Basics of A Rain Garden

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Judul : Basics of A Rain Garden
link : Basics of A Rain Garden

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Rain garden (it should not be confused with Gardening in the Rain) is an interesting concept. It not only increases your gardening beauty but also helps in water preservation. Here in this article I want to give you an brief idea about this concept.

What is a rain garden?

Rain garden refers to a garden which takes the advantage of the water from the rainfall in growing plants. The garden is designed to withstand a great level of moisture and concentration of nutrients. It gave the run off water the opportunity to slow down as it go downhill and thus reduces its erosive power.

Rain garden looks as like any other garden from outside but the speciality lies in the fact that it gets its water from the runoff and what happen after the water enters the garden.

The rain garden is a shallow depression in your backyard with absorbent yet free draining soil and it is planted with vegetation. It acts as a personal water quality system as it filters the waste water of the roof and other hard surfaces and recharges it.

Why should I plant a rain garden?

The main purpose of having this is to receive the run off water from hard surfaces like roof, sidewalk etc. By having a rain garden you will do you little bit to preserve this invaluable natural resource called water.

It increase the scenic beauty of the garden and protect streams and lakes nearby from pollutants and also help reducing flood.

It holds water for quite some time and thus provides a natural habitat for Birds, Butterflies and many other beneficial insects.

It also helps in reducing your water needs by recycling the waste water. So you would have lesser municipality water requirements.

How to build a rain garden?

Building a rain garden is very easy and is not at all expensive.

The first thing to do is to choose a spot to prepare the garden. It can be near the house if you only want to collect roof runoff or can be a little further in case lawn water is also in your plan.

Just keep this in mind that it should not be near a big tree or very near of the foundation of the house or it can damage them.

Next you need to find the are that will drain the water to your rain garden. The larger the area more the water will come to the garden. Ideal size of the garden can be from 100 sq ft to 250 sq ft depending on the total area. It should not be deeper than 6 to 8 inches.

While digging the garden you need to make a berm (a low wall) to prevent the water going downhill. Dig couple of inches more than the actual size of the garden. Add 2 inch thick compost for the nourishment of the plants.

Now come the most interesting part THE PLANTING. First make a rough plan of the actual garden in terms of the plants you want to grow and their positions in the garden.

Choose the plants carefully considering their height flowering time and composite texture of the garden. Choosing different blooming time will ensure a longer flowering season for the garden.

Use one or two year old plants with well established root system. Until the rain starts you need to give them much needed water for their survival. Use native plants to reduce cost and increase the chances of survival.

Have any suggestion? Please bring it our notice. Use the comment box below.

Rain garden (it should not be confused with Gardening in the Rain) is an interesting concept. It not only increases your gardening beauty but also helps in water preservation. Here in this article I want to give you an brief idea about this concept.

What is a rain garden?

Rain garden refers to a garden which takes the advantage of the water from the rainfall in growing plants. The garden is designed to withstand a great level of moisture and concentration of nutrients. It gave the run off water the opportunity to slow down as it go downhill and thus reduces its erosive power.

Rain garden looks as like any other garden from outside but the speciality lies in the fact that it gets its water from the runoff and what happen after the water enters the garden.

The rain garden is a shallow depression in your backyard with absorbent yet free draining soil and it is planted with vegetation. It acts as a personal water quality system as it filters the waste water of the roof and other hard surfaces and recharges it.

Why should I plant a rain garden?

The main purpose of having this is to receive the run off water from hard surfaces like roof, sidewalk etc. By having a rain garden you will do you little bit to preserve this invaluable natural resource called water.

It increase the scenic beauty of the garden and protect streams and lakes nearby from pollutants and also help reducing flood.

It holds water for quite some time and thus provides a natural habitat for Birds, Butterflies and many other beneficial insects.

It also helps in reducing your water needs by recycling the waste water. So you would have lesser municipality water requirements.

How to build a rain garden?

Building a rain garden is very easy and is not at all expensive.

The first thing to do is to choose a spot to prepare the garden. It can be near the house if you only want to collect roof runoff or can be a little further in case lawn water is also in your plan.

Just keep this in mind that it should not be near a big tree or very near of the foundation of the house or it can damage them.

Next you need to find the are that will drain the water to your rain garden. The larger the area more the water will come to the garden. Ideal size of the garden can be from 100 sq ft to 250 sq ft depending on the total area. It should not be deeper than 6 to 8 inches.

While digging the garden you need to make a berm (a low wall) to prevent the water going downhill. Dig couple of inches more than the actual size of the garden. Add 2 inch thick compost for the nourishment of the plants.

Now come the most interesting part THE PLANTING. First make a rough plan of the actual garden in terms of the plants you want to grow and their positions in the garden.

Choose the plants carefully considering their height flowering time and composite texture of the garden. Choosing different blooming time will ensure a longer flowering season for the garden.

Use one or two year old plants with well established root system. Until the rain starts you need to give them much needed water for their survival. Use native plants to reduce cost and increase the chances of survival.

Have any suggestion? Please bring it our notice. Use the comment box below.

Take Advantage of Your Garden Condition

basics - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about basics, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article gardening benefits, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Take Advantage of Your Garden Condition
link : Take Advantage of Your Garden Condition

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Take advantage of your garden assets. Every garden has some strong points or the other. But most of the time people complain about what they are missing. There is no harm in improving your garden conditions, but it is also important and sometimes more fulfilling to utilize the prevailing conditions and use them to their full effect.

In this article we want to emphasize these points. Here are some of these garden conditions which bother people, and just how you can use them to your benefit.

1. Too much sunlight:
   If your garden receives bright sunlight most of the time, you should consider yourself lucky. There are very few plants in this world which don't like bright sunlight. Most of the vegetables and fruit growing plants require at least six hours of direct sunlight ( check out Sun or No Sun for more information). Many bright-coloured flowers grow fantastically well under bright sunlight. You can choose variety of colours and combinations.
2.  Lack of sunlight:
   If your garden conditions are just the opposite of the previous one i.e, you rarely receive bright sunlight; you don't need to worry. Consider this as an opportunity to create cool and soothing environment around. One of the major benefits of having a darker garden is that you don't need to worry about wilting of plants. It will provide a fresher look to your garden. Not every plant requires 6 hours of direct sunlight; grow leafy vegetables. Many flowers actually prefer dark environment and not the direct sunlight. More details about shade gardening is here in this article.
3. Dry conditions:
   If your garden soil and surroundings are too dry, and you think it is not possible to grow anything; think again. These days, there are so many options available with growers that you don't even need to think about watering most of the time. Start from cacti and the option is endless. You might think this as a blessing in disguise. You can start with the nursery shops and ask for their help in selecting the plants; or you can use the Internet to research about this.
4. Wet or soggy condition:
   Don't neglect these parts of the garden just because they are soggy and damp. Grow plants that love damp environments. This might look a little unconventional but it will help to redecorate your landscape. Skunk cabbage can be a good option for this type of environments. You can check this article for a detailed list of various plants for this kind of environment.
5. Acidic soil:
   A soil pH lower than 6.5 is called acidic soil. Acidic soil is actually good for many plants. Potatoes, Strawberries, Radishes etc love acidic soil. You can also turn your empty acidic patch of land into a rose garden in case the soil is slightly acidic. Different types of fern also grows well in acidic soil.
6. Alkaline soil:
   In contrast to the above, here the soil pH is 7.5 or more. Other than lowering the pH (which is always an option), you can also use the conditions to grow plants that are more suitable to grow in alkaline soil. Plants such as Sunflowers, Daisies, Leeks, Oranges are ideal for alkaline soil. You can also opt for plants like Maple is you have the required space.

