Q: How do I start tomato plants in a milk jug? — Michael Duncan, email
A: Use heavy scissors to make a cut 2 inches above the bottom of a milk jug, cutting around the jug on three sides (the fourth side will be the "hinge"). Fold back the top portion and poke numerous holes in the bottom portion to provide drainage. Fill the bottom portion with moistened potting soil. Poke 10 shallow holes in the soil surface and plant a tomato seed in each one. Cover each hole with soil. Fold the top of the jug back over the bottom and secure it in place with tape. Remove the milk jug lid. Put the jug in a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Given moderate spring temperatures, the seeds should sprout in 10 days. Fertilize with houseplant fertilizer. Leave them covered by the jug top until they are 4 inches tall. Fold back the top and move to a sunnier spot until they are 6 inches tall. They then can be transplanted into your garden.
Q: I only use 30 percent industrial strength, 300 grain white vinegar to kill weeds in our yard, since this is natural and contains no chemicals. Our yard has been toxic chemical-free for eight years. Is it is safe to spray the bluegrass that is green in our brown Bermuda grass lawn? — Larry B., Cumming
A: Much depends on your definition of "natural," "no chemicals" and "toxic." Thirty percent acetic acid is made at a chemical factory, just like Roundup is, but with different raw ingredients. Calling it vinegar is not appropriate. It may smell the same, but 30 percent acetic acid is very dangerous stuff to handle. I would never recommend that a homeowner use it. As you know, acetic acid is a "burn down" chemical. It kills plants by destroying leaf cells. It does not move beyond the leaves and will not kill perennial weeds without several applications. Lastly, Bermuda grass is rarely completely dormant. If you spray the bluegrass, you'll kill it, but you run the risk of harming the Bermuda underneath.
Q: I need to find a source for tomato grafting tubes and clips that are not terribly expensive for 100 or less of each. Is there an advantage in using eggplant rootstock rather than tomato rootstock? I'm looking for a science project for a fifth grader. — Myron Bullock, email
A: Vegetable grafting supplies are expensive, aren't they? Honestly, grafting tomato plants is way above the skill level of a fifth grader (and most adults). You have to provide a propagation chamber that is extremely humid and dark for several days, then supply carefully monitored light levels for weeks afterward. It seems to me this project would take too much time for an elementary school science project. Check my website and use the search line, typing in the words "science project," for more ideas.
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