Interior Design and Home Accessories

Giant Sequoia Tree Growing Kit – Grow Giant Sequoia Trees from Seed To Saplings – Kit Includes Seeds, Instructions, More.

• Each Kit Includes: Mini Greenhouse, Growing Medium, Perlite, High Germination Seeds, Instructions
• Each Kit will produce one or more viable saplings
• Good for the environment

The Giant Sequoia Tree Kit is the easiest and least expensive way to start trees from scratch. The high quality seed means you always get a tree and don’t have to be a horticultural expert. Everything you need to start a healthy tree is included in this kit.

The Giant Sequoia is king of all trees growing up to 300 feet tall. With a little patience, these trees can be grown in any climate. A truly remarkable tree ready to grow from this easy kit.

Each kit includes: Mini Greenhouse, Growing Medi

List Price: $ 13.95

Price:

More Germinating Seed Products

No Comments »

GROWING RED PALM MADE EASY

The red palm is the most attractive of the Palmaceae family and favorite for landscaping and potted decorative plant because of its bright red color that adds it attractiveness.

 A native of Indonesia red palm is actually growing in lowland areas submerged in water bordering tidal rivers. It only shows that they thrives best when the place is abundant with moisture and humidity. 

Red palm grows successfully in acidic soil (pH 5 or less), where it produces an intense bright red color. It has also the clustering habit producing numerous suckers from the base of the plant and developed into a big clump. 

The leaf bases which wrap around the stem are an exotic crimson. The red color extends to the leafstalk that bears the leaflets. 

How to propagate Red Palm 

Propagating red palm needs your skill to do it because it is a delicate plant. Home gardeners usually fails since they don’t know the proper way to separate the suckers from the mother plant. 

However, the most practical way of propagating red palm is by division where the plant is grown in a size 12 pot using a very loose growing soil medium. 

When you see lot of suckers with roots of their own, you have to take them out from the pot and shake off some loose soil that stick to the roots. 

Separate the suckers carefully with sufficient  roots then plant individually in pots with a porous soil. Place the newly potted plants in a cool shaded area and keep them moist. 

After a couple of weeks from the shade when they are already fully well established you can transfer them to a place where they can be exposed to the sun. 

Propagating by Seeds 

Growing seeds is done by collecting seeds from a ten year old growing plants. When the seeds are ripe, pick them from the tree. Don’t wait for them to fall to the ground, but others prefer to let the seeds sprout before collecting the growing seedlings from the ground. 

But if you want to have a more vigorous seedlings, it is advised to sow the seeds in the germinating tray. Seedlings uprooted from the ground may not survive because some roots may be damaged that may affect the growth of seedlings. 

Some experts recommends picking the ripe fruit since fresh seeds are easier to sprout. Palm seeds have short viability period (1 month), so that  they should be sown within that period.

However, their viability can be extended by placing the seed in a refrigerated container. 

To grow the seeds in germinating or pots, prepare the soil medium with a mixture of coco coir dust and sterilized garden soil. 

Don’t bury the seeds too deep, just barely covered. Maintain the moisture content of the soil not to let them dry out. In doing so, the seeds will be delayed in sprouting. 

Fresh seeds that are moderately moist throughout will germinate in less than a month. There are instances, however, when the seeds take much longer time to germinate. 

Seedlings grow very slowly, that within the first  three -year period, they only reach a mere one foot height and the red color will not show up. 

Once the plant has developed a good number of roots, that’s the time the growth becomes faster. 

To make elongation faster, place them in a shady place, and give them ample amount of fertilizer. 

That’s it! 

You have been given the right procedure to propagate Red Palm. 

Follow the steps correctly, and wow! You’ll get the vigorous growing Red Palm tree. 

And yes. You can earn lots of money raising Red Palm. 

Red Palm command a high price. A six inch seedlings cost around – dollars. 

You see, if you have 1000 seedlings, that’s money. And you don’t have to work that hard.

Once they are fully established, your only work is watering them to maintain moisture requirements of the plant. 

Resource box:   

Crisologo Ramasasa is a freelance writer who writes articles on Home Gardening and Internet marketing tips. Subscribe his Free gardening and Internet marketing tips. Visit his site at: www.crisramasasa.com. Get a Free copy of his latest ebook “How To Get Started in Flower Gardening” and “Vegetable Gardening Made Easy”. There are lots of information you can get with this material.

 

   

 

 

No Comments »

After marijuana became legal in almost 14 states in the US, growing marijuana has become an American pastime. There are many reasons for this and one of the main reasons is for medical purpose. With the increased interest in growing marijuana indoors, there are many guides available on the internet that people can use to grow marijuana on their own. However, growing, possessing or making use of marijuana is still a criminal offense and is punishable under the federal law. Although the 14 states have legalised the use of medical cannabis, it must be understand that growing is only legal to those who have acquired a license to do so. A license is only issued to patients of serious medical conditions who have the need to use marijuana in the treatment of their conditions. Apart from the patients, it is those group of people who have acquired a license to operate a medical marijuana dispensary may grow the substance. In this article, I am not going to go into the details of growing this substance at home, but I will simply give an overview of how the process works. This may be useful for those who have acquired a medical marijuana registry card and are looking to grow marijuana at home.

