Tips & Tricks

There are many tips and tricks that you should follow when bringing plants into your home, some are common, like knowing how much to water the plant, to how much light it should get. Below you will find a list of some suggestions about caring for your indoor garden.

1. Lighting for the plant. Now this is the first thing that you should consider when starting your inside garden, how much light does the plant need? This is important because most houses wouldn’t have enough light to handle a plant that needs a lot of light. So, the lighting in your house becomes essential even before you start your inside garden or bringing any plant into your house, because the amount of light in your house will determine what types of plants would grow there. So make sure to consider this before bringing any plant into your house. You should select plants that require medium to low light, unless you plan on supplying the plant with artificial lighting. Some plants that are medium to low light would be a Boston fern, Philodendrons, etc. Here are a few other tips regarding lighting in the house:

• During the summer months put the plants outside, this will usually boost up the plant and give it a new spurt of energy
• Because a plant will turn to the light, you should rotate the plant, this will promote an upright growth.
• There are a few ways you can tell if your plant is getting enough light or not. If it isn’t getting enough light, it usually will have small leaves, thin stems, and the color of the plant will be lighter than usual.
• Artificial lighting, with a fluorescent lamp, etc, can be used to supplement a house with limited natural lighting.
• Condition your plants when you buy them. You have to do this because the place where you buy the plant will usually have more lighting than your home and the plant can go into a shock of sorts and lose it’s foliage. Now to condition your plant, make sure you give it the maximum amount of light your house has, and then gradually reduce the amount of light to be equal to the spot where you want the plant to end up.

2. Watering Plants:

Not every plant has the same needs when it comes to watering, but there are some basic rules you should follow:

• Wet the soil thoroughly, and the water should be able to drain out of the bottom of the pot. How much you water, and how often purely depends on the type of plant that you are dealing with, so read the seeds or ask the person selling you the plant, how much water does this plant require.
• Now, don’t over water, that’s probably what kills most plants. If you have too wet of a soil constantly it will lead to problems with the roots. You’ll notice that the leaves will become yellow, that’s because there is not enough oxygen in the soil because it is too wet.
• When watering the plants, try to use water that is the same temperature as the room. This will insure that the plant doesn’t have any shock from too cold or hot water.

3. Temperature:

As with watering, different plants will thrive under different conditions, one of which is the temperature. As a general rule temperatures between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit, during the day and 10-15 degrees cooler at night. Now this will not cover all plants, but this is the range for most of the house plants. Here are a few more tips to follow:

• The temperature can go up or down by 10 degrees from the ranges above, it will not kill the plant.
• Rapid changes in temperature, either colder or hotter, can cause damage to your plant.
• If a plant is grown at a hotter temperature than is needed, it will be small, weak. If it is grown in a too cool temperature the leaves will have a yellowish look and will fall off.

4. Pots and Containers:

Make sure that you have a pot that can adequately allow the water to drain out of it. Also, before putting a plant in a pot you have used for another plant, make sure you clean it out. Just incase some disease that may affect the next plant.

5. Humidity:

The level of moisture in the air can also effect how a plant grows. Low humidity, in most plants, not all, will cause dry leaves and curling. Increase the humidity of the room with a humidifier, especially during winter when the heat is on and the humidity drops. You could also spray the leaves with water, but do it in the morning, if done overnight the leaves can rot.

6. Fertilizing:

Once again, this is one of those tips that is based purely on the type of plant that you have, different plants need different levels. Other factors include, how fast do you want the plant to grow, how much sunlight there is, how many times you water it, etc. As a general rule, for plants that are growing very quickly, you should fertilize every 2 to 3 months, but for dormant plants, you shouldn’t fertilize at all. Since these are indoor plants, that receive less sun than normal, you really don’t have to fertilize them too often. If you see burned or dried leaves, you can have a pretty good guess that the plant has been over fertilized.

A simple solution can be made from a strip of tin to contain the soil to create a raised panting bed or boxed in area.

