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Gardening Tips On How To Buy Healthy, Thriving House Plants

Admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:51:48 +0000

When buying house plants whether it is from Lowes, Home Depot or a local garden center there are several things to consider. Many people just pick up a house plant without giving any thought, especially if the cost is low. But think about this, every house plant you purchase can give you years of enjoyment if it is properly inspected before you buy. Take time to choose a perfect house plant. If you hastily buy a house plant, it has the potential of causing devastation to your other house plants. And one rule to always abide by is never buy plants when you are in a hurry, that's a gardening tip everyone should heed.

Take the time to inspect the leaves on the house plant for pests. Aphids, spider mites and scale will not only wreck havoc on this house plant but on your others as well. And be sure to look under the leaves and at the nodes where many pests thrive. Here is what to look for on your potential house plant:

Aphids appear as small green or black insects, usually found on buds and new growth. These insects suck the juices out of house plants, and also secrete honeydew.

Spider mites are small insects, which appear as small white specks, usually on the undersides of leaves, or on flowers of the house plant. Spider mites will form webbing, like a spider's web around infected house plants. The spider mites will be visible in the webbing as white specks.

Scale looks like tiny, brown, oval-shaped bumps visible on the house plants leaves and stem. The scale is actually a protective covering which protects the insect. Scales produce honeydew, a clear sticky substance which can be seen on affected house plants.

You may want to search the internet for other gardening tips on how to treat these pests if one happens to infect some of your house plants.

If the house plant seems too big for the container, pass it by, it is likely to be root bound. Remember bigger isn't necessarily better. I always pull a house plant from it's container to check the root ball; reputable stores should allow you to do this. If the house plant is already root bound you will have to open your wallet not only for the plant but for potting soil and a new container. Then YOU have to re pot it and hope it will continue to be healthy. If you don't mind this, then by all means buy the house plant. If you are going to re pot you may want to look at the self watering containers that are available now. These are great for someone that travels and isn't around everyday to check the soil.

Examine the container of the house plant for cracks. Be sure the container will harmonize with your existing house plants containers. Try to purchase plants by shape and height when using the house plant for groupings in and around your home. Keep the small tag that is attached to the plant in a notebook so you will always have the directions on the plants needs. This is a really good gardening tip!

Now you know the secrets of buying spectacular house plants.

Happy Gardening!

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Indoor Gardening Tips for Healthy Plants

Admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:19:29 +0000

Bring nature inside and start an indoor garden to make your home more colorful, but be careful to follow these indoor gardening tips. Plants are so soothing to look at and many indoor gardeners feel that they add that extra little spark to any room. An added benefit is that plants are nature's purifier, taking carbon dioxide out of our air and changing it into oxygen cleansing the air in your home. Mix up your plants; try a few exotics or tropical plants, anything you choose will make your room shine with their fresh beauty and their colorful blooms. To maintain their beauty here are some indoor gardening tips to keep your plants lush and healthy.

Light is the one thing you cannot skimp on. Without this essential ingredient your plants will wither and die. Each and every plant have different requirements so for one indoor gardening tips here is some things to look for when shopping for houseplants. Ask the person at the nursery center how much light the plants you are consider will need. Some plants need direct sunlight while others crave indirect sunlight. For a direct sun plant, place the container near a window that faces south. For indirect plants they can be placed near a window but keep them far enough away so their foliage will not burn. Plants that require little light, like philodendrons, African Violets or ferns, can be arranged anywhere in the room as long as a little natural light filters in.

Indoor gardening tips on watering your plants are always needed. If you over-water your plants you are subjecting them to insects and disease and you will eventually kill it. Over-watering will also rot the roots. Plants hate wet feet. Once you have discussed the watering needs with the nurseryman invest a small amount of money into a water gauge. The gauge will tell you the moisture level of the plants soil. They are extremely helpful in deciding whether to water or not and really only cost a little money, a very wise investment.

Another indoor gardening tip is to fertilize. At the nursery center they fertilized the plants to encourage them to grow so they can sell them to you. If you do not fertilize your plants they will droop and wither. Find out from the center or from the internet what each plants feeding schedule should be. The secret to keep happy, lush plants is to feed them on a regular basis.