There are four basic steps of growing medical marijuana indoors. These include the following:

1. Getting the seeds – the first and the most essential thing you need to grow marijuana is the seeds. There are many people who have a seed collection of one kind or the other and you can ask your friends whether they have the seeds you use to grow the plant.

2. Germinating the seeds – germinating the seed is a simple process. Although it is possible to get the plants by simply dropping the seeds in moist soil, it is recommended to germinate the seeds first so you can be sure of getting the plants. To germinate the seeds, you can use moist paper towels or a moist sponge.
You can place the seeds in between the paper towels or moist sponge and leave them for a day or two. In a day or two, you will notice that the seeds have already germinated.

3. Planting – once the seed has begun to sprout, you can plant it in moist soil.

4. Lighting – lighting is really important so make sure that you supply enough light to the plants. You can use artificial lights and hang them two inches above the soil.

These are the four basic steps for growing marijuana indoors.

horrible expierience two of em pretty sure died soo check out my germinated seeds part 2
Video Rating: 0 / 5

No Comments »

The native areas for growing asparagus are in Spain, Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany. If you’re concerned about your health, growing asparagus is a great low-calorie source of folate and potassium. Peru loves growing asparagus; it lead the world in asparagus exports. The United States also loves eating asparagus; it was the leading importer as of 2004.

When to Plant

You can grow asparagus from “crowns” or seeds. Most gardeners start with crowns as seed take an additional year to harvest. Growing asparagus from crowns takes 2 to 3 years before you’ll be able to harvest; about 3 to 4 years from seed (which is why most gardeners choose crowns). You can plant asparagus crowns a 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost. Asparagus is a hardy plant and will survive most winters. It’s a good practice, though, to mulch your asparagus in the fall with straw for a little extra insurance. In the Southern climates, you can plant asparagus in the late fall and starting around mid to late January. While it’s not necessary, you can start seeds or crowns indoors (see “Starting Asparagus Indoors” below) 12 weeks before the last frost.

Where to Plant

Asparagus loves sunlight, but can survive some shade. It should have at least 8 hours a day of sunlight. Asparagus also likes cool weather the best. It will tend to bolt (go to seed) if it gets too warm too quickly in the spring. The ideal growing temperature for growing asparagus is 60° to 65°F. As asparagus doesn’t mind competing with weeds and grasses (which also help keep the soil cool), planting it along a fence line or on an edge of your garden works well. Asparagus is not a swamp grass, so it likes well-drained soil when possible. In our area our soil is a little heavier, but has a lot of small rocks, so the soil drains well and is ideal for growing asparagus. Planting asparagus around the edge of a garden or lining a fence is the perfect place for them in order to receive a good amount of sunlight without disturbing any other landscaping possibilities in your garden.

Preparing the Soil

Ideal pH levels for soil that asparagus is growing it is 6.5 to 7.5. Asparagus will not grow in soils with a pH of less than 6.0. Asparagus loves nitrogen. Some good sources of organic nitrogen is composted manure, especially chicken manure (organic if available) and bone meal (add 10 to 20 lbs. per 100 square feet). Because asparagus needs to develop a strong root system, it needs significant amounts of phosphorus. Good sources for organic phosphorus are bone meal or rock phosphates. Asparagus also likes a good supply of potassium. Compost (with banana peels if you have them), wood ash (particularly hardwood), and granite dust are good organic sources of potassium. If you’re starting in a fresh garden area, it should be noted that a planting of asparagus can last up to 20 years, so you’ll want to apply generous amounts of the above soil supplements prior to planting asparagus. If you are able, plant in an area free of Johnson’s grass (quack grass) as weed control becomes difficult once your asparagus is planted; and it may be in the same spot as long as 20 years.

Choosing the right Seed Varieties for your Area

As Asparagus rust can be a problem in some areas, check with your county extension to see if you need to plant rust-resistant varieties like Viking KB3, Jersey Giant, and Martha Washington. Asparagus Crown Rot is another problem that you should check with your county extension on. The Jersey Giant, Viking KB3, Jersey Knight, and other “Jersey” family asparagus are all resistant to the rot.

Seeds and Germination

Asparagus seeds are good for up to three years after you’ve initially purchased them. To get your asparagus seeds to germinate more quickly for planting indoors, pre-soak them in water or a compost tea (compost mixed with water). [The USDA recommends a water temperature of 85° to 90°F for 4 to 5 days].

