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Archive for October, 2008

Word of the day: warm-season grass

October 17, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

A grass that grows most vigorously at temperatures above 70 to 80 degrees F and goes dormant in cool weather. Warm-season grasses include Bermudagrass and St. Augustine grass. Pampas grass and fountain grass are warm-season ornamental grasses. See also cool-season grass.

Word of the day: Viola

October 16, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

The botanical name for pansy and violet.
viola

Hydroponic Gardens “Grow” Crazy
With General Hydroponics Nutrients

October 16, 2008 By: Susan Slobac Category: Gardens - Hydroponics

General Hydroponics Inc. is one of the more venerable players in the field, having been around since the 1970s. General Hydroponics nutrients have the distinction of being the first such fertilizers to be used off-planet; General Hydroponics products have been used by NASA for the hydroponic gardens aboard the International Space Station. Unlike FoxFarm, which caters primarily to traditional outdoor gardeners, General Hydroponics specializes in and markets to hydroponic gardeners, and the company’s products are engineered specifically for hydroponic applications. Located just north of San Francisco in one of the premier agricultural regions of California, General Hydroponics maintains a 45,000 square foot facility where new systems and fertilizers are constantly being tested and improved. In addition, this company offers a full line of equipment and other accessories for the hydroponic gardener, including controllers, pumps and replacement parts for various elements of the hydroponic system. The company website itself is an excellent resource for anyone interested in this type of production, including an online “nutrient calculator” to assist in determining the needs of specific plants. (more…)

Word of the Day: transpiration

October 15, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

The normal escape of water vapor from a plant’s leaves, mostly through the stomata (pores). It directly affects growth and wilting, and the plant regulates the rate of transpiration according to its water requirements and the weather.

Hydroponics gardening requires planning

October 14, 2008 By: Susan Slobac Category: Create & Plan..., Gardens - Hydroponics

If you are a gardener who wants to garden but has obstacles to overcome in terms of soil and climate, why not give hydroponic gardening a try? Hydroponics is a method of gardening in which you grow plants without using any soil. It has been used in parched African lands as well as by NASA scientists, where the land was unsuitable for growing crops, or there was no soil available. A hydroponic garden does require some planning, however, in order for it to work successfully.

There are several systems from which you will want to choose. What you finally decide upon will depend on several factors, including the space you can devote to gardening, the lights you will use, how much you wish to invest in the project and how much time you have available to put the system together and to maintain it properly. In the planning phase you will also want to give some thought to expansion of the system and which sorts of plants you would like to grow using hydroponic gardening techniques. You will also need to think about any ongoing costs in terms of necessary supplies and equipment such as hps grow lights. (more…)

Word of the Day: thorn

October 14, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

A sharp woody outgrowth of a stem. Thorns are bigger and tougher than spines or prickles.

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Word of the day: soil-test kit

October 13, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

A kit that may be purchased for home testing of soil samples.

Who is: Rodale, Jerome Irving

October 12, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

(1898–1971)

An IRS accountant turned industrialist, and an avid advocate of preventive medicine. In 1942 he launched what was then a controversial magazine, Organic Gardening, to teach people how to raise healthful food by fostering healthy soil.

Cooling Your Overheated Greenhouse

October 11, 2008 By: Shawn Hart Category: Uncategorized

The main purpose of a greenhouse is to create an environment that is warm and humid enough for the plants inside to grow well and remain healthy. Unfortunately, during really hot seasons, too much heat inside the greenhouse will cause a lot of harm to your plants. One of your main goals in your greenhouse gardening should be to ensure that your greenhouse is not getting too hot and causing stress on the plants. You can recognize the warning signs of excessive heat when plants begin to wilt, regardless of ample watering, or fail to grow healthy fruit.

