Green Herb Garden

Should I Use A Compost Bin?

herb-guru — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:20:51 +0000

If you would like to obtain the best results from your flower beds or veg patch, blending in fertilizer with your land is a good strategy. The most cost effective way to get compost is to make your own!

When getting going with composting, one of the earliest decisions that will have to be made is exactly what sort of compost bin you should use. There are lots of distinct types of compost bins that you are able to select from, based on your preferences, the amount of space you have available for composting and your budget.

The main element that all compost bins have in common is they should have the ability to hold heat in order to enable the elements to compost effectively. In a lot of ways, compost bins work like ovens. The only distinction is in addition to keeping heat, compost bins must also have the ability to maintain moisture also. While it’s quite achievable to compost utilizing a mound rather than a compost bin, the advantage to utilizing a compost pin is that they make every thing appear nice and neat. Additionally, compost bins can help to contain the smells that are sometimes associated with composting.

One particular error that a number of people make when composting is selecting to use a wood fence or some other structure for a sidewall for composting. The issue with this is the process of active composting will ultimately decompose the structure in addition to discoloring paint and destroying wood that has not been treated. As a result, you need to use only compost bins that are made from plastic or metal. This will help to prevent corrosion and rust from taking place.

You’ll need to select from an enclosed compost bin or an open sided compost bin. The advantage to enclosed compost bins is that they do tend to keep moisture at the same time as heat better than open sided compost bins. The drawback is that they’re also usually smaller. Due to the fact that enclosed compost bins keep the moisture and heat much better, they also tend to allow the materials to rot more quickly. Open sided compost bins are bigger and hold much more material but because they operate slower, they may not compost as much material over time as an enclosed compost bin.

The size of your area might also determine which type of compost bin you decide on. Enclosed compost bins often perform much better in small yards whilst open sided compost bins would not work so effectively in smaller gardens.

Growing Your Own Pumpkins for Halloween

herb-guru — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:29:28 +0000

Growing your own pumpkin for Halloween can truly be an adventure! The end result is a Jack O Lantern that you had a hand in from start to finish! While most varieties of pumpkins are fairly hardy, there are pointers that can help you produce a giant pumpkin sure to impress your family and friends when Halloween rolls around. Here is what you need to know about growing pumpkins for Halloween:

Starting the seeds. Make sure to start your seeds early enough to have fully grown pumpkins in time for Halloween. Keep in mind that the earliest pumpkin starts are for Giant Pumpkins that require 150 days or more of growing time. Giant pumpkin growers time their starts for maximum growth in order to produce a world record fruit in time for the fall weigh offs which run from early to mid October. You should note that there is plenty of flexibility on the start date for other varieties. These can be timed to mature from September to October, and can be started indoors or out. While fully mature pumpkins are particularly hardy, new growers should take note that pumpkins are tender annuals. Frost will kill them, and cold weather will stunt their growth. You should keep this in mind when starting your plants. Recommended “ideal” starting dates for your pumpkin plants are as follows:

Giant Pumpkins: Start indoors from April 25 to May 15th Set outdoors after the first true leaves form. Provide cold and frost protection.
Jack-O-Lanterns / Field Pumpkins: Direct sow into the garden from May 15th to June 15th. Start indoors up to two weeks prior to setting outdoors Provide cold and frost protection.
Miniature Pumpkins: Direct sow into the garden from May 25th to July 1st. Start indoors up to two weeks prior to setting outdoors

How many pumpkins will you get? One pumpkin plant will normally produce three to five pumpkins. Miniature varieties have been known to produce up to a dozen or so. There will usually be several more female fruit, but some of them will not develop for a number of reasons. Keep in mind that if you are growing pumpkins for size and weight (giant pumpkins), you will eventually select one pumpkin and remove the rest from the vine. By doing this, you allow the plant to direct all of it’s energy into growing just that one pumpkin. It should be noted that a small number of growers keep a second fruit on the vine as an “insurance policy” in case disaster strikes the first fruit. You should understand however that this does not preclude the possibility that you can grow enormous pumpkins if you keep more than one on the vine.

