The technical meaning of “Old Wives Tale” is that a supposed truth is actually just superstition or circumstance. And I am sure there is some fact to that claim, but a LOT of great wisdom that has been handed down from generation to generation initially fell under this category.
So take these with a grain of salt, but I am always a little afraid that if I don’t do them…I won’t end up with favorable results. So even if it is just superstition, I am still going to garden using these tips!
#1 Banana Peels Make Great Fertilizer.
I don’t know where I first heard this, but during the spring and summer – EVERY banana peel from our kitchen makes its way to the backyard garden. I spoke once with someone who also used this tip and their thought process was that the banana contains so much potassium that as it rots (which we know is very quick for banana peels) you get the added benefits of a fast compost. That being said, not all fruit or vegetable peels are the same – so experiment with things outside banana peels at your own risk!
#2 Smack an Apple Tree with a Chain to Produce More Fruit
The idea is simple. Stress out the tree. Trees produce more fruit when they are stressed (hence hitting it with a chain). You don’t want to beat it to the point that you chip away bark. It doesn’t have to be a chain either – it could be a 2×4, a baseball bat – you could even get a little freaky and use a downed limb from a tree. Sort of zombie like…
#3 Harvest Rhubarb on Hot Days
I. Love. Rhubarb. I think this midwestern staple looks great in a garden, tastes wonderful and is nearly impossible to screw up when transplanting. The old wives tale comes from a tradition around our house. It was told to me by my mother, who said she heard about it from her mother and so on. Pick your rhubarb on a hot day. 80 degrees or more. Especially important for the first harvest. I have no idea why. I can say that I follow this method and have four varieties of rhubarb that date back more than 70 years in our patch and they all get stronger every year. Perfect for splitting!
#4 Plant Potatoes on Good Friday
This tip has been handed down for many years and is so prolific that it has been a discussion on Plant Talk several times. The tip is that you plant your potatoes on Good Friday, even if the ground is still solid. I can’t say that I follow this – especially in the last few years when Good Friday temps have been below freezing and the ground is still a giant ice cube. Maybe this is the type of advice that is best followed when the weather cooperates?!?!
#5 Playing Music Helps Your Pants Grow
I don’t know of any particular study that would scientifically back this up, BUT I play the Solid Gold Show every Saturday morning while gardening and my Walla Walla sweet onions have never been bigger or tastier. I would suspect that even if it doesn’t directly improve the growth of the plants, it certainly would be a great motivator to the gardener to work a little harder, weed a little more and water until the end of the next song!
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