Quite to the contrary, a “rose rustler” is really the good guy in the white cowboy hat, riding in at the last minute to rescue long forgotten rose varieties. Scattered all across the country in old cemeteries, on abandoned homesteads, around old barns, along fences and back country roads are roses that have survived for decades. These “found” roses are hardy survivors and prized for their beauty and history.

Unlike our villain in the black hat, rose rustlers have strict rules of etiquette. When an old/new rose is spotted, care is taken to identify ownership, ask permission to visit the site, and ask permission to take a cutting for propagation. Information is usually gathered from the owner on how long it has been there, who planted it, and the plant’s blooming cycle.

A newly found rose is given a study name that usually relates to where it was found or the original owner. They are often identified as a known rose variety, but many go unidentified and thus permanently take on their study name. “Georgetown Tea”, “Highway 290 Pink Buttons”, and “Caldwell Pink” are just a few examples.

Antique Roses
Along with these “found” roses, many other “Old Garden” “Heritage” or “Antique” roses, many introduced into the U.S. before 1867, are being rediscovered. They are prized for their beauty, ease of growth, heat and drought tolerance, and adaptability to a wide variety of soils.

Research Proven
Horticultural experts at Texas A&M University have conducted an extensive eight-year field research study on these roses. During the study period, no pesticides were applied in order to evaluate their resistance to disease and pests.

Full Sun
All roses require “Full Sun” to thrive. Check out our handy Sun or Shade Tool. Here you will find definitions, and graphical representations to help determine what areas of your yard are in Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade, or Dense Shade.

Air Circulation
When planting roses, it is important to place them in a location that has good air circulation and to plant them at their recommended spacing (ex. 4’ apart). Good air circulation around your roses will help to prevent fungal diseases.

Soil
Although these roses will grow in almost any soil, ranging from well-drained acid sands to poorly aerated, highly alkaline clays, they will really thrive in well-drained soil that has been amended with plenty of organic matter or compost.

Deadhead
No, we’re not back in our cowboy analogy. Deadheading roses is the act of cutting off the spent rose flower blossom once it has finished blooming and lost all of its petals. Deadheading helps encourage the rose plant to produce new flowers.

Know Your Zone
Each rose variety will grow in a certain range of “Plant Hardiness Zones” (ex. Zones 4-9). Be sure to check which zones each rose will grow in. Use our Plant Hardiness Zones Tool to learn about Plant Hardiness Zones and to find which zone you live in.

Summary
The table below shows several varieties of roses along with their characteristics. With the large variety in sizes, shapes, growth habits, colors, and fragrances these roses offer, you are sure to find at least one to fit your landscape. Use them in mass plantings, as specimens, in containers, to cover an arbor, to hide the doghouse, or as an extremely effective barrier to “varmints” of all sizes.

Plant some and enjoy them today. And maybe, just maybe, a long, long time from now, a rose rustler will discover them still growing right where you planted them.

DWARF SHRUB
	Blooms: Spring, Summer and Fall Size: 3’ tall x 3’ wide Spacing: 5’ apart on center Fragrant: Outstanding Plant Hardiness Zones: 6-9
	Blooms: Spring, Summer and Fall Size: 3’ tall x 4’ wide Spacing: 6’ apart on center Fragrant: No Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
SMALL SHRUB
	Blooms: Spring, Summer, and Fall Size: 4’ tall x 4’ wide Spacing: 6’ apart on center Fragrant: Yes, tea like Plant Hardiness Zones: 7-9
MEDIUM SHRUB
	Blooms: through all warm months Size: 5’ tall x 5’ wide Spacing: 7’ apart on center Fragrant: Moderate Plant Hardiness Zones: 5-9
	Blooms: Spring until first frost Size: 5’ tall x 5’ wide Spacing: 6’ apart on center Fragrant: No Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
CLIMBING
	Blooms: Spring Size: 15-20’ tall x 10’ wide Spacing: 12’ apart on center Fragrant: Yes Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
	Blooms: Spring, Summer, and Fall Size: 8’ tall x 4’ wide Spacing: 6’ apart on center Fragrant: No Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9

The post Roses: Old is New Again first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Before our visit, I was told that each guest would have the opportunity to record a short video in which they answer a gardening question. After a day on site, I was asked what I liked most about Moss Mountain Farm.

So, to set the record straight, here’s what I REALLY like most about P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm.