These are just some of the examples. You can always use your creativity and gardening knowledge to create more such solutions.

What do you think about the article? Give your feedback using the comment box below. We would like to hear from you.

Take advantage of your garden assets. Every garden has some strong points or the other. But most of the time people complain about what they are missing. There is no harm in improving your garden conditions, but it is also important and sometimes more fulfilling to utilize the prevailing conditions and use them to their full effect.

In this article we want to emphasize these points. Here are some of these garden conditions which bother people, and just how you can use them to your benefit.

1. Too much sunlight:
   If your garden receives bright sunlight most of the time, you should consider yourself lucky. There are very few plants in this world which don't like bright sunlight. Most of the vegetables and fruit growing plants require at least six hours of direct sunlight ( check out Sun or No Sun for more information). Many bright-coloured flowers grow fantastically well under bright sunlight. You can choose variety of colours and combinations.
2.  Lack of sunlight:
   If your garden conditions are just the opposite of the previous one i.e, you rarely receive bright sunlight; you don't need to worry. Consider this as an opportunity to create cool and soothing environment around. One of the major benefits of having a darker garden is that you don't need to worry about wilting of plants. It will provide a fresher look to your garden. Not every plant requires 6 hours of direct sunlight; grow leafy vegetables. Many flowers actually prefer dark environment and not the direct sunlight. More details about shade gardening is here in this article.
3. Dry conditions:
   If your garden soil and surroundings are too dry, and you think it is not possible to grow anything; think again. These days, there are so many options available with growers that you don't even need to think about watering most of the time. Start from cacti and the option is endless. You might think this as a blessing in disguise. You can start with the nursery shops and ask for their help in selecting the plants; or you can use the Internet to research about this.
4. Wet or soggy condition:
   Don't neglect these parts of the garden just because they are soggy and damp. Grow plants that love damp environments. This might look a little unconventional but it will help to redecorate your landscape. Skunk cabbage can be a good option for this type of environments. You can check this article for a detailed list of various plants for this kind of environment.
5. Acidic soil:
   A soil pH lower than 6.5 is called acidic soil. Acidic soil is actually good for many plants. Potatoes, Strawberries, Radishes etc love acidic soil. You can also turn your empty acidic patch of land into a rose garden in case the soil is slightly acidic. Different types of fern also grows well in acidic soil.
6. Alkaline soil:
   In contrast to the above, here the soil pH is 7.5 or more. Other than lowering the pH (which is always an option), you can also use the conditions to grow plants that are more suitable to grow in alkaline soil. Plants such as Sunflowers, Daisies, Leeks, Oranges are ideal for alkaline soil. You can also opt for plants like Maple is you have the required space.

These are just some of the examples. You can always use your creativity and gardening knowledge to create more such solutions.

What do you think about the article? Give your feedback using the comment box below. We would like to hear from you.

Difference between Compost and Mulch

basics - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about basics, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article composting, Article difference, Article Mulch, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Difference between Compost and Mulch
link : Difference between Compost and Mulch

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In the past we have discussed about Compost and Mulch separately. But sometimes people get confused over the two. So in this article we are trying to give you some comparison so that the concepts never get mixed.

Compost:

Compost is called gardeners gold. For preparing you need to mix different ingredientstogether in proper ratio. Which are then left for decomposition.

Many plants have particular requirement of nutrients. You should keep this in mind while preparing your compost. They are mixed in particular ratio to get the ultimate nutrient mixture for the plant.

The main function of compost is to fertilize the soil. You can use the compost by mixing with the garden soil or with the potting mix (in case of container gardening).

For a good compost it is essential that the ingredients are decomposed properly and should not be smelly like manure. Some people add water with the compost to make 'compost tea' which is then added to the soil for enrichment.

Mulch:

Mulch on the other hand is used to create a barrier between the soil and the environment. It works as a protective cover for the soil. It increases the soil temperature during those cold winter seasons and helps to prevent excess heat to reach the soil during hot summers.

Mulch helps in keeping the moisture level of the soil intact. You would have less wastage of water and certainly less frequent watering schedule.

It works as some kind of a blanket and thus used to keep weeds away.

It differs from compost over the fact that it doesn't require any particular ratio and combinations of ingredients to work. It doesn't need to get those ingredients composted before using.

Though it is better to use organic matters as mulch it is not compulsory and sometimes other materials like plastic etc are also used.

Mulch can increase the nutrients of the soil in the longer run if prepared from organic materials but that is not its fundamental feature. It is more concerned with preserving water and working as an insulator.

All compost can be used as mulch but not the other way around. Both serve particular functions in gardening and they both can be used as soil conditioner. Though it would be foolish to use a nutrient-dense material like compost as a protective coating and not enriching the soil.

Compost and mulch are two age-old concept of gardening that improves the soil quality tremendously. If used properly, these two concept can change your garden soil from unproductive sterile one to a growing heaven.

Have any questions? Why not post it in the comment box:

In the past we have discussed about Compost and Mulch separately. But sometimes people get confused over the two. So in this article we are trying to give you some comparison so that the concepts never get mixed.

Compost:

Compost is called gardeners gold. For preparing you need to mix different ingredientstogether in proper ratio. Which are then left for decomposition.

Many plants have particular requirement of nutrients. You should keep this in mind while preparing your compost. They are mixed in particular ratio to get the ultimate nutrient mixture for the plant.

The main function of compost is to fertilize the soil. You can use the compost by mixing with the garden soil or with the potting mix (in case of container gardening).

For a good compost it is essential that the ingredients are decomposed properly and should not be smelly like manure. Some people add water with the compost to make 'compost tea' which is then added to the soil for enrichment.

Mulch:

Mulch on the other hand is used to create a barrier between the soil and the environment. It works as a protective cover for the soil. It increases the soil temperature during those cold winter seasons and helps to prevent excess heat to reach the soil during hot summers.

Mulch helps in keeping the moisture level of the soil intact. You would have less wastage of water and certainly less frequent watering schedule.

It works as some kind of a blanket and thus used to keep weeds away.

It differs from compost over the fact that it doesn't require any particular ratio and combinations of ingredients to work. It doesn't need to get those ingredients composted before using.

Though it is better to use organic matters as mulch it is not compulsory and sometimes other materials like plastic etc are also used.

Mulch can increase the nutrients of the soil in the longer run if prepared from organic materials but that is not its fundamental feature. It is more concerned with preserving water and working as an insulator.

All compost can be used as mulch but not the other way around. Both serve particular functions in gardening and they both can be used as soil conditioner. Though it would be foolish to use a nutrient-dense material like compost as a protective coating and not enriching the soil.

Compost and mulch are two age-old concept of gardening that improves the soil quality tremendously. If used properly, these two concept can change your garden soil from unproductive sterile one to a growing heaven.

Have any questions? Why not post it in the comment box:

Landscaping for Beginners

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Judul : Landscaping for Beginners
link : Landscaping for Beginners

basics

Landscaping and Gardening fit one another like hand in gloves. If you are a gardener, you will enjoy the the process of landscaping. Believe it or not we are one way or the other doing our own landscaping in our backyards. To make it look much more like a professional we just need to follow some simple steps. I hope this article will give you enough motivation to start of your own landscaping project.

