Overlooked Gardening Tips

Garden advice is not that hard to come by. In fact, you can get
gardening advice from another gardener, in a gardening
catalogue, gardening books, gardening magazines, and even on the
Internet. Although you will have variations with every plant,
there is some gardening advice that is universal and that goes
for any plant.

For example, the gardening advice given for planting is pretty
much uniform. You must place plants where they will have room to
grow so they don't overcrowd each other. Good air flow is a
plus, and plants must be in a position where they will receive
adequate amounts of sunlight. Advice will always tell you to add
some type of nutrients to the soil to lead to better plant
growth, such as mulch or compost.

Gardening advice on watering plants is a little more varied,
because every type of plant needs different amounts of water.
For example, you wouldn't want to water a cactus near as much as
you water a tomato plant. How much you water will obviously also
depend on where you live, the climate, and how much rain your
area receives.

Gardening advice from nearly every source will tell you that
your plants not only need fertilize when you first plant them,
they will also needed to be fertilized throughout their growing
season. What type of fertilize used will depend on the soil
content and pH balance, but fertilize will definitely be needed
on most all plants. Compost can be used instead and it is easy
to find advice on how to make a compost pile as well as when
fertilize and compost needs to be used.

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Organic Vegetable Gardening For Beginners

To be successful at organic vegetable gardening you must draw up
detailed plans. The soil is your first consideration; how to
make it rich and fertile, and how to prepare it so harmful pests
won't attack your vegetable garden. The two ways that organic
vegetable gardening differs from conventional gardens is the
usage of fertilizer and how to keep pests under control.
Phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium are the three components
essential to your organic garden.

For lush, green foliage you must have nitrogen. For strong roots
and stems phosphorus is needed. And for the important protection
from disease and brief cold snaps, potassium is a must. Let's
call them the big three. The big three are available in
commercial fertilizers however they are synthetic. In organic
vegetable gardening the big three are added in a much different
way.

The best way of enriching your soil is by compost. Dig some pits
in your back yard to start your compost from kitchen refuse. Use
things like pine needles, corn stalks, leaves, carrot tops,
fruits or vegetables that have spoiled, manure, egg shells and
coffee grinds. Some organic gardeners use weeds in their compost
but I do not recommend this for obvious reasons. As the compost
materials decompose they release bacteria and fungi into the
soil that you are preparing. The bacteria and fungi convert
nutrients like nitrogen to ammonia and nitrates that will be
usable for your vegetables.

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Container Gardening- Tips on How To Choose Healthy Plants

One of the keys to a successful is the choice of healthy plants.
Healthy plants make for longer-lasting, lower-maintenance, and
more vibrant displays. Therefore, before you head off to your
local garden center, you need to know what types of plants
you're looking for, and you need to know how to distinguish
between the healthy and unhealthy plants. To follow are some
tips that can be followed on how to pick out healthy plants for
that perfect display.

1. GENERAL CONDITION OF PLANTS

Avoid plants that do not look healthy on first inspection. The
moss and weeds growing on the surface of the potting mis
indicate that the plant has been in its pot for too long. Spots
and speckles on the leaves may indicate damage from pests and
disease.

2. POT BOUND ROOTS

Ensure that the roots of the plant are not packed in a tight
mesh because buying it. Plants packed in a tight mesh will take
longer to establish itself in a container display. Check this by
lifting the plant out of the potted container.

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Free Tips on Finding the Best Gardening Tools

Different kinds of gardens require different kinds of garden
tools. Hardware stores mostly cater for a wide range of tools,
but there are shops that specialize in the more expensive kind
of garden tool that shouts quality. Wherever you decide to shop,
here are a few pointers to advise you.

Do you have small garden or a large one? A small garden will not
require the same large equipment that would be of use in an
extensive one. A ride-on mower is unnecessary if you only have a
small strip of lawn. Another point to consider is who does most
of the gardening? Some tools are too heavy for use by women.

When you buy secateurs make sure the blade always stays sharp to
avoid damaging the plant. Look for models that have blades that
can be sharpened or replaced, models with tension control and
with sizes that best fit your hands. Secateurs usually cost
around $50 - $130.

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Gardening Tips You Can Use

Bring up the topic of gardening in almost any social situation,
and you're bound to receive plenty of gardening advice. Everyone
from greenhorn to green thumb has plenty of gardening tips to
offer. Some homegrown ideas can produce bountiful results, so
ask around and see which ideas grow on you.

