Do It Yourself Gardening and Landscape Design

Posts Tagged ‘Soil Drainage’

Gardening Made Easy

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

The following guidelines pertain to plants recently transplanted into the garden. Most plants should have a label listing its intended zone. Before purchasing plants find out exactly which zone you live in and purchase plants hardy enough for your zone.

Pruning is done primarily for the following reasons: Promote flowering Promote higher fruit yield Improve the health of trees, shrubs and plants Improve aesthetics / appearance Control growth Maintain a desired shape Removal of dead, damaged, diseased, and infested limbs. Pinch off spent blossoms as they die to keep the plants looking their best and to help promote more flowers. When winter arrives you will need to prepare your garden, this will minimize the cold damage to the plant and ensure the plants will survive in the spring. It will also give the plants protection from northerly winds. Weather or seasonal changes, may have an effect on plants and they will need to adapt to survive unsympathetic conditions through a progression which is called dormancy. Fertilizing plants is a great way to keep your plants healthy is doesn’t matter if you are in temperate areas you should still fertilize them even though they will grow throughout the fall and winter.

The arrival of warmer temperatures and longer days cause the plants to wake up naturally from their winter dormancy and help insure gardening success. Bare root plants are easy to handle.

The soil should not appear clumpy or clay-like. Fertilizer should also be added to the soil at this point. Make sure the area you are planting has good soil drainage. Do not plant in areas where the soil stays constantly damp.

Many homeowners often find a tree, shrub or plant that just isn’t right for a particular location and decide to transplant it to a different location. When you are transplanting shrubs, plants or trees it is very important to realize that great care needs to be taken and understanding on how to care for an established plant of tree when transplanting it to a different location, sometimes the plant or tree might go into “shock”. The art of training the bonsai tree has been enjoyed for ages, and can make for quite the enjoyable and rewarding hobby.

After planting your new plant or transplanting your plant here are some points you should remember.

1. After htransplanting a plant make sure you keep the plant watered a lot.

2. If you have planted plants in a pot make sure they have considerable drainage.

3. Don’t over water your plants

4. Don’t underwater your plants

5. It is a good idea to mix fertilizer when watering.

6. Always Place the plant in a protected, shady location and water thoroughly.

Once your plants begin to blossom you will need to check your plants or trees for Japanese Beatles. Japanese Beatles will eat all the leaves from your plants, if this happens the tree or plant will die.

In conclusion, if you take of your plants or trees they will grow and flourish.

David Marc Fishman
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-made-easy-88371.html

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How To Make An Organic Garden

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Every spring, whether northern or southern hemisphere, many people begin to think about gardening. Some have been gardening every year since they were old enough to help in the family garden back of the house. Others have begun gardening only recently. Most have questions, though.

How to make an organic garden is a question that arises more frequently these days, as people become more concerned about health issues. They want to know that the produce they are eating is good for their health and safe for their families to eat. They want to begin an organic garden.

Many books have been written about how to make an organic garden, and we cannot compete with them in one article, but we offer here 7 basic steps for beginners.

How to Make an Organic Garden – Step #1

Begin your organic garden by learning your plant hardiness zone. You will need to know your climate, and what organic produce will grow best there. If you live in the United States, you can access the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map on many gardening sites or seed websites. Planting directions on seed packets are based on the average last frost date. The last frost date for your area will be the last spring day when you might have a killing frost.

How to Make an Organic Garden – Step #2

After you have determined your local climate, it is time to choose a location on your property for your organic garden. The area most convenient to your back door may not be the best for an organic garden. Look for a location that never has standing water. Your plants need good soil drainage. Check to see if the plants will be protected from the wind. Will your organic garden be close to water so you can easily care for it?

How to Make an Organic Garden – Step #3

Next, you will need to test the soil for your organic garden. In the U.S., check online for your county or state Home/Agricultural Extension Service. They will guide you in taking soil samples from different areas of the location you chose for your organic garden. Be sure you label each sample of soil as to part of the garden, and send it to be analyzed. This analysis will help you know what to add to the soil for a great harvest. Remember, one of the basic things you will do in your organic garden is to feed the soil so the soil can feed the plants.

How to Make an Organic Garden – Step #4

Order seeds, using information about your climate and soil. Be sure you order certified organic seed so that you can have an authentic organic garden. A good online seed supply source is Main Street Seed and Supply. You can buy as little as a teaspoon of seed for a small organic garden, or pounds of organic seed for farming. While ordering seeds, be sure to include onions, garlic, and marigold flowers. These plants can be a first line of defense in an organic garden’s pest control program.

How to Make an Organic Garden – Step #5

While you wait for your seeds to arrive, you need to prepare the organic garden bed. If there is grass growing in the location, removed it first. Use a sharp, flat-edged spade to slice out the sod. Shake off as much soil as you can, and remove the grass from the area. Till the soil to a depth of about 12″, and work in organic fertilizer, checking your soil analysis to know what amendments are needed.

How to Make an Organic Garden – Step #6

If you have organic seedlings to plant, water them well the day before you intend to plant them in the organic garden. The best time to set them in the garden is a still, overcast day. If you must plant on a sunny day, take care not to stress the plants more than necessary. Use the seedlings’ pots to determine how deeply to plant them.

If you are planting seeds in your organic garden, follow instructions that come with each type of seed.

How to Make an Organic Garden – Step #7

Apply organic mulch soon after planting. Mulch conserves water, cools soil, and keeps weeds at bay. If you use compost, chipped bark, shredded bark, shredded, shredded leaves, or straw, your mulch will also improve soil quality in your organic garden. Apply 2 to 4 inches of mulch, being careful not to get it too close to the plant stems. Mulch can rot the stems. It can also become a hideout for nibbling little garden mice.

Organic Garden Tip:

Label your plant rows and keep a record of your garden’s progress. Save seed information for everything in your organic garden. A garden journal, with photos throughout the gardening season, will help you know what you want to repeat or change in next year’s organic garden.

Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-make-an-organic-garden-134179.html

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,