The Garden Club of Johnstown members have submitted these general garden tips that they have found useful over their gardening years.

I never go out to my garden without my hori-hori, or “ soil knife.”  I use it for weeding, cutting roots, removing plants, sod cutting, and splitting perennials. I bought a 12” hori-hori that has a 7 “ blade. The sturdier, the better. It’s an all purpose tool!! Jackie J.

Tick control: I use cedar chips used as mulch to control ticks. Chicken eat ticks and are natural predators for ticks. Nancy W. Note: Since it repels many insects, cedar mulch is not recommended for pollinator gardens.

Treat anemic rhodadendron and azaleas with fresh unused coffee grounds sprinkled on the surface around the trunk out to where the leaves end. Andy F.

Use a coffee filter in the bottom of a pot before you put the soil in.  Soil stays in , but water can get out. Lana C

Repurposing plastic containers. 

Need more plant tags? 

1. Remove the hard rim from plastic food containers like cottage cheese or take-out soup. 

2. Cut into 3/4” strips from top to bottom. 

3. Cut off bottom of container to free “sticks.”

4. Write plant name on “sticks” and insert into soil to identify plants. 

5. This is especially good when transplanting seedlings. Charlotte C.