Once you’ve soaked your seeds, plant them immediately in flats or individual pots. The best soil temperature for germination is about 70° to 77°F. They should come up in about 10 to 12 days at this temperature. Asparagus seeds will germinate in 53 days at 50°F, 24 days at 59°F, and 15 days at 68°F. Germination times begin to increase above 77°F. If you’re planting seeds in your garden, the best temperature range for your soil is around 60° to 65°F.

Getting Started Indoors

Although asparagus is a cool-weather plant and it’s really not necessary to plant it indoors, we like to offer you the option to do so with these simple instructions. I covered a bit of how to start indoors in the section immediately above this on germinating your seeds. This will give you additional information. You can soak your seeds per the USDA recommendation (if you trust your government to know best) for 4 or 5 days. Others recommend planting the seeds in potting soil after soaking just a couple hours. Either should work.

Don’t use garden soil for potting soil to start your plants as it may have weed seed and/or bacteria that may become harmful to your plants at the warmer inside temperatures. Make sure your potting soil has a pH balance of 6.5 to 7.5. If you need to bring it up quickly, add lime to the soil. Add sulphur if you need to lower it. While you can plant asparagus seeds in flats, small peat pots are preferable as you can plant the whole pot directly in the soil. This leaves the roots undisturbed and your plant will have less shock when transplanted.

CONTAINER GARDENING ASPARAGUS

We’ve had questions about growing asparagus in containers. If you live in an area where you can’t garden, this is an option to consider. If you’re going to grow asparagus in a container, you need to make sure you’ve got lots of room for asparagus’ roots. A 5-gallon bucket is about as small as you’d want to go…maybe too small of diameter. The recommended area for the roots of one containerized asparagus plant is 20″ x 20″ – I can’t verify this to be true as we’ve not planted asparagus in containers and are relying on outside information on this topic.

If you do use a plastic container or bucket, drill several 1/2″ holes in the bottom and a couple on the sides (opposite of each other), so the water will drain well. On the bottom of the container, put a couple inches of small stones, then add your potting soil on top of that. The next section will tell you how to plant your seeds in pots or in your garden.

PLANTING SEEDS

Plant your asparagus seeds about 1/2″ deep in a peat pot, container, or in your garden. If you want one plant, plant two seeds. Usually you’ll have at least one seed germinate. If both germinate, cut the other off at soil level to reduce your plants to one. Pre-sprouting seeds is a useful option as well…place your seeds between damp paper towels and put them in a Zip Lock-type bag and place in an area that remains at about 70°F. The seeds will germinate at about 10 to 14 days.

After the seeds have germinated, move to a cool, light area like a windowsill, but out of direct sunlight. If two plants come up, remove one carefully or cut it off at the dirt level.

Transplanting Seedlings to Your Garden

To acclimate your asparagus plants to the outdoors, once the threat of frost is past, take your plants out-of-doors for a couple weeks during the daytime. This is called “hardening off” your plants and helps prepare them for transplanting. Once the threat of frosts are over they will need to be gradually accustomed to conditions outside – this known as ‘hardening off’ and can take between 2-3 weeks.

Initially you’ll want to put them in the shade most of the day, but gradually increase the amount of sunlight they’re getting. Keep the soil moist but not wet. You may note that as you move them in and out, leaves may yellow and drop. This is normal as your plants are getting ready to put on new leaves that are more suited to the outdoors.

After a couple of weeks, transplant your seedlings to the garden. If you’ve used peat pots (recommended), cut the bottoms off, dig a small hole, and put the entire pot in the hole.If you’ve used a flat, remove the plant with the soil intact as carefully as possible so as not to disturb the roots and place carefully in the small hole you’ve created; backfill and press the dirt firmly around the plant.

PLANTING ASPARAGUS CROWNS IN YOUR GARDEN

If you’ve chosen to plant asparagus crowns, purchase one-year old crowns as they’re less prone to breakage than older crowns. A good-quality one year old crown should have 8 to 10 roots and a healthy bud cluster will give you good potential to harvest some asparagus the following year. Plant the crowns in the early spring 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. To plant your asparagus crown, soak the roots in warm water for a couple of hours.

Lightly trim the roots (they can be quite tangled). Dig either a trench or a series of 12″ deep holes – the plants should end up about 18″ apart. Mix compost, bone meal, manure, and other soil supplements into the dirt that will be put back into around the roots, and/or in the bottom of the hole. Remove any dead or rotted roots from the crown; place the crown bud side up in the hole and spread the roots out. Mounding the dirt up in the trench will help when spreading out the roots. Pack dirt around the roots, then cover the crown with 2 to 3 inches of soil. If there is still some room in the trench, add dirt over the asparagus gradually through the summer as the crowns will tend to rise.

Direct Planting (planting seeds directly into garden bed)

If you want to plant your asparagus seeds directly in the garden, add your supplements to the soil and till or spade them in. Soak your seeds for 48 hours between wet paper towels in a Zip Lock-type bag. If you can, keep the temperature at about 85°F during the 48 hours. Plant your seeds 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. The seeds will germinate, albeit slowly at this time of spring.

