Posts Tagged ‘Gardening’

Some of the most spectacular gardening is on the rooftops and patios of the world’s largest cities. Today’s homeowners and apartment dwellers do not have to discard gardening. In fact, they can create their own garden hideaway.

Gardening in small space means you plant in containers, choose plants carefully, grow up on trellises instead of outdoor, hang plants from something overhead. Herbs, vegetables, shrubs, and citrus fruits can all be grown in containers. More and more vegetable varieties are available specifically for container growing.

For small-space growing people can grow in everything from custom-made pottery to clay pots and wooden planters. Your gardening containers must have drainage holes at the bottom. Cover the holes with a section of window screen so the soil doesn’t leak out.

Get a bag of dry, soulless mix for container gardening. You need to soak the soil with water before planting. This process can be messy, so plan ahead and do it outside if possible. Moisten only as much as you’ll need for the current task.
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So you find yourself in the middle of the worst drought within living memory and your garden occupants are starting to sag, flag and wilt. Which plants should be watered first and which plants should receive the main quantities of the irrigation? You begin to feel like the leader of a third world country trying to spread your counties meagre budget across healthcare, military and education. Never fear, let me dampen your worries with some drought advice.

First to receive the H2O

Recent plantings are top of the list for regular watering, if water is available. New plantings such as bare-root trees or shrubs planted the previous autumn / winter, with newly planted perennials also at great risk from drought damage. You see these new plantings have not had much time to produce water-seeking roots, the type of roots that travel deep and wide for moisture. Because of this, we must supplement the plants natural water supply. During a hosepipe ban, recent plantings of annual bedding summer bedding such as marigolds, impatiens, Nicotiana etc should be regarded as probable casualties of the water war. If I had a limited supply of water to divide between a Japanese maple and some annual bedding, I am afraid the maple would receive the lions share and to hell with the bedding. As a rule of thumb, if the soil 5cm (2 inches) below the grounds surface is dry, then it is time to water. The following is short list of plants can cope with a short period of drought, once established… Brachyglottis, Corokia, Gleditsia, Halimiocistus, and Hippophae.

Container plants during a drought

Next on the water-receiving list are containerised plants, hanging baskets and window boxes. Essentially a containerised plant is growing above the ground water table, with just the soil inside the container to provide the required moisture. If the moisture is not inside the container, then I am afraid the roots have nowhere else to go to quench the plants thirst. Again, if the compost 5cm (2 inches) below the pots surface is dry, then it is time to water, it is up to the gardener to provide that water when required. Try to provide a catch plate or tray beneath containers, these “catchers” will contain any excess water that will eventually be absorbed in the compost. Be aware that terracotta and other porous container materials absorb a good quantity of water that the plant is then unable to access. The following is a short list of container bedding plants that can cope with a short period of drought, once established… Arctotis, Lantana, Plectranthus, Portulaca and Zinnia

Vegetables and fruit during a dry spell

Provide adequate quantities of water for moisture-hungry vegetables such a tomatoes, peas, onions, cucumbers, marrows and lettuce. Insufficient supplies of water will lead to miniature, shrivelled and limp specimens. Fruiting plants such as strawberries, raspberries, currants, apple and pear trees are also very moisture hungry especially while their fruit is forming. Notice how much water is within a strawberry or pear the next time you eat one of these delights. Water-content figures of 70 to 90% are quoted for fruits and vegetables, regardless of whichever quantity is correct, you must supply that water during a drought. Plants growing in an exposed or wind swept area will require a fair quantity of supplementary water during a drought. Have you ever gone for a bracing walk on a windy day, upon arriving home, you smile at your spouse, children or pet and realise that your lips are cracked and chapped, ouch! This illustrates the severe drying element of a strong breeze, plants leaves are constantly being dried out and then remoistened by water from the soil when available. During a drought, if that water is not present the leaves will dry up, shrivel and shed. This is known as the desiccation of foliage. Watering deeply will prevent this happening.
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Questions and Answers on Gardening

