Are you confused? Me, too. Who can remember all this stuff?! This should help.
I’m a 10 (in my dreams!) and a 24. More specifically, I live in Zone 10 in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones and Zone 24 in the Sunset Garden Climate Zones. The difference is that the U.S.D.A. maps tell you only where a plant may survive the winter; Sunset climate zones show where that plant will thrive year-round. Sunset also takes other factors into account: latitude, elevation, ocean influence, mountains, hills, and valleys.
I don’t have much luck growing pumpkins in my zone. Boo!
I’m not in the habit of re-running past blog posts, but sometimes I find that when I want to readdress a topic, I can’t really do a better job than I did the first time around. So, with that disclaimer, here is a discussion about a subject that I have noticed has been popping up a lot in the search queries of 3000Tomatoes.
Sterilizing Your Gardening Tools – February 8, 2010
I will be the first to admit that I don’t do a good job of taking care of my tools. Rust is probably one of the most prolific things I have going at times in the garden, unfortunately. A little more TLC would be a good thing and I’m trying to do better.
I had not considered the fact that I could be spreading more problems around my garden with my dirty tools. So, when should I disinfect my tools and how should I do it? Interesting questions and I have some answers for you….
First, when is it important to disinfect? Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott writes an article called “Sterilized Pruning Tools: Nuisance or Necessity?” that is a good overview of this question. Read this first before you get yourself all worked up about having to disinfect. Maybe you’ll dodge a bullet….
But if not: In another article, written by Dr. Chalker-Scott, titled “The Myth of Cloroxed Clippers – A bleach solution is the best choice for disinfecting pruning wounds and tools” that talks about this second issue, with the author discussing a lot of options and why she likes Listerin, Lysol and Pine-Sol best for disinfecting. Sounds easy enough, which is good; otherwise, I’ll never get around to it!!! (Hey, at least I’m honest about it!!!) 
I was putting a coat of paint on a set of drawers I bought at a garage sale and ended up with a lot of paint left in my tray. What to do, what to do. I wandered around outside looking for something to paint and noticed a bunch of pots I had just cleaned up. Voila! I painted a bunch of clay pots, and put a finishing touch on the rim of a pot that I had mosaic’d.
Semi-Gloss Enamel works wonders!
I had done mosaic with some “beach” glass on this pot but it just didn’t look finished until I painted the rim of the pot. Much improved.
A painted rim finished off this pot that I did mosaic work on.
Here are a few of the pots I painted. I ended up with all these pots painted plus five more just like the one under the paint can.
My painted pots project is a success! I've created a monster - ME!!!
I like them. What do you think?
Important Point: I used a combo primer/paint, semi-glass enamel which I think was key to a successful project. I’m lazy (hence the combo primer/paint!) and the semi gloss dressed up the pots a bit. I did two coats on most of the pots which gave them a better sheen.
I walked past a house that had an award winning rose garden and my favorite part of the whole garden are the shells the homeowner uses to label her roses. The shells are turned so the inner part of the shell is face down so when you walk by it just looks like someone laid shells at the base of the rose plants. Very Martha Stewart…..
That's a rose, not an order!
I will be the first to admit that I don’t do a good job of taking care of my tools. Rust is probably one of the most prolific things I have going at times in the garden, unfortunately. A little more TLC would be a good thing and I’m trying to do better.
I had not considered the fact that I could be spreading more problems around my garden with my dirty tools. So, when should I disinfect my tools and how should I do it? Interesting questions and I have some answers for you….
First, when is it important to disinfect? Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott writes an article called “Sterilized Pruning Tools: Nuisance or Necessity?” that is a good overview of this question. Read this first before you get yourself all worked up about having to disinfect. Maybe you’ll dodge a bullet….
But if not:
In another article, written by Dr. Chalker-Scott, titled “The Myth of Cloroxed Clippers – A bleach solution is the best choice for disinfecting pruning wounds and tools” that talks about this second issue, with the author discussing a lot of options and why she likes Listerin, Lysol and Pine-Sol best for disinfecting. Sounds easy enough, which is good; otherwise, I’ll never get around to it!!! (Hey, at least I’m honest about it!!!)
Yesterday’s U-T had an nice article in the Homes section written by Dick Streeper about garden gloves. Normally I would link to the article, but apparently the paper didn’t post a link so I’ll recap for you.
Personally, I’m a big user of gloves, depending on the project. Mr. Streeper mentioned four different kinds of gloves and I use all of them, except the last kind, which I need to get.
Latex Nitrile Gloves – These are the kind you see in the doctors office. Actually, nowadays with latex being a big allergy problem for a lot of people, nitrile examing gloves are what I’m finding at Costco. These gloves are great to use on projects that have you immersing your hands in muck, or using chemicals. They are pretty strong and I can usually get a couple of uses out of them if they aren’t completely yucky. A friend of mine swears by them after getting a staph infection that required hospitalization. What was in her soil?! Yikes!
Lightweight Gardening Gloves – Nice to have for everyday garden projects. I used to hate wearing this kind of glove because I found them a bit cumbersome, but once I discovered the nitrile gardening gloves my whole outlook on gloves changed. Good protection for your hand without losing the ability to do detailed work in the garden.
Leather Gloves I don’t use my heavy leather gloves very often, but when I need them, they are invaluable. Don’t cheap out on these. Get a pair that are supple, not stiff. Mr. Streeper writes that a good leather glove should fit well with your fingers going to the tips of the glove fingers, but when you flex your hand into a fist the glove should stay in place on your hand.
Gauntlet Gloves This is the only pair of gloves I don’t own. The first time I saw them I thought, “Why would I want to look like I’m going to a gardener’s ball?,” but having shredded my arms on thorny vines and large succulents enough times answered that question. Expensive but invaluable if you work around thorns a lot. I need to get a pair. Santa, are you listening?