There are plenty of sources available when you're looking for
gardening tips. You can read gardening books, catalogues and
magazines. You can enquire at a garden center or check the
Internet. Of course, you can ask a more seasoned gardener for
his or her advice. Gardening methods, tricks and tips can vary
depending on the type of garden or variety of plant your
tending, but some gardening tips are universal and apply to any
type of plant.

Gardening tips for planting tend to by fairly universal. All
plants need room to grow, so space them so the roots can develop
and the plants won't overcrowd each other. It's important to
know the amount of sunlight required. Some plants, like hostas,
prefer a shady corner of the garden while others, like most
annual flowers and vegetables, thrive in open sunlight.
Ventilation is also important because like all living things,
plants need proper air circulation. Sources offering valuable
gardening tips will also tell you to add some type of nutrients
to the soil, such as mulch or compost, to help your plants grow
bigger and stronger. Every plant will benefit from these general
gardening tips.

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Getting the Best Price for your Home Includes Landscaping for Curb Appeal

If you own a home, then sooner or later you are going to be ready to sell that home. Maybe you've already sold a home or two. People tend to move more often than our parents did.

There are a lot of things that go into getting the best possible price for
your home, but the very first thing your home needs is curb appeal. When a prospective buyer, or a realtor for that matter, pulls up in front of your home, they immediately form an opinion about your house. Fair or not, that's what people do. You can have the most beautiful home in the city, but if prospective buyers don't get a super positive feeling about your house the minute they lay eyes on it, they are going to enter and view the rest of your house with a negative impression.

Fixing that problem is easy enough to do.

When people pull up in front of your house there are two things they see. A house, and the landscaping in front of that house. If the landscaping is unattractive, the house will appear to be unattractive. Landscaping for curb appeal does not cost a lot of money, it's simply a matter of making sure the landscaping is neat, with well defined edges, and colorful. But when landscaping for curb appeal, the most important thing you need to do is to raise the beds with topsoil. Of course you have to do this before you plant.

Plants do much better in raised beds, and the plants in the beds really
stand out. In order to raise the beds around your house you do not have to buy expensive stones and build retaining walls. Just establish the outline of the planting beds, cut an edge into the soil with a spade, and fill the planting beds with approximately ten inches of good rich topsoil. You'd be amazed at how much you can raise a planting bed without any type of retention.

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How To Grow Tomatoes In Your Vegetable Garden

For many people, growing big juicy tomatoes is part of what
makes vegetable gardening so enjoyable. Whether purchasing
plants from your local nursery or starting tomatoes from seed,
there are a few basic steps to follow to ensure that you harvest
an abundant crop at the end of the growing season. There are
many different varieties of tomatoes to choose from, depending
on whether you will be cooking, canning, slicing, or eating
miniature or grape-like varieties right off the vine. Sweet
100�s are very abundant, and are good for salads as well as
eating fresh from the garden. Roma tomatoes are good for making
salsa, because the peels are not as tough as others so you don�t
need to peel the skins off. Romas are also known as the classic
paste and sauce tomato. There are Early Girls, Early Boys, Big
Boys, Big Mamas, Sweet Baby Girls, Beefsteaks, French Rose
hybrids, Big Rainbow, specialty tomatoes and many more. So start
by choosing the kind of tomato you would like to grow.

Planting Tomatoes from Seeds

Tomatoes grown from seed will require six to eight weeks before
they can be planted in the garden. Purchase individual
containers or flats, starter soil or mixture, and the seeds of
your choice. Fill each container with soil, pressing it tightly
to remove air and to avoid settling problems after watering.
Typically, seed companies print instructions for planting right
on the tomato seed package. Each variety is a little different
so follow instructions carefully. Prepare a label identifying
the type of tomato and the date started. You can make your own
from Popsicle sticks or purchase them at the store or garden
center.

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Spring Planting Tips

Spring means that the garden centers are packed with people, and car trunks are packed with plants. Everybody has dirt on their knees, dirt under their nails, and are excited about gardening. To make certain that this excitement yields positive results, let's discuss the basics in this article of spring planting tips.

Installing new plants and having them grow successfully is not difficult, nor is it as complicated as some would have you think. Is it as easy as just digging a hole and setting the plant in? Yes, it certainly can be. I won't get into bed preparation, as I have covered that in other articles that are available at http://www.freeplants.com

Let's start with B&B plants. B&B is short for balled in burlap. Closely examine the ball on the plant that you have purchased. Did the diggers wrap twine around the ball to hold the plant secure? If they did, you should at least cut the twine and lay it in the bottom of the hole, or remove it completely. Pay close attention around the stem of the plant where it emerges from the root ball, as diggers often wrap the twine around the stem several times as they tie the ball. This is extremely important because if the string is nylon, it will not rot and will girdle and kill the plant two or three years from now.

