Gardening Superstitions

Folklore and superstitions have swirled around gardening for years and go well beyond lucky four-leaf clovers or moon-phase planting. Gardening superstitions have been passed down through generations orally, tidbits of advice rumored to bring good luck — or ward off bad — to crops and home. While some may have origins seeded in truth, others evolved from the beliefs and fears of that time. Read on to learn about some of old gardening superstitions and wives tales.

Lucky and Unlucky Plants

Lucky Plants The cheery sunflower plant was said to bring happiness and good fortune. Roses have always promised romance and love. Basil was believed to encourage healing. Unlucky Plants Picking of the weed Queen Anne’s lace — coined “the step-mother blessing”—was believed to result in the death of one’s mother. Picking Foxgloves was another no-no back in the day, as it was believed to have brought sure death to the picker or picker’s family members if brought inside the home. It was considered bad luck to bring on board a ship as well.

Other Folklore

How to Make Pepper Plants Hotter Make hot peppers grow hotter by shaking the plants periodically while they are growing to strengthen the intensity of the heat flavor. It has also been said that not watering the last week before harvestist hot peppers will make them hotter, however, if the plants are shriveling and obviously thirsty, I wouldn’t recommend withholding water. Spring Snow is Poor Man’s Fertilizer There is truth in this saying. When a late snow falls, nitrogen from the air accumulates into it. As it slowly melts, the nitrogen is readily absorbed in to the soil rather than being washed away as it would with a rainfall. This provides the plants that will be growing with a tiny boost of natural fertilizer. Nothing Will Grow Under a Walnut Tree There’s a bit of truth in this saying. Black walnut trees are toxic to most other plants because of the chemical it produces called juglone. Even if a black walnut tree is removed or cut down, growing conditions may remain poor as juglone can stay in the soil for quite some time. Make a Cucumber Less Bitter Cutting the tips off cucumbers and rubbing the exposed inner flesh with the tips is said to make a cucumber less bitter. While there is no proof that this actually works, peeling a cucumber will alleviate most of the bitter taste, and discarding the cucumber tip at about ½ inch along with it may indeed help to remedy the bitterness.