Go Green Forever » Gardening

How to Irrigate Your Garden? Diverse Irrigation Methods For You

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:10:59 +0000

In the field of agriculture, water is of great importance because no plantation can live without it. For keeping the garden vegetations and plants to grow gradually, right sort of water supply and irrigation method has to be adopted. There is a variety of irrigation systems developed for the watering task. It is always preferred to have irrigation systems made that use as little water as possible. It is not simply because water is precious and that cannot be wasted, but because the right amount of water supply only benefits the plantation. Too much watering can harm them and little watering also can offer malnutrition. Normally, the common one is flood irrigation which is somewhat old and out-of-date watering method that offers irregular irrigation supply. On the contrary, the modern systems and techniques are developed for your watering purpose. Some of them are sprinkler systems and the most recommended drip irrigation systems. With sprinkler systems, you can water your plants and garden vegetation from the top through hose. But this sprinkling method has some disadvantages. By spraying water, some amount of water gets evaporated in the air. Moreover, the water being sprayed wets the soil and does not necessarily go to the root level. Drip irrigation system, compared to sprinklers is more beneficial. The method of drip irrigation involves uniform watering which directly goes to the root level without making water evaporated in the air and also maintains the moisture level in the soil which is quite important for the growth of the garden plants and other vegetations. Now lets think about how drip irrigation system or method came into existence and became so popular. Previously, in the past, people used clay pots as watering device. There were little holes in the pots and water came dripping slowly and steadily on the plants. It was in 1866 in Afghanistan, where some researchers experimented with clay pipes and made irrigation and drainage systems. Later on this irrigation method took fine shape and drip irrigation method was developed. But the fine and perfect concept of drip irrigation method was developed in 1959 by Simcha Blass in Israel. With Kibbutz Hatzerim, very first time he made surface drip irrigation emitters. Drip irrigation is sometimes refereed to as trickle or micro irrigation. Some spell it as drip irragation. This irrigation system consists of pipes, tubing, and emitters. You can make your system on the surface or beneath the soil. There are varieties o drip irrigation supplies such as drip emitters, tubing and pipes, soaker hose, hose connectors, pressure regulator, valve, filter, timers, etc. available in the market to making your system. If you really feel that drip irrigation can suit your irrigation task for your garden plants, then get it installed in your garden. Buy polyethylene tubing/hose so that you can prepare the main lines. Then, using connectors, you can join the lines. You need to install pressure regulator to offer the water required force. And also install filter to prevent remnants that may smother the way of your water. You have to install emitters to distribute water to your plants. Lastly, fix timers to facilitate putting your system so that you can on and off easily. Surface level drip irrigation is most often recommended. It is so, because, the system on the surface can be carried or shifted to where your garden plants are. In future, if you happen to make your garden bigger, you can shift or move your hoses easily to reach your new plants. Therefore, which irrigation method you use depends on the watering requirements of your plant types. Make wise choice of the watering method and make your garden healthy and ever green!

