Loren Shares Old Gardening Tips

The following tidbits come from a Household Guide put out in 1951. I googled a few of the stranger ones and to some degree a lot of these old tips still make sense.

Here we go. When planting carrots, mix the seed with radish seed. Now this makes sense because radishes will be up and harvested in a month or so. Pulling the radishes leaves holes, which give the carrots room to grow. Thinning a carrot patch isn't fun.

Cut flowers last longer if you add aspirin to the water. I did a little checking and it appears it just might be true. Another tip offered states that adding a rusty nail to your potted flowers will make the colors more vivid. Actually in some cases this may work if your soil is lacking iron.

Your geraniums will bloom better if you add bloody chicken water. What? Guess this is sort of dated and not really sure what the story is behind this one.

Put a piece of bread in your mouth when cutting onions. There is reference on the web that this works. I'd rather cry a little than waste a good piece of bread.

This doesn't relate to gardening but I find it interesting. After swimming season, wash out your bathing suit, dry it and then roll it up and store if in a fruit jar. Some of the swim suits I've seen recently could probably be stored in a cigar tube.

Sage and cucumber peels keep ants away. I found some reference to this being true.

To make straight rows in your garden, after you mark off the first row, tip your mower upside down and push it down the first row. I really doubt I have the strength to tip my 42-inch Yardman upside down, let alone push it. OK, truthfully I remember my grandpa doing this with his old leg-powered push mower.

When setting mouse traps, use gum drops. It states that the gum drop will stick in the rodent's teeth, causing the trap to snap. Paints a funny picture doesn't it?

Here's one that still works today. Before digging in the garden, scrape your nails into a bar of soap. It'll make it so much easier to clean under your nails afterward.

Finally here's one tip that wasn't in the book but I practice it. My goodness an original idea from Loren? To hold down the weeds, I toss down rhubarb leaves between the rows. It's natural and no water and no sun equals no weeds growing. Besides, you don't even have to bend over, just kick a little dirt onto the leaves to prevent them from blowing away.