Get Free Mosquitofish

Photo: Mosquito Fish (Gambusia affinis) by Arizona Aquatics Garden

The dreaded mosquitos are back!  With the rising rates of foreclosures, more swimming pools, spas and ornamental ponds are being neglected, providing mosquitos the perfect breeding ground.  Did you know that mosquitos only need a few tablespoons of water to complete a life cycle?  An unmaintained swimming pool or spa is an ideal source for more than 1 million mosquitos that may go on to become infected with West Nile virus, and infect people within a 5 mile radius!

In order to control the mosquito population, Gambusia affinis a.k.a. "mosquito fish" have been introduced to these isolated stagnant bodies of water.  Mosquitofish are live bearing freshwater minnows related to guppies.  Adult mosquitofish measure 1 to 2 inches in length, and can eat 500 mosquito larvae a day!  They also eat wind-blown organic debris at the surface of the water.

To get free mosquitofish, check with your local Mosquito and Vector Control Associations.
Contra Costa County's Mosquito and Vector Control District are giving away free mosquitofish to its residents.  They are available for pickup at the District's office located at 155 Mason Circle, Concord, CA Monday through Friday (except Holidays).

Contra Costa residents can also report neglected swimming pools here.

If you cannot get free mosquito fish in your area, you can purchase them online at Arizona Aquatics Garden.

Important: Please do NOT release any live mosquitofish in open waters.  It is against the law to do so, and may disrupt the ecological balance in natural habitats.

Plastic Shopping Bag Greenhouse

Photo: Two transplant flats are placed side by side inside a Target plastic shopping bag.  

The handles are tied on the side.

You can easily start seedlings outdoors by growing them in individual greenhouses made out of old plastic shopping bags.  

The seeds in my outdoor garden were taking a long time to germinate so I decided to start some more seedlings in pots.  To accelerate the germination time, I transformed the pots into greenhouses by wrapping them in old shopping plastic bags and tying them shut.  I placed the wrapped pots in a sunny location, and checked the bags once a day to make sure the soil was still moist and to see if anything had sprouted.  

These shopping bags make a significant difference.

Early Corn Germination Times
Method                                                                        Days to Germination
Burpee Seed Starter Kit (indoors)................................. 4
Plastic Shopping Bag Greenhouse (outdoors)...............5
Direct Seed Planting in Garden (outdoors)...................13

To check out my other germination tips and methods click here.

Plastic Knife Plant Labels

Photo: Early Corn plant label made out of a plastic knife

Have you ever wondered what to do with those plastic knives you get with your take-out orders or have leftover from a mixed plastic cutlery set?  Turn them into plant labels!

You can make simple plant labels by using a plain permanent marker (not the fine point kind) to label the knife handle.   Alternatively, you can dress up your plant labels like I did with a little paint and creativity.  Keep reading for instructions on how to make your own weather-resistant or weatherproof plant labels out of plastic knives.

Directions on How to Make Plastic Knife Plant Labels

Materials

• old clothes or smock
• newspapers
• masking tape or objects to weigh down newspaper
• sand paper (220 grit)
• plastic knives 
• paint brushes
• artist palette or old plate
• acrylic paint (I used Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Paint)
• cup to hold water (I used the bottom half of a plastic water bottle)
• paper towel (moistened) 

Directions

Photo: Prepping the work area

Photo: Finished plastic knife plant labels

1. Preparation.  Change into old clothes or put on a smock.  Then find a comfortable place to paint.  Prep your work area by laying down newspaper to prevent paint from accidentally ruining your furniture.  Weigh down or tape the edges of the newspaper to the table.  Then gather the rest of your materials.
2. Sand the Plastic Knife Handle.  Roughen up the surface of the plastic knives with sandpaper.  Then wipe down the knife with a moist paper towel.  Allow the knife to dry.  This will create a better surface for the paint to adhere to, and prevent the paint from peeling off the plastic.               
3. Prepare a Design or Dive In.  Acrylic dries quickly so I like to think about what I will draw and what colors I will use prior to painting, but feel free to dive in and start painting.  
4. Paint.  Start painting.  I painted in layers.  First, I mixed blue and white on my palette to create a light blue paint.  Then I painted the knife handle and about 3/4" past the knife handle a light blue.  It is not necessary to paint the whole knife because the serrated edge of the knife will be beneath the soil line.  While I waited for my first layer to dry, I cleaned my paint brush by swirling it in water and drying off the excess moisture.  Then I painted a picture of the fruit or vegetable (also in layers).  Lastly, I used a fine brush and black acrylic paint to "write" the plant names.  
5. Stick it in the Ground.  Place the knife in the ground so that the painted handle is exposed.  Now you have a unique, inexpensive, weather-proof plant label!          