Our tour began as we climbed the stairs to the porch and walked through the front door of the Garden Home. It was like entering the pages of a magazine. The attention to every last detail was amazing. Every scene in every room was a perfectly arranged vignette of matching color, carpet, furniture, artwork, flowers, and even books and pens. The subtle scents of citrus, honeysuckle, wild cilantro and lemon grass, along with the delicate glow from decorative candles added yet another sensory layer that perfectly matched the feeling of each room. The scenic views afforded by the windows, along with beautiful fresh cut flowers, seemed to make the adjoining landscape part of each room rather than a separate destination. Even the floor had just the right amount of “creak” to it that made you feel as if you were in another time and that perhaps Thomas Jefferson himself might enter the room at any moment.

We then moved outdoors onto a perfectly manicured lawn located between the twin outbuildings of the summer kitchen and the art studio. The lawn looks down onto a beautiful water feature, and like many aspects of the farm, acts as a decorative cover for something much more practical. In this case the large storage tanks for the rainwater harvesting system are buried beneath the lawn.

We made our way along a pathway that meandered through the many “Garden Rooms” of Moss Mountain Farm. Just as inside the Home, each Garden Room had a unique function, along with a theme and design that tied it together, yet blended into the overall fabric of the farm. The variety, color, size, shape, texture, and even inherent movement of each plant fit perfectly into its location. The beauty was only enhanced by the tantalizing view of what lay ahead. Our tour of the working heritage poultry, sheep farming, and trial vegetable gardens of Moss Mountain Farm once again showed that the practical can indeed blend seamlessly with the beautiful.

Several times during our tour I had heard our host describe his use of the design principle of ferme ornée, or ornamental farm. I was intrigued, and upon my return home to Texas decided to learn more.

Ferme Ornée is a gardening design concept attributed to Stephen Switzer and described in his book Ichnographia Rustica: or The Nobleman, Gentleman, and Gardner’s Recreation. Rather than just look up the cliff notes on Wikipedia, I was able to find a scanned 1718 first edition of this book made available by the Biodiversity Heritage Library, download it, and read it for myself. Once I got used to the fact that half of the time the letter “s” looks more like an “f”, I found that after about 5 minutes of labored study, I got into a good early 18th century English language groove, and it made for a fascinating read.

Mr. Switzer summarizes ferme ornée by referring to it as “mixing the useful and profitable Parts of Gardening with the pleasurable.” He details how the following effect vegetation:

– Type of soil (heavy or light, hot or cold)
– Water (“not altogether that designed for Use, but for Beauty”)
– Sun
– Air
– Co-efficient Powers (roots, sap, trunk, and leaves)

He then gives detailed directions for raising trees, woods and coppices and details the use of springs and waterworks, statues, grass and gravel in a landscape plan.

He describes the importance of incorporating the concepts of Grand Manier, or open vista, and Simplex Munditiis, or symmetry and proportion, into a landscape. And just in case you’re starting to think that these principles only apply to a British Estate, or 500 spectacular acres on the Arkansas River, Mr. Switzer gives you a posthumous verbal beat down by stating “for the Room be small, there requires the more Judgement in laying it out well.”

After seeing Moss Mountain Farm first hand, and listening to Allen describe the “why” behind so many of the farm’s details, it’s easy to see that these design principles are used extensively in a marriage of the functional with the beautiful, the outdoors with the indoors, and the techniques of the past with the technology of today. I had seen it stated that it’s a shame that there no longer exist any examples of ferme ornée. I submit that P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm is a modern day, living, working example of ferme ornée.

And maybe even more importantly, these same practices and principles can be utilized on your own homestead, whether a large farm, a typical suburban yard, or even an apartment balcony. With today’s enhanced awareness of sustainable green living, growing your own vegetables or raising backyard chickens, there’s no reason not to blend the practical with the beautiful.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with the words of Thomas Whately from his 1770 work Observations on Modern Gardening. They describe Moss Mountain Farm perfectly.

Where Wealth enthron’d in Nature’s pride,
With Taste and Bounty by her side,
And holding Plenty’s horn,
Sends Labour to pursue the toil,
Art to improve the happy soil,
And Beauty to adorn.

Disclaimer: P. Allen Smith and his sponsors paid for my trip to Moss Mountain Farm, as well as my room and board while in Little Rock. The opinions expressed in this article are my own, and influenced by nothing more than the sheer beauty of Moss Mountain Farm. In other words, if I had found the place plain and uninspiring, I would have thanked Allen for having me, and then just written a nice article about brussels sprouts or something.

