Too Good to Be True?

I have recently come across ads on the internet for farm tractors at very low prices. These made-in-China tractors are advertised at prices that are less then half what my local dealer is asking for a comparable machine. Too good to be true? I, for one, am not lining up to place my order anytime soon. I want to chat with other local purchasers, determine if the tractor performs the tasks I require, and check out the dealer network and the maintenance record of these tractors.

I have already become the owner of a small rototiller made in China. The thinking was that this tiller could clear weeds between the rows of vegetables where our large tiller didn’t fit. While it might be useful in sandy soil, it barely scratched the surface in heavy clay soil.

Have you seen signs on telephone poles advertising a heavy-duty canvas bag containing a cubic yard of soil at a very attractive price delivered directly to your driveway? I have heard stories of soil that is full of weed seeds or has been scraped from cropland that has herbicide residues. The main criticism is that cheap bagged “topsoil” often consists of shredded wood mulch, forest products, or composted yard waste rather than rich, mineral earth, and hence is nutrient-poor. Its high wood content can even rob the soil of nitrogen as it breaks down.

I would much rather buy from a local retailer where I can inspect the goods before ordering and look for a dark brown, earthy colour rather than a gray, woody, or foul-smelling mix.

Mail-order firms selling perennial plants and bulbs often offer very attractive prices. Once delivered, though, the plants and bulbs may be disappointingly small. Chat with folks at your local Horticultural Society about their experience with suppliers.

Folks selling wild or native plants may be offering plants that have been dug from threatened fragile wild places. Check first to ascertain that these “wild” plants have been raised in a nursery.

Fads and new gardening techniques may be very enticing, promising amazing results. I am all in favour of experimenting and trying new approaches. I only caution that if it sounds too good to be true, don’t spend the whole gardening budget on the “latest thing.” Common sense should prevail. Many gardeners have left “hot” new techniques behind because they were ineffective, too much work, or they found something that worked better. I have found that in many cases letting go and moving on is the healthy thing to do, even in the garden.

For instance, square-foot gardening is a great way to maximize the productivity of a small garden space. However, my spirit rebels. This is too much like the control my grandmother exercised as she showed me precisely how to plant beans. My nature needs a bit more chaos.

In a limited garden space, growing some vegetables vertically makes a lot of sense. Pole beans, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes are naturals and love to climb. But I have to draw the line at squash and zucchini. They just do not cooperate.

Lots of gardeners are trying large bags or containers to grow potatoes. Soil is added as the plant grows as potatoes form along the stem. Glowing ads show gardeners pulling bushels of potatoes out of the container at the end of the season. Results that I am aware of are very mixed — with some gardeners very satisfied and others with virtually no harvest. I suspect that it depends on the variety of potato. Indeterminant potatoes just keep growing through a long season and producing more potatoes along the stem. Determinate potatoes, such as most early varieties, do not have this ability.

Home remedies posted on the internet should also be approached with caution. Some of these do more harm to plants and the soil than benefit. Here are a few to watch out for:

Baking soda as a cure-all pesticide or fertilizer — using sodium bicarbonate by itself does not kill pests, fix soil pH, or feed plants. Excess baking soda acts as a salt, which can burn leaves and damage soil health.

Raw eggshells in the planting hole for calcium — tossing large or uncrushed eggshells directly into a planting hole does not release calcium fast enough for current-season plants like tomatoes to prevent blossom end rot. They need to break down in a compost pile first.

Adding sugar to sweeten tomatoes — pouring sugar water into the soil does not make fruit sweeter. Instead, it starves roots of oxygen and stunts overall plant growth.

Burying banana peels for instant potassium — burying whole or chopped peels directly under roses ties up soil nitrogen while it slowly decomposes, rather than feeding the plant right away. Composting them first is much safer.

Household vinegar as a weed killer — standard kitchen vinegar lacks the high acetic acid concentration needed to effectively kill mature weeds, unlike commercial herbicidal vinegar.

Margarine or oil on houseplant leaves — rubbing butter, mayonnaise, or oil on leaves makes them look shiny temporarily, but it clogs their breathing pores (stomata) and stops photosynthesis.

How is one to avoid the pitfalls of scams, questionable deals and bad advice? I had a boss who often stated that a deal had to pass the smell test. If it smelled like three-day-old fish, take a pass. My message is always the same. Shop local. Deal with people you know. Ask other knowledgeable gardeners, and g et internet advice from government or university websites or from your local Master Gardeners.