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Container Gardening

Container gardens can create a natural sanctuary in a busy city street, along rooftops or on balconies. You can easily accentuate the welcoming look of a deck or patio with colorful pots of annuals, or fill your window boxes with beautiful shrub roses or any number of small perennials. Whether you arrange your pots in a group for a massed effect or highlight a smaller space with a single specimen, you'll be delighted with this simple way to create a garden.

Container gardening enables you to easily vary your color scheme, and as each plant finishes flowering, it can be replaced with another. Whether you choose to harmonize or contrast your colors, make sure there is variety in the height of each plant. Think also of the shape and texture of the leaves. Tall strap-like leaves will give a good vertical background to low-growing, wide-leafed plants. Choose plants with a long flowering season, or have others of a different type ready to replace them as they finish blooming.

Experiment with creative containers. You might have an old porcelain bowl or copper urn you can use, or perhaps you'd rather make something really modern with timber or tiles. If you decide to buy your containers ready-made, terracotta pots look wonderful, but tend to absorb water. You don't want your plants to dry out, so paint the interior of these pots with a special sealer available from hardware stores.

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Plus Points For Organic Gardening

Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits
with the use of things only found in nature. Why would one want
to indulge in organic gardening?

1.One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste.
Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared
chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put
garbage to good use and so saves the environment.

2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an
adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when
growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the
chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but
research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed
through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in
children.

On the average, a child ingests four to five times more
cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can
lead to various diseases later on in the child's life. With
organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.

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Caring for and Planting a Balled in Burlap

Tis the season when lots of people drag a real tree into their house and decorate it. Some people buy live trees that are balled in burlap instead of a cut tree. A live tree is a great idea, but many people make serious mistakes when it comes to handling a live tree, and they end up losing their money. The information in this article also pertains to any live tree you are planting, be it now during the winter, or during the summer.

1. Before you even take the tree in the house, dig a hole for the tree where you expect to plant it after the holidays. Put the soil in a wheelbarrow and park it in the garage. You'll need loose soil to backfill the hole, and the ground might be frozen after the holidays.

2. Keep your live tree in the house for as short a time as is possible.

3. Keep the ball plenty moist while in the house, but not in a tub full of water. You don't want the ball to dry out completely, but by the same token it shouldn't be soggy all the time either. Just moist. You can wet it thoroughly, but then don't water again until the water is almost gone.

4. After Christmas move the tree outdoors as soon as possible and plant it immediately. If you were not able to dig the hole earlier, the ground is frozen, and the tree can not be planted, leave it outside and pack bags of leaves or bales of straw around the ball. Find a way to heel it in in such a way that the amount of sun and wind the root ball receives is minimal.

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Summer Gardening Tips

Don't be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. I spent 20 years landscaping homes and businesses, and I watched people make the investment in my services, then they failed to prune when the plants needed it, and before you know it their landscape looks terrible.

If you make a mistake pruning, don't worry about it. It's like a bad haircut, it will grow out. Of course use common sense and read the previous articles that I've written on pruning.

Along with summer time comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don't water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down of the chance fungus being a problem.

One of the more common fungi that I get asked about a lot is powdery mildew. This appears as a white film on the leaves of ornamental plants. Dogwoods and Purple Sandcherry are often the victim of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew isn't extremely harmful to the plants, it's just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you'd like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal.

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When Gardening What Are The Right Tools That Anybody Will Need

For different kinds of gardens you will need different kinds of tools. Most hardware and DIY stores now have a wide range of tools available in stock, but if you want there are shops that specialize in the more expensive ranges that shout quality to you. But wherever you decide to purchase your tools from here a few points to help you make an informed decision.

Firstly you need to look at the size of your garden, is it small or is it large? A small garden does not require the same large equipment that would be used in a bigger one. Why bother purchasing a ride-on lawn mower if you only have a small lawn. Also you need to look at who in your household does most of the gardening. If you say it is your wife that spends a vast amount of time gardening then you need to look for tools that will suit her, there are some out there that are too heavy for women to use.

