Why rain water is better for the garden

Raindrops (public domain photo)

Did you ever notice rapid growth in your garden just after a rainstorm? It's never that abundant when you water with the hose, is it? Why do you think that is? Natural is always better. Still, when it comes to the benefits of rainwater in the garden, there is a bit more to it than that. So, just why is rainwater so much better for the garden than tap-water?

I've been debating this for quite some time and decided to do a little research. It occurred to me that rainwater is the natural source of water for plants. I had also heard theories of hydrogen peroxide content in rainwater. I wanted to know if those theories were correct. I'm a bit of a hater when it comes to chlorine in our water supply. I couldn't help but think that might have something to do with the reason my plants seem to have a love/hate relationship with tap water. Here's what my research revealed about the real reasons rainwater makes gardens thrive.

No chlorine

The chemicals in tap water may be detrimental to garden growth. Chlorine is the most prominent one. Plants do need chlorine,but they only need a miniscule amount. Excess chlorine has negative effects on plant life. It can stunt root development. It can also destroy beneficial bacteria and fungi. No wonder natural rainwater is a better alternative for plants.

Natural flow

Hoses, drip systems, sprayers and hand watering techniques do their best to duplicate natural water flow. Still, as hard as they try, they can't beat nature. Mother nature knows the exact water flow plants thrive with. Certainly, she also creates storms destructive to plant life. However, for the most part, plants are accustomed to the way natural rain falls.

Hydrogen peroxide

Did you know there is hydrogen peroxide in rainwater? Rainwater receives an extra atom of oxygen from the ozone. This turns some of it into H2O2, rather than H2O. The extra oxygen in hydrogen peroxide helps plants grow faster, better and stronger.

Did you know?

Due to pollutants in the air, the hydrogen peroxide content is diminished in some areas. So, many farmers use supplemental diluted hydrogen peroxide on their crops.

Try it out:

If you have a plant that seems to be drooping, fill a spray bottle with water and a couple tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Lightly spritz the ground around the plant. If the plant is lacking oxygen, it will perk right up. This works very well in areas where soil is primarily clay. It brings needed oxygen to the roots for better growth.

This post was previously published by this author on Yahoo!

Manual reel mowing in the gradual garden

Reel mower (public domain photo)

A couple years ago we got a free manual reel mower when my sis moved to NY. At the time, I had been looking for one, so I felt pretty lucky. I still do. It has it's limitations. It's not a perfect solution. On the other hand, it's no worse than any other mower when cutting normal grass. The problem is, our backyard grass is far from normal. So, the reel mower has good points and bad. Here's a few of them.

No dirt clouds and flying rocks

Parts of our lawn were ignored by the former owners. For instance, there are several dusty, rocky areas that send up clouds of choking, itching, annoying dust when using a gas or electric mower. Even a weed whacker sends debris flying everywhere. Not so with the manual mower. It's wonderful for getting rid of growth over sand and gravel without choking to death in the process.

Our backyard is weed heaven.

Dandelions, stickers and broad-leaf abound. It's what I refer to as a hairy mess. It really is crazy with weeds of all kinds. We're experimenting to find natural methods of weed removal for all of them. Meanwhile, we have to mow them down occasionally. The manual lawn mower will keep the weeds down to ground level, however it's a real pain. We can use it in a pinch, but we have to run over the lawn several times to get the job done. We come back to the house drenched in sweat, sun-burned and cursing. The Denver sun is no joke. So, for the back yard, we prefer to use our gas mower, even though it's not exactly a green proposition.

The little push mower cuts regular grass smoothly.

It pushes easily. Actually, it's lighter than the gas and electric mowers I've used in the past. In fact, if I had to rate them according to ease of operation in normal use, the manual reel mower would come out on top. I have to tell you this, because it surprised me. I actually have a lot of fun with the reel mower on regular grass. It's child's play. In fact, so far, it's like a new toy. Which is good, because it encourages me to mow more often.

The front lawn is smooth sailing with the reel mower.

The old home owners apparently placed the front lawn high on their maintenance list. Sort of. There are still a few areas that could use some work. There's also some dandelions that need pulled. Dandelion stalks have to be run over in several different directions or hand pulled. It's not as bad as it sounds, though. All in all, the reel mower does an awesome job on well maintained grass.

The manual mower has other strengths.