To make sure that the problem as actually heat and not some other factor, it is a good idea to do a little research first of all, to ask a professional or search online to find out the optimum temperature for your plants to grow in. You should also install a thermometer in your greenhouse verify out how hot your greenhouse actually gets during the day. If you find your greenhouse is getting too hot for your plants to flourish, you will need to work on cooling the greenhouse down. (more…)

Word of the Day: stolon

October 11, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

A stem that runs along the ground, forming roots and new plants at intervals along its length.
stolon

Container Gardening
Choosing the Right Planters

October 10, 2008 By: Marion Stewart Category: Create & Plan..., Gardens - Container

There are so many choices today in container styles, sizes and materials. There are numerous factors to take into consideration when you decide on the right purchase. Here are a few points to take into consideration – cost, weight, availability, size, durability, interior ledge, winter care and maintenance. When you select your planter or pot, you will want to decide on what design and color. Whatever you choose, ensure that every container has an adequate drainage hole in the bottom.While a more formal design features matching containers, for a more casual and informal arrangement, choose a mix of different containers and planters in various sizes and styles that you find appealing. For example, if you have a cottage-style garden, you may want to look at matching resin containers with the look and feel of terracotta or Mediterranean style. They weigh much much less than the terracotta, but give a similar old-feel cottage look. In choosing matching containers, you create a more unifying design; however, you can use different plant combinations in each for excitement. We have found that using large and small containers together adds variety and great interest to the grouping. Today there are so many colors to choose from in your planters and pots, it is easy to match the exterior design of your home or use color as accent areas in your patio room. (more…)

Word of the Day: pallidus

October 10, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

As a species name, means “pale.” Usually refers to pastel flowers, as in pale purple coneflower, Echinacea pallida.

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Word of the Day: odor-

October 09, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

As part of a species name, means “fragrant.” For example, sweet woodruff, Galium odoratum, has vanilla-scented foliage. Sweet violet, Viola odorata, has fragrant flowers.

Word of the Day: nucleus

October 08, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

The part of a cell that contains the chromosomes.

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You are not a Gardener Unless You Have These Tools

October 08, 2008 By: Dave Rich Category: Tools of the Trade

Therefore, he or she will be able to add it to their tools whenever they are out toiling in the garden.

1) Shovel

One of the top essential tools when it comes to gardening is no other than the shovel. A gardener’s job just would not be complete without one being around. A spade and a shovel are two very different kinds of garden tools altogether. A shovel is required when you need to plant garden plants or shrubs, dig a nice size hole or move compost from a cart to a garden as a rule. Forged steel is a better choice than stamped steel when choosing a shovel for use in your garden.

2)Pruning Shears

There are two types of garden pruners for the gardener to choose from as a rule. These two types include anvil pruners and bypass pruners. Anvil pruners possess a blade. That is flat and the other has a knife. Bypass pruners work just like a pair of scissors and have sliding blades that go past each other to make a cut. Garden shears of good quality not only aid the gardener but also the plant itself. Because it allows a plant minimal injury when it is cut and the gardener allows snipping and cutting that does not strain the hands.   (more…)

Word of the Day: Rubus

October 07, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

The botanical name for raspberry, blackberry, and other bramble fruits.

Word of the day: alb-

October 06, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

As part of a species name, means “white.” For example, gas plant, Dictamnus albus, has white flowers.

The John Yoshio Naka Bonsai

October 05, 2008 By: Jeremy Seaver Category: Gardens - Japanese

John Yoshio Naka was born on August 16, 1914 in Denver, Colorado. He and his family returned to their native Japan when he was eight days old. Having his grandfather as his steady companion, he observed as his elderly shaped and trimmed the foliage.

When he was nineteen time old, John took up landscape propose. He academic the fundamentals in the relationship of character – foliage, window and limestone. After completing his schooling, he pursued extra studies by presence a prestigious art educate in Japan.

Because of the house war in Japan in 1935, his father feared that John might be deployed. John was sent back to Colorado to live with Sadao, his bruther. He advanced down by marrying Alice Toshito Mizunaga in 1936. They had three sons: Eugene, Robert and Richard.

The family stirred to Los Angeles in 1946. Here, John worked as a landscaper and concentrated on Japanese gardens. Striking a friendship with Sam Doi, John Naka was encouraged to read books about bonsai techniques.    (more…)

Word of the Day: leader

October 05, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

The central upward-growing stem of a single-trunked tree.
leader

Word of the Day: Petroselinum

October 04, 2008 By: Garden Dictionary Category: Garden Dictionary

The botanical name for parsley.