Getting Ready to Plant Organic Spinach Seeds

Even though it is too cold to plant spinach outdoors I am getting ready to plant Ferry-Morse organic spinach seeds in containers.  I like to have my salad bowl of spinach close to my kitchen and thus the containers will sit in the sun on my back deck.

Today I washed my container out with dawn antibacterial dish soap and rinsed them well in the shower.  Then I let them air dry.  When the containers were completely dry I then mixed organic matter with potting soil in the container and set them aside.

(If you do not have compost for your organic matter then buy a bag of manure)

Now the containers are ready for planting spinach seeds and as soon as the weather warms to an average of 20 F I will set the containers outdoors in a full sun area and plant the organic spinach seed ½ inch under the soil and space 8 inches apart.  When the seeds are all planted I will water them well.    

Caring for Spinach:

Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet.  If the soil should dry out the spinach will have stress and the plant will bolt.  Watch for weather that may dip below 15 F.  If the weather is extremely cold, cover spinach plants with row covers.

Other Garden Posts by Sgolis

Growing tips for carrots

Growing Tips for Lettuce Salad Bowl
Tips for Growing Tomatoes

Tips for Growing Strawberries

Attribution: This spinach photo is in the public domain in the United States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CDC_spinach1.jpg

Protecting Spring Bulb Gardens from Whitetail Deer

 

When I looked out my picture window I saw doe deer and fawn in my yard nibbling in my spring bulb garden.  I ran outside and waved my arms in the air and the deer left my yard. But I knew they would be back and I needed to take steps to protect my spring bulb garden from the whitetail deer.

Whitetail deer doe and fawn in garden

Every spring I have a problem with the whitetail deer because I cannot convince them that my spring bulb garden was not planted to nourish them.  Every doe deer in the forest finds its way to my spring bulb gardens. 

Over the years I have tried to discourage the deer with Contech Scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler s a natural way to scare deer.  This water spray deterrent works well in the summer but is not a good deterrent during winter. 

Other deer deterrents that I have had good results with is a  potent pepper spray and deer scam, however, these products need to be reapplied and depending on your weather; snow or ice these products can get costly. 

Last fall I put down a deer forage plot but that died back due to a cold snowy winter.  I found in the past that if I proved the deer with their dietary needs that they will leave my spring bulbs alone.  

Since it is whitetail deer in garden season and I need to keep the deer out of my garden I went to Atwoods ranch and yard store and bought 40lb bag of natural apple corn for $7.49 and a mineral salt lick.  I set up a feeding station that was downwind from my tulip garden. 

My husband and I waited on the side deck and at dusk, we saw the deer coming up the side yard path.   The doe deer come out of the woods to enjoy the corn and to lick on the mineral block. 

Notes by Sgolis: 

1. This wildlife compromise worked because the deer have stayed away from my spring bulb garden because their dietary needs are being met with the mineral lick and feeding station.  
2. When spring greens up the deer will no longer need to be fed as there is ample forage in the forest. 

Yard and Garden Cleanup After Ice Storm

I am looking over my yard and garden to do list and I need to cleanup the lawn and the spring bulb gardens. Last month’s ice storm caused us to have many down branches.  We removed the large branches but there many smaller branches they need to be picked up. Hopefully I will accumulate enough sticks to  ask my hubby to add them to the wood chipper because they will make nice mulch for the garden.

When I finish the removal of down branches from the lawn, I will then concentrate on the gardens.  

Our one maple tree holds onto its leaves until late winter however many of the leaves did come down after the ice storm and fell onto my spring bulb garden. I think it is a good idea to remove the leaves and any mulch from the early spring gardens as it will make it easier for delicate crocus to come up. 

Hopefully the day will stay warm as I also have on my list to replace some parts of my mulch garden path .  Winter was hard and did pull much away from the path.  All In need to do is fill in because it is spotty. 

I hope I can get everything on my list completed, as it late January and before you know it spring garden beds will be blooming. 

Daffodil spring bulb garden

Safe-T-Pet Ice Melt Keeps your Yard and Garden Healthy

Protect your lawn and gardens in winter with environment friendly ice melt.  This toxic free ice melt is the only product that you can use especially if you have gardens close to your hard surfaces.

Non-toxic ice melt keep your garden healthy

The other products may be cheaper but before you buy read the ingredients.  If you value your soil, and your flower beds, then think twice about using toxic chemicals to melt ice.  Those chemicals will penetrate through the soil and kill your plants at the roots.

Saving a few bucks at the hardware store for a harsh and harmful to environment ice melt sure won’t feel worth it when your wife is making you remove all of the chemical damaged garden soil in the spring to replace with new soil for planting.

Instead pay the few extra bucks and rest easy because Morton Safe-T-Pet Ice melt is salt and chlorine free which means it is safe for your yard, gardens, pets and kids. 

Making Mulch out of Christmas Trees

Before you drag your Christmas tree to the curb for trash pickup, think about recycling it by turning it into nutrient rich  mulch for your yard and garden.

My husband never wanted to make mulch out of the Christmas tree but when he saw all the mulch that he got that was free of charge he realized it was a great savings.  My husband collected all of our neighbors trees that were put out for the trash and by doing this we had enough Christmas tree mulch for our gardens and for our trees or shrubs.

There is some work in getting your tree ready for the wood chipper.  But before you remove all of the branches call your areas recycling center to see if they can chip the whole tree for you.  If not do the following;

  

1.   Remove all of the branches and stack them neatly in a rubber 32 gallon trash bin. When all of the branches are remove set the tree trunk on top.

2.   Call a buddy to see if you can borrow their wood chipper if none is available you may be able to rent one for the day or take your Christmas tree branches to a recycling place that makes yard and garden mulch free of charge.

3.   Use the trash bin to collect your mulch. Then apply the mulch to your garden beds or encircle your shrubs and trees with the fragrant and nutrient rich mulch.