Storing Your Vegetables: You Must Know the Basics

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Judul : Storing Your Vegetables: You Must Know the Basics
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Storing of vegetables properly is a very important part of practicing gardening. Though we are doing very well in gardening, the importance of storing of vegetables can’t be ignored. All our efforts for producing good quality crops will be wasted if the vegetables are not stored properly. This article will give you some tips on how you can store your garden yield.

While storing fresh vegetables 2 main points you need to take into consider.

1. Water loss
2. Respiration rate

The meaning of proper storage is to place the harvested vegetables in an environment where essential life processes like respiration can continue in a very slow rate and the water loss can be minimal.

Preventing water lossis one of the important factors in storing vegetables. Water loss can cause wilted and dull looking vegetables. Storing in low temperature with high humidity will prevent the vegetables from loosing water.

Respiration of the vegetable is another reason which you need to take into consideration while storing. The rate of respiration varies with the water content of the vegetables. For example at a given temperature leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce will respire more than potato or carrots. The rate is also higher in immature vegetables.

During respiration oxygen is absorbed and sugar present within the cells breaks down into energy, carbon Di oxide, water and heat.  For keeping the vegetables in a proper edible condition the respiration level should be held at very low level. You can slow down the respiration level by reducing the oxygen level.  This is done by keeping the vegetables in perforated plastic bags or by covering the pot in which the vegetables are kept. Please don’t use total airtight containers these will stop the respiration process entirely and the vegetables will not be as tasteful as it should be.

We usually store vegetables in refrigerators. The refrigerators keep the temperature usually uniform but the temperature may vary within different compartments. In most of the cases temperature is lowest just beneath the freezer.  This causes the warmer air to circulate around the side. This air is also sometime lower in humidity and thus causes any uncovered vegetables to dry out.

For the storing purposes the vegetables are divided in 4 groups:

Group 1: these vegetables are the most sensitive to temperature and humidity. These have the highest respiration rate and water loss can be huge if not taken proper care. They should be stored in 30-40 deg F and 90% humidity. It can be sub divided into group A and group B.

Group A: Lettuce, Spinach, green onions, Swiss chord etc.

Group B: Broccoli, beet, Cabbage, Celery, Radishes etc.

Group A vegetables are best stored when kept in crisper state and washed before storing. Store Group B vegetables in plastic bags or containers and keep them in the main compartment of the refrigerator.

Group 2: These types of vegetables are little less sensitive to temperature but very sensitive to humidity. Storing these vegetables requires 40-50 deg F temperature and 90-95% humidity. Though most of the time it is not possible to maintain such a customized temperature and humidity, don’t keep these vegetables in refrigerator for more than 7 days.

Vegetables such as Bell peppers, Cucumbers, Squash, ripe Melons etc. are in included in this category.

Group 3: Vegetables such as ripe tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Okra, Eggplants are included in group 3. These vegetables are prone to chilling injury. Ideal temperature for storing is 60 deg F You don’t need to put them inside the refrigerator for storing. Rather it is better to keep them in a cool and dark place.  

Group 4: Dry Garlic, melons are grouped in this group. Store them where there is an absence of direct sunlight.

Another piece of advice, don’t store many ripen food together with fresh vegetables. Ripen fruit emit ethylene gas. It will cause the vegetables to become yellow, sprout the potatoes and cause bitterness in carrots.

Storing of vegetables properly is a very important part of practicing gardening. Though we are doing very well in gardening, the importance of storing of vegetables can’t be ignored. All our efforts for producing good quality crops will be wasted if the vegetables are not stored properly. This article will give you some tips on how you can store your garden yield.

While storing fresh vegetables 2 main points you need to take into consider.

1. Water loss
2. Respiration rate

The meaning of proper storage is to place the harvested vegetables in an environment where essential life processes like respiration can continue in a very slow rate and the water loss can be minimal.

Preventing water lossis one of the important factors in storing vegetables. Water loss can cause wilted and dull looking vegetables. Storing in low temperature with high humidity will prevent the vegetables from loosing water.