Plant your seeds about 3 inches apart: plant 3 tight rows about 15 to 18″ apart, then plant your next triple row about 4 to 5 feet away if you are going to grow a lot of asparagus. When you put soil over your seeds, make sure it is moist and packed in around the seeds well and that the soil doesn’t dry out. If you want to harvest asparagus at variable times, you can plant the crowns at different depths; (3 inches, 4 to 6 inches, 6 to 8 inches, 8 to 10 inches). Mulching half of your asparagus can also accomplish this; the exposed soil will warm up more quickly and the asparagus will come up faster.

Growing Your Asparagus

Once your seedlings have emerged, thin your plants to 12″ to 14″ apart. Adding mulch over your asparagus will help control the weeds and keep the soil moist as well as adding nutrients to the soil. It is a best practice not to harvest any asparagus for the first couple of years; this allows the roots to become well-established. Asparagus will grow “ferns” during these first couple of years. These ferns are receptors for photosynthesis and are what will help give you asparagus spears next year.

Asparagus is considered to be drought-resistant because of its deep roots. However, good moisture levels in the soil will reward you with a better crop. Throughout the year, continue adding composted vegetable and manure waste to your asparagus for better results next year. In the fall, after the frost, cut or mow the tops of your asparagus to 2 inch stubs when the foliage has turned yellow and the before the red berries fall off the plants.

When you’re growing asparagus, when the ferns are growing in the summer, spray them with a liquid organic leaf spray fertilizer. We highly recommend these sprays as they naturally stimulate your garden plants to produce more plant sugar in the photosynthesis process. That in turn creates a more robust plant, more produce from your garden, and better and sweeter flavor from your crops. And they have a really good warranty!

Weeding and Mulching

We’ve discussed using mulch for delaying harvest, retaining soil moisture, and weed control. How much and what types can be used? We prefer barley straw as we have a ready and inexpensive supply in our area. You can also use grass clippings or chopped up leaves. Hay isn’t a good option as it’s full of weed seed. I recommend 3 to 4 inches of straw mulch, and 2 to 3 inches of grass clippings applied 2 or 3 times during the growing season. This will vary by the length of your growing season.

If you want to speed up harvest on half of your asparagus, as mentioned above, remove the mulch in order to warm up the soil. Don’t till around your asparagus to control weeds. If you use a hoe, stay back from the plants at least 6 inches and hoe just the surface. Hand-pull any weeds that are closer to the plants. Asparagus is salt-tolerant, however, the practice using salt to control weeds is not recommended.

Watering

Asparagus does best with drip irrigation, but if this isn’t an option, water heavily in the morning when your soil appears dry; the plants have time to dry out completely by afternoon. Watering in the morning will help your asparagus not to develop fungus-related diseases. You should water 1 to 2 inches at least once a week during the summer heat; mulching, as mentioned before, also helps keep the soil cool and retains moisture. Don’t overwater or underwater asparagus.

Stop watering asparagus in October and November to make the plants turn yellow and go dormant. By the time asparagus is 4 years old, it has developed a root system that can go as deep as 48″. You can irrigate every 2 or 3 weeks, but water heavily enough to get down to those roots.

Companion Planting and Rotation Considerations

Plants that play well with asparagus:

Marigolds, parsley and basil help control asparagus beetles (more on that in the “Pests” section below). Parsley is also said to invigorate asparagus. Dill aids in controlling spider mites and aphids. Coriander is also helpful in repelling aphids, spider mites, and potato beetles. Comfrey helps to build calcium, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil. It also helps control slugs, and is said to be a good compost activator. Tomatoes are probably one of the best companions for asparagus. The tomato plant repels the asparagus beetle, and asparagus repels harmful root nematodes that affect tomatoes.

Plants that don’t play well with asparagus:

Onions, garlic, and potatoes attract the wrong sorts of insects and predators to hang out in your asparagus patch. You don’t really need to worry about rotating your asparagus crop except every 20 years or so. Pay close attention to the ground before you plant it though.

When to Harvest

When asparagus stalks reach anywhere from 6 to 9 inches, cut them at or slightly below the soil level; definitely harvest them before they flower. You can also snap the spears off to harvest them; bend them with a quick motion by grasping near the base of the spear. Don’t harvest anything the first year, lightly the second year, then go for it on the third year. Add a year to the previous if you’re planting from seed. Asparagus harvest lasts about 8 weeks; harvest daily. If you don’t, the spears will become tough and inedible.

Pick your asparagus patch clean so those nasty little asparagus beetles don’t have any place to lay their nasty little eggs. At the end of harvesting, large ferns will develop from any remaining spears…these will strengthen the plants for next years harvest.