The post P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm: ferme ornée in Practice first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Recent headlines from around the country show a distinct trend in the availability, and the cost, of water:
– “Texas Drought 2011: State Endures Driest 7-Month Span On Record”
– “Rising Water Rates Making an Impact on Region’s Economy”
– “City proposes to increase rates by 12.5 percent in July, 16 percent next year”
– “Higher water rates are coming”
– “Water rates rising 25%”
– “Water Prices Rising Worldwide”

Water. Its something most of us take for granted. Turn on the faucet to the desired mix of hot and cold fresh clean water and have a drink, wash the car, water the lawn, or do the laundry. But today’s headlines are beginning to offer a foreshadowing of things to come. A recent study reports that over the past five years, municipal water rates have increased by an average of 27 percent in the United States, 32 percent in the United Kingdom, 45 percent, in Australia, 50 percent in South Africa, and 58 percent in Canada.’

Traditionally the cost of water delivered to the consumer was determined by three factors: 1) the cost to transport the water from it’s source, 2) the cost of treatment to remove contaminants, and 3) the total demand versus the available supply of water. So in the words of that famous gardener, Bugs Bunny, “What’s all the hubbub, bub?”

A study by the Water Resources group, “Charting Our Water Future,” reports that by 2030 China, India, South Africa and Brazil will together account for 42 percent of the worldwide water demand with a projected need of 2,355.9 billion cubic meters of water. Unfortunately, their combined current supply of water is only 1,391.7 billion cubic meters. Where will they get that missing 964.2 billion cubic meters of water, and why should I care? The answer may be right under your nose, or more accurately, right under your feet.

Here in Texas, water ownership rights vary depending on weather the water is groundwater or surface water. Groundwater is water found beneath the earth’s surface and is the property of the owners of the land under which it lies. Groundwater may be used or sold as private property. Texas courts have ruled that a landowner has the right to capture for use or sale all the water that they want to from under their land regardless of the effect this may have on the wells or water under adjacent properties. This law has often been called “the law of the biggest pump.” Whoever has the biggest pump, and the deepest well gets the water while the shallower wells go dry.

Once surface water flows into a clearly defined waterway, it becomes the property of the state and anyone wishing to use this water must file for a “water right” permit with the state.

More and more, the rights to water, which has traditionally been considered a public resource under public domain, are being sold to private companies. Newsweek reports that two companies have purchased the rights to transfer 3 billion gallons of water a year from a lake in Sitka, Alaska. The ‘water will be siphoned into the kind of tankers normally reserved for oil—and shipped to a bulk bottling facility near Mumbai.’ T. Boone Pickens, the famous oilman, states that ‘water is the new oil’ and has spent over $100 million dollars to purchase 68,000 acres of land and the rights to the water under it in Texas.

Merriam-Webster defines a commodity as an economic good, something useful or valued, an article of commerce especially when delivered for shipment. Water has indeed gone from being a public resource to a commodity that is sold to the highest bidder. Profit margin has now been added to the very top of the list of the factors determining the cost of water to the consumer. With the worldwide increase in demand, and the cost to maintain and repair our water delivery and treatment infrastructure built in the early 1900’s, you can begin to see the reason for those rising water rate headlines.

Does this all mean that the next time you turn on the kitchen faucet, nothing but a puff of dust will come out, and poor old Rover will be left with just an empty water bowl, a sad look on his face, and if he is not already too dehydrated a little puppy tear dripping from the corner of his eye. No, probably not. But, if you have not yet given any thought to Rainwater Harvesting, maybe now is a good time to learn more about it.

In part two of this series, Rainwater Harvesting: The Basics, we’ll look at the basics of Rainwater Harvesting, what it is, how it works, and its pros and cons.

The post Rainwater Harvesting: Reasons to Consider first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Benefits
Composting reduces yard waste entering landfills. Each year hundreds of millions of tons of grass clippings, leaves, weeds, organic debris, and other yard waste enters landfills. This makes up about 20% of the total volume of all material entering landfills. The cost to collect and dispose of this waste is nearly 1 billion dollars a year.

Composting saves you money by reducing the need for store bought fertilizer. Compost is free. Adding compost to soil helps reduce your watering needs by helping the soil retain water.

