Plant Gardens 101

The advantages of growing in soil indoors

The difference here is similar to the difference between indoor and outdoor cultivation. Soil growing requires less equipment, investment and, generally, less work to control the various factors influencing growth.

The only specialist equipment required for the simplest indoor soil set-up would be seeds, organic nutrients, a light and a timer. The remaining equipment – soil, pots, fans, reflective materials and such should be easily available in most countries.

As an organic compound, soil is less sensitive to changes and small variations than a synthetic medium like rockwool. It could be called a self-regulating environment. Thus, pH testing equipment is usually not required. (more…)

The practice of Bonsai began in China and Japan hundreds of years ago, and is simple the miniaturization of naturally occurring plants and trees. Bonsai trees are not “special small” trees, but rather trees that ave been slowly miniaturized from their full size.

The main areas of tree care are the following:

Watering your Tree

Bonsai Trees require more watering than most plants, as they are grown in less soil and the soil itself is free draining (meaning it doesn’t retain the water and lets it pass through). The type of tree, the sunlight it is exposed to all factor in to how much watering should be done. You can tell if your Bonsai Tree needs water by looking at it, feeling the soil and if you prefer; by using a moisture meter to be certain. (more…)

The pH of your lawn soil is an important factor that affects how your lawn grasses will grow. The pH value is an indicator that tells you whether your soil is acidic or alkaline. A balanced soil pH will ensure that your grasses are growing optimally.

First of all, you need to do a soil test to find out the pH value. You can do this in two ways. The first is to buy a do-it-yourself soil pH test kit at any nursery near you and follow the instructions provided by the kit. The result is not highly reliable but it is enough to give you an approximate pH value.

The other way is to let a soil test lab do the test for you. Obviously this is more expensive than the first option but the result is much more complete and reliable. Moreover, the lab result often contains much more information about your soil and not just the pH value. A good lab report will also advise you the remedial action to take if the test reveal any potential problems with your lawn. (more…)

For the best house plants you should have the best possible soil for them. This may sound like a big order, but actually it isn’t. Today most home owners buy bagged soil and assume it is good. A potting mixture suitable for most house plants is a combination of loam, sand, peatmoss and/or leafmold. Loam is the name given to a soil which contains clay, sand, silt and humus. It varies from a sand loam to a clay loam, depending on the relative amounts of these two ingredients present. A medium loam is preferred, which may be obtained from arable land such as a cornfield or vegetable garden.

To do a really bang-up job in preparing soil for house plants the loam should consist of turfs cut from a rich pasture. But because the turfs should be cut in the spring and stacked for about six months prior to using the mixture and because many readers will have difficulty in obtaining it, we will forget the ideal loam for the time being. Leaf-mold, too, might present some difficulties because it takes about a year for tree leaves to decay.

The remaining ingredients are not ordinarily difficult to obtain. Horticultural peatmoss can be bought from almost any garden center or garden center. The sand should be coarse with particles ranging from 1/8 to 1/16 inch. Get it from a firm dealing in builders’ materials. If the loam is deficient in humus (ask your county agricultural agent or state experiment station), buy packaged humus to mix with it. (more…)

Long before you put a seed in the ground you may have already been set up for a less than bountiful harvest, or even worse no harvest at all. That is because the condition of your soil determines whether or not your vegetable plant will grow and produce.

There are ways to test your soil and of course the means to fix your soil if it need be. Let’s first talk about how you can test your soil.

There four methods you can use. The first is getting your local municipality or state EPA to test your soil conditions. You simply call them up, ask for a soil test kit, follow their instructions and for a fee they will analyze the soil you send them. Some may even send you recommendations on what steps you need to take in order to fix any problems that you may have. These test, depending on where you are in the country can be pricey and you can wait quite awhile as commercial farmers take precedence over the home vegetable gardener. (more…)

Nebari are the surface roots of your tree.

When they are thick and spreading in an even radial fashion [Typical for an upright tree.] they really do help to give your bonsai that ‘Aged Big Tree’ look.

As John Y. Naka said: “Don’t make your tree look like a bonsai, Make your bonsai look like a tree.”

Here is a Ficus b. cutting that I recently pruned back hard.

A better shot of a soil ingredient to show the particle size, This is a handful of {mostly} pine bark, [The organic component of my soil. Yes, It is wet.] (more…)

The advantages of growing with hydroponics versus soil growing

To understand what the advantages are growing with hydroponics, first you must understand what hydroponics is. Hydroponics is simple. Hydroponics is growing with water instead of soil. Typically a user add concentrated nutrients into the water, simulating the fertilizers found in soil.

With hydroponics you much more control over your grow then you do with soil, because simply adding the right amount of nutrients in the water guarantees that you will have the right amount of food for your plants. In soil it can be much more difficult to diagnose when you are short mineral trace elements, because you really don’t know what was missing to begin with.