Storage

It’s best to cool your asparagus as rapidly as possible once you’ve harvest it (harvesting in the morning is also desirable if possible). An ice-water bath is an effective way to cool asparagus rapidly. Fill your sink with water and ice; when you’ve picked your asparagus, place it in the ice-cold water to rapidly cool it. After cooling your asparagus, refrigerate it; it will keep for 2 to 3 weeks at 35° to 40°F. It goes bad quickly over 40°F. Asparagus can be blanched and frozen, canned, and pickled. Jenny pickles asparagus and it’s a family favorite during the holiday season.

Preventative and Natural Solutions to Common Pests and Problems

Pests: the worst insects when you’re growing asparagus are the asparagus beetle, the spotted asparagus beetle, and the asparagus aphid. Asparagus beetles are common wherever asparagus is grown; adults and larvae both feed on the spears in the spring and damage the crop, then defoliate the ferns in the summer which affects the crop the following year.

Defoliation by asparagus beetles can also make asparagus susceptible to fungal diseases like fusarium. They show up about the time the asparagus does in the spring and cause asparagus to turn brown, scar, or bend over. Asparagus beetles are about a quarter of an inch long, oval, with antennae. They’re kind of bluish-black and has 6 beige-colored spots on its back.

Adult spotted asparagus beetles are more common in the Eastern U.S., but are pretty much the same as far as what they do to your asparagus, but the larvae doesn’t do much damage to the spears as it feeds on the berries later in the year. They’re about the same size as the asparagus beetle, but they’re reddish-orange with a dozen black spots on their backs. They look a bit like ladybugs, but ladybugs have variable quantities of spots.

So, how do you control these little pests? If you’re able to, you can let your hens forage on the beetles. Organic pyrethrins are also effective against the asparagus beetles. If you have a small patch, you can patrol your patch daily and pick the little buggers and their eggs by hand and drop them in a pail of soapy water. You could also introduce natural predators such as the chalcid wasp or ladybug larvae. The asparagus aphid comes from Europe; it first showed up in the U.S. in 1969, and is pretty much all over North America now. The asparagus aphic causes “witches broom;” a stunted, bushy growth. However, they’re not difficult to control with pyrethrins or insecticidal soap sprays.

Environmental Factors

The most common diseases found in asparagus are purple spot, asparagus rust, and asparagus crown rot. Asparagus rust causes rusty orange to yellowish spots on asparagus stems after the harvest. Asparagus rust is caused by disease with a long Latin name. The upshot is that at first there’s some light green lesions early in the season. These are followed by tan-colored blisters, and finally black blisters that protrude later in the season, usually after harvest.

Severe rust infections can kill or stunt asparagus shoots, reducing the asparagus’ plants ability to gather strength for the next season’s crop. If you rub your hand across the asparagus stalk, and it turns orange, your plants have rust. The best way to control rust is to plant varieties that are resistant before you have problems: Viking KB3, Martha Washington, and Jersey Giant are a few varieties that are rust-resistant. Asparagus crown rot is caused by a fungus with another long Latin name, but the short version is Fusarium and it causes blight in the asparagus crown.

You’ll suspect your plants are infected with Fusarium if your asparagus wilts in the summer heat, turns yellow before fall, or just dies. If the crowns turn brown, and on further investigation you find the roots are also decaying, your plants have been infected. The best way to control this disease is to choose varieties that are resistant to it; a couple of names are Jersey Giant and Viking KB3. Lastly, purple spot disease on asparagus plants is caused by yet another long Latin name. It seems to me if they’d stop using these long Latin names we wouldn’t be having these problems with these diseases (that’s a joke…hahaha).

Purple spot disease shows up as, you guessed it – purple spots! Usually on harvested spears. It lives through the winter, but appears as black spots on the dead ferns. Purple spot disease tends to multiply during wet years. To get rid of purple spot disease; remove, burn, bury, or destroy crop debris in the fall.

Barry Brown is a 3rd generation organic gardeners who is passionate about a sustainable and natural lifestyle. His personal standards for organic living far exceeds USDA certification, which he believes is more about money than food quality and purity.

http://www.organicgardenmiracle.com

No Comments »

Methods for germinating seeds of some fruit species with special reference to growing seedlings from immature embryos (Bulletin / New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station)

Price:

An empirical modification to the method of germinating seeds in commercial oil palm seed production (Technical bulletin)

Price:

[wprebay kw="germinating+seed" num="0" ebcat="-1"] [wprebay kw="germinating+seed" num="1" ebcat="-1"]

More Germinating Seed Products

Incoming search terms:

• decision support system - example agriculture

No Comments »

Lima beans and baby lima beans, which are the small seeded variety call butter beans, belong to the healthy legume family. Besides for the fact that they are good for you, they have a nutlike flavor and are fairly easy to grow in your vegetable garden. Nevertheless, they do especially need a long, warm summer in order to mature and this is the reason they are mainly grown in warmer regions. You may want to try growing fava, or broad beans, if the climate in your area not right for limas. The fava, or broad beans need a long cool growing season plus they have the advantage of producing well with very little care.