Adding weight to your pumpkin. If you so choose you can turn your everyday pumpkin into a giant pumpkin. To produce the largest pumpkins you will need to fuel their growth. Of special note is that in August, you also need to be diligent and guard against insects and plant disease, especially powdery mildew. Here are some additional tips for adding weight to your pumpkins:

Keep your patch well watered. This is a great way to get your kids involved. Make sure the soil is moist several inches down.
Adding a layer of compost feeds the plant and helps to retain soil moisture. It can also help to keep weeds down.
Keep in mind that big pumpkins have big appetites. You should use regular applications of fertilizer. Switch to a fertilizer that is high in potassium to really bump up the weight of your pumpkin.
Cover the pumpkin vines with garden soil. This will promote secondary root growth, and results in much bigger pumpkins.

Tomato Fertilizer Choices for an Average Gardener

herb-guru — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:12:31 +0000

Raising juicy and delicious tomato plants is easy, but there are some tricks you can use to further improve the value of the produce you reap from your tomato garden. The first thing you must consider is the cultivated variety you will be using. The old-fashioned heritage tomato plants are preferred, but the recent hybrids may present traits such as immunity to pests and disorders. Some cultivated variants are also sweeter and juicier than the rest, while other types rely on soil type and climate factors for their over-all quality.

Next, employ one or several strategies for raising your tomatoes. You may pinch out the suckers, as some farmers do, but you can also choose not to. There are farmers who build cages or put up stakes to support the plants, while other growers let their plants trail on the ground.

When you have your tomato type of choice, and you have an idea how to grow your tomatoes, it’s time to decide which fertilizer types to use for your tomato crops. Tomatoes need a steady supply of nutrients. This means you have to select tomato fertilizers that have a good proportion of the three main components, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Before purchasing a fertilizer product, check the label for the NPK proportion. The numbers you will see there will correspond to a precise N-P-K formulation. A label with 5-5-5 on it indicates equal proportions of N, P, and K are present, while 5-1-1 means the tomato fertilizer contains five times as much nitrogen as phosphorus and potassium.

Each constituent plays an essential role in the development of your tomato plants. Nitrogen contributes to greener leaves. Phosphorus can promote flowering and fruiting. Potassium improves root elongation and development.

If you’re set on going organic all the way, these nutrients are readily available in organic form by utilizing fish emulsion. This is a liquid fertilizer produced from fish residue and is extremely fast acting. The fast release trait is specifically significant for a heavy feeder like tomato plant. You can spray this tomato fertilizer direct on the leaves, or you can employ the granulated type and just incorporate this in the soil.

Fine Gardening

herb-guru — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:17:20 +0000

Fine Gardening is a magazine published by The Taunton Press. Many amateur and hobbyist gardeners consider it a source of inspiration and constantly refer to it for new ideas and innovative tips. Fine Gardening provides a very large number of articles on very different topics related to gardening, such as:

-reviews for tools and equipments;
-garden design basics;
-professional advice for the improvement of the garden;
-tips for gardening challenges;
-detailed information on some plant species;
-help to deal with plant disease and parasites and much more.

fine gardening subscription

With Fine Gardening you have the chance to learn from the experts because all the authors are professionals in their craft. For urgent questions you can contact them online or by mail. The very purpose of the magazine is not to entertain but to help people improve knowledge and skills.

The advertising part published by Fine Gardening is directly related to the topic of the magazine. This helps you keep up with the new inventions in the domain. In terms of price, Fine Gardening may seem a bit pricey as compared to other publications in the same category.

fine garden

Fine Gardening also has a very good web site, as you can read the magazine online too, and get access to a variety of topics depending on your peculiar interest in plants. Thus, you can read about trees, shrubs, bulbs, annuals and perennials, grasses and vines. The official web page of Fine Gardening can thus be a good starting point for the improvement of your gardening activities.

