Jerry Baker's What's Growin' On?

We’re trying something new here at Jerry Baker, and we’re pretty excited about it! If you regularly receive mailed advertisements from us, you may have noticed the new QR code on the inside back cover of this month’s mailing. It’s the funny looking black and white square that’s actually a two-dimensional barcode. The QR code allows us to participate in “mobile tagging,” and if you found this site using your smart phone, here’s a big hearty welcome to you!

And to those of you who are regulars, thanks for stopping by again, old friend!

This week I thought I’d let you in on some of my best-kept secrets from my new Supermarket Super Gardens book. I’ve spilled the beans in the bookalog that’s in the mail, but there’s thousands more where they came from.

So I thought we’d focus on how eggs and eggshells can help you grow lusher lawns and greener gardens. You’ll learn a lot and save a bundle in the process. These tips may sound funny, but just wait ‘til you see what they can do!

For starters:

·        Add ground eggshells to your soil to make it more alkaline, which allows plants to absorb nutrients more easily.

·        Toss nitrogen-rich eggshells onto the compost pile to green it up.

·        If the bottom end of your squash, tomatoes, peppers, and watermelon suddenly collapses and rots, you’ve got blossom-end rot. Fend it off with an organic mulch, then, each time you water, scratch a handful of ground eggshells into the soil around each plant.

·        End your fly frustrations by beating 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of molasses and a pinch of black pepper. Pour the mixture into jar lids or shallow cans, and set them around your house. The flies will fly in for a three-point landing, and they won’t take off again.

·        When dilly-dallying deer just won’t leave your trees and shrubs alone, this is the remedy to reach for. It’s become a classic, and for good reason: It works like a charm!

Put 2 tablespoons of ground cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons of hot pepper sauce, 2 eggs, and 2 cloves of garlic in a blender with 2 cups of water. Puree, and let the mixture sit for two days. Then either pour it around your deer-plagued plants, or apply it with a handheld sprayer.

When you’re out of eggs and eggshells, don’t throw the carton away—no sireee! You can use that handy-dandy contraption to:

·        Start seeds. Fill paper cartons with starter mix, and plant your seeds according to the packet directions. At transplant time, cut the sections apart and put ‘em right in the ground.

·        Pre-sprout spuds. Potato eyes are more likely to sprout if your start them indoors, and paper egg cartons make perfect starter pots.

·        Cool your sunburn. Separate the top and bottom halves of a plastic egg carton and pour milk into each egg compartment. Pop the sections into the freezer, then whenever you need relief from sunburn or heat rash, pull out a mini “milksicle” and rub it over the affected skin.

Some folks may think I’m a little crazy when I tell them my best garden tips use supermarket “stuff” like eggs, soda pop, castor oil, or even orange peels. But they stop shakin’ their heads and really start believing when they see the remarkable results! (Click here to see what they’ve done in their own yards.)

Best yet, you’ll get ‘em all when you check out my blockbuster, bestselling Supermarket Super Gardens book. And it’s yours—FREE—for a special 21-Day Preview! While you’re checking it out, don’t forget to watch the DIY video that’ll show you how to put my supermarket secrets to work in your own backyard.