Gardening Tips to Help You Grow the Best Garden in the Street!
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EASY TIPS ON HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR PLANTS
If you are just starting out learning about gardening, the first place to begin is with some houseplants.
This lens will cover MANY kinds of gardening inside and out, but we will start here with the beginner who is trying to take care of some houseplants!
Once you have managed to keep a few pot plants alive and even flourishing, you know you can take the next step and get digging into the actual garden.
Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their plants.
When talking about house plants, there is no need to worry.
There are just a few things you need to consider.
1. Watering
Over-watering kills most houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test.
Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don't water it.
2. Feeding
Foliage plants usually have high nitrogen needs, while flowering plants, K2O is needed. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed with the compost.
However, certain plants like cacti and orchids need special fertilizer. Feed plants during their most active growth period.
3. Lighting
Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade.
You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to see what your plant needs.
4. Temperature
Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating.
If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don't put it near an air conditioner in the summer.
5. Humidity
Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture.
Grouping plants together often creates a micro-climate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature.
6. Re-potting
Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don't require re-potting.
One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.
You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you'll reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your room decor, but also give much pleasure to the indoor gardener.
You can also check out some information here about Hydroponic Gardening
This lens will cover MANY kinds of gardening inside and out, but we will start here with the beginner who is trying to take care of some houseplants!
Once you have managed to keep a few pot plants alive and even flourishing, you know you can take the next step and get digging into the actual garden.
Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their plants.
When talking about house plants, there is no need to worry.
There are just a few things you need to consider.
1. Watering
Over-watering kills most houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test.
Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don't water it.
2. Feeding
Foliage plants usually have high nitrogen needs, while flowering plants, K2O is needed. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed with the compost.
However, certain plants like cacti and orchids need special fertilizer. Feed plants during their most active growth period.
3. Lighting
Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade.
You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to see what your plant needs.
4. Temperature
Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating.
If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don't put it near an air conditioner in the summer.
5. Humidity
Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture.
Grouping plants together often creates a micro-climate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature.
6. Re-potting
Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don't require re-potting.
One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.
You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you'll reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your room decor, but also give much pleasure to the indoor gardener.
You can also check out some information here about Hydroponic Gardening
Choosing the Best Plants for your Garden
Many times we buy plants on impulse then find there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them.
Before buying plants carefully examine your garden to see how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged and whether your aspect is sheltered or windswept.You'll then be equipped to go and buy the best plants for your situation; shade-loving plants for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots, drought-resistant plants for the parched areas which may be either sunny or shaded, and swamp plants for the poorly-drained parts.
But wait! Test your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and what kind of nutrients you need to add, if any. Is the soil acid or alkaline?
Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow. You can alter the soil's pH level, but it's much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.
Now you are ready to plant. Well - almost. Will you plant in groups or singly? If you buy 'one of everything' your garden may seem rather spotty. Group plantings are organised, harmonious and you can vary the color for interest.
Before planting out, place your chosen plants around the garden bed in their pots to see how they will look. Re-arrange them until you are satisfied.
Grouping plants in your garden in sets of threes or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of even numbers. Be sure that you have an interesting combination of colors and textures of plants. Tall plants should go to the back, or the centre if your garden will be viewed equally from all sides.
Try to keep your plants away from trees. The roots of trees are fiercely competitive and will steal all the nutrients and moisture meant for your flowers.
The right color scheme is one way to maintain the harmony in your garden. Imagine the color of the flowers when they are in bloom. Some colors may clash with others, but can still be planted side-by-side if they have a different blooming season. Foliage color is also important.
Many flower plants have silver, grey or purplish foliage that is just as attractive as the flower. This means that they are still attractive well past the blooming season and so have added value.
Remember to use the principles for organic gardening where possible so that you dont use any toxic chemicals that harm you and your garden.
Get a gardening guide:
If you are serious about growing a spectacular garden that flowers and bears fruit all year round, you will need some help to get started and set up.
Check out:
The Real Gardener's Book
Dealing with Rose Diseases
To make sure that your prized roses remain in the best of health, simply follow these tips.
Roses are such a joy to have in the garden.With good care and pruning you can almost have roses flowering in your garden all year round in temperate climates.
They are very hardy in all climates, don't need much water, or care. Just keep them well fed and pruned and you will get great satisfaction from your rose garden.
Make sure you buy the hardiest stock plants, and where possible try to get some of the classic scented roses to really delight your senses when you walk through your garden.
Here are a few things to look out for to keep your rose bushes healthy:
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.
Check out more about healthy rose gardening here: How To Plant & Care For Your Rose Garden
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Gardening's most valuable advice
Many people may not be aware that gardening can actually harm the environment.
A large amount of carbon dioxide can be released through tilling the soil. This contributes to global warming.When you cultivating and compacting the soil, destroys good fungi. Fertilizers like nitrogen and manure often leach out of the soil and pollute the water you drink.
Global warming
Did you know that the earth's soil gives out carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 10 times more than all human activity? This comes from the pill bugs, microbes, fungi and worms when they breathe, digest food and then die.
Although in the past plants have been capable of absorbing carbon dioxide caused by small-scale tillages, this isn't the case nowadays.
The increase of the globe's average temperature is because of the carbon dioxide the soil emits when tilled. The good news is that tilling can be minimized by mulching or sheet composting.
Good Fungi
In untilled soil, there is beneficial fungi known as the vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizae or VAM for short. VAM actually forms a symbiotic relationship with plants.
Their filaments increase root hairs and provide nutrients to the plant. They give out zinc, copper, potassium and phosphorus. Plants provide carbohydrates for the fungi in return.
It is possible to grow a garden without tilling the sooiil at all by mulching heavily until the soil is soft and friable.
Surplus Nitrogen
Many gardeners waste nitrogen and manures; farmers do otherwise. Farmers only need a quarter to a third of nitrogen to mix with an inch of compost, horse, or cow manure.
The best gardening advice that can be given to those concerned is to do all things with moderation.
Keep in mind that too little and too much of something is not healthy. This is the most valuable advice one can have in gardening.
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Fine Gardening
Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 07/06/2009)
Fine Gardening is a magazine packed with information for the serious and sophisticated gardener. It's articles and departments provide careful consideration of aesthetics and design. There can be found in one issue a range of ideas to adapt to the skill level of the gardener.
For the beginner there is instruction on designing container gardens for the summer or for the serious garden architect there is detailed instruction on building waterfalls.
Tips on How to Maintain your Garden once it is Growing.
If you have a tiny yard and would like a simple but well-maintained garden, you only need two things - determination and know-how.Here are some tips on how to keep your garden looking spruced up and glamorous.
1. Deadheading
Keep your border free from wilted flowers and dried leaves. Deadheading or removing dead flower heads will encourage the plants to produce more blooms for longer.
Many perennials such as geraniums and dahlias, and some annuals benefit from having spent blooms removed
3. Pinch out tops.
Certain plants - especially foliage plants like Coleus - respond with a spurt of growth when their tops are pinched out.
Pinching out makes the plant much bushier and so more blooms are produced. Fuchsias are prone to becoming leggy unless they are pinched out.
4. Fertilize lightly.
A minimal amount of fertilizer will further boost the growth of your vegetation. If you water your yard frequently, you have to fertilize it more regularly because of nutrient depletion.
A fortnightly application of liquid fertilizer is sometimes more beneficial than granules as it is more readily absorbed by the leaves.
Container plants will be considerably healthier with a half-strength solution of liquid fertilizer applied regularly.
5. Weed out.
This is one of the best ways to preserve the beauty of your complete garden. Remember, weeds compete with your plants for both nutrients and moisture.
If the weeds are not close to seeding, leave them on the bed to rot down for mulch. If you must use a weedicide, try and get a wick applicator, rather than a spray. This will protect you plants from spray-drift.
6. Water them well
One good tip when it comes to watering your garden by the yard is to give it a thorough soaking once a week, making sure there is no run-off to cause erosion.
Deep watering will encourage the growth of deeper roots that will be able to withstand dry spells in the weather
7. Say no to chemicals
Chemicals are dangerous to humans and often kill the natural predators of the pest in your garden, so avoid them if possible. There are many organic alternatives that work almost as well.
