Gardening Tips

Potting Plants

When potting plants use cardboard egg cartons torn in small pieces to keep the soil from escaping through the hole in the bottom of the pot.  The eggs cardboard is bio-degradeable and holds the soil from draining through the hole.

Senior Day, H & E Nursery

Mondays are Senior Day, 55+ years young, 10% discount on all purchases

• 3140 Shaw Ave, Clovis (559)298-3044
• 160 W Nees, Fresno, (River Park), 435-6373

Monday Mornings with Melanie, 

 H & E Nursery, two locations:

• 160 W. Nees, Fresno, 435-6373
• 3140 Shaw Avenue, Clovis, 298-3044

Monday mornings Melanie will cover topics that are timely for you and your yard.  No need to RSVP.  Bring a note pad and pen for notes.  Attending class will qualify you for 10% discount on purchases that day.  Refreshments provided.  Melanie will be at Fresno location on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month and at Clovis on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month.

 

Master Gardener Hotline

Do you have a question about something in your garden?  The Fresno and Madera Master Gardeners have a HOTLINE.

Madera Master Gardener Hotline call 559-675-7879, Mondays 1-3pm and the 2nd and 4th Thursday 1-3pm.

Fresno Master Gardener Hotline call 559-456-7563, Monday through Friday 9am til noon.

Vegetable Garden Watering

I am convinced that the reason my garden is doing so well this year and not as much work, is the watering.   We ( my husband helped me) used soaker hoses and made the rows to fit the hoses.  We (he) then ran a line of that 1/2 inch black tubing and added a “ T”  at every row, so that we could cap off  a particular row if it wasn’t needed.  I then bought a digital timer to turn the water on and off.  That is the best investment I have made for my garden.  I don’t need to remember to water  and then forget to turn it off.  It is getting consistent water everyday.  Usually by this time of the year I am fighting aphids big time, due the plants getting stressed.  I planted the same kind of tomatoes in previous years as I have this year, but the tomatoes this year are  much larger and healthier.

Controlling Earwigs and Other Crawling Things

Something that I picked up in our Master Gardener classes was how to trap bugs, specifically earwigs.  Put a little vegetable oil in a small empty container like a tuna can or small can of sliced olives.  The earwigs get in the oil and can’t get out.  I have done this in my vegetable garden and I am trapping all kinds of bad bugs; cockroaches, beetles and the earwigs.  The earwigs were raising havoc with my garden.  Once I did this the plants had a chance to survive.  It rained last night so I need to dump the cans this weekend and put more oil in them.  Made a believer out of me.  Try it!  The only draw back is my golden lab wanted to lick all the oil out of the cans.  Finally she got tired of it and left it alone.