Gardening AtoZ

Thinning And Transplanting Seedlings

2010-02-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

Thinning seedlings- (a young plant), allows the plants left in the soil to develop and mature into their natural shape and habit and it is also an essential process for good plant health. You can transplant thinned seedlings into bare areas, or special seedbeds (which are used more often) or crops are grown under glass and then the whole batch of seedlings are transplanted into their final destination in the garden.

The reasons you need to thin seedlings is it helps to counteract problems, like plants growing to close to each other which not only compete for space but also for light,water and essential nutrients. Also they become prone to a variety of fungal diseases, because the air is not able to move around them.

To start thinning, water the dry ground the night before you intend to thin. Using a measuring stick marked off by the appropriate crop distance- (how far away from each other the plants need to be), Remove all the plants between each of the markers, selecting the healthiest plant at or near each mark on the stick. At a marked point where there is no plant, just transplant one of the seedlings from another area that there was an excess of. When you are removing any excess plants, place a finger on either side of the seedling that is being kept.This will protect it from root disturbance. After you have finished, water the remaining seedlings with a fine mist of water to re-firm the soil around the plants.

The most common way of transplanting seedlings involves planting container grown plants into the open ground. another method is to raise seedlings in open ground near to where they are to be planted out. The best time for transplanting outdoor seedlings is during damp overcast weather because this helps to prevent the seedlings roots from drying out, and just as in when thinning the plants, the seedlings will need watering the night before. Dig up only a few plants at a time, discard any plants that are weak,damaged or appear to be sick, and place the seedlings in a plastic bag to maintain humidity while they are out of the ground, before you transplant them. Using a garden line and a measuring stick the position of the plants can be determined. Plant the seedlings using a thin trowel and firming lightly around the base of the plant before moving onto the next transplant. Once a row is completed, it is essential that you water the plants in.

Here are some common planting distances Asparagus 30- 38 cm (12-15 in), Broccoli 60 cm (24 in), Brussels Sprouts 50-75 cm (20-30 in), Cabbages 30-50 cm (12-20 in), Celery 23-30 cm (9-12 in), Cucumbers 60 cm(24 in), Garlic 15 cm (6 in), Peppers 45-60 cm(18-24 in), Potatoes 30-38 cm (12-15 in), Rhubarb 75-90 cm (30-36 in), Runner Beans 25-30 cm (10-12 in), Tomatoes 60 cm (24 in).

For more tips go to Gardening tips

Plant Diseases

2010-02-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Being able to recognize and careful vigilance is the key to controlling plant disease. When you see things like a leaf or stem wilting or a sudden wilting of a section or even a whole plant, you will need to carefully inspect the leaves,stems, roots, flowers and fruits. In some cases you may find you will need to cut open a branch or stem to look inside for problems such as discoloration of the tissue, which could explain why the plant is wilting.

You will need to know what a plant should look like, in order to recognize any abnormalities, and you can do this by reading up or going online and finding out about the species of plant that you are growing so you can make a more accurate diagnosis. What you need to remember there is no single cause of a disease infestation, and just as there is no single cause there is no single symptom. When you are trying to establish the cause of a plants illness, always inspect the symptoms that appear on the parts of the plant that are still alive or partially alive. Dead plants are often invaded by secondary infestations, which may hide the original problem.

Where a serious disease is suspected, it would be advisable to avoid growing that species of plant all together or in the case of vegetables and fruits use crop rotation as part of a regular cycle. What I do is I keep a garden journal that to make notes of when and what type of disease occurred in the garden, what the weather and environmental conditions were like during that particular year. When I do this it enables me to anticipate what problems are most likely to occur during the growing season, and allow me to stay ahead of them.

It is not hard to control problems with diseases, you just need to stand back and look at the overall picture. Observe the weather, soil, and environmental conditions and the stages of plant development and any pathogens (disease producing agent) present and the condition of other plants in the area All of this may help in diagnosing the problem with the plant. If you need more information go to Gardening Tips

Plant Pests

2010-02-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Pests are creatures that can harm your garden plants, and if nothing is done about them it can quickly result in a great deal of damage. There is quite a number of these pests, although most gardeners will not encounter the majority of them. If you have a basic knowledge of the more common types and what needs to be done to protect your plants so that they have a successful health and growth will be all that you need.

