Best For The Garden

Indoor Gardening Tips

Even if you’re not an avid gardener or flower lover, the sight of a well-maintained indoor garden is impressive. However, if you’ve tried your hand at indoor gardening, it’s not as easy as bringing the plants indoors. Here are some tips to start you off on the right foot.

The first crucial decision has to do with lighting. Ask yourself, exactly how light should I give the plants? Your house may not have enough light for your plants to exist, so this is a prime consideration. Are you prepared to supply your plant with light through artificial means? It could be expensive. If possible, try to select plants that require minimal lighting such as Philodendrons and Boston ferns.

If there are not that many indoor plants, you may consider bringing them out into the sun during the day before bringing them back inside. Think of your plants as batteries. If you expose them to enough sunlight outdoors, they can store this as a reserve source of energy indoors. This is especially effective during summer.

It’s also important that you know how to spot the signs that will tell you whether your plants are getting the right amount of light. One sign is in the leaves. If the plant has small leaves and thin stems, it needs more light. The same is true if the color of the plant turns paler than usual.

You may even have to condition your plants, which is a way of making them used to the lights in your house gradually, especially if they came from a place that has brighter lights than your home. You start by exposing the plants to the brightest possible light in your house. Move them around daily while lessening the amount of light they get, until they reach that point where they are exposed to their regular amounts of light.

When it comes to watering, the rules are fairly simple. Make sure to water the soil thoroughly and to have the water drained at the bottom of the pot. The quantity of water depends on the plant. The biggest mistakes here are not watering them enough or watering them too much, so avoid both. Also, use water that has the same room temperature.

Try to keep the room temperature at an even level, ideally in the 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit range.

Other items such as fertilizers and humidity levels depend a great deal on the type of plants you choose.

Kadence Buchanan
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/indoor-gardening-tips-63604.html

Gardening Tips For Growing Bell Peppers and Strawberries

Bell peppers need nutrient rich soil. They do best in well drained soil, and lots of sun. Raised beds are great for bell peppers, with good topsoil, compost, and rotted manure mixed in.

Your bell peppers grow into small bushes, and need lots of air circulation. Give them enough room by spacing them between 12 and 18 inches apart, and in rows at least 24 to 36 inches apart.

Bell peppers need lots of water during germination. You’ll need to keep them moist but not soggy. If they don’t get enough water, they’ll have a bitter taste. You can use mulches to help keep the soil moist.

You’ll know that your bell peppers are ready to harvest when they turn their final color. They can be red, orange, yellow, green, or purple depending on the variety. The more you harvest, the more will grow, so pick them regularly.

Watermelons

Plant your watermelon after the soil is warm and there’s no danger of frost. Watermelons grow best on a sandy soil, and it’s important to plant them on raised mounds.

Watermelon vines need lots of space. Plant seeds one inch deep in hills spaced 6 feet apart. Make your rows 7 to 10 feet apart. After the seedlings start sprouting, it’s a good idea to thin them to about three plants per hill.

Watermelons have deep roots, so you seldom need to water them. In cooler areas, you can get floating row covers, drip irrigation and black plastic mulch to help produce a great crop in a short season.

Watermelons can be hard to tell when they’re ripe. Here’s a list of things to look for:

# Light green, curly tendrils on the stem
# Surface color of the fruit turns dull
# the skin is tough and resist the thumbnail
# The bottom turns a yellowish color.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are sensitive to grow. The seeds need warm soil, and frost can really injure the seedlings. If you want pumpkins for Halloween, plant the seeds from late May in northern locations to early July in southern places.

Pumpkins need a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Plant seeds one inch deep, and four or five seeds per hill. Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills, spaced in rows 10 to 15 feet apart. Once they have sprouted, thin each hill to the best two or three plants.

Pumpkin plants need to be kept weed-free by hoeing and shallow cultivation. They do okay with short periods of hot, dry weather.

You’ll know when your pumpkins are ready to be harvested when they are a deep, solid orange, and the rind is hard. This will usually be in late September or early October, before heavy frosts. Cut the pumpkins carefully, using pruning shears or a sharp knife, and leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached.

Summer Squash

Summer squash needs warm, fertile, and aerated soil. They do well with soil that has compost or well-rotted manure added to it.

One way to grow summer squash is to plant them in a corner of the garden and train the vines to grow outside of the garden. Plant them about 2 feet apart and in rows that are 2 feet apart.

Summer squash need lots of water throughout the growing season. Water them deeply during dry spells. Only water the roots; not the foliage. Watering them early morning helps prevent mildew.

