Vinegar has many garden uses and yard uses that people are not aware of. And with vinegar being environmentally friendly and cost effective it’s a great alternative to other products.

photo credit: ZeePack

One use for Vinegar that many people do not know is that it will help fresh cut flowers last longer. So if you have fresh cut flowers in your home or have a cutting garden and use flowers or sell them this is a wonderful tip. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water. Shake well and change the water every day. Also make sure your vase is clean.

Clay Pots are pretty, add to garden décor themes and have certain benefits over plastic pots. But they can be difficult to clean. If you use vinegar the white salt buildup on old clay pots cleans easily. Simply soak the affected areas in full strength vinegar.

I don’t mind if a clay pot has an old vintage look but you don’t want the pot to be able to harbor disease. Vinegar will disinfect the pot at the same time as it cleans it.

Ants are a pest in gardens, homes, porches and many other areas. Some of these places you do not want to use a strong insect spray, especially if you have pets or small children. Plus, ants are beneficial – in the right areas. Just not in your home or garden areas.

If you spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along other areas where ants are known to gather the vinegar will keep them away.

Vinegar will help keep cats away from areas you don’t want them. Sprinkle vinegar on any areas where you don’t want the cat walking, sleeping, or scratching. And many people know how much of a pest cats can be in a garden. Just spray around the garden edge to help keep any cats out of the gardens or shrubs.

Undiluted vinegar will kill grass between bricks and sidewalk cracks. This is much more environmentally friendly than premixed weed killers. Simply spray the vinegar on weeds where needed.

Spraying full strength vinegar on weeds will kill them – be careful not to spray it on the surrounding grass, as it will kill that too. If you use a bottle with a fine spray adjustment you can pick out certain weeds to kill and avoid the grass or flowers.

I like using vinegar over strong chemical mixes. It’s not harmful to the soil or other insects. I don’t have to worry about how it may affect the water table, pets or people. And one bottle of vinegar goes a long way so I save money.

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When you buy a plant at a store or greenhouse you really have no idea of how the plants was treated before you bought it. It may have been forced to have larger or earlier flowers, which will tire the plant. It may have been under-watered or placed in improper temperatures.

photo credit: quinn.anya

So baby your plant when you bring it home.

Your first step when bringing a plant home is to leave the store with it properly wrapped.

• When you leave the store there will be a temperature change so plan for it. If its freezing cold outdoors have the cashier give you one of two bags to totally cover the plant and get it home ASAP. Even a few minutes of below average temperatures will harm a plant and create shock.

• If it’s hot outdoors place the plant in a cool place in the car out of direct sunlight.

Indoor houseplant care tips

Check the plants soil when you get home to determine if it needs water and for a day just put the plant somewhere quiet. Also check the plant over for any insects or parasites. Trim off any damages leaves or broken stems or branches.

I often keep the plant separate from any other plants for a week to makes sure there are small insects on the plants. The last thing I want to do is infest all my other plants.

Next check the plant instructions on a plant tag, in a houseplant book or look it up on-line to make sure you know it’s watering and lighting needs.

Find a new home for your plant in your house and enjoy its beauty.

photo credit: moria

I used to move a lot for my one job. Each time I moved to a new town I bought a plant. It was my new friend in a town where I knew no one. Needless to say, it was not long before moving plants took all my time and space

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I have just heard a rough description for the rest of my winter in NW PA and what they feel the summer and fall will be like. For me, overall I need to prepare my gardens for cool weather. With a zone 5 growing zone and a short growing season, this is not the news I was hoping for.

photo credit: net_efekt

You can check your possible spring through fall season at the Farmer’s Almanac. And keep in mind, this is a rough guide that may or may not be accurate. Surprise storms and how close you are to one of the sections borders can affect your growing climate results.

If you live in the Lower Lakes  area the Farmer’s almanac is calling for average snow until march, a warmer than usual April and May, a cooler than normal summer and a warmer September and October. The area will also have below average rainfall.

For me this means I will do my gardens in the greenhouse again. Our summers have been so unpredictable lately that I am beginning to think year round growing is the way to go. It has certain benefits and there are several mini greenhouses or sun rooms that are very reasonable or that you can make by yourself.

As soon as he weather improves and I can figure out how to create you tube and videos I will make a video on how to make a reasonably inexpensive greenhouse.

But until then here are three reasons why year round greenhouse growing has its benefits.

• More control over the climate. You can start plants earlier and grow them later in the season.
• You may have a larger variety of plants you will be able to grow
• Control over small animals like ground hogs and rabbits.

And here are a few concerns.

• Cost of a greenhouse for both the building and and heating.
• Space for the greenhouse
• Learning how to grow under glass

Gardening under glass is quite easy once you make a few adjustments. But overall, the main concern when gardening is to have fun!

Technorati Tags: Climate Control, gardening under glass, greenhouse gardening, greenhouses