This can be dressed-up with several alternatives. Placing well-chosen rocks around the face will conceal the tin and give the appearance of a low rock wall. Alternatively reused timber – hardwood or treated pine will not deteriorate as rapidly – can be converted into a low panel to face the tin. Place the lengths of timber out with the flat ends against a straight edge to keep one end of the timber level.

A power saw and a cordless drill or power drill will be needed to complete the job. Two strips of galvanised metal are used to hold them together. Stretch the metal strip the length of the timbers, ensuring that they are pushed tightly together, putting a screw in either end. Fill in the gaps with one or two screws for each piece of timber. Scribe a mark along the other end of the timbers and carefully neaten up the edge using a power saw. Always use the appropriate safety equipment; goggles and earmuffs are essential. Rolled up and rolled out in front of a planter bed makes a simple and easy solution to edge a planter bed.

Planter boxes are also easy to build from pressure-treated wood or cedar.

Cut boards to the size you want, and screw them together to form a box. Measure the inside length and width, and cut a piece for the bottom. Secure the bottom through the sides with galvanized screws.

Attach cleats to the bottom of the box. Then drill three or four drainage holes in the bottom.

Cut a piece of vinyl or nylon screen to fit into the bottom of the box. The screen will help hold gravel and dirt in the box.

The most common spider mite, the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), is commonly encountered on houseplants but will also attack shade trees, shrubs, other herbaceous plants and agricultural crops. Each colony may contain hundreds of individual mites.

Mites are members of the arachnid class along with spiders and ticks. Hard to visualize well with the naked eye (about 1/60th of an inch in length when full-grown), a hand lens is necessary to positively identify their presence. Mites can be observed by shaking infested leaves over a white piece of paper. If there are mites present, you will see little dots about the size of a period on this page. If it looks like dust but moves, it’s a mite. These mites are greenish yellow to orange and have two distinct black spots on each side of the body, which give rise to their name.

The two-spotted mite thrives whenever conditions are favorable for plant growth, but are most likely encountered under dry and hot summer conditions when their populations tend to explode. This happens because high temperatures (up to 100oF) decrease the lifecycle from three weeks to a mere 5 days and low humidity allows the mites to more easily remove waste products from their bodies via evaporation, thus enhancing feeding and reproduction. Spider mites that may infest honeylocust, linden, elm, willow, and oak are most destructive in the summer.

Spider mites on conifers and broad-leaved evergreens are cool weather pests. They feed heavily and reproduce quickly in spring and fall. Activity is low during the hot part of summer, although damage is often at a maximum and becomes easier to see when other plants are green and growing normally.

Spider mites also attack some garden crops including sweet corn and beans.

All stages of the spider mite live on the undersides of leaves where very fine silk webbing can often be found when mites are very numerous. This webbing can also be found toward the tops of plants where the humidity is lower and can extend from leaf to leaf to cover the entire plant.

The mites suck out plant juices causing a loss of chlorophyll. The damage first appears as yellow or whitish speckled areas on the upper surfaces of leaves. As damage progresses, the speckling moves toward the leaf tip and leaves take on a bronzed color on the upper surface. Infested broad leaves may be cupped downward or become distorted. The leaves eventually turn brown and prematurely fall off. This may eventually result in the death of the plant.

Spider mites are also a known source of allergens causing asthma, hay fever, and contact urticaria.

CONTROLS:

* In a normal year, their natural enemies control mites including a fungus disease that is present when temperatures are below 85F and relative humidity is high.

* There is some evidence suggesting that the phytoseiulus persimilis mite, lady beetles and certain thrips can be used to control the two-spotted mite.

* Washing infested plants periodically with a strong stream of water will provide some control.

* Insecticidal soap is an alternative for home landscapers who prefer not to use pesticides.

* Spider mites can be exterminated with a variety of miticides. Horticultural oils, used at the “summer oil” rate of 2%, are possibly the most effective miticide for home use. Most other insecticides are not effective on mites and some, especially carbaryl (Sevin), result in increased mite damage by killing their natural enemies. Always read the label before applying any pesticide.

