Plant Gardens 101

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Arugula is a very popular green to add to any salad or as a stand alone side to your dinner or lunch. And who can resist, it is enriched with plenty of Vitamins A, C, K and Folate as well as the nutritional minerals Calcium and Potassium. Its rich peppery taste also makes arugula a good choice to use in pasta dishes. Here is how you can grow some great tasting arugula in your home vegetable garden.

Arugula is a colder weather crop and germinates best in a soil temperature in the range of forty to fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as you work the soil (after the freeze is over) you can begin planting arugula.

Arugula is typical to many other vegetables in that it likes a pH level in the soil to be as neutral as possible. Test your soil to make sure the level sits above six and as close to seven as possible. You can get a pH soil tester at any home or garden center for a few bucks. (more…)

Blueberry fruit is also low in calories and sodium, contains no cholesterol, and is a source of fiber. A major constituent of the fiber is pectin, known for its ability to lower blood cholesterol. In studies blueberry contain measurable quantities of allergic acid, which has inhibiting effects on chemically induced cancer in laboratory studies blueberry juice also contains a compound that prevents bacteria from anchoring themselves to the bladder, thereby helping to prevent urinary tract infections. Blueberries could make a good fruit crop for home gardens since they require small space. At present, blueberry plants are not common in home plantings because the plants require highly acidic soil conditions for best results. The grower of blueberries must, there fore, make extra effort to acidify the soil before plant establishment. Then, the acidity level must be maintained over the life of the planting. Due to the special concerns associated with the rather demanding soil requirements of growing the crop, the soil must be amended with organic matter and the pH must be corrected before proceeding to establish the planting. (more…)

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In the past few years I’ve read about and have seen more interest in wildflowers, so I figure it’s about time I jump in and add my two cents. I have watched in despair as some of my friends have created a wildflower bed in their yards, and have ended up with the biggest, ugliest patch of weeds I have ever seen. Why did they get weeds instead of wildflowers? Two reasons.

One, they were armed with a lack of good information, and two, they were led to believe that planting a beautiful bed of wildflowers is so easy that a child could do it. Actually, a child could do it, and with great success. But only if that child were extremely lucky, or had a basic understanding of exactly how to plant a bed of wildflowers and achieve incredible success. (more…)

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Ornamental grasses have become extremely popular in the past ten years or so, and if you buy them at a garden center they are kind of pricey. Learning how to grow them yourself is actually quite easy. They can be grown from seed, but I won’t pretend to be an expert at that for several reasons. One, I don’t know anything about growing them from seed, and two, I have no desire to propagate them from seed because seedlings require too much care.

The easiest and most effective way to propagate them is through simple division. Of course you will need at least one parent plant of each variety that you would like to grow. If you shop around you might be able to find some 4” inch pots at a fair price. (more…)

Any reliable seed house can be depended upon for good seeds; but even so, there is a great risk in seeds. A seed may to all appearances be all right and yet not have within it vitality enough, or power, to produce a hardy plant.

If you save seed from your own plants you are able to choose carefully. Suppose you are saving seed of aster plants. What blossoms shall you decide upon? Now it is not the blossom only which you must consider, but the entire plant. Why? Because a weak, straggly plant may produce one fine blossom. Looking at that one blossom so really beautiful you think of the numberless equally lovely plants you are going to have from the seeds. But just as likely as not the seeds will produce plants like the parent plant.

So in seed selection the entire plant is to be considered. Is it sturdy, strong, well shaped and symmetrical; does it have a goodly number of fine blossoms? These are questions to ask in seed selection. If you should happen to have the opportunity to visit a seedsman’s garden, you will see here and there a blossom with a string tied around it. These are blossoms chosen for seed. If you look at the whole plant with care you will be able to see the points which the gardener held in mind when he did his work of selection. (more…)