Respiration of the vegetable is another reason which you need to take into consideration while storing. The rate of respiration varies with the water content of the vegetables. For example at a given temperature leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce will respire more than potato or carrots. The rate is also higher in immature vegetables.

During respiration oxygen is absorbed and sugar present within the cells breaks down into energy, carbon Di oxide, water and heat.  For keeping the vegetables in a proper edible condition the respiration level should be held at very low level. You can slow down the respiration level by reducing the oxygen level.  This is done by keeping the vegetables in perforated plastic bags or by covering the pot in which the vegetables are kept. Please don’t use total airtight containers these will stop the respiration process entirely and the vegetables will not be as tasteful as it should be.

We usually store vegetables in refrigerators. The refrigerators keep the temperature usually uniform but the temperature may vary within different compartments. In most of the cases temperature is lowest just beneath the freezer.  This causes the warmer air to circulate around the side. This air is also sometime lower in humidity and thus causes any uncovered vegetables to dry out.

For the storing purposes the vegetables are divided in 4 groups:

Group 1: these vegetables are the most sensitive to temperature and humidity. These have the highest respiration rate and water loss can be huge if not taken proper care. They should be stored in 30-40 deg F and 90% humidity. It can be sub divided into group A and group B.

Group A: Lettuce, Spinach, green onions, Swiss chord etc.

Group B: Broccoli, beet, Cabbage, Celery, Radishes etc.

Group A vegetables are best stored when kept in crisper state and washed before storing. Store Group B vegetables in plastic bags or containers and keep them in the main compartment of the refrigerator.

Group 2: These types of vegetables are little less sensitive to temperature but very sensitive to humidity. Storing these vegetables requires 40-50 deg F temperature and 90-95% humidity. Though most of the time it is not possible to maintain such a customized temperature and humidity, don’t keep these vegetables in refrigerator for more than 7 days.

Vegetables such as Bell peppers, Cucumbers, Squash, ripe Melons etc. are in included in this category.

Group 3: Vegetables such as ripe tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Okra, Eggplants are included in group 3. These vegetables are prone to chilling injury. Ideal temperature for storing is 60 deg F You don’t need to put them inside the refrigerator for storing. Rather it is better to keep them in a cool and dark place.  

Group 4: Dry Garlic, melons are grouped in this group. Store them where there is an absence of direct sunlight.

Another piece of advice, don’t store many ripen food together with fresh vegetables. Ripen fruit emit ethylene gas. It will cause the vegetables to become yellow, sprout the potatoes and cause bitterness in carrots.

Bonsai: The Japanese Miniature Plantation

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Judul : Bonsai: The Japanese Miniature Plantation
link : Bonsai: The Japanese Miniature Plantation

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Beautiful bonsai trees --- Buy now

Bonsai is a thousand years old Japanese culture of growing plants which has one of the unique aesthetics of its own. The word Bon means a small tray or a low sided pot and sai refers to planting. So the term bonsai if translated in English means planting in tray. It is the miniature form of a fully grown tree grown in a small pot.

Unlike other gardening practices, Bonsai is not for growing foods, medicines or park sized landscaping rather it is a pleasant exercise for effort and ingenuity. It is the delight gained from recreating the plants as seen in the nature in miniature form.

Though some particular species of plant became very popular because of smaller leaves and other attractive features, you can create bonsai with literally any perennial trees or shrubs that produces true branches and can sustain crown and root pruning.

The time and cost of raising a particular bonsai varies from species to species. There are many ways to start a bonsai. Let me mention few of them to you.

If you are not a very patient person you can buy a previously trained bonsai. It will definitely reduce your time and effort and particularly ideal for the beginners.

You can also find wild plant in its natural surroundings which has been shaped by mother nature. You can start from cutting of the heridetically identical trees. these have better success rates when comparing with the process of starting from the seeds. One of the plus points of staring a bonsai from seeds is you can create rare varieties of bonsai with very small price and huge production. Grafting methods are also in use for creating your favorite bonsai. 