Components
I. Green Material (Nitrogen)
Grass clippings
Fruit & vegetable scraps and trimmings
Coffee grounds
Used tea bags
Cow, horse, or poultry manure

II. Brown Material (Carbon)
Dry brown leaves
Shredded newspaper
Wood chips
Sawdust

III. Water
Compost forms best when it is kept at a constant moisture level, similar to a damp sponge, not soaking wet.

IV. Air
Air allows aerobic composting to occur rapidly, and with little or no foul odors. About 30% of the total initial volume of your compost pile should be air space.

Mix it Up
A 50:50 ratio of green to brown material by volume will provide the best results. By mixing, or turning, your compost pile regularly, the proper blend of the four components of compost will be maintained. To speed up the composting process, mix your compost pile more often. Mixing your compost allows air to enter into the pile. If the pile has become too dry, add more water and mix it in.

Compost No-No’s
Be sure to NEVER place anything containing fats or oils in your compost. (ex. meat scraps, baked goods). Do not place dog or cat waste in your compost pile. Do not place diseased plants or weeds in your compost pile.

Hot Stuff
Microorganisms that contribute to the composting process will generate a substantial amount of heat in a compost pile that has the proper mix of ingredients and that is large enough, at least 1 cubic yard. The optimum internal temperature is right around 150°F. These temperatures are critical for the destruction of pathogens and weed seeds.

Getting Started
Patty Hoenigman, author and Texas Master Composter, describes six ways to compost, ranging from easy but slow to produce, to more involved but producing compost more quickly.

1. Use a mulching lawn mower.

2. Dig a hole and bury kitchen scraps

3. Make a trough, bury kitchen scraps and cover them up as you go.

4. Passive Composting – this can be used to produce a small amount of compost that will be done in 4-6 months. Add leaves to a bin, add food scraps, and cover with more leaves. Add water and mix once a week.

5. Heap or Pile – make a compost pile, away from the house. Add brown and green material as they become available and just let the pile sit. It will take about a year before usable compost will be available at the bottom of the pile.

6. Active Composting – This method requires a minimum of 1 cubic yard of material to start with ideally in a 3’x3’x3’ bin. Soak leaves overnight and then alternate 2” deep layers of brown and green material in the bin. Let it sit for 3 days to allow the internal temperature to peek. Next, turn the pile completely, being sure to add water to any dry areas, every day for 11 days. Let the pile sit undisturbed for two more weeks to cure. You will then have a complete batch of compost ready to use in just four weeks. The final volume of compost will be about 1/3 of the starting volume of the pile.

Summary
Start composting today! It doesn’t matter if it’s 105°F outside or 35°F. You can build a compost bin out of wood, cinder blocks, or chicken wire, or just make a pile or small hole. Once you see the rich results of composting on your garden, you’ll be glad you did.

The post Composting 101 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Insects and Disease
Soil borne pathogens, and insects, that attack one member of a plant family frequently will infect or attack other plants in that same family. Planting similar plants in the same location, year after year, tends to make the soil in that location much more prone to the diseases and insects that harm those plants.

Soil Nutrients
Different crops take varying amounts of different nutrients from the soil as they grow and produce fruit or vegetables. If similar plants continue to be planted in the same location year after year, the nutrients in the soil inevitably become unbalanced to the point where even the addition of fertilizers may not entirely correct the deficiency.

Preferred Method
There is no hard and fast rule as to which plants should be planted after another when practicing crop rotation, whether in the farmer’s fields or in the home garden. The most effective, and easiest crop rotation system involves grouping vegetables into six ( 6 ) different groups, each of these groups having similar insect, disease, and soil nutritional content characteristics. Never plant a vegetable from the same group, in the same location, two years in a row. Waiting three years before planting a vegetable from the same group is even better.

For example, if this spring you plant Tomatoes, a Group III plant, in a particular spot in the garden, you could plant Broccoli, a Group II plant, in that same spot this fall, and then Cantaloupe, a Group I plant, in that spot next spring. By sequentially planting warm and cool season crops from different groups, you will maximize your garden’s production while maintaining good crop rotation practices.

Here is a Garden Planning spreadsheet that I use with my raised beds utilizing “square foot gardening”, to help keep track of what has been planted, where it was planted, and when. Use it as it is, or feel free to modify it to better meet your particular needs.

Conclusion
Although it takes a little advance planning to implement crop rotation in your home garden, the increased health and production of your vegetables will make you glad to put the effort into doing so.

