By Noah Chase, Deelish Garden Centre
If you are reading this, then chances are that you’re a gardener, or at least have an interest in plants. I find gardening is an ever-expanding field of knowledge and, for this month’s article, I thought it would be fun to share some of the more unusual gardening tips, stories and useful advice that I have learned from experience over the last few decades working here at Deelish Garden Centre.
So many of our customers tell me that they sing or talk to their favourite plants and, believe it or not, studies indicate that plants also seem have a specific taste in music After putting in some research, I found that some genres of music promote growth, whereas others can be damaging to it. Roses in particular seem to love violin music. For most plants, playing classical or jazz music caused growth to increase, while harsher metal music induced stress. This may be because the vibrations of metal music are too intense for plants and stimulate cells a little too much. Think of it like massaging your plants with a song – they prefer a gentler touch.
I have also seen houseplants in particular not growing well if they are placed in a busy spot with heavy footfall. Move them to a calmer space in your home and see the difference in growth.
While on the topic of house plants, many gardeners suggest adding the dregs of a teapot to an indoor watering can to introduce trace elements in a slow release fertiliser. If you like to clean the leaves of indoor plants, try using the inside of a banana peel next time for extra shine; this will also introduce trace elements.
Using unlikely household items on your plants is also something I am always keen to learn more about and I still get some unusual suggestions. I have written in the past about using strong vinegar and salt as weed killers (they work so well that we stock both) and while some gardeners use salt to kill slugs, I think beer traps (they really do work) are a much kinder option! Vinegar can be used to clean gardening tools, as well as acting as a deterrent to rabbits and deer from eating plants when soaked in rags, or it can be used as a low-concentration fungicide.
This year we had a sunflower-growing competition among the staff (some team-building fun) who were allowed to use any feeds from the shop here. The winning sunflower had banana peels and chicken pellets in the pot, both naturally high in nutrients. Another popular plant feed is finely crushed egg shells, which are high in calcium, helping young plants to establish (they can also be used as a sharp barrier against slugs and snails). Most gardeners know about adding natural tea bags and coffee grounds to compost but did you know you can also add hair, fur, urine (which can also be used to deter rabbits and deer), pet and animal droppings to name a few!
When draining steamed or boiled vegetables, use the hot water as an excellent weed killer for any weeds growing near your house. The used water can also be kept until it is cold and used to water plants, as it will contain vitamins and minerals, ideal for promoting plant growth.
Cayenne pepper is a fantastic way to stop pests attacking young plants. Simply sprinkle a small amount at the base of the plants to give the pests a shock! I have also been told it can deter larger mammals such as deer and rabbits, which are also frightened by human hair. Apparently the best deterrent for larger mammals is zoo poo, which comes from large cats such as leopards or lions. I have yet to get my hands on this gardener’s gold dust but feel there is definitely a business opportunity there for Fota Wildlife Park!
Cinnamon is another spice that also gets mentioned quite a lot here at Deelish. It makes an excellent cat deterrent if you want to stop them using your garden as a litter box. Cinnamon is also an excellent anti-fungal tool to stop young seedlings ‘damping off’. Just sprinkle it on the surface of seed trays before germination. As well as a natural fungicide, it will also help prevent rust and acts as a natural growth stimulant. Another gardener I know swears by placing fish heads under freshly-planted trees and shrubs. I know these are high in phosphorous that will naturally decompose over time but I would also worry about dogs or foxes getting the scent – you might just find your freshly-planted rose dug up in the morning! This can also happen if using fish blood and bonemeal, or in some cases, chicken manure.
The best piece of advice I can offer to help trees or shrubs not flowering well, is to add potash, aka wood ash, to the surface of the soil, a few months before flower buds begin to form – it should encourage masses of extra flowers during the flowering season. This in turn can greatly increase production on fruit trees and bushes. If you have yellowing leaves on acid-loving plants such as Rhododendrons and Camellias, then chances are they are lacking in iron; a great slow-release free remedy is to leave any old iron that is already rusty (such as old nails or a horseshoe) at the base of the affected plant.
The list ‘grows’ on and I learn more with each season of gardening! So the next time you find yourself here at Deelish Garden Centre, please share any of your tips and tricks with us, as we love to grow our gardening knowledge to share with our customers. We are looking forward to our annual Christmas craft fair this year on Sunday, December 7 and hope to see you there.
