How To Preserve Your Garden In The Winter

How To Preserve Your Garden In The Winter by Joey Singer

Old Man Winters' arrival doesn't mean that the Winter garden can be neglected. Keeping the garden on an even footing against the ravages that winter can bring is an ongoing. Neglecting proper garden closing chores and winter maintenance tasks is only a recipe for a headache in the spring. Follow a few of these winter garden tips and a bountiful spring will be waiting in a few months time.

Setting the winter garden table
An interesting to look at and healthy winter garden depends upon taking steps in the late fall or early winter. Clean up the garden. Make sure that any garden trash is picked up before the snow flies. If this "trash" is left behind it presents an opportunity for bacteria to find its way into any cuts in the plant or onto the plants roots. Bacteria growth, and possible disease, on the plant is the biggest danger to a winter garden.

Watch out for color when trimming
If you have had your garden for at least one winter season you know what has color during winter and what does not. Trim this color judiciously looking for maverick branches, but be sure to keep the overall form of the shrub so that winter color can shine in a uniform way. If you are not sure, leave it alone and get a feel for what has winter color for next winter. If a shrub has a winter bud on it, leave it be as this is where the flower will come from next spring.

Trim out the cut or torn limbs
Chances are that a torn or cut (looks like a knife cutting into an apple about an eight of an inch deep) limb will end up dangling, or on the ground, as winter progresses. Take care of it early and your garden will look sturdy and ready for whatever the winter has to offer. Look for a nodule on the limb (looks like a knuckle of sorts) and cut about one quarter of an inch above it on an angle for a proper cut.

Weed to a clean ground
Weeds also present a messy problem through the winter. Not only will they decay and offer disease potential, they will also continue to grow their roots until the ground freezes hard. This will only make them more invasive in the spring. Besides, if you weed to a clean ground you will have a nice clean contrast to the dormant plants in the garden.

A nice clean edge
Unless you are going for a more informal look, give a nice edge job to your garden flower beds before the ground freezes. Not only will this make for a crisp look during the winter months, as the edge freezes, but it will put you one step closer to a solid start in spring.

To wrap or not to wrap
If you look at many winter gardens you may notice that people have wrapped burlap or some other material around their evergreen shrubs. Generally, this is to prevent a snow load or high wind from damaging the plant. Unless you have the potential for a snow load or predictable high winds this is not necessarily needed. The wind issue is an issue, but remember that all plants need air circulation, no matter what type of plant they may be. If you wrap a shrub/plant to tightly air circulation will diminish and present the opportunity for moisture build up and disease. If you wrap your shrubs make sure to do it securely but with air circulation in mind.

It cannot hurt to mound
Mounding around the base of a plant is intended to give the root systems of a shrub/plant a little extra insulation during hard winters. Depending upon which zone you happen to be gardening in the need for mounding rises and falls. In any case, you want to make sure that you compress the dirt of the mound with a firm push of the hands. This gets some of the air out of the mound and generally makes a mound of dirt look a bit nicer. It also shows that you took a little care in your gardening. This sometimes impresses people that visit your winter garden.

Trees are plants too
Take a few moments to assess your trees before the winter winds start to howl. Look for any branches that may have grown old, look to be growing across the desired vertical path of a properly trimmed tree or have died during the season. What you are looking for is any limb or branch that may rub constantly on another opening a wound in the bark. Generally, you would not want to cut a branch as winter approaches, or during the winter months, but sometimes you need to.

Want to find out about gardening problems and organic vegetable gardening? Get tips from the Starting A Garden website.

Article Source: How To Preserve Your Garden In The Winter

Growing Apples On The Balcony

Growing Apples On The Balcony by Ella Schwartz

Karen opened the door to her apartment balcony and sighed as the city air greeted her with that all too familiar scent of exhaust fumes. She crossed to the sunny corner of her balcony and smiled as she checked on the progress of her apple tree.

Her friends had often called Karen mad for attempting to grow her own apple tree on the balcony of her eleventh floor apartment, but Karen knew that it could be done. When she had moved to Dallas for work, she had been forced to leave her roots in the country behind herself.

Regardless of where she resided, Karen knew the importance of having fresh fruit available to her. Apples were her favorite food, and she knew how expensive fresh fruit was here in the city. It was no small decision to take the step from thinking about it, to actually trying to grow her own apple tree, eleven floors in the air.