Pruning raspberry plants does more than just keep your plants under control. To insure that light and air can get inside the plants and to facilitate pruning, keep your raspberry plants controlled in a row. To force your ever bearing raspberries to produce only one crop in the fall, prune back the entire raspberry bush in early spring. Make sure you don’t let them grow no more then 12 to 18inches. Knowing what to look for when buying raspberry bushes for your garden is very important to their success. New Heritage Raspberry plants produce huge berries without constant maintenance. Heritage Raspberry plants are a newly developed berry bush, bred and they produce huge, delicious berries. Also they have long season of fruiting. You’ll enjoy these delicious berries from June until winter much longer than most berry bushes, also they are better disease and drought resistance. Flavorful raspberries of the highest quality can be grown right in your own backyard. Raspberry bushes running riot are not only a nuisance, the taste and amount of the fruits will decline. Two years are required to establish a raspberry plant, but once established the planting can remain productive for several years if given good care. I do suggest you be careful of those poison ivy plants that may be growing next to the Raspberry plants. (more…)

How to Grow Chilies? Warning! Not only are chilies hot, they require love and attention, and whilst hardy they do need regular care. Ideally sown in January or February but can be sown year round if you have the right climate or grow them indoors.

Chilies require ongoing warmth for the best results. Some people do grow the outside in soil once the younger plants have developed, but I have found that for best result they just love compost and a nice greenhouse. Most chili seeds have a very good initial rate of germination. Regular feeding with a good fertilizer throughout their life will reap benefits.

Sowing and planting your chili seeds – If you have one sow your chili seeds in a propagator, I use plastic food trays, washed out and filled with good compost. (more…)

Pineapples are known for being a sweet and juicy fruit that we eat from time to time. It is also very helpful to us, did you know that by eating pineapples it will help fight parasite in your body and also it’s anti- inflammatory. Yes pineapples are very beneficial to use and is very good and sweet. I found out in the Philippines they use it quit a bit, they eat it and us it as a anti-inflammatory. The total world production of pineapples in 2007 was more then 18 million tons. And today the production is still growing because more and more people want to grow there very own pineapples. Now you ask your self how can I be part of this amazing growth of pineapples, how can I plant my own? If you’d like to learn how to grow a pineapple that will yield a sweet-tasting fruit, then you’ve come to the right place. (more…)

Growing onions from seed can be hard and frustrating for those new to growing their own vegetables, particularly in the cooler areas of the United Kingdom, which is why so many of the shop bought one come from Spain.

The alternative solution is to grow them from what are know as “sets”. Basically “sets” are small immature onions already partially grown by a specialist wholesaler from seed one year, and available for sale to be planted by gardeners the next year to grow into mature plants with out the need to grow from seen.

Whilst all plants require good quality, well drained soil, sets are nowhere near as demanding to grow ideal for those new to gardening and growing their own vegetables.

They are well suited to growing in raised beds and like soil with a lot of well-rotted manure in it. Once the manure is dug in then you need to rake the top soil into a fine a tilth as possible. Then you need to firm down the bed by walking all over it or standing on a plank to firm up the soil. (more…)

Imagine waking up on a stunning, sunny morning in delayed April. You can hear the birds singing. Smell the airiness of the dew on the lawn and see the trees and plants growing. Then, look across your yard and see an award of loyal tulips immovable at awareness, waving a signal in the morning breeze.

No count what country you may live in, with a little creativity and forecast, you can mean and grow a multihued, partisan tulip plot. There are many different shades and insignia of tulips that are commercially untaken from the important tulip growers that can loan themselves to a plot. No issue the nationality or ethnic background, a quaint tulip backyard can display the insignia of the identify or area hues that are important to your heritage.

Let’s say that you want to construct an American loyal tulip backyard. Simply construct and works a letter of azure, red and colorless tulips. Candidates for downcast tulips enter the gorgeous Skagit Valle tulip, whose colorless petals are edged with azure. You can also add indigo hyacinths for more incline. (more…)

The main work worms do in your garden is tilling and aerating the soil. They burrow very deep, leaving channels through the soil that break up clods and allow air to enter and water to penetrate and drain away. In the process of eating at the surface and eliminating lower down, they introduce organic matter to the deeper levels and steadily increase the depth of topsoil. Their main role is to digest decomposing organic matter, converting it quickly into a form plants can use as nutrients. It is important to maintain good soil structure when gardening organically. Unlike mechanical tillers, earthworms do not damage the soil by inverting it, creating hardpans or breaking up the crumb structure. They never have mechanical breakdowns, they do not create noise or pollution, and they use garbage for fuel – an excellent way to dispose of your kitchen scraps, especially if you live in an apartment. (more…)

Grow you own Broccoli – It is easy as it grows well in most soil types. It prefers a sunny position though but can tolerate a shady area just as well. The soil is best if well manured before hand, and ideally needs to be well drained in order to prevent plants rotting.