Crop Rotation Plant Groups
[ Group I ]
• Cucurbitaceae (Gourd Family)
– Cucumber
– Watermelon
– Cantaloupe
– Honeydew Melon
– Summer Squash
– Winter Squash
– Pumpkin

[ Group II ]
• Cruciferae (Mustard Family)
– Cabbage
– Broccoli
– Cauliflower
– Kohlrabi
– Collard
– Kale
– Brussels Sprouts
– Chinese cabbage
– Turnip
– Radish

• Chenopodiaceae (Beets Family)
– Swiss Chard
– Spinach

• Compositae (Sunflower Family)
– Lettuce
– Globe Artichoke
– Jerusalem Artichoke

[ Group III ]
• Solanaceae (Nightshade Family)
– Tomato
– Pepper
– Eggplant
– Potato

• Convolvulaceae (Morning-glory Family)
– Sweet potato

• Malvaceae (Cotton Family)
– Okra

[ Group IV ]
• Alliaceae (Allium Family)
– Onion
– Garlic
– Leek
– Shallot

• Chenopodiaceae (Beets Family)
– Beets

• Umbelliferae (Parsley Family)
– Celery
– Carrot
– Parsnip
– Parsley

[ Group V ]
• Gramineae (Grass Family)
– Sweet corn

[ Group VI ]
• Leguminosae (Pea/Bean Family)
– Snap Bean
– Pea
– Cowpea
– Black-eyed Pea

The post Crop Rotation in the Home Garden first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Just as in life, gardening has its peaks and valleys, its ups and downs, its ebbs and flows. You’ve made it through another long winter where you carefully planned what to plant, when to plant it, and how much to plant.

And then, finally, Spring. Remember the thrill of those first warm spring days, when the danger of frost had passed, and you could finally get your hands in the soil to plant. Soon there was the excitement when that first hint of a new plant peaked out from the soil you worked so hard to prepare.

Before you knew it, your first harvest of green beans, that first vine ripe tomato, fresh strawberries. “Gardening is great!” “I love my garden.”

But soon, all of the potatoes need to be harvested. “Will the kids mind if I store them under their beds?” The green bean plants are spent. “What was I going to plant there next?” The pill bugs are eating the strawberries. “How do I get rid of them again?” The lettuce is starting to wilt. “Am I watering too much or not enough?” You’ve inquired into having a phone extension placed in the garden so that friends and loved ones can actually reach you.

Before you realize it, your gardening thoughts have ever so slowly turned from excitement and pleasure to a sense of foreboding and dread. You find yourself lying in bed at night, in a cold sweat, staring at the ceiling, wondering how you are going to get all of your gardening done tomorrow. “The kids can probably get themselves up, make their own breakfast, and get to school on their own. After all, they’re in first grade now.” “If we can just get one more meal out of that bowl of leftover macaroni and cheese I won’t need to go shopping.”

What once was a gentle distraction from the pressures of everyday life has now gotten to the point where you are really looking forward to that trip to the dentist for a root canal because it will give you a break from the garden. In the words of Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

But fear not. You are not alone. All across the land, gardeners everywhere are having the same thoughts of self-doubt and low garden-esteem. To help better understand and deal with your gardening angst, here is my adaptation of the Kübler-Ross Model, commonly known as the The Five Stages Of Grief.

The Five Stages of Grief Gardening:

1. Denial — “Those green beans will be fine, It’s just a few hundred locusts.”; “Squash vine borers, This can’t be happening, not to me.”

2. Anger — “Why my spinach? It’s not fair!”; “How can this happen to me? I’m 100% organic”; ‘”Where can I find some DDT?”

3. Bargaining — “Just let me get one more tomato before the birds eat them all”; “I’ll do anything for a few more ears of corn.”; “I promise to install a rainwater harvesting system next year if…”

4. Depression — “I am so tired, why bother pulling weeds at all?”; “I don’t like eggplant all that much anyway… What’s the point?”; “I miss my peppers”

5. Acceptance — “It’s going to be okay.”; “I may as well enjoy canning those twelve bushels of tomatoes.”

Perhaps in better understanding the stages of gardening, and identifying which stage you are in, you will once again find peace in your garden. Of course in the time it took you to read this article, you could have mulched at least a third of your raised beds. What’s wrong with you anyway!? What are you, lazy!? Oops. Sorry about that. I guess I’m still in the anger stage after birds ate my entire blueberry harvest the other day. Let me see, where were we? That’s right. There is no better way to achieve a peaceful state of mind than by gardening.