Knowing if a pest is a problem or not will depend on the severity of damage that the pest has done to each individual garden. All organic gardeners must except a certain number of pests in their garden, as these form an intricate part of the food chain. Without this the natural balance of nature would be effected and could cause a potentially serious pest outbreak.

So you will need to be able to identify a pest that has been attacking your plants accurately. Being able to do this will enable you to take the appropriate action. Remember just because you see an insect walking across an effected plant, does not mean that it is the one causing the damage. In order to be able to control pests you will need to get to know them. A number of pests develop characteristic symptoms that will enable you to diagnosis the cause with relative certainty. Close examination, possibly with a hand lens and with careful observation and experience will allow you to keep one step ahead of the pests in your garden.

It is important to control the pests before they become a problem. That one little pest that lands on your plant at the beginning of the summer, could give rise to rise to quite a lot more if it is ignored. It takes just a few days for pests to cause a considerable amount of damage. As a organic gardener you must employ a full range of control measures to ensure that your plants will survive. Such as crop rotation, good hygiene and encouraging biodiversity. Physical controls like hand picking, traps, repellents and barriers and biological controls like using other animals that naturally eat pests. What is important to know that pests can be controlled by an incorporated strategy that uses a variety of techniques.

Everything has a place in nature with out pests there would be no predators and this would take away the interest and diversity that makes the organic garden most unique. To learn more about pests and organic gardening go to Gardening Tips

Tips for Organic Gardening

2009-05-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.

Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?

1.One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put garbage to good use and so saves the environment.

2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.

On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child's life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.

Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose - to kill living things.

3. Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.

4.Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion.
The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 - 32 billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.

4. Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.

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Worlds Best Compost

Choosing and Planting Perennials

2009-05-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

If you have been growing a vegetable garden for a while, you might be feeling slightly disgruntled at how plain it is to look at. I too began my gardening career with a vegetable garden, but I decided that it was not quite as pleasing to look at as I would have liked. I heard from a friend that the use of perennial flowers could be a great way to liven up my garden without adding any extra work for me.

Perennial flowers are strong, local flowers that come back every year without having to replant or do any extra work. During their off seasons, the flowers and stems die back and you can hardly even tell the plant is there (rather than just dying and looking like hideous brown clumps in your garden). When it’s time to bloom, entirely new flowers shoot up where the old ones were.

Before deciding whether to put in perennials or not, you need to make sure that your soil has proper drainage. If the water stays saturated for long periods of time, you should build a raised bed. To test, dig a hole and fill it with water. Wait a day, and then fill it with water again. All traces of water should be gone within 10 hours. If the hole is not completely dry, you will need to build a raised bed.

Picking your perennials can be a complicated process. The goal should be to have them flowering as much as possible during the year, so you should create an outline of the year. Research the different types of flowers you want, and create a time line of flowering. If you plan it right, you can have a different type of flower blooming at any point in the year. Getting just the right mixture of seeds can give your yard a constantly changing array of colors.

When you go to buy the seeds from your local florist or nursery, you might be able to find a custom seed mixture for your area. This takes the really tough research part out of the job. Usually these blends are optimized for the local climate, and do great jobs of having flowers always grow in your yard. If one of these is not available, you can ask the employees what they think would be a good mixture. They should be happy to help you put something together which will be optimal for whatever you desire.

You should definitely use mulch when planting perennials. This will reduce the overall amount of work you have to do, by reducing the amount of weeds and increasing the water retention. Bark or pine needles work great, I have found, and depending on the rest of your yard you might have them on hand at no charge. As for fertilizer, you should use it sparingly once your plants start to come to life.

When you actually go to plant the seeds, you should put them in small, separate clumps according to the directions. This is because they tend to spread out, and if you have too many too close together then they will end up doing nothing but choking each other out. As you plant them, throw in a little bit of extremely weak fertilizer. In no time at all you should start to see flowers blooming up.