Beauty is pleasure! Why can’t we have that beauty inside our home or office?
We the humans are the worshippers of beauty. House Houseplants can transform a stale room into a vibrant one.

Houseplants also increase the beauty of a room thousand fold by inserting greenery and color. Many of them require no attention at all. The advanced hybrid species of present days do not need much watering and feeding. Some of the winners in this category are Scindapsus Aureus(Money plant), Dypsis Lutescens (Areca palm), Araucaria Cookii(Christmas tree), Livistona Chinensis(Chinese Fan palm), Dieffenbachia Amoena(Tropic snow), Anthurium, Dracaena, Alocasia Sanderana (Kris) etc.

Caution

Before you buy a houseplant, please keep in mind that some houseplants are poisonous in nature. So, if you have small children or pets, make sure that the plant is out of their reach. Same goes about thorny plants also.

Hoeing :

Hoeing or forking is an operation in which the surface soil around the plant, is loosened with a hoe (khurpi) or a fork and is turned inside out. The hoeing may be up to 7-15 cm (3-16in.) depth. The object of hoeing is to keep the soil porous so that light, air and water may reach the roots better, to improve moisture-retention capacity and to remove weeds. Hoeing has to be done carefully so that the surface or stem roots are not damaged. Hoeing should be done when soil is moist or dry but not wet and soggy. The best procedure for hoeing is to water the plants in the morning, hoeing them in the evening and then watering in the morning. An interval between hoeing and watering helps in the aeration of roots and absorption of water from a greater depth. Sudden exposure to heat during the hot sunshine period or to cold at night may cause damage to the roots.

Weeding :

Removal of weeds is called weeding. Weeds, besides competing with the garden plants for nourishment, are also sometimes hosts to pests and diseases, which are transferred from them to the garden plants. They should, therefore, be removed as soon as they appear.

Stopping :

means pinching of a growing shoot of a plant. Stopping also includes removal of side shoots growing from the axis of the leaf joint with the main shoot as in balsam, larkspur, or tomato, in order to let the energy of the plant be diverted fully to the flower stem. Stopping may be done more than once in a season, depending on the growth of plant and its variety. It is better not to stop more than one or two big shoots and 3-4 small shoots at a time in a plant.
Disbudding means removal of all but one or two selected buds on a stem. Plants which have large and decorative flowers need more disbudding than those with small and medium flowers. Chrysanthemum, dahlia and carnation require heavy disbudding, while roses need comparatively less of it.

Dead heading :

Removal of withered flowers from the plant is called dead heading. Flower are produced in nature for producing seeds and as soon as seeds are produced the natural function of the plant having been over, it dies or rests. Therefore, a garden plant should not be allowed to seed except for purposes of collection of seed. Removal of withered, dried flowers is thus to prevent the plant from seeding.

Styling breaks into two groups, single trunk and multi-trunked. Let’s look at the single trunk styles. There are four main groups…

1. Chokkan Style (Formal upright)

This is a most complex style with very specific rules for branch placement, pot selection and such. It is NOT a style for beginners, and even experienced artists approach this one with caution. Some of the sub-categories of uprights include:
Tachiki – (Informal upright, the style I feel suits most beginners), Hokidachi – (Broom Style),
Sabamiki – (Split Trunk),
Saramiki – (exposed trunk, the bark is MOSTLY stripped off) Sekijôju – (Root over Rock; the plant is grown over a rock and into the soil of a pot)
Ishitsuki – (planted in crevices in a rock) and
Neagari – (exposed root, like a mangrove)

2. Shakan Style (Slanting Style)

This style is fairly common and not too esoteric for the budding enthusiast. Some other similar styles include Bunjingi or Literati Style (a few branches at the top of a long slanted trunk, usually in a small, shallow pot), and Fukinagashi Style (Windswept Style, with all the branches coming off one side of the trunk).

