The following guidelines pertain to plants recently transplanted into the garden. Most plants should have a label listing its intended zone. Before purchasing plants find out exactly which zone you live in and purchase plants hardy enough for your zone.
Pruning is done primarily for the following reasons: Promote flowering Promote higher fruit yield Improve the health of trees, shrubs and plants Improve aesthetics / appearance Control growth Maintain a desired shape Removal of dead, damaged, diseased, and infested limbs. Pinch off spent blossoms as they die to keep the plants looking their best and to help promote more flowers. When winter arrives you will need to prepare your garden, this will minimize the cold damage to the plant and ensure the plants will survive in the spring. It will also give the plants protection from northerly winds. Weather or seasonal changes, may have an effect on plants and they will need to adapt to survive unsympathetic conditions through a progression which is called dormancy. Fertilizing plants is a great way to keep your plants healthy is doesn’t matter if you are in temperate areas you should still fertilize them even though they will grow throughout the fall and winter.
The arrival of warmer temperatures and longer days cause the plants to wake up naturally from their winter dormancy and help insure gardening success. Bare root plants are easy to handle.
The soil should not appear clumpy or clay-like. Fertilizer should also be added to the soil at this point. Make sure the area you are planting has good soil drainage. Do not plant in areas where the soil stays constantly damp.
Many homeowners often find a tree, shrub or plant that just isn’t right for a particular location and decide to transplant it to a different location. When you are transplanting shrubs, plants or trees it is very important to realize that great care needs to be taken and understanding on how to care for an established plant of tree when transplanting it to a different location, sometimes the plant or tree might go into “shock”. The art of training the bonsai tree has been enjoyed for ages, and can make for quite the enjoyable and rewarding hobby.
After planting your new plant or transplanting your plant here are some points you should remember.
1. After htransplanting a plant make sure you keep the plant watered a lot.
2. If you have planted plants in a pot make sure they have considerable drainage.
3. Don’t over water your plants
4. Don’t underwater your plants
5. It is a good idea to mix fertilizer when watering.
6. Always Place the plant in a protected, shady location and water thoroughly.
Once your plants begin to blossom you will need to check your plants or trees for Japanese Beatles. Japanese Beatles will eat all the leaves from your plants, if this happens the tree or plant will die.
In conclusion, if you take of your plants or trees they will grow and flourish.
About the Author
David Marc Fishman is the owner of tipsquad.com. The new way to giveadvice by video.
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April 25th, 2008 | Posted in My Green Gardening | No Comments
Are there ever any easy gardening techniques to grow a simple garden? Let’s face it, not everyone is born with a green thumb. But everyone wants to have a garden that is attractive and simple to maintain. There are ways to make an attractive space that is really an easy garden to maintain.
One easy gardening tip is to purchase already potted plants in hanging baskets. These lovely pre-arranged flowers are simple to care for and add an attractive feature to any space. Hanging baskets can be placed on hooks on porches or stands can be purchased and placed in the yard for the baskets to hang from. This easy gardening idea is a snap to set up, and many of these hanging baskets are butterfly magnets.
When looking into easy gardening ideas, another is to use potted plants. Again these can be purchased already done for you, or you can create your own look. There are many stores that carry pots in a variety of shapes and sizes. Simply purchase potting soil and then select flowers that appeal to you. This is an easy space to maintain requiring limited weeding involved, the biggest step is to remember to water the plants. Potted plants can be placed in the yard, by a walk way or any place within your home. Potted plants are an easy gardening solution for people who do not have much space to spread out a garden.
Some will find it useful and beneficial to start a vegetable garden in pots. Find space on a back porch or walkway. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, broccoli, to name a few, do well in a five gallon bucket or pot. Try corn in a few pots and see what happens. Vegetables can be very forgiving, but remember to have someone water if you’ll be gone for a few days.
If your desire is to actually dig in the dirt, there are easy gardening tips for this too. One is to make sure that your soil is ready to be planted. Check with a local nursery to determine what would be a good product to get that can improve the soil condition in your yard. Most of these products are easy to use, and help the soil immensely. Once the soil is ready, plant some flowers that are easy to maintain. Pansies are often a good choice, as are Johnny-jump-ups. Both of these flowers are simple to maintain and grow very well.
