Plant Gardens 101

If you’re a homeowner, you probably can’t resist having your own garden where kids can enjoy themselves and you can spend some time resting. This is because a garden allows us to be close to nature. But without potted plants and flowers, a home garden is incomplete. If you need to find inspiration on what kinds of plans will look good, take a tour of your neighborhood and check out what types of plants are being planted. That’ll give you an idea of what grows in your area.

You can visit your local nursery and ask for their advice, which will help you pick out the type of plants you will grow in your home garden. The most common plants are flowering ones, such as roses. Sunflower looks bright and lends a cheerful look to your home garden. Flowering houseplants, like Clivia or Kaffir Lily add vibrancy and a touch of the exotic. The most popular exotic house plant and garden favorite, Sambac, brings the most wonderful aroma into your home garden. If you want a plant that requires minimal care, the cactus is your best bet. It can grow in any weather and is easy to grow. (more…)

The thing to remember is that termites work really slowly so it may take many years to do any major damage to a home, so do not be concerned too much till the condition can be considered. As a mater of fact there are very few cases where termite infestation has led on to intensive damage to a home and even then it was repairable, replacing only infected parts. You may say we ( ‘we’ meaning developers ) brought this problem on ourselves when we tore down wooded areas to build our homes. There sole diet is cellulose, the prime ingredient of wood. Not all termites live in homes because they employ it as a food source and carry it to their colony underground layer. The crafty small devils can always find how into a place from there base of operations underground. All they need is 3rd second of an in. To squeeze past so it is always comparatively simple to uncover a way in. (more…)

The increasing concern for our environment and for human health has led commercial growers and farmers as well as gardeners to consider safer ways of dealing with the problems of insects, diseases and weeds. Although a number of the more toxic pesticides have been removed from general usage, there has been a search for other ways of controlling pests than by only spraying chemicals on crops and gardens.

A number of years ago a system was developed to consider preferable alternative ways to deal with pests. This system has been termed Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Although the use of pesticides has not been abandoned it has been relegated to the lesser of other choices.

IPM includes a number of steps to follow and evaluate before taking action to control the pest. These are as follows: (more…)

It was a long search that took me more than ten years. But finally I found it – the indoor house plant that will brighten up the end of a corridor 5 meters from my front door. The Aspidistra, commonly known as the Cast Iron plant, has graced the drawing rooms of many an otherwise drab Victorian English manor, and now graces my suburban Sydney brick home.

Many gardening experts describe the Aspidistra as one of the toughest and most adaptable house plants. Its long blades of slender dark green or variegated dark green and white leaves shoot straight out from the soil but in clumps and up to 75 cm in height and 15 cm wide.

It is such a low maintenance plant much like an even-tempered woman who does not need any fussing over but still maintains its sweet nature. It needs very low light, average temperature and humidity and just occasional watering. (more…)

If you have young children around an indoor garden is the perfect project to teach them about nature. It is also an avenue to teach children about the responsibility needed to care for something on an ongoing basis. Simple is best, even for older children – as they prove themselves and their garden thrives they can expand the plants that they grow.
To enrich the learning opportunity purchase clear containers to grow the plants in. If you can not find a traditional pot that is clear make sure the container you use either has a drainage hole in the bottom or layer gravel on the bottom before adding the soil. Once the plant starts to grow more the roots will become visible in the pot. (more…)

Houseplants and herb gardens are well-known as common plants that are grown indoors. But they are not the only plants that can be grown indoors. By using the right containers and having the ability to mimic the ideal growing conditions you can also have an indoor vegetable garden. The benefits of having one go beyond the beautification of your home or the relaxation you get from gardening, but you can also pick your own vegetables right in your kitchen.

Carrots, tomatoes, and radishes are three of the easiest vegetable to grow indoors. Each grows differently and will need separate containers but with some research this is not a problem. A south-facing window is the best source of natural sunlight for your vegetables to grow in. If you do not have the right exposure, you can invest in an artificial bulb to provide supplemental light. (more…)

A good gardening tip is that you can make more plants from your existing house and garden plants. This will cut out the expense of buying new house and garden plants. Look around for healthy plants to take the stem cuttings from to plant in a peat moss mixture using rooting hormone. This is what is called the mother plant. Make sure the mother plant has enough stems so the cutting will not kill the mother plant.

If you start your house and garden plants from stem cuttings instead of seeds it will take half the time to root. There a just a few things you will need : a mother plant, a flat for potting with a peat moss mixture, a sharp knife or razor blade, rooting hormone, containers for holding water and rooting hormone, alcohol, pencil or a stick, and a plastic bag.