You want to keep a close eye on each plant for any pests. If you find pests on one plant isolate it from the rest and treat it immediately. Try not to use pesticides on your plants especially if it is a plant you will eat, like herbs.

A very good pesticide free natural formula for eradication of pests is:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

If you follow these few indoor gardening tips you will have beautiful houseplants that enliven every room. Take time to enjoy your indoor garden. Let it relax and soothe you, after all that’s why you planted an indoor garden.

Happy Gardening!

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Gardening Tips – Ways To Maintain A Healthy Garden!

Admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:43:53 +0000

Achieving a healthy and good-looking garden is difficult but not an impossible task. There are some gardening tips that come quite handy in reaping a rich harvest. Following are some useful tips from the seasoned gardeners who may also have faced similar situations while moving up on the learning curve.

Every gardener faces unique problems in regard to the soil condition of the regions he is striving to succeed in. Coming to the gardeners rescue, the United States department of Agriculture (USDA) has prepared a Zone Map for Plant Hardness. It comprises of all regions divided into 11 different zones, 1 being the coldest to 11 being the warmest. Referring this zone map can help you a lot in finding out the best plants suiting the specific region and soil type.

The basic ingredients – Sunlight and Water

Plants require a regular diet of six to ten hours of sunlight daily for healthy growth. Your garden can produce wonders if it is supported by soil with rich and sandy loam. You can also consider feeding nutrients in the form of manure and compost to the soil bed of your garden. Adhering to the directional tips like planting the rows from north to south, and having complementary plants side-by-side will ensure good results. You must always use fresh and new seeds while sowing fresh plants. Watering the plants regularly will get rid of all forms of air gaps in the soil, thus, roots will be able to travel far down and wide ensuring a strong root system.

Gardening manuals suggest that bulbs require at least twelve weeks of low temperature for flowering, thus, you may consider refrigerating them before planting. The ideal time to dig-up perennials is fall. Once you have dug them up you must split the bulbs up to keep them fresh and productive. It is ideal to have four or more splits resulting in as many plants. It is also suggested to undertake such splitting procedure every three years to keep the bulbs productive.

Fall is also the time for over-wintering or vernalization of the bulbs to ensure speedy seed development. As per this practice, one should place the bulbs under the soil during fall and let them be there the entire winter. This will result in them blooming wonderfully during the spring season. Laying chicken wire over the planted bulbs and then putting mulch over it will help keeping the rodents away from digging out the bulbs.

Spring time is busy time for gardeners all over the world as it is during this season that most of the weeding, mulching, fertilizing, composting, pruning and planting is undertaken. Spring is an ideal time to begin grass seeds. You should also deadhead the blooms during springtime as it will help strengthening the plants and also control the self-seeding plants from venturing out into the other parts of the garden.

The above mentioned gardening tips will make sure that you create breathtaking views in your garden year after year.

A Beginners Guide to Healthy Organic Gardening

Admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:43:51 +0000

These tips are just a few of the things about your organic gardening soil which are important. It makes common sense that your body will benefit from less toxic weed killers and pesticides, and your soil and garden insects will help improve the entire environment around you.

Organic gardening is not as difficult as many beginning gardeners believe it is. Quite simply it means you are going to plant your garden without using synthetic fertilizers, for making the plants grow and chemical pesticides to control the bugs. It really falls back to the farming principles used centuries ago before all the toxic chemicals started to be spread and spayed on all our plants and the ground.

The best way to make sure you get the biggest returns from your labor, regardless if its going to be flowers, herbs, veggies or a mish mash of several plants it's best to have a detailed plan. And the best time to formulate your plan is in the fall or autumn, right after the fall growing season ends. This way you will have enough time to prepare the ground before the spring planting season begins.

Now is the time for you to actually determine what your selected ground is going to need, in the way of the proper nutrition to help your vegetation grow. Your plants will do well if they can receive about six hours of sunlight per day. In almost all cases positioning of your planting area in the south-east part of your ground will give more than adequate amounts of sunshine.