Easy gardening ideas are everywhere. Local home improvement stores even offer clinics with additional ideas on ways to make gardening even easier. Check out what types of plants are available in stores in the region you live in to determine what will work best in your yard.
Creating an attractive garden that is simple to maintain can take just a few minutes of time. Potted plants and hanging baskets are some of the easiest ways to have a garden, with little fuss. Easy gardening can happen by looking into what will work best for your lifestyle and space. Check out other websites for more gardening ideas.
April 25th, 2008 | Posted in My Green Gardening | No Comments
Gardening is a year-round hobby, which requires specific tasks at certain times of the year - often planning for several months ahead. In order to be ready to plant in your garden during next spring, you need to start preparing the soil sometime in the fall.
To prepare your garden for planting next spring, one of the most important things is to spread and till compost or peat moss over your garden, especially if it is a new garden. Adding fertilizers and nutrients several months ahead of the actual planting will help to ensure healthier plants.
Apart from preparing the soil, the winter months can also be used for removing of leaves and other debris and disposing of any dead plants. Some gardening experts recommend creating a calendar of planting dates so when spring is here you will know when to plant each variety.
Once spring arrives, your planting timetable will depend on where you live, your soil type and your local climate. Even though spring officially begins around March 20 th , you may have several more weeks of winter weather. Plants and vegetables that thrive in warm weather should not be planted until after the date that you can realistically expect no further frost. After that date, you can also safely remove any protective winter covers from plants.
Many varieties of annual flower seeds and vegetable seeds should be planted in March or April for best results. Try to sow seeds on a warm dry day as the soil may still be damp during this time of the year, thus causing the seeds to rot.
One tip for spring planting is to plant different varieties of crops and flowers in different parts of the garden than they were previously planted. Crop rotation helps to improve the health of the soil as well as preventing soil disease from spreading.
And before you even start planting, early spring is also a good time of year to perform basic outdoor maintenance tasks such as repairing fences or trellises, sharpening and cleaning tools. Spring is also the time to cut back unruly growth on most shrubs, before leaves begin to grow again.
About the Author
http://www.gardenjunkie.com Written by Joe Castro for GardenJunkie.com. For more articles, auctions, blogs, forums & more visit www.gardenjunkie.com
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April 25th, 2008 | Posted in My Green Gardening | No Comments
Quality gardening equipment is exactly what any dedicated gardener could use. However, it is not always possible to rush right out and spend hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of dollars on the latest and greatest gardening equipment. That is where improvisation comes in. A good gardener definitely knows how to improvise. The following paragraphs will discuss gardening equipment in general, as well as touch on the basic gardening equipment a good gardener will need.
As a gardener, there are some basic pieces of gardening equipment you will likely need at one time or another. This equipment includes, a hoe, a shovel, a rake, and maybe even a small hand shovel. It is not enough just to have these you must make sure they are good quality. If you have these basic pieces of equipment, you are good to go. However, if you have bushes, hedges, or vine style ground cover, a good pair of pruning scissors could prove extremely helpful. While only the basic gardening equipment is necessary, some garden equipment can make the hard work of gardening much easier. If you have been gardening for years, chances are you have accumulated so much garden equipment that your shed is overflowing with it.
In addition to theses basic pieces of gardening equipment it is is also useful to have a leaf blower, a spade and an electric trimmer is also a useful piece of gardening equipment. As mentioned before, as gardeners, we know how to improvise. It becomes necessary to improvise if you do not have the basic gardening equipment you need, or if you are unable to locate your basic gardening tools you already own. For example, one day I could not find my good pruning scissors, no matter how hard I tried to find them. Ultimately, I grabbed a kitchen knife, and used it to serve the same purpose as my good pruning shears. This is a very common practice among gardeners who can’t find the gardening tool they need at the moment. Improvising can also be common among gardeners who cannot afford to rush out and purchase the latest gardening equipment on a whim.
