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Marge Says, "From kitchen to garden!"

My cat Marge has been hanging about the kitchen more than usual this month.  She says she is doing research for a column about ways to combat gardening problems with common household items.  Interestingly enough much of her research involves close observation of me preparing meals.

Allen thinks I spend so much time in the kitchen because I want to get closer to his lunch.  What he doesn’t realize is the kitchen is where he can find solutions to some of his most vexing problems in the garden.  I try to convey this to him silently with my eyes, but he just thinks I’m staring at his sandwich.  How a man so in tune with nature can be such a knucklehead I’ll never know.

10 Garden Solutions You Can Find in Your Pantry  

Hot Pepper Spray to Keep Away Dogs – Puree 1 hot pepper.  Add an equal amount of water, plus a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid.  The dishwashing liquid will help the solution stick.  Strain and spray on plant leaves.  This works for cats too, but I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to keep a cat away. 

Garlic Insect Repellent – To shoo away insects make a garlic cayenne pepper spray.  Combine one head of garlic, chopped; a tablespoon of cayenne pepper; and one quart of water.  Set aside to steep for one hour.  Strain and spray on plant leaves.  Be aware that this will repel ALL insects including pollinators like honeybees.  Leftover spray will keep for 2 or 3 weeks in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Fruit Cocktail Japanese Beetle Trap – Open a can of fruit cocktail, set it outside in a sunny spot for a week to ferment.  Place a brick in a pail.  Place the can of fruit cocktail on the brick.  Fill the pail with water up to the rim of the can.  Beetles trying to get to the fruit cocktail will fall into the pail and drown. 

Vinegar Weed Killer – Vinegar can be used as a broad spectrum herbicide, which means it will kill all plants not just weeds; so be careful.  Mix one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with one gallon of vinegar.  Spray on the weed, being careful not to spray desirable plants.  Weeds should die within 24 hours.  Now the thing about vinegar is that it is not absorbed by the leaves down to the roots like commercial herbicides.  So it will kill the foliage, but not necessarily the roots.  Mature or tough weeds may require a repeat application when new growth emerges.

Vinegar Azalea/Gardenia Fertilizer – The acetic acid in vinegar that makes it a weed killer can also be beneficial for plants that love acidic soil.  I know, it seems like cross purposes, but that’s just how versatile vinegar is.  If you notice the leaves on your azaleas or gardenias turning yellow, it could be a symptom of the soil having too much lime.  Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar to one quart of water.  Pour one cupful around the base of the plant.  Repeat every 2 weeks until the yellow is gone.  

Boiling Water Weed Killer – Even easier than the vinegar weed killer is boiling water.  Simply pour boiling water over weeds sprouting up through walks or patios.  They will wilt instantly.

Give Your Tomatoes Some Salt - Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, which plants use to develop stronger root systems and to aid in the uptake of chlorophyll.  When setting out your tomato plants sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt in each planting hole.  If you have trouble with squirrels digging up spring flowering bulbs, a pinch of salt added to the planting hole will take care of that problem.

Keep the Rabbits & Groundhogs at Bay with Talcum Powder – Okay so this isn’t something you would find in your kitchen, but talcum powder is an effective repellent.  Dust vegetables and surrounding area with talcum powder.  This will need to be reapplied when washed away by rain.  Talcum powder also works on flea beetles.  These are the “no-see-um” bugs that chew holes in the leaves of  morning glories and sweet potato vines.

Clean Your Dentures and Your Glass Flower Vases – One thing that drives me nuts is that milky residue that builds up on glass flower vases.  This can be removed with effervescent denture tablets.  Fill the vase with hot water and add a couple of the tablets.  The glass will rinse sparkling clean without lifting a paw.

Offer Slugs a Cuppa Joe – Snails and slugs can be deterred by spraying plants with coffee.  Although high levels of caffeine are thought to kill slugs and snails, a regular cup of coffee will only discourage them from eating your plants.  You can try sprinkling coffee grounds around the plant too.  Although coffee grounds are acidic, a thin layer won’t change the composition of the soil and earthworms love them.