Plant Gardens 101

Hydroponics has a bad name

Hydroponics has received a lot of undeserved bad press lately. Because many grow houses are using hydroponics, common people will associate hydroponics with drugs and illegal grow houses. However the reality is this is just not the case. There are plenty of legitimate uses for hydroponics by gardeners all over the world. This article will discuss in depth plenty of legitimate uses for hydroponic technology and hope to open your mind to this technology

Let’s take people living in high-rise condos for instance. Many people living in tall skyscrapers do not have access to a large garden as you would if you own a house. The same goes for apartment living. Besides having maybe a small patio, you really don’t have your own patch of dirt. It makes it very difficult to grow simply using soil and pot on the patio when you want to grow plants to eat. A hydroponics grow box can easily be placed in any spare room, though allowing you to grow your own fresh organic herbs, fruits and festivals just feet away from your kitchen. With hydroponics you have no dirt, no waist, and everything stays perfectly fresh. Without hydroponics people wanting to grow their own organic, and pesticide free fresh fruits and vegetables would be unable to do so. Hydroponics significantly improves the lives of people living in tight, or crowded living situations such as condos, apartments, and high-rise office living. (more…)

Cymbidium orchid plants were first mentioned in China during the Chin dynasty. Yes, way back in 265 AD. They are beautiful, delicate orchid plants which have been used for corsages. They come in a wide range of colors, including reds, yellows, whites and others. And now they are grown for the florist industry because of their large flowers, about 5+ inches. The flowers on the cymbidium orchid last for five to seven weeks. Cymbidiums are used for corsage orchids. There are other cymbidiums which do not have as large flowers, but have an intermediate size flower. One of these is the cymbidium ‘Royale’. These plants grow well outdoors and can take cool temps and even a short freeze, to about 28 degrees F. But once this occurs bring the orchid indoors. Cymbidium orchid plants usually bloom from February to May. During the summer months they will do better with cooler soil at night. If this is a problem in your region my suggestion is to add ice water to the soil after sunset during the month of August. Water them well especially during their growth period, March through September.     (more…)

For those of us who live in colder climates, experiencing five months or more of winter each year, the benefits of greenhouse gardening can be enormous. Gardening with a greenhouse allows for an extended growing season that can begin and end months outside of the traditional outdoor growing season in your climate. Greenhouses may even allow you to grow plants year round. Greenhouses can also provide a warmer mini-climate for plants that typically would not grow in your zone, allowing you to cultivate many varieties of plants that are unique to your area. (more…)

1. A term used to describe a flower without functional sexual parts.
2. A term used to describe a plant that is unable to produce seeds, often because it is of hybrid ancestry.

A term used to describe soil that has been heated to a temperature high enough to destroy weed seeds or pathogens.

A term used to describe a growing medium that is not contaminated by pathogens.