Archives for garden category
Posted on Jan 28, 2009 under garden |
Getting Bulbs To Bloom Indoors
Spring flowering bulbs can bloom inside. Start the process of forcing bulbs in the fall for lovely winter blooms. Growing bulbs indoors takes up little space, and it’s easy and fun. The trick is to simulate a short winter. Make bulbs think it’s winter by placing them in a refrigerator, a cool closet, or even in a foam cooler place on a patio or balcony. By doing this, they will grow sturdy roots and start to sprout in preparation for spring.
Start With The Right Potting Soil
Use any good commercial organic potting soil mix, or you can make your own soil to plant the bulbs in. It’s not hard to make your own potting soil.Use one part perlite, 2 parts peat moss and one part sterilized potting soil. Get all these things mixed together well. These ingredients will make a nutrient filled potting soil that is clean, porous, and moisture retaining,.
Unsterilized soil from your outside garden because it may contain bacterial or fungal pathogens that could infect the plant roots, so it’s better not to use it.
Choose A Pot
Choose the pot you want to use after the soil is ready, and place a few pieces of broken crockery over the drainage holes. This keeps the hole from clogging up with compacted dirt, and also keeps the dirt from falling out during the planting process.
Now fill the pot half-full of soil mix. With the pointed ends up, place the bulbs in the container. Without actually letting the bulbs touch, plant the bulbs as closely together as possible. Fill the pot with soil mix, then water the bulbs thoroughly from the top or immerse in a tub of water. That will settle the soil around the bulbs.
It’s Time For The Dark
Try early blooming bulbs such as crocus, daffodils and snowdrops. Those all work well. Many places carry good bulbs. For example, you can click here for Daffodils from Breck’s, plus they have a lot of other beautiful flowering bulbs. It takes about 12 weeks to force these early bloomers. It will take longer for bulbs like tulips, generally about 16 weeks. Keeping bulbs in cold storage for longer times will produce taller flowers.
Not enough time in storage will result in smaller plants and sometimes flowers that start to grown then die.
Light For the Bulbs.
After enough time has passed and it’s close time for the bulbs to bloom, start chiecking the pots every day or two. Fine white roots coming out of the drainage holes, and/or shoots 2 or three inches above the soil, are signs to take the pots out of cold storage.
At this stage of development all bulbs should be placed in indirect lighting for a while before moving them to direct sunlight. Be carefuly not to allow the soil to dry out.
It’s good if you can first move bulbs to a fairly cool location if possible, such as an unheated entryway or closed off back bedroom, where the temperatures are in the ’50s, before moving them on to the heated areas of the house, and into more direct sunlight.
Don’t Throw The Bulbs Out – Reuse Them.
Once the blooms die, cut their stems off if you wish to reuse the bulbs. Let the foliage have plenty of sunlight for continued growth. This will gather the nutrients the bulb needs to bloom next year.
Don’t pull the leaves off after the foliage withers. Store the bulbs with leaves still intact. Place the pots of bulbs in a cool, dry place until they can be planted outside. It doesn’t work well to try to force the bulbs to bloom inside a second time, as being forced to bloom weakens the bulb. Any bloom from forcing bulbs a second time would be small.
Outside planting of the bulbs will allow them to return to their natural seasonal schedule. After a year or two to adapt, they will start making beautiful displays of flowers outside.
Posted on Jan 26, 2009 under garden |
Growing plants in water, without soil is known as Hydroponics. The main idea is that plants will grow in any media that contain all the nutrients of natural soil. Thus it is these nutrients that are the most important factor in the process of hydroponics. When using soil for plants, fertilizers contain only those essential nutrients which the soil may be lacking. However, in the case of hydroponic plants, these fertilizers prove inadequate and so fertilizer formulated specifically for hydroponic systems has to be used.