For a landscaping project planning is the key. You need to plan in advance. Consider your needs and customize accordingly. Beauty and functionality are generally the main reason people do landscaping. Do you want to grow vegetables or will it be a strictly flowery thing? Make a rough sketch of the things you have planned, like how you want the space to be utilized.

First select the area which you want to use for landscaping. Plan your lawn, Fence, Vegetable growing area in advance. Now the next thing you want to do is weeding. You can use various techniques of weeding which we have discussed earlier.

Next, separate the different areas and mark the edges. Though it may sound cumbersome it is also the step when you can use your creativity and can make different patterns.

After weeding is done your area is ready for planting. Which type of plants should you choose? Well, It is always better to start with perennials. It will be much of a permanent design with little bit of tuning from time to time. A list of perennials will help you decide the plants. Generally plants like shrubs do well in landscaping. Wild flowers can be a great inclusion to your landscaping project. They are colourful, vibrant and also inexpensive.

To avoid getting monotonous add a few seasonal plants that will add different flavour in different season and also keep you interested in the process. If you are adding annuals to your design, remember the seasonality before choosing the plants.

Study sun and wind pattern in your area. It is critical for your success. Most of the plants you planned might require more than six hours of direct sunlight (Know more about impact of sunlight in gardening in this article) so plan accordingly. Also not every plant is self supportive you might need to provide support in the form of cage or sticks.

Start small. Landscaping is a continuous process you can keep adding your ideas and see how it goes. Don't plant too tightly. At first it might look lush and green but as the time goes on some of plant will grow faster and will look clumsy.

It is not only about growing grass or trees add some creativity by adding extra elements such as wooden or metal structures that suits with the surroundings. It is all about creating your unique signature. You can always take advice from professionals in case things go little out of hand.


If you really want to get serious about landscaping I will recommend you get Helen Whitfield's Ideas 4 Landscaping. It is one of the best resources for landscaping ideas available over the internet.

Do you have any suggestion? Please feel free to share with us.

Landscaping and Gardening fit one another like hand in gloves. If you are a gardener, you will enjoy the the process of landscaping. Believe it or not we are one way or the other doing our own landscaping in our backyards. To make it look much more like a professional we just need to follow some simple steps. I hope this article will give you enough motivation to start of your own landscaping project.

For a landscaping project planning is the key. You need to plan in advance. Consider your needs and customize accordingly. Beauty and functionality are generally the main reason people do landscaping. Do you want to grow vegetables or will it be a strictly flowery thing? Make a rough sketch of the things you have planned, like how you want the space to be utilized.

First select the area which you want to use for landscaping. Plan your lawn, Fence, Vegetable growing area in advance. Now the next thing you want to do is weeding. You can use various techniques of weeding which we have discussed earlier.

Next, separate the different areas and mark the edges. Though it may sound cumbersome it is also the step when you can use your creativity and can make different patterns.

After weeding is done your area is ready for planting. Which type of plants should you choose? Well, It is always better to start with perennials. It will be much of a permanent design with little bit of tuning from time to time. A list of perennials will help you decide the plants. Generally plants like shrubs do well in landscaping. Wild flowers can be a great inclusion to your landscaping project. They are colourful, vibrant and also inexpensive.

To avoid getting monotonous add a few seasonal plants that will add different flavour in different season and also keep you interested in the process. If you are adding annuals to your design, remember the seasonality before choosing the plants.

Study sun and wind pattern in your area. It is critical for your success. Most of the plants you planned might require more than six hours of direct sunlight (Know more about impact of sunlight in gardening in this article) so plan accordingly. Also not every plant is self supportive you might need to provide support in the form of cage or sticks.

Start small. Landscaping is a continuous process you can keep adding your ideas and see how it goes. Don't plant too tightly. At first it might look lush and green but as the time goes on some of plant will grow faster and will look clumsy.

It is not only about growing grass or trees add some creativity by adding extra elements such as wooden or metal structures that suits with the surroundings. It is all about creating your unique signature. You can always take advice from professionals in case things go little out of hand.


If you really want to get serious about landscaping I will recommend you get Helen Whitfield's Ideas 4 Landscaping. It is one of the best resources for landscaping ideas available over the internet.

Do you have any suggestion? Please feel free to share with us.

Simple steps to save tomato seeds

basics - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about basics, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article seeds, Article Tomato, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Simple steps to save tomato seeds
link : Simple steps to save tomato seeds

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One of the best features of a tomato plant is that it is self pollinating. So you don't need to worry about the quality of the tomato seeds unless you are using hybrid variety. There is very little chance of insects polluting the quality of your seeds even though you are growing different varieties of tomatoes together.

Saving the seeds from tomatoes are very easy. First, select mature ripe tomatoes from the plant that has the best flavour (as per your liking) and is not affected by any form of diseases. Then cut the tomatoes in halves across the middle. Next take out the seeds from the fruit with the help of a spoon. If the tomatoes are fully matured it should not be a problem.

You will find the seeds are covered with pulp gelatinous coating. This coating is required for the safety of the seeds and it prevents the seeds from germinating inside the tomato.

To save the seed you need to separate them form the coating. The process used for this is called fermentation. For this you need to put the seeds along with the coating into a jar. Add some water and stir it with a help of a spoon. You can instantly see the juices and some part of the coating are getting separated from the seeds and the water are getting murky. Now remove the murky water and replace it with fresh ones. After that keep the jar in a place far from the sunlight and cover it with a lid. You need to repeat the process for quite some time to remove all the coating from the seeds. It generally requires 2 to 3 days before all the coating gets removed. You need to change the water 4 to 5 times in between these days. Once the coating is removed fully, you can see the clear seeds settling down at the bottom of the pot. Drain out the water and you will get the clean good quality seeds.

To store the seeds for future use you need to remove every bit of moisture from the seeds. Place them on some paper towel and cover them. It is best to store the seeds along with the paper towel so that even the outside moisture can’t interfere with the seeds. And that's it, the process is complete.

So now you know how can you save the seeds from your tomato plants give it a try. By saving your own seeds you will get the same quality of tomatoes for years with no additional costs.

If you have any suggestions regarding tomato seeds saving feel free to share.

One of the best features of a tomato plant is that it is self pollinating. So you don't need to worry about the quality of the tomato seeds unless you are using hybrid variety. There is very little chance of insects polluting the quality of your seeds even though you are growing different varieties of tomatoes together.

Saving the seeds from tomatoes are very easy. First, select mature ripe tomatoes from the plant that has the best flavour (as per your liking) and is not affected by any form of diseases. Then cut the tomatoes in halves across the middle. Next take out the seeds from the fruit with the help of a spoon. If the tomatoes are fully matured it should not be a problem.

You will find the seeds are covered with pulp gelatinous coating. This coating is required for the safety of the seeds and it prevents the seeds from germinating inside the tomato.

To save the seed you need to separate them form the coating. The process used for this is called fermentation. For this you need to put the seeds along with the coating into a jar. Add some water and stir it with a help of a spoon. You can instantly see the juices and some part of the coating are getting separated from the seeds and the water are getting murky. Now remove the murky water and replace it with fresh ones. After that keep the jar in a place far from the sunlight and cover it with a lid. You need to repeat the process for quite some time to remove all the coating from the seeds. It generally requires 2 to 3 days before all the coating gets removed. You need to change the water 4 to 5 times in between these days. Once the coating is removed fully, you can see the clear seeds settling down at the bottom of the pot. Drain out the water and you will get the clean good quality seeds.

