How to Control Snails and Slugs

Pre-Spring is the perfect time to begin pest control in the garden. This is the time when the snails and slugs are small and most manageable. Below are all methods I use in my own garden...

Simple Things You Can Do
When the grass and weeds first start to grow or you first see signs of snail slime trails and small holes in the leaves, the most effective pest control is a combination of methods.

1. Cut down tall grass and weeds near your vegetable garden. Snails and slugs love tall grasses and it is best to get rid of all grasses and weeds. Kill off the grasses with weed killer or pull it out. Salt and bleach will also kill off grasses. If the weeds are in an area where you will be planting, do not use this method, as it will sterilize the ground making it difficult to grow new plants. It will also kill off any plants that that you want to keep! After the weeds are removed, apply an organic seed killer. Seed killer will kill off any grass seed still in the ground. You will not be able to plant vegetable seeds or flower seeds, but you will be able to plant existing plants in the area where the seed killer is applied.

2. Sprinkle fireplace wood ash over your plants once per week. It will repell the snails and slugs, and will add beneficial nitrogen to the soil.

3. Save your egg shells. Ground up egg shell also add nitrogen to the soil. The sharp edges also irritate sensitive snail and slug bodies.

4. Paint the under side of mature leaves with a mix of 12 ounces water with one squirt Dove dish soap, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and 1 tablespoon tobasco sauce. The dish soap helps the concoction to stick and the hot chili mix will burn the tender under belly of the snails and slugs! Make sure to only apply to mature leaves and only on the one side of the leaf. I choose the underside, because this is also where cut worms and catapillars like to hide. They do not like hot sauce either!

5. Apply Sluggo pet safe snail bait. The drawback is that it is more expensive than the toxic bait. It can also get moldy when wet. But, it is safe and will not harm small children and pets. It is also very effective in controling snails and slugs in the garden.

6. Apply Deadline. Deadline is toxic just like the regular snail bait, but it can be applied to the edge of pots and container gardens in areas where children and pets cannot reach. I grow a lot of my potted plants up on a grow table and apply salt on the ground. This is also effective.

7. Daily Picking. Gruesome but effective, picking out and then killing slugs and snails by hand is one of the most effective ways of controling their over population. Take a garden walk and pick and kill the critters at first light in the morning, and then after dark at 9 or 10 pm, and once again late in the evening if possible.

8. Grow Mint. Because mint is an evasive plant, grow any kind of mint in pots between your garden plants. It repells the snails, but is not a cure-all at keeping them away. The areas of my garden that grows mint has far less snails than the other areas of my garden without mint.

Questions? Ask Gail the Pond Plant Girl & Artichoke Queen

Gail@pondplantgirl.com

How to Grow Artichokes in Cold Climates

Fresh artichokes right off the plant are the best. The plant is also impressive looking and fun to grow too.

The Imperial Star artichoke is the most cold hardy plant. What I advise is to grow your artichoke in-ground in light fluffy soil. When it goes dormant at the end of the season, you can dig it up and then store it in your garage until the springtime. Placing a net or a burlap sack under the plant will help make it easier to pull it up when it is time. Leaving your artichoke in-ground can be a challenge and I do not guarantee that the plant will come back again if the roots freeze.

You can also grow the artichoke in a large tree container that is about 3 feet deep. These can be purchase at a nursery that sells trees, or you can build your own container... which is a lot more affordable. Then at the end of the season you will not need to dig it up, but simply roll it into storage with a hand truck.

If you choose to winter over your plants indoors as suggested, then any variety of artichoke will grow in cold regions; such as Chicago and New York for example. The sweetest is the purple Violetta. However, it does die back between fruiting and then grows back up again about 2-3 times per season.

You can learn more about growing artichokes at: www.sweetheartartichokes.com

Which Greenhouse is Right for You?

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There are several types of affordable greenhouses that you can build or buy. Depending on your climate, greenhouses can range from a simple plastic tarp to a glass structure building.

Zone 9 and Up

If you live in zone 9 and up, your average evening time temperatures will rarely go below 35° F. A simple plastic tarp over your sensitive pond plants and garden plants is all you will need. Heavy mulching with grass clippings and leaves will also protect your in-ground plants. However, in Zone 9 most plant damage will come from frost bite and not from freezing ground conditions.