Grow Vegetables in Your Garden

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:15:05 +0000

We get pleasure from our gardens in many ways. Perhaps you like the simple life with simply flowers to look at, a table and chairs and lawn space for the kids to play. You may get pleasure from breeding your own plants and flowers and maybe even passing these onto friends and family or even selling some at local markets etc. However, one of the pleasures that a lot of people get from their gardens is through growing their own vegetables. There is something quite rewarding about making Sunday dinner in the full knowledge that some or maybe even all the vegetables on your plate were taken fresh from the garden that morning. Just going outside on a Sunday morning into your own garden and picking your own carrots, peas, cauliflowers, brussels sprouts and potatoes can leave you with a great sense of satisfaction. Certainly if you go to the shops to buy your vegetables they will never be as fresh as the ones you pick yourself from your own garden. Many of the vegetables you pick ready for including in your Sunday dinner are also very tasty to eat in their natural state. In fact I have often found myself nibbling on peas while I have been picking them for dinner. They taste great fresh out of the pod. If you have a greenhouse, why not have a go at growing your own tomatoes and other things like peppers and chillies. In fact, it’s great to be able to wander outside and just pick yourself a fresh tomato to eat whenever you like. There is another advantage to growing your own vegetables too and that is that you know exactly what went in to creating them. You can be 100% certain whether or not pesticides and other chemicals were used on your crop. This is great knowledge to have, especially if you have children and want to be careful about exactly what you are feeding them. No matter what the labels say in the shops, this is something you may never be 100% sure about when you buy vegetables from the shop. There are some sprays you may want to use to keep pests and diseases at bay but even so, you are in control. Make sure you read the labels and you can be sure exactly what you are spraying on your plants. Wherever possible though, try and go for a natural solution. For example, when growing tomatoes one of the most common problems is white fly. You can reduce their impact quite a lot though by growing French Marigolds close by. This is because the Marigold’s pungent odour will mask the scent of the tomato plants and therefore they will not as easily attract the pest. There are other companion plants you can use to keep different pests away from your other vegetables as well. If you are concerned about disease then it is within your control to select the variety of vegetable to grow that will flourish in your environment and also be resistant to disease. It is this control that allows you to do anything you want in your garden. So, if you have a spare piece of ground in your garden, why not consider growing a few vegetables for yourself. You will be rewarded time and again if you do.

How to Extend The Life of Your Lawn Mower Blades

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:07:57 +0000

Lawn mower blades get mechanical abuse a lot during the normal course of operations. Grass is actually very abrasive. After getting yourself a very expensive lawn mower and spending a lot of money, what is the point of still using old style blades that have no additional features. It is now time to start thinking of innovative methods to extend the life of your lawn mower blades. This life extension can be done using a process called thermal spray. The procedural steps are as follows. The first step in thermal spraying your lawn mower blades is to clean it thoroughly with a solvent such as acetone. Then mask the body of the blade where no cutting takes place using a thermal spray masking tape. These are usually a high temperature tape designed specially for thermal spray coating operations. This will expose the surface of the blade just a little bit beyond the cutting edges. The third operation is abrasive grit blasting to develop a roughened mechanical profile on the blade surface. Note that thermal spray coatings are bonded to the surface by mechanical means and hence a well cleaned surface with an excellent profile goes a long way in developing a good mechanical bond. Now a bond coat with a material such as nickel-aluminum or nickel-chrome-aluminum is preferred. Such a bond coat will improve and enhance the mechanical and metallurgical adhesion of the subsequent top coat; just like you would use primer before a standard coat of paint. For the top coat, use tungsten-carbide-cobalt as the preferred choice and deposit using the plasma thermal spray process. Apply a reasonable thickness. The next step is to remove all masking. The following step is to grind the applied coating properly to develop the sharpness of the blade profile. Now you have a high quality tungsten-carbide coated lawn mower blade. It is preferable that you use the services of a reputable thermal spray shop, because the parameters used in depositing the coating are important and they can be the difference between getting good wear resistance and not so good results. Again, as always, check with the original equipment manufacturer if your process is acceptable or not, because they may have clauses that relate to warranties and the like. They may even advice on the safety aspects involved.

Sunterra 301220 1/2″ PVC Tubing for Water Gardening – 20′ Roll, Black

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:12:07 +0000

Flexible tubing that withstands most kinks and compression
Black Color Allows it to blend with different back rounds and be easily concealed
Tubing is essential to creating Waterfalls and Streams in a water garden
Measures 1/2″ Internal Diameter and is a 20′ Roll

Product DescriptionTubing is a crucial component for water to circulate in your water garden. It acts as an artery between water control elements and as a decorative accessory allowing the essential water flow for waterfalls and streams. Sunterra tubing is flexible and withstands most kinks and compression. The black color blends with different backgrounds, allowing it to be easily concealed. This tubing measures 1/2″ internal diameter and comes in a 20′ Roll.