There's no pollution, for one. You don't have to worry about it starting or not. You don't have to run for gas every time you want to mow. I already mentioned the lack of dust clouds and smooth operation. Plus, it's fun to use. It's kind of like the "adult tricycle" I bought. It's conversation inspiration for the neighborhood. Everyone wants to talk about it. When I use it, I get to know my neighbors. I'm like a celebrity in my own yard. So, overall, I'd say having the reel mower has been a positive experience.

Portions of this post were previously published by this author on Yahoo! and Examiner. It has been updated and re-written for Gardening Gradually.

Making a garden wheelbarrow display

Flowers laid out for planting (copyright Jaipi Sixbear 2012)

A few years back, I made an awesome floral display in an old wheelbarrow and wrote about it. At that time, our garden consisted of a few raised beds and the wheelbarrow with flowers pictured. All the perennials except, ironically, the lavender that inspired the project, are still thriving in the wheelbarrow to this day. (The lavender bit the dust after some heavy rains.)

Our gardens will soon be expanding to include most of the back yard and a large area in the front. It just goes to show you, growing a gradually bigger garden is entirely possible if you have the patience and choose the right plants. What follows next is my original article post.

My adventure with planting a garden wheelbarrow display started simply enough. My daughter gave me a beautiful lavender plant. Who knew serendipity would follow? I should have. Isn't that the way everything happens to gardeners? I imagined my lavender surrounded by flowers in an old wheelbarrow. Unfortunately, I didn't have one.

Wish granted!

So, I decided to get some cull lumber for a proper bed. Guess what? I didn't find any cull lumber to suit my needs. Surprise! On the way home, what do I spy? An old rusty wheelbarrow with a free sign on it. I'm not kidding. This is absolutely true! It was, as they say, destiny.

Another dilemma:

How do you choose filler flowers for your garden wheelbarrow? Not only, that, but where do you find enough flowers cheap enough to fill a wheelbarrow and make a nice display? Well, I figured that out too. You don't.

Here's what you do:

*Buy just a few flowers. Let them spread to fill the wheelbarrow over time.
*Color coordinate with your primary feature flower, or buy random multiple colors.
*Buy flowers of varied heights, shapes, sizes and leaf types.
*Give them a good soaking.
*Let them rest a couple days.

Meanwhile, prepare the wheelbarrow for planting:

*Drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage.
*Line it with landscape fabric.
*Fill it with nutrient rich potting soil.

Don't be in a hurry to plant:

*Set your starter flowers on top of the soil in the wheelbarrow.
*Arrange them until you like what you see. (Don't forget to put the taller flowers in the back or center of the display.)
*Plant them one at a time where they sit.
*Water and fertilize as needed.

Bonus tip: When choosing flowers for your garden wheelbarrow display, Use mostly perennials. Fill in the gaps with cheap annuals. As the perennial flowers spread, they'll fill those gaps. By doing this you give your perennials room to grow. You save yourself from having to divide your perennials for a year or two, as well.

Part of this post was previously published by this author on Yahoo!

What is a Japanese tomato ring?

Tomato (public domain photo)

Next year in the gradual garden, I'd like to implement a few different techniques. One is a Japanese tomato ring. It's a clever method of growing the healthiest tomatoes on the planet. So, how is it done and how did I learn about it?

I just recently learned the name of this technique. My Dad used it once or twice when I was a kid. I don't think he ever told me what it was called. A Japanese tomato ring might seem a little crazy to anyone who hasn't tried it. It's definitely not for those neat and tidy gardeners. I still remember the taste of those crazily juicy tomatoes my Dad grew, though. This method gets an A in my book.

Growing tomatoes in a Japanese tomato ring

Step 1: Clear a six foot circle of level high ground.

Never plant tomatoes in a low spot. Water can collect and cause fungus to grow. Fungus infected tomatoes are not edible. Till the cleared spot until soil is fine and loose. The depth of the tilled soil should be at least a foot. Fertilize with eggshells and coffee grounds. Amend the soil with sand to further discourage fungus.

Step 2. Make a cage using garden or cattle wire fire.

The cage should be about four feet tall and about two feet around. You do this by coiling the fence around itself in a circle. Fasten the circle together with strong wire. This will become both a trellis for the tomatoes and a holder for your compost. It's a very clever method for constant fertilization of your tomatoes.

Step 3. Make a circle in the middle of the tilled area.

Use 4-6 garden stakes. These should be spaced so the cage / trellis fits just inside them. Wire the cage to the stakes for stability. You don't want the cage blowing over with the slightest gust of wind.

Step 4. Fill the cage with compost, shredded leaves and kitchen scraps.