A Big Pot for a Big Tree

Karen knelt beside her apple tree and admired the large ceramic pot that she had invested in. Her grandmother had told her that a tree grown in a pot would need a lot of room for the roots to grow around in the soil. The tree would only grow as large as its roots could spread, so a large pot was needed to give the tree some growing room. She had likewise been warned that if the tree were not given a large enough pot, its roots would eventually break through the pot itself to find more room to grow.

The pot that Karen had chosen was a mosaic of red and blue tiles in a striped design. Not only did it give the apple tree plenty of room to grow on her balcony, but it matched the cushions on her porch chair as well. Karen checked around the soil of her tree, making sure that no intruding insects were bothering her balcony resident. She hummed to herself as she went through this nightly ritual.

An Apple Tree Needs Water

Once she was satisfied that her apple tree was free of pests, she turned back toward her apartment. Karen grabbed her two gallon watering can and measured out the weekly dose of organic fertilizer mix into the can's bottom. She filled the can with water and returned to her balcony again. Karen hefted the heavy watering can and tilted it over the edge of the pot slowly. She watched as the water flowed in around the soil, and paused as the water seemed to overrun the soil's surface.

Karen waited patiently while the apple tree soaked up all of the nutritious water. Experience had taught her that the plant needed time to let the water soak in before more was added. When she watered her tree too quickly, the nutrient-rich water simply spilled over the sides and out the bottom of the plant, resulting in her tree not getting enough to drink. Only once the water soaked in did Karen add more, pausing again when the water reached the overflow threatening point.

Nutrients

When the entire watering can had been successfully fed to the tree, Karen returned the watering can to its usual spot. Any plant that is grown in a pot only has a limited amount of nutrients available to it, her grandmother had warned when Karen began this experiment. If Karen wanted her tree to produce large, healthy apples, it would need a weekly supply of nutrients added to the soil, with regular water added every day as well. This would allow her apple tree plenty to eat while it grew.


Light

Karen took care to always give her apple tree everything that it could need, including dragging it around her balcony to where the sunlight was strongest during different times of the year. Already, she had small apples beginning to grow from where the old flowers had withered and fallen from the tree. Come the Fall, she hoped to have a multitude of apples available to be eaten every day.

Ella C Schwartz is a writer for Hunterstruct Construction, offering small home design and building services throughout Southwest British Columbia, including the BC interior and Sunshine Coast. Known for its functional and great looking cottages, this small home builder in White Rock, BC showcases its best small homes on the Hunterstruct.com website. We love building, and it shows!

Article Source: Growing Apples On The Balcony

Jumpstart The Spring Garden - Gardening Tips For March & April

Jumpstart The Spring Garden - Gardening Tips For March & April by John Conti

Snowdrops stand guard over tiny daffodil buds. Daylight is lingering a bit longer. The snow is receding and the robins are returning. The big thaw has begun. There's no denying the signs. Spring is right around the corner.

If you're like me, you can't wait to get your hands into the soil. While you're holding out for higher temperatures, there's plenty you can do today to jumpstart the spring gardening season.

Sow Seeds Indoors

Take a trip to your local nursery or home store and buy seeds to start indoors. In March I like to start annual flowers for my pots and containers. Currently, I have Coleus, Zinnias, Impatiens, Petunias and Marigolds germinating. Follow the seed packet instructions and you'll get excellent results. Some plants will take longer than others to bloom or bear fruit, so plan accordingly. This is also a great time for starting culinary herbs and vegetables. If you're looking for something new this year, try moonflower vine or cathedral bells to climb your fence or trellis. Both can be started from seed. If you have children, get them involved. Many children have a natural affinity for gardening. It's a great quality to encourage and nurture in them.

Dust Off The Birdhouses

I put my birdhouses out in early March. Small birds like chickadees will be actively searching for appropriate homes to raise their families. Mine were up for less than 24 hours before the home tours began.

Give Your Garden Tools A Checkup

Take your pruning shears and other cutting tools to your local hardware store for cleaning, oiling and a good sharpening. On a warm day you may want to assess your lawnmower. Take it in for servicing or a tune up now-while you can. Many lawnmower repair centers are swamped shortly after the season starts. It's one tool you don't want to be without.

