Winning Tip: Shoe-Rack Storage for Garden Tools
To help organize my gardening tools, I use a closet hanging shoe rack. It’s easy to drop various tools (as well as gloves and other items) into the pockets, and they are kept all in one place.
—Toni Bandrowicz, Swampscott, Massachusetts
Simple, attractive fence protects rosebushes
I would like to share our solution for keeping animals from eating our rosebushes. We built an inexpensive fence out of 1×2 lumber. So far, our roses are untouched and blooming.
—Joan Swanson, Portsmouth, Rhode Island
A cozy solution for tropical plants in winter
I live in the Mid-Atlantic region. When our temperatures reached the nineties, I decided to plant tropical plants. They do not like the cold, however. In trying to figure out what to cover them with for protection in winter, I first used plastic but then learned that it would make the plants too hot. I did not have old sheets or burlap, but I did have some zippered sweatshirts. They worked great—easy on and easy off.
—Janice Walls, via email
Simple slug trap
The bottom of a 5-gallon black plastic nursery pot left overnight on moist soil can attract dozens of slugs. Whether you choose to drown, squish, or release them is up to you. One advantage of this method is that the pot can gather the smaller slugs that would be difficult to pick up one by one.
—Heidi Freestone, Sebastopol, California
Keep mint contained by growing it in poly bags
Mint is a fast-growing plant that can take over your entire garden in a single growing season if you put it in the ground. The roots can quickly cover the available space, even in ordinary pots. Woven poly bags are a better choice. The bags are inexpensive, compact, lightweight, and simple to store.
Pour potting mix into each bag, leaving an inch or so at the top. Don’t force the bag down; instead, gently tap it to settle the soil. Loose soil is ideal for mint growth. Plant a single mint in each bag. Because the fabric lets air through, poly bags dry out more quickly than clay or plastic pots. This reduces the risk of root rot, but it also increases the frequency of watering. You might need to water every day in hot weather.
Trim your mint frequently to keep it healthy and full. Pinch off the top leaves when the stems are between 4 and 6 inches tall. The plant will gain extra side branches as a result. To keep it bushy, snip just above the leaf growth each time you harvest.
Mint doesn’t require a large space. You may grow it on a balcony, in a tiny yard, or even in a sunny window. The best location is one that receives four to six hours of sunlight per day.
—Oglah Morogo, Eldoret, Kenya
Send your smart garden tips to [email protected] and please include high-resolution photos if possible. The prize for the winning tip is a one-year subscription to Fine Gardening with an All Access membership!
Photos: courtesy of the contributors
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Readers’ Tips: 6 Summer Solutions from Fellow Gardeners
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