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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:Normally our reader question items will be later in the newsletter, but when asked about mosquitoes, the material got to be so much longer we figured it would be best to have it as our lead article. We've been experimenting on how best to send Green Thumb Times so that the reader is able to view the HTML issue if their email software allows, or the text-only version if they can't receive HTML messages. With the subscriber base continuing to rise, we are also trying to send each issue in the fastest manner possible, which HTML format sometimes doesn't accommodate very well. We thought we had come to a better solution last week -- unfortunately, some of our readers whose email software doesn't handle HTML messages well, didn't receive the text-only version the way they should have. As we write this, we may simply start to send each issue in a text-only version and the HTML version, with all the nice graphics and things, will be online for anyone to see. The other issue is that many Internet service providers are starting to catch HTML messages in their spam filters. Unfortunately, we've been finding Green Thumb Times mistakenly caught in these filters, even though we are definitely not spam. We'll continue to work our way through this. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor 2) Reader Question: MosquitoesA reader writes: "Help me PLEASE! What plant can I grow, buy, or steal that will repel MOSQUITOES? We have been blessed with rain, but the Mosquitoes are just terrible. I cannot work in the Garden or yard without having to spray repellent all over everything. Thanks for any help" Living in Minnesota, we've been fighting mosquitos all our lives. The standing joke in the summer is that the mosquito is the state bird. The battle over mosquitoes is a tough one to win. It is an ongoing fight and it can be quite difficult to keep ahead of the blood sucking little devils. Here are some suggestions: * Mosquito Dunks (Bacillus Thuringiensis israelensis) First off, the female mosquito is the biter - male mosquitos won't bother you. Mosquito Dunks will kill mosquitoes before they become old enough to bite; it kills the larvae. It is best used in all possible breeding sites in the area, wherever larvae is found. That would include any place with stagnant water such as bird baths, rain barrels, old automobile tires, unused swimming pools, tree holes, old flower pots, roof gutters, ponds, ditches. etc. Mosquito eggs are very hardy and manage to survive under all conditions, even when there is no water present. Then, when water becomes available and the water temperature is right, the eggs will hatch. This process takes about one week. Thus, you don't need to use the Dunks if you can eliminate all possible sources where the eggs might hatch in standing water. For those areas you can't eliminate, use the Dunks. Mosquito Dunks contain no poisonous chemicals and are harmless to other living things. They are completely biodegradable, as well. If the dunks do go through periods of wet and dry, their effectiveness will not be lessened. If you have a pond near your garden (a hundred yards or more away) a dunk will treat about 100 square feet of water surface. Unused dunks will remain active indefinitely. As you'll find in the material below, dunks will have limited effect because mosquitoes can migrate long distances looking for a victim. * Some Information About Mosquitoes There are roughly 2,700 mosquito species in the world. The average female mosquito will take about 5 millionths of a liter of blood from you when they bite. Some mosquitoes can migrate as far as 75 to 100 miles looking for someone to bite - thus it is difficult to keep mosquitoes out of your garden. Mosquitoes live from 15 to 65 days - as soon as the female mosquito bites someone, she will soon die. Biting will begin the end of their life cycle. Mosquitoes can detect a source of blood - a human or an animal within about 50 feet. They locate their prey by vision and by detecting infrared radiation, carbon dioxide or lactic acid emitted from the prospective host. When you work in your garden do not use after-shave lotion or a perfume - it has been known to attract female mosquitoes. Mosquito saliva contains anticoagulants to prevent your blood from clotting. These foreign proteins cause an allergic reaction associated with mosquito bites. Some people attract more mosquitoes than others - no one knows why! Females feed on blood only - they need the protein for egg production. Mosquito eggs are known to remain dormant for over a year or more - even out of winter. Research shows that about 50 species of mosquitoes are resistant to one or more insecticides. There are several types of electrical machines that will create sound frequencies that are successful in keeping your "space" free of dragonflys or mosquitoes. Many hardware and camping stores carry them. Most of the better types are quite expensive, but there are a few that are known to work reasonably well for under $50.00. Although, there are also folks who say these devices don't work. Bushes or plants that are said to repel mosquitoes might keep the pesky critter from the plant or bush, but the mosquito will avoid the plant continue to look for someone to feed from - and sure enough, they will find you! Other than that, you'll need to look to the repellant aisle of your local store. Flowers By the Color of Their Bloom Rex's Seedco offers garden seeds by the color of their bloom. If you want to plant a flower bed or Red, White & Blue to show your patriotic feelings, we have the seeds you need. Select them by going to http://www.rexseedco.com/color.htm We offer Red, White, Blue, Apricot, Black, Gold, Mahogany, Orange, Peach, Pink, Rose, Strawberry, and Yellow. Your garden can be a rainbow of colors. Click Here or visit http://www.rexseedco.com/color.htm 3) Humor for Today:A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring up your grades, study your bible, and get a hair cut, then we'll talk about it." After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. "Son, I've been real proud of you. You've brought up your grades, you've studied your bible diligently, but you didn't get your hair cut!" The young man replied, "You know Dad, I've been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair...." To which his father replied... "Yes, and they WALKED every where they went!" 4) Tomatoes and Prostate Cancer:
