Here are some of the best tips to make your garden grow

Roxy Peters — A well-planned garden, with many bright and natural color flowers blossoming and ripe, luscious fruits hanging from the trees, is a distant dream for many home owners. All their efforts of creating a beautiful garden have proved to be futile. But have they ever considered the reason(s) behind such a disappointment? An expert gardener can easily provide them with the probable reasons that have led to such a misfortune.

After tending many household gardens like Ness Gardens for example, the professional gardeners have identified some common problems in the household gardens and offered some easy solutions following which visible growth will be noticeable in their household.

Use organic fertilizer

The use of organic fertilizers, like cooled stalks left after boiling vegetable, the skins of the different fruits and vegetables that have been peeled off after cutting the vegetables, the teabags and other such organic waste, are a great way of adding nutrients to the soil. Add such waste materials to the soil, the complex substance present in their skin will disintegrate and add more nutrition to the soil, helping in the growth of the garden without the use of any chemicals.

Nurture the seedlings in a pot

The expert gardeners are of the opinion that while sowing a new plant in the garden, it is best to first sow the seeds in the pot. Once it has grown up to a certain height, then it is best to transfer in the soil of the garden. Planting trees in this method increases the endurance of the plant and it can survive for more years.

Do not cut the grass too low

While mowing the lawn, you need to be really careful. Cutting the grass on the lawn too low might lead to soil erosion. Therefore, it is best to keep the length of the grass to some height so that the grass can hold the soil of the garden firmly. Moreover, extremely short grasses have the propensity to dry quickly in comparison to long grasses. Following a proper technique for maintaining the grasses is also important for the growth of your garden.

Mulching

Mulching – that is the process of turning over the upper layer of the soil regularly is a must for all gardens. This will stop the soil from getting clogged which is not good for the growth of the plants. Mulching at regular interval will help in retaining the moisture of the soil and it will also stop growth of weeds that are extremely harmful.

Soil fertilization

Different plants need different kinds of nutrients for their growth. Therefore, if you have planted a new tree in your garden but cannot see any visible growth in it then it is best to research a bit to find out the specific fertilizers that it needs for its proper growth of the plant and apply them in the particular area of the soil to see some visible change in the appearance of your garden.

These are some of the proven techniques that are certainly going to help in the growth of your garden. If you are facing some specific problem, then it is best to consult a professional who is going to find the ideal solution to the problem(s).



About the Author

The above article is written by Roxy Peters who specializes in writing articles related to homes and family.

The Food Security Garden

GHN — The ongoing drought in the United States will force food prices up. The drought is having wide ranging affects and the price society pays will be huge. Consider the issue of food security.
Food Security means that all people at all times have physical & economic access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate foods, which are produced in an environmentally sustainable and socially just manner, and that people are able to make informed decisions about their food choices.

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Growing your own food is the best form of food security you can get. It may be too late to start a garden this season, depending upon your location but think about nest year.

I believe that anyone who wants to, can garden. This is the classic, if there is a will there is a way scenario. But, too many people do not have backyards or have only a little space to grow anything. Size does matter but do not let that deter you, even a small space garden can be quite productive.

The first step is to get to know the space where you garden will be; in particular, how much natural sunlight does it get- none, all day or somewhere in-between? Once you know that you can start to develop a plant list selecting plants that thrive in the amount of sunlight that you have available.

Now how large is that space? Is there room for one container, or can you set up a small backyard market garden?
If you are growing some of your own food, it is time to take a look at what you are producing and ask yourself, rather than my current plant choices what could I grow that will be edible and increase my family’s food security?

How much space does your present garden occupy? Could it be bigger? Room to expand, then, do you have the time and means to take care of it, so no waste takes place?

When considering the space that is available, think up. Take a minute and look up instead of along the ground, vertical and not horizontal.

We grow beans on poles and peas why not expand that list. When you make the choice to grow vertical; your small space expands, growing up means growing more.

If you have no room to grow your own food security garden, yard sharing may be your answer. Find out if there is a yard sharing program in your community and join up.

Growing together helps all parties to enhance their food security and builds good neighbours. Community gardens are another possibility, look and ask around your neighborhood, are there a community garden you can join?

Now is the time to get gardening, or at the very least get planning; care for the earth and grow your own food security garden at the same time.

Learn about the environment and the world through gardening

Gardening, after hunting, gathering and one more well known activity, is one of the world’s oldest professions. It is practiced by novices and professionals alike.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] Raised bed of lettuce, tomatoes, 6 different types of basil, marigolds, zinnias, garlic chives, zucchini.[/caption]

Gardens come in all sizes from the pot of herbs on the back steps to the farm environment, although as the site gets bigger, gardening morphs into farming.

Gardens and the time spent in them produce many benefits, perhaps the least discussed is learning. A garden can be sued to teach the basic skills of literacy and numeric and once those have been mastered the door is wide open.