Common sense tells you that you should take a stem cutting from the plant’s thickest green non flowering stems. The spot where the leaf attaches to the stem, known as the node, are the best place for you to take the stem cutting. The plants growth rooting hormones are concentrated there. Choose green, non-woody stems for taking the stem cuttings from the mother plant. Newer growth is easier to root than woody stems. (more…)

Soil physical fertility is determined by its ability to satisfy the essential growth requirements of the crop planted in it. These requirements include storage and supply of water, nutrient elements, and oxygen — all made available to the plant through its roots. Good soil physical fertility is indicated by the presence of adequate water and air to promote prompt seed germination and good root growth, and by its minimal need for seedbed preparation.

The physical fertility of soil is influenced by its properties and processes. The important properties include soil structure and soil texture. The physical processes that affect fertility include particle aggregation, water infiltration rate, waterlogging, and erosion. There is a dynamic interplay among these factors, each influencing and in turn being influenced by the others. (more…)

Plants are just as accepted as furniture when one is deciding furniture and ductile furnishings.

Aside from the aesthetic treasure plants grant your home with, there are also strength benefits – grade instruct knowledge classify tells us that plants wash the air through using the carbon dioxide and producing more oxygen. Here is some important information on how to burden for your enclosed plants to increase the best health and aesthetic benefits.

Lighting

Most interior plants necessity good lighting. You can present this through usual lighting in the area of your wealth or there must be thrilling lighting. Darker leaved plants generally don’t essential as much light as others.

Here are the varieties of plants (generally those that only command middle to low light) that are known to be correct for interior farming: (more…)

Anyone in the nursery profession knows that come spring, you have to be able to keep up with the demand of shoppers wanting to buy new plants. In order to produce the numbers of plants needed, one needs an efficient way to propagate plants quickly and cost effectively. Cloning kits are the perfect solution for this sort of propagation dilemma. When used as part of an aeroponics system, cloning kits work together and utilize much of the same equipment to both produce new plants and grow them on to maturity and presentation on your sales tables.

An aeroponics system allows you to grow plants without the expense of needing a growing medium. Plants are grown in the air using this very efficient growing system. Pumps are used to create a misting spray of nutrient solution that dampens the plant roots; this feeds the plants and, combined with the large amount of oxygen the roots are exposed to, causes the plants to reach maturity very quickly. (more…)

Grevilleas are a plant that have been used it gardens and landscaping for many years and despite this it still amazes me as to how many misconceptions there are about growing them, especially in the home garden.

They are a genus of plants that grow mostly on the continent of Australia and consist of well over 300 species as well as hybrids that number well into the hundreds. In fact the Grevillea genus hybridises so readily that horticulturalists for years have used the different species to breed new hybrids as well using the hybrids themselves in the quest to breed new and exciting varieties that can be used both in the home garden and also for landscaping. (more…)

Your indoor plants are going to let you know if something isn’t right. The leaves will fall off, turn brown or some other symptom will manifest itself. The are various causes, some that can be rectified and others that cannot. When you are trying to figure out what is wrong, start with the simplest solution as a starting point.

The most common cause of a sick houseplant is watering, either too much or not enough. If the plant’s leaves are starting too look wilted or are drying up, check the soil and if it is dry add a good amount of water to wet the dirt and leave it moist once the water has run through. If you have over watered a plant, make sure the drainage hole is not clogged and if you have a dish that catches excess water, empty it out to make room for more water to drain out of the pot. (more…)

All plants, because of their need for photosynthesis, require appropriate light in order to ensure their proper growth and maturation. Indoor gardeners use indoor grow lights to supply the illumination necessary. There are a wide variety of indoor grow lights available, including LED grow lights, HPS grow lights, and even discount grow lights. There are some differences among indoor grow lights, so it pays to do a little research before you invest in them.

HPS Grow Lights
HPS grow lights, referencing high pressure sodium, are a type of HID, or high intensity discharge, light. Although a compact light bulb, they are capable of producing a lot of light, and thus their appeal to indoor gardeners. HPS lights give off light in the red to orange color spectrum, making it the lamp of choice for helping to coax your mature plants to bear fruit or flowers. HPS lamps need to be used in conjunction with a ballast, a piece of equipment that controls the flow of electricity to and through the lamp. The lamps are popular because they last a long time and are efficient to run.
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Plants need different elements from the soil to grow. If they are not present in the right amount the plants will not be as healthy or grow as they should. This is the reason plants need fertilizer, to add the missing elements (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium). You can give your plants too much fertilizer and that will have the opposite affect you are going for.

The same species of plant that is grown indoors or outdoors will have different fertilizing needs. Plants that are grown indoors have a will not need as much fertilizer as the ones grown outside. The rate of growth is slower indoors and you can harm your plant by over-fertilizing it.