There was a study published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute on March 6, 2002 that analyzed the dietary and health data from nearly 50,000 men over a 12-year period. When compared to men who ate less than one serving of tomato sauce each month, the researchers found that men who ate two or more servings of tomato sauce each week were 23% less likely to develop prostate cancer. They contribute this reduction to an antioxidant compound found in tomatoes called lycopene. 5) How To Grow Basil and Other Herbs:
You should choose a site that gets full sun. Like most herbs basil is not fussy about its environment, but it likes plenty of sun and enough moisture to keep the plant from wilting. Be sure to work plenty of organic matter into the soil. Basil seeds can be sown directly in the ground when all danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature has reached 60° degrees F. Basil may have problems with numerous fungi if planted in cool soil, that why you should wait until the ground has warmed to 60°. You can certainly start your seeds indoors, but the seeds germinate so quickly in warm soil, it's hardly worth the bother. Besides that, direct-sown plants will quickly catch up to your transplants. You need to water regularly using air-temperature water which will encourage faster growth. The seedlings should be thinned to about ten to twelve inches apart. When the plants reach about six inches tall, pinch the tips to allow for bushier growth. Remove the flowers as soon as the buds appear. This will keep your leaves growing. You may pick your basil leaves whenever you need them. The more you pick, the more you will get. If you want instant results for container growing, you can plant your seeds in an "in-house" container. One final tip: Basil planted among tomatoes helps to repel horn worms. We have a substantial variety of herbs which will allow you to have any distinctive coloring, form, fragrance and flavor you desire. Click Here or Visit http://rexseedco.com/herbseed.htm Cold Climate Gardeners are passing
up an excellent resource if they don't take a look into the Minnesota
State Horicultural Society. Visit them today. We recommend them
highly. 6) Quote for Today:"Half the world is composed of people who have something
to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and
keep on saying
it." 7) The Painted Egg:Guess this would be a good week to mention some of the most beautiful eggs you can find - those hand-made by Carl Faberge, the world-famous goldsmith, and jeweler to the Tsars of Russia. The tradition of the Faberge egg began in 1884 with an Easter egg commissioned by the Czar for his wife Czarina Maria. After that, each year a new egg was made for her. Even after the Czar died, the tradition was continued. Faberge made fifty-six Imperial eggs for the Czarina, and a Siberian gold mine owner commissioned an additional twelve Easter eggs. The tradition of creating fabulous jewel-encrusted eggs was passed down through the family. To this day, the only living grandson continues the tradition. Here is a site we found if you'd like to learn more of the history or want to view some of these treasures: Click Here or visit http://users.vnet.net/schulman/Faberge/eggs.html 8) Suggestions from a Reader: Ponds and More
"I always like to add a mini-fish pond and fountain to my new yard, and then I move it every couple of years so I get to do it again and again. I am sort of a Martha Stewart on a shoe string and find inexpensive ways to do my flower gardening and fountains." Here are some "cheap" tips: 1. Use old newspaper for your weed blanket. It keeps out the weeds, holds in the moisture. And when covered with mulch, who will ever know the difference. 2. For a small pond, an old discarded waterbed mattress cut down three sides and opened up, makes a wonderful liner for the pool. If you place the drain properly, you have a way to empty the pond to clean it. 3. Ten cent feeder gold fish from a bate shop quickly grow to the size of the ten dollar pet shop variety. 4. Boulders for landscaping, fountains, and borders are so heavy, they can break your back - besides the fact they are so hard to arrange so they fit just right. Take some chicken wire and form it just the way you want the boulders to look; cover this with (color added) concrete soaked burlap bags; and then add a little more concrete over that. It looks great and is a lot easier on the back. Add some moss to take away that new look. "Anyway, thanks for the newsletter. I love it!" No, Ronnie, thank you for the great tips and the kind words. 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times To unsubscribe Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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[ Past Issues Index ] [ Rex's Seedco Home ] [ Our Seed Catalog ] [ About Us ]
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This may be old news, since it was written over a year ago, but we
just came across it this week. Research suggests that eating tomatoes,
especially tomato sauce, can reduce your chance of developing prostate
cancer.
Fresh basil is an indispensable part of many dishes and a necessity
for those of us who love to cook with herbs. Fortunately, basil is
very easy to grow in either the ground or containers.
We received some pond suggestions and other tips from a reader, Ronnie
Jaggers, and with her permission thought we'd share the material with
you. Here is what she had to say: