Daisy family
Compositae
Sen-tor’ree-a. A genus of chiefly Eurasian herbs comprising over 400 species.
Description
Leaves basal or alternate on stems, entire to divided, not spiny. Flowerheads contain tubular flowers; along the edge, they are often expanded and raylike. Below the head is a series of overlapping bracts.
How to Grow Read the rest of this entry →
Most home vegetable gardeners have seen somewhere or heard from someone the importance of the N, P, K levels in your soil. These letters represent specific elements and stand for Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). If you look on any bag of fertilizer available at your local home or garden center you will see these letters and usually a ratio values right on the bag, bucket or box.
Although, N, P, and K, are considered the big three, they are only a few compared to the many elements and nutrients your plants need in order to grow or thrive. Just like you need all of your vitamins and minerals from A through zinc, a plant requires many nutrients as well.
One specific nutrient it needs, just like humans, is calcium. Calcium in plants is required for proper cell division during plant formation and growth. If your soil lacks calcium the leaves of your plants will look yellow or pale and blossom end rot will occur more frequently. Other signs of calcium deficiency include bad root formation, browning of plants and small vegetable and fruit formations. Read the rest of this entry →
This article is to give you some information on hydroponic gardening. More specifically, indoor hydroponic gardening. I will tell you what to do, and what to avoid doing.
This information can be applied to most all of the crops or plants you will be growing. Some people will think that this only applies if you want to learn how to grow marijuana or learn how to grow pot. This not my intention. Though it will work for that. So let’s dive into my list.
10 Things You Need to Know About Hydroponics Gardening
1. Hydroponics is twice as fast as using soil.
2. It isn’t near as messy. No dirt, no mess.
3. You can grow indoors or outside.
4. Little or no difference in quality between hydro and soil.
5. There are several ways to get the nutrients to the plants.
6. Lights do make a difference.
7. The initial set-up can be a bit more.
8. Why use CO2.
9. The drawbacks to hydroponics.
10. It is all worth it.
10 Things You Need to Know About Hydroponics Gardening
Here is my “Famous” Quote of the Day
Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it. ~Author Unknown
In this article I will go over each of the 10 items on my list. This will give you enough information to make a decision whether hydroponics gardening is for you.
10 isn’t that a perfect number. You get a 10 in the olympics, you’re perfect. If you’re a guy and you’re rating the women you see, 10 is perfect. I sure that women do the same thing. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 is always the top. So let’s get into the “10″
1. Hydroponics is twice as fast as using soil. When using hydroponics, the plants are getting so much nutrients so fast they do what they do best, they grow. If you were to just keep eating and eating, you to would grow fast. Problem is you would grow out or around, not up.
2. It isn’t near as messy as dirt. When using soil to grow with, you have to bring in lots of dirt. Depending on how big your garden is, will determine how much dirt you will need. Consider you will need AT LEAST one gallon of dirt for each plant, and that’s at the end. You will have to transplant a couple of time before you get to that one gallon container.
3. You can grow indoors or out. I like growing indoors because you don’t have as many issue’s to deal with, like rain, wind, brutal sun, or animals. Outdoors you don’t have to worry as much about leaks, though you shouldn’t have any. It does happen once in awhile.
4. Little or no difference in quality between hydro and soil. I’ve heard both sides of the story. Hydro isn’t as good. It depends on who you talk to. This is almost as bad as arguing relegion or politics. Nobody and everybody is right. I’m a hydro guy so you know how I feel about it.
5. There are several ways to get the nutrients to the plants. My personal favorite is the drip system. It allows a steady amount of water/nutrients to the plants at all times. Another system you can use is the wick system, you put a rope or “wick” into a bucket or reservoir and the water is drawn up to the plants. One more system is the ebb and flow system. A reservoir holds the nutrients, and a timer is used to flood the plants. When its done flooding, the nutrients drain back into the reservoir. This is where you can have problems with leaks. To much flooding and pretty soon the nutrients are on the ground. If you’re indoors that can be a real mess.
6. Lights do make a difference. Depending on what you’re growing and what stage the plants are in determines which lights to use. The usual rule of thumb is, metal halide for vegatative growth and high pressure sodium for flowering or fruit growth. I DO NOT recommend using florescent lights, they just don’t work as well as the metal halide or HPS.
7. The initial set-up can be more. Yes it does cost a bit more to get started, but you make it up in your plants growing faster and not having to replace the soil after each crop.