To store the seeds for future use you need to remove every bit of moisture from the seeds. Place them on some paper towel and cover them. It is best to store the seeds along with the paper towel so that even the outside moisture can’t interfere with the seeds. And that's it, the process is complete.

So now you know how can you save the seeds from your tomato plants give it a try. By saving your own seeds you will get the same quality of tomatoes for years with no additional costs.

If you have any suggestions regarding tomato seeds saving feel free to share.

How To Grow Transplants In Your Own House

basics - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about basics, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article Know How, Article transplantation, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : How To Grow Transplants In Your Own House
link : How To Grow Transplants In Your Own House

basics

Today we are going to discuss about how you can grow Transplants (seedlings) in your house and use it to grow plants in stead of growing directly from the seeds. Now, you must be wondering why we should take the pain of preparing transplants when we can easily grow plants directly from seeds. So let me tell you this, there are two major advantages of growing transplants in stead of growing plants directly from the seeds.

Firstly, it drastically reduces poor germination possibilities. Unlike directly growing from the seeds in this case proper care is taken to every seeds so that each of them gets most favourable condition for germination. So the seed wastage is greatly reduced.

Secondly, when you transplant the seedlings to the permanent spot where they are meant to grow Chances of survival of the plants are increased greatly as they become adaptive to the climate outside. It most of the cases when we grow from the seeds this is the time when most of the plants die as they try their best to adapt to the surroundings.

So where do we start?

To prepare the transplant you first need to have high quality seeds. You can buy from your nearby nursery shop or you can use your own. The seeds from commercial supplier are generally are of superior quality as it is prepared under professional guidance. If you are planning to buy the seeds please refer to the dates mentioned in the packet while buying.

The next thing which is very very important in transplanting is the media or the soil. Different mediaare used, to prepare the transplant. But while choosing, remember it should allow air and water to reach the seed, and it should provide nutrition in those early times.

The next question is should you use sterile or normal media. Well, in most of the cases the media used by professional gardeners are sterile in nature. It reduces the chance of fungal or any other diseases. You can easily find sterile media from your nearest garden shop. One of the major drawback about using sterile media is that it contains almost no nutrient. So you need to transfer the seedlings in early stages or they would die.

Once you have finalized about the seeds and growth media it is now time to select the containers. The most popular is plastic seedling trays. This form is widely used by the gardeners and nurseries across the world. It can save you lots of time and space by selecting these them than going for individual pots. You can also choose to use used egg cartons or paper cups. Sometimes tiny pots made up from peat moss or coconut coir is also used. Now that you have selected your final ingredient, put some mixture (growth media) in every pot or compartment of the tray, sow the seed and cover it with some mixture. Add little bit of water to keep the mixture moistened. Keep the tray in a place inside your house and wait for the seeds to germinate.

Once they germinate, put the tray in a place where the tray get sunlight. It will ensure proper growth for the seedlings. After two to 4 weeks (depending on the plant and the size of the seedlings) transplant them in their permanent spot.

Hope you have liked the article. Share your thoughts by using the comment box below:

Today we are going to discuss about how you can grow Transplants (seedlings) in your house and use it to grow plants in stead of growing directly from the seeds. Now, you must be wondering why we should take the pain of preparing transplants when we can easily grow plants directly from seeds. So let me tell you this, there are two major advantages of growing transplants in stead of growing plants directly from the seeds.

Firstly, it drastically reduces poor germination possibilities. Unlike directly growing from the seeds in this case proper care is taken to every seeds so that each of them gets most favourable condition for germination. So the seed wastage is greatly reduced.

Secondly, when you transplant the seedlings to the permanent spot where they are meant to grow Chances of survival of the plants are increased greatly as they become adaptive to the climate outside. It most of the cases when we grow from the seeds this is the time when most of the plants die as they try their best to adapt to the surroundings.

So where do we start?

To prepare the transplant you first need to have high quality seeds. You can buy from your nearby nursery shop or you can use your own. The seeds from commercial supplier are generally are of superior quality as it is prepared under professional guidance. If you are planning to buy the seeds please refer to the dates mentioned in the packet while buying.

The next thing which is very very important in transplanting is the media or the soil. Different mediaare used, to prepare the transplant. But while choosing, remember it should allow air and water to reach the seed, and it should provide nutrition in those early times.

The next question is should you use sterile or normal media. Well, in most of the cases the media used by professional gardeners are sterile in nature. It reduces the chance of fungal or any other diseases. You can easily find sterile media from your nearest garden shop. One of the major drawback about using sterile media is that it contains almost no nutrient. So you need to transfer the seedlings in early stages or they would die.

Once you have finalized about the seeds and growth media it is now time to select the containers. The most popular is plastic seedling trays. This form is widely used by the gardeners and nurseries across the world. It can save you lots of time and space by selecting these them than going for individual pots. You can also choose to use used egg cartons or paper cups. Sometimes tiny pots made up from peat moss or coconut coir is also used. Now that you have selected your final ingredient, put some mixture (growth media) in every pot or compartment of the tray, sow the seed and cover it with some mixture. Add little bit of water to keep the mixture moistened. Keep the tray in a place inside your house and wait for the seeds to germinate.

Once they germinate, put the tray in a place where the tray get sunlight. It will ensure proper growth for the seedlings. After two to 4 weeks (depending on the plant and the size of the seedlings) transplant them in their permanent spot.

Hope you have liked the article. Share your thoughts by using the comment box below:

How To Grow A Vegetable Garden

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Judul : How To Grow A Vegetable Garden
link : How To Grow A Vegetable Garden

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Today’s article is all about how to prepare a garden for growing vegetables. If you are currently planning to start a garden this article will help you immensely. Also if you are currently a gardener but not satisfied with the result you may want to follow article to know if there is any step which you have missed.

There are five basic steps to prepare the soil for your garden to grow vegetables. These are:

1. Spot selection and marking the boundaries: First step towards this process is to select a proper spot for your garden. Most of the vegetables require minimum six hours of full sun to grow and fruit properly. Though artificial light would also help, we strongly recommend you choose a spot where you get natural sun light. It is both a purpose of organic gardening to use the natural resources and it also will reduce you total cost. After selecting the spot mark its boundaries with some pebbles or you can also use proper fencing to separate the area from the rest.
   
   
2. Cleaning and removing weeds the site: The next step is to remove any rock, pebbles, old plant and other debris from the site. With the help of a spade or tiller remove any weed which is present in this place. This process of removing weeds is very crucial to the overall success of your Gardening efforts. You can check our earlier article Weed controlling in organic way for more information this subject.
   
   
3. Sampling and Testing of Soil: This step is mostly ignored by gardeners. But this is perhaps one of the step which will give you immense benefit for years to come. Before planting any seed or applying any fertilizers you need to know what is the current level of nutrients in your soil. Soil nutrients differ according to its geography. So it is strongly recommended you do a soil sampling and testing. The testing result will be accurate if you collect the soil properly. Using a spade or a trowel collect handful of soil from at least 10 places (avoid places like where ashes or very dampish area) through out your garden. Put all the soil sample in a plastic bag (do not use any metal container) and mix it thoroughly. The next step is to sent the soil sample to your nearest agricultural office for testing. Some of the basic test like pH level, level of phosphorus and potassium needs to be performed. You can also use the DIY kit to test the soil. 
   