Get Inspired

Order your garden catalogs. Purchase your favorite garden magazines. Here in the northeast, there's nothing like winter time to remind me how valuable my summer garden space is. Create a wish list of new plants, design features and outdoor furniture. With a little planning, you won't be overwhelmed when May rolls around.

Seek Out Indoor Gardening Events

In March there are countless indoor garden, flower and landscaping expos. If you can't find anything in your local area, a day or weekend trip to a flower show might be just what you need. Look for a botanical garden or arboretum with indoor facilities. In my area we have Longwood Gardens. It has year round indoor gardens and the displays are fantastic.

Clean Out Your Beds

As soon as the snow has melted and the weather permits, you can clean out your beds. It's a good time to rake and clear your planting areas of dead branches, leaves and debris. I like to mulch as soon as possible in the spring, while there's still plenty of space between the emerging bedding plants.

Learn A Landscape Design Software Program

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There are so many inexpensive landscaping software programs available today, many of them under $50.00US. During the winter months you'll have plenty of time to learn how to operate the system.

Create and sample new designs before digging. Take advantage of the overhead and 360 degree views. Many of the programs now offer a 3D walk through feature. It simulates the experience of walking through an actual garden. You can also advance the garden timeline into the future to see what it will look like when the plants and trees mature. It's a wonderful creative tool to beat the winter blues!

Call Your Landscaper Now

If you're planning to use a professional landscaper this year, make sure to schedule your work as far in advance as possible. When the ground is soft enough for digging, landscapers will be working overtime to keep up with the volume.

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Book Your Garden Tours Now

Scour the internet for local and regional garden tours. Find out when tickets go on sale and plan ahead. I've often read announcement lists in the newspaper after I've already made other plans. There's nothing like
visiting other people's gardens for encouragement and inspiration.

I hope these suggestions get you motivated to take action. The sooner you get started on your garden plans-the more time you'll have to enjoy the rest of the season. Happy Gardening!

© 2007 John Conti

John Conti is a landscaper and publisher of Stellasyard.com | The Soulful Garden. Visit his web site for how to articles, advice and free design plans. Beginners are welcome. http://stellasyard.com

Article Source: Jumpstart The Spring Garden - Gardening Tips For March & April
" Here's Some Advice That'll Save You $$$... On Your Next Landscaping Project..." Click Here!

The Easiest Vegetables You Can Grow

The Easiest Vegetables You Can Grow by Graeme_K

It is far more satisfying to grow veg than to buy them in the supermarket. The pleasure of using your home-growns in the kitchen will add so much to the experience of preparing and cooking your meals. And, here´s the real secret, it´s easy. Whether you have a small indoor garden or an acre to till, growing your own vegetables is hugely pleasurable, yielding fast rewards. And the quality is undoubtedly better than what you will find in the supermarkets.

Growing your own vegetables removes worry about chemicals and pesticides. There is a lot of preoccupation these days about the integrity of fruit and vegetables sold in the supermarkets. They are sprayed with pesticides and waxes which help protect and beautify the produce, but which are inevitably harmful for human consumption.

Planning your garden
Preparation is key and planning your garden will make things much easier further down the line. Picking a sunny spot is vital. For guaranteed success dig your garden in a place that will get six hours or more of full sunlight. It should preferably be close to the house and a water supply, so it is easy to monitor. Finally, your garden should be sheltered enough, getting good air movement, but certainly not windy.

Preparing the soil is also important. Dig and rake the soil so that it is well aerated and free of rocks and debris. The soil should drain well, never leaving puddles after heavy rainfall. You will probably also need to add compost for nourishment. Your end result should be a nice crumbly texture.

Sowing seeds
Sowing seeds is really easy. Usually it is just a case of following instructions on the packet. Some seeds can just be sprinkled on to the soil, whereas others need to be covered up. As a general rule, the bigger the seed, the deeper it must be planted. Be sure to keep the soil moist by watering regularly and gently. When the seedlings are growing make sure that they all have enough space, this may mean pulling some out and replanting.