8. Why use CO2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is what all plants thrive on. They take in CO2 and release oxygen. All the rain forest clearing is cutting down the amount of foliage growing so there is less oxygen being produced. The more CO2 a plant gets the faster it grows and the bigger it gets. I’m sure you can imagine what that means. It works best during the flowering cycle.
9. The draw backs to hydroponics. There are a few, but when I tell you what they are you won’t mind. The first one is, the plants aren’t to forgiving if you forget to water them or if it gets to hot inside. You have to be on top of it at all times. The good thing about that is, this is why you are growing indoors. You get to watch your plants grow everyday. Isn’t that what it’s all about. (No the hokey pokey is what it’s all about)
10. It is all worth it. This one doesn’t need a lot of explanation. When you get done with your first crop, you’ll say “that was worth it”
Wasn’t that fun? Yeah right! Well you now know all about Growing with Hydroponics. I hope it convinced you to use hydro instead of soil. Gardening is a labour of love, I’m sure you are going to love it. Below you will find where you can go to find more info.
Jim Broderick, author of “How to Build Your Own Hydroponics Grow Closet”, invites you to check out my website http://growingcloset.com . While you’re there subscribe to my monthly newsletter “Things Are Looking Pretty Green”. Each month I will give you new tips and tricks to hydroponics and information about using a grow closet. You can’t go wrong on the price, it’s FREE. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at jmbrod3@growingcloset.com.
Find out more about hydroponics and growing closets at growingcloset.COM
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Consumers across the world have started gardens only to find growing anything vibrant and healthy seems impossible. The plants may grow for a brief period then wither away. Some consumers can’t even get plants to take root. The answer may not in better equipment or even a better gardener. The solution to your gardening problems may be found with a simple soil test.
Landscapers and professional gardeners know the importance of proper balances in the ground. Greenery requires effective chemical balance in order for plants to function properly. This is not something only for professional farmers or certified organic growers. It can be a cost effective method of ensuring your future plants will thrive.
Plants require nutrients in their soil. The proper test can make your life much easier. Your gardens will produce healthy crops. You can greatly reduce your costs for fertilizers and pesticides. If you can adequately nourish your plants they can fend of pests more effectively. Testing your grounds will give you the information you need to feed your soil before you plant. The tests can tell you if your ground is fertile or if there are harmful contaminates. Read the rest of this entry →
Sunflower family
Compositae
Sin ‘a-ra. About a dozen coarse, thistle-like herbs, mostly from the Mediterranean region.
Description
Leaves large, more or less lobed, cut, or both, sometimes spiny. Flowers tubular, disk-shaped, no rays, in large, dense heads, one terminating most of the larger branches. Cluster of bracts in many series below and surrounding each head, spiny-tipped and purple in the Cardoon.
How to Grow Read the rest of this entry →
A plant in the Araceae family, which includes many tropical plants such as anthuriums, calla lilies, philodendrons, and spathiphyllums, plus jack-in-the-pulpit and skunk cabbage. All have small flowers crowded into a spadix and surrounded by a spathe.
Pest control means management of a species creating problems for human beings directly or indirectly, since it is considered to be harmful to an individual’s health, the economy or the ecology.Pest management is at least as old as agriculture as it was necessary to keep crops free from unwanted animals and insects.
Chemical control dates back 4500 years, with the Sumerians usingSulphur compounds as insecticides. InIndia the Rig Veda, which is about 4000 years old mentions the use of poisonous plants for pest control. But chemical management became widespread with industrialization and mechanization of agriculture in 18th and 19th century, and the introduction of insecticides Pyrethrum and Derris Today chemical pest control is the dominant type of pest control. But its aftereffects have led people to think about alternatives in the form of traditional and biological pest control. Read the rest of this entry →
The Amazon jungles, mangroves, virgin forests, tropical forests and even plants in a kitchen garden have all originated from seeds. Many plants have survived over the ages through wind dispersals and alternative forms of reproduction. However, the predominance of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants in all landscapes confirms the importance of a seed.