   
4. Apply the Recommendation: Once you get the soil testing report you can now follow the recommendation prescribed along with it. For instance if your soil is too acidic and you need to bring it down to a more suitable level you need to add lime to your soil.
   
   
5. Choose the right condition: While applying the recommendation make sure your soil is not very wet. The measurement can be faulty and also it will create problem in later stages. Use the soil when it is dry and then apply water after mixing the ingredients properly.

If you follow these simple but crucial steps the chances of success increases exponentially.

Share the Knowledge with other gardeners and help them improve their practise.

Today’s article is all about how to prepare a garden for growing vegetables. If you are currently planning to start a garden this article will help you immensely. Also if you are currently a gardener but not satisfied with the result you may want to follow article to know if there is any step which you have missed.

There are five basic steps to prepare the soil for your garden to grow vegetables. These are:

1. Spot selection and marking the boundaries: First step towards this process is to select a proper spot for your garden. Most of the vegetables require minimum six hours of full sun to grow and fruit properly. Though artificial light would also help, we strongly recommend you choose a spot where you get natural sun light. It is both a purpose of organic gardening to use the natural resources and it also will reduce you total cost. After selecting the spot mark its boundaries with some pebbles or you can also use proper fencing to separate the area from the rest.
   
   
2. Cleaning and removing weeds the site: The next step is to remove any rock, pebbles, old plant and other debris from the site. With the help of a spade or tiller remove any weed which is present in this place. This process of removing weeds is very crucial to the overall success of your Gardening efforts. You can check our earlier article Weed controlling in organic way for more information this subject.
   
   
3. Sampling and Testing of Soil: This step is mostly ignored by gardeners. But this is perhaps one of the step which will give you immense benefit for years to come. Before planting any seed or applying any fertilizers you need to know what is the current level of nutrients in your soil. Soil nutrients differ according to its geography. So it is strongly recommended you do a soil sampling and testing. The testing result will be accurate if you collect the soil properly. Using a spade or a trowel collect handful of soil from at least 10 places (avoid places like where ashes or very dampish area) through out your garden. Put all the soil sample in a plastic bag (do not use any metal container) and mix it thoroughly. The next step is to sent the soil sample to your nearest agricultural office for testing. Some of the basic test like pH level, level of phosphorus and potassium needs to be performed. You can also use the DIY kit to test the soil. 
   
   
4. Apply the Recommendation: Once you get the soil testing report you can now follow the recommendation prescribed along with it. For instance if your soil is too acidic and you need to bring it down to a more suitable level you need to add lime to your soil.
   
   
5. Choose the right condition: While applying the recommendation make sure your soil is not very wet. The measurement can be faulty and also it will create problem in later stages. Use the soil when it is dry and then apply water after mixing the ingredients properly.

If you follow these simple but crucial steps the chances of success increases exponentially.

Share the Knowledge with other gardeners and help them improve their practise.

Companion Planting: A basic Know-how

basics - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about basics, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article companion planting, Article jargons, Article Know How, Article organic, Article organic gardening, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Companion Planting: A basic Know-how
link : Companion Planting: A basic Know-how

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What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is a process where two or more different kind of plants are planted in close proximity to provide some benefits such as pest control and pollination to the plants. The best part of companion planting is that it is organic or natures way of controlling pests and improve pollination. 

We all aware of the benefits of going organic. I have written an article on this also. If you are interested to know more about the benefits of being an organic gardener you can check this post.

There are various mixes of plants which apart from making the garden more eye catchy, provide a healthy benefit to the plants. From ancient times and before the introduction of mass scale pesticides and fertilizer, people used the concepts of companion planting. They believed certain combination of plants have mysterious power to help each other. Now science also proved that some combination in deed help to grow the plants very well.

Benefits Of using Companion Plants:

There are basically 4 type of benefits you get by opting for companion plantation:

1. It helps both the plants to grow. Tall plants provide shade to the sun sensitive shorter plants.
2. You can use your space more productively. It also increases the chances of getting a good yield, even if one crop fails.
3. This provides pest control in an organic way. Some companion plants help in preventing pest insects and pathogenic fungi. It can also divert pests from the other plant.
4. It attracts pollination by attracting beneficial insects. Companion plants some time produce more nectar than the main plant and thus attract more beneficial insects.

 

Best Companion Plants For Tomatoes:

Examples Of Companion Gardening:

Below are some of the example of companion gardening:

Planting beans and corns together can be beneficial for both of them. The beans fix nitrogen to the soil which also benefits the corn. Whereas the cornstalk can be used as a trellis by the bean plant to climb up.

Growing dill and cabbage can be another example of companion planting. Dill can attract many beneficial wasp which can control cabbage worms and other cabbage pests.

Planting basil along with tomatoes (click here for tomato growing tips) can improve the flavor and growth of tomatoes. It also repels mosquitoes.

Planting garlic near tomato or cabbage plant can help to control beetle and aphids from infecting tomatoes.

Cucumber and radish also work together pretty well. Radishes help to deter cucumber beetles. But make sure cucumber is not planted near potatoes as it can encourage the late blight in potatoes.

There are so many such combinations available. You can find many of them through internet.

I hope you get an idea about the companion gardening concept through this blog. It is definitely an option you can try out in case you are thinking of going organic. Check my blog the meaning of organic for more information about going organic.

Read Best companion plants for Tomatoes

Thanks for reading the article. Enjoy Gardening.

What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is a process where two or more different kind of plants are planted in close proximity to provide some benefits such as pest control and pollination to the plants. The best part of companion planting is that it is organic or natures way of controlling pests and improve pollination. 

We all aware of the benefits of going organic. I have written an article on this also. If you are interested to know more about the benefits of being an organic gardener you can check this post.

There are various mixes of plants which apart from making the garden more eye catchy, provide a healthy benefit to the plants. From ancient times and before the introduction of mass scale pesticides and fertilizer, people used the concepts of companion planting. They believed certain combination of plants have mysterious power to help each other. Now science also proved that some combination in deed help to grow the plants very well.

Benefits Of using Companion Plants:

There are basically 4 type of benefits you get by opting for companion plantation:

1. It helps both the plants to grow. Tall plants provide shade to the sun sensitive shorter plants.
2. You can use your space more productively. It also increases the chances of getting a good yield, even if one crop fails.
3. This provides pest control in an organic way. Some companion plants help in preventing pest insects and pathogenic fungi. It can also divert pests from the other plant.
4. It attracts pollination by attracting beneficial insects. Companion plants some time produce more nectar than the main plant and thus attract more beneficial insects.

 

Best Companion Plants For Tomatoes:

Examples Of Companion Gardening:

Below are some of the example of companion gardening:

Planting beans and corns together can be beneficial for both of them. The beans fix nitrogen to the soil which also benefits the corn. Whereas the cornstalk can be used as a trellis by the bean plant to climb up.

Growing dill and cabbage can be another example of companion planting. Dill can attract many beneficial wasp which can control cabbage worms and other cabbage pests.

Planting basil along with tomatoes (click here for tomato growing tips) can improve the flavor and growth of tomatoes. It also repels mosquitoes.

