Nematode problem in the garden

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For a successful gardening nematode control is very essential. Now what is a nematode? A nematode refers to small microscopic, small round worms. They live in the soil and can cause a great damage to the roots of the plants. They interrupt plants normal process of taking water and other nutrients through the roots by burrowing into them. As a result various knobs are formed in the roots of the plant.

The most common of all the nematodes is root knot nematode (as it causes knots to the roots of many vegetables). Root knot nematodes affect a vast range of plants including Potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, roses etc.

  

The nematode infection is more common in sandy soil. Check out more on soil classification here. The nematodes cause shunted and low or no yielding plants.

How to battle this problem? As they say prevention is better than cure. There is hardly anything you can do to treat the infected plants. The best methods are preventive in nature.

There can be several ways you can fight this problem

Experts suggest that crop rotation is the best way to combat. Once you have used a place to grow vegetables in the next step use non-susceptible plant like grass in that area. Without the host the nematodes will starve and the population will reduce. Other than grass you can also use some resistant varieties of the vegetables to reduce nematode population.

If you are purchasing transplant, go for the nematode free variety only.

After harvesting crops, till the soil, and expose the roots in the sun. The effect of direct sunlight is fatal to the nematodes.

Planting marigold plants as companion along with other vegetables can help reducing nematode population. They release some chemical from their roots which are toxic to the nematodes.

A healthy soil itself acts as a buffer to nematode problems. In a healthy soil, nematodes as well as their parasites (various microorganisms) are present. So this will keep the nematode population to a check. You can keep your soil healthy by regularly adding compost, manures and mulch.

Solarization is also a very good way to reduce nematode and various weeds.

Having said that; not all nematodes present in the soil are bad for plants. There are several beneficial nematodes are present in the soil which helps in checking other pest problems for the plant. Nematodes can rarely move a long distances. In most of cases diseases spread by human interference. So the more hygiene you maintain in your garden lesser the chances of spreading.

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Onion Growing tips

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Today we are going to discuss about some growing tips of Onions. Though it...

Today we are going to discuss about some growing tips of Onions. Though it is not one of the easiest vegetables to grow, it is not very hard either. You can definitely try your hands on them provided you know some basic information.

Onions can be off various types: red, white, or yellow/brown. It can be round, or spindle shaped.

How to Plant?

You can grow onions from seeds, smaller bulbs or transplant.

If you are planning to start with the seeds, it is better to first grow the seedlings indoors. Use special seedling trays (or can alternatively opt for used Egg cartons) and good quality potting soil.

If you are planning to buy transplants from the market, talk to your nearest garden or nursery shop. Though in transplant, the choice of variety is limited, the survival chances are pretty high.  

You can also grow onions from immature bulbs. The best part of choosing bulb is that it is easy to plant, less disease prone and earliest to harvest. Choose bulbs which are smaller in size (diameter less than ½ “). The big sized bulbs are much more prone to bolting.

Onions need sunny weather. 6 hours of full sunlight is ideal for the plants.
Raised garden beds are a very good option for growing onions. It provides warm soil and ideal air circulation to the plant. The ideal pH range is from 6 to 7. If your soil is not in this range you can make it to that region by adding Limestone (if your soil pH is lesser than that), or Peat moss (if your soil pH is greater than that).

Adding sufficient amount of compost also help in reducing the pH of the soil as well as provide the nutrient to the plant.Whatever you do make sure the soil have a very good drainage. Good soil drainage is compulsory for growing onions.

Plant them 4” apart. It will make the onions to mature fully. In case you are planning to harvest green onions (scallions), you can leave a smaller space (2”).

Onions have shallow root system. Which means, that the roots can not get water from the depth of the soil and so take it mostly from the surface and little beneath. Which means while watering, you need to make sure the base of the plant doesn’t become dry. Over watering can also be a problem. One of the sign that your plant is getting more water than needed is tinge of yellow on the leaves. If you find that happening with your plant, reduce the amount of water.

Onions can not compete with most of the weeds. So make sure your soil has minimal or no weeds. You can check organic weed control to know more on how can you remove weeds from your garden. Using a thick layer of Mulch can be a good idea.