8. Invest in good quality tools
Since most tools will last you many years, and some will even last your lifetime, it is best to buy the best quality of gardening tools that you can afford. Keep them sharpened so that they cut cleanly, or you can get infection from rough cuts to the plants and trees you prune.
And keep them well oiled to stop rust eating into them. And always remember to clean your tools and put them away under cover and away from frost and rain after your day spent gardening.
You can learn more here about Organic Vegetable gardening
Get some ducks to help weed your garden!
Tips in Landscaping your Garden
Landscaping is usually a fairly big task, consuming much time and energy.But before you hire that professional, here are some tips that could save both time and money.
1. Spend some time thinking about exactly how you want the final garden design to be. You need to take account of the style and function of your landscape.
Do you want to include an area for entertaining? A barbeque? Is there to be an area for children to play, a fishpond or a swimming pool?
An idea of the plants you want to be there will also help. Focus on the area where you spend most of your time. That's a good place to start.
2. Think twice before hiring a pro. An independent designer might cost you hundreds of dollars when you may be able to access free plans on the internet or at a nursery.
But if you have an awkward block such as very steep ground, a pro might give you the expertise to save costly mistakes.
3. The style of your home must be taken into account. If you have a rural cottage, formal gardens surrounding it will look out of place.
Think also about your lifestyle. Do you want to spend hours caring for many beds of annuals or pruning beds of roses?
If so, go ahead and plant them, but if you'd rather spend your free time at the beach, then go for an easy-care garden and landscape.
Here are the various landscape styles you can choose for your own garden:
a. Formal. This style uses lots of straight lines and perfect geometrical shapes. Orderly arrangement of plants instead of random positioning is employed.
Close arrangement and pruning is seen on many landscaped gardens with this style.
b. Informal. This kind of landscaping works well with cosy cottages. Beds with curved edges instead of straight lines and random placement of plants suit this landscape style.
c. English Garden. This style emphasizes the harmony between the house's architecture and the garden.
d. Formal/Informal Garden. This style often comes with a brick walkway that exudes formality. This walkway leads to the rear with a circle of plants.
The arrangement of plants resembles the English garden style but it has no formal borders.
e. Oriental. It is often the kind of garden found in small backyards. It uses rocks, evergreens and water.
A wide variety of plants create several interesting angles with this style.
f. Woodland. This landscaping suits a house that has a wooded backyard and sloping ground.
Checkout more here: The Real Gardener's Book
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An Organic Summer Garden Experience
If you have the time and the inclination to create an organic summer garden there are few better ways to go when it comes to the potential impact on the planet.A summer garden is a thing of beauty to be enjoyed by all you invite into your garden.
That being said, there are certain pests we'd all like to keep out of our gardens as well.
The problem is that the pesticides of the past have undetermined side effects that have the potential to cause lasting harm.
If we can avoid introducing those chemicals to our own gardens we are protecting our kids from dangers we may not even be aware of yet and protecting the other animals that may innocently come in contact with our gardens such as birds and butterflies from being harmed by the chemicals present in most common pesticides.
What does this mean to gardeners when it comes to efforts directed towards keeping out potential pests? Quite honestly, it means we are going to have to get a little bit creative in those efforts turning to natural solutions rather than chemicals.
One way in which this can quite easily be accomplished is by encouraging animals that prey upon the pests to make your garden their home. Of course, this could potentially bring about its own set of problems but from a gardening perspective it is often very sound reasoning.
Use organic mulch. While this isn't necessarily a means of pest control it is a wise move when it comes to organic gardening. Not only does the mulch provide the very useful mulching properties throughout the growing season but once the growing season has ended can be turned over and used in order to boost the organic material within the soil.
This in turns provides nutrients that are important to keeping the soil fit for sustaining plant life in future growing seasons.
More about Organic Gardening here
Want to go organic?
Here are some helpful resources for you to check out to learn how to best implement organic gardening principles:
Organic Gardening
Organic Vegetable gardening
Attract birds to your garden.
