ShareThisSpring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
Get a flashlight and go snail and slug hunting. The little munchers come out in force about an hour after dark. Brown snails are capable of eating 30 to 40 times their body weight in a single night. Pick them off plants and destroy them. Dropping them in a jar of water with a little vinegar or salt will do the trick.
You can also create barriers around their favorite entrees. Snails and slugs hate wood ashes, crushed oyster shells (available from feed stores), crushed eggshells, crushed rock, oak-leaf mulch, seaweed mulch, diatomaceous earth, sawdust, lime, short hair clippings, powdered ginger, bran and ammonium sulfate. For the best protection, make your barrier strip 3 inches wide. Powder barriers such as ash need to be replenished after a rain.
Copper strips also make effective snail barriers, particularly around the trunks of citrus trees.
In the home:
Spring-cleaning time is here. Baking soda is a great, inexpensive, Earth-friendly cleaner. Besides helping baked goods rise, here are some of its other uses, courtesy of Arm & Hammer:
-- Deodorize refrigerators, freezers, drains and garbage disposals. To deodorize, place an open box of baking soda in the fridge and/or freezer. Replace after three months, and use the used box to deodorize the drain and/or garbage disposal. Sprinkle the soda down the drain, then flush with hot water.
-- Clean upholstery and carpet spills. To remove stains, make a paste out of baking soda and water (test on a hidden area first). To clean the carpet, sprinkle the soda over the rug, then vacuum.
-- Polish silver flatware with a baking soda-water paste. Rinse with warm water.
-- Clean your barbecue grill. Again, make a baking soda-water paste. Coat the grill. Leave for a few minutes to soften burned-on food, then remove. Rinse with warm water.
-- Keep lawn furniture fresh and clean. Sprinkle with soda, then wipe with a damp cloth. Rinse clean.
-- Give yourself an at-home pedicure to get your feet sandal-ready. Soak your feet in warm water with a few tablespoons of baking soda.
-- Soothe irritation from insect bites. That baking soda-water paste comes in handy here, too.
For more ideas and tips: www.armandhammer.com.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit Sacramento Bee