Fertilizing, decorating and composting are tackled with in detail, not to mention that you can also learn how to make beds and borders, how to prepare ground covers and how to manage all the gardening operations. Fine Gardening will be of great help regardless if you what to just mow the lawn or achieve some showy landscape.

fine gardening

Garden structures, design and decorations are favorite topics for lots of articles. If you want to try your hand at landscaping, then, Fine Gardening is the right place to search for tips. It is a freshly updated source of information that any gardener can refer to. Run a Google search and you will find Fine Gardening on the first page of results. Enjoy it!

Growing Herb Rock Gardens

herb-guru — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:27:54 +0000

One of my first herb gardens was in the middle of a clay field and it was not a cinch to get herbs to grow right. When you are planning your garden, you’ve got to put sunlight and soil quality at the top of the list of things to consider. Without the right amounts of both natural light and water, your garden will not thrive. With the right combination of water, soil and sunshine, you can grow just about anything.

To solve my clay sod problems, I turned to rock gardening, which focuses on adding lots of rocks to your landscape and focusing on herbs that only need a few inches of good dirt.

A rock garden focuses on the positive features that you may have in your yard already or those that you want to create. Usually this type of garden is found in dry, rocky areas that have poor sod. If you don’t have the rocky sod and want the aesthetic of a rock garden, be sure you have got room for roots to grow and also some good drainage.

When planning your herb garden, be sure that you are choosing herbs that will stay compact, because with limited room you don’t want anything taking over. Look at your reference books for the right plants for rock gardens. Good ones are those with silver or gray leaves. This is a big tip-off that these plants will do well in that type of environment.

Hen-and-Chicks: Also known as St. Patrick’s cabbage, Hen-and-Chicks is a succulent herb that was once thought to heal warts. I cannot imagine cutting open a hen or chick and rubbing it on a wart, but this perennial succulent herb, which is also known as St. Patrick’s cabbage, has a long history of healing them. Each leaf will hold enough water to make it through one day without water. Each one will grow to 4 inches across and each “hen” will grow numerous off-shoots or “chicks.” In the summer, a nine inch spike will arise from the center of each mature cabbage to show pinkish-red blooms. The plant will continue to add off-shoots and grow into a colony of plants.

Wild Oregano: This perennial from the Mediterranean region can grow vigorously up to 30 inches high with its oval leaves and purple flowers that come out late in the summer. Although you certainly may eat this variety of oregano, it will not quite be the same as the Greek oregano you are familiar with from Italian meals.

Marjoram: It is fantastic when you can sculpt a wonderful rock garden using culinary herb plants like Marjoram. It is a perennial that has a sweet scent with oval gray-green leaves and tiny white flowers. Keep it snipped back so that it will stay lovely and full and do not forget that it appreciates full sun and good drainage.

Thyme: Because there are so many varieties of thyme, you’ll want to be sure you are getting the right kind for your rock garden—below a foot tall. Try those with shiny, small leaves that are huddled along the woody stems. As an added benefit, they usually have white or pink flowers. Thyme grows best when the sod is sandy, well-drained and gets a whole lot of sunlight. You’ll want to keep this herb trimmed back to maintain its shape and to help it remain hearty.

Part of the beauty of rock gardens is the contrast of the hard rocks and the soft plants. The differentiation in colors also helps in achieving a sense of the brilliant. You can even use aromatic and culinary herbs in your rock garden, which will give you all the benefits of a regular herb garden.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Herb Garden Designs. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

Juniper Bonsai Tree – 5 Questions Regarding Juniper Bonsai Trees

herb-guru — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:06:29 +0000

If you are thinking about purchasing a juniper bonsai tree, there are often a few questions which may come to mind. This article will hopefully answer your questions regarding juniper bonsai trees.

Would the Juniper bonsai thrive inside?
Juniper bonsai trees are outdoor kinds of bonsai and will not thrive inside. Ideally, you must place your Juniper bonsai in a location where it will obtain morning sun as well as afternoon shade. Water the Juniper plant on a daily basis and be vigilant to not let it dry out. Many plant shows include Juniper bonsais indoors, providing the deceptive notion that it is an inside tree, which it is not.