These should be alternated in layers. Thoroughly soak the pile using a garden hose. This takes longer than you might think. Don't turn the hose off until you're sure the pile is completely soaked through.

Step 5. Plant four tomato seedlings in the outer ring around the cage.

Water the ground, not the tomato plants themselves, just as you would any tomato plant. Be sure to keep the material in the cage moist. It acts as a personal compost pile just for the tomatoes, as well as a trellis for the tomato vines. Soon you'll be eating the sweetest juiciest tomatoes you've ever tasted in your life.

Portions of this post were previously published on Yahoo! by this author

Where to plant wildflowers in your yard

Wildflowers (public domain photo)

Wildflowers can spread rapidly and grow quite tall. Wondering where to plant them in your yard? Afraid the neighbors might object? Worried about zoning height requirements? Just not sure how to place them for the most pleasing effect? We have the same issue in our yard. A friend gave us several packs of beautiful wildflower seeds. I did some thinking and came up with these ideas for yard placement next year.

A wildflower fence might be nice.

We have no alleys in our neighborhood. That means nothing but a chain link fence to separate us from the neighbors. We can't afford a six foot privacy fence this year. We do have several massive bushes that partially block the view into our backyard. We're thinking of growing a wildflower "fence" in the gaps.

We could incorporate a few wildflowers into our backyard mini golf course.
No, we're not rich. We don't have a professional course in our backyard. We do have plans to build a few holes from scrap lumber for our own enjoyment. We're thinking it might be nice to have a few wildflowers growing around our homemade fountain in the center.

How about an English garden, Denver style?

Wildflowers need little fussing compared to traditional flowers. We've been wanting an English style country garden for some time. Perhaps wildflowers could give us this look without a lot of maintenance. Personally, I'd love walking paths surrounded by small patches of wildflowers.

Container wildflowers might be nice.

Certainly, the neighbors wouldn't think our yard was overgrown with this look. I have some large pots already so the soil would be the only cost. Wildflowers don't need a lot of fancy nutrients to grow. Maybe we could use some of the soil we've removed while leveling the yard. Just in case, we'll give it a boost with some compost.

We could use a few wildflowers in our vegetable garden.

The back end has a rustic old bench. It sure would look cozy surrounded by wildflowers. We were planning an herb garden back there, but we moved that to another location. Wildflowers would fill in the bare spot nicely. I guess there a lot of ways we could place wildflowers in our backyard. Hopefully, I've given you some ideas too.

This article was previously published on Yahoo! by this author.

What is this tall purple plant?

Mystery plant (copyright Jaipi Sixbear 2014)

Let's take a break from weeding the garden to play name that plant.

Does anyone know what this tall purple plant might be? The plant was growing in the back yard of my partner's customer. (He's a plumber) She says it's a weed. Is it? I know there's an app that you can use to help with this kind of thing.

Does anyone have a plant identification app?

Supposedly, you can upload a picture and it will identify the plant. So, here's some pictures of this unusually tall, colorful flowering purple plant. I'm not worried about anyone using the pics. We just took them to see if anyone could identify the plant.

Note: This post was originally published on my old blog of the same name on a different site. I've since found out what the plant is, but I'm not telling. It's more fun to guess, so I'm leaving this open for comments.

Feel free to leave a comment if you know what it is.

Ridding your corn silk and ears of earwigs

My corn (copyright Jaipi Sixbear 2014)

A few days ago, I wrote about the earwigs. As it turns out, the little buggers have now gotten into my ears. My ears of corn, that is. Strangely enough, though, there are no articles online that specifically tell you how to remove earwigs, once they have already infested your corn. Until now, that is. Because, here you go. Your welcome.

Banishing earwigs from your corn ears and silk.

Earwigs are beneficial bug busters. However, they can also be harmful to some plants and veggies. Corn is one of them. So, you will want to get them off the corn as soon as you notice them, before they can damage your whole crop. Here's how.

Wait until dark.

Those suckers will be all over the place right around dusk. I don't know why. I'm no entomologist. I do know that if you take a spray bottle and fill it with water and some dish soap, you will need no other weapons in this battle. Just spray the stuff all over your corn, especially on the ears and the tips of the stalks. The earwigs will start dropping like crazy off the stalks and to the ground.

Some people use orange oil on corn ears.

You can if you want. It works just as well as the dish soap. However, it doesn't work any better. It's more expensive. You have the dish soap right in your kitchen. If you use environmentally friendly dish soap, it's just as green. So, why make an extra trip to the store?

You should also keep your weeds down and use the newspaper.

