Plant Gardens 101

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm

Keeping your landscape plantings, flower beds, and nursery crops free of weeds is a battle, but if you approach it with a strategic plan, you will prevail. In order to develop a plan, you first must understand how weeds work, and what kind of weeds you are dealing with.

Basically weeds grow either from seed, or they reproduce from their roots. As the roots grow outward from the parent plant, new plants sprout up from the lateral roots, creating more parent plants and the process continues and the weeds thrive. Weeds that tend to reproduce from the root are usually more difficult to control. (more…)

To buy pest control products you will have to identify the offending insect and then match your product to your needs. It is also important to keep in mind considerations like any known allergies to such products, ill health among residents and appropriate safety gear to go with your task.

If you have an infestation in your garden and lining space or just want to keep your home spic and span, pest control is a key step. You will have to choose wisely from the wide array of pest control products you might see in the market and online. The benefits of choosing the most appropriate product are saving time as well as money. There is no rule saying that you cannot do effective pest control yourself, you can do pest control as well as the professionals and at a third of the cost too. (more…)

In searching for information on getting rid of bugs from my vegetable garden, I came across some really valuable information from many online sources. I should start by saying that I have just started using some of these suggestions, and do not assure you 100% effectiveness, yet. That information will have to follow in a few weeks.

My search originally started by looking for chemical-free products to kill off any unwanted pests. I was quickly swayed by all of the information available about companion planting. Companion planting involves planting differing plants around the plant you wish to protect. Each pest has a plant it doesn’t like, this works in our favor when we know which pest we’re dealing with. It is imperative to keep the additional plants localized to the protected plant. Bugs are smart enough to go another route or even jump from plant to plant to get its fix. It’s best to surround the protected plant with the deterrent plants listed. For example, to get rid of ants with aphids, plant pennyroyal and spearmint around the stalk of the protected plant. A few feet to each side will not deter the ants from going right through the middle. (more…)

If we could garden without any interference from the pests which attack plants, then indeed gardening would be a simple matter. But all the time we must watch out for these little foes little in size, but tremendous in the havoc they make.

As human illness may often be prevented by healthful conditions, so pests may be kept away by strict garden cleanliness. Heaps of waste are lodging places for the breeding of insects. I do not think a compost pile will do the harm, but unkempt, uncared-for spots seem to invite trouble. (more…)

There are plenty of different ways of getting rid of the invasive weed. Cutting Japanese knotweed for example, will not eradicate its growth and it should be seen as short term Japanese knotweed control only. Japanese Knotweed Control and Japanese knotweed removal is most effective when used in conjunction with herbicide treatment. Cutting the weed could actually increase the risk of spreading it.

Pulled stems of Japanese knotweed often have the highly invasive Japanese knotweed crown material attached to them and must be disposed of in the same way as the Japanese knotweed rhizome. Cut Japanese knotweed stems are less of a risk, and are safe once the Japanese knotweed stems have dried out and turned brown. Japanese knotweed stems should be cut cleanly so that they don’t create pieces of Japanese knotweed stem that may spread and regenerate Japanese knotweed, in addition Japanese knotweed stems should be left where they can dry out fully. If you intend to treat Japanese knotweed re-growth with herbicide, you should remove cut Japanese knotweed material from the Japanese knotweed treatment area to allow the spray to effectively cover the new Japanese knotweed growth. (more…)

A common misconception of hydroponic gardening is that you never have to worry about dealing with pests and bugs. Many growers wish this was true because the fact of the matter is that even in a soil less garden you have to deal with some of the same kinds of critters that can damage traditional gardens. Fortunately, with a little knowledge and quick action, you can easily prevent or minimize the damage caused by bugs to your plants and hydroponics supplies.

Here are a few of the more common pests found on plants in hydroponics systems.

Aphids – They are numerous varieties of aphids and their coloration can vary from black, brown, very light colored, or yellow. They often leave a sticky residue on your plants which causes the plants to grow in a deformed or twisted manner. They also typically carry viruses that can affect the growth or even kill your plants. A typical sign of an aphid infestation is the presence of little white exoskeletons which the aphids have molted off. After identifying that you have an aphid problem, you should remove the damage leaves, wash the remaining leaves, and spray them with an insecticidal soap. (more…)

Eliminating unwanted pests, usually by introducing natural enemies, is categorized as biological pest control. Enemies like predators, parasites and pathogens are reared and released in the natural living environment of a pest, resulting in slow but sure destruction of them.