Onions
Onions are the staple ingredient to any good meal, adding substance and flavour to sauces and stews. They are, therefore, a welcome addition to your garden. Onions can be grown from sets or seeds, but planting sets is infinitely more fun and relatively risk-free. Sets are immature onion bulbs that are planted in the soil. Dig a small hole in the soil, enough to fit your bulb twice, and cover it. Space your sets around 15 centimetres apart for the best result. Plant in early spring.

Carrots
Carrots are another staple to the kitchen. Dice them to add substance to a stew or soup, grate them into a salad or just chop them up and eat as cruditees. Plant your carrot seeds as soon as the soil can be worked after winter. Carrots are ready for harvest when you see their tops peeking over the line of the soil.

Peas
Peas in a pod are the perfect plants for kids. They will love popping them Sugarsnaps are perfect for this. Sow three rows of pea seeds at the very beginning of spring and harvest them when the pods are fat. These little plants are fairly low-maintanance and can survive on the moisture from rainfall.

Lettuce
There is nothing better than a fresh garden salad from your own garden. The quality is better. The leaves are crunchier. And there are so many varieties of lettuce the only difficulty will be in deciding what you want. Try buying salad bowl, spinach and rocket seeds. These are easy to plant and maintain. You will, however, need to keep an eye open for garden pests, especially slugs, who love these tasty greens. Sow every two weeks in order to space out growth and to ensure that you always have fresh leaves on your kitchen table.

Radishes
Radishes are great for the novice gardener. They are easy to grow and are often ready in only three weeks. Plant in early spring, sowing the seeds around six inches deep. They will be a spicy, crunchy addition to your gourmet salads.

Whatever your level of expertise, gardening should be a fun, pleasurable experience. There is nothing like the feeling of eating a meal you planted and prepared yourself. And once you start, you will be guaranteed your thirst for learning will increase.

Written on behalf of the vegetable seeds specialists - KingSeeds.com

Article Source: The Easiest Vegetables You Can Grow

Importance of Proper Mulching

Importance of Proper Mulching by Louisvillejh

Proper mulching around trees and landscape plants provide a good way to conserve moisture for your plants, keeping them healthy and when done properly can also help reduce weeds. Most plants lose moisture from evaporation through their leaves, mulching can help reduce the effect of drying out. Putting weed control granules down with mulch will also help cut down on weeds. Less weeds means less competition for vital nutrients and water resulting in stronger healthier plants. Mulch also helps keep the soil healthy, preventing possible fungi from causing soil-borne diseases.

Because landscape plants can sustain damage from lawn mowing and weed trimmers, adding a mulch ring around the base of your trees and making a landscape bed around your foundation plants can help reduce this damage. We suggest a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch combined with weed control granules. This will help prevent most weeds from growing, but will not adversely effect existing landscape plants.

When applying the mulch of your choice, try and cover as much of the root zone as possible. The mulched area should cover 3 to 6 feet out from the base of the plant or out from the foundation. Try not putting the mulch right up against the base of the tree, leaving about an inch - this can help prevent bark decay.

As far as how much mulch depth to build around your plants, this will depend on the type of soil surrounding it. Most of the soil around here is thick heavy clay and should only require 2 to 3 inches. Any deeper than that and you risk holding to much moisture on the surface leading to shallow rooted plants. Sandy soils can dry out faster and might benefit from a slightly deeper mulch layer (3 to 4 inches). Most sites could use even a thin layer of mulch, even sites that stay a little moist.

We recommend applying mulch any time of the year, but the prime time is mid to late spring after the soil has warmed a little. If you put it down to early in spring you could delay soil warming and possibly plant growth. You do not have to remove the mulch when you fertilize new or existing plants, just apply the fertilizer over the mulch and the nutrients will naturally move with water to the root system below.

In regards to what is the best mulch for you, there are many materials out there - each with their advantages and disadvantages. Most mulches are made from organic materials and are weed-free. Some of organic materials include all pine bark nuggets, pine straw, hardwoods, cypresses, cedar and compost. Pine straw, cypress, and cedar all look good and will remain in place better than most other materials but larger Pine bark lasts longer and can be washed with a heavy rain. Hardwood is usually most cost effective but breaks down faster and needs replaced more frequently.