More on Expensive Corn

As mentioned in my recent blog post 5 Priority Planting Tips To Maximize Your Grocery Bill Savings, the price of corn is rising.  In a span of six months (from July 2010 to January 2011) the price of corn has nearly doubled, and the price of corn is expected to continue to rise.  

Here are some more interesting facts: 

• "The U.S. is the world's largest producer of field corn, at 13 billion bushels a year [but] sweet corn, the kind we eat on the cob, is less than 1% of total corn grown."  USA Today.   
• "24% of the U.S. corn crop is now mandated to go to ethanol."  USA Today.

To learn about the factors that are contributing to the rising cost of corn, read this USA Today article. 

Recycled Paper Baskets

Photo: Recycled Paper Basket.  Normally $39.95, but on Sale for $29.99!

I saw these beautiful handmade paper baskets at Plow & Hearth.  These handmade recycled paper baskets are made by skilled paper weavers in the Philippines, providing needed income to families while reducing the impact on the earth.  This tote is sturdy enough for a full load of magazines or newspapers.  This particular tote measures 12"L x 6"D x 13"H, but there are other shapes and sizes.  The regular price of the baskets cost about $35 to $40, but the recycled paper basket featured above is on sale for $29.99.  You can also save an additional 15% off your purchase of $75 or more at Plow & Hearth by using coupon code LNKPH15. 

Photo: Recycled Waste Bin.  

Photo: Round Recycled Paper Basket

I lack the skills to make the totes featured above, but I liked the idea of recycling or upcycling old magazines and newspapers into beautiful, eco-friendly new products.  I found this neat YouTube video on how to make a recycled magazine holder out of a shoe box and coiled magazines.  The instructions look simple enough.  I may attempt to make one in the future.        

Update 12/28/2011:

[YouTube Video was removed by Owner  :(  ]

I did end up creating a makeup brush holder out of a tin can and sheets of magazines rolled into tubes.  Click here to see how I did it.

Self-Watering Conversion Kits for Planters

Photo: Self-Watering Conversion Kits

Before taking your next vacation, consider upgrading your containers with self-watering conversion kits.    These kits convert ordinary pots into self-watering planters.  These kits will reduce your time spent on watering your plants.  All you have to do is pour water into the fill tube.  The water in the reservoir will evaporate and moisten the soil.  Pour more water into the fill tube when the water level indicator indicates the reservoir is low.  You can also fertilize your plants by pouring in liquid or water-soluble fertilizer.

These kits come in two sizes:
Self-Watering Conversion Kit, 1 Quart ($14.95): Holds 1 quart and fits pots up to 10" to 14" in diameter at the rim.
Self-Watering Conversion Kit, 1 Gallon($17.95): Holds 4 quarts and fits pots between 16" and 20" in diameter at the rim.

5 Priority Planting Tips To Maximize Your Grocery Bill Savings

Photo: 4 ears of corn cost $5.99 at our local Safeway

The price of food is rising.  You may have already noticed or at least heard about the rising cost of corn, soybeans and wheat.  Just the other day, I noticed that four ears of corn cost $5.99 at our local grocery store.  To mitigate the rising cost of food, I encourage you to try and grow some of your own fruits, vegetables and herbs.  To maximize your savings on your grocery bill this year, I suggest you follow the 5 tips listed below.  These tips are especially important for apartment gardeners or other gardeners that have only a small area to work with.