Growing onions is all about getting the bulbs. Once you see the top of the plant turns brown or yellow, you should be ready to harvest.

Pull or dig the onions out.  After that, leave them in the open sun for two days to dry.  This will help prevent rotting.  

After drying, the skin of the onion will have a uniform texture. Now it is time trim the roots and detach the stem from the bulb. Remove any soil that is present in the skin.

These onions are now ready to eat. You can store them in plastic bags and keep them in dry and well-ventilated space. We have discussed how to store various vegetables in our earlier article. You can check that article if you want to know about the basics of vegetable storing.

Onion is a very versatile crop. They are used in so many recipes. We are sure you will enjoy the vegetable much more once you grow them in front of your eyes.  

Have any more questions? Check out FAQs about onion growing.

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Pruning Tomato plants | How to prune tomato plants for maximum yield

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Pruning tomato plants is one of the most important decisions you need to make if you want to grow tomatoes. And in this article we will give you an idea about pruning. If you are new to tomato gardening I suggest you read our earlier articles on tomato growing before reading further.

You can find the earlier article here.

Read Basic Tomato Growing Tips 

Now lets start with the basics. Pruning tomatoes can be a very simple process. Sometimes the process is also called "trimming tomato plants". You just need to find the suckers and snap them off with your two fingers (thumb and index finger).

Tomato suckers are easy to find. They grow in between the main stem and the branches. Though we call these “SUCKERS”, these are actually the branches of the plant in initial stage. If you leave them to grow they will soon become fully grown branches and grow fruits on them.

So you might be thinking if those are the branches and also give fruit why are we talking about removing them? The fact is the branches of the plant though will grow fruits; the number is far less compared to the main stem and main branches. Most of the energy which the suckers or these branches receive will go into making foliage and more branches. It will ultimately make the plant outgrow its space in the garden.

Why you should think about Pruning tomato plants :

The pruning is done so that the plant directs its energy towards producing larger fruit than to develop foliage. Though the foliage will also develop fruit also, but the overall size of the fruit through out the plant will be much smaller. Lesser foliage also reduces the pest problem and is easier to take care.

Pruning also helps the plant in receiving much more sunlight and better air circulation though out their body. Better sunlight and airflow also means more energy and lesser diseases for the plant.

Having said that, Though tomato pruning is an essential step in tomato plants care, it is not compulsory that you need to prune each tomato plant. Let us understand why:

There are basically two types of tomato plants: Determinate type and Indeterminate type. The first type will grow to a certain height and produce fruit at one go. So in that case if you remove the suckers, the fruit bearing capacity of the plant is greatly reduced. As it will not grow vertically the total fruit yield will be pretty low. In case your plant is of indeterminate type, pruning will actually help increasing the fruit quality. It will also help the plant not to get out of control and the supporting nets will be able to hold the plant.

It is best to pluck the suckers when they are very young. The younger they are, easier it is to prune. In case they got a little thicker and it becomes harder to prune with the fingers, you can use a sharp knife to cut them off. Sometimes the suckers grow so thick that it can be detrimental for the plant to remove those; in this condition it is wise to leave them as it is.

Please bear in mind that pruning tomato plants is NOT absolutely necessary. You can definitely choose not to prune and still enjoy an acceptable amount of yield. Pruning is a method of enhancing the production, resulting bigger and tastier tomatoes. it also increases the number of fruits.

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Read more about tomatoes: 
Tomato Growing Tips
Top 8 pests of Tomatoes
Simple steps to save tomato seeds

Indoor Gardening: Part I

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All most all of the topics we have discussed earlier is on Outdoor gardening. This is our first initiative towards indoor gardening.  We are hopeful that you will like this as well. If you have any suggestions please put them in the comment box.

Now a day’s most of us live in apartments where there is no extra space or even balconies to practice gardening outdoor. So the only choice we are left with to do it indoor. Even if you have outdoor gardens, adding some plants indoor will definitely add a sense of life to your house. Though it is true you can not grow all the plants indoor, but there are so many of them which you can try your hands on.