An aesthetically superior bonsai needs to be healthy. The proper combination of soil, water, air and sunlight is very critical for the growth of a bonsai. There are no fixed formula for this it varies species to species, climate to climate. You need to do some trial and error before fixing the optimum combination. I have written two blog earlier on watering techniques and the role of sunlight in plantation you can check these two for your reference also.

Trunk is the most appealing part of the bonsai. You can work on making the trunk well-formed and with smooth curves. Also you can adjust branch locations, foliage distribution etc to give your bonsai much more attractive look. Along with the trunk roots also create a natural beauty for the bonsai. A surface root structure called nebari is always a defining point in bonsai.

The bending of trunks and branches is called wiring. You have to do wiring at the very young stages of the plant to give it a shape of a tree. These have to be done until you reach your final shape of the bonsai. To keep the size of the plant to a miniature form you need to continuously do pruning. Pruning had to be done on the branches, leaves, buds etc. Pruning of the roots have to be done with proper care and at the time of re-potting. A detailed article on different types of pruning is here

Bonsai basically is an outdoor activity. Though it can be grown indoor it is quite difficult and its success is limited to the tropical countries. But if you are determined to place it indoor it will advisable to start with a plant like Ficus. They can withstand a lot of abuse and not very sensitive to the surroundings compared to the other plants. It is also cheap and easy to find.

If you got your motivation level rising to do a bonsai after reading this article, I would suggest you to do a through research on the same before jumping in. Here is one great resource you can refer to for more detailed stuffs which will give you a step by step guide to bonsai. 

All the best.

Beautiful bonsai trees --- Buy now

Bonsai is a thousand years old Japanese culture of growing plants which has one of the unique aesthetics of its own. The word Bon means a small tray or a low sided pot and sai refers to planting. So the term bonsai if translated in English means planting in tray. It is the miniature form of a fully grown tree grown in a small pot.

Unlike other gardening practices, Bonsai is not for growing foods, medicines or park sized landscaping rather it is a pleasant exercise for effort and ingenuity. It is the delight gained from recreating the plants as seen in the nature in miniature form.

Though some particular species of plant became very popular because of smaller leaves and other attractive features, you can create bonsai with literally any perennial trees or shrubs that produces true branches and can sustain crown and root pruning.

The time and cost of raising a particular bonsai varies from species to species. There are many ways to start a bonsai. Let me mention few of them to you.

If you are not a very patient person you can buy a previously trained bonsai. It will definitely reduce your time and effort and particularly ideal for the beginners.

You can also find wild plant in its natural surroundings which has been shaped by mother nature. You can start from cutting of the heridetically identical trees. these have better success rates when comparing with the process of starting from the seeds. One of the plus points of staring a bonsai from seeds is you can create rare varieties of bonsai with very small price and huge production. Grafting methods are also in use for creating your favorite bonsai. 

An aesthetically superior bonsai needs to be healthy. The proper combination of soil, water, air and sunlight is very critical for the growth of a bonsai. There are no fixed formula for this it varies species to species, climate to climate. You need to do some trial and error before fixing the optimum combination. I have written two blog earlier on watering techniques and the role of sunlight in plantation you can check these two for your reference also.

Trunk is the most appealing part of the bonsai. You can work on making the trunk well-formed and with smooth curves. Also you can adjust branch locations, foliage distribution etc to give your bonsai much more attractive look. Along with the trunk roots also create a natural beauty for the bonsai. A surface root structure called nebari is always a defining point in bonsai.

The bending of trunks and branches is called wiring. You have to do wiring at the very young stages of the plant to give it a shape of a tree. These have to be done until you reach your final shape of the bonsai. To keep the size of the plant to a miniature form you need to continuously do pruning. Pruning had to be done on the branches, leaves, buds etc. Pruning of the roots have to be done with proper care and at the time of re-potting. A detailed article on different types of pruning is here

Bonsai basically is an outdoor activity. Though it can be grown indoor it is quite difficult and its success is limited to the tropical countries. But if you are determined to place it indoor it will advisable to start with a plant like Ficus. They can withstand a lot of abuse and not very sensitive to the surroundings compared to the other plants. It is also cheap and easy to find.