Let’s consider math; to get something growing in a garden, it is necessary to plant either seeds or plants; in order to do that, it is essential to know what their requirements are. This information is either written on a seed pack or other printed source.

The seed pack lists the depth at which the seed must be planted, how far apart the seeds must be placed and to get it right, it is wise to measure these distances. It is also necessary need to know the size of the garden and how much space each plant requires so you can calculate the number of plants you can place in each plot. There is more than math and language literacy skills one can develop by gardening, there are the personal or lifestyle skills that will help you make your way through the world. Patience is a lesson gardeners must learn early. Plants to not grow instantly, no matter how much you will them to grow, time will pass before they do.

The successful gardener will understand the role that pollination plays in the growth process and come to know the many pollinators who help the garden grow; without them, no flowers, vegetables, or fruit will appear. An appreciation for spiders and earthworms as well as bees, evolves.Formal school is important; however, it is wrong to dismiss the value that the practical experience of growing things gives. School gardens are a must, but, parents, if at all possible must involve their children in the gardening chores. The time spent will pay huge dividends as the years pass.

I wrote the following in a earlier article:

“Unfortunately, formal schooling seems to remove the wonder from the process and reduce it to rote, repetition, right and wrong. Learning demands experimentation and experiments are attempts to discover something.”

Time in the garden will renew that wonder.

Weeding with lasers offers a future for avoiding drudgery for gardeners

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It's that time of year, for planting, weeding, and getting things to grow. While some scientists worry about the lack of bees' help, and others worry about water, too much or too little, scientists now have a way of handling the weeding chore.

Laser treatments are used for many things, including helping the human body heal.  Now they are being used to kill those pesky weeds that take away from the garden's ability to grow into the loveliness and the benefits the gardener anticipates. Getting down on hands and knees is no longer necessary with this new way of handling pesky things that interfere with the growth of the goodies gardens produce.

Gizmag reports the newest gadget to help the gardener. They report the growth in research that allows weeds to be killed at their growth centers while at the same time protecting the plant itself. This took time to determine how to kill weeds without killing plants.

Right now, the system only works in the laboratory; but in the coming years, it might be possible for the ordinary gardener to get past the drudgery of pulling weeds and on to the enjoyment of the garden itself.

And if you think it is only spring for the planting, check out the experts' information, with late summer and fall being some of the ideal times for gardening, with recommendations for gardening all year round. So anything that takes out that consistent follow up of weeding can be helpful to get that garden to grow respectably and fine.

Small Space Gardening: The Vertical Garden

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Bob Ewing - The garden is one place where size does not matter. No matter how small a space is, the knowledgeable and determined gardener can grow plants that will thrive, if the plants are chosen to match the amount of light available. Light is a determining factor, for example, a small space that gets six to eight hours of sunlight per day can be a thriving food garden.

When the available garden space is small, look up, and think vertical and not horizontal. Gardens already use vertical space to grow peas, beans and tomatoes for example, do not stop there but let your imagination design a garden that reaches for the sky.

Consider containers when planning your small space vertical garden, most vegetable plants can be grown in a container, as long as the container is big enough to allow the root system to develop. Do not cramp the plant’s style give the roots room to breathe and drink. Zucchini, cucumbers, beans, peas, are all great plants for a vertical garden; add a trellis in the container if the plant needs support.

You may also want to give some thought to the hanging tomato and strawberry plants I see in nurseries everywhere. I plan on incorporating one of each, at least in my upper balcony garden this spring.

In previous years, I have placed a container on the floor of the balcony and let the beans climb the railings, for support. This works for miniature squash as well. Seed companies have developed miniature varieties of some plants and these, while not heritage so I would not save the seeds will do quite well in a small space.

Squash and melons can be grown vertically but do take some room to grow. If you choose to grow them be sure to provide them with a safety net so if they drop off the vine, the net will catch them.

You can also stack containers on a stool, step ladder or anything else that has a grade so each level get the sun the plant needs.

Plant stands, often used for indoor plants, can work for herbs. If you do not have the time or inclination to make your stand, you can buy what you need.

When growing on a deck or balcony be sure to place something that can catch the excess water that will run through the plant, during a heavy rainfall, for example. The deck can get quite messy if you do not make provision for overflow.

Plants in container may dry out faster than plants in the earth and cannot send their roots down to find more water. It is your job to be sure they get the water they need. Be sure to add compost to the containers about six weeks into the season or at the half way point. This will renew the plants’ food supply.

Do not let size intimidate you, small gardens can proceed great yields, It is not how big the garden is but how you tend it that counts. Do not let the small space stop you from growing some of your own food.

Urban Agriculture: Aquaponics

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Bob Ewing - Food, we all eat it, or at least we want and need to, how we meet that daily demand varies culturally, economically, socially and psychologically. In the past two articles, I have been focusing on the economic aspects, and will continue to do so today.

