Plant Gardens 101

Composting is not only one of the best things you can do for your garden, it is also one of the best things you can do for our environment. Knowing how to create and use compost is in our interest due to the tremendous problem of waste disposal. Landfills are becoming more and more difficult to find, so some municipalities are dealing with waste by refusing to pick up leaves and grass clippings.. About one-third of the space in our landfills is taken up with organic wastes from our yards and kitchens.

The end product from your compost bin will be a wonderful pile of black, crumbly humus which makes an ideal soil conditioner. Compost added regularly to your soil will benefit the soil by improving it’s texture such as loosening up clay soils and creating moisture holding capacity in sandy soils. (more…)

Container gardening is the answer would love to grow some vegetables but I have no room to grow anything”.

By utilizing containers, both large and small, it is possible to grow almost anything that you can grow directly in the ground. Patios, balconies, steps, and window sills are good locations as long as there is sufficient sunlight (about 6 to 8 hours worth), the only limit being the size and the weight of your containers.

Containers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials and in fact, can be just about any thing that will hold soil, even old shoes and sneakers can be pressed into service as flower pots with admirable results. Materials can be wood, plastic, terra cotta, clay or metal. All containers do need drainage, so it is good advice to add one inch of coarse gravel on the bottom and have drain holes ideally one half inch from the bottom. Drainage can be severely hampered by placing the pot directly on a hard surface such as concrete so elevate the container an inch or two to insure proper water flow. (more…)

Vertical gardening is a unique and practical method of maximizing all of your garden space. When plants such as tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and melons are left to sprawl on the ground; they will take up to 10 times as much space as growing them vertically. With the exception of tomatoes and pole beans, too few gardeners take advantage of this gardening technique.

In addition to saving space, there are a number of advantages to growing vegetables off the ground.

* They are cleaner and more resistant to disease.
* Plants will not be subjected to soil rot which results from the fruit lying on the ground.
* Many crawling and soil borne insects and pests will not bother them.
* Plants receive good air circulation.
* Vertical gardening can provide privacy and screen off unsightly views.
* Gardener’s who find regular gardening physically challenging will enjoy vertical gardening because it eliminates a lot of bending over.

(more…)