Planting garlic near tomato or cabbage plant can help to control beetle and aphids from infecting tomatoes.

Cucumber and radish also work together pretty well. Radishes help to deter cucumber beetles. But make sure cucumber is not planted near potatoes as it can encourage the late blight in potatoes.

There are so many such combinations available. You can find many of them through internet.

I hope you get an idea about the companion gardening concept through this blog. It is definitely an option you can try out in case you are thinking of going organic. Check my blog the meaning of organic for more information about going organic.

Read Best companion plants for Tomatoes

Thanks for reading the article. Enjoy Gardening.

Roof Top Gardening: Some Important Points

basics - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about basics, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article current trends in gardening, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Roof Top Gardening: Some Important Points
link : Roof Top Gardening: Some Important Points

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Want to do gardening but not having enough space in the backyard? Why not think upwards? If you have a roof top you can definitely use it to grow your favorite plants.

There are some benefits for roof top gardening:
1.    You can utilize your long unused space into a vegetable garden.
2.    Usually full of sunlight.
3.    Visually attractive.
4.    It can cool down the top floor of the apartment in the hot summers.

But unlike your backyard, you need to keep some points in mind before starting your roof top garden.

Weight: Weight is very important. First decide whether you want to use containers or you want to make plantation in the raised beds. In case you are planning to use containers try lighter material like plastic or fiber. Click here to know more about different container materials. Calculate the total amount of weight your roof top is going to bear. You need to add the weight of the soil (in wet condition), containers, mature plants along with their fruits, temporary weight such people and snow (in case you live in a place where snow fall is a regular incident). You can reduce the weight of the soil by mixing Coir or Perlite with the soil.

Sunlight: Generally roof tops are full of sunlight (unless your roof top is surrounded by some high buildings). So the chances are good that the plant will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight pretty easily. But over heating is sometimes also detrimental to certain plants. Beside heat from the top, there is a huge amount of heat also reflected back by the floor of the roof. So just keep in mind that in some cases you may need to provide some shading for the plants.

Wind: Your roof top is a place where the speed of the wind is maximum; especially if you live in high altitude. It is always better to provide some structural barrier or fencing to protect the plant in case of excessive wind flow.

Accessibility: This is a major issue. How easily you can access your roof top. Carrying soil, containers, equipments can be a real headache if the accessibility is poor. Please make sure you have lift or proper stairs installed before starting.

Watering: In the hot summer, the watering may required to do everyday. Make sure you have water connectivity in the roof top; otherwise carrying water everyday from downstairs can be a nuisance. Make sure you have proper drainage on the roof. You can also use the rain water if you have rain water harvesting system in place. You can find some idea about rain water harvesting in this article.

Besides these major issues some minor factors you also need to consider. In the likes of availability of electricity at the terrace can be really helpful though it is not essential. Also please take the required permission from your local authority before starting you garden.


Hope you have enjoyed the article; Share your views regarding the article. Use the Comment box below.

Want to do gardening but not having enough space in the backyard? Why not think upwards? If you have a roof top you can definitely use it to grow your favorite plants.

There are some benefits for roof top gardening:
1.    You can utilize your long unused space into a vegetable garden.
2.    Usually full of sunlight.
3.    Visually attractive.
4.    It can cool down the top floor of the apartment in the hot summers.

But unlike your backyard, you need to keep some points in mind before starting your roof top garden.

Weight: Weight is very important. First decide whether you want to use containers or you want to make plantation in the raised beds. In case you are planning to use containers try lighter material like plastic or fiber. Click here to know more about different container materials. Calculate the total amount of weight your roof top is going to bear. You need to add the weight of the soil (in wet condition), containers, mature plants along with their fruits, temporary weight such people and snow (in case you live in a place where snow fall is a regular incident). You can reduce the weight of the soil by mixing Coir or Perlite with the soil.

Sunlight: Generally roof tops are full of sunlight (unless your roof top is surrounded by some high buildings). So the chances are good that the plant will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight pretty easily. But over heating is sometimes also detrimental to certain plants. Beside heat from the top, there is a huge amount of heat also reflected back by the floor of the roof. So just keep in mind that in some cases you may need to provide some shading for the plants.

Wind: Your roof top is a place where the speed of the wind is maximum; especially if you live in high altitude. It is always better to provide some structural barrier or fencing to protect the plant in case of excessive wind flow.

Accessibility: This is a major issue. How easily you can access your roof top. Carrying soil, containers, equipments can be a real headache if the accessibility is poor. Please make sure you have lift or proper stairs installed before starting.

Watering: In the hot summer, the watering may required to do everyday. Make sure you have water connectivity in the roof top; otherwise carrying water everyday from downstairs can be a nuisance. Make sure you have proper drainage on the roof. You can also use the rain water if you have rain water harvesting system in place. You can find some idea about rain water harvesting in this article.

Besides these major issues some minor factors you also need to consider. In the likes of availability of electricity at the terrace can be really helpful though it is not essential. Also please take the required permission from your local authority before starting you garden.


Hope you have enjoyed the article; Share your views regarding the article. Use the Comment box below.

Gardening in Shade: Some useful information

basics - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about basics, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article current trends in gardening, Article shade, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Gardening in Shade: Some useful information
link : Gardening in Shade: Some useful information

basics

Gardening does not always means that you need to grow plants in full sun. Shade in the garden is like a nightmare for many gardeners. Though most of the vegetables like Tomatoes, or cucumbers require full sun for their development, many plants can grow wonderfully well in shade. Here in this article we will try to give you some idea on how you can do gardening in shady condition.

When people talk about shade they can mean a variety of condition. So at times it can be confusing to what actually a shade gardening refers to. First of all let us make a distinction between different types of shades.

Gardening in partial shade

1.    Partial shade: This kind of shading refers to a condition where the place receives direct sunlight for less than 4 hours.
2.    Full shade: This is a condition where there is no direct sunlight through out the whole year. There are some plants (like Euphorbia) which can grow well in areas like this.
3.    Dry shade: If you are planting under some big tree the chances are that apart from being shaded, the place will be very dry. As the water content of the soil is mostly sucked in by the big trees. There are few plants which can survive in these conditions also.
4.    Moist shade: In case the planting is near any big water source such as ponds or rivers the soil remains very wet through the season. In this condition plants are never short of water.

It is the partial shade that we will discuss in this article. As we have already discussed in out earlier article Sun or no Sun, if you want to grow fully grown fruits in a plant, you need to provide them more than 6 hours of sunlight. Having said that, crops such as Spinach and other leafy vegetables, Peas, Cauliflower can grow pretty on partial shade.

Some tips on growing vegetables in shade:
Most of the plants which grow in the shade generally have larger leaves to absorb more light. Do not crowd shade tolerant plants. It will help to absorb most of the light available. Less crowding will also increase the air flow through the plant and will reduce many diseases.
Paint the walls of your buildings surrounding the shady area with lighter paint. It will increase the light reflection and provide light support to the dark shady areas. You can also use mirror tiles or metallic surfaces for this purpose.

Benefits of Shade gardening:
There are some benefits also if you are doing gardening in shade. If you remember, while discussing growing tips about Cauliflower and several others we have informed you about the effect of heat on bolting. In case your gardening is in the shade the impact of bolting can be reduced. The leafy vegetables such as Spinach lettuce grown in partial shade will look much fresher and you can enjoy them for a longer period of time. This is due to the fact that the more they are in the sun the larger will be the amount of water loss.