Summer squash are ready to harvest when they turn their mature color (usually green or yellow). Straightneck, crookneck, and zucchini summer squash are ready when they reach 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, while scallop summer squash are ideal at 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

Strawberries

Plant your strawberries in the spring. If you’re planting young plants, be sure that they’re certified and disease frees. Select plants with large crowns with healthy, light-colored roots. Prepare your soil with 1-2 inches of organic matter (like compost, or well rotted manure).

To plant your strawberry plants, make a hole big enough to spread the roots. Make the center of the hole into a hill, and place the crown at soil level. Spread the roots downward, and bury the strawberry plant so that the soil goes half way up the crown.

Your strawberries will need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. This is especially important during the formation of the strawberry, from early bloom until it’s time to pick them.

Pick your strawberries when they’re fully ripened. This means leaving the berries on the plant for a day or two after they are fully colored. To pick them, snap the stem directly above the berry, rather than pulling on the berry itself.

Allan Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-tips-for-growing-bell-peppers-and-strawberries-129846.html

10 Tips for Organic Gardening Uses of Comfrey

Landscape And Gardening Courses - Tips To Learn Horticulture

If you desire of gaining knowledge about horticulture and if you are determined about it there are lot of knowledge you can achieve yourself without anyone helping you .You can get horticulture related knowledge through books

Irrespective of who the author of the book is, it will definitely have sufficient information about horticulture to start with. There are several institutions that provide licensed courses on cultivation of plants.

There may be some variation in degrees from one institution to another ,but usually the students of horticulture courses will be made to learn all about horticulture for which classes would be conducted and also will be subjected for practical’s where students will be required to get personally involved in the work.

The horticulture programs are designed in such a way so that it prepares the student who are graduates or event students who have just received the degree (high school or college or university). They are well prepared to pursue their careers as a landscapist which involves designing as well the up keeping of the gardening pursuits. This means, the maintenance and improvement of the new and already existing landscapes.

Here in both the situations the person can make money by taking it as a job or doing it as a business on contract basis.

Landscapes can also be re improved or the design can also be changed from time to time to match the present trend and contemporary designs.

There are different programs extended by horticulture courses. Amongst them are an associate’s degree, a common degree and a certificate course in producing an associate degree, a universal certificate, a certificate in production and installation and care.

Most of the horticulture courses place an important and special importance and significance on plant extension and breeding, the plant recognition, nursery, conservation culture, surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots management, illness of plants and infections, the cultivation of trees for the production of timber and the designing, building and upkeep of landscapes.

Other classes may contain practice of woodwork, designing of gardens, scientific study of soil, scientific study of plants, and that studies of the principles of transmitting information and the methods by which it is delivered (as print or radio or television etc. and data processing.

Students who graduate may even be called for
A chemical applicator’s examination:

If you are expecting diploma which is something more than the level of education that college students are assumed to have attained; some educational institutions extend classes in the branch of architecture, dealing with the arrangement of land and buildings for human use and enjoyment, for which there is a Bachelor’s degree.
Graduates will also able to work towards a Graduate level, certificate course of study in designing of Landscape.

There are landscape gardening courses for study that are planned for both a person who pursues an activity in their spare time for pleasure and also for the experts.

Night classes are often Obtainable or accessible by means of a program of instructions designed primarily for adult students who participate part-time. A learner who is enrolled in an educational institution or university for horticulture are commonly individuals who have expressed a concern and he quality of having great facility and competence in field related with The cultivation of plants and all the plant life in particular.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/landscape-and-gardening-courses-tips-to-learn-horticulture-703067.html

Seven Gardening By the Yard Tips

If you have a tiny yard and would like a simple but well-maintained garden, you only need two things - determination and know-how. Here are some tips on how to keep your garden by the yard looking spruced up and glamorous.

1. Deadheading
Keep your border free from wilted flowers and dried leaves. Deadheading or removing dead flower heads will encourage the plants to produce more blooms for longer. Many perennials such as geraniums and dahlias, and some annuals benefit from having spent blooms removed

3. Pinch out tops.
Certain plants - especially foliage plants like Coleus - respond with a spurt of growth when their tops are pinched out. Pinching out makes the plant much bushier and so more blooms are produced. Fuchsias are prone to becoming leggy unless they are pinched out.

