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Elisabeth C. Miller Library

Archives: Garden Tips

Gardening tips and suggestions.

Garden Tip #14

A common question we get at the Elisabeth C. Miller Library is How do I kill weeds without hand digging but without using toxic chemicals? Further discussion with the gardener reveals he wants to buy a product that he can spray on the weeds, once. Organic gardeners have it easier now compared to a decade ago, with a number of less-toxic weed killers on the market, but the fact is not one of these products is a magic bullet.

  • Corn Gluten Meal (Concern’s Weed Prevention Plus and Whitney Farm’s Weed Whompin Mulch) is a natural product that prevents seeds from rooting once sprouted. The downside is that it doesn’t work during rainy weather. Another consideration is that recent studies show it acts as fertilizer because it is rich in nitrogen, so in garden beds it may actually increase weeds. Its best use would be for weeds in lawns, according to an article in Organic Gardening, Aug/Oct 2008.
  • Potassium salts of fatty acids (Safer Superfast Weed & Grass Killer) kills the tops of all plants, but not the roots. It works best on annual weeds like chick-weed and bitter cress, but would have to be repeated a few times to kill perennial weeds with root reserves, such as dandelion.
  • Pelargonic acid herbicide (Scythe) is another type of fatty acid, similar to soap, that kills weeds by drying out the leaves. As mentioned above this product works best on annual or biennial weeds and must be reapplied a few times to kill perennials.
  • Vinegar from the kitchen doesn’t kill weeds, only disfigures them. Commercial products (Burnout, Bradfield’s Horticultural 20% Vinegar) work if used in hot weather, but are quite caustic and great caution must be used not to inhale the fumes or spray the skin. Natural, yes, but toxic.

What does it take to get rid of weeds? A multi-pronged approach: physically remove weeds when they are young, reapply mulch every year, shade weeds out with desirable plants, and don’t let weeds go to seed.

The Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides publishes excellent articles on non-toxic pest control. Two good articles on weed management are available free online:
Managing Weeds in Shrub and Flower Beds and Landscape Weed Control

Garden Tip #111

The best time to pull up weeds with long tap-roots, like dandelion and yellow dock, is just after a good soaking rain. Even without a special tool, the tap-root can be wiggled a bit and then tugged right out of the ground. If even a bit of root is left behind it will regrow, but the plant will be weaker and will eventually die if the tops are cut off repeatedly. A good article on controlling dandelions organically is available from Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides.

Garden Tip #39

The Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) works on two fronts to find solutions for pest problems. The Oregon-based organization does research to find natural or non-toxic answers for managing home and garden pest insects, weed and fungus problems. NCAP also advocates for stricter safety regulations and full disclosure on pesticide labels. For $25 per year, members receive the bimonthly Journal of Pesticide Reform. Call 541-344-5044 (9:00-5:00 Pacific Time) for membership information, or go to their website and join online. Many fact sheets, brochures, and articles are available for free at their website www.pesticide.org

Garden Tip #22

Winter is a good time to plan a new patio or fix that drainage problem. You can find an excellent guide to materials, techniques and more from pavingexpert.com. Although this is a British site, with British measurements, the principles still apply. Use the site map to navigate through this exhaustive, informative website.

Garden Tip #160

Two stylish books from Laurel Glen Publishing will help gardeners find sophisticated ideas for typically mundane garden features like pathways and fences. Garden Surfaces: 20 projects for steps, patios, paths, decks, edging by Richard Keys and Garden Boundaries: 20 projects for trellises, walls, fences, gates, screens, hedges by Toby Buckland (Laurel Glen, 2002) both inspire the artist within, while giving detailed instructions on how to build new garden features. Also included in both books are chapters on style, materials, tools and techniques.

Garden Tip #77

Plan your next garden vacation now. Here are a few resources that will help you plan a vacation devoted to visiting beautiful gardens.

  • Gardens of British Columbia by Pat Kramer – Thinking fondly of Canada these days? Go visit British Columbia where they take gardening quite seriously. This book lists details of public gardens with maps and articles on garden history.
  • www.ngs.org.uk – The British National Garden Scheme will assist garden tourists find both public gardens and gardens open by appointment only.
  • www.gardenvisit.com – Slightly confusing, but this site is full of garden touring links and information for the US, Britain, and many other countries like South Africa and Thailand.

    • www.ahs.org/events/travel_study.htm – Travel first class with serious plant lovers with the American Horticultural Society’s travel-study program.

  • www.pacifichorticulture.org – West coast garden magazine Pacific Horticulture also offers first class tours.

Garden Tip #119

Gardeners with a wood burning stove or fire place often wonder whether they can use the ash as a source of potassium. The answer is yes if only wood (and no glossy paper) was burned. Where and how much? That depends. Wood ash raises soil pH, so if you have acid soil use it on the vegetable garden where a neutral pH is preferred, but avoid shrubs that like acid soil, such as Rhododendrons and Camellias. Recommended amounts vary, from a cupful around rose bushes to 20 pounds per 100 square feet for slightly acidic soil. Always work it into the soil. Read more about wood ashes from Oregon State Extension

Garden Tip #52

Winter is a good time to prune because the branch structure of trees and shrubs is clearly visible. Winter is certainly not the only time for pruning, but the list of competing garden chores is typically shorter in winter. Here are a few websites to check out before pulling out the pruning saw:

Garden Tip #152

Mole activity increases in the summer. If you have found you simply cannot tolerate “nature’s rototiller” than take a look at the book Of Moles and Men: the Battle for the Turf by Patrick H Thompson (Aardvark Avanti, $29.95). With humorous chapters like Know the Enemy and Primitive Tools for Civilized Men Thompson details the pros and cons of mole control. Additional information from Washington Cooperative Extension.

Garden Tip #69

Gypsy moth is often in the news and with it comes the promise of aerial spraying of Btk by the department of agriculture. While the idea of the government spraying pesticides over an entire neighborhood may be frightening, a gypsy moth out-break would be devastating to the trees of the Emerald City or any city. Gypsy moths defoliate over 500 species of trees, both deciduous and evergreens.

Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstakiis a bacterium that affects only caterpillars. It is considered an acceptable pesticide by organic gardeners, provided it used only when really needed. The major caterpillar pests in our area include:

  • the larvae stage of the gypsy moth;
  • cutworms that feed in winter and spring on primroses, chives and other perennials;
  • tent caterpillar often seen later in the spring on apple trees;
  • keep in mind that sawfly larvae which can strip a flowering red currant bare in a few weeks are not caterpillars, and Btk will not control them.

Btk will kill caterpillars of butterflies, which is why it must be used with caution only when pest populations are high or the potential damage is intolerable. Btk is typically sold as \”caterpillar killer\” where other pesticides are sold.