3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in

Earthy Tips | SHORT SHOOTS
10
Top Tips
Clever ideas for your garden
Words Erina Starkey
1
Turn over
a new leaf
Did you know you can grow
a whole host of new succulents just by
replanting the leaves? Choose a mature leaf
at the base of the plant, hold it firmly in your
fingers and wiggle it back and forth until it
snaps off, completely intact. Place the leaves
on a windowsill to dry out and callus over
— this will stop them from rotting. After a
few days, transfer the leaves to well-draining
cactus or succulent soil, and lay them flatwise
on top. After a few weeks, you’ll begin
to notice small, pink roots sprouting from the
plucked end, which will grow into a new baby
plant. Dig a small hole in the soil and plant
the roots. You can then remove the original
shrivelled leaf.
1
2
3
Space
exploration
Many plants have tiny, dust-like seeds
that can be difficult to space in the garden.
To create perfectly spaced rows, make your
own seed tape. Unroll a strip of toilet paper on
a table, mist with water and plot the seeds in
the middle of the strip, following the spacing
instructions on the seed packet. Fold the top
and bottom lengths of the toilet paper inwards
to cover the seeds, then mist with water to
secure. Make shallow furrows in your backyard
soil, then lay the strips down and cover with dirt.
A long soak
Encourage plants to grow faster
and stronger by soaking seeds in
warm water before sowing. Pre-soaking will
soften the coating of the seed and prime it
for germination. Simply pour seeds into a cup
of warm water and leave for 12 hours. Next
morning, strain through a muslin cloth or fine
sieve, rinse with cool water and sow.
5
4
5
6
7
Colander pots
Turn an old pasta colander into a
beautiful hanging planter. Simply
line the colander basin with a circle of
burlap fabric cut slightly larger than the
circumference of the colander. This will
help hold the soil in place while permitting
drainage. Turn the colander into a hanging
planter by looping gardening twine through
the handles and knotting securely.
4
Divide & conquer
Before you divide perennials, soak
the ground thoroughly in the days
before so they’re easier to lift from the ground.
Pry or cut apart individual crowns, ensuring
each clump has its own set of leaves and roots.
Replant divisions promptly so the roots don’t
dry out. Dividing perennials can be stressful on
the plant, so make sure you do it in cool, moist
conditions to facilitate a speedy recovery.
There’s an
app for that
A smartphone app can be a
remarkably handy tool in the modern gardener’s
arsenal. Take an afternoon to browse through
the many different gardening apps available
to see if any could be of use to you. Some
popular ones include Garden Compass, which
identifies plant varieties and pest problems
from photos you upload. Even more impressive
is Garden Plan Pro, which helps you create a
customised garden plan to scale, with sowing
and harvesting reminders that take into account
your local weather information.
Bucket list
Store your garden tools in a bucket
of builder’s sand, which will keep
them rust free and the mechanisms in
good working order. You can also add a few
tablespoons of linseed oil to the sand, which
will lubricate the metal and keep the wooden
handles supple. If you’ve just finished pruning
a sick tree, make sure you disinfect your tools
with tea tree oil to ensure you don’t spread
the disease.
CanStockPhoto, Kerry Boyne
64 | Good Organic Gardening