Zone 8

Zone 8 average low temperature is 25° F.
Hardy plants that do not need protection are: cattail, rush, reeds, canna, hardy water lily, iris, parrot feather, and primrose creeper do not need protection. They will die back and come back to life in the spring. To help your plants weather the winter and keep ice off of the pond, a simple hoop house right over the pond will work for you. It is easy and cheap to build.

Floating plants (such as water hyacinth, water lettuce, and frogbit) have leaves that are full of air and are easily subject to frost bite. An easy way to winter over your floating plants is to build an aquatic garden light box with an aquarium lined with mirrors.

Zone 7

The average winter low for zone 7 is 0-15° F.
A lighted or heated hoop house will work for you if you do not receive a lot of snow in your region. But, you will need to keep the water circulating to prevent freezing over. A thicker plastic is also necessary. The hoop house in my latest design shows 6 mil. thick plastic - which is white instead of clear and does not allow in a lot of sunshine. A better option for you is to use 2 layers of 4 mil. thick plastic sheeting that is insulated with 1 inch wide bubble bubble wrap. The best option is to use Visqueen. This is a thicker and harder clear plastic that will withstand cold temperatures and snow pack too.

Zone 7 and Below

Severe cold winter climates need a standard greenhouse. Snow pack can destroy a simple plastic sheeting hoop house and a more sturdy structure might be right for you. There are plans available to construct your own walk-in greenhouse, but the most economical is a 4x6 greenhouse sold by at www.harborfreight.com that costs about $329. If you purchase this greenhouse on Black Friday right after Thanksgiving, it is 50% OFF and only costs about $150. This greenhouse is easy to construct and easy to heat too.


Cold Climate Gardening Articles


Gardening in Alaska
If you can learn how to garden in Alaska then you will be able to garden anywhere!




Gardening in Nebraska
See how this gardener successfully grows beautiful plants even in severe Nebraska weather.




Build a Cold Frame
A cold frame is a mini greenhouse you can make out of old windows.

Caring for Water Lettuce

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Freezing Winter Conditions
Caring for pond plants in the wintertime can be a challenge. Plants such as cattail, rush, and water lily need little or no care at all. But floating pond plants such as water lettuce need tending to make it through the wintertime. If you live in an area that receives freezing cold, then it is best to winter over your water lettuce indoors in an aquatic garden light box. This is constructed with an aquarium, lights, and mirrors, and is very easy to put together. The instructions can be found on my blog.

In mild winter conditions (such as zone 9 and up) water lettuce can be kept outdoors. However, when the air temperature goes below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, water lettuce needs to be kept inside a small greenhouse (hoop house) or under a plastic tarp.

Winter Problems
Like most all plants, water lettuce does turn shades of yellow in the wintertime. This is normal. As the leaves spot and turn yellow, simply trim back the old leaves to allow the
growth energy to go into the greener leaves. Trim off any dead tips. If your water lettuce suffers from mildew, uncover the pond and allow the plants to air-out. Also trim off all infected areas. Growth is very slow in winter, but as the weather warms your water lettuce will grow and quickly multiply.

RECEIVE $2 OFF
As a valued garden friend, receive $2 off your next purchase of $10 or more. This offer is good until February 15, 2011.

Garden Blessings, GAiL

How to Grow Pond Plants in the Shade

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Pond plants typically grow best in full sun, but what do you do when you have a pond in a shady area?
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There are many plants you can grow in a shaded pond, but if you are looking for flowering plants your options are limited. There are a few things to consider before chosing your plants...


Shaded Ponds
A good rule for any pond in limited light is choose plants that are cold climate hardy for zones 3-6. Plants that are hardy for colder climates do better in complete shade. You can grow water lily and water iris in the shade, but they may not bloom.
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Plants that grow well in shaded ponds:
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Cattail, Rush, and Reeds
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Red Stem Parrot Feather

Water Clover
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Water Hawthorne (picture above)

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Partial Sun Ponds
I have a very successful pond located in filter light under an apple tree. The same "complete shade" rule applies for filtered light ponds. Choose plants that are zoned for cold climates 3-6. Depending on how much sun your filtered light pond receives, you might be able to grow blooming pond plants.
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The plants in my partial light pond grow very tall, because they are stretching up toward the light. This made for some very unusual water hyacinth this year, that looked more like pickerel rush. It is also important to remember to add a professional grade fertilizer, such as Highland Rim; which promotes healthy growth and flowers too. I have used several different kinds of fertilizer and found this is the absolute best to use.

