Do stones help drainage in flowerpots? We explain the science behind the answer.
Have you or a neighbor had a garden or yard that was the envy of the neighborhood? As gardeners we are always looking for tips and tricks to make our gardens look the best they possibly can be. Some of the remedies available in today’s market can do more harm than good, not only to our plants but to the environment, as well. Today we bring back one of our favorite garden scholars to help us examine some of the remedies that work and the some of the ones that don’t.
Ever taken advice from someone or something that turned out to be bad or iffy? Thankfully, we have better ways of getting advice that is tested and trusted.
Joe, Jeff and the rest of the crew review footage during filming.
Joe brings in Dr. Jeff Gillman, a researcher and horticulture professor at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC to look into a few of the many garden myth remedies out there. Jeff has spent years testing and retesting many of the homemade remedies available through various sources. When he isn’t teaching, instructing, or speaking at various events, he dives in to experiments and research to find the best possible ways to keep your plants and gardens looking the best they can.
Joe and Jeff spend time using regular household items, and vegetables straight from the garden, to show us the best ways to make homemade disease controllers and insect repellents.
Later, in the kitchen, Chef Nathan prepares a delicious Greek Salad with some time saving tips of his own.
For additional information check out these links:
Jeff Gillman’s Website
Beneficial Insects to Purchase
Chef Nathan’s Greek Salad
About GGWTV
Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
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Show # 419. Is this for purchase? Perfect to show to our county Extension Master Gardener Volunteer group.
Hi Barbara. We’d be happy to help you with this.
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Noticed on my dogwoods spider webs at the base. Also some of the leaves are turning yellow. What can I treat I
the dogwoods with? Spider mites?
Spray soda pop or sugar water at base of plants Release lady bugs at twilight and they should stick around to feed, at least long enough to get some energy for their long flight back to their winter ranges. I had some luck with this, but not worth the expense. What has helped most with aphids is to encourage sparrows and hummingbirds as both will strip all the aphids for meals once they know they’re there. For that reason alone I do not use any caustic (even “natural” caustic preparations such as the hort vinegar or the chili peppers) in my garden.
Little bit of BS going on here with this Dr. Gillman. He claims to use scientific evidence to debunk garden myths. But then goes on to say “some of these peppers are hot enough to raise blisters on your hands.”
The peppers causing blisters story is a myth! Peppers don’t really burn, scientists tells, they trick the body’s sensors into believing they feel heat. There is no damage to the skin that causes blisters; that myth is exactly the kind of myth Dr. Gillman is supposed to be debunking – but he is instead perpetuating it on national TV. Wonder where he got his degree!
Hi Tom,
Sorry to take so long to reply, but I was just made aware of your comment. You’re absolutely correct that hot peppers rarely raise blisters and I shouldn’t have stated that they do, however, they can cause pain that will last for up to 24 hours, skin sensitivity, and reddening. My doctorate in horticulture and master’s in entomology came from UGA.
In fact, peppers can be extremely irritating to the skin. My wife processed a lot of hot peppers with her bare hands, and she complained how much her hands hurt while doing it. But that was nothing compared to how much they hurt afterward. She was in agony. Luckily, I had a topical anesthetic which I applied liberally, and I had to keep reapplying it for hours afterward until she could tolerate the pain – which lasted for half a day.
I have black spots on my maple trees, will the 1 part milk and 2 parts water work on trees? And how do I do it?
Hi Penni. The black spot is not treatable with the milk and water solution. Black spot on maple leaves is very common and usually resolves on it’s own, or when leaves drop in fall. Rarely is it a problem that damages the tree.
I have heard spraying the lady beetles with a 50/50 mix of Sugary Cola (Coca Cola or an analogue) and water, will get the wings of the beetles sticky enough for a long enough period that they will be earth/leaf bound until they lay their eggs. Once the eggs are laid, they stick around and begin nesting. Not sure if it works, but that’s the story I was told.
Interesting Rob. But I’m skeptical. There are many garden myths out there and I wonder if this isn’t one of them. Lady bugs / beetles are from the Order Coleoptera, which means sheathed wing. The hard forewings(called elytra) don’t help with flight at all but are there mainly to protect the true delicate flight wings and abdomen. Maybe the sticky solution glues the forewings closed for a while perhaps? If you try this, let us know what you find out. And thanks for sharing.
With the Lady Beetles, if you release them in the evening,and with water right there ( a shallow saucer), more stay home.