Non-shredded leaves and grass clippings should not be used as mulch in landscape beds or around trees. They can form a thick mat that makes water penetration to the roots nearly impossible. Wood chips from freshly cut trees should also not be used. Fresh woodchips are low in nitrogen and will rob nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes.
Some inorganic mulches include various types of stone, lava rock, pulverized rubber, geotextile fabrics, and other materials. The advantages to these are they do not decompose and usually do not need to be replenished very often. On the down side, they do not improve soil structure as they break down, adding organic materials, and providing nutrients.

Regardless of what kind of mulch you choose to put down applying a layer of weed control granules first will help keep the weeds down. Weed control granules keep weed seeds from germinating in freshly applied mulch without effecting existing plants. Weed control granules should be applied anytime the soil is disturbed out fresh mulch is applied. With our long hot summers in mind the effects of the granules can wear off by fall, so a second application is often recommended.

Mulching has many benefits to keeping your landscape plants healthy and strong. If you have questions about the types of mulch to apply, please visit Frank Otte Nursery Frank Otte Nursery on Bardstown road and we will help you with all your questions. Your Louisville Mulch Headquarters!

Frank Otte Nursery and Garden Center Bardstown Rd. Louisville, KY is dedicated to all of your gardening needs. http://www.LouisvilleGardenCenter.net

Article Source: Importance of Proper Mulching

Rain and snow in your yard landscaping

Rain and snow are going to play a huge part in your yard landscaping decisions. For example you will have to plan for your yard landscaping with care. You should go to the library and take out some books on the subject. These yard landscaping books will help you to learn all of the most important points of yard landscaping so that you do not ruin your yard for good. Your yard landscaping needs to be done with close attention being paid to rain and snow as well as proper drainage. If you find that your yard gets too muddy in the winter or you have large puddles all over then you most likely do not have the right kind of drainage going on. This is something that you may want to consider getting a professional in to take care of. If you still want to do the rest of your yard landscaping yourself then this is fine but some things are better left to the professionals. You need to have your yard landscaping done in such a way that the rain when it falls, will actually water your plants. You will be able to use all of the water that falls into your yard to feed the plants and the trees if you set up your yard landscaping the right way. Knowing the general rainfall levels and times of the year you will then be able to make up the water levels when they drop with other watering. This is important during times like summer when it gets hot and there is not much rain. Snow is another thing that is very important to your yard. Snow is just as vital to your entire yard landscaping project as rain is. Snow not only waters your yard as it melts but the snow, although cold, can actually help to keep your soil warmer. This will allow any plants that are sleeping under the snow to stay healthy and alive. Your bulbs will pop up in the spring in perfect form and color making your yard landscaping all the more beautiful When it rains you need to see just how the rain is transferred all over your yard. This is very important to the entire yard landscaping that you are planning to do. This is simple to do, all you need to do is take a walk around your yard the next time it starts to rain. Watch for where the rain puddles and where it drains to and you are well on your way to perfect yard landscaping. This kind of work is the easy part of the job and is the best way to start. Then you will know what needs to be done to get the right kind of drainage going with you yard landscaping.

3 Golf Course Quality Lawn Tips

3 Golf Course Quality Lawn Tips by David Bryce

Ever driven by a golf course and were immediately impressed with the quality of the green? Golf course professionals are capable of making some truly spectacular things happen when they put their able hands to the course. Getting your own home lawn to look the same doesn't have to be a pipe dream. Below are five spectacular tips to getting your lawn in the same shape as that course your eyes have been pining over for the last five years. With these tips in hand, you can put the age old idiom to rest and say to yourself, "the grass truly is greener on the other side."

First things first, let's start with the essentials. A well looked-after lawn will always follow a strict mowing regime. Keeping your lawn a luscious emerald green relies heavily on how often and how well you are cutting and mowing it. One thing that is almost always overlooked, is the quality of the blades on the mower. Chances are, you have owned the same mower your whole adult life. Over time, the blades on these mowers can become dull and lose their effectiveness. When blades become dull like this, they begin to cut the grass in odd ways that the manufacturer had not intended. Being but with these dull blades opens up your lawn to a host of problems, such as (yes they exist) grass diseases and even weeds.

