Posted on Apr 10, 2010 under dried foliage |
While we all know that garlic has many health benefits such as being a natural antibiotic, you may not know that they can also be healthy for your garden as well. As a companion plant, when they are planted near roses and raspberries, garlic will improve the growth and health of your plants. It has the added benefit of deterring Japanese beetles and aphids. Garlic is easy to grow and each planted clove will produce a full head of Garlic with between 8 to 20 cloves per head. To get started in with planting your garlic, first purchase your garlic of choice. Since the garlic from grocery stores has antisprouting chemicals added to it, be sure and buy your garlic from a reputable source rather than a grocery store. One variety that you may enjoy that is popular here in the Mid-South is the mild flavored ‘Elephant’ garlic which has large clusters.Planting Garlic
One half pound of garlic seed is a good start and will produce about 15 plants. Garlic is divided into hardnecks (Allium sativum var. ohioscorodon) and softnecks (Allium sativum var. sativum). First, check online catalogs or your local co-op for the variety that will suit your needs best.
Next, decide where you will plant your garlic. A raised bed is suggested if you do not have good soil or if you live in a wet climate. Good soil means loamy soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Composted manure for essential nutrients incorporated into soil a few weeks before planting is helpful. If you are planting your garlic directly into your soil, plant in wide-rows 10 to 12 inches wide. Timing is important when planting garlic. Bigger bulbs will be produced if you plant in the fall and let it grow and mature until the following summer. If you find that it’s springtime already and you haven’t planted yours yet, go ahead and plant if you like, just realize you will get smaller bulbs. Since garlic bulbs like cool weather, the earlier you can plant it the better it will grow and the bigger the bulbs will be.
Garlic is not susceptible to disease, but as with any plant, having good air circulation is the key to a healthy plant. If your garlic develops thrips, apply insecticidal soap. In cold climates, add more mulch a month after planting to prevent extreme temperature fluctuations. When growth appears in late winter, pull back the mulch and begin monthly applications of an organic fertilizer such as blood meal or fish emulsion. Stop fertilizing in mid to late spring (depending on what type of garlic you have). Mulch again as summer approaches.Harvesting Garlic
It takes about 100 days for bulbs planted in the spring to mature. Harvest between late may in warm climates and mid-August in cooler areas. Stop watering two weeks before harvest. One tip that garlic is ready to harvest is when the leaves on the lower half of the plant turn brown. To harvest, dig the bulbs up rather than pulling them up, Being careful not to damage the outer skins.
Let them cure in a dry, shady, well ventilated location for three days. Don’t wash them yet. If you want to braid your garlic for a decorative touch, now is the time to braid the foliage of softnecks. Cure bulbs for 2 to 3 more weeks until foliage is completely dry. Once foliage is dry, clean the bulbs by wiping or peeling away the outer husk. Trim tops to 1 inch and roots to 1/2 inch.Storing Garlic Bulbs
To store your garlic bulbs, place them in mesh bags or braided strings in a dark, cool place. Garlic will keep up to three months if stored at between 32 degrees Fahrenheit and room temperature. Humidity level of 65 to 70 percent is best.
Don not refrigerate.Troubleshooting
Common causes of small or no bulbing include high temperatures, excessive watering, wrong cultivar for your climate, and weed competition. Your local extension service can advise you as to what varieties grow well in your area.
Both you and your garden can benefit from growing garlic. Checking online catalog sources, your local extension service, or with your local garden center will give you many varieties that are fun to try and that will grow well in your area.
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Posted on Mar 18, 2010 under how to dry flowers |
Flower gardens come in different styles and varieties, their appeal can be very addicting to any flower gardener. As a gardener, knowing how to improve your flower garden can make a big difference in the aesthetics and over-all health of your garden.
Here are simple ways to make your flower garden bloom more for your gardening heart’s content:
1. The essentials must always be given major consideration.
Just like with any gardening endeavor, a flower garden must have its adequate supply of water, light, and fertile soil. To lack one of these gardening necessities is almost preparing the death bed of your flower garden. Water the flower garden more frequently during dry spells. Also, make sure that you plant the flower bulbs deep enough to provide sufficient room for the rooting.