Sunterra 301220 1/2″ PVC Tubing for Water Gardening – 20′ Roll, Black

Garden Lighting: Seeing Your Way in an Outdoor Living Space

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:08:24 +0000

With the great trends toward using your yard as part of your house, more and more people are discovering how to best utilise their patios, decks, and gardens as dining or living rooms. These outdoor living spaces can be usable all year long in many areas. One of the challenges to using your outdoor spaces in this manner is lighting them. There are many elements in a well designed outdoor living space. A good arrangement of furniture, clear access to the inside of your house, noise levels from surrounding streets or properties, all of these things help determine how useable your outdoor space will be. But, even the best designed outdoor living space can be ruined if there isn’t appropriate lighting. There are myriad types of lighting that you can use in your garden depending on the effect that you want to achieve. You can use spotlights directed at particular areas of the garden that you want to highlight to give the area a magical feel. Hanging lanterns are a nice option to string across a space or between trees. Strings of lights can be wrapped around tree trunks to create a unique effect. Pathways can be lit with lights that you spike into the ground alongside your walkways. Even ponds can be lit with submersible lights if your fish don’t mind. The other major choice in backyard lighting is that of energy sources. If you want your lights to come on automatically when darkness falls and you don’t want to have to pay for the electricity to run the lights, solar lighting may be just what you need. Most solar systems work well even when the days are overcast as well. Another method for outdoor lighting is using candles or groups of candles to provide a warm flickering glow. The downside to using candles is that they need to be supervised as they can be a fire hazard, especially in the hot dry summer months. The nice thing about candles is that you can set them out single in jars or cluster them for more intense light. There are many kinds of lanterns available for myriad different looks. If you have well-placed electrical sockets in your backyard then you may want to opt for electrical lighting. Most strings of lights require a plug in, though some types are available with battery power. There are even outdoor lamps akin to living room lamps that are designed for outdoor use. Take a good look at the parts of your garden that you might like to highlight with your lighting and also how much lighting that you will need to best utilise your outdoor living space. If you make your lighting decisions based on your needs, then you will end up with a space that is usable instead of a dim uninviting space.

Make Your Own Indoor Garden

admin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:14:30 +0000

Missing a Garden in the Home? While a nice house with a picket fence looks nice, not everyone can get that. Many people live in apartments and condominiums that provide little to no space for having a garden. Unlike in suburban areas where gardens are present in almost any home, there are actually a lot of places that prevents people of having a garden. This is why there are many alternative to having plants inside the house. If you miss having a garden to come home to, then read along and see how you can manage your own personal indoor garden. Making the Size Count The size of an actual garden is too cramped for the indoors, which is why you should set aside your visual interpretations of the old gardens you are used to. Indoor gardens rely on innovate potting solutions when it comes to providing plants with that they need to start working better. From crystal soils to sponges there are many different technologies that are applicable in providing you with various methods to grow and water your plants. In order to determine the most effective method, consult with your local botanical expert. They will give you the best ways to take care of your plants inside the hose. Allocate a sufficient amount of space for the garden in your home. You could integrate the garden into other rooms such as the study or in the kitchen hall. What ever decision you choose, make sure that the garden plants get a sufficient amount of water. The good thing about indoor plants is that they do not remain rooted to where they are. However, take care not to knockdown fragile pots since they can be hard to replace. Study their different watering needs as some plants cannot be watered too much but at the same time, need more than one watering per day. It would be in the plant’s best interests if you study each kind. Bring the Sun Indoors Water is not the only resource you need for your indoor garden, you also need sunlight. And sunlight does not naturally enter the indoors, you should situate the plants in such a way that they are reached by direct sunlight. If you have a penthouse sunroof, simply placing your plants underneath it may be more than enough. However, this is not a commonly applicable solution. Usually, a large window or even a large glass door helps bring lots of sunlight in. The important thing is to let the plants have direct sunlight. When all else fails, you can bring plants out to your patio or over the window railing in order for them to get the right amount of sunlight. Do not leave the plants outside as indoor plants usually are not able to handle heavy rains or prolonged exposure to the sun. So whether you have a nice flat fifteen floors up or a quiet rented apartment in a four story walk up, you do not have to feel like you have been deprived of the pleasure of having your own garden. Whether you put them in individual pots or let them hang from the ceiling, you can enjoy living in the presence of plants that help keep the air clean and your home beautiful. GP