Controlling weeds discourages earwigs. Using rolled wet newspaper to trap and dispose of them keeps the population down. So, while these two things won't get rid of the bugs that are already on your corn, it will keep more from doing the same.

Things are heating up in the garden

Refreshing! (public domain photo)

91, 94, 95, 96 and 94; These are the high temps for this week! I have tons to do in the garden. There's all that weeding and pest control that I talked about in my previous posts. Plus, things are happening out there! I have veggies to pick, perennials to trim back and wonders to discover.

Umbrellas don't do much when it's over 90.

They block the sun and lower the temperature somewhat. Still, there's not much to be done in 90 degree weather. Now, if the umbrella was air conditioned, that would be wonderful. I could garden all day. Sweet! New invention!

I need a sweat band.

There's nothing sweet about sweat. I'm not talking about the stinky, armpit kind. I wear deodorant for goodness sake (and for everyone elses sake too). I'm talking about the kind that rains down your face when you garden in hot weather. The other day, I actually glanced up at the sky before realizing what it was. Silly me. I thought it was raining.

That made me appreciate those jock type headbands athletes wear to play sports. Gardening may not be a sport but it can definitely generate some sweat. Plus, that stuff stings when it hits your eyeballs. Yup, going to have to make a trip to a sporting goods store.

I'm going to be rising early too.

When it gets above 90, with no sign of relief in sight, the best strategy is to beat the sun to the garden. If I want to get in a couple hours of gardening in the morning, I better get out of bed around 5 or 6 a.m. That way, I can make my partner breakfast, pack his lunch, kiss him goodbye and get to gardening before I melt away.

I'll probably still sweat up a storm.

That's OK. I have about 50 more pounds to lose. I can't think of a better place to lose it than the garden. Can you?

Don't say it. This is a clean blog. LOL

Weeding after the rains

Extreme weeding! (public domain photo)

The rainy weather we've been having has turned our backyard into a jungle. Getting rid of the weeds is my first priority. I haven't been able to garden much lately, due to the muddy conditions. Most of the garden produce is nearly ready to be harvested. Unfortunately, I'll be lucky if I can find the veggies amongst the creeping vines and purslane clusters.

I know purslane is edible and highly nutritious, but honestly, I wouldn't use that much of it in a millennium. If you want some, please feel free to come help with the “harvest.”

So, what's a girl to do? Well, I guess it's back to the routine of mow, whack, dig, pull. It's the simplest thing to do when preparing a neglected lawn for gardening or when the garden gets out of control from heavy rains like mine has. If you're in the same position, here's what you can do and what I'll be doing. Whew! Talk about gardening gradually. This may take me all week!

Mowing as weed control

Of course, the lawn has to be mowed, rain or no rain. But I'm not talking about the lawn here. I'm talking about the veggie garden. We have spaces between some of the rows that are big enough to mow, so why not? We have a grass catcher, so the weed seeds won't spread too far. The mower will get the weeds down far enough to take the next step.

Whacking weeds in the garden

Once I've mowed everything down as much as possible without cutting down the veggies, I'll get out the weed whacker. If it sounds drastic, it is. Fixer uppers like ours have often gone without care for many years. Weed removal will be an ongoing battle until the weeds finally get the idea that I'm not giving up. Trust me, I'm becoming a serious weed warrior.

Anyway... Every once in a while, I'll take the weed whacker out to the garden and just go for it.

Weed whacking tip: Since I haven't had time to make official, weed barrier lined paths through the conventional part of the garden yet, I regularly dig right into the soil with the weed whacker to pull up all the weeds between rows before I start digging and hand pulling. All that's left when I'm done are bare dirt paths.

This weeding technique saves me a ton of back breaking work. Since I weed whack the paths right down to the dirt, I don't have as tough a job maintaining them. It takes the weeds a lot longer to grow back than when I hand pull. I'm hoping that after time, they'll get the hint and stop returning. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Note: If you plan to follow suit with aggressive weed whacking, do take care not to get too close to your veggies or blow weed seeds into them. I know that may seem obvious, but it's easier to screw up in this department than you might think.

Hand digging and pulling

Once I get past the previous step, hopefully all I'll have left is the weeds that are close to the veggies themselves. While that sounds great and certainly shows progress, the rest is pretty daunting. I have 7 foot tall corn and 10-12 foot tall sunflowers in the garden. I also have tons and tons of other veggies. Due to the fact that I haven't been able to weed for a bit, the weeds have grown up and around all my plants. Plus, there are earwigs everywhere, also due to the rains.