But before planting indoors, you really need to understand the light condition in your room. Most of the plants requires direct sunlight (check out our earlier article about sunlight and its impact on plantation: SUN OR NO SUN) but the amount of can vary tremendously from plant to plant. Some plants even can thrive in absence of direct sunlight. But how much light is the least requirement for growing a plant? There is a saying that if you cannot read a book due to darkness the place is also not suitable for growing a plant.

So before start planting indoors, you need to first understand about some geography. If your room is south facing; you will receive the maximum amount of direct sunlight. Whereas if your room is north facing you will receive bright light but the chances are that there will be lack of direct sunlight. East and west facing rooms receives morning and evening sunlight respectively. Now according to your room position choose the plant which is best for the location.

You also need to select the variety of the plant carefully, unlike outdoor gardening; the growing space inside a house can be limited. Some plants can be toxic if ingested. So in case you have pets or toddlers it is sensible to avoid those plants. Some plants have sharp edged leaves which can hurt so if you have already decide to plant those pick a spot where there will be very less traffic.

Use the soil mix which can drain easily. Watering your indoor plants can be very tricky. As there are lack of direct sunlight in most of the cases the last thing you can do is to drown them in water. There is no hard and fast rule for this. But the plants which stay in direct sunlight will require frequent watering than those which are not. You have to experiment a bit to find a proper watering schedule.

Some indoor plants require much more humidity than others; these plants are a good choice to place in the bathrooms.

One of the important parts of practicing good indoor gardening is to prune regularly to keep it in proper shape. We have discussed a bit of pruning in our article about Bonsai. If you want to know more click hereto check the article.

We will discuss more in our following articles about indoor gardening and other gardening related activities. Please let us know what you think about this article. Your constant feedback keeps us going.

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Pest Control in A Biological Way

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Today we will talk about biological pest controlling. You must have heard that in many places in the world, people are using poultry birds such as Chickens, Ducks, or Guineas to control pests in their garden. Today we will discuss about these methods and their pros and cons.

Raising chickens or ducks etc is it self a fun activity. The experience of waking up in the morning with a rooster crowing can be very pleasing. They provide a fresh supply to your food requirements. But there are more to eggs and meats; you can use these birds to control your garden pests. Yes that’s right. Poultry birds in particular are natural insect feeders. They eat grasshoppers, millipedes, ticks and literally any type of insect which generally flourish in the garden.

Apart from these garden pests, they also provide natural defense to your house from scorpions, mice, termites etc. Chickens also provide dropping which can be a very good fertilizer for the plants.

Muscovy Ducks are famous for eating mosquitoes. You might have heard that in USA several centuries ago ducks have been introduced for controlling mosquitoes. They eat the larvae of the mosquitoes when they are in water and can even catch the adult if they fly nearby. Even the small duckling can do a pretty good job in controlling mosquitoes.

Some people have also used chicken for tilling the gardens. Chicken usually till the soil in search of insects. It is also helpful in controlling weeds (More on weed control can be found here). But it is best to apply this technique before the plantation otherwise in search of food they can even uproot or gobble your dear plants.

While talking about pest controlling birds, the most famous of them is Guinea fowl. They look like small chicken sized vultures. The birds are voracious eaters. They eat ticks, flies, beetles, bugs and even snakes. They will also protect the territory like no other. Some times like a barking dog, they make so much noise in case they saw any intrusion. Just remember, in case you are buying Guineas buy the younger ones. The adult fowl are hard to domesticate and have the tendency to escape. You can also keep guineas and chickens together; they don’t harm the each other.

Another option is raring Turkeys. Apart from their delicious meat, you can use them in pest controlling. They will also prevent your garden from grasshoppers, cabbage-worms and many other insects. But keep a leash on them when your garden has seedlings. Letting them roam freely in the garden in these times can be disastrous for your Garden.

Chickens, Ducks, Guineas or turkey are no doubt can be a very good addition to your backyard. If used with caution these can give a strong boost to your pest controlling measures and in turn help you in doing gardening organically.

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