2. Mix and match perennials with annuals.
Perennial flower bulbs need not to be replanted since they grow and bloom for several years while annuals grow and bloom for only one season. Mixing a few perennials with annuals ensures that the show goes on with your flower garden and gives you a better look as well.
3. Deadhead to encourage more blossoms.
Deadheading is simply snipping off the flower head after it wilts. This will make the plant grow more and produce more flowers. Just make sure that you don’t discard the deadhead on the garden or mildew and other plant disease will attack your plants.
4. Know the good from the bad bugs.
Do you know that most garden insects do more good than harm? Butterflies, flies, beetles and bees are known as pollinators. They fertilize plants through unintentional transfer of pollen from one plant to another. And 80% of flowering plants rely on them for survival. Why do you think flowers are that colorful and pretty? I’ll be you thought it was to make humans more fond of them? It’s actually to lure more insects.
Sow bugs and dung beetles together with fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms make the soil friendlier to plants. This is because they subsist on dead materials, breaking them into simpler molecules that fertilize the soil. These bugs are known as the ever trusty decomposers.
Now you don’t just shoo away bugs whenever you see any. Choose your enemies.
With those loads of information in mind and practiced, your flower garden will surely thank you with a breath taking view when it’s time for them to bloom again.
Technorati Tags: Basics, flower, garden, growing
Posted on Mar 16, 2010 under how to dry flowers |
Late spring is usually the best time to start planting seeds for beautiful summer flowers. While the spring rains can set the seedlings going, the soil is adequately warm for germination. Zinnias and sunflowers are some of the more popular annual summer flowers which people love to grow though there are many other varieties also.
If you want your summer flowers to grow well, then make sure that they get good sunlight for at least six hours every day. Southwest and desert climate zones are hot areas so try to utilize the afternoon sun. Soil preparation includes digging down for about six inches and turning it with a shovel. According to the directions mentioned on the seed pack, mix some compost, rotten manure and fertilizer. Then turn this mixture over with the soil. You must plant the tallest flower plants at the back followed subsequently by heights with the shortest in front. Follow this pattern if the flower bed has a wall or fence behind it. This way, the small plants will not get shaded by the taller plants which would be closest to the wall or fence.
If the flower bed is situated in the center of the yard, the pattern to be followed is the taller plants in the center followed by middle height plants. This should then be followed by the smaller plants which form the outermost ring. Think creatively as you plant the flowers with a wild mixture of colors, much like what you see in meadows. You could also use some coordinated colors. Remember pastel shades look wonderful. Colors like orange and purple with lots of cream and white interspersing or red and blue with some white thrown in the middle. Use various shades of blue and sprinkle a bit of bright yellow here and there.
You might have to plant seeds three times very closely. This is because many of the seeds will be lost to the birds and bugs. Water your seeds carefully. But before that, cover the seeds as directed and put a later of mulch on to. Baby plants will die if you use too much water or use too little of it. So water them only when they are dry and not because it is a habit. Once the seeds have sprouted, do not start your thinning for spacing immediately. Wait till at least 4 leaves have sprouted. 6, 12 and 18 inches for shorter, medium and taller flowers is the right distance to be maintained between the flowering plants.
The best part of summer flowers is that the more you pick them for bouquets the more you can expect them to continue to bloom. Seeding is the main purpose of a flower, if you look at it from the perspective of nature. Once that purpose is served, the plant stops blooming but when you remove the flowers the plant continues to bloom. The plant can be made to bloom a second time if, after the first bloom, you cut down the flowers by half. The flowers this time may not be as wonderful as they were the first time, but they would be lovely still. Late spring is the right time to plant seeds for summer flowers, if you want a fantastic display throughout the summer months.
Technorati Tags: flower, growing, summer
Posted on Feb 17, 2010 under dried pods |
The conditions that poppies prefer to be grown in, are areas with at least 6 hours of sunlight they prefer a median loam type of soil with a sand base. If they are planted in soil containing clay it needs to be able to drain properly and still retain moisture.
The soil itself can be acidic, and the plant will still thrive in different temperatures, this plant can endure temperatures as low as 23°. Which makes them perfect for many gardeners in Europe, Canada and the United States.
