Posts Tagged ‘garden tips’
Growing gardenias.
27
Jun
Gardenia plants are difficult, but if you understand the needs of them, you can grow them indoors or outdoors, depending on the climate. As a houseplant, they seem to wither most of the time. With proper care, you can grow beautiful and fragrant shrubs successfully all year around.
The Gardenia originated in China and Japan and when grown in the southern gardening zones 9 and 10, can be grown up to six feet tall depending on the species. When you planting gardenias, consider the east or west side of your home. Be sure that the soil is well drained and has a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Preferred temperatures range from 68 to 74 degrees with a low of 60 at night. Add peat moss, which will help it retain moisture without allowing it to get too wet.
Gardenias like humidity, but misting the leaves could spell out problems as the water can lead to fugus on the leaves. Be sure also that the plants are not too close together, as a lack of airflow will also lead to growth of fungus. If you are planting them indoors, be sure that the top soil is dry, using your finger, then soak with water. All water in the catch tray should be drained.
April through November, you should fertilize the plants monthly. Use a fertilizer for azaleas. Prune the Gardenia plants right after the flowers stop blooming. This will encourage new growth and more frequent blooming.
When planting them outdoors, dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. Be sure that the top of the root ball is slightly above the soil’s surface. Eliminate air when covering the root ball, then water thoroughly.
There are more than 200 species of gardenias, some of which are believed to have medicinal properties. However, please do not consume any part of the plant without speaking with an expert. The most common gardenia types are:
• Gardenia Jasminoides–This is the most common type of gardenia, which gets up to two feet tall. It is named for its fragrance which reminds some of jasmine.
• Gardenia Thunbergia–Also known as Star Gardenia, this can be grown as a tree or a shrub and gets to be about four feet tall.
• Gardenia Nitida–This species gets up to three feet tall and produces white flowers.
• Gardenia Radicans Floreplena–This is a Japanese dwarf variety that gets to about 18 inches and produces double blooms.
The best way to protect any plant from pests is to keep it healthy and prevent over-crowding. Other common causes of insect problems include allowing too much moisture to sit on the leaves and not maintaining the proper temperature and moisture levels. Keeping gardenias in the proper conditions goes a long way toward protecting them from common pests.
The number one thing to remember about gardenias is, if you are patient you will be rewarded.
When to fertilize your yard.
15
Jun
As most of you know it is a huge effort to make your lawn perfect. One of the best things you can do is fertilize your grass at least once or twice a year. There is some debate over when you should fertilize though.
Southern Lawn Care: The timing of fertilizing your yard is based on where you live. Shop for fertilizer that has three active compontents: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Nitrogen will help to keep your grass green, if you purchase a fertilizer with higher amounts of nitrogen, the best time to fertilize is in the fall in warmer parts of the country. You will want to fertilize in the fall as temperatures begin to go below 70 degrees if you are using a phosphorous based fertilizer. This will assist in growing a strong root system. Potassium will assist in the health and heartiness of your lawn. Some manufacturers offer mixtures based on where you live.
Northern Lawn Care: In cooler regions, there are two key periods for fertilizer: mid spring when the last frost is over and early fall when temperatures get below 70 degrees. Fertilizing at these times of the year will assist you in less weeds so that you don’t have to waste money feeding them as well.
Gloves you may want to consider to protect your hands.
25
May
Though you will have many tools that will be utilized in your garden, your most used tool will be your hands. You use your hands for dividing, mulching, digging and weeding, and though there are tools you can purchase to do these jobs, it is often much easier just to use your hands. You will need to protect all of your tools, including your hands. We will review gloves now. We will look at each of the jobs and the right glove for each.
There are lots of different gloves to choose from for basic gardening. You have choices of composites, leather and cotton gloves. Cotton gloves are cheap yes, but they wear quickly and weigh a lot when they are wet. All leather gloves are better, but still get wet and are better protection for thorns.
The new spandex/lycra composites fit relatively well for men but women have a harder time making them work. There are one size fits all gloves, are stylish and colorful and do not hold water at all. They keep the moisture away and last well due to the hard wearing nylon on the palms and fingers. These are great for the ladies but not so much for the guys. Bionic gloves look familiar if you have ever seen sports and they are tough and convenient.
Rubber coated gloves are great for comfort and if wetness is a major factor, work wonderfully. Mudgloves shed water well and come in lots of colors and are reasonably priced.
When working on rose bushes and dealing with the thorns that come with these beautiful flowers, there are rose gauntlets with protection to the elbow. If you have rose bushes, you will definately want to consider these.
If you are one of those people who don’t particularly like gloves, the answer may be the new spray on gloves. These are a silicon spray that seals the hands from grime and cleaning up is a breeze.
These are all ideas to protect your most precious tools: your hands.
Growing a peach tree from a pit.
04
May
A peach tree can be grown from a pit or a seed, but be sure that a peach tree can be grown in your zone.
You must be in the right zone in order to grow a peach tree. To be sure that you can grow a peach tree in your zone, you can go to the Arbor Day Foundation website and look in the resource center. You will need to enter your zip code and it will let you know they types of trees that you can grow based on where you reside.
Now gather pits. You may consider sampling peaches from the trees of neighbors or farmer’s markets. Once you find a peach that you find tasty, save the seed for your own tree.
One method for germinating the seed is to satisfy the seed. It must get cold before it will germinate. Collect peach seeds during summer months and sow them directly into the ground in the fall. Be sure the area is free of weeds and grass before planting. The seeds must be planted 4 inches deep and in a row. Mulch the area and be sure to mark the row. In the spring, the seed will begin to sprout. You will want to water during dry spells.
Another method is to place the seed in a small pot or cup filled with potting soil three months before your last frost. Be sure that the pot is no bigger than a ziploc baggie. First, dampen the soil but not make the soil too soggy. Now take the pot out of the bag and place in a sunny spot in the house. Keep the soil moist and temperature at around 70 degrees. Transplant the tree in the spring. Again, plant the seed 4 inches deep and in a row. Be sure to mulch and mark your rows so that they do not get mowed. Be sure to water during dry spells.
