Getting Rid Of Fruit Flies

I have blogged about this before, but the tip is worth sharing again:

I compost, so I keep a plastic container in my sink which I empty daily into a larger containter on my balcony, which I transfer weekly to the compost pile in my garden. Occassionally fruit flies find their way into the kitchen and to my sink, and do their best to DRIVE ME NUTS.

That is until I discovered this nifty fruit fly rememdy:

Pour about 1/3 cup wine (I use white Zin :) into a cup and add a couple of drops of dish soap. Mix together. Place the cup in the location where the flies frequent, and wait...

Ohhhh... it works like a charm!!! They can't resist the wine (insert wino blogger comment here) and the dishsoap destroys the surface tension of the liquid, so they sink and drown.

Fabulous.

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Growing Bigger Zucchini

Wow!! Much bigger zucchinis this year! (Last year my largest one was smaller than the fork in the picture). The difference, I think, is because I moved my planting location.

I did this primarily because the plants grow so huge that they take over my garden bed, so I wanted them to have their own location away from the other plants. Their new spot is a sunnier one, so that may be the reason for the success :)



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Growing Bigger Carrots

This may seem like a no brainer for the experienced gardeners out there, but I am just seeing the benefits of carrot mounds myself, so bear with me.

In previous years, my row of carrots was planted on a small mound of earth, no higher than any other veggie mound in my garden. I thought I'd try elevating the carrots a little this year though, and the results have been much better.

I have no photos to show you, but basically the previous mound was about 6 inches higher than the main garden floor, whereas this year it's closer to a foot, and I worked the soil well before I planted to ensure that it wasn't packed.

The result: much longer carrots!! They're pretty much double in length from last year. They're still a little skinny, but I think this is because I didn't thin them out when they started to sprout.

Bottom line: from now on my carrot patch will be the most elevated part of my garden :)

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Planting Strawberry Runners

I have six strawberry plants, only two of which are producing fruit. The others have been producing runners, which I decided to plant today.

It was totally spur of the moment, without any research first. Basically what I did was snip them from the mother plants, dig small holes in the ground, and plant them. I thought this would work because the runners naturally seek out the ground to root themselves anyway, so why not plant them where I want them to take root? It never occurred to me that they may need to remain attached to the main plant until their roots are established, though, so we'll see how they do...

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Turning Household Recycling Into A Garden Gadget

Here's a trick I tried today that I thought I'd pass on.

I have some cherry tomato plants that are now producing fruit that isn't quite ready to be picked. I forget the name of the strain of plant, but they grow low to the ground. I'm out of string and was looking for another way to prop them up so they don't sag to the ground.

I took some plastic forks and removed the middle two tines, and presto! Plant prop. They're a little too short to reach some of the branches, but I attached a couple of them to the tops of small over-turned planters and they worked perfectly :)




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Bike Lane On Burrard Bridge

On July 13th, the Burrard Bridge will undergo a reconfiguration of sorts - bike lanes will be designated on both sides and pedestrians will all be moved to one side.

I am very much in favour of this. I do simpathize with the motorists who simply can't bike and need effective roadways, but realistically, there are folks out there who drive who could walk or bike, with a few simple changes to their routines.

I wonder if there are incentive programs (other than Scrap-it) that offer a discount towards the purchase of a new bike for those commuters who live too far to walk but who could cycle, but who don't already own a bike. The savings in gas and parking (I'm assuming that people would still keep their vehicles insured for shopping and recreation) would pay for a bike, but there are those who might not have the initial cash up front to purchase one. Hmmm. Interest free loans maybe?

I'm curious to see how this bike lane project goes, and I have all my fingers crossed that it's a success. I know there are those out there who will not like it, but the long term benefits, in my opinion, are worthwhile.

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Garden Progress

I'm optimistic about my zucchini this year - last year I got a few, and this year the plant is bigger with more flowers. I can't wait to start harvesting :)

Our cherry tree has already provided BUCKETS of fabulous fruit (no exaggeration!). There's so much more to pick, too - this has been the best year for that tree since we've been living here.

I'm also seeing some green tomatoes - cherries and romas - starting to grown. Mmmmm!!! Delish :)







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