The amounts and proportions of nutrients a plant needs varies. Best hydroponic nutrients are sold in solutions with simple labels such as ‘grow’ or ‘bloom’ so that even a novice grower can pick up these solutions easily. Change the nutrients along with the growing cycle of your plants. Another reason to change the solution is that the depletion of the elements is subject to the growth stage of the plant. At certain times, important components can run out more quickly. Ideally you should change the solution every two weeks. One must note that the proportion of nutrient solution and water must remain stable. Damage to the roots could occur if the evaporation of water causes on increase in the fertilizer level.
The hydroponic nutrient solutions available are typically sold in a concentrated form. The grower has to mix it according to the instructions and as per the requirement of the plant. For plants that are in poor growing conditions, like overheated flowerbeds or in low lighting, a weaker solution should be used. Even plant cuttings which have just been planted will benefit from a solution which has been diluted. You will want to use a normal (regular) solution for any plant which is normal and healthy. You may be able to use a stronger solution if your garden has all of the requirements for high growth. For example, do you have good air flow and good lighting such as natural sunlight or grow lights like LED grow lights? What about the production and circulation of carbon dioxide? When using fertilizer on your plants you must increase the amount slowly over time so that you to keep the plant from burning up.
Although the concentrate to water ratio is between 150-600 parts per million, most plants require 300-400ppm. Remember that these need to be mixed only with water, and no other part of the solution.
Now that you are aware of the need for different nutrients, you need to know which ones to use. It is important that you know what nutrient you need. Your first consideration should be your growing medium–whether it be stone wool, sand, coco, etc. If you’re using coco, be sure to look for coco that offers specific nutrients like canna coco. Super Veg A or Super Veg B would be ideal, and is a great formula for a vegitable in the crop stage.
The medium determines the kind of nutrients required. Basically the organic or best hydroponic nutrients are made up of different combinations of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen is essential for leaf growth and development. Potassium aides in cell production, while phosphorus helps to make roots grow.
Posted on Jan 25, 2009 under garden |
Landscaping a garden is an important part of the building of a house. It is an enjoyable way of making the exterior part of the house look beautiful. However, problems may arise in maintaining your landscaped garden).
The following are effective solutions in the maintanence of your landscaped garden and may provide a solutions for the problem areas:
1. If the garden is too rocky, the rocks may be used as a design that will create a beautiful rock garden. Putting the excess rocks together to create a slope will add a natural look in your garden. The slope that is formed with these rocks will keep the garden from looking flat and unattractive
2. If the problem is too much sunlight in the garden that causes drought, the solution is to use plants that are low maintenance and can be planted even in direct sunlight. The plants will survive even when there is less water or too much sunlight.
3. Another maintenance solution if the garden has too much sunlight is to plant shade trees at the corners of the garden. This will keep sensitive plants away from direct sunlight and will help to keep your soil moist. Regular watering should be continued if needed.
4.When a garden becomes too shady it makes it difficult to grow certain plants. The solution for this is to choose plants that can survive even in the shade.
5. If there are weeds or unwanted plants growing in the garden, they should be pulled. You must pull the weed and its roots to prevent the weed from growing back. It is not good enough to just cut or trim the weeds. It is best to pull everything out to stop the problem returning.
These are common solutions to some problems encountered in the maintainance of a landscaped garden). To make the maintenance job easy, it is recommended that you tend the garden regularly. This will prevent small problems from getting out of hand. If your landscaped garden is well maintained, your plants and trees will last a long time and will save you money as you will not have to buy new plants or accessories.
Posted on Jan 24, 2009 under garden |
Agriculture is very old and perhaps gardening and pest control are equally old.
It’s an industry that’s growing rapidly. In the past 5 years the pest control business has grown 50 % and has become a $7 billion dollar business.
With increasing frequency, remote areas are being chosen for the construction of new housing. The desert and the woods are attractive and appealing locations for some people It’s their home, and you’re building in it – the pests are the ones who live here. They only become pests because they come into YOUR home.
What is pest control and horticulture all about?