Vegetable Gardening

2009-05-16T10:45:00.001-07:00

With the costs of living rising all the time, it may be possible to save money and increase your family's health at the same time by growing vegetables in your backyard.

It's a good idea to choose your favourite vegetables to grow and plan beds for early, middle of the season and late varieties.

Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, some need 8. Some quick growers like lettuce and radish can be grown between the rows of plants that take longer to mature, like beet or corn, thus making full use of the area available.

Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting.

During the growing season watch for insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will be much easier, but be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable are close to being picked unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is one healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the vegetable waste into your compost pile so that it can be recycled for next spring.

It is important to protect your vegetable garden from wild animals looking for a tasty treat. Make sure your garden is surrounded by a fence that will keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during one season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support.

Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest. Hard work will pay dividends if necessary precautions have been made.

Rose Diseases

2009-05-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

To make sure that your prized roses remain in the best of health, simply follow these tips.

1. Black Spots on Leaves

This disease is commonly known as black spot. Black spots appear as circular with fringed edges on leaves. They cause the leaves to yellow. Remove the infected foliage and pick up any fallen leaves around the rose. Artificial sprays may be used to prevent or treat this kind of rose disease.

2. Stunted or malformed young canes

Known as powdery mildew, this is a fungal disease that covers leaves, stems and buds with wind spread white powder. It makes the leaves curl and turn purple. Spray with Funginex or Benomyl to treat this fungal disease.

3. Blistered underside of leaves

Known as rust, this disease is characterized by orange-red blisters that turn black in fall. It can survive the winter and will then attack new sprouts in the spring. Collect and discard leaves that are infected in fall. a Benomyl or Funginex spray every 7-10 days may help.

4. Malformed or stunted leaves and flowers

This is caused by spider mites. They are tiny yellow, red or green spiders found on the underside of leaves where they suck juices. The application of Orthene or Isotox may help in treating this infestation.

5. Weak and mottled leaves with tiny white webs under them

This is caused by aphids. They are small soft-bodied insects that usually brown, green or red. Often clustered under leaves and flower buds, they suck plant juices from tender buds. Malathion or diazinon spray may help roses to survive these bugs.

6. Flowers that don't open or are deformed when they open.

Thrips could be the reason behind this problem. They are slender, brown-yellow bugs with fringed wings that also suck juices from flower buds. Cut and discard the infested flowers. Orthene and malathion may also treat this problem.

Remember that roses are hungry feeders that require much fertilizer to become healthy bushes.

Annual Plants

2009-03-07T19:13:00.001-08:00

You can get some good bargains. Young plants in six or eight packs of the same variety are often sold at a very low price. The seedlings should be well rooted but not need be in bloom. Beware of starved and dried-up left overs once planting season is over. Climbing annuals will disguise a chain-link fence or screening around garbage cans. Morning glory, scarlet runner beans, black eyed susan vine, sweet peas, and hyacinth bean are some good climbers. For shady gardens Impatiens,fiberous begonias, coleus, wishbone flower, and monkey flower are good shade- tolerant plants. Use bushy or trailing annuals for pots and window boxes. Marigolds, heliotrope, petunias, verbenas, thunbergia, and lobelia are idea. But avoid tall plants like sunflowers, which look awkward in small containers. A sunny location with good drainage is more important to most annuals than soil quality. Plant them in the empty spaces between shrubs, foundation plants, perennials, or rows of vegetables. To give half-hardy annuals a head start plant them indoors. Place chicken wire over your seeding tray, put a seed in each hole so that they will grow evenly. This will make it easier to separate the seedlings for transplanting. Dress up your garden with annuals, while you wait for perennials to take hold. Since they germinate, bloom, and die within a single season, there is no need to dig them up once the perennials are established. Massing a single color will create a elegant, unified effect suitable for terraces, planters and window boxes. Pastels such as whites, lavenders, pinks, yellows show best in early morning and evening light. Plenty of moisture is essential for young plants. First soak them in a tub of water, plant them only after the root ball is thoroughly wet. Also soak the planting hole with a good watering. Annuals DO NOT like manure. Too much nitrogen results in plants with too many leaves, too many stems and few flowers. The only manure suitable for use on annuals is one that has been dried for at least 2 years. Pinching young plants helps them become stockier and bushier, but will delay blooming. Annuals such as sweet pea, godetia, coleus, clarkia, snapdragon, petunia, red salvia, and nicotana benefit from pinching. To do this use your thumb and forefinger to nip out the growing tip of the main stem just above a leaf or a pair of leaves. To dead head use shears or scissors to remove dead flowers from annuals that bloom in flushes, like petunias, California poppies, marigolds, and coreopsis. Put annuals into pots at the end of summer. Species such as coleus, impatiens, browailia, geranium, wishbone flower will provide attractive blooms in your home for several months.