However, some factors determine the success or failure of bio control measures employed. Introduction of predators which kill and eat many kinds of pests may not help greatly in areas where other kinds of prey are also easily available. The introduced natural enemies should also be able to acclimatize themselves with the climate of their new habitat quickly. The life cycle of the enemy should also be in consonance with that of the prey. Another important characteristic an introduced creature must have is a very high level of reproduction potential. This holds true in the case of enemy parasites. A parasite completes many generations before the prey completes even one generation, making it highly necessary for the parasite to have excellent reproductive qualities in order to be effective against pests. (more…)

Most of us are ready to invest huge amount for landscaping and gardening to give face lift for our home. But we failed to prune when the plants needed it, and then your highly invested landscape looks terrible than ever. So this is a high time to know about the gardening tips for better maintenance of your lawn. Do follow the following gardening tips for better life of your garden: – Gardening tips for pruning As we discussed in the introduction, pruning plays an important role in the garden maintenance. If you commit any mistake while pruning, don’t lose your heart because it’s like a bad haircut, it is going to grow again. Avoid watering in the evening During summer, you may experience high humidity, which might result in lot of problems in your garden. To get your plants nice and dry, tuck them in for night. In addition to this watering in the evening may be avoided to prevent damage to the plants. Get rid of Powdery mildew Powdery mildew is the common fungus mostly affects your ornamental plants. This will create white film on the leaves of the plants in your garden. Even other ornamental plants such as Sand cherry and Dogwoods are also getting affected with this fungus. Efficient gardening is necessary to curtail the growth of this fungus. You can easily prevent this by spraying general fungicide in the garden centre. (more…)

Silverfish is an insect that is found in home. It is regarded as a pest as it causes a lot of damage to your home and the various household items that you have at home. Silverfish loves feeding on starch and sugar. As starch is found in paper, glue and wallpaper you can be sure that there is Silverfish in your house when you find damaged wallpaper, glue and paper that are eaten. Silverfish also feeds on silk, yarn as starch is found in clothing too and other pests. They usually like to remain in damp places in your home. This gives you a starting point to begin your extermination process as part of Silverfish pest control.

The first and the foremost task in regard to Silverfish extermination is insect identification. If you look in any insect encyclopaedia, you will find that Silverfish is less than an inch long and their upper bodies have silver colour. Their body is flattened and tapers towards the end. The upper body is also broad when compared to the lower body. You also have to note their lifecycle to plan your various moves to exterminate them using Silverfish pest control. Once the eggs are hatched, you may have to deal with a lot many more Silverfish than earlier. One of the main reasons they stick around in homes is the abundant presence of food. They usually tend to stay close to sources of food. They can be found in various places at your home where there is humidity and where the area is cool and damp. (more…)

As most expert gardeners know, there is a huge variety of pests and diseases ready to dine on your plants. There are also a few specific problems that are particular to effecting indoor growing.

Though hydroponics has many advantages over traditional soil growing, plants grown hydroponically are still subject to the same kind of diseases of soil-based plants. One of the biggest factors that determine your success in general hydroponics growing may very well be what steps you take to make sure your plants stay uninfected. If you take the following measures, your odds of having to deal with an epidemic in your grow room will decrease dramatically. (more…)

There are many birds, animals and insects which are a joy to the gardener both in their beauty and in the help they give us in the garden. But there are also many which are pests and which can ruin a beautiful garden. Life would be a a great deal simpler if we could just wave a magic wand and get rid of the ones we don’t want, but it’s not that simple. To begin with – we have to identify them. One of the best methods of keeping pests down is good garden hygiene. Keeping your garden clear of rubbish will reduce the trouble spots where pests can breed and take hold. It’s a very simple remedy, but one of the most effective, particularly against slugs.

There are some creatures that really help keep pests down, the common earthworm is a powerful ally in his constant wanderings through the soil which keeps it open to air and water. A lot of our common garden birds feed on garden pests. Many insects feed on their harmful relatives. Toads and Frogs can demolish a huge number of insects in one meal and are a joy to have in the garden. Making your garden attractive to birds and toads is one of the best pest control methods. A good bird table or nest box, food spread about in spring, and some water are invitations for birds to stick around in your garden. If you want Toads and Frogs, make sure there is some damp shade. A few reasonably sized stones in the shade of a shrub with maybe some damp leaves would be a luxury residence for a toad. At night they will venture out to catch their food – which they prefer live.

Slugs are a particular bane of my life – they come out and munch on all your tender plants if given half a chance. Again the birds will help, and you can use safe slug pellets which do not harm birds or hedgehogs. There are all kinds of mulches and even slug fences that you can get, the worst damage is often done by the ones you can’t see which lurk under the ground. If you want to use a biological control you can get Nematodes from specialist suppliers which inhabit the soil and prey on the slugs. It is a more lengthy process than using some of the chemicals but much kinder to your garden.

