Why Mulch?
Garden soil has a lot of weed seeds and burying them under a layer of mulch helps to prevent germination, thus reducing the number of weeds. When we don't disturb the soil, by hoeing for example, the millions of weed seeds in lower soil layers remain where they are, buried deeply enough not to germinate. Mulching usually doesn't kill existing perennial weeds such as dandelions or thistles so remove these first.
Mulch helps to keep the soil moist and reduces exposure to wind and sunlight. This helps to keep your plants from drying out between watering or rainstorms.
Gardeners have discovered the many benefits of mulching including that it cuts down on hours and hours of hand weeding!
Helpful Hints
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Throw your broken eggs shells into a large container and fill with water. Let sit fr oa week then discard the egg shells and use the water to feed your plants.
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To keep the leaves on your indoor plants looking green and healthy rub them castor oil or mineral oil.
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Drop a copper penny in the water with the tulips so they stand erect and not open wide.
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Banana peels placed just under the surface of the soil rot quickly and supply calcium, magnesium, sulphur, phosphorous, sodium and silica - marvelous for roses and flowers.
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Scatter onions throughout the garden instead of planting them in rows so root maggots can't simply travel from plant to plant.
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Spider plants act as houseplant air cleaners.
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A birth control pill dissolved in one quart of water will help ferns grow faster and stronger.
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Ants - Spearmint, Tansy, Pennyroyal
Aphids - Nasturtium, Spearmint, Stinging Nettle, Southerwood, Garlic, Potatoes
Flies - Tansy, Spray of Wormwood, and or Tomato, Nut trees