When must I wire the Juniper bonsai tree?
Juniper bonsai trees respond fairly nicely to being wired in the fall or the start of the winter season. Branches that have been freshly wired will grow in the direction of the wire during the months of winter. You will need to transfer the pot the Juniper bonsai when spring arrives. This kind of care shall be necessary by more youthful Juniper bonsai plants annually. Elderly Juniper bonsais should have this procedure completed each and every three years.

What are the various varieties of Juniper bonsai trees?
Juniper bonsai trees are available in different varieties. These consist of Green Mounds, Shimpaku, Chinese Junipers, Japanese Garden Junipers and Sargent’s Needle.

What is the Juniper bonsai tree?
The Juniper bonsai tree is also known as a Juniper Procumbens tree. A Juniper bonsai tree is really a classic for bonsai hobbyists. A Juniper tree has a gorgeous form and lush green foliage. You can control the shape the branches grow in by way of wiring. This is a wonderful bonsai tree for novice bonsai tree makers, since Junipers are fairly simple bonsai trees to develop with appropriate care and maintenance.

I still have a question. Where can I locate any other answers regarding juniper bonsai trees?
Sites on juniper bonsai trees are few and far between. One web community that I do suggest for juniper bonsai tree faqs, however, is http://juniper-bonsai-tree.bidandblog.com . Bid and blog’s forum is a free of charge web community where members provide a tremendous amount of answers about juniper bonsai trees. Plus the forum has realtime juniper bonsai tree auctions and a free of charge juniper bonsai tree email alert service. Additionally, the site also provides a couple of additional search tools that make locating juniper bonsai trees a piece of cake.

Growing Herbs for a First-Aid Kit

herb-guru — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:51:11 +0000

Did you know that many of the shampoos that you purchase in the drug store have herbs in them? Wouldn’t it be a lot easier and cheaper if you grew your own medicinal herb plants? I know I have saved a lot of money by cultivating my own little first aid kit in the garden.

Herbs are wonderful to use for the following problems:

For aching joints, use chervil, coriander and thyme. Lavender, marjoram, lovage, peppermint and oregano can be used as an antibacterial.

No one likes bad breath. Anise, mint, parsley and sweet cicely will do you a world of wonder.

Constipation is no fun. Get the kinks out with fennel or dandelion.

It’s amazing how many herb plants will help with flatulence, including peppermint, summer savory, lemon balm, ginger, caraway, coriander, beebalm and lovage.

There is nothing more soothing to your frazzled nerves than a warm cup of chamomile tea at the end of the day. Some other herbs that I think are soothing are goldenrod, lavender, dill and lemon balm.

Not much can is better than thyme for curing your Saturday morning hangover. It works better than the raw egg/tomato juice drink some folks might tell you to drink.

Cannot get rid of your hiccups? Give dill a try Dill not only has a fantastic flavor; it also works like a charm.

Goldenrod, aloe, summer savory and hens-and-chicks are awesome for taking the sting out of those insect bites, including mosquito bites.

Lying awake at night? Your best bet for some shut eye is chamomile or dill, but any of the herbs that calm your nerves will help.

For your seasonal allergies and other nasal congestions, use horseradish, sage and violet. The horseradish will clean out your nasal passages in no time at all.

Peppermint is the best thing for indigestion and stomachache, but dill, lovage and fennel are also beneficial.

Among all these remedies you might think that herbs are the next snake oil. You don’t believe me? Experiment with it for yourself!

