Best For The Garden

gardening tips and advice e.g for ponds flower beds patio and deckings?

my garden is very very large its like a farm maybe a bit bigger
me and my boyfriend moved there 2 months ago and want to start work on it

If you are interested in having a pond, I suggest you go to koiphen.com. This is s free site that has alot of info on all kinds of ponds, ie: mud ponds, goldfish, koi, water gardens etc. Many of the nice folks on this site live on large farm like lands and have many ideas for not only ponds but gardens. Good Luck!

How long after a ‘best before’ date are vegetables safe to use?

I want to try out a recipe tonight with some veg (ie carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and onions) I’ve had in my fridge for a couple of weeks, but their best before dates are all between the 8th and 10th of May. They look fine but are they still ok to use or shall I just go and get some more?!

Most veggies can be stored for a very long time at the right conditions (dry, cool). Unless there is any mold or slime on the veggies you should be able to use them. The main problem is that older veggies are often somewhat soft and not crunchy anymore but that does not matter if you cook them anyways. Since these veggies are all solid ( eg don’t use already cut onions that are past the exp. date) any microorganism growth can not penetrate the veggie very far/fast, so even if one end of the veggie seems to be somewhat soft/ moldy (often happens with onions) you can still use the good part of it.

what are the best pumpkins seeds for growing giant pumokins?

i have used dills atlantic giant seeds that i got a the home depot for 4$ , for the best seeds can they be regualr store bought packs or do they need to be specialy orferd from a 1000+ pound pumpkin.
if they do where can i buy them.

The next time that you grow giant pumpkins. after the vines produce flowers that will become pumpkins, remove half of the flowers.The plant maintains its power to produce pumpkins, but it can only make half of them, resulting in larger pumpkins.

What is the best way to polinate tomatoes if no bees are present?

Are there any videos that i can look at ?

Have a friend in Alaska who raises tomatoes in a greenhouse there. Pollination is by means of an electric toothbrush

Name few perennials that perform fine under shady conditions?

I have lawn that receives 8 hours of sun light in summer and only 4 hours in winter. SO name few perennials that can flower well under such conditions. DOn,t tell me about impatiens and geraniums. I already have them.
I live in Islamabad, pakistan. The 8 hour sun that lawn receives is mostly filtered one.

MASTER GARDENER TO THE RESCUE!

Colorful shady loving perennials… easy. here are a few.

ajuga
anemone (some)
vinca
lily turf
ginger lily
coral bells
blue bells
primrose
chinese foxglove
begonia
cast iron plant
columbine
forget-me-not
lobelia (most)
senecio x hybridus
clivia miniata
coleus hybridus
campanula (some)
digitalis
acanthus mollis

…to name a few.

For a complete list that will do well in your area contact your local Cooperative Extension or County Farm Advisor’s office and speak with a MASTER GARDENER.

UK - whats the best product to use to get rid of ants nest in the garden?

Ive got ant nests in my garden, some summers they turn into flying ants, and I just want to know the best thing to get rid of them.

I live in the uk.

Thanks.
xx

nippon is pretty good, you get it in wilko’s i think - either that or a few kettles of boiling water usually upset them a bit!

Tomato Gardening- 5 Tips To Grow These Luscious Fruits At Home

The following tips is all you need to know for growing a bountiful of beautiful tomatoes. Gardening tomatoes are not at all difficult, all it requires are some attention and care while you get started. Most tomato varieties require just the same or slightly different strategies for effective produce hence tips for gardening tomatoes is the same for all types and varieties.

The tips to be followed for gardening tomatoes, both indoors as well as outdoors are given below. They are very effective by being organic in nature so as to prevent concerns about using pesticides or herbicide in the garden

*The plant should be deep inside the gravel of the garden or the container. Make sure that the entire roots are two or three inches inside the soil. This should be ensured specially if a tomato variety is of the large type. If the tomato plants are rooted shallow they will require support or staking as it will fall over when it starts to bear fruit. The best of tips from the gardening experts on tomato are to see that the seedling is buried up to the last bottom leaves.

*Plant the tomatoes under direct or indirect sunlight and also in moist soil. The soil should be damp but not water saturated. Watch out for signs of the leaves appearing dry or curling in which case the plant needs more water. This requires immediate attention.

* Prior to farming, Stake or tomato cages are to be placed around the plants so as to prevent the plant from falling over or being uprooted. This tip should be given due importance. Also gardening tomatoes require advanced planning to ensure that the plant matures properly.

To begin with the quality of the seed is of utmost importance. It is important to find out what are the varieties that grow best and in which soil and stay with what works best. The Heirloom varieties of tomatoes are a good option to plant as this variety has a natural immunity to most type of soil. It also has a natural immunity to plant insects and plant diseases.

* Do mulch around the tomato plant. It’s a must even when it is planted inside a container. Mulching will prevent weed growing around while conserving the moisture.

*The leaves at the bottom of the tomato plant needs to be removed as they start ageing. The first signs of ageing appear on the bottom leaves as brown spots, moulds or fungus. This is because the moisture levels vary at the bottom of the plant and the absence of enough sunshine on these leaves.

These tomato Gardening Tips and techniques are for keeping the plants healthy and to get a bountiful yield. For an interesting start up its better to try the heirloom variety or the yellow and even the purple variety of tomatoes. The tips and advice for tomato gardening and the strategies will all be the same for different varieties of tomatoes and of course for the standard varieties most gardeners love growing.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tomato-gardening-5-tips-to-grow-these-luscious-fruits-at-home-753735.html

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