Lima beans can be grown as either bush plants or pole plants. Pole beans take longer to ripen, even though they will have a larger yield from a smaller space, than the bush beans. Pole lima beans will mature in about three months; this is roughly two weeks after the bush varieties will begin to yield.

When you prepare your garden soil for lima beans, you will need to fertilize it with a 5-10-10 mixtue. Plant your seeds at about the same time that you set out such garden vegetables as cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes. Your bush lima seed should be planted from 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep, and the spacing should be 2-3 inches apart with your rows about 2 feet apart. Bush beans will require roughly 4 inches between plants; so unless every seed germinates, you don’t need to do any thinning.

The supports for lima beans can be done several ways. If you have a double row, you can set stakes on both sides; wire netting is a good method; or a pole that you have attached string to and leading down to pegs set in a tepee shape. The supports need to be built before you sow the seeds. Lima bean plants are heavier than snap beans; therefore the supports for limas should be sturdier. They will also grow taller, that is 8 feet as opposed to 6 feet for snap beans.

If you decide to plant your pole beans along a fence, you will want to sow single seeds 3-5 inches apart. Thin the seedlings to a spacing of roughly 6-10 inches. In order to grow plants on poles, you need to stake out the supports 2 feet apart in rows that are 3 feet apart. You can plant about six seeds around each pole, and then thin out to three or four seedlings.

You want to cultivate your lima beans shallowly and only during dry spells because they are especially sensitive to mildew and other diseases. You will need to water them at the soil level, but never from above, and always in the morning so the sun has a chance to dry off any moisture that has fallen on the plants. You want to mulch to conserve moisture in the soil and this also helps to keep weeds to a minimum. Fertilize this part of your vegetable garden sparingly.

If your lima beans blossom when it is extremely hot they may not set. If you live in the South, the lima-bean pod borer may polish off the seeds inside the pods. Early plantings are less susceptible to this insect and cleaning up leaves will remove their nesting places.

When the pods are round and firm and you can see the shape of the beans inside, it is time to harvest. Pick as often as the beans ripen, because the mature beans will discourage new growth on the plant.

Near the end of the season you can let the remaining beans dry before you pick them. You will then want to sterilize them in a very low oven, close to an hour, and then seal them in jars. Home-dried lima beans can be stored for several months.

No Comments »

Sweet corn is a summer favorite for everyone.  We all have fond memories of eating corn on the cob at summer picnics and grill-outs; it is an essential summer side dish.  Many gardeners regard sweet corn as a garden staple that they cultivate every year.  But, homegrown corn may not be the best crop for all of us.  In this article, we’ll explain the basics of growing your own sweet corn at home, and how to determine if this tasty vegetable is right for your garden.

The first and most important consideration in growing sweet corn is space.  If you are lacking for planting area, or if you prefer to garden in containers, then sweet corn is probably not the crop for you.  Corn is pollinated by wind, meaning that it’s essential to plant it in blocks at least four rows wide.  If corn is planted in one long, single row, you’ll get a disappointingly low yield of edible ears.

Corn is a crop with sufficient water and nutrient needs.  When planting corn, be sure to work a good fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen into the soil.  Throughout the growing period, add additional side dressings of an all purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer, as needed.  Corn should be watered regularly.  During the three or four week period from pollination to harvest, the plants should receive at least one inch of water per week.  Setting up a drip irrigation line may aid in this process, and will also ensure that you don’t disturb the plants too much during the pollination process.

Corn is a vegetable that requires a long, hot growing season.  Corn plants are easily killed by frost, and prolonged temperatures below 40 degrees will seriously injure the crop.  For best results, corn requires a growing season of 75 to 90 days of temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees.  Of course, very few climates will meet this ideal, but it’s usually possible to successfully grow corn in all regions ranging from Mexico to Canada, provided that the seeds are not planted too early in the year.

To get a head start on your corn, seeds can be planted indoors as early as a couple weeks before the last frost date.  Once the seedlings are at least two inches tall, you can plant them outdoors, being careful not to disturb the roots.  Corn seeds can also be sowed directly into the garden, if you want.  Whether sowing indoors or out, you can help the seeds germinate more quickly by soaking them overnight in room temperature water before planting.’t germinate or those that might be eaten by birds or other garden pests.

It’s important to harvest sweet corn immediately before cooking it.  Sweet corn has a very high sugar content, which begins to convert to starch very rapidly after the ears are harvested.  Sweet corn purchased in the grocery store, which is what many people are accustomed to eating, has very low sugar content relative to freshly picked ears.  This is one of the reasons why homegrown sweet corn is an extra special treat.

