Helpful gardening tips were given to members of the Elliot Lake Horticultural Society in two presentations at their monthly meeting last week.
Dianne Vlahovich, committee member for publicity and public relations, showed how a plastic-wrapped bag of soil could be used directly for a plant container. She punched holes in the bag and then transplanted a spider plant. Seeds, seedlings and seed strips could all be planted directly in the bag of soil.
She brought in samples of plants with problems to educate members: geranium leaves showing rust from a fungus and a tall parsley plant that had white spots on it that originally started out as an outdoor plant. She said she brought the plant into the house, and as often happens, with the plant came pests.
She also spoke about fungus gnats, a tiny fly smaller than a fruit fly that lays eggs in the soil surrounding the plant. When the eggs hatch, the larvae go to the roots of the plant and drain them of nutrients.
Vlahovich recommended using either cinnamon or coffee grounds applied to the top of soil as a natural remedy to reduce pests. Cinnamon can also be used as a rooting agent and a fungicide. The used coffee grounds provide nitrogen to the soil, supposedly repel cats from using the garden as a toilet, and feed earthworms. Used coffee grounds may also be added to the compost pile.
To avoid cutworms in the garden, she recommended BTK, a natural product that comes in powder or liquid form. She said the product sold out in Ontario stores last year, so she bought some on Amazon.
After listening to different types of garden problems, one member said, “Gardening is like warfare.”
The second presentation was by Pat McCaffrey, convenor for Westview Gardens, who showed members how to use toilet paper or paper towels to make seed strips. She recommended using one ply of paper folded into strips. Dot the paper with a permanent marker where the seeds should be planted. If the seed packet recommends planting four inches apart, put them two inches apart, then thin out later when the seedlings come up. Use a drop of glue on the spot to hold the seed. A toothpick or other small tool could be used to pick up the seed by wetting the end of the tool in water, touching the seed to pick it up, then touching the spot of glue on the paper to place the seed. She recommended either making a paste of flour and water to glue the seeds or Elmer’s glue which is non-toxic. A small collection of seeds could be placed in a lid or saucer for easy pick-up. At planting time, the strip may be put directly on top of the soil, with a thin layer spread over, then pressed down and watered with a light spray. Avid gardeners could start preparing seed strips indoors in the winter and be ahead of the game when spring arrives.
“I’ve tried kale, lettuce and radish seeds,” said McCaffrey.
Her tip to repel cutworms in the garden is to place half a toilet paper roll about a half inch down into the soil around individual young plants. Vlahovich said she uses plastic water bottles with both ends cut off and placed in the soil over the plant.
After the presentations, members were encouraged to select a book from those recently donated by Marie Murphy-Foran and take part in a seed exchange.
The Elliot Lake Horticultural Society meets at the Heritage Hall at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month from January to June and September to November. Membership is $15 for singles and $20 for families. Guests are welcome. For more information call Ann at 705-227-0641 or visit the society’s Facebook Page.