It’s basically the reduction or eradication of pests. Structural home pest control refers to pests that invade your house or garden ,such as termites or fire ants, while insect pest control is the manner in which pests are controlled that take over your lawn. To speak of gardens, plants and pesky weeds will often spill over into one’s home as well.
It is important to keep up with your gardening, and take preventative pest control measures to protect not only your gardens, but your heath as well. Once pests are discovered in the yard, the damage has gotten out of control. Well there are measures you can take to help eradicate the problem.
What do you need to do to get rid of the pests in the Garden?
Gardening and home pest control is viewed by many people as do-it-yourself job. To some extent, up to a point that is fair enough. To have control over garden pests requires the acumen of a physician: you need to know the nature of the pests and determine how far these pests have damaged each specific plant before you can ascertain the appropriate pest control technology to use. Many homeowners do not actually read or follow the instructions on items they purchase because they believe use and assembly will be simple.
The well being of both your family and any visitors into your home could be affected by this over concentration of insecticide. Naturally, we are talking about chemicals, since chemical pest control remains the primary method used in modern pest control. However, since chemicals can have long range effects, interest was redirected toward traditional and biological pest control toward the end of the 20th century.
For those who don’t do DIY gardening and pest control, there is the option of monthly visits from your local pest control company. If you have your house pest controlled on a monthly basis this means that problems will be detected as early as possible. One drawback to having monthly pest control is that homeowners insist that the PCOs give a monthly chemical treatment whether there is pest problem present or not .
It is astonishing to see the factual pattern of the pesticides used in the home and the garden:
1 In the lawns each year the amount of pesticides applied is 67 million pounds.
2 Much more pesticide is applied to city lawn and gardens per unit area than to most farmland.
Please use any kind of pesticide with greatest caution. In fact, you may be getting rid of the bugs that are beneficial to keeping your pest problem under control. If the pests should return, you may have to spray additional times in the future. Further, various bugs contribute to plant pollination which helps your garden thrive and flourish. Don’t use persistent, broad-spectrum, contact insecticides like diazinon, malathion and carbaryl. Such products only work for a short time, and are even more likely to kill off the bugs you want around than those you don’t. When the insects who prey on the pests are decimated, you will notice the quick revival of the pests and, lo, these plant eaters multiply faster soon after you had used the spray.
Most consumers also don’t realize how potentially harmful they can be:
1 Pesticides are easily tracked indoors, an EPA study found 23 pesticides in dust and air inside homes.
2 Garden chemicals harm the environment, the US Geological Survey routinely finds every type of garden chemical, particularly weed killers, in the streams and rivers around urban centers.
It’s an eye-opening shock isn’t it, can we really, really not be without these methods of pest control?
Gardening and Natural Home Pest Control
We believe the logical approach to gardening and pest control is to create a balance of organisms in your yard or garden. Natural pest control is less expensive than buying and applying pesticides, and it’s safer for your garden, natural wildlife and the environment.
Let’s look at some hints and tips to help your gardening and pest control:
1 Physical controls – traps, barriers, fabric row covers or repellents – are often successful at controlling pests.
2 Strive to attract good bugs with a variety of plants that produce pollen and nectar throughout the year.
3 You can keep pests from damaging your plants by preventing them getting to the plants in the first place. And in cases where you only see a few pests, physically removing them can often keep the problem under control.
In summary, a lot of folks are in the same boat. Thousands of people across the world are also looking for pest control, so we hope this has been of help.
Posted on Jan 23, 2009 under garden |
All serious gardeners should have their own garden tool set. If are one of those people who have just started gardening, make sure that you have the right garden tool set to help you get started. Buying a tool set will not only save you from a lot of troubles trying to find the right tools to use on your garden, it will also help you avoid buying stuff that you cannot really use at all. No, there is no need for you to spend a small fortune on tool sets and garden tool storage. There are plenty of garden tools sets that are being sold in the market today for very reasonable prices. To help you find all the right garden tool set, here are some pointers for you.