In short, the most important keys for growing sweet corn are plenty of space and a long and warm growing season.  There are many varieties to choose from, and modern hybrids will give you greater disease resistance and higher yields.  If you enjoy gardening and have never grown sweet corn before, why not give it a try?  By following our simple steps, you’ll produce an excellent crop, and you may decide that this is one vegetable that’s worth growing year after year.

Incoming search terms:

• growing good corn at home
• how to grow sweet corn in garden

No Comments »

What do you do if you have a shady area that needs grass? Well, don’t fret! There are some types of grasses that are specifically designed to thrive in shaded portions of your lawn. Try a fescue in this case. However, you can still use general grass seeds as well in those shady areas, but you have to care for it properly.

Mow at the proper height and frequency for the type of grass. Water the grass deeply. Prune or thin nearby trees to permit more sunlight to the grass. Consider mulch or shade-tolerant ground covers for densely shaded areas. If you have heavily shaded areas in your lawn where the grass is thin, consult your lawn care specialist for recommendations on improving the lawn. To find out which of the above best-of-breed grasses will work for you contact a local lawn care professional or contact your local county extension service. They will be able to tell you through trial and error which ones will work for your situation.

You also want to be careful about mixing different species together. For example, Fine Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass are both recommended for cold areas, but the two don’t go well together in the same lawn. Fine Fescue is a bunching grass, while Kentucky Bluegrass is a spreading-type grass. You’ll end up with clumps of fine fescue growing up out of your Bluegrass lawn and it will look just bad.

So, make your choice and get ready to start! How?

The way you plant your grass seed depends on what shape your current lawn is in. You need to evaluate your situation and go from there!

Let’s say that you already have a lawn, but there are places that need to be filled in and thickened up. Your best bet with this type of lawn is to aerate it and over-seed.

An aerator is a machine that will poke a hole in the ground (thousands of them actually) and remove a core of soil and leave it laying on the surface. These are called core aerators. Some aerators will simply push a spike into the ground creating a hole, this type is not as good. Check with an equipment rental store to find an aerator that will work for you.

To start with, mow your grass as low as you can safely, don’t throw rocks and dig dirt with the mower, but get it down to about 1″ high. This will stunt the grass and slow its growth allowing the new grass that you will seed to get started with limited competition from the existing grass.

After mowing take an aerator, and go over the entire lawn at least twice. Depending on the model you use, the aerator will poke holes every 2 to 8 inches apart. If you can look down at the lawn at any point and not see spots that don’t have holes larger than 6″, you are doing fine. If you have a spot larger than 6″ without holes in it, you won’t have very much grass come up in that spot, so go over the lawn as many times as it takes to be sure you have holes everywhere.

Once you’re done aerating, you will start spreading your seed, but you need to accurately measure your lawn first. Everything you do in lawn care depends on the measurement of your lawn, so do it correctly the first time and write it down so you can refer back to it whenever you need to.

The amount of seed you use is important. If you don’t use enough you won’t get the desired results. Most professionals will use 350 pounds per acre for lawns. Divided out per thousand square feet that is 8 pounds per thousand square feet.

Rent, buy, or borrow a seed spreader. This will make your job much easier! Do not use your hand and just throw it around, you won’t get even coverage.

Spread the seed using half of the required amount spreading it in one direction, use the other half spreading the opposite direction creating a cross hatch pattern on the lawn. This way you are assured of getting even coverage.

After spreading the seed take a drag of any type, a piece of chain link fence, a board with a rope tied to it, or what ever you can drag behind your mower. Drag the lawn, this will push and drag seed into the holes you created and break up the little plugs of soil that the aerator left on the ground, it will cover up most of the seed giving much better germination and a thicker lawn.

Once you complete the dragging, spread a starter fertilizer. You can actually do this first if you want to, it really doesn’t matter. A starter fertilizer has a higher middle number than first and last numbers which means more phosphate.

You will need to put down 8 pounds per thousand square feet of a 6-12-12 or 4 pounds per K of a 6-24-24. This will give the ground the nutrients needed to germinate and start a turf lawn, thus the name “starter fertilizer”.

After about a month the new grass will start to yellow off some or maybe turn pale green, this is showing you that it is time to fertilize again. Apply 6# per K of 15-15-15 this will provide the nitrogen for green and growth and phosphate and potash for root growth and overall vigor.

After the grass is about 3 weeks old you should be able to start mowing. Be sure to cut it high. Fertilizing will also need to be done on a regular schedule. We’ll cover these issues in later chapters.

No Comments »

Potential Role of Growing Garden Herbs

Growing garden herbs can be rewarding in many ways. Early civilizations relied on herbs for medicinal, culinary, religious, political and beauty purposes. In China, herbs are among the integral components of Eastern medicine. Even Indian’s ayurvedic medicine cannot be complete without herbs.

Today, they are popular as ever. Herbs grace more home and commercial gardens, particularly that breakthrough in medicinal science has shown evidence of herb’s potential role in treatment of various diseases.

