Gardening Tips – Ways To Maintain A Healthy Garden!
November 14, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Abhishek Agarwal asked:
Achieving a healthy and good-looking garden is difficult but not an impossible task. There are some gardening tips that come quite handy in reaping a rich harvest. Following are some useful tips from the seasoned gardeners who may also have faced similar situations while moving up on the learning curve.
Every gardener faces unique problems in regard to the soil condition of the regions he is striving to succeed in. Coming to the gardeners rescue, the United States department of Agriculture (USDA) has prepared a Zone Map for Plant Hardness. It comprises of all regions divided into 11 different zones, 1 being the coldest to 11 being the warmest. Referring this zone map can help you a lot in finding out the best plants suiting the specific region and soil type.
The basic ingredients – Sunlight and Water
Plants require a regular diet of six to ten hours of sunlight daily for healthy growth. Your garden can produce wonders if it is supported by soil with rich and sandy loam. You can also consider feeding nutrients in the form of manure and compost to the soil bed of your garden. Adhering to the directional tips like planting the rows from north to south, and having complementary plants side-by-side will ensure good results. You must always use fresh and new seeds while sowing fresh plants. Watering the plants regularly will get rid of all forms of air gaps in the soil, thus, roots will be able to travel far down and wide ensuring a strong root system.
Gardening manuals suggest that bulbs require at least twelve weeks of low temperature for flowering, thus, you may consider refrigerating them before planting. The ideal time to dig-up perennials is fall. Once you have dug them up you must split the bulbs up to keep them fresh and productive. It is ideal to have four or more splits resulting in as many plants. It is also suggested to undertake such splitting procedure every three years to keep the bulbs productive.
Fall is also the time for over-wintering or vernalization of the bulbs to ensure speedy seed development. As per this practice, one should place the bulbs under the soil during fall and let them be there the entire winter. This will result in them blooming wonderfully during the spring season. Laying chicken wire over the planted bulbs and then putting mulch over it will help keeping the rodents away from digging out the bulbs.
Spring time is busy time for gardeners all over the world as it is during this season that most of the weeding, mulching, fertilizing, composting, pruning and planting is undertaken. Spring is an ideal time to begin grass seeds. You should also deadhead the blooms during springtime as it will help strengthening the plants and also control the self-seeding plants from venturing out into the other parts of the garden.
The above mentioned gardening tips will make sure that you create breathtaking views in your garden year after year.
Achieving a healthy and good-looking garden is difficult but not an impossible task. There are some gardening tips that come quite handy in reaping a rich harvest. Following are some useful tips from the seasoned gardeners who may also have faced similar situations while moving up on the learning curve.
Every gardener faces unique problems in regard to the soil condition of the regions he is striving to succeed in. Coming to the gardeners rescue, the United States department of Agriculture (USDA) has prepared a Zone Map for Plant Hardness. It comprises of all regions divided into 11 different zones, 1 being the coldest to 11 being the warmest. Referring this zone map can help you a lot in finding out the best plants suiting the specific region and soil type.
The basic ingredients – Sunlight and Water
Plants require a regular diet of six to ten hours of sunlight daily for healthy growth. Your garden can produce wonders if it is supported by soil with rich and sandy loam. You can also consider feeding nutrients in the form of manure and compost to the soil bed of your garden. Adhering to the directional tips like planting the rows from north to south, and having complementary plants side-by-side will ensure good results. You must always use fresh and new seeds while sowing fresh plants. Watering the plants regularly will get rid of all forms of air gaps in the soil, thus, roots will be able to travel far down and wide ensuring a strong root system.
Gardening manuals suggest that bulbs require at least twelve weeks of low temperature for flowering, thus, you may consider refrigerating them before planting. The ideal time to dig-up perennials is fall. Once you have dug them up you must split the bulbs up to keep them fresh and productive. It is ideal to have four or more splits resulting in as many plants. It is also suggested to undertake such splitting procedure every three years to keep the bulbs productive.
Fall is also the time for over-wintering or vernalization of the bulbs to ensure speedy seed development. As per this practice, one should place the bulbs under the soil during fall and let them be there the entire winter. This will result in them blooming wonderfully during the spring season. Laying chicken wire over the planted bulbs and then putting mulch over it will help keeping the rodents away from digging out the bulbs.
Spring time is busy time for gardeners all over the world as it is during this season that most of the weeding, mulching, fertilizing, composting, pruning and planting is undertaken. Spring is an ideal time to begin grass seeds. You should also deadhead the blooms during springtime as it will help strengthening the plants and also control the self-seeding plants from venturing out into the other parts of the garden.
The above mentioned gardening tips will make sure that you create breathtaking views in your garden year after year.