Sowing Broccoli – As always read the seed packet but as a rule of thumb, for green broccoli sow outside in early May. For Purple and White varieties sow mid-April.? Sow the seeds about 7cm apart in rows 60cm apart. Cover the seeds with 1-2cm of compost of fine soil, watering well. They should begin germination in around 10 days. When they shoots appear, thin them out to around to 20cm apart. (more…)

Growing Your Own Cucumbers They prefer a sunny position out of strong winds for good results. The soil should be rich, and drain well. Dig a hole approximately 30 cm wide filling it with a mixture of peat compost mixed in with well dug manure. Make the compost and manure mix into a small heap. Each heap should then be spaced around 40-50 cm. Given the high numbers yielded, you will not need to make up too many heaps.

Sowing them. Sow 2-3 seeds at a depth of no more than 3 cm in the center of each heap, then cover lightly with compost and water well. They should then be spaced around 10-15 cm apart in the heaps for the best results. Once germinated thin them out leaving only the strongest seedling. (more…)

Watering This is the most important aspect of caring for bonsai, especially for bonsai that is kept indoors for too long. Two things to remember about providing water for bonsai are the type of soil and species. Different soils will absorb and retain water at different rates and different tree species have varying degrees of water need.

The Japanese have a saying: water three times, each one for the pot, the soil and the tree. About 75% percent of water is taken in through the root system, but don’t forget the leaves. Bonsai plants also acquire water through its stomata so make sure you wipe or wash away the dust and dirt regularly.

Use gentle water pressure when watering your bonsai. If you use a strong one, you might wash away the topsoil and expose the roots. Use a misting hose or a spray hose with an adjustable spray nozzle and mind the water temperature. Good tap water is fine, so take care that the water that comes out of the hose isn’t too cold or too warm. (more…)

How to grow Asparagus – Whilst Asparagus is considered a hard vegetable to grow due to the length of time it takes to come to fruition, it is best grown from one year crowns, ordered via mail order seed, for spring or autumn planting. If you sow from seed your crop will be take around 2 years to grow.

Asparagus likes well drained soil, dug in with manure the previous year. It is best suited to grow in raised beds, with their warmer soil. (more…)

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The tool that I am going to tell you about is for using herbicides such as RoundUp. The biggest mistakes that people make when using non-selective herbicides like RoundUp is overspray getting the herbicide on plants that they did not intend to spray, and over applying the product. If you spray to the point of run off, you are applying way too much.

The weed dabber is a tool used for spot treating weeds without getting the herbicide on other plants. (more…)

Growing your own horseradish is a simple business. Best of all, once you grow a bit you’ll have it, for free, forever. Now that’s what I call sustainable gardening! Horseradish is simple to prepare, preserve and make sauces with, so if you enjoy horseradish with beef or lamb, or just in your mashed potatoes why not grow your own. You don’t even need a garden, just enough space for a pot and you can grow your own supply. What are you waiting for?

How to Grow Horseradish

· In mid winter to early spring buy a little fresh horseradish root from your local grocer.
· Plant two inch sections of horseradish any way up you like but flat is best, in a tall pot filled with well rotted compost. Plant in the ground if you’ve lots of room but prepare for it to spread about your plot. A section of drainage pipe is the best thing to plant in, as it will encourage long straight roots and prevent the plant taking over your garden! (more…)

How to grow Marrows Soil Preparation They prefer heavier soils, and are best suited to a position where they are sheltered from cold winds. Dig in plenty of well rotted manure in the bed where the plants are to grow. To get started dig a trench 9 inches deep put in the manure then dig another trench suing the soil from this to form a ridge on top of the first trench. The marrows are to planted in the ridges, 6 ft apart for the trailing types, and 4 ft apart for the bush types.

Sowing For best results use older seeds as this will result in plants produce a greater proportion of female blooms. They can be sown inside or a green house from April using 3 inch pots filled with seed. Harden off the young marrows by putting them in cold frames at the end of the month. They will then be ready to plant out in the ridges at the end of May. (more…)

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