You are looking to purchase a pair of secateurs and you should always ensure that the blade is kept sharp to avoid causing undue damage to your plants. If you can look for a pair where the blades can either be sharpened or they can be replaced, as well as a pair that have a tension control system and a pair that best fits your hand size. Normally a good quality pair of secateurs can cost from around $50 to £130.

If you have a hedge or considering growing one (to provide that all important privacy that you crave) then you need to look at purchasing a good quality hedge trimmer or a good quality pair of shears. You may find that some hedge trimmers have a curved blade which stops branches from sliding out when cut, and as with secateurs the shears you decide to purchase need to be suitable for the blades to be sharpened or replaced.

Essential items you should have in your gardening tool kit are a fork, shovel, rake, chipping hoe and a pruning saw (not essential unless you have trees or large shrubs in your garden).

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15 Tips For Making A Container Water Garden

Potted plants, they're common. But when container water gardens
are mentioned, chances are, not too many people will be able to
answer what it is. Do you know what they are for? No? You'll
know in a minute.

Before, most people who would want to enjoy the beauty of water
garden plants would need to set up a pond in their homes. Today,
that is just an alternative. Container water gardens are for
water plants as pots are for flowering plants.

1. Just like planting the usual garden plants, water plants such
as water hyacinth or water lettuce should be packed with clay
while submerged in water. 2-3 potted plants together with some
plants with broad leaves would be attractive enough.

2. Container water gardens should be kept in places with a high
distribution of sunlight (at least 6 hours in a day) and ample
supply of water. The containers should be refilled as soon as
some of the original content has evaporated. During the
afternoon, though, a bit of protection is required for your
containers.

3. You must never worry about mosquitoes that might make a lair
out of your creation. The water in the container would not
become stagnant because of the plants in it. In rare cases where
mosquito larvae do develop, take them off immediately and put in
fresh water right away.

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Green Gardening Tips

The winter has lived up to being a cold and windy months (for
most of us). Annual rye will stay green throughout the winter
months and begin to die off in the summer heat. You should be
able to plant just about anything, including pansies, (which
will last through next May) mums, winter veggies (starts), most
trees and shrubs.

There are a few exceptions: Palm trees might be better planted
in the spring and summer, in order to get a good root
establishment before the winter sets in. Preparing for the
Winter Months: Gardening in October. They can be used in vases
in the house throughout the winter to brighten the decor.

This will keep them in the warmest water available and allow
them to go dormant for the winter without sustaining damage. I
am delighted for the opportunity of presenting free �-day
vegetable gardening seminars again this winter and spring to a
limited number of groups who request them.

These are just a few gardening tips for you to consider here in
late June. In gardening, there are some tips that many have
found more useful over others. Whether you have a green thumb or
simply want to start learning the art of gardening, it's a good
idea to be prepared for all of those little surprises that may
pop up along the way.

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How To Decide The Style Of Your Garden

All garden have styles, just as with furniture and interior
decorating. Sometimes styles can be blended and sometimes not.
Generally, you want your more intensive formal-looking areas,
like roses and annual flower beds, closer to the house; then you
can let the garden become more natural as you move farther away.

Adding a small perennial flower bed next to the garage works
beautifully. But a yard starts to look funny if you have a
Japanese cloud-pruned pine, an English perennial border, some
natural-looking shrubs, and a fish pond all at one time. If you
live in the woods, among towering forest trees, one sheared bush
will look odd. Pollarded trees look good next to the chateaux in
France, but they look silly as the only two treated that way out
of a row of trees on the parking strip in front of your house.
Pollarded trees are the ones pruned to look like 6-foot
lollipops.

Below are seven examples of popular garden styles:

1. Formal English: Clipped hedges, roses, knot gardens 2.
English Cottage: Lots of fruit trees and perennials rambling
around in great profusion 3. Japanese: Highly trained and
maintained pines and other trees with masses of low sheared
shrubs, placed rocks, and sand seas 4. Early American:
Forsythias, quince, peonies, bearded iris 5. Pacific Northwest:
Rocks to look like mountain outcroppings, rhododendron, pines,
heather, vine maples, Douglas firs 6. Woodland: Tall trees with
understory plants and groundcovers 7. Prairie: Grasses and
sun-loving wildflowers

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Container Gardening Should Include The Herbal Plant Scented Geraniums

Planting an herbal garden that includes scented geraniums is not common to container gardening. Most gardeners think of scented geraniums as a floral plant, not an herbal plant but the species, called pelargonium, is an herb with many uses. This delightful herb has many different aromas and gorgeous colors to delight your senses. The scented geranium is best used in container gardening for two reasons. One, you can control the soil and moisture, and two you can bring it indoors when a frost is imminent.