Aquaponics is gaining in popularity across the country, both small scale backyard projects and larger scale commercial efforts are establishing themselves as viable enterprise.

Aquaponics refers to an aquaponic system specifically set up for the purpose of providing a protein crop (the fish) and a vegetable, herb or fruit crop (the plants).

The Aquaponics Journal states that basil is the most commonly grown herb in aquaponic and hydroponic systems. Basil has a hardy nature and is in great demand, an ideal marketing combination.

Basil is also one of the most popular culinary herbs, so it is possible that an aquaponic system that includes basil could be a profitable venture. Of course a marketing study as part of an overall business plan would need to be done to determine if it was worth proceeding. Of course, basil is not the only plant that can be grown in an aquaponic system.

Perch, trout and tilapia are the most commonly used coldwater edible fish in an aquaponics system, however, goldfish, for example, could just as readily be used if the operator did not want to raise fish for food purposes.

Growing Power is a national not-for-profit company with the following vision:

“Inspiring communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one food-secure community at a time.”

Growing Power has offices in Milwaukee and Chicago and provides an inspiration to any community seeking to secure its food supply, while building a strong and vibrant local economy.

As the practice of urban agriculture spreads across North America, and elsewhere, entrepreneurs are creating new ways to grow and distribute food.

Aquaponics is both old and new, but it is growing. If we look at what Growing Power, for example, is able to produce, we can see the economic potential of similar projects.

Across the continent similar projects are springing up, some are located in communities, that have experienced neglect, lack sources of fresh food, need revitalizing and jobs. Urban agricultural projects can provide all three.

People need to join together to address the economic situation; it is no longer acceptable to leave the decisions in the hands of a few who often act in their own best interests.

Businesses need to be more democratic and inclusive and the cooperative model is both. Urban agricultural enterprises can be set up as workers cooperatives, for example, and by including aquaponic systems in their food production, produce more than enough food for the people in their community, and create jobs at the same time.

Top gardeners offer tips on garden pests

 

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FREDERICK, Md - With more and more Americans getting into the act of growing their own food, it's good to have a master group to help learn the basics.  One of those groups tells how to get rid of those garden pests gives top 10 tips.

1. Deer.  These peaceful animals were tabbed as causing the most widespread damage in a USDA national survey. Clean up all unharvested fruits and vegetables. If you still see signs of deer damage -- torn leaves or bark scraped off trees -- you can try deer repellants, scaring devices or fencing.

2. Snails and slugs. Mollusks can do extensive damage and are hard to eradicate. Use Fertilizer salts, not table salt which can harm plants, to dehydrate slugs. Sprinkle in a protective border around the plant.  Keep mollusks away by removing debris from shaded areas.

3. Aphids. They show up on new shoots, and the undersides of leaves. Aphids suck the sap out of the plant, producing curled leaves, and spots. Spraying the plants with insecticidal soap will remove aphids.

4. Moles. Moles dig underground tunnels, damaging lawns and root systems. Sometimes gardeners deal with moles, knowing they eat insect larvae and move on. There are electronic devices and repellents aimed at controlling moles.

5. Japanese beetles. These distinctive beetles attack plants from the time they’re larvae in the ground, feeding on roots, until they’re adults ripping foliage from plants in the summer. Pyrethrum is a good defense for beetles, who love turf and everything in the garden.

6. Caterpillars. These small critters can do major damage to plants. Cutworms can chop off plant seedlings. The tomato hornworm plagues home gardeners. The Hornworm is hard to locate because of its leafy green color. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is the best biological control for caterpillars.

7. Rabbits. They love leafy green vegetables but also eat ornamentals. Make your garden less attractive to critters by cleaning up wood piles and overgrown shrubs. Try a protective repellent around the perimeter of your garden. Chicken wire fencing may keep them out, but rabbits can get around chain-link fences.

8. Lawn grubs. Grubs feed on all types of grass roots and damage lawns. The grass eventually feels loose and can roll up. Moles digging in the turf or flocks of birds feeding on the grass are possible signs of white grubs. Milky Spore is a great solution to control the grubs plaguing your turf.

9. Ants. They’re mostly a nuisance, but some ants can damage plants. Imported fire ants feed on plant seeds and other insects, which can offset the balance in your garden. Ants also protect aphids on ornamentals, helping them destroy plants. Direct mound applications of granules work best to control these pests.

10. The Gardener. Control of nearly every pest begins with the care -- or neglect -- of the gardener

 It starts with selecting plants appropriate for the climate and local pests. Regular and appropriate watering keeps plants healthy, helping prevent disease and pests. Pay attention to what’s happening in the garden, then research and purchase the best products to fight off pests.

 MasterGardening.com has lots more information for the enterprising gardener who is going green this year, as many are, to reduce costs and support effective ways of making gardens that produce good food without harmful pests .

 

SOURCE MasterGardening.com