Editor’s Note: No animals were harmed, or small children sent to school without breakfast, in the writing of this article. This is a work of satire. The author really does like gardening. He’ll be much better after the growing season is over. Either that or he will spend all winter complaining about the cold and fussing about how he can’t wait to get back out in the garden come spring.

The post The Five Stages of Gardening first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

There are over 20 varieties of native and adapted ornamental grasses in Texas alone, ranging in size from a few inches to several feet in height and width. They come in colors ranging from silver-gray to deep blue-green in the spring and summer, and in the fall and winter can turn anywhere from a light tan to deep rust color.

Ornamental grasses are an excellent way of adding visual interest, color, texture, height, movement, and even sound to a landscape throughout the year. Their exceptional hardiness, drought tolerance, adaptability to a wide variety of soils, and pest and disease resistance make them a great addition to any landscape.

Most ornamental grasses will grow to their full height in about 3 months, making them an inexpensive and quick way to make a dramatic, yet typically long lived impact on a landscape.

Ornamental grasses can be used in many ways in the landscape. Larger varieties can be used as a specimen plant. Use them in a border, as a hedge or as a screen. Ornamental grasses make a great backdrop for roses and other perennials, or try planting a single variety in large clusters for a dramatic effect. In the fall and winter, use dormant ornamental grass cuttings in flower arrangements.

Now is the time to think about where you can use ornamental grasses in your landscape this coming spring. Check out the table below for several varieties you may find of interest. However you decide to use ornamental grasses in your landscape, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Don’t forget to check our Plant Hardiness Zones Tool, in the How Do Gardener Tool Shed, to find your USDA Plant Hardiness zone.

Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Habit: Perennial Exposure: Sun, Partial-Sun Height: 2' - 3' Width: 18" - 36" USDA Hardiness Zones: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Inland Sea Oats Chasmanthium latifolium	Habit: Perennial Exposure: Sun, Partial-Sun, Shade Height: 1' - 3' Width: 1' - 2" USDA Hardiness Zones: 5,6,7,8,9
Muhly Grasses Muhlenbergia spp.	Habit: Perennial Exposure: Sun, Partial-Sun Height: Varies by species, 2' - 6' Width: 3' - 6' USDA Hardiness Zones: 6,7,8,9,10
Dwarf Pampas Grass Cortaderia selloana	Habit: Perennial Exposure: Sun, Partial-Sun Height: 5' - 6' Width: 5' - 6" USDA Hardiness Zones: 7,8,9,10,11
Chinese Silver Grass Miscanthus sinensis	Habit: Perennial Exposure: Sun, Partial-Sun Height: 18" - 5' Width: 1' - 3' USDA Hardiness Zones: 5,6,7,8,9,10
Annual Fountain Grass Pennisetum setaceum	Habit: Annual Exposure: Sun, Partial-Sun Height: 3' - 4' Width: 18" - 30" USDA Hardiness Zones: 9,10,11

The post Ornamental Grasses: Adding Interest to your Landscape first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

A little bowl of hot melted butter or cocktail sauce probably won’t do very much to keep pillbugs out of your garden, but surprisingly, a cold bottle of beer just might do the trick.

Preventative Measures
Before having to worry about getting pillbugs out of your garden, it’s a lot easier to keep them from getting in to begin with. Pillbugs are omnivores, or scavengers, that feed on dead or decaying plants or animals as well as live plants, fruits, and vegetables. They live in moist shady places, so make it a habit to clean leaf litter out of your garden regularly.

Get Rid of Them

What You'll Need
	A bottle of beer, it doesn’t really have to be cold. Other fluids or beverages will not work. A few empty tuna cans that have been washed out.
Place the Cans
	Determine which areas of your garden have a pillbug problem. In those areas, make a little hole in the soil that is the same size as an empty tuna can. Place an empty tuna can in the hole so that the top of the can is even with the soil level, kind of like a little in-ground pillbug pool.
Fill’er Up
	Poor beer into each empty tuna can until it is not quite full.
Lifeguard Not on Duty
	That’s it. Over the next few days, pillbugs that are in that area of the garden will be drawn to the beer, fall in the can, and drown.
The Results
	Just empty the cans out regularly and refill with fresh beer.

The post Pillbug Control first appeared on The How Do Gardener.