Munching Insects with heavy jaws are particularly destructive and can rip through a vegetable patch in no time at all – I lost no end of cabbages and sprouts last year to caterpillars. This year I am working hard at encouraging the birds to counteract this. You can use sprays but do make sure that they are bird and fish friendly if you have a pond. This type of insect is killed by taking the spray into its body as it nibbles on your plants. Vegetables are particularly susceptible to pests – they like to eat them just as much as we do, and many of our crops have their own particular pests which only feed on one plant. Tomato Worms for example which burrow into the young fruit and eat it from the inside out. You can often harvest a particularly luscious looking crop of potatoes only to find the tubers inhabited by yellow and black striped potato bugs. My particular hate is the small green caterpillar which ravages cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower. Liberal applications of soapy water from a spray gun are quite effective in getting rid of that particular nuisance.

There are some pests where the only defence is to get rid of badly infested plant before it spreads. The plant needs to be destroyed or removed completely from the garden. A couple of years ago it caused me great distress to have to take all the Lilies out of my garden. I had a large pot which was full of the most beautiful white lilies – until I spotted the dreaded Scarlet Lily Beetle. They are a beautiful shade of red but utterly destructive and will destroy every lily in their path. I will replant after another year or so and hope that no larvae have survived.

Sucking insects such as greenfly and lice almost glue themselves onto the host plant as they need to be able to feed by constant sucking. They are unbelievably destructive for their size and as they breed rapidly even a large plant can soon be infested. Again soapy water sprayed liberally can help, and I have had some success with a vinegar and water mix (about half and half) but not on young plants! Be careful if you use the soapy water not to spray over any water in your garden or you will potentially damage the pond life – frogs and toads in particular. If you encourage Ladybirds in your garden they can control the greenfly fairly effectively as well.

My personal preference is for natural controls without the use of chemicals but in order for this to work you do have to accept that for a couple of years or so, until the natural balance asserts itself, you will lose some crops and precious plants. The best weapon you have during that time is constant vigilance, removal of infected plants and determination. If you give in and start to use chemical sprays you will have to start the whole process again as many chemicals are indiscriminate in doing their work. There are some sprays which comply with organic principles and of course, you can buy biological controls in the form of beneficial insects and bacteria. Which ever method you choose, you will never completely remove pests from your garden – but you should be able to keep their damage to a minimum.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=237458&ca=Gardening

About Lizzie Westerley
Lizzie Westerley has spent many pleasurable years developing her garden and her gardening skills. You can find more of her insights and information on how to make your garden equally magnificent at The Garden Magazine

The devices and implements used for fighting plant enemies are of two sorts:

(1) those used to afford mechanical protection to the plants;
(2) those used to apply insecticides and fungicides.

Of the first the most useful is the covered frame. It consists usually of a wooden box, some eighteen inches to two feet square and about eight high, covered with glass, protecting cloth, mosquito netting or mosquito wire. The first two coverings have, of course, the additional advantage of retaining heat and protecting from cold, making it possible by their use to plant earlier than is otherwise safe. They are used extensively in getting an extra early and safe start with cucumbers, melons and the other vine vegetables. (more…)

Want to know how to start gardening? Confused where to start? Let Fran help you with easy to follow tips and advice. This article gives practical suggestions on how to minimise slug and snail damage in your garden!

One of the most common problems faced by gardeners is the one of slugs and snails. Even experienced gardeners tear their collective hair out at the destruction these creatures can cause. So I thought I would give you a few tried and tested tips, and some others perhaps not so well known, to help you deal with them – you won’t get rid of them all together, but at least you will be able to keep them under some sort of control!

They may not all work for you – a lot depends on just how bad the problem is where you live – but it is certainly worth trying some if not all of them. (more…)

Insects can cause a lot of damage to your garden or lawn. They are one of the worst kinds of pest that exist. Fortunately, there are several methods that you can employ to protect your garden or lawn from the insects. These ways for insect pest control include use of chemicals or use of organic methods to drive away these insects. These insects may be beneficial in some way to nature, but they are surely harmful for your gardens and lawns on which you may have spent a lot of time and effort. You should implement these various methods to get rid of these insects as diligently as you have planted your garden.

There are several methods available to get rid of these pests. However, you should ensure that the methods that you employ for insect pest control do not harm you as well. The use of chemicals in the form of pesticides may result in various kinds of diseases in your family. They might be effective in removing the pests, but they will harm your family in the process as well. Boric acid is a good pesticide that is a chemical that is used to repel insects. It is not as harmful as the other chemical pesticides and it is quite effective in getting rid of insects too. (more…)

Pest control must be done with utmost consideration to safety; safety in terms of the plants, animals and humans. This holds especially true for those with vegetable and organic gardens.

The main purpose of growing vegetables organically will be defeated if they become tainted with pest control chemicals.

Here are a few long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly.