The poppies can be planted from seed, however transplanting seedlings often does not work needed grow slowly or will die. For the gardener planting poppies it needs to have good drainage and retain moisture, planting the seeds must be done after the last frost. Planting the seeds before the last frost can damage the seeds and cause them not to grow.
When the weather exceeds 80° the blooms from the poppy will begin to fade and if they are not kept cool with water and that would end their blooms for the season.
Since the poppy is a type of wild flower it can tolerate moderate amounts of water as long as the soil can remain moist and over watering can cause the poppy to die. In many areas gardeners do not need to water the poppy, unless it is a drought season and then watering should be moderate.
Poppy seed oil or Oleum papaveris and it would be botanically known is extracted from the seeds of the garden or opium poppy and is a high quality oil during the first pressing of the seeds. There is also a second pressing that obtains a less quality oil that is not food grade oil, but it is also useful oil.
Countries such as France, Germany and India use the poppy oil for salads and other foods as it is comparable with sunflower oil and is not as apt to turn rancid as olive oil. In India and other countries there is a poppy cake made by many of the poor.
For artists the advantage of using this oil is that it has a greater drying power then raw linseed oil and is favored by artists that use oil paints, because it does not leave a yellow tint like linseed oil would. It does have a slower drying time than linseed oil, which dries in 3 to 5 days, so it is not used in the first layer of painting but rather in the top most coats of the painting, taking 5 to 7 days to dry.
This type of oil is also used in soaps, because after dehydrogenation it is a source of linoleic acid, it is also used in making liniments, and as a solvent of iodine in iodised oil. It is also used in varnish making and for burning oil lamps.
Technorati Tags: Conditions, growing, Need, Poppy, seed, Used
Posted on Feb 14, 2010 under how to dry flowers |
Flowers ranks among the simplest and least expensive gift items available to us. They come in different colors, sizes and shapes. Flowers can be gifted as a single piece, as combinations like bouquets, wreaths and similar arrangements or combined with other gift articles.Different types of flowers suit different occasions. While roses represent love and affection, white lilies are best suited for funerals. It is also customary to design funeral wreaths in the form of tear drops using diamond shaped flowers.The business of growing flowers and delivering them at the doorsteps of customers is a huge one because of the importance of flowers as gifts as well as decorative pieces. While roses are the all time favourites, carnations, daisies, lilies, orchids and tulips are also in huge demand. All these flowers portray different allegories and suit different occasions. However, dried flowers like larkspur, cassia, amaryllis, lavender, hydrangea and artificial silk flowers are also used to convey feelings and best wishes. Some artificially manufactured silk flowers are gorgeous to look at and may last for long periods too.Flowers are the most beautiful creations of nature. It seems that they are created with a view to give happiness and color to our lives. Natural flowers come in thousands of colors. Flowers symbolise mirth and warmth. Most commonly found flowers have some kind of symbolism attached to them. Flower wreaths adorned the heads of tribal chiefs and ancient kings, but were later replaced by crowns made of precious metals.Flowers adorn the pride of place in the lives of us too. Many of us however, are forced to rely on flower deliveries to fulfil our needs. For modern people like us, flowers are best suited as gifts or mantelpieces. Roses are traditionally used to express love and wreaths and bouquets made by mixing and matching different kind of flowers having unique colors expresses a variety of positive emotions in one go.These are the days of baskets gift. Flowers, arranged neatly to a pattern in an exquisitely weaved wicker basket would fill the days of the receiver with joy, and gratitude towards you. Designer flower arrangements are also seen as perfect gifts. Such arrangements are made on unique bases which add to their desirability quotient. They are better suited as centre pieces for holiday and celebrations arrangement and have the potential of being the cynosure of all eyes.Buying such perfect baskets gift has become a cakewalk with the advent of a handful of internet based florists. A very limited number of them create their own combinations with symbolisms and meanings attached to them. These symbolisms may be based on national history, present conditions of the intended recipient and our present social situations. Such allegories help people to empathise with one another.Let me remind you that the flower deliveries you make should match the mood, the occasion, the social status and more than anything else, the tastes of the recipient. Otherwise, your carefully made gesture would be lost on him and your esteem may fall in his or her eyes.