Improvising, as opposed to using the proper gardening equipment, may seem like a sloppy way to get things accomplished. However, this is simply not true. Every dedicating gardener knows when you are in the middle of a task, you do not want to drop everything to search for a certain gardening tool. It is distracting, so as opposed to interrupting their work, gardeners tend to improvise.
With that said, it is true that some gardening jobs are done much better if the proper gardening equipment is used. In these cases it is best not to improvise, but to take time out to find the best tool for the job. The end results will be well worth the time you took out to find what you were looking for.
They main thing to remember about garden equipment is we may want it, but we don’t always need it. As gardeners, if we have the basic gardening tools, we should be able to make do just fine. Even though we may be tempted to rush out and purchase the newest and greatest revolutions to the gardening world, however, it is not necessary to make these purchases in order to make your garden look great. In most cases, improvisation does work.
April 25th, 2008 | Posted in My Green Gardening | No Comments
You have just completed designing your garden and now you’re looking for that perfect finishing touch. What sort of gardening gift could you give yourself or someone you know who loves gardening. The range of gardening gifts span from the whimsical like garden gnomes to the more practical ones like a gardening gift set which is good for beginning gardeners.
With all these gifts to choose from how will you find the perfect gardening gift? With this type of gift you need to think if the person will appreciate a whimsical wind chime, a garden gnome, or a compost tumbler and tea maker.
If your friend is new to gardening then maybe they would appreciate a gardening set. A gardening set that includes a spading fork, a garden trowel, and a hoe to cultivate your soil, a pair of garden shears and a tool for weeding is the perfect gardening gift, even for yourself.
A serious gardener will absolutely love having a sturdy pair of gloves. When you wear the gloves not only do you keep your hands clean, but the gloves can provide protection against thorns and other sharp garden objects.
For a gardener who has back problems using a garden kneeler can take the hassle out of gardening. They might even start using it for other purpose like washing their cars. Whilst a trowel that is ergonomically designed can help support the wrist of anyone with arthritis, it can make digging a pleasure once more.
Every gardener understands the value of putting compost in their gardens. And the best way to get good quality compost is of the home made variety. Unfortunately not everyone has the garden space for a compost heap. The gift of a compost tumbler might not seem to be a great present, but it is an invaluable gardening gift for the avid home gardener.
All gardeners know that to get a thriving crop, the soil in the garden has to be right. How can you find out if your soil is perfect for that vegetable you’re planning on growing? Will your herbs thrive in your garden? To answer that all important soil question an electronic soil tester is great gardening gift.
These of course are the practical gardening gifts. The whimsical on the other hand are wind chimes or cheerful garden gnomes. If you’re into fantasy then a garden gnome sitting next to your pond will definitely invite the garden fairies in. Of course you should understand that garden gnomes are company loving fellows. Therefore when you go and buy your garden gnome, be sure to invite a few more along just for that fanciful gardening gift.
All in all it does not matter if you’re into practical gardening gifts or the whimsical variety. Garden centers and gardening shops stock many different items that can serve as gardening gifts or gardening supplies. The perfect gardening gift is yours to choose.
About the Author
We live in Maui and grow our own fresh organic food. http://www.professionalgardeningtips.com Publisher of The Gardeners Handbook - http://www.professionalgardeningtips.com//gardening_ebook/index.htm
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April 25th, 2008 | Posted in My Green Gardening | No Comments
When you go to the supermarket you can see fresh herbs for sale. These same herbs can be grown in your garden with a minimal amount of trouble. You can grow them from cuttings or seeds. You can divide the heavy growing herbs and plant new herb plants. Whatever format that you decide to use, herb gardening adds zest to your world.
Herbs are annuals, biennials and perennial plants. Herbs like Basil, Coriander and Dill are annuals that bloom for one season only and then die. Caraway and parsley are biennials that live for two seasons and bloom only in the second season. Perennials like chives, fennel, mint and tarragon ‘die’ over winter and then blossom each season once the plant has established itself.