1. Use the physical pest control process.
This may be accomplished through picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes. Snails can be found hiding in damp places under rocks and towrds the base of those plants with straplike foliage. (more…)

Have you ever gone out to admire your beautifully growing garden and found yourself horrified by holes covering the green leaves and a silver, tell-tale trail left behind? Of course, the silvery trail lets you know that your garden has been violated by the slimiest, most disgusting, plant-damaging pests around, slugs, and they will undoubtedly return now that they have found your amply set green table of garden foliage goodness to feed their repulsive bellies with. The question is, of course, how do you make sure the next visit is their very last? You are certainly not growing your beautiful garden for their benefit and need to make sure they do not continue wrecking havoc on your lovely green space.

Slugs do their worst at night, because their slimy wet skin is delicate and sunlight can dry them out easily. Because of this, waterings in the late evening, though assuring penetration into your garden by the water, are a “no-no” when it comes to slugs as it only attracts them more. Also, it is better that you attach a “soaker” hose nozzle to your hose reel as it allows you to have better control of exactly where your water goes. In this manner, you can be sure not to leave little puddles of water in unnoticed places where slugs tend to congregate. (more…)

Floods can be hazardous to human and animal lives and cause extensive, costly damage to land and property. As delightful as it to think that flooding at least rids us of unwanted pests in and around our homes, the opposite is true.

There are many pests that breed and thrive in flooded areas. They often use the excessive moisture provided by flooding along the banks of rivers and lakes and small pools of standing water to lay eggs in, and to incubate large colonies of larvae until they hatch.

Some pests don’t like living in flooded areas, but they are quite resilient, and even intelligent in their ability to mobilize in rapid fashion and move away from threats such as flooding. Ants for example can relocate a whole colony to a dryer area in mere hours. They are especially adept at making themselves at home- inside your home. (more…)

Pests are a problem in many gardens and can ruin your flower bed or a good crop of vegetables. When dealing with pests, and especially in vegetable gardens, you want to use methods that are safe for both plants and humans. Since avoiding the use of harsh chemicals for pest control is a good idea all around, here’s some tips on some gentler methods of getting rid of garden pests.

Physical Pest Control
Time consuming but very natural, this method consists of many things you can physically do to control bugs and other pests. Picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes. If snails are a problem, look for them hiding in damp places under rocks and near the base of those plants with straplike foliage.

Biological Pest Control
Get rid of pests by inviting insects in that eat them! Encouraging predatory insects such as dragonflies and green lacewings into your garden can help in your pest control efforts as they eat aphids and other pests that attack your plants. So how do you attract them? Try simply placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden. Dragonflies especially love water and will hover around it. Bacterial insecticides such as B. thuringiensis can also be used against caterpillars. (more…)

The main reason for the bad rap is the same as the one in the medical field: over use. Just as it was over use of Penicillin by doctors in the U.S., people in general tend to think that “more is better” in the case of chemical pesticides too. So now the pendulum seems to be swinging to the other extreme in our society, and it’s all or nothing – so going 100% green and chemical free is the latest and greatest cure all to stop garden pests.

The good news for those who are frustrated or confused is that there are ways to use chemicals responsibly with minimal impact on ourselves and our environment.

The fact is Chinch bugs, Borers, Caterpillars and many other pests can and do wreak havoc in our lawn and garden environments. Go Green as we may, without some carefully applied pesticides, those pests can take a big bite out of not just your gardens and foliage, but the agricultural and flower industries as a whole. How about a plate of lettuce with worms or a bouquet of chewed flowers, a kitchen over run by ants and roaches! How about a favorite Live Oak that once shaded your home but now has to be taken down because borers have destroyed it? (more…)

The Carib Grackle is a member of the Oriole family and is commonly known as simply a “Blackbird”. It is also called the Lesser Antillean Grackle, while its Latin Name is Quiscalus lugubris. It is a glossy black bird with a long slender curved black bill. The iris of the eye is yellowish white and the tail is long and keel shaped (“V” shaped). Females are slightly larger and less glossy while juveniles are dull brown with dark brown eyes. The size of the adult is between 28-34 cm (11-13 in) and the weight is between 74-142 g (2.61-5.01 ounces). This grackle is found throughout the islands of the Lesser Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas and Brazil. It is closely related to, but smaller than, the Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger) that is found on the islands of the Greater Antilles. It is similar in appearance to the male Shiny Cowbird with the difference being the shape of the bill and the colour of the iris.

The Carib Grackle is common resident of all the countries in its range and is generally observed in groups. It is a noisy bold bird that spends a large amount of time strutting on the ground with its head held high. It is almost omnivorous eating fruits, insects, seeds, frogs, lizards, snails and discarded human food such as bread, beans, french fries and meat. The combination of its boldness and eating habits has resulted in this bird being very common around human habitation and is seen in household gardens, parks, open-air restaurants, shopping mall parking lots etc. (more…)