The Rusted Garden Blog

The number one mistake made, when starting seeds indoors, is not sterilizing the seed starting mix. Peat based starting mixes are notorious for having fungus gnat eggs in them. They can survive temperature extremes and sit dormant for a very long time in the mixes. Once you add water to the starting mix and expose them to the grow lights and warm temperatures, they hatch. The larva feed on the roots of your seed starts and grow into adult flying gnats. The fungus gnats lay more eggs and the cycle continues, eventually causing the huge problem of seedling loss. The...

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...