The next great tip and one that really makes your lawn pop to neighbors or anyone who happens to be driving by is the way in which you go about cutting it. If you were like me before you knew any better, you probably had a practiced route on how to cut your grass, much like the same way you'd drive to work in the morning. Well, in order to get that really great depth and criss-cross effect, switch it up. This can often translate into a few more minutes spent on the lawn but the end result is well worth the effort. To achieve this, start by going over your lawn, let's say from left to right on the first pass through. Once you have made your way through the lawn in this way, switch it up and give it one more run through, but this time going across your lawn in an up and down motion. The end result will give your lawn a really interesting patterned look.

The last tip and perhaps the most important has to do with the length. When cutting your lawn, never go too short. A lawn that is clipped too short, while may looking clean and sharp, can cause a host of problems that will come to bite you in the bud. Lawns that are cut too short are more susceptible to drying out, sun damage and stunted growth. The best rule of thumb when cutting your lawn is to never remove more than a third of it at any given time. Applying this simple ratio to your cutting methods can really help on giving your lawn that healthy, green glow.

Getting your lawn to look professionally taken care of does not have to translate to a ton of time and money spent. Just imply these three simple rules and your lawn can also look just like some of the best golf courses around.

David Bryce is an Online Publisher for Thousand Hills Golf Resort

Article Source: 3 Golf Course Quality Lawn Tips

The Easiest Vegetables You Can Grow

The Easiest Vegetables You Can Grow by Graeme_K

It is far more satisfying to grow veg than to buy them in the supermarket. The pleasure of using your home-growns in the kitchen will add so much to the experience of preparing and cooking your meals. And, here´s the real secret, it´s easy. Whether you have a small indoor garden or an acre to till, growing your own vegetables is hugely pleasurable, yielding fast rewards. And the quality is undoubtedly better than what you will find in the supermarkets.

Growing your own vegetables removes worry about chemicals and pesticides. There is a lot of preoccupation these days about the integrity of fruit and vegetables sold in the supermarkets. They are sprayed with pesticides and waxes which help protect and beautify the produce, but which are inevitably harmful for human consumption.

Planning your garden
Preparation is key and planning your garden will make things much easier further down the line. Picking a sunny spot is vital. For guaranteed success dig your garden in a place that will get six hours or more of full sunlight. It should preferably be close to the house and a water supply, so it is easy to monitor. Finally, your garden should be sheltered enough, getting good air movement, but certainly not windy.

Preparing the soil is also important. Dig and rake the soil so that it is well aerated and free of rocks and debris. The soil should drain well, never leaving puddles after heavy rainfall. You will probably also need to add compost for nourishment. Your end result should be a nice crumbly texture.

Sowing seeds
Sowing seeds is really easy. Usually it is just a case of following instructions on the packet. Some seeds can just be sprinkled on to the soil, whereas others need to be covered up. As a general rule, the bigger the seed, the deeper it must be planted. Be sure to keep the soil moist by watering regularly and gently. When the seedlings are growing make sure that they all have enough space, this may mean pulling some out and replanting.

Courgettes
Courgettes grow in startling abundance. If you don’t know your neighbours already this will be your opportunity. You will be desperate to give away these little (and large) green veggies to whoever crosses your path. Sow them from seed directly into the soil in late-May until early summer. You should water these little plants well to boost production. The courgette flowers can also be eaten, they are delicious either battered or fried.

Onions
Onions are the staple ingredient to any good meal, adding substance and flavour to sauces and stews. They are, therefore, a welcome addition to your garden. Onions can be grown from sets or seeds, but planting sets is infinitely more fun and relatively risk-free. Sets are immature onion bulbs that are planted in the soil. Dig a small hole in the soil, enough to fit your bulb twice, and cover it. Space your sets around 15 centimetres apart for the best result. Plant in early spring.

Carrots
Carrots are another staple to the kitchen. Dice them to add substance to a stew or soup, grate them into a salad or just chop them up and eat as cruditees. Plant your carrot seeds as soon as the soil can be worked after winter. Carrots are ready for harvest when you see their tops peeking over the line of the soil.

Peas
Peas in a pod are the perfect plants for kids. They will love popping them Sugarsnaps are perfect for this. Sow three rows of pea seeds at the very beginning of spring and harvest them when the pods are fat. These little plants are fairly low-maintanance and can survive on the moisture from rainfall.

