1 teaspoon baking soda
1 quart water
Mix well and spray plants to cover thoroughly at first sign of disease.

Garlic insecticide/fungicide concentrate

Step 1:

3 oz finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons mineral oil
Mix and set aside for 24 hours

Step 2:

Add 16 oz water
Mix and strain
Store in glass bottle

To use:
Mix 1-2 tablespoons of the above concentrate with 16 oz water, plus three drops of liquid dish soap, and spray plants.

Step 3: Garden Soil Preparation:

Prepare soil in the fall for spring planting, or prepare soil in summer for fall planting. Add organic matter based on how deep you intend to condition the soil. Add 2-3 inches of organic material for every 6 inches of soil depth. Most perennial beds are prepared to a depth of 12-18 inches. Add 3-5 pounds of fertilizer per 100 square feet or 10'x10' bed. A 5-10-5 formulation will do the job. Follow package directions.

If you are thinking about planting a butterfly garden, remember to feed the caterpillars, too. Black swallowtail caterpillars eat plants in the carrot family like parsley, Queen-Anne's-Lace, and dill. Monarch caterpillars follow a strict diet of milkweed leaves. Other plants that caterpillars enjoy include butterfly weed, cherries, privet, dogwoods, beans, sweet pea and blueberries. Adult butterflies eat nectar from the flowers. Some of the plants that attract them are: black-eyed Susan, lilacs, coreopsis, mints, liatris, asters, purple coneflower and verbena.

SOIL TESTS

Soil testing is a terrific tool to determine fertilizer and lime needs of the garden and the lawn.

What do you need? A shovel, trowel or auger, a clean bucket and a soil test kit for each site.

You can get soil test kits from some local garden centers or directly from the Penn State Cooperative Extension by calling 412-473-2600.

The steps are simple:...
Each bed is sampled separately - the flowerbed, the vegetable garden, the lawn. Just follow the instructions that come with your soil test kit, which are basically this: In the lawn, take the samples from 12 or more places, 2-3 inches deep. In the garden, take soil samples from 13 or more places in one bed, 3-4 inches deep. Mix the garden sample, and let it air-dry on newspaper overnight. Take out any rocks or leaves. Do the same with the lawn sample.

Add coffee grounds to compost for acid-loving plants such as azaleas, pachysandra and rhododendron.

PRUNING
Most summer-flowering shrubs such as spirea should be pruned in early spring. Prune most spring-flowering shrubs, such as forsythia and azaleas, right after their flowers fade.

SEED STORAGE
Store seeds in airtight containers like mayonnaise or baby food jars, and keep them in a cool, dry place. Most seeds store well at 35-41 degrees Fahrenheit. You may store them in the refrigerator, but keep them away from fresh fruit and fresh vegetables which produce ethylene, and that may keep them from sprouting.

GREENS
Most greens prefer cool weather, so plant your greens about six weeks BEFORE the last frost. If you miss the early planting date, try some of the more heat tolerant greens such as Swiss chard, New Zealand spinach, collards and basella.

SLUGS
Believe it or not, slugs have an appetite for dog chow. Just soak the chow so it is moist and spongy, and then place small pieces between the plant rows. Come back later in the evening to scoop up the slugs that are gathered around this bait.

HERBS
Here's a baker's dozen which are easy to grow: Basil, Calendula, Chives, Fennel, Dill, Horseradish, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary,Sage, Sweet Woodruff. The mint and lemon balm are vigorous growers. They tend to take over, so why not grow them in sizeable pots or in an area where this trait is desirable?

COMPANION PLANTING
Plant onions or chives with lantana or other plants that are susceptible to whiteflies or aphids. Chamomile attracts beneficial insects, which feed on aphids. Plant chamomile with your onions, cabbage and cucumbers to increase their size and enhance their flavor.

DEADHEADING
Pinching off spent flowers, called "deadheading," will prolong the flowering season of perennials such as daylilies, and annuals such as marigolds.