4. Fertilize lightly.
A minimal amount of fertilizer will further boost the growth of your vegetation. If you water your yard frequently, you have to fertilize it more regularly because of nutrient depletion. A fortnightly application of liquid fertilizer is sometimes more beneficial than granules as it is more readily absorbed by the leaves. Container plants will be considerably healthier with a half-strength solution of liquid fertilizer applied regularly.

5. Weed out.
This is one of the best ways to preserve the beauty of your garden by the yard. Remember, weeds compete with your plants for both nutrients and moisture. If the weeds are not close to seeding, leave them on the bed to rot down for mulch. If you must use a weedicide, try and get a wick applicator, rather than a spray. This will protect you plants from spray-drift.

6. Water them well
One good tip when it comes to watering your garden by the yard is to give it a thorough soaking once a week, making sure there is no run-off to cause erosion. Deep watering will encourage the growth of deeper roots that will be able to withstand dry spells weatherwise

7. Say no to chemicals
Chemicals are dangerous to humans and often kill the natural predators of the pest in your garden, so avoid them if possible. There are many organic alternatives that work almost as well.

With these simple tips, your garden by the yard will soon be the envy of your neighbors.

Nicky Pilkington
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/seven-gardening-by-the-yard-tips-11186.html

Fall Gardening Tips

Fall is a great time to be outdoors in the garden, the temperatures are perfect and the colors can be amazing. If you’re looking for projects which will extend the gardening season and give you a reason to be outside, fear not, there’s still plenty to do.

As the season moves along, perennials and annuals should be deadheaded, even right though the early fall months. Further along, towards late fall, these plants need to be cut back to the ground as they begin to die back. Though this can wait until spring I like to do it in the late fall, there are too many other projects to worry about in the spring. Late fall is the ideal time to cut back your perennial garden as some perennials, though finished blooming, have great fall colors. Let them stand until the end of the season. Some, such as Balloon Flower and Astilbe turn beautiful shades of yellow and gold. Others retain their striking form and develop interesting seed heads, such as black eyed Susan and Sedum “Autumn Joy”.

As the annuals die or begin to look a bit spent, remove them and add them to your compost pile. There a few fall blooming plants that you can replace them with . Aster and chrysanthemum are the most common. They can add vibrant color to your garden up until late November.

Avoid pruning shrubs too late into the season, this can often encourage new growth which may be susceptible to winter kill if it did not have tine harden off. After deciduous shrubs become dormant in the winter pruning is fine for general shaping.

Examine your garden, are there any shrubs which are outgrowing their allotted space? Fall is a great time for transplanting shrubs. The cooler weather results in less stress for a newly transplanted shrub. There’s generally more rain in the fall as well which also helps reduce stress. Plant new shrubs during the fall for the same reasons. Especially since you may be able to find great deals during late season sales at your local nursery. Be sure to stake new trees and shrubs which may vulnerable during winter snows.

Plant bulbs before the ground freezes, they’re are a great way to add early spring color to the garden. Bulbs are also great way to naturalize your landscape. Daffodils, scilla, and bluebells are wonderful when planted beneath a large shade tree. Tulips and hyacinths are better suited to for formal settings such as a perennial border.

After the ground is frozen, cover plants which require winter protection with hay or evergreen branches, especially in areas that are cold but have little snow. Perennials will benefit from winter protection.

Though things seem to be winding down as the winter approaches, a quick walk through the garden will reveal a number of project still to be done.

Tim Hallinan
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/fall-gardening-tips-73437.html

Tips For Gardening

i am looking for the network that help with gardening tips?

where to go if i needs tips on how to make my outdoor look beautiful

I definitely like Gardenweb.com. When I was new to gardening, I would go there and ask questions and there were many knowledgeable people - some were a bit rude though, because they really knew their stuff.

I’ve also gone to Better Homes & Gardens website. They will even give you plans that you can use in your yard and tell you how many flowers to buy and where to place them. Many beautiful things to choose from.

If you sign up for seed/plant cataloges, you can get their newsletters via email that give many helpful hints.

February Gardening Tips for Southern California

February weather can be a big question mark. The month can bring an abundance of warm, spring-type weather or rain soaked, wintery days. Regardless of temperature and moisture variations, gardeners can get a jump on their spring gardens by planting a variety of flowers and vegetables in February.

Summer Bulbs: Time to pull out summer bulbs from the refrigerator and plant them. These bulbs include tulips, crocus, amaryllis, daffodils and delphiniums. Some bulbs can be purchased and planted without the chilling process and should be in stock at nurseries. They include Dutch iris, lily, gladiolus and begonia.