Plants in My Partial-Sun Pond:

Water Lotus - Water Poppy - Water Hyacinth
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Primrose Creeper - Water Mint - Pennywort

Fairy Moss - Pickerel Rush

Red Stem Parrot Feather (left)

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Morning Light Ponds
Pond that only receive morning light will probably not produce flowers. Most pond plants require 4-6 hours of sunshine per day in order to produce flowers. If you want to grow water lily, a good choice would be the night blooming tropical water lily. You can grow water hyacinth and water lettuce in morning light ponds in the summer season.

Morning Light Pond Plants

Frogbit (picture above)

Red Stem Parrot Feather

Grasses, Rush, and Reeds

Pennywort

Water Mint

Fairy Moss

.More Partial Sund Pond Plants: For a complete list of partial sun plants with pictures available see: Cold Climate Plants zones 3-6. Some plants are available all season long (such as pennywort and water lettuce). Others are available starting every February and March.

Contact Me for more information at: gail@pondplantgirl.com

Your comments below are always welcome!

How to Start Parrot Feather Indoors

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Parrot Feather is a wonderful fern-like pond plant that resembles a parrot's feather. It grows long stems that can reach 2-3 feet long. This is a cold climate pond plant, growing zone 6. Parrot feather can be planted in a shallow bog in-soil or can free float. After establishing, it will resemble a tiny forest in your pond. It is a perfect container pond plant and looks lovely in bathtub ponds too.
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Starting Indoors

What You Need

1. An aquarium with fresh water.
A pump and filter is not needed.

2. Goldfish, Guppies, or Minnows.
Do not add any fertilizer or other chemicals. The fish will act as natural fertilizer for the plants!

3. A sunny window

4. A florescent light or Aquarium Light
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Parrot Feather is simple to start and propagate indoors. This aquarium is actually filled with baby water lotus, floating frogbit, and parrot feather too.

Other plants you can start this way are primrose creeper and frogbit!


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1. Place aquarium in a sunny window. Fill with fresh water and at least 2 fish. Do not add too many fish as they will compete for food and may eat your plants!

2. Peal the leaves off the parrot feather. This will promote new growth and roots. But, do not peal back the parrot palm on the top.
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3. Break the parrot feather stems into 4" sections. Allow the stems to float. The palm-top stem will grow new roots, and the other stems will grow new roots too.

4. Hang a florescent light directly over the aquarium close to the plants. Light each day for at least 4-8 hours per day.

.....After 1 Week: You should begin to see new roots appear.

.....After 10 Days: You should see new growth appear!

A Great Head-Start on Spring
While everyone else is scrambling for a beautiful pond in the springtime, yours will be all ready to go! Other plants you can propagate indoors are: water lotus, frogbit, water lettuce, and water hyacinth too.

Find out more about wintering over ponds and pond plants at: http://www.pondplantgirl.com/
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How to Move Pond Fish

What a great topic! This was inspired by my Facebook friend, Anja.

Moving to a new home is always a huge chore and is especially challenging when you own large fish. This is how I moved my koi from Northern California to Southern California... about a 7 hour trip:

.What You Need

1. A 30 gallon clean rubbermaid tub with lid

2. Stress Coat

3. Water

4. An aquarium bubbler with air hose (aquarium pump)

5. A 50 watt or 100 watt power inverter

6. A large fishing net and extra help!

1. Placed the fish in a clean 30 gallon Rubbermaid tub filled with water. A clean ice chest will also work. Make sure no chemcials were used to store in the container or used to clean the container.

2. Add stress coat drops. This can be purchased from any pet or fish store.

3. Set up an aquarium bubbler with an air hose to add oxygen to the water. Make sure the air hose is secure and the hose remains submerged in the water. Check the line every few hours to make sure the air hose does not slip out of the water.

4. Cover container with the fitted Rubbermaid lid.

5. Plug a power inverter into the car cigarette lighter and plug in the electric bubbler. I purchased my converter from Radio Shack.

6. When you drive, be careful of bumps and turns... drive carefully and your fish should do just fine!

Just a Note: Koi are very strong creatures. If you are moving large koi you will need a large fishing net and at least 2 people to move the fish. They will struggle and fight as you transfer them over to the container and then back again to their new home. Between me and my husband, it was a BIG task trying to move Champlain the Koi.
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Find more cool pond articles and how-to tips on my website: http://www.pondplantgirl.com/