WEEDS
A weed is nothing more than a plant out of place. The dandelion is a good example. True, it may not belong in the perennial border, but it does have some redeeming qualities. The long root assists earthworms in their tunneling endeavors, it is edible and it can be used to make a magenta dye. Tender spring leaves are used in salad, flowers attract beneficial wasps and lacewings, and seed heads make children smile.

WHAT WEEDS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT YOUR SOIL

• Purslane, jimsonweed, ground ivy and burdock indicate rich soil conditions.
• Stinging nettle is found in rich, damp soil.
• Chickweed, lamb's quarters and pigweed indicates frequent tillage and fertile soil.
• Redroot pigweed grows in rich, cultivated soil. It also helps to improve topsoil by drawing more nutrients toward the soil surface.
• Mullein prefers dry, gravelly soil.
• Virginia pepperweed implies dry, alkaline soil.
• Queen Anne's lace grows in infertile soil that is also dry and alkaline. It also attracts beneficial insects.
• Cocklebur and black clover indicate infertile soil. Black clover helps improve nitrogen content of the soil.
• Field bindweed and quackgrass indicate compacted soil and low organic matter.
• Curly dock, barnyard grass and yellow nutsedge indicate poorly drained soil.
• Red sorrel is found in poorly drained, acid soil.
• Yellow wood sorrel grows in stony or acid soil.

CLEAN UP
Be sure to rake fallen leaves from your lawn and planting beds. Cut back perennials and remove annuals. Leaf litter and old plant material can become breeding grounds for undesirable insects and disease.

BULB PLANTING
...How deep? A general guideline for the planting depth of most bulbs is to plant the bulbs twice as deep as they are tall. Tulips are planted at a depth three times their height.

* Developed by Melsina Michaels

Anyone who has ever shoveled wet Pennsylvania snow knows just how heavy the white stuff can be. Shake or brush away heavy snow from tree and shrub branches to keep them from breaking.

WATERING
Just as the harsh winter weather dries our hands and chaps our lips, it tends to also damage our landscape, especially the evergreen trees and shrubs. Water your trees and shrubs every week during the thawed periods when the water will soak into the soil.

FORCING BRANCHES
By the time February rolls around, cabin fever can be rather intense. Lighten your spirit by forcing some branches inside. Cut your branches during the warmest part of the day in February and March, when the temperature is above freezing. When you bring them inside, cut one inch off the base and smash the end with a hammer. Place them in lukewarm water with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Wrap the stems in plastic wrap for the first three days. Be sure to change the water every two days. Keep your branches in a cool location until the buds swell. Then move them into indirect light.

DRIED WREATHS
Dried wreaths can look new from one season to the next with just a little extra care. Display your wreaths in a shaded area inside your home as well as outside to keep the colors from fading, and be sure to dust them with a soft paintbrush, feather duster or cotton cloth. Canned air spray typically used for computer keyboards may be used on sturdy wired wreaths, if it does not contain any cleaning agents. After cleaning your dried wreaths, wrap them up and store them in the same position in which they normally hang. Cover each with craft paper or tissue and newspaper. The tissue paper will keep the newsprint from marring your wreath. Fold the edges to seal out the dust, staple them closed and tape a photo of each wreath to the wrapping to identify which is which. Finally, hang your wreaths in a cool, dry area until next season.

FORCING BULBS
Forcing bulbs indoors can be a blast! Some of the easiest do not need a cold period - daffodils and paper white narcissus. The paper whites "Israel" and Jerusalem" have a softer scent than your standard garden center variety. This makes it easier to be in the same room with them. One planting strategy is to use an 8-inch-wide pot. Place some stones or pieces of a broken pot over the holes to allow free drainage without losing soil from the bottom of the pot. Add an inch of moistened soil (a mix of loam, sand and peat), and place the first layer of bulbs. Make sure they're not touching. Bury them up to their necks, add a second layer of bulbs. Then cover them with soil to just over the necks of the bulbs and within one inch of the rim. Water them thoroughly by placing the pot in a partially filled bucket of water.