Talking about water, you also need to water the plants less regularly than when in the direct sun. By knowing ideal plants for shade, you can very easily optimize your total garden space. Plant the plants which prefer the direct sunlight in the sunny place whereas as in rest of the partial shaded spaces you can easily cultivated rest of the plants. It will help you to double your total vegetable output.

You can get some vivid idea about sun and its impact on vegetables growing in this article.



If you like the article, please share it with others.

Gardening does not always means that you need to grow plants in full sun. Shade in the garden is like a nightmare for many gardeners. Though most of the vegetables like Tomatoes, or cucumbers require full sun for their development, many plants can grow wonderfully well in shade. Here in this article we will try to give you some idea on how you can do gardening in shady condition.

When people talk about shade they can mean a variety of condition. So at times it can be confusing to what actually a shade gardening refers to. First of all let us make a distinction between different types of shades.

Gardening in partial shade

1.    Partial shade: This kind of shading refers to a condition where the place receives direct sunlight for less than 4 hours.
2.    Full shade: This is a condition where there is no direct sunlight through out the whole year. There are some plants (like Euphorbia) which can grow well in areas like this.
3.    Dry shade: If you are planting under some big tree the chances are that apart from being shaded, the place will be very dry. As the water content of the soil is mostly sucked in by the big trees. There are few plants which can survive in these conditions also.
4.    Moist shade: In case the planting is near any big water source such as ponds or rivers the soil remains very wet through the season. In this condition plants are never short of water.

It is the partial shade that we will discuss in this article. As we have already discussed in out earlier article Sun or no Sun, if you want to grow fully grown fruits in a plant, you need to provide them more than 6 hours of sunlight. Having said that, crops such as Spinach and other leafy vegetables, Peas, Cauliflower can grow pretty on partial shade.

Some tips on growing vegetables in shade:
Most of the plants which grow in the shade generally have larger leaves to absorb more light. Do not crowd shade tolerant plants. It will help to absorb most of the light available. Less crowding will also increase the air flow through the plant and will reduce many diseases.
Paint the walls of your buildings surrounding the shady area with lighter paint. It will increase the light reflection and provide light support to the dark shady areas. You can also use mirror tiles or metallic surfaces for this purpose.

Benefits of Shade gardening:
There are some benefits also if you are doing gardening in shade. If you remember, while discussing growing tips about Cauliflower and several others we have informed you about the effect of heat on bolting. In case your gardening is in the shade the impact of bolting can be reduced. The leafy vegetables such as Spinach lettuce grown in partial shade will look much fresher and you can enjoy them for a longer period of time. This is due to the fact that the more they are in the sun the larger will be the amount of water loss.

Talking about water, you also need to water the plants less regularly than when in the direct sun. By knowing ideal plants for shade, you can very easily optimize your total garden space. Plant the plants which prefer the direct sunlight in the sunny place whereas as in rest of the partial shaded spaces you can easily cultivated rest of the plants. It will help you to double your total vegetable output.

You can get some vivid idea about sun and its impact on vegetables growing in this article.



If you like the article, please share it with others.

Solarization: Know the Basics

basics - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about basics, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article current trends in gardening, Article jargons, Article organic gardening, Article pests, Article soil, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Solarization: Know the Basics
link : Solarization: Know the Basics

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Today we will discuss a very interesting but simple way for controlling weed problems in your garden. It is called Solarization process. We have used the term in our earlier article Weed controlling in organic ways. Here we will give some details so that you can try out in your garden.

In a very simple terms, solarization means using the heat from the sun to kill the weed in your garden. In this method the gardening area is covered with clear polythene then it is exposed to the full hot sun so that the light and heat can reach to the ground and cook the weed seeds which remained hidden inside the soil.
 

Why do I need soil Solarization?

Most people are unaware of this method and normally prefer other techniques in weed controlling. But there are some definite benefits which you get once you have decided to go for solarization.

There are so many weed seeds that are beneath the soil surface and are very hard to find. Though people put a thick layer of mulch to kill them, if the weed seeds are very vigorous, they can come on top of the mulch back to the light. Some time landscape fabrics are spread over the garden and then in some places holes are punched to plant new plants. This process in not full proof and can be infected by weeds. Though there is little bit hard work involved, it is by far the best way to kill the entire weeds in a given area. And once completed, your garden will be the best place for your new plants to live.

This method is entirely organic. There is no herbicide or other pesticides involved. You are using nature’s energy to a better use.

Although it is primarily meant to kill weeds, it will also reduce the nematodes, soil insects and many other soil borne diseases.

How to do Solarization:

The best time for practicing this is when the sun is at its full power i.e. in the summers. First choose the area which you want to solarize. Try to choose the area where there is very little shade available, the main purpose of the solarization will be hampered if the sun is blocked. Now once the area is fixed remove the existing weeds by tilling the land with a tiller. Till up to 6 inches depth. Please remove any sharp object which can poke holes in the polythene from this tilled area.

Next thing you need to do is to put some water in that area and make the soil moist. Don’t add too much water so that the soil becomes waterlogged. Water is a very important element in this process. It helps in heat conduction. Avoiding water in solarization, may not give you your desired result.

Cover the area with a clear polythene sheet. Don’t use any colored sheet as it will stop the sunlight to reach the soil. Stretch the polythene tightly and seal it completely. Sealing will help the heat to remain within the desired area and cook the weed seeds, insects, nematodes that can harm your plants. Keep the land in this way for at least 2 months.

After that, remove the polythene. Now the area has been solarized and the weeds, pests, nematodes all have been killed. This will remain weed free for 3 to 4 months. You can plant your desired plant now and enjoy it weed free. Don’t plant before removing the entire polythene because the heat can kill the plant.




If you like the article, share it with your friends:

Today we will discuss a very interesting but simple way for controlling weed problems in your garden. It is called Solarization process. We have used the term in our earlier article Weed controlling in organic ways. Here we will give some details so that you can try out in your garden.

In a very simple terms, solarization means using the heat from the sun to kill the weed in your garden. In this method the gardening area is covered with clear polythene then it is exposed to the full hot sun so that the light and heat can reach to the ground and cook the weed seeds which remained hidden inside the soil.
 

Why do I need soil Solarization?

Most people are unaware of this method and normally prefer other techniques in weed controlling. But there are some definite benefits which you get once you have decided to go for solarization.

There are so many weed seeds that are beneath the soil surface and are very hard to find. Though people put a thick layer of mulch to kill them, if the weed seeds are very vigorous, they can come on top of the mulch back to the light. Some time landscape fabrics are spread over the garden and then in some places holes are punched to plant new plants. This process in not full proof and can be infected by weeds. Though there is little bit hard work involved, it is by far the best way to kill the entire weeds in a given area. And once completed, your garden will be the best place for your new plants to live.

This method is entirely organic. There is no herbicide or other pesticides involved. You are using nature’s energy to a better use.

Although it is primarily meant to kill weeds, it will also reduce the nematodes, soil insects and many other soil borne diseases.

How to do Solarization:

The best time for practicing this is when the sun is at its full power i.e. in the summers. First choose the area which you want to solarize. Try to choose the area where there is very little shade available, the main purpose of the solarization will be hampered if the sun is blocked. Now once the area is fixed remove the existing weeds by tilling the land with a tiller. Till up to 6 inches depth. Please remove any sharp object which can poke holes in the polythene from this tilled area.

