Gardening Tips For Beginners: Info

Showing posts with label Info. Show all posts

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Epsom Salt in the Garden

Epsom salt, chemically known as magnesium sulfate, can offer several benefits to your garden when used appropriately:

1. Magnesium and Sulfur Source: Epsom salt is a natural source of magnesium and sulfur, both of which are essential nutrients for plant growth and development. Magnesium aids in chlorophyll production, which is crucial for photosynthesis, while sulfur is necessary for the formation of amino acids and vitamins within the plant.

2. Nutrient Absorption: Magnesium helps plants absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. This can lead to healthier, more vigorous growth and better overall plant performance.

3. Stress Reduction: Epsom salt can help alleviate stress in plants caused by deficiencies, environmental factors (such as heat or drought stress), or transplant shock. This can result in improved resilience and vitality.

4. Increased Flowering and Fruit Production: Magnesium plays a role in the development of flowers and fruits. Using Epsom salt can encourage more abundant flowering and fruiting in certain plants, leading to higher yields.

To use Epsom salt in your garden effectively:

1. Soil Preparation: Before planting, you can incorporate Epsom salt into the soil to improve its magnesium and sulfur content. Mix it thoroughly into the soil at a rate of about 1-2 tablespoons per gallon of water or follow the specific instructions on the product label.

2. Foliar Spray: You can also use Epsom salt as a foliar spray to deliver magnesium directly to the plant's leaves. Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt in a gallon of water and spray it onto the foliage, ensuring thorough coverage. This method can be particularly beneficial for addressing magnesium deficiencies quickly.

3. Frequency: It's generally recommended to apply Epsom salt to your garden once or twice during the growing season, depending on the specific needs of your plants and soil conditions. Overuse of Epsom salt can lead to excessive buildup of magnesium in the soil, which may cause nutrient imbalances over time.

4. Observation: Monitor your plants closely after applying Epsom salt to assess their response. Look for signs of improvement in growth, flowering, and overall health. Adjust your application rates or frequency accordingly based on the results.

Remember to conduct a soil test periodically to determine the nutrient levels in your soil accurately. While Epsom salt can be beneficial for many plants, it's essential to use it judiciously and in conjunction with other fertilization practices for optimal results.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

5 Insects That Can Destroy Your Tomatoes

What Are Those Insects?

1. Cutworms

What are they:

Cutworms feed at night on seedlings. They “cut” or eat through the stem at soil level or an inch or less above the soil. Cutworms aren’t exactly worms — they are the larvae of certain moths. They only emerge at night and can be difficult to spot. Cutworms kill tomato plants by snipping them right in half.

What to do about them:

Prevent cutworm damage by making a paper collar that fits around your seedlings. Just take newspaper or cardboard and fold it into an inch-wide strip. Use tape to make a collar around the plant, leaving about two to three inches around the stem. Remove the collar once the plant has several sets of leaves. You can also cut the bottom off of a paper cup and slide the open-bottom cup over the seedling to prevent cutworm damage.

2. Hornworms

What are they:

Tomato or tobacco hornworms can decimate mature tomato plants in one night. These crafty insects are large green worms about two to three inches long with tiny horns on their head and ridged bodies. Hornworms are perfectly camouflaged so they look exactly like a tomato stem or branch, making them difficult to spot. They emerge at night, eat all the leaves off the plant and move on to the next section or plant.

What to do about them:

Nature provides the best control for tomato hornworm in the form of a parasitic wasp that lays her eggs on the body of the hornworm. As the wasp’s larvae hatch, they eat into the living worm and eventually kill it. Natural methods to control tomato hornworms include planting marigolds around tomatoes. The strong marigold scent repels them naturally.

3. Colorado Potato Beetle

What are they:

Colorado potato beetles are native to the United States. They love plants in the nightshade family, especially potatoes. If they can’t find potatoes, however, they will gravitate towards tomatoes, eggplant and other nightshade family vegetables. The beetles are about the size of dimes, with yellow-and-black striped wings. The adults use their mouthparts to chew holes in the leaves of tomato plants. Females lay clusters of bright gold or yellow eggs underneath the leaves. When the larvae hatch, they spread out among the tomato leaves, easily eating their way through the entire plant. Larvae are red to dark pink with black spots and frequently hide under the leaves during the day.

What to do about them:

Use a pesticide with pyrethrins to spray on your tomato plants. This method works best in early spring before the larvae mature.

4. Stink Bugs

What are they:

The brown marmorated stink bug isn’t only an annoyance inside the home. These insects also use their needle-like mouthparts to suck the juice right out of your tomatoes. They can be spotted with the naked eye on your tomatoes, or you can see their damage in the yellow, uneven spots that appear on the ripening tomatoes. When you slice into a yellow-spotted tomato, white sections appear under the yellow spots, which distinguish stink bug damage from fungal or viral problems.

What to do about them:

Any brand of pesticides makes stink bug traps that harmlessly attract the insects to the trap and away from your tomatoes.

5. Spider Mites

What are they:

Spider mites are difficult to see because they’re so tiny, but you can clearly see the damage they leave behind. Mites scuttle along the stems and leaves, piercing the leaves to feed on the juices. Eventually, tomato leaves look stippled and bronzed, with damage to the plant’s leaf structure.

What to do about them:

The best method for treating spider mites on tomato plants is to use a neem oil spray. Another option is insecticidal soap, which also offers a treatment for spider mites.