Go For Stainless Steel Tool Set
Stainless steel garden tool set may cost more than the other types of garden tools but it also last longer that most types of garden sets. Moreover, stainless tool sets are easy to clean and maintain. To find good stainless steel tool set, go online and go through those sites that are selling garden tools. Compare the features of the different tool sets before you decide to buy any of them. Remember that not all tool sets are created equal. Some are better than the other so if you don’t want to end up buying the not so good ones, you need to take your time to compare the features and the prices of these tool sets.
What Types Of Tools Should You Have In Your Garden Tool Set?
When buying tool set, make sure that you have some descent garden fork, garden trowel, garden cultivator and a weeding cutting tool. You will need your garden fork for loosening, weeding, and cultivating the soil. The garden fork is also very useful in mixing your compost on your garden soil. On the other hand, the garden trowel is an essential part of your garden tool set. You will need this tool to weed, dig and transplant your seedlings. Every self-respecting gardener should have a good garden trowel in his/her garden tool set.
The like fork and trowel, the garden cultivator is also a very important addition to your garden tool set. This tool is used to aerate and loosen the soil to make your plants grow healthy. The cultivator can reach tight spaces which would otherwise be inaccessible if you use either the fork or the towel. To complete your garden tool set, you will need the weeding cutting tool. The weeding cutting tool is very useful especially when your garden is prone to weeds and vines.
click here for more about organic gardening
Posted on Jan 21, 2009 under garden |
The concept of organic gardening pest control isn’t new; actually, it’s as old as farming itself. The problem is that since World War II organic pest control has been replaced in civilized countries with man-made pesticides that are detrimental to both the environment and to the people who consume the plants on which the products are sprayed. Today people are returning to organic gardening pest control and choosing to reject, or at least restrict, the use of man-made pesticides. Not everyone feels the same about these products. Some people oppose their use only on food, and others hope to minimize their use as much as possible.
There are a variety of sensible reasons that appeal to logic for using organic gardening pest control methods. One of the most important things about this is that because of the absence of pesticides when the insect pests are left alone genetically they are not in a position to become resistant “super bugs”. Organic methods tend to be less polluting and blend into the ecosystem around it instead of disrupting it. In addition, because many of the pesticides that are available are derivatives of petrochemicals, their costs are higher, thus making alternatives more attractive. Whatever the reasons may be for avoiding their use, the organic gardener has to be prepared to work in order to make up for the loss of those chemical products that he chooses to abstain from using.
Natural gardeners have a number of valuable, non-chemical methods that they can use to manage garden vermin. An easy and effective way to avoid pest problems is varietal selection, which includes choosing seed varieties that have been bred to be resistant against certain diseases and pest. The cultural control method of organic gardening pest control involves changing your gardening methods in order to reduce the hospitality that your garden offers to pests. This may mean removing or burning diseased plant material and destroying weeds and plan debris that provide hiding places for insects. Using stakes to keep fruits off the ground as well as pruning to remove diseased limbs, removing sickly plants, proper building of the soil, and making sure the plants are in raised areas in rainy seasons also help control diseases and pests. Crop rotation can also help in the prevention of disease and in pest control.
Using non-pesticide methods for pest control may not be as quick as the use of pesticides, but it is safer and over time, these methods will not simply repel the insects for the current season but prevent their reappearance in other corps. Organic gardening pest control may be a longer process, but it is well worth the effort.
Posted on Jan 20, 2009 under garden |
It’s April, the sun is shining, and there is this sudden feeling of panic in your body, its gardening season once again. Many people feel overwhelmed when gardening season hits, and they aren’t sure how best to get things going. Gardens are such complex, intricate plant and flower groups that it becomes a challenge to find the right way to start your spring garden off right. A few tips are below to help the average stressed out part time gardener be ready for the spring season. So take a deep breath, put down the miracle grow, and read on for insight into the wonderful world of gardening.