Tips For Growing Strawberries in Your Garden

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:07:53 +0000

Is there anyone who doesn’t love strawberries? Strawberries are emblematic of summer, and a plate of the luscious red fruits easily calls to mind lazy, hazy days spent in the shade sipping iced tea. If you’re fanatical enough about them, you might even want to attempt growing your own! One of the more rewarding gardening projects has to be growing strawberries. Strawberry plants tend to come in three types based on when they bear fruit: “June-bearers”, “day-neutrals” and “ever-bearers”. June-bearer strawberry plants, like the name suggests, bear fruit in June. They are most commonly grown by home gardeners. Day-bearers are not as common as they thrive in cooler weather. Ever-bearer strawberry plants fruit from early summer to fall but the fruit is of lower quality than the other two types. Strawberries must be grown in slightly acidic soil where there is good drainage. They do not tolerate excessively wet or dry conditions, and some tips for growing strawberries suggest using organic material if the soil does not retain moisture well. Sunlight is also vital for the production of big, juicy strawberries. The minimum daily dose for these plants is 6 hours of direct sunlight, although they can get by on less. However, this will directly impact on the harvest. When it comes to planting, strawberries plants should be planted in spring as soon as the soil can be worked. New plants should be planted with the crown at the same level as the soil. The occurrence of frost is a concern as it can harm new plants. Therefore, planting should take place after the last frost. Where possible, plant strawberry varieties that are best suited to your locale. Strawberries can be frozen after they are harvested but home-grown strawberries will probably be quickly consumed in pastries or on their own as soon as they’re picked!

Vegetable Gardening For Dummies

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:06:49 +0000

ISBN13: 9780470498705
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Product DescriptionA hands-on guide to the ins and outs of raising and using vegetables Want to grow your own vegetables? You can do it the fun and easy way with this practical guide. From selecting the right spot to preparing the soil to harvesting, Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition shows you how to successfully raise vegetables regardless of the size of your plot or your dietary needs. You’ll discover how to plot your garden and get the soil in tip-top shape; select the types of vegetables you want to grow; plant the seeds properly; and care for them as they grow. You’ll also know the right time to pick your vegetables and the best ways to enjoy them. Plus, you’ll get tips on preserving foods grown at home. Expert advice on planting, caring for, harvesting, and enjoying the fruits of your own vegetable garden Features environmentally friendly ways to combat pests in your garden Charlie Nardozzi is senior horticulturist and spokesperson for the National Gardening Association; he’s also been the gardening expert on such programs as HGTV’s Today at Home and Way to Grow and the Discovery Channel’s Home Matters Whether you have a green thumb or you’ve never grown a plant before, Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition has all the information you need to create a healthy garden. Amazon. com ReviewThe ubiquitous For Dummies series, while not known for pretty illustrations or lush photography, does manage to pack the maximum amount of information into an easy-to-read format–something that gardeners with an eye on the financial bottom line love. For vegetable gardeners, the right information is especially important, because if you don’t end up with edible food on the table, you’ve failed. Charlie Nardozzi and the National Gardening Association editors seem comfortingly aware of this fact, but they also want to make vegetable gardening fun and interesting, and to that end there’s a lot more here than just the standard tomatoes and zucchini. Bok choy, fingerling potatoes, kabocha squash, daikon radishes–they’ve included just about every vegetable you might be able to think of, with pithy recommendations of the tastiest and easiest-to-grow varieties. The book’s first three chapters deal with deciding what to plant, where to plant it, and when. Nardozzi then turns the bulk of the book–nine chapters–over to the vegetables themselves: the tomato (the most popular vegetable for the home gardener); the pepper and eggplant; root crops; legumes; vine crops; cole crops, such as broccoli and cabbage; greens; and sweet corn and unusual vegetables. A special chapter goes to nonvegetables like herbs and berries. The book’s third section is devoted to gardening techniques, which more experienced gardeners may want to turn to immediately. There’s good, solid information here on irrigation, mulching, reading a fertilizer label, companion and secession planting, and much more. As with all For Dummies titles, the resources listed in the appendix are comprehensive and up to date, and the index (without which any reader might be lost) is complete and useful.