Question #1
How to Test Soil For Magnesium Level

This question is in response to last month’s emailed gardening tip. You mentioned to make sure to do a soil test to see what your magnesium level is before adding any Epsom salt to outdoor plants. You said, “Without knowing your current magnesium levels, you shouldn’t apply Epsom salt at all to outdoor plants. Many areas have almost toxic proportions of magnesium present in the soil, and continually adding more will end up poisoning the plants and the soil.” That’s great, but how do I test for Magnesium levels?

Jim Trueman, UK

ANSWER:
Hi Jim! Great question. Since most home “do-it-yourself” soil testing kits only test for pH, Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorous, in order to find out your calcium and magnesium levels you’ll have to take a sample to a local soil testing lab. Every county has one, and the cost is usually around $10 (£5). It’s fast and very accurate.

The weekendgardener…

Question #2:
Out Of Control Weeds

We have recently moved into our house, and the gardens are full of weeds. We have tried pulling them out, we have tried both chemical and organic weed killers, and tried solarization. Is there any other way. We just can’t seem to contain them.

Brad Martin, Lismore, NSW Australia

ANSWER:
Hi Brad! I can hear and understand your frustration. Nothing is worse than a battle of the weeds. Unfortunately, the best advice I can give you is diligence, and try mixing up your techniques a bit more.

The problem with a lot of chemical weed killers is they do a great job of killing what’s there, but if you simply leave that area bare, and don’t do anything else, new weed and grass seeds can blow in and take root in the now clean and open area.

You also have to realize there are perennial and annual weeds, which means that at any time of the year, some kind of weed will be growing. The trick is to keep after it year-round and in a season or two, you will see a huge decrease in the problem as you kill each weed’s growing cycle and start to get the upper hand.

So what I would suggest is to pick a general weed killing method, I like solarization because it’s chemical free, but many people opt for RoundUp or another systemic weed killer.

Once you have killed everything back, come back in and put down some corn gluten, I mentioned this up on question # 6, see above if you didn’t read it.

Corn gluten is great because it will keep any new seeds from germinating. Keep in mind, it will keep all seeds from germinating, so if you are planning on starting a vegetable garden from seed, this will be a problem.

If that is the case, and you can’t put down a pre-emergent, put down a good layer of mulch, 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) to keep any new weeds smothered.

Hang in there, you have the right idea, and in time, your garden is going to look great.

The weekendgardener…

Question #3:
What Is Heavy Soil

I want to start a water garden. I went and bought a Papyrus plant. I was told to repot plant and to use “heavy soil” and water plant fertilizer. Can you tell me what “heavy soil” is? And what type of fertilizer to use that can be used with fish in pond?
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Various gardening magazines are available in the market. But would you like to know which stands out from the rest? Here are some gardening magazines that feature various information for anyone in love with his or her garden.

COUNTRY GARDENS presents readers the eventful experiences of gardeners with their extraordinary gardens. It introduces wonderful new ways to enjoy garden sights and scents. It helps one to create an eye-pleasing, fragrance – filled country garden.

Country Gardens has very useful advice on setting up and caring for your garden. Every issue contains profiles of fascinating people and their gardens, inspiration for gardens and detailed garden plans. Best of all, it’s a trusted source of information that’s so easy to digest. Every season carries a vast harvest of ideas to delight, motivate and guide any gardener.

How about a gardening magazine for those who wants to become a better gardener? FINE GARDENING MAGAZINE from The Taunton Press brings you amazing design ideas, beneficial techniques, and the know-how to get the best results from your gardening endeavors.
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payday loans online is any kinds of assist for some people who need some money for their business. A lot of business use payday loans for some brand of promotion, such as plants, which is use for perfume of any kinds of product. Payday loans can be a money for some business man. When you decide what brand of aquatic plants you wish to have, remember that the plants should only cache around half of the water. Plants can be free floating, beneath, or sideward. Which you choose is all a matter of personal favoritism. Some plants are good for their perfume, some provide moreover oxygen than others and will keep the pool health, and pretty are just charming. Fish are not only delicate to look at but they are also absolutely beneficial. Fish help keep debris at a minimum and help in directing larva and more insects.