Aluminum Foil

2009-03-07T19:11:00.001-08:00

By wrapping trunks loosely in sheets of foil to height of 45cm(18in) you can protect trees from mice and rabbits. The glittering, rattling surface keeps them away. To speed up growth and protect against insects use aluminum foil mulch, stretch it between the rows of plants and use rocks or bricks along the edge to anchor. The light the foil reflects can increase yields. especially in cloudy regions, and speed up the ripening of tomatoes or the blooming of a rose bush by 2 weeks. The foil also keeps thrips and aphids away. To save money if you are going to use a large amount of foil, use black plastic mulch and paint it with aluminum colored paint. Keep birds away with cut-out patterns of cardboard such as stars, circles, seashells, wrapped in aluminum. Hang them from the branches of ripening berry bushes and trees. If you want to boost winter light for your house plants, cover a panel of cardboard with foil and position it on a wall so that it reflects the light from a window onto your potted plants. It will not boost their growth but will keep them evenly shaped. To give forced crocus and hyacinth bulbs the darkness they need. Place them on a chilly window sill and cover them with a cone of foil. Remove the foil when crocus shoots reach 5cm(2in) and when hyacinth shoots reach 10cm(4in).

Altitude

2009-03-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

The climate varies with altitude, if you live in a mountainous or hilly region you move a full hardiness zone to the north for every 1,000m(3,000ft) you climb. Elevation also effects the lenght of the growing season. Mountainside gardens are subject to drought: rainwater runs off before it can sink in. Terraced plantings will slow down the run off and absorb it. North-facing slopes receive less sunshine than south facing slopes. This can be a liability in winter, but on the other-hand it can be an advantage in mid-summer when heat sensitive plants such as alpines or ferns find the north slope more suitable. Plants may need extra shade at higher elevations. A garden on a clear day at 915m(3,000ft) above sea level will get 20 percent more sunshine ten one at sea level. If you live at a high elevation, keep plants well watered and avoid sun-sensitive species such as impatiens. But tomatoes and many other vegetables thrive in the intense sun of high altitudes. Frequent doses of organic matter(compost) greatly benefit gardens on hillsides and in mountainous regions. Keep conifer branches from breaking under the weight of heavy snow by tying them with rope. Flowering shrubs and trees which adapt in higher elevation are French hybrid lilacs, the Colorado spruce, high bush cranberries, and the hawthorn. Rosa hugonis and R.rugosa species of roses and their hybrids prosper at high altitudes. Annuals such as the cosmoses and morning glory adapt well in higher altitudes.

Aloe

2009-03-07T19:07:00.001-08:00

These African native plants grow best, in warmth and sunlight, so place in full sunlight―except those with speckled leaves, which need midday shade. Regular summmer watering, rich soil, good drainage are also important. Most species will not survive temperatures below 4°C(40°F). The sap from the homegrown salve will sooth minor skin rashes and sunburn. Cut a leaf of the plant at it's fleshy base and split it open with a knife or razor. Scrape out the sap with a spoon and apply it to the skin. But be sure to handle it carefully as it can leave a ugly yellow stain on your clothes. The Aloe vera, the most commonly grown species, is used more for it's medicinal attributes then it's beauty. The Variegata a more attractive plant has leaves edged in yellow. If you choose to grow it, never allow water to collect at the base of the leaves it will rot the roots. This plant has a strong dislike of chalky water. When growing aloes in pots, provide a moist porous potting mixture by using 2 parts soil, 2 parts perlite or course sand, ¼ part bonemeal, and ½ part dehydrated cow manure. Keep your potted aloe at a minimum temperature of 10°to12°C(50°to 55°F).