The scented geranium was found in Africa in the 1600's and shipped to England where it became most popular. The gardener of King Charles I grew a variety of scented geraniums in the royal greenhouse. The Victorians thought they were geraniums rather than an herbal plant but if you look at their asymmetrical leaves you can see the difference between scented geraniums and regular geraniums.

The scented geranium is truly a herbal plant for all seasons. It grows and has a lovely aroma throughout the spring and summer and when the chilly winds of autumn threaten this sturdy herbal plant will gladly co-exist inside with you. Nothing could be better when container gardening includes scented geranium with their exquisite flowers, lovely scented leaves, and sturdy characteristics for year round enjoyment of your senses.

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Grow Great Tomatoes Using Container Gardening Methods

CONTAINER TOMATO GARDENING Tomatoes can be grown easily in container gardens.

Here's how:

USE LARGE CONTAINERS Tomatoes are large plants when they mature. For this reason, your container size should be at least 12 – 14" in width or diameter. Any smaller container than this and your tomatoes will not last the season. With smaller pots, the plant dries out early in the season and the bloom simply doesn’t happen. The choice is yours. Whether you want to be stingy now or repent later. Pay for the bigger pot to ensure that you get great tomatoes in August.

GOOD QUALITY SOIL Use good quality soil all the way to the bottom of the container. By using an artificial soil mix rather than the garden soil; you prevent the soil from compaction. Compaction stunts the growth of the tomatoes and kills them. The soil should also have the right pH balance for the tomato to thrive fully. The soil should be mixed properly and good quality fertilizer should be added at the time of filling the container this is why garden soil is seldom used. Tomatoes need lots of soil with constant watering. You should put in at least six shovels of soil in the container. Any less than that can spell doom for the plant.

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Green House Gardening Tips and Tricks

Gardening enthusiasts in the more interesting temperate climates
and any place where there are four seasons are faced with great
benefits as well as challenges. Because of the four seasons,
gardeners are blessed with huge plant varieties conducive for
planting on one or two of the seasons. In the period of a year,
they are given an opportunity to plant varieties that must grow
in cooler climates, and take advantage of the sunny summer to
plant those that would require more exposure to the sun.
However, the seasonality of plant varieties may pose challenges
to those who would rather grow plants continuously, regardless
of season. This is especially true for flower and fruit
varieties that require continuous sunlight for an entire year,
for example, or fruit and vegetable perennials that do not bear
fruit and instead shrivel up in the winter.

The response to these challenges is the creation of greenhouses
or greenhouse facilities. A greenhouse is a structure made of
glass or plastic that stores up the sun's rays in order to
simulate the temperatures in the spring all year long inside. By
storing up heat inside a greenhouse, it allows individuals to
grow plants continuously even while winter rages hard outside
it. Greenhouses also go by the name glasshouses or hothouses.
The glass or plastic used in the construction of greenhouses are
specially designed to have transmission qualities that will
allow for the sun's ultraviolet rays to be stored inside the
greenhouse facility, providing a warm atmosphere inside, and in
effect, warming the plants and the soil. A greenhouse leaves
little or no openings through which the air heated by the stored
sunlight can escape; leaving a small window or hatch open in a
greenhouse will lead to a drastic drop in temperatures.

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An Introduction to Greenhouse Gardening

Greenhouses come in a wide variety of different styles and
types. Each is suited to a special need or want and degree of
seriousness for greenhouse gardening. For the beginning
greenhouse gardener there are smaller versions available that
come in the form of portable greenhouses, a hobby greenhouse, or
mini greenhouses. There is also the option to build your
greenhouse from scratch with a foundation.

What exactly is a greenhouse? A greenhouse is a structure that
creates a protected environment for plants to grow in, thus
extending the productive lives of plants. Greenhouse gardening
is a fun and functional way to garden all year around. You can
pick tomatoes in the winter. Grow herbs and vegetables and start
seedlings and cuttings. Some of the reasons to start a
greenhouse:

Carrying over garden plants to be used as Greenhouse plants next
season Getting an early start for tender plants started from
seed Increasing the possibilities of a greater variety and
continuous supply Easier culture of small vegetables for winter
use To propagate and experiment with various plants as a hobby
Develop new varieties of plants.

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