Container Gardening Tips for Everyone
October 1, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Mary Hanna asked:
All of us, at one time or another, has seen a display of container gardens with flowers or vegetables at a friend’s home or in a nursery center. Many mistakenly think that it took a lot of effort or was done by professionals. That is far from the truth. Container gardens are just as easy as outside gardens and in some way s even easier to maintain. Anyone that loves to garden can plant and raise a container garden even those with limited space, even apartment dwellers. You can create a beautiful garden with just a few container gardening tips.
Start out with a plan. You need to know what you are going to plant, a container garden flower or a container garden vegetable. You may want to concentrate on an herb container garden. It is important to know this so you can choose the right size container for the plants. The number one container gardening tip is to choose a pot that has sufficient space for soil and the plants. Vine type plants will need a large, deep pot to grow over. If you are planning on a large plant you will need a wide passed container for balance. Keep reading, there are more container gardening tips to come. One thing to keep in mind is that you must have adequate drainage in the container that you use. No plant likes to have “wet feet”.
The type of soil you use in your container garden is an issue too. Most experts on container gardening tips say that you should use potting soil. While some gardeners have had success using the soil from their outside gardens, it is not recommended. Potting soil is preferred mainly because it will not compact letting more water to the root system over the growing season. Here it is important to do some research and plant like minded plants together. Your plant groupings should consider water needs, sun needs and fertilization needs.
An essential container gardening tip is to pay attention to the plants watering needs. If you get a very hot streak and your container garden is outdoors on your patio you will need to water daily. If this is your first venture into container gardening, choose drought resistant plants. Plants in container gardens can’t reach out for other avenues of water supplies so it is up to you to make sure they don’t get thirsty.
You will come to love your container garden but plants only last so long. If the plants you are growing in your container garden become less productive change them out. With container gardening you are the one to decide how your gardens will be in bloom. It is true that you can manipulate your plants by moving them around or taking them from the inside to the outside, or vice versa.
There is one thing that you must be diligent about and that is pests. If you find a container that has an infestation, isolate and treat it immediately. Do not use harsh chemicals on the plants. If it is an indoor container garden the chemicals could harm pets or children. Here is a natural pesticide that will keep the bugs in check:
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.
Search online or at your local library for additional container gardening tips so that your beautiful container garden is a wild success. Once you have planted one container garden you will be anxious to start more.
Happy Container Gardening!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
All of us, at one time or another, has seen a display of container gardens with flowers or vegetables at a friend’s home or in a nursery center. Many mistakenly think that it took a lot of effort or was done by professionals. That is far from the truth. Container gardens are just as easy as outside gardens and in some way s even easier to maintain. Anyone that loves to garden can plant and raise a container garden even those with limited space, even apartment dwellers. You can create a beautiful garden with just a few container gardening tips.
Start out with a plan. You need to know what you are going to plant, a container garden flower or a container garden vegetable. You may want to concentrate on an herb container garden. It is important to know this so you can choose the right size container for the plants. The number one container gardening tip is to choose a pot that has sufficient space for soil and the plants. Vine type plants will need a large, deep pot to grow over. If you are planning on a large plant you will need a wide passed container for balance. Keep reading, there are more container gardening tips to come. One thing to keep in mind is that you must have adequate drainage in the container that you use. No plant likes to have “wet feet”.
The type of soil you use in your container garden is an issue too. Most experts on container gardening tips say that you should use potting soil. While some gardeners have had success using the soil from their outside gardens, it is not recommended. Potting soil is preferred mainly because it will not compact letting more water to the root system over the growing season. Here it is important to do some research and plant like minded plants together. Your plant groupings should consider water needs, sun needs and fertilization needs.
An essential container gardening tip is to pay attention to the plants watering needs. If you get a very hot streak and your container garden is outdoors on your patio you will need to water daily. If this is your first venture into container gardening, choose drought resistant plants. Plants in container gardens can’t reach out for other avenues of water supplies so it is up to you to make sure they don’t get thirsty.
You will come to love your container garden but plants only last so long. If the plants you are growing in your container garden become less productive change them out. With container gardening you are the one to decide how your gardens will be in bloom. It is true that you can manipulate your plants by moving them around or taking them from the inside to the outside, or vice versa.
There is one thing that you must be diligent about and that is pests. If you find a container that has an infestation, isolate and treat it immediately. Do not use harsh chemicals on the plants. If it is an indoor container garden the chemicals could harm pets or children. Here is a natural pesticide that will keep the bugs in check:
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.
Search online or at your local library for additional container gardening tips so that your beautiful container garden is a wild success. Once you have planted one container garden you will be anxious to start more.
Happy Container Gardening!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
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