Alkaline Soil

2009-03-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

By adding a few drops of cider vinegar to a soil sample, you can test the alkalinity of the soil. If it fizzes the soil is alkaline, or use a home test kit. To reduce alkalinity add acidic materials such as peat moss, sulfur, or aluminum sulfate to your soil. Add 2.5kg(5lb) of peat moss, 350g to 1kg(¾-2½lb) of sulfur, or 2.5 to 7kg(5-15lb) of aluminum sulfate per 9m²(100ft²) to lower the pH by one unit. Use smaller amounts of additives in sandy soils and larger amounts in heaver (clay) soils. By improving drainage you may help reduce alkalinity by allowing water to wash through and carry away alkaline salts. Place plenty of dead leaves, compost-or other organic matter into the bottom of planting holes. Coffee grounds also help to reduce alkalinity too. Dig a good helping into the soil. Spreading a organic mulch on the ground like a blanket prevents surface evaporation of water and the build-up of alkaline salts. Use straw or dead leaves. Some desirable flowering plants that like it best in a alkaline soil include madonna lily, purple cone flower, candy tuft, and phlox. Some alkalinity loving shrubs include liliac, juniper, hawthorn, peas shrub, and Russian olive.

Air Plants

2009-03-07T19:04:00.001-08:00

Air plants grow without water. Many species of Tillandsia grow on trees and rocks and can absorb water from the air. These plants are often sold glued to a piece of wood. They can be pinned to drapes where they will get good light, and continue to grow without the need for water. A good idea is to mist them occasionally in the winter when the homes are very dry. The False autumn crocus is on sale in the summer and will flower the same fall if planted. It will also flower if placed in a bright window without being potted or watered at all. Plant it immediately, the flowers fade so it has time to make roots before winter.

Agave

2009-03-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

Folklore says, the century plant flowers once in a 100 years. In fact, the plant may bloom its first and only time in 10 years then dies. Grow agaves outside as container plants, hardy only to 4°C(40°F) in summer. When winter comes store the plants in the basement and keep them dry. Some agaves make goood houseplants, because of their slow rate of growth they do not need repotting often. The Utah agave with a grey-green spikey leaves marked with white stripes and hair like fibres on the edge of the leaves is another hardy species. Do not over fertilize to speed-up flowering, you will only risk damaging agaves without affecting bloom. Also agaves grown in pots may take longer to bloom then 10 to 50 year span of outdoor plants. Some economic uses of the plant are a alcoholic drink, made from the sap which is collected when the flower spike is removed. A source of fibres is used to make string and rope.

Acid Soil

2009-03-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

Acids are produced when organic matter decays. They become increasingly sour as humus is worked in and chemicals are leached out. Soil acidity is measured by pH. A pH of 7 is neutral; any number above is alkaline any number below is acidic. A home test kit is available from most garden supply stores, so you can test your own soil. NOTE: a quick test goes as follows "wet a soil sample and add a pinch of baking soda. If the mix fizzes, the soil is too acidic for most garden plants and vegetables. Most garden plants prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 6.5. Fruits, vegetables, and flowers such as apples and raspberries, beans and peas, pansies and delphiniums prefer it this way. But other plants like more acid. Azaleas, foxgloves, heather, gardenias, blueberries, and camellias, for example need a soil pH between 4.5 and 6. If you want to lower the acidity in your garden soil, apply 1 to 5 kg of dolomitic limestone per 9m²(2½-10 lb per 100 ft²) of soil, depending on soil type― a heavy(clay) soil will require more amendment than a sandy one. If you need to raise the pH even higher, till the limestone into the top 15cm(6 in) of soil. Another way of sweeting the soil (lowering acidity) is to use ashes from a wood burning stove. Spread 2.5 to 5kg per 9m²(5-10 lb per 100²ft) to raise the pH by one unit. Regions with high rainfall, will have soil that acidifies more quickly, as calcium leaches through the soil. Even if the pH is at the right level sprinkle the soil with limestone, which will slowly work it's way downward.