Next thing you need to do is to put some water in that area and make the soil moist. Don’t add too much water so that the soil becomes waterlogged. Water is a very important element in this process. It helps in heat conduction. Avoiding water in solarization, may not give you your desired result.

Cover the area with a clear polythene sheet. Don’t use any colored sheet as it will stop the sunlight to reach the soil. Stretch the polythene tightly and seal it completely. Sealing will help the heat to remain within the desired area and cook the weed seeds, insects, nematodes that can harm your plants. Keep the land in this way for at least 2 months.

After that, remove the polythene. Now the area has been solarized and the weeds, pests, nematodes all have been killed. This will remain weed free for 3 to 4 months. You can plant your desired plant now and enjoy it weed free. Don’t plant before removing the entire polythene because the heat can kill the plant.




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Things To Avoid In a Compost Pile

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Judul : Things To Avoid In a Compost Pile
link : Things To Avoid In a Compost Pile

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In our earlier article we have discussed on the various ingredients which you can add to the compost pile. Now as we know most of the products which we can see around us can be composted. But to make the process of composting smooth and to prevent any unwanted impacts on the plants we should shun some elements in the process of composting. In this article we will discuss some of them.

Coal/Charcoal:

Avoid coal or charcoal ashes. They are known for their slow decaying rate. This is the reason why archaeologist used charcoals for calculating age of ancient and prehistoric materials which are more than thousand years old. So when our basic purpose is to decompose the materials quickly, it makes sense to avoid such material. Besides coals some times contains excessive amount of sulfur and iron which can be toxic to most of the plants. So just to fill the gap created by shrinking of the compost pile don’t add charcoal or coal ash. The impact might not be as good as you have predicted.

Colored Papers:

Colored, glossy papers usually contains chemicals which some time infested with heavy metals such Lead or Mercury. These chemicals can be very lethal to the well being of the plant as well as for the person who will consume the crop. Though now a days governments around the world have made strict laws to prevent the use of heavy metals in the production of color pigments, we are never quite sure about the contains. So if you are interested in using papers, use the white ones. Paper is basically cellulose so it will break down slowly. Add the paper in small amount and prevent it from forming a layer by spreading them through out your compost pile.

Diseased Plants:

It is basically a common sense to avoid diseased plants or part of them. The pathogens present in the plants can some time survive the heat generated by the compost pile and then it can cause fresh attack on the plants where you are putting your compost. Potato tubers which are affected by wart diseases or the stalks affected by sclerotia should not be put inside the pile. Cabbages affected by club root, celery leaves with blight, onions with mildew are some of the example of the diseased plants which are very hard to destroy and only an “ideal compost pile” provide the necessary condition to destroy these pathogenic organisms. So if you have any doubt about the steady heating of the your compost pile it is better to avoid these plants.    

Pet Droppings:

Cats and dogs droppings contain disease causing pathogens. Cat droppings in particular contains nematodes and other parasites which can enter through mouth and can cause eye or brain diseases. This is also the reason why children and pregnant women are advised not to handle cat litter.

Non-biodegradable Items:

As the name suggests they are not going to get decomposed in the pile. Materials such as plastic, aluminum and other metals, glass, synthetic fibers etc. are not going to add any value to your compost heap. They though, are not necessarily toxic to the plant but it will remain as it is and would be of no help in the composting process. Real rubber is though organic in origin and biodegradable, the rate of degradation is pretty slow. So it should also be avoided.

Sludge:

If you live in a place where there is little or no industry, the sludge from your sewage is may be safe to use in the compost. None the less, it is not a very good idea to use sludge in your compost. Most of the time the toxic materials get infested in the sludge and can cause disaster for your garden. Most of the gardening experts also recommends not to use them. If you are getting treated sludge which are available commercially in different garden centers you may use it but make sure these are treated under EPA’s(environmental Protection Agency) guidance.

Toxic Chemicals:

Never put insecticides or pesticides inside the compost pile. It will kill those organisms which conduct the process of composting. And as an organic gardener we should always be at a safe distance from those hazardous chemicals.

I hope you liked this article. Post your thoughts in the comment box.

In our earlier article we have discussed on the various ingredients which you can add to the compost pile. Now as we know most of the products which we can see around us can be composted. But to make the process of composting smooth and to prevent any unwanted impacts on the plants we should shun some elements in the process of composting. In this article we will discuss some of them.

Coal/Charcoal:

Avoid coal or charcoal ashes. They are known for their slow decaying rate. This is the reason why archaeologist used charcoals for calculating age of ancient and prehistoric materials which are more than thousand years old. So when our basic purpose is to decompose the materials quickly, it makes sense to avoid such material. Besides coals some times contains excessive amount of sulfur and iron which can be toxic to most of the plants. So just to fill the gap created by shrinking of the compost pile don’t add charcoal or coal ash. The impact might not be as good as you have predicted.

Colored Papers:

Colored, glossy papers usually contains chemicals which some time infested with heavy metals such Lead or Mercury. These chemicals can be very lethal to the well being of the plant as well as for the person who will consume the crop. Though now a days governments around the world have made strict laws to prevent the use of heavy metals in the production of color pigments, we are never quite sure about the contains. So if you are interested in using papers, use the white ones. Paper is basically cellulose so it will break down slowly. Add the paper in small amount and prevent it from forming a layer by spreading them through out your compost pile.

Diseased Plants:

It is basically a common sense to avoid diseased plants or part of them. The pathogens present in the plants can some time survive the heat generated by the compost pile and then it can cause fresh attack on the plants where you are putting your compost. Potato tubers which are affected by wart diseases or the stalks affected by sclerotia should not be put inside the pile. Cabbages affected by club root, celery leaves with blight, onions with mildew are some of the example of the diseased plants which are very hard to destroy and only an “ideal compost pile” provide the necessary condition to destroy these pathogenic organisms. So if you have any doubt about the steady heating of the your compost pile it is better to avoid these plants.    

Pet Droppings:

Cats and dogs droppings contain disease causing pathogens. Cat droppings in particular contains nematodes and other parasites which can enter through mouth and can cause eye or brain diseases. This is also the reason why children and pregnant women are advised not to handle cat litter.

Non-biodegradable Items:

As the name suggests they are not going to get decomposed in the pile. Materials such as plastic, aluminum and other metals, glass, synthetic fibers etc. are not going to add any value to your compost heap. They though, are not necessarily toxic to the plant but it will remain as it is and would be of no help in the composting process. Real rubber is though organic in origin and biodegradable, the rate of degradation is pretty slow. So it should also be avoided.

Sludge:

If you live in a place where there is little or no industry, the sludge from your sewage is may be safe to use in the compost. None the less, it is not a very good idea to use sludge in your compost. Most of the time the toxic materials get infested in the sludge and can cause disaster for your garden. Most of the gardening experts also recommends not to use them. If you are getting treated sludge which are available commercially in different garden centers you may use it but make sure these are treated under EPA’s(environmental Protection Agency) guidance.

Toxic Chemicals:

Never put insecticides or pesticides inside the compost pile. It will kill those organisms which conduct the process of composting. And as an organic gardener we should always be at a safe distance from those hazardous chemicals.

I hope you liked this article. Post your thoughts in the comment box.