Garden Smart TIPS

TIE ONE ON!
There aren't too many of us still wearing pantyhose or knee-highs anymore, BUT if you do have some and get a run in them - don't toss them! Save them and use them next time you need plant ties. They're flexible, stretchy, and gentle on plants. They last forever, and usually their color blends in pretty well with the surrounding environment. You can make tons of ties out of just one pair!
- Contributed by Annalisa Palacios, Master Gardener

A HANDY HELPER
I have what Home Depot calls a small mortar tub. It's found in the building materials section near the raw cement, and measures about 28 x 20 x 6 inches. It has a rounded bottom and holds approximately 8 gallons by volume, which makes it small enough to drag around even if it's filled with dirt. I use the tub on my potting bench when I'm repotting container plants, and when adding new plants to our yard, I rake the gravel top-dressing to the side and temporarily store the soil from the new hole in it. I use it to collect spent wildflower heads to dry before dispersing them back around the yard, and it has also held modest quantities of shallots or garlic to dry in the shade. It has often been enlisted to hold our garden's harvest, and it has a wide enough opening to make an easy target when I'm 8 feet up on a stepstool picking peas. It also helps me keep water lilies wet while I'm dividing them. This tub is a steal at less than $5. There is also a 16-gallon version for $11, but it seems too large for me to handle with ease.
- Contributed by Linda Guy, Master Gardener

We would be happy to publish your tried-and-true Garden-Smart TIPS. Please include your name and send to Candice Sherrill at candicesherrill@cox.net.

Maricopa County Master Gardener Volunteer Information
Last Updated July 28, 2003
Author: Lucy K. Bradley, Extension Agent Urban Horticulture, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Maricopa County
© 1997 The University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cooperative Extension in Maricopa County
Comments to Maricopa-hort@ag.arizona.edu 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85040,
Voice: (602) 470-8086 ext. 301, Fax (602) 470-8092