If you got your motivation level rising to do a bonsai after reading this article, I would suggest you to do a through research on the same before jumping in. Here is one great resource you can refer to for more detailed stuffs which will give you a step by step guide to bonsai. 

All the best.

What is Perlite? A Brief Idea About Perlite Uses in Gardening and Horticulture

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 perlite, Article soil-less media, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : What is Perlite? A Brief Idea About Perlite Uses in Gardening and Horticulture
link : What is Perlite? A Brief Idea About Perlite Uses in Gardening and Horticulture

basics

What is Perlite?

Perlite is a generic term for naturally occurring siliceous amorphic volcanic rock. But unlike other volcanic glasses it expands from 4 to 20 times of its original volume when heated above a point(800-900 deg C). Perlite is mostly made of silica or SiO2(about 70-75%). The rest is the mixture of Aluminum Oxide or Al2O3, and Oxides of Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Magnesium and Calcium. 3-5& moisture are also present in Perlite.

Perlite is mined through out the world. Countries like Greece, USA, China and Turkey are the fore runners in this.

When perlite is heated above 900 deg C the moisture trapped inside the rock vaporized and escapes and causes the huge expansion of the material. After the expansion the bulk density of the perlite reduces significantly(0.03-0.15gm/cm3). The expansion also creates the most distinguishing feature of perlite its white color. While the unexpanded perlite rock may range from transparent light grey to glossy black, the expanded perlite ranges from snow white to greyish white.

Perlite Uses:

Because of its low density and low price, perlite has many commercial applications. Among which main uses are building and constructions uses, horticultural uses, fillers and filter aids. 

In gardening and horticulture, perlite is used for number of reasons. 

Advantages of Perlite soil in gardening and horticulture:

Perlite encourages quicker germination than any other growing media with quick seedling growth. It can be used by mixing with peat moss or coconut coir and used as a potting mix or it can be used solely provided it kept wet all the time.

Perlite is inorganic, inert and sterile and naturally contains the different minerals which are essential for the growth of the plant. Being inorganic it is free from weeds, diseases and pests.

Perlite is non-toxic and there are very few fire hazards. 

Unlike peat moss, perlite does not decompose very easily(if at all) so you can store and use perlite for many years.

It improves aeration and drainage of the soil mix if mixed with other growth media, or soil.

Perlite are almost pH neutral. So it can also help to reduce acidity of the soil.

Disadvantages of perlite soil:

There are couple of disadvantages also of using perlite as growth media.

Perlite holds water by having a large surface area and within the nooks and cervices of vast pores. But being porous and made of volcanic glass it allows the excess water to drain away much quickly than any other media. So in case you have really thirsty plants, investing in perlite might not be a good choice. 

Perlite is a non-renewable resource. Which means you can not increase its availability as per your likings as in case with coconut coir. 

Other Perlite Uses:

Perlite as an excellent filtering agent. Beside horticulture, Perlite filters are used in many places to filter beer before getting bottled. 

Buy Organic Perlite | Best Deals On Perlite

What is Perlite?

Perlite is a generic term for naturally occurring siliceous amorphic volcanic rock. But unlike other volcanic glasses it expands from 4 to 20 times of its original volume when heated above a point(800-900 deg C). Perlite is mostly made of silica or SiO2(about 70-75%). The rest is the mixture of Aluminum Oxide or Al2O3, and Oxides of Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Magnesium and Calcium. 3-5& moisture are also present in Perlite.

Perlite is mined through out the world. Countries like Greece, USA, China and Turkey are the fore runners in this.