Plant Vegetables: Warmer temperatures give gardeners the green light to plant asparagus, onions, beets, Brussels sprouts, cilantro, chives, lettuce, rutabaga and morrow squash. These hardy plants can withstand a quick blast of cold temperatures and still grow vigorously. In warmer inland areas, plant tomatoes at the end of the month. Fruit will appear by Memorial Day.

Save Money, Plant From Seed: One easy way to save money in the garden this year is to plant from seed instead of buying mature plants from the nursery. Flower seeds that can be planted now for spring and summer-blooms include Bachelor buttons, California poppy, larkspur and wildflowers.

Plant An Herb Garden: Mild winters enable Southern California gardeners to begin planting herbs in February. Plant chive, cilantro, dill, fennel, mint and parsley even if more rain is in the forecast.

Tackle Weeds Now: Rain promotes winter weeds. Remove weeds with a hoe before they get too big. Don’t put weeds in a compost pile. If you do, the resulting mulch will spread weed seeds throughout your garden.

Bill Camarillo
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/february-gardening-tips-for-southern-california-746294.html

Summer Gardening Tips

Don’t be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. I spent 20 years landscaping homes and businesses, and I watched people make the investment in my services, then they failed to prune when the plants needed it, and before you know it their landscape looked terrible.

  If you make a mistake pruning, don’t worry about it. It’s like a bad haircut, it will grow out. Of course use common sense and read the previous articles that I’ve written on pruning. 

Along with summertime comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don’t water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down on the chance of fungus being a problem.

  One of the more common fungi that I get asked about a lot is powdery mildew. This appears as a white film on the leaves of ornamental plants. Dogwoods and Purple Sandcherry are often the victim of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew isn’t extremely harmful to the plants, it’s just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you’d like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal.  

If you have Perennial Rye Grass in your lawn, and you probably do if you’re in the north, you must be careful not to leave your grass wet at night. There is a fungus known as Pythium Blight that appears in very humid conditions. This fungus attacks and kills perennial rye grasses. Here in the north most of our lawns are a blend of fescues, perennial ryes, and Kentucky Blue Grass.  

If you have problems with Pythium blight you will lose the perennial rye grass in large areas of your lawn, and even though the other grasses will still be there and fill in, your lawn will have areas that are much darker green than the rest of the lawn because you will then have concentrations of Kentucky Blue Grass. 

You can see this fungus in the early morning. It looks like white cotton candy laying on top of your lawn. It usually appears along walks and driveways where the soil is wet if you have been watering.  To prevent Pythium blight water as early in the day as possible.

Another nasty little blight that likes summertime is Fire Blight. Fire Blight attacks ornamentals, especially Apple trees, Crabapple trees, Cotoneasters, and Pyracantha. You know you have Fire Blight when a branch on one of your plants dies and turns almost red. The leaves usually hang on but turn reddish brown. The damage usually starts out near the end of the branch and works its way toward the main stem of the plant. There is little you can do except prune out the affected branch, cutting it as far back as possible.

  Fire Blight is very contagious to plants so you should burn the branches you prune out. You should also dip or wash your pruning shears in rubbing alcohol after each cut to keep from spreading this deadly fungus.

Unfortunately, I’ve got one more summertime culprit to warn you about. It’s a handy little fungus that grows in mulch. Actually there are all kinds of fungi that tend to grow in mulches, and most of them are really disgusting looking. But this little gem is unique in the fact that as it grows it tends to swell. Then somehow it manages to explode, and it will spatter your house with tiny brown specks. The experts have appropriately named this one “Shotgun Fungus”. Isn’t that a cute name?

  These tiny little brown specks will fly as high as eight feet into the air, and once they stick to your house or windows, they stick like glue. I know that right now there are people hollering across the house at their spouse, “Hey, remember those brown specks all over the house? I know what they are. It’s from the mulch!” Tell me I’m wrong, but I know I’m not.

  A lot of people are victims of this nasty little fungus, but they don’t know it. All they know is that there are tiny brown specks on the house that look like paint. So far they have blamed everything from spiders to aliens.

  There’s not a lot you can do to prevent this fungus. I have found that if you keep the mulch loose so air can circulate it is less likely to grow fungi. Don’t just keep adding layer after layer to the mulch around your house. You should skip at least every other year and just loosen the mulch you already have down. If you loosen it and then rake it flat it will look like you’ve just mulched.  Mulch is great, just don’t let it get packed down hard.  Loosen it up at least once a year.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.  Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com/

Michael J. Mcgroarty
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/summer-gardening-tips-3975.html