This has a two-fold benefit for the organic gardener.First of all the birds are often natural predators for many of the bugs that make a nuisance of themselves in the average summer garden.
Second, birds leave behind their own little fertilizing additions to the landscape of your garden. Don't you wish all solutions were this simple?
Keep your garden healthy, well fertilized, watered regularly and appropriately, and free of weeds. A good offense is the best defense. A good immune system and constant hand washing are the best defense the human body has against catching colds and viruses. The same holds true for gardens and their ability to fight pests.
Keep your garden strong and healthy and it will repel many of the pests that may cripple other gardens on its own. It certainly doesn't hurt anything to keep this philosophy in mind and you may be amazed at how well it works.
Organic gardening is more than a plan for your garden it is a return to the ways of old in the world of gardening. For centuries before pesticides were created man managed to live off the abundance of his gardens. It makes sense that by returning to those ideals we can also enjoy great food and a bountiful harvest in the modern world.
Make the choice today to make your summer garden an organic garden and reap the benefit in better health and greater enjoyment of the gardening process.
You can learn more here about Organic Gardening
Caring for your Flower Garden
How To Improve Your Flower Garden
Knowing how to care for your flower garden can make a big difference in the look and over-all health of your plants.Here are some simple hints to make your garden bloom with health
1. The essentials must always be given major consideration.
Your flower garden must have an adequate supply of water, sunlight, and fertile soil. Any lack of these basic necessities will greatly affect the health of plants. Water the flower garden more frequently during dry spells.
When planting bulbs, make sure they go at the correct depth. When planting out shrubs and perennials, make sure that you don't heap soil or mulch up around the stem.
If you do, water will drain off instead of sinking in, and the stem could develop rot through overheating.
2. Mix and match perennials with annuals.
Perennial flower bulbs need not to be replanted since they grow and bloom for several years while annuals grow and bloom for only one season. Mixing a few perennials with annuals ensures that you will always have blooms coming on.
3. Deadhead to encourage more blossoms.
Deadheading is simply snipping off the flower head after it wilts. This will make the plant produce more flowers.
Just make sure that you discard the deadhead in the garden or mildew and other plant disease will attack your plants.
4. Know the good from the bad bugs.
Most garden insects do more good than harm. Butterflies, beetles and bees are known pollinators.
They fertilize plants through unintentional transfer of pollen from one plant to another. 80% of flowering plants rely on insects for survival.
Sowbugs and dung beetles together with fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms are necessary to help in the decomposition of dead plant material, thus enriching the soil and making more nutrients available to growing plants.
Other insects like lacewings and dragonflies are natural predators of those insects that do the real damage, like aphis.
An occasional application of liquid fertilizer when plants are flowering will keep them blooming for longer.
Always prune any dead or damaged branches. Fuchsias are particularly prone to snapping when you brush against them. The broken branch can be potted up to give you a new plant, so it won't be wasted.
Checkout more here about Organic Gardening
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Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work
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Organic gardening is great!
Landscaping & gardening resources
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Extra Gardening Tips
- "How to Do Indoor Gardening"
- Plants are just as popular as furniture when one is deciding on furniture and soft furnishings. Aside from the aesthetic value plants provide your home with, there are also health benefits - grade school science class tells us that plants cleanse the air through utilizing the carbon dioxide and producing more oxygen.
- "Six Ticks For Organic Gardening"
- 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?
- "BENEFITS OF GARDENING FOR KIDS"
- Apparently, we can see how nature is treated these days. It is a sad thing to know that people do not pay attention so much anymore to the environmental problems. What can we do about this? It's as simple as starting with the children. It is good to see the children's involvement with environment-friendly activities. One such nature-loving activity that children could easily get their hands on is gardening. Why should you consider gardening for your children?
GUESTBOOK:
TLC08 wrote...
Great lens! These tips are so handy, something might even survive in the garden now.
Thanks heaps!
5star rating!
Posted November 07, 2008
strategicservices wrote...
aGreat gardening lens, lots of interesting stuff here.
Posted May 17, 2008
scss wrote...
I love gardening too!
This has some really helpful tips for newbie gardeners, good job.
Posted May 12, 2008
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