Make a plan that actually won’t require a greenhouse for this year. Some of us gardeners have a tendency to go over the top with our gardening plans. If you’re garden is to include trees, exotic plants, or science experiments you may want to reconsider. The hardest part of gardening is dedicating the time to plant, nourish, and tend to your garden on a daily basis. By making realistic plans you will save yourself hours of stress. For those over achievers that can’t help themselves, try over simplifying your garden plans for insured success.
Search magazines, and the internet for inspiration. Don’t be afraid to get ideas from others when it comes to gardening. There are many credible sources available online, and in books and magazines that offer many innovative ideas for gardens. Be sure to take advantage of such resources before planting your mixed garden of whatever you could find on sale at the local hardware store.
When in doubt, create a theme for your garden. There are many popular themes for gardens these days, including Asian, desert, and rock themes. Give your garden some personality and come up with a theme. Once a theme is chosen it should become much more clear as to what, and where, and how to plant certain things in your garden.
Plant something you can eat for instant gratification. Don’t be afraid to do it. Plant some mint, grow it, and put it in your ice tea. You’ll feel like a true American living off the land. If you’re daring, try planting some pepper seeds, those never tasted as fresh then from your own garden. When you put them in your kid’s fajita’s they’ll look at you with great admiration, if they don’t just tell them if they don’t save their lunch money everything is coming from the garden.
It’s now spring and gardeners are out of their burrows to plant, and watch their seeds grow. Be sure to follow these tips to allow for a pleasant gardening experience.
Posted on Jan 20, 2009 under garden |
Anyone who is interested in learning how to grow hydroponics should understand what a huge resource the Internet is going to be to them here. Whether you are! looking for a hydroponics grow box, any other type of hydroponics equipment or just want to use the fabulous resources available on the Internet to use as a hydroponics grow guide, this is an opportunity that you are going o want to be aware of.
If you are looking for websites to use as a hydroponics grow guide, here are a few of the first websites that you are going to want to check out.
Hydroponics Online need to Knows
One of the top sites by far that you can use as a hydroponics grow guide is the Hydroponics Online Company. Here they offer tons of useful information on the art of hydroponics, and this includes information on how to get started, how to properly care for your plants, what sort of plants you should grow, and so on.
Hydroponics Online Company is certainly one of the most accurate options available to you for use as a hydroponics grow guide. You can trust them to offer information that is constantly updated for the most advanced, reliable and up-to-date information.
Hydroponicist
Another great option for a hydroponics grow guide that you have is this, Hydroponicist. They represent an education, in-depth, up to date guide that covers all the most basic to the most advanced aspects of hydroponics, including how to get started, which plants you should choose, how to care for them, and so on.
It will even offer you a list of secrets to successful indoor gardening. These secrets are from professionals and you can learn them all here. They also have on offer interesting daily chapter excepts which gives you a great opportunity to get talking about different issues you are having with your hydroponics growing.
As you can see just from the two online companies discussed here, the Internet is a fantastic resource when it comes to learning about something like hydroponics growing. Whether you are a beginner and have no idea where to start or have been growing for years and just want to brush up on your information and get some helpful tips, these websites will be worth checking out, and there are always new and exciting options as well.
Posted on Jan 18, 2009 under garden |
If you have a slope or incline on your property, you can turn it into a lovely garden oasis. Where once weeds grew, flowers could grow in abundance. Or perhaps you’d rather have a vegetable garden. Despite the rugged terrain, the slope can become a lovely planted area, turning a liability into an asset.
Terraces Make A Big Change
Putting terraces on a slope can make for some gorgeous results. Not only that, it broadens your options for what can be planted, since you have level areas to work with. The flat area makes it easier to work and work there. Making terraces, however, is unquestionably a lot of work. It can also be expensive depending on the materials used.
