Look for more info on beans in my new gardening book which will be coming out this spring.

Green beans & peas are a popular, warm season, home-grow crop.  Growing best in loose deeply dug  soil with plenty of compost, full sunlight, and adequate moisture.  Beans & peas come in many types & varieties. Beans & peas will not produce well in a dry soil. They require constant even moisture especially pole beans during the first 30 days of growth.  If not, the beans will be tough and stringy — if they produce at all. Pole beans produce best when trellised. I prefer using poles cut in our bush out back apposed to wire or fencing. The metal trellis’ gets to hot in the sun, and blister the vines somewhat. Poles allow much easier harvesting as well.  Bush beans & most peas are less labor intensive, but produce  less.  It is back-breaking chore to harvest bush types in my opinion.  Many gardeners like bush beans, but I’m not one of them.  Beans harvested on bush types are almost always muddy hanging so close to the soil. I have found them to be much less productive as well. Their flavor is comparable to their pole cousins.

Drop by your local barber shop and ask them to save you the hair. Place human hair around the border of the garden. Wild animals can’t stand it. The smell of many unseen humans in close proximity will drive them crazy.  Never tried it but sounds good.  I do have a guaranteed remedy, will let you know at a later date. It will be in my new book which is coming out in the spring though.  Talk Soon

This is a good recipe for helping your plants grow acts as a fertilizer and helps in keeping insects away from your plants.  Can’t beat it.  Also look for more information on things in my new gardening book coming out this spring.

Ingredients:

2 plastic buckets
Comfrey leaves
Plate, Brick or other heavy object that fits inside bucket
Flower pot that fits inside bucket

Directions:

1.      Cut holes into the bottom of a plastic bucket.
2.      Fill bucket 3/4 full with Comfrey leaves. Pack down tightly.
3.      Place a plate on top of the leaves and weigh it down with a brick or other heavy object.
4.      Place an upside down flower pot inside another bucket. Set the bucket containing Comfrey leaves on top of the flower pot.
5.      After 3 weeks, there should be a brown liquid in the bottom of the lower bucket. Bottle this liquid, an place the contents of the top bucket in the compost heap.

Use:
To use Comfrey spray, dilute 1 tablespoon with 2 pints of water. Add a teaspoon of dish washing liquid to the contents.

Here is a simple recipe that helps keep insects away from ones vegetables.  No chemicals needed.  Also look for more information on gardening and things in my new book coming out this spring.

Ingredients:

1 un-peeled onion
1 un-peeled head of garlic
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
3 pints water

Directions:

1     Chop onion and garlic and combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer 20 minutes.
2.    Cool and store in jars in the refrigerator for 6 weeks.
3.    Strain and store in jars.
Use:
To use, dilute 8 tablespoons of concentrate per gallon of water. Add 1 tablespoon of dish washing liquid. Red pepper spray is a good general insect spray and is an effective repellent against insects and animals.