Lettuce
There is nothing better than a fresh garden salad from your own garden. The quality is better. The leaves are crunchier. And there are so many varieties of lettuce the only difficulty will be in deciding what you want. Try buying salad bowl, spinach and rocket seeds. These are easy to plant and maintain. You will, however, need to keep an eye open for garden pests, especially slugs, who love these tasty greens. Sow every two weeks in order to space out growth and to ensure that you always have fresh leaves on your kitchen table.

Radishes
Radishes are great for the novice gardener. They are easy to grow and are often ready in only three weeks. Plant in early spring, sowing the seeds around six inches deep. They will be a spicy, crunchy addition to your gourmet salads.

Whatever your level of expertise, gardening should be a fun, pleasurable experience. There is nothing like the feeling of eating a meal you planted and prepared yourself. And once you start, you will be guaranteed your thirst for learning will increase.

Written on behalf of the vegetable seeds specialists - KingSeeds.com
Article Source: The Easiest Vegetables You Can Grow


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Vegetable Garden Planning Down To The Basics

Vegetable Garden Planning Down To The Basics by Alan Stables

Sometimes being spontaneous is the way to enjoy a project, but vegetable garden planning is essential if a healthy productive garden project is expected. As people in the country and cities are faced with less space, and less money for groceries, the idea of growing vegetables is a good one.

When many people think of a garden, they think of a commercial farm or greenhouse lot with perfectly straight rows of cabbage or corn as far as the eye can see. While beautiful, it can seem quite intimidating to the do it yourself gardener. Even a person that has an acre to plant can seem to have endless rows when it comes to weeding, fertilizing, or harvesting. For most smaller and compact gardens the idea of row cropping has all but disappeared. The idea of leaving enough space between rows for tilling to automate weed control wastes planting area that some gardeners do not have to spare.

A newer idea called intensive cropping is replacing the row cropping system especially for people who are using their yard as a vegetable garden. The idea of having a garden space in a front yard may not be appealing to neighbors or the homeowners association if there is one. But planting compactly and placing ornamental plants with the vegetables can make a visually appealing landscaping layout.

The downfall to intensive cropping is the necessity to weed by hand, so make sure the area of garden that is chosen is not going to be larger than the gardener has time to tend. Remember that the entire garden area does not have to be planted all at once. Combining multiple plantings of fast growing veggies combined with slow growers, gives the garden an ever changing look and feel.

Intensive cropping includes the idea of square layouts that are further divided into grids rather than straight rows. This system can allow for easier management of the plants by plots or squares rather than having to maintenance an entire area all at once. Using the system of planting fast growing, fast harvesting plants in the outer grids with slow growing plants in the center gives the slow growing plant room after the fast growing plants are harvested and gone.

Making a sketch of the entire area including the gridded areas and a listed of planned vegetables, and ornamental plants will make the vegetable garden planning an interesting project.

Alan Stables is a freelance writer on nature and gardening. For example he writes articles on growing broccoli, growing watermelon and other vegetable garden planning activities.

Article Source: Vegetable Garden Planning Down To The Basics

Growing Cilantro In Your Kitchen Garden

Growing Cilantro In Your Kitchen Garden by Alan Stables

Growing cilantro in your kitchen garden is an easy and productive hobby. These plants produce an abundance of tasty, young leaves that you can harvest throughout the year. This species is very suitable to growing year round in a sunny windowsill or with the use of fluorescent lights. By following these easy tips, you can make sure that your plant thrives and gives you many tasty leaves for your favorite meals.

Cilantro is also known as Coriandrum sativum. Most experts recommend that you begin growing these plants from seed, as they are not good at being repotted. It is easy to start seeds. All you need to do is sprinkle them on top of your pot, and then cover them with a light layer of potting mix. This should be kept moist, and in no time you’ll have the plants sprouting through the surface.

Space and light are two of the main requirements that must be met in order for your plant to reach its full potential. Artificial lighting, such as fluorescent lights, can meet all of the plants needs as long as they are on for at least 14 hours. If you have a sunny window that will provide at least 6 hours of sunshine this will also suffice. The pot should be rather large to provide for the herb’s central tap root.

