- Reader’s Tip: After boiling eggs in their shells, save the water and let it cool. Use to water container plants or house plants. The calcium in the water is great for all plants. Also, a little milk in your water helps. You can also fill a milk container with water BEFORE rinsing it out and water garden or house plants.
- You can nourish your plants by feeding them ground eggshells or finely diced banana skins. Work these into the soil, and watch your plants flourish!
- Unflavored gelatin dissolved in water is a good, nitrogen-rich plant food. Use one envelope of gelatin to a quart of liquid, and water the plants with a mixture (freshly made) once a month.
- Cool the water in which you’ve cooked spaghetti or potatoes and use it to water your plants. The starch is good for them.
- Water ferns periodically with tea, or mix wet tea leaves into the potting soil.
- First aid for a broken stem that is still attached to the plant: Make a splint of toothpicks and tape.
- Use any kind of plastic-type cassette tape as plant ties. The tape stretches and doesn’t damage tender stems.
- A thick watercolor brush is a good tool for cleaning the fur-like leaves of African violets.
- Put a gloss on the leaves of your house plants by rubbing them with a soft cloth dipped in glycerin. Unlike most gloss-producing substances, glycerin won’t collect dirt.
- Dust can filter as much as 50% of the sunlight your plant needs. Gently wipe the leaves with the inside of a banan peel -- it will remove dust and shine them as well.
- For healthier, happier African Violets, try putting a couple rusty nails in the pot soil ... they need iron just as we do!
- Here’s a novel but effective way to germinate parsley indoors: Slice a sponge in half and sprinkle them with parsley seeds. Arrange sponges on dishes in a sunny location. Keep them moist and watch your parsley grow.
- To speed up seed germination, place seed trays on top of your refrigerator, where the 72° to 75° Fahrenheit will promote steady growth.
- To sort good seeds from bad, drop all the seeds into a tray of water. Leave overnight and the good germinating seeds will sink to the bottom. Skim and discard the floating seeds.
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Quick Tips