Plants – Most Excellent Garden

Greenhouse Gardening

Those who take gardening seriously know there are times of the year when you need plants to grow, but the weather outside will simply not cooperate. There are some plants that need extra heat, and the climate is just not right. For these occasions, greenhouse gardening is a great way to get what you need. Some love this for getting plants going before it is time to plant them, and that means they are well ahead of the game when spring has sprung. For others, this allows them to have plants that would otherwise fail when the temperatures dip too low.

Most people won’t need a very large greenhouse, but what you want to get will be up to you. If you think you need more room, go ahead and get the size that seems right. Greenhouse gardening allows for new options, and some find they like it so much that they are suddenly out of room for all of the plants they wish to have. When this happens, it might be a scramble to get an addition or even a larger space. When choosing your space for greenhouse gardening, always go a little bigger than you think is just right for you.

The best greenhouses are the ones that have a great seal, and that allow in as much natural light as possible. They should also have tiles that vent in fresh air when needed. The whole point of greenhouse gardening is to let in and trap as much heat from the sun as possible, and there are some types that work better for this than others. Think about how you may cover up some plants when a frost is due. The greenhouse works in the same way, but works much better. This is a great way to start your tomato plants in the early spring without frost being an issue. The vents allow you to regulate the temps and allow in fresh air when things need to be adjusted.

It may take a while to really get the hang of greenhouse gardening. Must like gardening outside, there are tricks to getting it right. You can do your research, and that is always a great idea, but you should also make sure you take it one step at a time until you are sure you know the best techniques for greenhouse gardening for your particular climate. The greenhouses for gardening are not as commonly used as they once were, but they are still rather popular for the serious gardener that wants to get the best out of both their flower and vegetable gardens each year.

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Dealing with Garden Pests

While tending to my own garden, I have found that one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a gardener is to walk outside to check on your plants. It’s just a routine walk to make sure that your garden is thriving, but you end up finding holes in all of your plants that looked fine only hours before. The explanations for some of these plant-destroying holes are garden pests. Some of the main garden pests are slugs, worms, caterpillars, birds, snails, and the occasional gopher. Although you can never wipe out these pests entirely, after all your hard work in the garden you have to do something.

Insects are one of the worst things to have in your garden; they can live under the soil, in old weeds or piles of leaves, or in a number of other places. In order to help keep insects away, always try and eliminate places in your garden and near your garden that these insects and other plant diseases could be living. Remove old leaves, weeds, or any other decaying matter that insects and diseases could be living in from your yard. Also, regularly turn over your garden soil and break apart any clumps of dirt so that you can eliminate the living spaces any insects that might be hiding underground.

Another way to rid your garden of the pests is to use dormant spray, which is used to keep destructive insects and diseases under control. It is best that you use dormant spray when your plants are dormant, usually around February or early March. I have used dormant spray many times on my garden and it has worked wonders on keeping insects out. But as I learned from experience, dormant spray is only effective if you follow the correct instructions. When I first decided to use some on my garden, I just dumped it everywhere in hopes of killing everything harmful. Unfortunately I ended up killing my entire garden along with my neighbors. Some insects can be beneficial to your garden though, so be sure to find out which insects help your garden.

Another effective and non-poisonous deterrent to pests is companion planting (get a comprehensive eBook at this website). Having two or more varieties of plants growing in close proximity to one another. This is particularly useful in controlling pests in a vegetable garden. Complimentary types of plants or crops can in effect protect or strengthen one another by possibly repelling a pest that would normally be attracted to the companion plant.

Another pest problem I’ve had besides insects has been birds. Whenever I see birds in my garden I run outside a chase them away, but as soon as I step inside they come right back. The solution that I’ve come up with to keep the birds away from my garden is to put a bird feeder in my yard. Instead of costing me time and money by eating my garden, the birds eat at the bird feeder. In the long run it’ll save you money. Not only can a bird feeder help keep birds away from your garden, but they can also be a new part of your yard decoration. Although not completely eliminating my bird problem, my bird feeder has made the problem smaller. Getting a dog has also helped.

If you start seeing mounds of dirt around your yard, and your plants keep inexplicably dying, you can assume that you have a gopher problem. Thankfully, this is one of the few garden pasts that I haven’t had. However my friend has struggled with a tremendous gopher infestation, so I decided to research it. Gophers are rodents that are five to fourteen inches long. Their fur can be black, light brown, or white, and they have small tails. One method of getting rid of these root-eating pests is to set traps. The key to successfully capturing a gopher using a trap is to successfully locate the gopher’s tunnels and set the trap correctly. Another way to get rid of them is to use smoke bombs, which you place into the tunnel and the smoke spreads through out it and hopefully reaches the gopher.

If you suspect that your gardens are being pillaged by any of the pests I mentioned, I encourage you to try your hardest to eliminate the problem as soon as possible. The longer you let the species stay, the more established it will become.

EASY TIPS ON HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR PLANTS

Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their plants. When talking about house plants, there is no need to worry. There are just a few things you need to consider.

1. Watering
Over watering kills most houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don’t water it.

2. Feeding
Foliage plants usually have high nitrogen needs, while flowering plants, K2O is needed. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed with the compost. However, certain plants like cacti and orchids need special fertilizer. Feed plants during their most active growth period.

3. Lighting
Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to see what your plant needs.

4. Temperature
Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don’t put it near an air conditioner in the summer.

5. Humidity
Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants together often creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature.

6. Re-potting
Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don’t require re-potting. One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.

You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you’ll reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your décor, but also give much pleasure to the indoor gardener.