount of water needed.

 

Ditto, Liz ... I've lined by wire baskets with the plastic compost bags. They're strong and I just poke a hole or two to allow some drainage.

I had no luck planting the garlic under roses ... just got garlic along with the aphids. I've heard of the Marigolds before so that may be next year's plan of action.

 

I usually line the baskets with a fine mesh,then a generous amount of moss,which we have plenty of and thishelps to retain the water

 

I planted chives under some of the roses. I haven't had much problem anyway with aphids on the roses this year, they've been too busy attacking my blackcurrants, but the roses with chives and lavender under them have escaped attack by sawfly caterpillars which are all over the wild roses. So maybe it worked!

 

Mmmmm, raspberries AND blackcurrants, you lucky girl! Fortunately these unwanted critters are tucking into them!

 

:( Didn't get ANY blackcurrants from my plants, had to pick my ex son-in-laws' as he doesn't like them, but he's moved now. :(

:confused:Am trying to think of a more friendly descrption for Kevin, Grandson's dad maybe. All these divided families get very confusing! :confused:

 

great idea for a thread. glad to see it got off the ground.
yes i have used coke bottles too as mini propagators. cos the wild rabbits have had a field day over the summer with well over half my plants.
I used a thick green plastic bag as a liner for my two hanging baskets and put some holes in them. it worked a treat at holding moisture in for longer.
A good tip i have been told about to deter rabbits from your plants is to put plastic snakes or make up a bit of hosepipe to look like a snake. I am planning in giving it a go once i am better.

 

I have just told the story in the Pests section, but thought it good to put this here in Useful Tips ...

To kill ants within seconds, spray with washing-up liquid in water, then sweep the bodies away! :D

 

would that be Fairy Liquid or Squeezy?

 

Any will do, I'm using Aloe Vera from Lidl at the moment!

 

If you have any hot water left in the kettle after you have made a brew I save it in a plastic bottle when its cool use it to water the house plants all the chlorine as been boiled off much better for the plants

 

The hot water takes a long while to get to our kitchen tap so I collect the cold run off in a 5 liter watering can.

It takes even longer to get to the bathroom so I collect it in a 10 liter bucket, usually get 8-9 liters that way.

 

Just read this tip in the Reader's Digest today.

DIY Flycatcher

Cover an empty kitchen- or toilet-roll with two-sided sticky tape (carpet tape). Pierce 2 holes opposite each other on one end and thread a piece of string through. Hang up where needed.

Cheap and easy, huh?

 

I'll have to try this, K-G, with the milder winter weather we are getting inundated with flies and the little uns are almost halfway up to to our 15 foot ceilings trying to catch them!

They are a pain in the backside, both the flies and the flying little uns! :D :D