A ripened ovule of a gymnosperm or angiosperm is called a seed. An angiosperm or a flowering plant has a seed enclosed in the ovary that later forms a fruit. Gymnosperm, conifer and related plants seeds lie open to the elements. A seed contains an embryo, which facilitates growth of a new plant under favorable circumstances. It also has a supply of accumulated food and is wrapped in a seed coat. This stored food is initially a tissue called endosperm derived from the parent plant. Over time, the endosperm becomes rich in oil starch and protein. In some species, the embryo is embedded in the endosperm, which will be used later by the sapling, upon germination. In some other species, the embryo absorbs it as it grows within the developing seed. Read the rest of this entry →
With the cool coarsen of the tumble spell, most lawn and plot vermin and diseases begin to fade away. Yet, there are a the lawn and backyard mice that prosper off the cool temperatures of the accident period. One good position about decrease lawn and patch vermin is that they will not have the occasion to last while mechanism and summer vermin because the freezing temperatures of chill will destroy them off long before they do a tremendous quantity of break.
Still, while, if these collapse lawn and plot mice have been at it all summer long, they may push around through the reduce and inflict havoc on the enduring lawn and backyard perennials, bulbs and trees.
Fall Armyworms
The most charming part about the reduction term is the different colors of flora that will start to develop in September and October. Unfortunately, Fall Armyworms love to prey on this striking shrubbery during the reduce months, as their name suggests, and can do scratch very rapidly. Read the rest of this entry →
Work Shed Plans allow you to build a shed to work in, but there are three things you should check before buying a shed plan and diving in with the construction.
1. Is the work shed design tried and tested? In other words, can you be sure that after following the shed blueprints you will have a shed that goes together the way it should? You need a shed plan that has actually been used to build a shed so you can be sure it is accurate, correct and complete.
Occasionally, shed blueprints may be released and sold without having been tested so it’s only when someone tries to build a shed from the plans that they realise something is amiss. In such cases, most people think they have not followed the plans correctly and blame themselves. So it’s essential that you know the plans ‘work’! Read the rest of this entry →
Composting is not only one of the best things you can do for your garden, it is also one of the best things you can do for our environment. Knowing how to create and use compost is in our interest due to the tremendous problem of waste disposal. Landfills are becoming more and more difficult to find, so some municipalities are dealing with waste by refusing to pick up leaves and grass clippings.. About one-third of the space in our landfills is taken up with organic wastes from our yards and kitchens.
The end product from your compost bin will be a wonderful pile of black, crumbly humus which makes an ideal soil conditioner. Compost added regularly to your soil will benefit the soil by improving it’s texture such as loosening up clay soils and creating moisture holding capacity in sandy soils. Read the rest of this entry →
From the French for “trainer,” a classic French design for a trellis in the shape of an obelisk.
In order to know what type of amendment will best help you create rich loam, you must first identify whether the texture of your soil is primarily clay, silt, or sand.
First, let’s deal with the characteristics of each type of soil.
Because clay soil is made up of very fine particles, its disadvantages are that it compacts easily, drains poorly or not at all, and tends to crust over. When clay soil is extremely dry, you will hardly be able to make a dent in it even with a shovel. The purer the clay soil, the more easily it compacts thus leaving very little space for air; obviously plant roots may not survive because of this lack of oxygen.
The advantages of having clay soil is that it is a very rich soil, and it drains slowly; thus, nutrients don’t get leached out. Read the rest of this entry →
For the friend or loved one who is an avid bird watcher, choosing gardening gifts that attract birds or gifts that can enhance your loved one’s bird-themed garden is a great way to show you care. Gardening gifts come in an assortment of designs, materials, and colors so you can easily find useful items for your loved ones. They make great gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, “thank you” presents, co-worker gift exchanges, Chinese auctions, or the Christmas season.
Birds are attracted to flower gardens, especially those packed with all the plants, foods, and accessories they love. For your bird-watcher friend, look for gifts that will complement their garden decoration as well as provide an easy place for bird seeds and accessories that attract an assortment of birds. Here are some gardening gift ideas to get you started. Read the rest of this entry →
Organic gardening such as the use of composting worms is very much in demand nowadays as people are now being more and more apprehensive of chemically engaged methods for gardening. Home garden farmers are now having second thoughts about buying chemical fertilizers and are now seriously considering the use of organic fertilizer for their home garden farms. Red worm composting is beginning to have a steadily growing following as more and more home gardeners discover the myriad benefits of using red worm castings as organic fertilizers. Other organic gardening methods such as organic pest control methods are also being seriously considered by a lot of home garden farmers for their lots. The reason behind this is that they provide so much of what plants essentially need to live and be healthy. Nutrients such as phosphorous, nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, potassium and a number of other elements are what keep our plants green and sprouting.
Red worm compost as organic fertilizer Read the rest of this entry →