Once the proper location has been determined the next step is preparing the ground where you will be planting. To make the weed and grass removal successful you should perform the initial removal, then go back again a couple of weeks later and remove the weeds and grass which will have grown in the meantime. Turning the soil over two or three times with a rest of a couple of weeks in between helps to make sure you have weeded the roots out as well from the soil. Then mix in organic manure from chickens, cows or horses. Then laying a thick layer of wood chip or shredded newspaper on top will help to mulch the soil from drying out too much in summer, and protect the soil in winter.

You can also create an on-going compost cycle in your garden plot by simply digging in your fresh kitchen plant waste in spots that you rotate around the patch. This is a much simpler way to feed the soil than the compost bin, if you are unable to get that delicate balance right. Buying some worms for your soil is also a good idea if you don?t see them as you dig your soil. They are the best way to break down foods, aerate and fertilize the soil all year around.

Most people believe that chemical insecticides are essential to keep a garden under control. People think that without using chemical based pesticides, you just can?t control bug infestations. However, one of the best all natural ways to control the pest is to use their mortal enemy, birds.

It is very simple to attract birds to your garden every year, especially if you provide them with sheltered nesting areas. Not only do you furnish a nesting area for them but make water fully accessible to them. You can put something as simple as an attractive, large, water container or bird bath. Once the birds have been drawn to your garden and realize they can feast on your bug infestation your problem will be solved. And if you also provide some birdseed for the colder months the birds will know to always come back to your garden each season.

Also make sure you always plant plenty of flowering bushes that attract the bees and ladybird beetles. Learn the insects that help to pollinate your crops and that kill the destructive bugs. It is all about just helping Mother Nature to do what she does naturally.

It also makes sense to simply plant a bit more than you know you will need for your personal use. One special reason I will cover more later in this article. But the main reason is to make allowances for the fact that you will lose a percentage of your crop to insects and birds, so why not simply plan for that loss in the initial planning anyway. You should after all, help to feed the insects and birds that will help you fight off the rest of your predators.

It also just makes common sense that with an organic garden you will be healthier as you are not breathing in toxic sprays you use, or absorbing chemicals on your skin while you work in the garden. You will not need to spend so much time in your garden wearing breathing mask, eye goggles and gloves!

An hour a day of working in your garden will also improve your health and help in weight loss (burning calories), improve your blood pressure levels, strengthen the heart and lungs, build muscle, sharpen the mind. You will relieve stress and sleep much better.

You will receive such a sense of well being when you have a fruitful harvest, you just can?t beat it. Your family, friends, co-workers will also be grateful for any of your crop that you share. You will know you have done your part to help ?Mother Nature? return to her natural state and touched all the other human beings by doing so.

What other ways can you share the benefit of growing an organic garden?

Did you know that there are even bigger benefits in organic gardening besides having a more beautiful garden or eating healthier veggies and fruits? Actually there are more special benefits than most people and organic gardeners ever think about.

You can help improve the lives of people in your local community or around the world. It is true. Did you know you can feed children around the world with your organic garden? It's really quite simple and only takes a little more planning and work on your part.

When you begin to plan your own personal natural garden you simply plan to layout a larger garden and plan for a bigger crop to harvest than you would need for your personal use. It doesn?t make any difference if it?s for flowers, veggies, fruits or bushes to beautify your yard. That is right! Just make it BIGGER. Then when it is time to harvest your crops, you will have more flowers, plants and veggies than you can possibly use by yourself.

Then, instead of carting buckets of spare fruit & veges to your workplace to give away,
instead take the bounty to the local Farmers Market or the Flea Market and sell it. You should not have any problem at all selling ORGANIC produce, whether it is fruit, vegetables, flowers, or potted plants you strike from cuttings. The fact that they are organic will be a huge advantage, and means you can ask for premium prices and you may end up with a pocket full of cash.

You should find that most shoppers are generous, especially if you put up a big sign telling the shoppers that 100% of all profits will be donated to XYZ Charity.

Then take the cash from your market sales that day and donate it to your favorite "Feed The Children" charity. When you do this a starving child will benefit from your garden, long after you harvested your crops for your personal use.

And this is only a few of the multiple benefits of organic gardening, as you will discover for yourself over the years ahead.