1. Give Expensive Produce Priority Planting.  Think about the foods you love or frequently use, then walk down the produce aisle, and get an idea of what these items cost.  Take in account that out-of-season produce will generally cost more than it would be in-season.  Then give the pricey items priority planting.  For example, I love corn.  Our local Safeway is selling four ears of sweet corn for $5.99.  I also know that the price of corn has increased dramatically, and will continue to rise so I will be planting sweet corn in my garden this year.  Sweet corn will have priority over vegetables like broccoli because broccoli is only $0.79 per pound and it has a long shelf-life.      
2. Plant Food You Frequently Consume.  I alluded to this in the previous point, but make sure you give priority planting to foods you actually consume frequently, and not just foods you love but rarely eat.  For example, I frequently use tomatoes and bell peppers so I allotted a good chunk of my garden to tomatoes and bell peppers.  For this reason, I will probably not plant eggplant this year although one of my favorite dishes is Thai green curry chicken.  I do not eat eggplant often enough, and that space would be better utilized by planting vegetables I frequently consume.  
3. Plant Rare or Hard-To-Find Varieties.  Heirloom vegetables are delicious, pricey and hard to find so why not try planting heirloom plants this year?  Seed Savers Exchange, Fedco Garden Seeds, and Seeds of Change are some sources of heirloom seeds and/or plants. 
4. Plant Easily Perishable Produce.  Plant foods that are easily perishable.  For example, I love asparagus, but it has a short shelf-life.  So this year, I purchased 3 different types of asparagus crowns.  I planted them in the garden weeks ago and I already see thin asparagus shoots emerging from the soil.  Because asparagus is a perennial (meaning it will live for years without needing to be replanted) this small initial investment will provide me years of future enjoyment.  I will have the freshest possible asparagus spears only steps away from the kitchen.  If you want to grow asparagus for consumption, skip the seeds and purchase the crowns.  Normally asparagus is not harvested before its third year so planting crowns will give you a head start.   
5. Don't Forget The Herbs.  Many herbs are easy to grow, and generally do not require a lot of space.  They provide great flavor with a negligible amount of calories, and they are packed with vitamins and minerals that give our bodies many health benefits.  Fresh herbs can also be pricey, they have a short shelf-life, and they are not always available at the grocery store.  So invest a little time, money and space to an herb garden.  Trust me, the next time you have a recipe that calls for a couple of tablespoons of four different herbs, your pocket book will thank you.

Free Online Square Foot Gardening Tool

Gardener's Supply Company has a free online garden planning tool on their website.  It allows you to create and customize garden plans.   You can set the dimensions of your garden bed, drag and drop herbs, vegetables and fruits into each square foot.  The program even recommends how many of each herb, vegetable or fruit to plant in a square foot.  Planting care instructions for each plant you select are displayed below your garden layout.  You can name your garden plan, save it, print it or even email it.  You can also create several garden layouts, and then load them to the site map tool to arrange the garden beds in your overall space.  For those of you who do not want to design your own garden layouts, their website also offers a section of free pre-planned garden layouts.  This is a neat tool and worth checking out!

Bell Pepper Plants from Scraps

Some people find it difficult to start bell pepper plants from seeds, but I find it really easy to start new bell pepper plants from kitchen scraps.  All you have to do is cut your bell pepper in half lengthwise.  Then scrape the seeds on to a paper towel or newspaper with your fingers or a spoon.  If you want to store the seeds, allow the seeds to dry out in a cool, dry place before storing them in a cool, dry area.  Otherwise, plant the seeds in soil.  

I planted my red bell pepper seeds in my new Burpee 72-Cell Greenhouse Kit on March 15, and 10 days later red bell pepper seedlings are beginning to emerge from the soil!  I planted one to two seeds about 1/4" deep in each cell.    

I am really impressed with the Burpee 72-Cell Greenhouse Kit.  It is easy to use, re-useable, mess-free, and really eliminates the guesswork in creating just the right environment for seeds to germinate.  I only had to do the initial watering of the Burpee seed cubes, and the cells are still moist 10 days later.  Just make sure all of the seed starting cubes are standing upright before pouring the hot water so they expand correctly.  

Square Foot Gardening

This year I am using Mel Bartholomew's square foot gardening method he describes in his book, Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work, to make the most of my available garden space.  I find his planting diagrams under the "Crop-by-Crop Guide" chapter most helpful.  Now I know I can fit four swiss chards in one square foot!

To give you an idea of what topics this book covers, the table of contents is set forth below:

Contents
Acknowledgments
1: A Better Way of Gardening
2: Understanding Square Foot Gardening
3: Choosing the Right Size and Layout
4: Simple Tools for Square Foot Gardens
5: Getting Started: Site and Soil Choices
6: Planting Procedures From Simple to Advanced
7: Spacing and Planting Methods
8: Vertical Growing
9: Cages, Boxed and Vertical Supports
10: Seed-Starting Techniques and Tips
11: Planting Seedlings and Transplants
12: Watering Guidelines
13: Preventing Problems: Weeds, Pests, and Diseases
14: Enjoying the Harvest
15: Extending the Growing Season
16: End-of-Season Activities
17: Special Gardens
18: A Crop-by-Crop Guide
Sources
Average Dates of Last Spring Frost
Average Dates of First Fall Frost
Index

Succulent Wreaths

Photo: Succulent Wreath at Home Depot

Home Depot is selling succulent wreaths!  If you would like to create your own, Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) has a great slideshow with pictures and instructions here.    

Spring is Officially Here!

Vernal Equinox will occur today around 11:21 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) today or 4:21 p.m. were I live, which marks the first day of Spring!  So happy planting everyone!