Herbs need to be planted in a 20 by 4 foot garden space. In this garden, you can have separate plots for each type of herb. This mini plot is a 12 by 18 inch herb garden. With the many herbs that are being used, colorful and frequently used herbs can be planted around the borders of your plot. Parsley and Purple Basil are examples of colorful border herb gardening.
For your herb garden to thrive the soil should not be very wet. Herbs do not grow in wet soil. To make your herb plot well drained, remove about 15 to 18 inches depth of soil. To the bottom of the hole add some crushed stone or other material that is similar to the stones.
A compost and sand mixture added to the soil will lighten the soil’s texture making it easier for the water to seep through the soil and drain away. Hummus will enrich the nutrients within the soil and restore the soil’s Ph level. Then refill the hole higher than it was originally.
The herbs can be planted in the ground late winter. Herb gardening requires that you first grow them indoors in shallow trays. The herb seeds must not be covered with a thick coating of soil. The soil needs to be light and well drained. This type of soil texture will ensure that your herb gardening gets off to good start.
Once your herbs are planted outdoors there are a few insects that can attack the plants. Aphids like anise, caraway, dill and fennel herbs. The red mite spider attacks low growing herbs. Rust can be a disease-like status for mint plants.
But these minor troubles aside, herb gardening is a peaceful and intriguing activity that takes its place in history. Whether you use herbs for cooking, medicinal use or even aromatic usage, the art of herb gardening is making a comeback amongst gardeners. Join their ranks and enjoy the pleasures of using your own herbs.
To your gardening success!
John Smythe
About the Author
John Smythe is an avid gardener from sub tropical Queensland, Australia For the 2 hour audio complete gardening ebook plus 3 free bonuses go to http://gardeners-handbook.info
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April 25th, 2008 | Posted in My Green Gardening | No Comments
Why Hydroponic Greenhouse Gardening is Good for the Environment
Most tried and true organic gardeners have long looked upon hydroponic greenhouse gardening with disdain. This kind of gardening has long been considered by the purists to be a form of chemical agriculture. The thought of feeding tender young vegetable shoots a steady diet of chemicals was not what organic farmers had in mind. They were trying to get away from this type of farming practices, until a man named Steve Fox from Albuquerque, New Mexico came onto the hydroponic greenhouse gardening scene.
Environmental Hydroponic Greenhouse Gardening
This type of gardening is a viable alternative to the destruction of once fertile soils using chemicals. The proposal is that hydroponic greenhouse gardening will produce greater yields and would free up the land once used for commercial farming into soil that could be refreshed and renewed for actual organic farming.
No longer would the chemicals that Big Food implements for the growing process poison the soil, it could all be contained by hydroponic greenhouse gardening. In a greenhouse atmosphere, chemicals considered dangerous would be used within a controlled environment. Gravel is used as the stabilizing material for the roots and stems of plants, so the only thing the chemicals would be spoiling is that same gravel.
You may be saying to yourself, “Now wait just a minute, I don’t want my family or myself to eat vegetables that have been grown in a chemical solution.” When you grow vegetables using hydroponic greenhouse gardening practices, the vegetables are not taking in any harmful chemicals, they are taking in a specialized chemical solution that is made to nourish them.
The Natural Alternative
Hydroponic greenhouse gardening is a way to feed the plant and not the soil. Conventional gardening methods also use chemical fertilizer to feed the plants, but it is not to theirs and the soil’s advantage, and that is why this method is beginning to fail. Soil can easily be depleted of its valuable nutrients when farming and growing practices fail to take into account the future of the land they are using.
Most big food growers incorporate methods that produce high yields of produce without thought to future generations. When growers use the hydroponic greenhouse gardening method, you can give the soil a chance to regenerate and replenish the minerals and nutrients it needs to be rich and fertile.
Before thinking of hydroponic greenhouse gardening in a negative light, find out the facts before you make any final decisions. You may find that the positive aspects of hydroponic greenhouse gardening far outweigh the negative. Do your research and find out more about how hydroponic greenhouse gardening can produce vegetables that are fresh, tasty, nutritious and good for the environment too.
April 25th, 2008 | Posted in My Green Gardening | No Comments