Technorati Tags: flowers, Gifts, growing
Posted on Aug 08, 2009 under how to dry flowers |
The Transvaal daisy, also known as gerbera jamesonii, or gerber daisy, grows natively in South Africa and comes in yellows, oranges, reds and pinks. Plant Transvaal daisies in temperate climates, as they are not very hearty, with advice from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening.
Duration : 0:1:20
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Technorati Tags: bulbs, care, flower, flowers, Gardening, gardens, growing, Herb, plant, plants
Posted on Jun 21, 2009 under how to dry flowers |
Pressing flowers requires placing the buds on top of a newspaper or magazine and placing a heavy book, such as a phone book, on top of the flower to dry. Press flowers to use as keepsakes with information from a sustainable gardener in this free video on flowers.
Expert: Yolanda Vanveen
Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com
Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is a third-generation flower grower and sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash.
Filmmaker: Daron Stetner
Duration : 0:2:1
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Technorati Tags: control, flowers, garden, Gardening, growing, maintenance, natural, pest, pressed
Posted on Jun 17, 2009 under dried flowers |
Removing the flowers from a lavender stem involves drying them out in a cool, dark place and shaking the stems over a container to loosen the dried buds. Remove lavender flowers from the stem with tips from a lavender-farm owner in this free video on lavender.
Expert: Lila Avery-Fuson
Bio: Lila Avery-Fuson owns and runs a Lavender farm with her husband and daughter in Paso Robles, California.
Filmmaker: Patrick Eaves
Duration : 0:1:14
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Technorati Tags: aromatherapy, Farm, growing, herbs, homeopathy, lavender, oil, pruning
Posted on Jun 17, 2009 under dried flowers |
CLEMSON SPINELESS ..This spineless variety of okra is the most popular. The 4—5′ tall plants produce medium-green pods measuring 3″—9″ long. Okra is used as the thickening agent in Cajun gumbo, but it also can be boiled, broiled, fried, roasted, steamed, canned, or pickled. Use dried pods in flower arrangements!
Soil & Water: Okra prefers moderately rich soil. Its low water requirements make it an easy plant to grow.
Planting & Growing: Okra is heat loving. Sow seeds outside in spring after all danger of frost has passed, when the soil temperature has reached 70°F. It’s a good succession plant after early, spring-maturing crops. Expect good yields on this 4′-tall, bushy plant.
Harvesting & Storage: Pick okra pods when they are 2″—3″ long for tenderness. They are best tasting when eaten the same day. Some people develop a contact dermatitis while handling okra; avoid the itchiness by wearing a long-sleeved shirt and gloves.
Did You Know? Roasted okra seeds can be ground and used as a coffee substitute.hydropond okra 37 days part#1Newest Patent Pending Hydroponic growing system now available through Hydropond Hydroponics. The simplest, easiest, growing system on the market. The Hydropond is a self contained ebb and flow hydroponic growing system using Perlite as the growing medium. This very simple technique makes it easy for anyone, anywhere, to grow your own fruits and vegetables .This system can be used indoors or outdoors. Use it in your yard, on your patio, your balcony, great for schools, retirement communities, etc….. The Hydropond comes with everything you need to start growing the day you recieve it. Growing unit , perlite, pump,timer, and nutrients. order yours today from HYDROPOND@GMAIL.COM
Duration : 0:2:55
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Posted on Jun 17, 2009 under dried flowers |
Drying out gourds, squash and pumpkin is simple by cutting the vegetable from the vine when it is mature, storing it in a paper bag or hanging it from a hook, and keeping it in a warm, dry place until they are completely dried out. Cut a hole in the bottom of larger gourds to dry them out more efficiently with advice from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening.
Expert: Yolanda Vanveen
Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com
Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is a third-generation flower grower and sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash.
Filmmaker: Daron Stetner
Duration : 0:2:14
Read the rest of this entry »
Technorati Tags: care, flowering, flowers, fruits, Gardening, gardens, growing, harvesting, herbs, plant, plants, vegetables