When perlite is heated above 900 deg C the moisture trapped inside the rock vaporized and escapes and causes the huge expansion of the material. After the expansion the bulk density of the perlite reduces significantly(0.03-0.15gm/cm3). The expansion also creates the most distinguishing feature of perlite its white color. While the unexpanded perlite rock may range from transparent light grey to glossy black, the expanded perlite ranges from snow white to greyish white.

Perlite Uses:

Because of its low density and low price, perlite has many commercial applications. Among which main uses are building and constructions uses, horticultural uses, fillers and filter aids. 

In gardening and horticulture, perlite is used for number of reasons. 

Advantages of Perlite soil in gardening and horticulture:

Perlite encourages quicker germination than any other growing media with quick seedling growth. It can be used by mixing with peat moss or coconut coir and used as a potting mix or it can be used solely provided it kept wet all the time.

Perlite is inorganic, inert and sterile and naturally contains the different minerals which are essential for the growth of the plant. Being inorganic it is free from weeds, diseases and pests.

Perlite is non-toxic and there are very few fire hazards. 

Unlike peat moss, perlite does not decompose very easily(if at all) so you can store and use perlite for many years.

It improves aeration and drainage of the soil mix if mixed with other growth media, or soil.

Perlite are almost pH neutral. So it can also help to reduce acidity of the soil.

Disadvantages of perlite soil:

There are couple of disadvantages also of using perlite as growth media.

Perlite holds water by having a large surface area and within the nooks and cervices of vast pores. But being porous and made of volcanic glass it allows the excess water to drain away much quickly than any other media. So in case you have really thirsty plants, investing in perlite might not be a good choice. 

Perlite is a non-renewable resource. Which means you can not increase its availability as per your likings as in case with coconut coir. 

Other Perlite Uses:

Perlite as an excellent filtering agent. Beside horticulture, Perlite filters are used in many places to filter beer before getting bottled. 

Buy Organic Perlite | Best Deals On Perlite

Transplanting: How to Transplant in Five Simple Steps

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Judul : Transplanting: How to Transplant in Five Simple Steps
link : Transplanting: How to Transplant in Five Simple Steps

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In case you have seedlings with you and you want to start from seedling and not from the seeds, the following steps will help you.

1.       First make a hole in the ground where you want to transplant the plant. It should be as deep as the height of the container and double of its diameter.

2.       Before transplanting it is almost mandatory to give water to the plant as unless its roots grow it will not be possible for the plant to get water from the soil.

3.       Keep a hold on the stem of the plant and put the pot upside down. Due to gravitation force it will be far easier to take the plant out of the container.

4.       Plant the seedling the same depth as it was in the container.

5.       Cover it with the soil and press gently to ensure the roots are in solid contact with the soil. Make sure the soil remains moist constantly till you see the plant grow.

Try to transplant on a overcast weather condition to give the plant a better chance to adjust to their new home without being withered by direct sun.

Transplanting can be a great way to start gardening as it will definitely increase the chances of survival for the plant and provide the much more enthusiasm for continuing Gardening as a hobby, which has so many benefits of its own.


Check out five cool tips for transplanting a plant in this following video

In case you have seedlings with you and you want to start from seedling and not from the seeds, the following steps will help you.

1.       First make a hole in the ground where you want to transplant the plant. It should be as deep as the height of the container and double of its diameter.

2.       Before transplanting it is almost mandatory to give water to the plant as unless its roots grow it will not be possible for the plant to get water from the soil.

3.       Keep a hold on the stem of the plant and put the pot upside down. Due to gravitation force it will be far easier to take the plant out of the container.

4.       Plant the seedling the same depth as it was in the container.

5.       Cover it with the soil and press gently to ensure the roots are in solid contact with the soil. Make sure the soil remains moist constantly till you see the plant grow.

Try to transplant on a overcast weather condition to give the plant a better chance to adjust to their new home without being withered by direct sun.

Transplanting can be a great way to start gardening as it will definitely increase the chances of survival for the plant and provide the much more enthusiasm for continuing Gardening as a hobby, which has so many benefits of its own.


Check out five cool tips for transplanting a plant in this following video