How do you know how much fertilizer to give to your plants and when to feed it to them? If you have purchased a plant meant for the indoors chances are the information tag it comes with will give fertilizing instructions. But a better method to follow is observing your plant for any signs that would indicate it is lacking nutrients. (more…)

For thousands and thousands of years we have turned to plants we call herbs for flavor, dye, perfume and cosmetics. We have believed that individual herbs held the power to repel insects, evil and vampires, while others attracted the perfect lover, good luck or bees to pollinate our crops. For some, the use of herbs can cure headaches and burns. And, of course, what would fine dining be without the culinary herbs?

Here are some tips for herb gardening indoors that will simulate the conditions in an outside garden. For Herb gardening indoors the growing climates need to be pretty much the same as the conditions outside.

Make sure you have a sunny windowsill that your herbs will love. Use a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep. (more…)

You may have heard that it is hard to get shrubs or trees to blossom indoors, that’s because it is the right conditions are essential. But if you have the patience and the correct amount of light (the brighter the better) to provide you can be successful. In addition to having the right conditions, you will also need to choose a flowering plant that has a history of blooming in indoor gardens.

If you purchase you flowering tree at a green house, be aware that the plant will be acclimatized to the optimal conditions found there. You may have better luck purchasing at a nursery or bringing an outdoor plant indoors – they will be hardier and used to changes in weather. Look into your garden center’s return policy too, many will guarantee the life of your new plant for a certain period of time. They will also give you important information on the care and maintenance your flowering plant will need. (more…)

Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used. This can make certain aspects difficult, such as controlling disease, insects, and weeds. Organic gardening also requires more attention to the soil and the many needs of plants. Organic gardening starts with the soil. Gardeners must add organic matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive. In fact, compost is essential to the healthiness and well being of plants grown organically. Compost can be made from leaves, dead flowers, vegetable scraps, fruit rinds, grass clippings, manure, and many other things. The ideal soil has a dark color, sweet smell, and is full of earthworms. Some soil may need more natural additives than regular compost can give, such as bonemeal, rock phosphates, or greensand. A simple soil test will tell you the pH balance and which nutrients you will need to use.

One thing that makes even gardeners that are very serious about organic gardening reach for pesticides is insects on their plants. The best way to defend plants against insects is to take preventative measures. One thing that can be done is to make sure plants are healthy and not too wet or dry because insects usually attack unhealthy plants and if healthy, they can often outgrow minor insect damage. A variety of plant types is a good idea to keep pests of a particular plant type from taking out the entire garden. (more…)

It doesn’t matter if the seeds you are starting are going to be making their way outdoors once germinated or if they are going to be additions to your indoor garden – starting seeds inside is the best way to ensure success. The tiny seeds and seedlings do not do well with harsh weather changes and a late frost or excessive rain can prevent them from growing. There is also the problem of birds getting into the seeds as a food source.

There are many commercial helpers you can buy to make germinating seeds an easy project. Peat pellets that come with a miniature hot house require nothing more than adding water to the seed and peat and covering with the supplied lid. But some water, high-quality soil, sunlight and time are all that you need. (more…)

According to the National Gardening Association, 91 million households participated in some form of do-it-yourself lawn and gardening activity in 2005, spending an average of $387. Over the past decade, an increasing percentage of this total has gone towards container gardening.

Containers offer a versatile form of gardening that fits into any lifestyle and yard size. City dwellers can use them to brighten up lifeless balconies, roof decks or front stoops, while those with more space can decorate high-traffic spaces and incorporate them into lawn and garden areas for added drama and flair. Because of the multitude of options on the market, container gardens are an easy way to add a splash of color to any outdoor space, big or small.

Roses are among the most spectacular and rewarding choices for a container because of their combination of color, fragrance and season-long blooms. Also, with advances in hybridizing, roses are easier to grow than ever before. Look for the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) rose logo as a “seal of approval,” which indicates that the rose excelled in the most difficult plant trial in the world: two years of testing in 23 gardens across the country, representing all climate zones. By performing well against 15 criteria including fragrance, ease of maintenance and disease resistance, AARS roses are proven to be the very best.

Tom Carruth, director of research at Weeks Roses and hybridizer of eight AARS Winners in the past nine years, provides the following tips for building the perfect container rose garden: (more…)

The Philodendron is the most common of house plants; one can hardly go into someone’s home that has plants and not see one. Simply planting them in a rich organic matter potting soil that is well draining makes them easy to grow because they are low maintenance and will grow in just about any home environment.

Philodendrons’ require a low light level which gives them the ability to grow easily in hanging baskets or just placed in pots and placed practically anywhere in the home. If your home is particularly dry in the winter mist your plants using a mister or just wiping them down with a soft damp cloth or sponge, this will also rid the plant of dust that has accumulated on the leaves and bring back the shine on their leaves. (more…)