Plant Gardens 101

As a species name, means “straggly, sprawling, or spreading.” For example, wild sweet William, Phlox divaricata, has limp stems that flop over, and it also spreads to form a patch.

A means of propagating certain tropical plants, including begonias, African violets, and gloxinias.

Seed saving can be a rewarding and cost saving activity particularly if plants are selected for their good seed saving characteristics. This article will offer the beginning seed saver helpful advice on which plants to start with and how best to harvest, prepare and save the seeds. Bean/pea, lettuce, pepper, and tomato offer the beginning seed saver the best chance for successful seed saving. They produce seed the same season as planted and are mostly self-pollinating, minimizing the need to be mindful of preventing cross-pollination.

Always harvest seeds from the best plants available. Choose healthy disease-free plants with desirable qualities. Look for the most flavorful vegetables or beautiful flowers. Because seed set reduces the vigor of the plant and discourages further fruit production, wait until near the end of the season to save fruit for seed. Seeds are mature when flowers are faded and dry or have puffy tops.

Beans/Peas Toward the end of the season and while healthy pods are still being formed allow the pods on some plants to dry brown before harvesting. This is about six weeks after eating stage for beans and four for peas. If frost threatens, pull the entire plant, and hang in cool, dry location until pods are brown. (more…)

Gardening has long been accepted as not only a good way to provide relaxation and a sense of pride to the gardener, but also as nourishment that can be for the whole family. Growing grapes is also a great type of gardening that benefits everybody. For the kids it can be some of the best jam they have ever tasted spread across their toast for breakfast. For the adults, grapes can create some of the most delicious wine that has crossed your palate, including that stuff from the store that costs upwards of twenty or thirty dollars a bottle. (more…)

A branch of a tree, especially a large one.

A chemical product, of either mineral or synthetic origin, that provides nutrients to stimulate plant growth.

Decay of internal plant tissues, which occurs most commonly in root vegetables or trees.

If there is at least six hours of light on it, and as long as a container can hold enough water to sustain some plants, and perhaps some fish, any container can become the basis for a water garden. Water gardening used to be limited to ponds and larger bodies of water. Now, many people can enjoy the pleasures of water gardening, even if they live in an apartment.

Water gardening has different needs than regular soil gardening, and as long as those needs are maintained, water gardening can be successful in some surprising places. A container that will hold at least 15 – 20 gallons of water can be used for a small garden. Contrary to some expectations, small plants need to be planted in containers. The nature of the soil will vary depending on the plant that will be in the garden. The plant may also have specific requirements as to how deep it needs to sit in the water. (more…)

Dry, pelleted fertilizer that can be mixed into the soil or spread over the surface of a garden bed. Both natural and synthetic fertilizers are available in granular form.

A bacterial disease of apple, pear, firethorn, hawthorn, and related plants. The disease causes sudden browning and death of small branches or entire limbs of trees.

A term used to describe bark that peels off in thin layers and has a patchy or shredded appearance.

Better Homes and Gardens is a great magazine if you are looking for ideas to update your home, cooking recipes, or even gardening. The articles are well written and you have new, breathtaking ideas every month. Better Homes and Gardens magazine takes care of your inspirational thoughts from the inside of your home going out.

There is never a dull article and you will always get the 411 on new products that will help benefit you, your family, or the inside or outside of your home. Maybe not all articles in one magazine will benefit all readers, but at least one article in every magazine will benefit a reader. Plus, even if an article doesn’t benefit you; you may find it can benefit your mother, sister, friend, or even neighbor. Everyone is always looking for fresh ideas to update their home, garden, even cooking. (more…)

Removing most of the immature buds from a plant to boost the size of the few selected to remain.

Various gardening magazines are available in the market. But would you like to know which stands out from the rest? Here are a selection of gardening magazines that anyone in love with his or her garden will appreciate.

COUNTRY GARDENS often showcases the more unusual gardens around the country. It introduces wonderful new ways to enjoy garden sights and scents. It helps the avid gardener to create an eye-pleasing, fragrance – filled country garden. (more…)

A society devoted exclusively to the wild flora of North America. It publishes a handsome magazine.

1. A flower.
2. A whitish powdery or waxy covering on some fruits or plant parts.

To plant roses you must first of all dig the holes, and place a little potting soil at the bottom of each hole, leaving some just to cover the roots with when set out. Have some strong sticks and tarred twine close by in case a few straggling shoots need support. Now unpack, which is always done at the last minute, if the air gets to them when out of the ground it dries up all the sap and materially weakens the plants.

With a sharp knife cut off all the dead tops of the shoots, and also any roots which look mangled, taking great care not to pull off the fibrous portions (tiny rootlets attached to the main roots), as these will take hold of the new ground, and keep life in the rose trees.

Hold the plant upright and steady using a trowel to put the soil in. (more…)

A nationwide organization of amateur gardeners and professional horticulturists, dedicated to promoting gardening. Based at River Farm in Alexandria, Virginia.

More Information:
http://www.ahs.org/

Lighting
Lighting is of crucial importance to plant growth and plays a key role in determining plant yields. Hydroponics growing equipment manufacturers have, therefore incorporated a wide range of lighting system designs to meet specific requirements of different plants that are grown in indoor grow rooms.

Lighting requirements vary, depending mainly on the plant type, the area over which the plants are grown and the proximity of the plant to the light source. The most important consideration is the lighting level that a particular plant needs for healthy growth. Some plants like houseplants and ferns do not require as much light as salads and culinary herbs while tomatoes, orchids and flowering plants require the maximum amount of lighting. It has been observed that indoor growers typically tend to under-illuminate their indoor grow rooms as they try to cover too large an area with the available light. They need to understand the importance of adequate lighting bearing in mind that a smaller area that is adequately lighted will produce better results than a larger one with inadequate lighting. (more…)

The release of chemicals by a plant to inhibit the growth of other plants in its immediate vicinity. Allelopathy is the reason why some plants, including tomatoes, will not grow near walnut trees.