3. Kengai Style

The Cascade Style is easily recognized as the trunk dips below the bottom of the pot. Two other styles that are offshoots are Dai Kengai, the formal cascade, where the first branch plunges down below the bottom of the pot, but the rest of the branching proceeds as a Formal upright, and Han Kengai, or Semi-cascade, where the trunk descends below the rim of the pot, often in a windswept style.

4. Bankan Style

The Twisted Style is probably closest to what came over from China; the Chinese are very fond of this style and often refer to them as “dragon” trees (In Feng Shui, the Green Dragon is an auspicious presence in the garden) especially in the East). The tree coils around itself like a Chinese dragon The secondary styles for this one include Nejikan, or partially twisted style where the trunk does not make a complete turn on itself, and the little seen Takzukuri Style, or Octopus, where even the branching is twisted on itself from a very distorted trunk

If you are interested in keeping flower garden, select a site close to the door or good view from a favorite window. So that you can see the view often and enjoy.

Choose a Site

If you have your heart set on growing a specific plant, check to see what growing environment it requires. Vegetables will need at least 6 hours of sun contact a day. The same goes for most flowering plants, however there are still many to choose from for a moderately shaded site. If you want to start a garden where there is mostly shade, your choices are going to be more limited, but not prohibitive.
The folks in this picture have a partially shaded front entrance. They could easily add a small garden along the walkway where they could enjoy it, making their entrance more of a focal point.
Also take into consideration when the sun hits your site. Afternoon sun will be hotter and more drying than morning sun. Many plants turn their faces toward the sun, so if your view of the garden is from a west window, your flowers may face away from you in the afternoon. Evaluate other elements of exposure such as high, drying winds or heavy foot traffic.
Once you know where you’d like to try your first garden, use a hose or extension cord to try laying it out on the ground.

How’s the Soil?

Once you know where you want to plant, it’s time to check the soil. Soil testing is the least glamorous part of gardening, but the most important. At the very least check your soil’s pH. This will tell you how acid or alkaline your soil is. Plants cannot take up nutrients unless the soil’s pH is within an acceptable range. Most plants like a somewhat neutral pH, 6.2 – 6.8, but some are more particular. If you are growing plants from the nursery, check the plant tag for specifics. If no pH preference is listed, a neutral range is fine.

You may also want to check the texture of your soil or even the nutrients and minerals in it. You can have that done at your local Cooperative Extension office and some nurseries. Soil texture refers to whether it is sandy, heavy clay, rocky or the ideal, a sandy loam. Whatever the texture, it can be improved with the addition of organic matter such as compost.

Label Your Plants and Keep Garden Records

Keep a record of what you have planted or better yet, keep the labels that came with your plants. This will help answer any questions about what the plant may need if it starts looking poorly and will remind you next year of what you liked and what didn’t work. It also helps to take pictures and label them. You’ll remember color combinations and favorite plants.
If you start a garden journal, you can also record how plants perform, when flowers are in bloom, how large a harvest was and all kinds of information that will help you make a better garden next year.

Low-maintenance lawn care tips

Low-maintenance lawn care makes a lot of logic, as most flower gardeners would rather be tending their perennials. Lawns may be falling out of favor in some quarters, but there isn’t another ground cover that’s as kid, pet and sports-friendly as turf grass. And nothing sets off a lush flower garden as neatly as a green, well-cared-for lawn.

Strategies

With proper care, you can have a healthy lawn without spending a fortune on fertilizers and chemicals.
Maintain only as much lawn as you need – replace some lawn area with a patio, path or deck. Remove grass on hard-to-mow slopes and plant ground cover perennials and shrubs there instead. On larger properties, reduce mowing with meadow plants or special low-maintenance turf grass mixes that require periodic mowing once a month or several times a season.

Maintain edges

For flower gardeners, one of the key things is keeping turf grass out of planting beds. To do this, edge beds with a small trench six inches deep and wide. Clean up edging with straight spade or garden edger once or twice during growing season as needed. To minimize edging work each year, consider permanent edging, such as a row of stone or brick pavers at least six inches wide set into ground so a mower can run over the edge. This is more costly than plastic edging, but it’s way more attractive.