Vegetable Gardening For Dummies

A New Yard Accessory: The Hose Bowl

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:08:29 +0000

Pretty utilitarian, but they work fairly well. Not very pretty, though, made of durable plastic in colors that could be dubbed Yard Weeds & Blah. What would you say to a hose holder that is more than utilitarian? One that emphasizes your good taste and complements your attention to detail in your yard – your outdoor living space? Well, we’ve got it. (Drum roll, please. ) Introducing the Hose Bowl! It’s much more than utilitarian, and so much more than just a hose holder. Check this out: Hose Bowls look a little like happy donuts: each one is 18″ around and 12″ deep, with a middle hub to wrap your hose around. That’s right – they’re not very big. You can almost wrap your arms around one. Now imagine all the convenient places you can set them in your yard. Hose Bowls are made of steel and finished with powder coating, a painting process that allows the finish to last nearly forever. That means no repainting every few years because they can’t take the seasonal changes. Hose Bowls not only keep your hoses but they keep their good looks too! You won’t believe this: each beautiful, compact Hose Bowl holds up to 100 feet of your garden hose! Amazing – almost like they have hidden pockets they tuck all that length into. And don’t fret: the drainage holes will get rid of any excess water from the hoses and Mother Nature. Yes, not just beautiful but smart too! Any excess water from your hose simple drains away. Rain showers aren’t a problem either: after a storm you don’t have to run out to empty the Bowl – you can find something fun to do instead! BackyardBargain. com carries Hose Bowls in two fashionable finishes, Caramel and Dark Chocolate, so choosing the right one for your yard is easy. Go ahead – use Hose Bowls in your back yard and enjoy the season in style!

Garden Design: Turn a “Forest” into a Beautiful Garden

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:07:31 +0000

The main difference between a beautiful garden and a haphazard growth of trees and plants is designing. Without the element of proper designing, any growth of plants and trees will give you the feeling of a forest. You might have chosen the plants and flowers you want to grow in your garden but if you ignore the most essential part of any gardening project, that is design, you will only get mesh of plants that may die off soon and waste your money and all the efforts. Let us share a few simple tips about how to design a simple garden. Once your neighbours see your self-designed garden, they will be green of envy. If you have raw land for gardening or a simple garden, you have great scope for designing. You can use your creativity along with a few simple garden-designing rules to give it a beautiful shape and structure. And you have a large area to add more plants and flowers in the future. Before you start designing the garden, have a closer look at your property. Bring measuring tape, a notepad and a garden hose with you. You may be surprised, but garden hose will help you decide the shape of the garden. You can arrange it in many ways, using different shapes as a base, like square, round or rectangle to design a basic and balanced garden. An asymmetrical and free formed garden can blend beautifully in surroundings. Write down the measurements of the garden in your notepad. Knowing these will help you design the garden in a more comprehensive way, and also, it’ll help you decide the quantities of soil and mulch additives. Using a scale, draw the garden on the graph paper along with the permanent features of your home. Choose plants for your garden, which can grow according to the sunlight available in your garden. In addition, native plants are the best choice, as they need less maintenance. Colour scheme is an important element of the garden design. The colours should blend well with the house and existing landscape features. Colour scheme should be such, which alleviates your mood, creates a feeling of simplicity and peace. Red and orange are vibrant colours and green, blue or light purple are cool colours. Focal point of the garden should be foliage plants, including ornamental grasses or other plants having beautiful kind of leaves. Plants should be arranged according to the garden shape. Place plants outward and forward in descending order in height which complement the focal point of the garden. Garden design is the most essential part of constructing a beautiful garden. Gardens are very dynamic in nature and they change, grow, spread, die off and then bloom in many wonderful ways. If you’re not sure if the plants you want to have will not affect one another in a negative way, or you’re not sure about the design – ask a professional designer for help. You can share all your ideas and plans, and this way you can create a perfect garden of your dreams.