However when using hydroponics nutrients are pre-mixed with exactly the right amount of trace elements. So by simply adding the proper amount of hydroponic nutrients to your water in the hydroponic system, you know that the nutrients have been mixed correctly and the plants have all the elements they need to survive. If your plants should never begin to get sick such as yellowing leaves due to some sort of nutrient deficiency all you have to do is dump your hydroponic systems water, and fill it with fresh water and fresh nutrients. (more…)

Proper soil preparation is the single most important step in making sure your new sod takes root and produces beautiful grass. Sodding is like painting; the hard part is in the prep and the finished product is only as good as the preparation. By taking the time to make sure your soil is properly tilled, fertilized and prepared, you are creating a firm foundation for a lawn that will last a lifetime. You’ll have a lawn that is dense and full, recovers quickly from wear, uses less water and fertilizer and needs less maintenance. When you add up the time and money you save in the long run, proper soil preparation is well worth the time and effort before you lay your new sod.

Professional sod farms follow this adage: The beauty is in the blades, but the action is in the roots. Soil preparation lets the roots grow deep and even so the sod can accept nutrients and moisture properly for excellent growth and beauty. (more…)

When you are planting tulips for next leap’s tulip patch, don’t make the same error that I did last year. Making a confound at planting time in the plunge is costly. If you make this oversight, you may as well as buy tulips next pounce instead of hurtful clean ones for your own tulip bouquet.

Are you indeed that you are putting tulip bulbs in the best soil to grow? If you have doubts about rising tulips as you diagram your skip backyard, consider these gardening tips.

Let me enlighten. I like tulips, even while the flower playhouse is only two to three weeks long from mid March to tardy May. Last fall, I planted about 60 purple tulip bulbs in my backyard. I eagerly waited at Spring to come so I could bouquet those gorgeous plants. The frost was long and cold with more snow cascade than in preceding years. So, I was timely for Spring to come. Nevertheless I was astounded. Of the 60 flower bulbs I planted, only one tulip flower grew and blossomed. I couldn’t total it out. Later in the Spring, I planted my impatiens. When I went to dig up my tulip bulbs, I discovered that they were smooth and syrupy – like pickled onions. (more…)

If you are a lover of nature you will definitely enjoy with gardening. Gardening is the practice of growing plants for their flowers or foliage and vegetables or fruits for consumption. Gardening is a human activity in which plants are used to produce edible foods or to beautify the environment. Gardening is one of life’s purest pleasures. It’s a delight to all the senses such as sight, scent, touch, taste and hearing. And it’s good for you. Besides it’s a good exercise to you, gardening soothes the soul. And that has its own benefits- nurturing plants, seeing things grow, brings beauty into the world. Gardening is the creative experience .Gardening does not require that participant have a degree in landscape architecture, a bit of planning will go a long way towards enhancing the beauty and the gardening experience overall. Doing gardening is an art. Maintaining the gardening and providing with proper nutrients and supplements to it is most essential thing in order to look more beautiful. (more…)

Paramagnetism’s importance on earth and in your garden

Remineralize soil through incorporation of volcanic deposits

Since the beginning of time, nature has remineralized the soils of the earth through volcanic eruptions. Part of the remineralization occurs through a process called paramagnetism.

Paramagnetism is a low energy, physical force that has shown beneficial effects on all forms of life. A significant increase in plant growth and vitality is observed when paramagnetic rock is incorporated into the soil or spread across its surface. (more…)

Vermicompost, also known as worm castings, is the end result of worms feeding off of organic material such as food waste. Vermicompost has shown in studies that it contains much needed water soluble nutrients your vegetables, fruits and flowers crave.

You can either make your own vermicompost by adding worms and food scraps to a ventilated container or buy vermicompost commercially. Either way is fine and if just adding nutrients to your soil is not enough proof to use vermicompost than read these three other ways to justify its purpose. (more…)

If you are not nourishing your plants on a regular basis, it is time to take a close look at your plants. Just like humans, plants need nutrients. They need them from the moment you put them in the soil, and they need them on a regular basis. When plants receive proper nutrition, safe fertilizer (plant food) and supplemental plant vitamins, they will grow and thrive.

Your plants will let you know if they are not receiving proper nutrition:

Green leaves begin to look yellow Lawns may become spotty or lighter in color Blooming and new growth slows or comes to a halt Plants begin to look spindly and weak

It is estimated that less than 50% of gardeners provide their plants with proper nutrition. Many do not apply safe fertilizer at all. As we enter the warmer weather, plants’ roots begin to stretch further through the soil to seek more food. If you have not already started, now is the perfect time to begin a regular “fertilizing” program and keep a close eye on your plants to ensure that you have beautiful, healthy plants.   (more…)

The thin layer of weathered rock particles and organic matter, containing water and tiny air spaces, that covers the earth and provides support and nutrients for plants.