There are many new trends surfacing in gardening, and water gardening is one of the capital new interests. Water gardening can be in the form of waterfalls, ponds, fountains, all of which can be enhanced by rock work combinations and lighting, plants, and fish. Water gardening doesn’t have to be a pond or natural water base either, it can consist of just a plastic tub, basically anything that can hold water.

Gardening is not an easy task; you have to fight against many outside forces, such as forecast, insects, disease, and weeds. Even the most exercised of gardeners will seek out gardening advice once in a while. Who wouldn’t when there are so many forces that could take a garden out’ There is a lot of general gardening advice on the market which goes for any plant, but if you look a small harder you will find definite advice for that one plant that is the only one giving you trouble. Gardening aid is relatively easy to find, and while you may come across the seldom bad apple, most of it is relatively sound and will help with any gardening question.
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Gardening can be described as an art in which plants are grown for the purpose of creating an impressive landscape. Gardening can take place at a private home, or it can be used at public buildings. The space that is used for gardening is called the garden. While most gardens will typically be located on the ground, some have been built on top of roofs as well. A large garden is often referred to as being a park, and will often be a tourist attraction. In a large facility a number of workers will be responsible for the maintenance of the garden, and are called gardeners. Gardening falls under three primary categories, and these are outdoor gardening, indoor gardening, and water gardening.

As the name implies, indoor gardening is the art of creating gardens inside buildings and homes. Houseplants will often be used, and the garden may also be used as a natural heating or cooling unit. Water gardening is the art of growing plants near ponds or pools. The most basic water garden will be a small collection of water that will contain plants. While many people compare gardening to farming, there are a number of notable differences. Farming is designed to grow food that can be consumed by individuals, while gardening is done primarily for design purposes.
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You have always been envious of your neighbors’ spruced up garden by the yard. Flowers and lush shrubs abound in their tiny nook of paradise. You ask yourself why you never get to have that kind of garden. And, you usually dismiss such wondering with lines like “I don’t have a green thumb!” or “I can’t afford a gardener or a professional landscaper,” which are both lame alibis.

If you want your yard to look regal with a simple but well-maintained garden, you only need two things – determination and the know-how of such an endeavor. Psyche yourself to muster such will that would consequently urge you to look for sources of information on how to go about it.

For your own gardening happiness, here’s a rundown of tips on how to make your gardening by the yard endeavor a very rewarding one.

1. Deadheading

One good rule of the green thumb is to keep your border free from wilted flowers and dried leaves. Deadheading or removing dead flowers’ heads will promote the blooming of your plants. Some perennials such as phlox, daylily, and Lady’s Mantle get their growth jumpstarted by deadheading.
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Considering the hard work involved, I can still honestly state there is nothing quite as “relaxing” as spending the day working in my garden. Well okay, if not exactly “relaxing”, it certainly is rewarding and just gives you an overall feeling of well-being. An added benefit is if you are not physically fit before you start your first gardening project, chances are you soon will be simply thru the process of maintaining it. But is serious gardening actually a hobby? I don’t think so.

I was in my 40’s when we moved from California with my low maintenance, swimming pool and concrete backyard to a small community in rural Oregon. The old farmhouse we intended to remodel sat on over an acre of land which sported any number of weeds and a few overgrown shrubs. Most of which, had been planted in a haphazard manner.

For the first few years we just kept the weeds mowed while we focused most of our efforts on the inside of the house. In time however, there was nothing left to do but turn our attention to the grounds surrounding the house. Oh my, where to start?
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