The word “Horticulture” means “the art of garden cultivation”. Many of us long for a beautiful garden, but have little or no idea how to achieve our dreams. Good gardens are not simply a matter of choosing plants and arranging them together. A gardener needs to be able to combine many different skills and various fields of knowledge, from planning and designing of the garden space and hard landscaping to managing the soil and exploiting texture, form and color in selecting plants for the garden.

Watering

Irrigation is a must to grow a vegetable garden. It is ironic that in dry environments, one of the most common causes of plant death is excess water.
1. As a rule, two to three times more water than is actually needed is applied to plants. Watering a plant only when necessary promotes good plant health and water conservation – both worthy goals for the home gardener in any environment.
2. This can be accomplished by scheduling regular times to water them
3. Watering schedules are dependant upon climate and weather.
4. The best way to water vegetables is to irrigate thoroughly, let the soil dry out between applications. The water should reach six to eight inches deep to the roots of the plants. Use a probe or your fingers to check how deep the water is reaching.
5. The best time of day to water is in the early morning because it gives the leaves a chance to dry while the temperatures are warm.

Some common ways of watering:

Furrow Irrigation – Suited to straight row planting
Sprinklers – large gardens
Drip Irrigation – Most efficient watering methods as water is applied only where it is needed – near the roots of the plants.

Fertilizing

Gardeners often add a large amount of fertilizers thinking that fertilizers are the only food for plants to grow fast and to make them more productive. Actually they prepare their own food by photosynthesis and Fertilizers are salt materials that provide nutrients for the plants to use in manufacturing their food. So some organic manure should also be added to plants as inorganic fertilizers burn plants and add unneeded salts to the soil.
Organic fertilizers actually help in increasing the soil fertility.

Fertilizer Composition

Plants use many different types of nutrients for healthy growth, but the three most important elements are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). Complete fertilizers contain all three of the essential nutrients in varying percentages. A caution about complete fertilizers — they can cause phosphorous buildup. Always read the instructions carefully and apply as recommended.

Types of Fertilizers:

1. Liquid fertilizer – Dissolves completely in water to quickly provide nutrients to leaves and roots. It can be applied to leaves and soil in watering, or will flow through drip systems.
2. Foliar fertilizer – Sprayed on leaves. Nutrients are absorbed directly into the tissue and put to use immediately. Use only when weather is cool as it may damage leaves when used in hot weather
3. Time-release fertilizers – Encased in tiny round capsules that dissolve slowly over a period from three to fourteen months. As the capsules dissolve, the nutrients are released to allow for constant feeding rather than the cyclic ups and downs of other fertilization methods.
4. Special-purpose fertilizers – Contain specific fertilizer blends suited to particular plants. They may be more expensive than other types.
5. Natural organic fertilizers – Created from materials derived from plants or animals such as manure, bone meal or fish emulsion. They release slowly, are generally low in nutrient content and tend to be less balanced.

Container Gardening is the practice of growing plants in containers, pots and even in wastes like wire baskets and tins is termed as container gardening. There is no need for a vast area of land to plant in flowers and vegetables and it best suits for people living in city with a very small area of living.
Containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Choosing containers depends upon the location (Area) and the plant. A large container should be selected incase the chosen plant is a tree. Otherwise the containers will not support the development of large roots. Soil aeration and drainage of excess water is the most important consideration in any container planting. First priority being a container gardener should be to ensure that the soil we use are adequately aerated for the life of the planting.
Soil in the containers should contain plenty of organic matter. A heavy clay soil will hold too much of water and will exclude oxygen that roots need for growth. A good brand of potting soil should work well.
Fill the container about four-fifths full of the soil mix. When you water the mix, it will settle and you will have enough room between the top of the container and the top of the soil for adequate water to be poured in each time you water the plants.