Think of bonsai plants and trees and how cute they would look in your little patch or even inside your home. Now think of the many months, sometimes even time, that a gardener must expend in pleasing fear of these beauties. ‘Still interested to prolong? First you must to make a selection: would you buy your soil or would you mix your own?

Remember that bonsais are confined in small containers and as such, should have the best kind of soil that would affix it to its lump. The quality of the soil that is worn will straight change the fitness of the works.

When the print of soil that should be worn in planting bonsai seeds is discussed, there is always anecdotal opinions on which one is best. Gardening experts all approve on certain aspects, however. That is what we will confer in this thing.

Bonsai soil shouldn’t be compact: examples grate, sloppy smooth, fire clays such as catlitter, or extended shale. In Japan, soils that come from volcanoes are preferably used because they are unchained and surround reserves that are chief to a hide’s advance.    (more…)

Have you ever wondered why your neighbors grass or tomato plants are so healthy and green? The trick to strong, vigorous plant growth is simply using the right fertilizer. A reputable soil testing lab will help you to analyze your lawn or garden before you buy fertilizer. This will point you in the direction of the proper nutrient needs of your plants.

Every farmer or home gardener has the experience to know that no land has the exact nutrient needs for their crops and plants. One effective tool many successful growers use is putting science behind their fertilizer choices. Every crop has a specific need and a grower needs to determine these needs which change from season to season. A soil testing lab helps growers to determine these needs.

A soil testing lab will determine the proper kind of fertilizer or lime you need to use. Additionally they guide you how not to over-fertilize your plants. Over-fertilization wastes time and money, and is a detriment to the environment. It often promotes burnt, overgrown plants with maturation issues. (more…)

The first step in good gardening is having good garden soil. Unfortunately, the vast majority of us aren’t blessed with the perfect soil that is rich and fertile, well draining, full of nutrients, and free of foreign matter. Some of us have rocky or sandy soil, or soil with a high clay content. The good news is, you don’t have to live with poor soil. Garden soil can be improved with a little time, patience, and effort.

The first step in improving your garden soil is preparation. If grass and weeds have not been removed yet, this is where you should start. If you are working with a small area, say less than 10 square feet, you can probably get by using a sharp spade and some brute force. However, if you’re removing grass from a larger area, you might want to consider renting a sod kicker or gas powered sod cutter for a day, as this will make the work faster and much easier. (more…)

Love Of Gardening
Foremost, the art of flower gardening is beginning to get increasingly acknowledged than it ever was. Consequently, a lot more men and women are starting to pay attention to this as they concur that it has the potential to effortlessly light up their residences as well as their lives. Thus, whether your desire is gardening in general or flower gardening in particular, this article is going to be assisting. If you are one that loves flower gardening, you surely can prevent other work at the time of the approaching flower gardening season by getting all the waste out from your garden and covering the soil with compost, peat moss as well as other wholly organic nutrients. This is in line with the famous idea which goes – a stitch in time saves nine! (more…)

You find that your plants are giving you fits in your landscape because it seems like a parade of weeds, insects or diseases have invaded and taken over. The problem is probably not due to insects or diseases but the poor soil that the plants are in. This poor soil is the major cause of invading insects and/or plant diseases.

With the poor soil comes weak and unhealthy plants that are more likely to get insect or disease problems. By improving the soil with compost, either before or after planting, will create a big difference. Anytime is a great time to add compost.

Compost is made of rich organic matter, which is crucial to growing healthy and fruitful plants. It is the result of a natural process of decay and recycling of materials such as leaves and twigs. In every corner of the world, in every meadow, forest and wetland composting is taking place. By copying this process, our plants will reap the benefits also.

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Compost will take care of most soil’ shortcomings, but it will not guarantee the right degree of acidity or alkalinity, which is measured on a pH scale that runs from 0, for extremely acid to 7, for neutral, to 14, for extremely alkaline.

The correct level of pH in your soil is just as important as your compost. Most vegetables, fruits and herbs thrive in soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, but each has its own “favorite” range. If your soil does not fall within the proper range for the plants you’re growing, you should correct it by adding the proper materials. You can easily determine the pH of your soil with an inexpensive kit sold at garden centers, or by taking or sending a soil sample to your local agricultural extension service for testing.

To raise the pH of an overly acid soil ½ to 1 unit, add 5 pounds of finely ground limestone to each 100 square feet of planting area. To lower the pH of alkaline soils, use either finely ground sulfur, which is slow acting but relatively long-lasting, or iron sulfate or aluminum sulfate, which work quickly but dissipate more rapidly in the soil. One half pound of ground sulfur or 3 pounds of iron or aluminum sulfate per 100 square feet will lower the pH by ½ to 1 unit. For especially heavy soils, increase all these amounts by about 1/3.   (more…)