Herbs can be grown indoor and outdoor from seeds and seedlings. Herb and garden enthusiasts who are not blessed with adequate outdoor space, to which a garden can be established, can still exercise their green thumb in indoor herb gardens.

They can flourish in window boxes, containers or pots placed on a patio, and even on hanging baskets from which flowers and foliage can hang beautifully. Fragrant herbs can be of particular blessing to a home whether placed outdoor near the door or indoor in the living room. The scent of some herbs can be therapeutic as well.

Growing garden herbs outdoor can be more versatile as herbs can be cultivated as ground covers, naturalized in a wild herb garden or pruned into hedges. Raised beds in good conditions can also provide shelter for many of the herb cultivars, especially for gardeners confined to wheelchairs and to a garden maintained for and by a blind gardener.

Herbs can sprout from seeds, cuttings and plants. They can also be bought from a garden center for a head start. Growing garden herbs from seeds provides more satisfaction as the grower can be an eye witnesses to the development of the plants, from the time it emerges from the top soil to the time of doing the harvest.

Cuttings can be made from existing plants to start a new. The cutting should be done in spring before the stems become very woody, however.

Planting Grass Seed

Planting grass seed can best be done in spring and fall, with each season having specific requirements for optimal results. Seeds planted on spring should not be applied with any of weed control products until the grass seeds have germinated and the grass has been mowed three times.

Fall season seed planting requires similar weed control precautions. The seed planting should also be time and monitored to enable the grass seed to germinate entirely before cold temperatures start in the area.

Selection of seed type is also crucial to the flourishing of the lawn grass. Grasses can be classified between cool season grasses and warm season grasses. Among the popular cool season grasses are Ryegrass, Fescues, Bluegrass and Bentgrass. To the warm season grasses belong the famous Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, Buffalo grass, Bahia grass, Zoysia grass, and Centipede grass.
Planting grass seed can be completed in five simple steps.

First, it is important that the grass is compatible with the zoning requirements and the type of soil a gardener has in his or her yard. An excellent lawn is cultivated from a good grass seed. The best grass seeds are the ones rated by the National Turf Evaluation Program. Growers can be assured that the seeds have been bred for an outstanding color, insect and disease resistance and drought tolerance.

No Comments »

No way! I would say to those who give petty excuses why they cannot do vegetable gardening this winter season. There is no way that weather can stop me from growing winter tomatoes indoors. Would you like to miss relishing those homegrown tomatoes in your recipe? I guess not.

I will show you how it is possible to grow tomato plant this winter. During this time of the season we normally plant indoor tomato varieties. Commonly the best part of the house is your window-sill. By all means you can always choose where to place your tomato plant as long as it has access to sunlight. Tomato plants exposure to sunlight is our priority and make sure to avoid cold drafts. Sunlight stimulates the sweet flavor and early ripening of your fruit crops.

Basically, growing tomatoes inside during the winter makes it easier for you because you can easily control the climate indoors. You have easy access to isolate the plant when the weather gets extremely unpleasant and change place if the sunlight is accessible by the window.

To start with your gardening pastime, chooses from among the indoor tomato varieties available in malls such as Tiny Tim, Pixie, Patio, or Toy Boy. After which you may prepare a 6-inch pot where you will grow tomato seedlings in. When planting tomato seedlings make sure to provide enough room for the roots to grow and expand. This will aid in forming a sturdy root foundation which will benefit you later on when the plant starts to bear fruit.

Consider the consumption capacity of your family when growing tomatoes inside during the winter days, to enjoy sufficient supply throughout this season. To ensure enough stocks you may plant one to two sets of tomato seedlings with two week intervals.

Secure exposure to direct sunlight whenever possible if you are growing indoor tomato varieties. If that is not possible you may use artificial or fluorescent lights to provide warmth for the tomato seedlings. Directly place the plant 2 inches away from the light at least 18 hours every day.

Use a small container with compost soil to germinate seeds. The use of organic soil is better than regular soil. A healthy organic compost soil can guarantee fresh growing indoor cherry tomatoes. You will know when to transplant your tomato plant, as soon as you see six full grown leaves.

Two weeks after that time you may already perform the transplant to a bigger container of about 4 inches. I suggest you use a fan to provide breeze to the tomato plants winter growth to develop strong roots. Allow exposure of artificial air for 5 – 10 minutes twice a day.

When you start to transplant be certain that you bury the indoor tomato seedlings deep in the pot leaving 4 leaves above the ground. When filling in the soil evenly cover the stem to establish a firm foundation. Press the soil lightly securing compost and root contact. Then sprinkle water to keep the compost soil moist. Prune excess leaves to cut off suckers and pests as well as the non-bearing fruit stems.

Continuously move your indoors growing tomato plants to access sunlight until it starts bearing crisp fruits. Growing winter tomatoes is not only fun, allowing you to savor fresh and succulent tomatoes but also you have a fruit produce all winter long.

No Comments »