Once again, I'll have to take it step by step

I'll use various garden tools to dig up the weeds that are rooted away from the veggies.

Cool vine weeding tip: The vines that are working their way up the corn stalks and winding their way around the vegetables can be clipped near the bottom with just enough vine left to grip and pull the roots from the ground. The vines attached to my veggies will dry up and fall off naturally. I won't have to worry about damaging the harvest while untangling them.

Lastly, I'll pull the rest of the weeds from the ground by hand.

I'll have to wear gloves this time.

Oh man, do I hate wearing gloves in the garden. It's sensory deprivation! But this time, I'll have no choice. The last thing I want is a bunch of angry earwigs crawling all up my arms. I've never been bitten by them, but I've heard the bites can be quite nasty. Even with the gloves, I'm a little leery of the earwigs.

Note: If you see me dancing in the garden next week, it's likely not because I'm overjoyed with the wonder of it all. I've probably got an earwig or 2 up my shirt. Come help me please.

More earwig control

I've already got some beer traps and rolled, wet newspaper out in the garden to catch the earwigs. I'll gradually replace those as I go through the rows.

Incidentally, here's a valuable earwig busting tip: If your rolled newspaper isn't catching earwigs, it's probably because it's dry. Earwigs like wet, moist layers. You can use wet rolled cardboard if you have no newspaper. This trick also works for slugs and snails.

A long stay in the garden will require some shade.

It's a good thing I have a large umbrella for just such an occasion. I'll also have to bring some water out there. Hopefully, the earwigs won't beat me to it.

It's going to be a long week of weeding.

I'll have to stay hydrated and well nourished. I've also got some grand-kid room cleaning to take care of. Now you see why I write for a living. Who has time for a “real” job?

This is real enough for me.

Invasion of the earwigs

They have wings? Eww! (public domain photo)

Arghhhh! Denver is normally hot and dry in July. We've been enjoying the afternoon and sometimes morning showers we've been getting. What we're not enjoying is the nasty little critters eating our lettuce.

Some call them earwigs. Some call them pincher bugs. Whatever they are, it was not very pleasant to pick a rose to smell and have 10 of them crawl out of it, an inch from my nostril the other day.

Now, we are lucky. Most of what we planted in the garden is purposefully earwig resistant. Thank goodness our precious kale has survived the onslaught. I'm really worried about the corn, though. I'm pretty sure they have a great fondness for hiding in those golden ears.

Perish the thought! I've really been looking forward to being able to eat corn again. I won't touch that supermarket stuff (GMO's, you know).

So, how do you get rid of earwigs in the garden? You trap the little buggers! Beer traps work. (Like the ones you use for slugs and snails.) You can also trap them in rolled newspaper.

I'm not one for killing things, but I also don't want them killing my crops.

So, the newspaper is my first choice, since it can be thrown under a bush to disintegrate naturally. As for the beer traps, well, I'm guessing the ones trapped in the beer are destined for earwig heaven. So, I'll try to use the newspaper if at all possible.

We don't poison our food with pesticides around here, so that's not even an option. So, off I go to deposit some rolled newspaper under my corn. Wish me luck!

About Gardening Gradually

Garden squash Copyright Jaipi Sixbear 2014

What do you do when you move into a fixer-upper house on a budget with plans for a spectacular garden in your head? You garden gradually, just like me. You learn to do things on the cheap. You learn that fabulous, breathtaking gardens don't spring up magically overnight. You learn that there is beauty in the small triumphs, the sweat equity and even the constant weeding.

And then, you get the urge to share that with the rest of the world. At least, you do if you're a writer, like me. Hence the creation of this blog.

This morning it was pouring rain. I haven't been able to weed much for weeks because it happens every single day. Oh, it stops and the sun comes out but it's muddy out there. Really, really muddy. It's gross, you guys.

So when I do weed, like yesterday when I unearthed the strawberries from the tangled mass of weedy vines, I come back into the house covered from head to toe. I look like swamp thing, the gardening version.

It's fantastic!

After yesterday's muddy foray, I found myself reveling in the earth that covered me, sucking down strawberries, letting the juice run down my face, while rejoicing in my triumph. And ya, eventually I did take a shower. I'm not a nut case. But it was still a wonderful, muddy, disgusting, delicious adventure. Or maybe it's just a gardener thing.

You be the judge.

Meanwhile, if you're not afraid of a little dirt, especially if you revel in it, I invite you to join me as I gradually garden my way to my dreamy backyard paradise. It may take a while....