Previously, railroad ties were considered a good source of material for making retaining walls for terraces. They’re not used so much these days, however, and especially aren’t recommended for organic gardens. Creating the problem is the creosote used to preserve the wood. Creosote is a toxic substance, and contact with it can irritate the skin. Inhaling creosote fumes can irritate the respiratory trace.
In other words, it’s rather nasty stuff. Besides direct contact, it can leach into the soil and water. Plants absorb nutrients from the soil, and if creosote is in the soil, they can absorb that also. If it’s vegetable plants, then you eat whatever they’ve absorbed. Because of all that, creosote treated lumber for your terracing isn’t a good idea.
Safe Wall Materials And Placement
For small projects where you’re just leveling out a little slope, the new landscaping boards such as those found at Gardens Alive! that are made out of recycled plastics are an option. Use bricks for steeper slopes. Or you could use concrete blocks, modular retaining wall blocks or stone. These masonry options require varying levels of expertise, so be sure you know how to build walls with the materials you opt to use.
The steepness of the slope will dictate the height of the walls since the idea to provide level beds. Higher walls obviously means they need to be that much sturdier. They also should be well anchored. Anchoring the terraces at each end into the slopes is especially important. They also need proper drainage.
The walls will have to bear a lot of weight from the soil pushing against them, and that will increase even more after a rain. Improperly built walls could bow outwards or even collapse.
Building terraces is a big task. If it seems like to much to do yourself, there are landscaping contractors that can do the work for you. Since you’d have labor costs as well as paying for the material, that of course would be more expensive.
Ready The Soil For Plants.
It’s a good idea to enrich the soil before planting because slopes often have poor soil due to erosion. Soil amendments such a well-rotted cow manure, rich loam, compost or other soil amendments to the dirt to make it a better growing medium. If you wish to grow plant that thrive in poor soil, however, you won’t want to enrich the soil very much, if any.
Once the soil is ready, choose your plants, whether vegetables or flowers (DirectGardening.com – Offers quality plants at great prices). A good place for vining plants is along the top edge of the walls, which allows the vines to trail down over the sides.
Improve Your Property With Terraces.
Creating terraces on a slope is a lot of work. Sometimes it’s also a lot of expense. However,it’s a great way to eradicate an eyesore, improve your land, and provide another place for an organic garden full of flowers or vegetables.
There’s never too much space for planting.
Posted on Jan 17, 2009 under garden |
Are you one of those people who love to tend to their organic food gardens? If you are an avid gardener, you should invest in a good garden tool cart to help you carry your garden tools and garden décor as you go around your organic food garden. With the help of a reliable garden tool cart, you can save a lot of time and effort in moving your stuff as you work.
Finding The Right Garden Tool Cart
There are Many different types of garden tool carts sold in the market today. Some of these garden tool carts are also suitable for small gardens and some of them are designed to go around huge gardens. If you do not expect to carry a lot of stuff around your garden, you can just invest your money in one of those small garden tool carts that are made of light stainless steel or hard plastic. The good thing about those garden tool carts that are made of light stainless steel is that they are easy to clean and they do not gather rust. Carts that are made of stainless steel materials are also very durable so you can expect your cart to last for quite a long time. However, the catch here is that garden tool carts that are made of stainless steel materials can be quite expensive.
On the other hand, plastic garden tool carts that are made of hard plastic are more affordable compared to those that are of stainless steel. These types of garden tools are easy to clean and store. What’s the catch? Like most things that are made of plastic materials, your plastic cart will have lesser lifespan compared to carts that are made of stainless steel.
Getting The Best Value For Your Money
If you are on a tight budget, consider getting used garden tool carts instead of brand new ones. There are plenty of used tool carts sold in the market today and they are usually sold at half of their original prices. The best way to find these affordable tool carts is to go online and check out those websites that are selling used garden tools. To find Those web sites, just simply type the keywords on Google and click on the search button. To make sure that you get the best value for your money, compare the prices of the different carts first before you decide which one you are going to buy.