The Rusted Garden Blog

During these times of the pandemic there are clearly legitimate reasons to be worried, scared, anxious and stressed. We should feel them and express them. We also need to recognize we can get caught in negative chains of thinking for unhealthy periods of time. Mental wellness activities are not about pretending everything will be fine. They are used in conjunction with feeling what we feel. They are about recognizing where we can step in and take a break. In this case break negative thoughts. It is easy to get lost in negative chaining events for hours. It's not the worrying...

The Truth About Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's), Hybrids, Heirlooms and Your Vegetable Seeds - Call Them GEO's! All flower and vegetable seeds you buy in seed packs, for a couple of bucks, are not Genetically Modified Organism or GMO's. They never were, currently are not and probably will never be. You have no need to worry when you buy a single pack of seeds. A seed pack stamped Non-GMO is no different than a seed pack not stamped Non-GMO. If you like the reassurance, that is cool, just know what you are paying for via the stamp. The Rusted Garden:...

I spent some time last year using aspirin to manage tomato diseases before the diseases showed. I was not vigilant about the routine, but can say my aspirin treated tomato plants did better than the untreated tomatoes. Early blight is a disease that gets tomatoes in my area. Last year the blight came, but it appeared to do a lot less damage to the treated tomatoes. The treated tomatoes also seemed to recover more quickly. This year I intend to follow a strict routine of aspirin drenching and spraying. I have seen enough of a benefit over the years using...

These are 4 sprays I use regularly in my garden and they have changed they way I grow. They are very effective when used the right way. The first rule of using sprays is to always to TEST SPRAY. That is on you. Spray some of the leaves of several plants and wait 48 hours to look for damage, when you use any spray be it a DIY recipe or purchased premixed spray. Many factors contribute to how plants react to sprays. You need to test them in your gardening zone. The second rule is to keep a journal of...