You should regularly harvest the young leaves while they are at their peak flavor. This also helps to keep the plant from flowering and going to seed. Fresh leaves are the most flavorful, as dried leaves lose their distinctive taste. Freezing is not an option.

If you want to save your seeds for next year’s crop, this can easily be accomplished. As long as you wait until the seeds are fully mature, you can easily store them until next year. You should take care to keep the seeds in a dark cool environment. These requirements ensure that your seeds will be viable when you choose to germinate them.

Growing cilantro in your kitchen is easy to do if you follow a few simple precautions. This herb requires a lot of lighting, at least 6 hours of sunlight or 14 hours of fluorescents. Since the plants have a central tap root, they need plenty of pot room and they don’t like to be repotted. It’s best to harvest and use the leaves while they’re young and fresh for the most flavor.

Alan Stables is learning how to grow herbs indoors including growing cilantro and is currently experimenting on fertility herbs. Check out his findings.

Article Source: Growing Cilantro In Your Kitchen Garden

Growing Apples On The Balcony

Growing Apples On The Balcony by Ella Schwartz

Karen opened the door to her apartment balcony and sighed as the city air greeted her with that all too familiar scent of exhaust fumes. She crossed to the sunny corner of her balcony and smiled as she checked on the progress of her apple tree.

Her friends had often called Karen mad for attempting to grow her own apple tree on the balcony of her eleventh floor apartment, but Karen knew that it could be done. When she had moved to Dallas for work, she had been forced to leave her roots in the country behind herself.

Regardless of where she resided, Karen knew the importance of having fresh fruit available to her. Apples were her favorite food, and she knew how expensive fresh fruit was here in the city. It was no small decision to take the step from thinking about it, to actually trying to grow her own apple tree, eleven floors in the air.

A Big Pot for a Big Tree

Karen knelt beside her apple tree and admired the large ceramic pot that she had invested in. Her grandmother had told her that a tree grown in a pot would need a lot of room for the roots to grow around in the soil. The tree would only grow as large as its roots could spread, so a large pot was needed to give the tree some growing room. She had likewise been warned that if the tree were not given a large enough pot, its roots would eventually break through the pot itself to find more room to grow.

The pot that Karen had chosen was a mosaic of red and blue tiles in a striped design. Not only did it give the apple tree plenty of room to grow on her balcony, but it matched the cushions on her porch chair as well. Karen checked around the soil of her tree, making sure that no intruding insects were bothering her balcony resident. She hummed to herself as she went through this nightly ritual.

An Apple Tree Needs Water

Once she was satisfied that her apple tree was free of pests, she turned back toward her apartment. Karen grabbed her two gallon watering can and measured out the weekly dose of organic fertilizer mix into the can's bottom. She filled the can with water and returned to her balcony again. Karen hefted the heavy watering can and tilted it over the edge of the pot slowly. She watched as the water flowed in around the soil, and paused as the water seemed to overrun the soil's surface.

Karen waited patiently while the apple tree soaked up all of the nutritious water. Experience had taught her that the plant needed time to let the water soak in before more was added. When she watered her tree too quickly, the nutrient-rich water simply spilled over the sides and out the bottom of the plant, resulting in her tree not getting enough to drink. Only once the water soaked in did Karen add more, pausing again when the water reached the overflow threatening point.

Nutrients

When the entire watering can had been successfully fed to the tree, Karen returned the watering can to its usual spot. Any plant that is grown in a pot only has a limited amount of nutrients available to it, her grandmother had warned when Karen began this experiment. If Karen wanted her tree to produce large, healthy apples, it would need a weekly supply of nutrients added to the soil, with regular water added every day as well. This would allow her apple tree plenty to eat while it grew.

Light

Karen took care to always give her apple tree everything that it could need, including dragging it around her balcony to where the sunlight was strongest during different times of the year. Already, she had small apples beginning to grow from where the old flowers had withered and fallen from the tree. Come the Fall, she hoped to have a multitude of apples available to be eaten every day.

Ella C Schwartz is a writer for Hunterstruct Construction, offering small home design and building services throughout Southwest British Columbia, including the BC interior and Sunshine Coast. Known for its functional and great looking cottages, this small home builder in White Rock, BC showcases its best small homes on the Hunterstruct.com website. We love building, and it shows!

Article Source: Growing Apples On The Balcony