Category Archives: Gardening

29
Jul

Marion, Auckland.

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To make a natural weed killer, mix 1 gallon of white vinegar, half a cup of salt, add eight drops liquid dish soap – put it all in a spray bottle to apply. Marion says it will kill weeds in two to three days.

29
Jul

Tui, Thames.

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Here’s a trick to remove the green from your hands when working with tomatoes. Take a tomato (preferably one leftover) and squash it in your hands and rub. The green stain will come off. We did this when I picked tomatoes commercially and it really does work.

29
Jul

Anonymous

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Tomatoes require plenty of water when fruiting. The hose is useless on a hot summer’s day. Take a two litre plastic bottle, drink the contents, put a pin hole in the side down at the bottom of the bottle, then fill with water and place it in the garden by the tomato plant. Remove the […]

29
Jul

YM, Christchurch.

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Don’t waste money buying garden twine. Grow a small flax bush and use pieces of the leaves. You may pay for the flax bush once, but you will have it forever.

29
Jul

Trish, Tauranga.

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To keep slugs and snails away from newly planted seedlings, just make a small flat container out of tin foil and put 3 or 4 slices of cucumber on it. The cucumber and tin foil together seem to give off an unnoticed smell that slugs and snails don’t like. I put a couple of little […]

29
Jul

B Cassey, Te Puke.

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Save on slug pellets etc. I cut the bottom off a two litre bottle of milk or soft drink and put it over any new plants until they are big enough for them to take off. Also they grow faster, after coming out of the hot house. Slugs and snails do not climb them.

29
Jul

C J Turner, Masterton.

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When using spring onions, leave the last 3/4 cm at the root end and replant in your garden, it will regrow, can then just cut spring onion leaving root in ground. Will have for spring onions for seasons from 1 original purchase.

29
Jul

Jules, Napier.

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Grow NZ native spinach vine plants. They are a little known vegetable, it is a vine that is really fast growing, provides huge volumes, keeps weeds down and incredibly delicious. Simply pluck the leaves from the vine and it continues to sprout. 3-4 plants will easily keep a family fed for the winter. It grows […]