Aloe Vera: I have 2 different aloe vera herbs that are always suffering from me breaking off pieces to treat burns (including sunburn) and mosquito bites. Be careful not to over-water it. It is a succulent and does not need much water or any other creature comforts. Just be sure that it gets a lot of light and that its well-drained sod keeps it firmly rooted in the pot or garden bed.
Chamomile: You may already be familiar with chamomile because it is well-known as a healing herb that will help with both mental and physical maladies. Chamomile [has|comes in] [2|two] [varieties|types|kinds] (German and true or Roman chamomile), and if you let them, both of these plants can cultivate themselves next season in a process called self-sowing.
Horseradish: If you need to clean out your sinuses, just take a sniff of horseradish. Believe it or not, even though it has a peppery taste, the horseradish herb is a member of the mustard family. Although the leaves can grow to two feet long, it is the root that is important for the herb gardener.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Herb Garden Kits. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

The Importance of Gardening Services for You

herb-guru — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:12:57 +0000

Gardening services are available for both private and corporate use in urban areas as well as in the countryside. There are very many gardening services included in the promotional offer of such businesses, from tree care and flower plantation to lawn mowing and landscaping. Lots of such businesses advertise on the Internet, but not all of them provide a good level of reliability.

There are organizations and official associations that guarantee and support the quality of gardening services provided by their members. This is the case with the Tree Care Industry Association that offers not only services but accreditation, support and regulatory standards along with all sorts of information for consumers. Nevertheless, lots of home businesses provide quality gardening services without being part of these associations. They usually build their reputation locally and they find customers by word of mouth.

The very reason why people use gardening services is because they lack time and skills for landscaping. In fact, there is much more to landscaping as compared to basic gardening services because the elements are both natural and artificial: from stones and statues to lighting fixtures, water pumps and matching furniture.

Gardening services involve more than just trimming the hedge. Soil sampling is one type of complex service that is available with scientific institutes only. Thus, the institute will analyze the sample of garden soil that you send them. They receive a full report on the type of soil together with the right methods to enhance it and grow plants in it. Contact governmental agencies, research labs and university centers as they are the providers of such gardening services.

Insect control is also present among the more numerous gardening services provided in such research facilities. Just as in the case of soil, home owners, gardeners or farms send samples of insects and require their identification. When the right insect control methods are used, crops will improve significantly. Moreover, some gardening services can be customized to the gardener’s needs.

Ask for quotes from several sources before you decide what gardening services to use. Then, by comparison you can identify the one that would be most suitable for your needs. Check the company with the Better Business Bureau in order to avoid reliability issues!

Do you need pest control to clean your garden from pest? Just visit sonic pest control site which provides numerous options of garden pest control and related information you need.

Learn In Growing Tomatoes And Sell Them For Profit

herb-guru — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:19:00 +0000

There are many ways that you can help the environment and one of them is to plant your own produce. You can choose from many types of fruits or vegetables that you might want to grow right in your own backyard and one of those that are of interest of many people is tomato. Growing tomatoes in your backyard not only provide your family with nutritious home-grown tomatoes but you can also extend a helping hand in helping Mother Earth in your own little way. If you want this kind of idea and it is your first time to do so, you can always go to the Internet and find some kind of learning tool like a book guide to help you with your tomato-growing.

I have always been a lover of tomatoes and my greatest weakness is Italian dishes especially pasta with lots and lots of tomato sauce. There are many things that you can enjoy from eating tomatoes or tomato-based meals and drinking tomato juices. They contain lycopene and they can help in preventing cancer and for men like us, it is a good defense against prostate cancer and preventing prostate to become enlarged. But other than that, there is another benefit if you think about growing your own tomatoes and learning some good tomato growing tips- you can sell them for a profit.

That’s precisely correct, I have my own plots of tomatoes in my own backyard and this year, I’m actruallyu thinking about trying to sell them to people like my friends, relatives, neighbors and to anybody else and surely, they know that my tomatoes are healthy and organic and free from pesticides and all. I have learned how to grow tomato plants without using any of those and the thing that taught me how is a book guide that I’ve downloaded right through the Internet. It’s a little investment that can really help you earn lots of profit and to think that you are helping people in adapting a healthier lifestyle through your tomatoes.

Essential Tips for Growing Orchids

herb-guru — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:49:16 +0000

Orchids are known to be persnickety plants to cultivate; however the beautiful blooms they produce are more than worthwhile. Here are a handful of recommendations that will help your orchids to thrive.

Growing Medium: Orchids don’t thrive in normal soil for indoor plants. This type of medium is typically too concentrated and can gather around the roots of the plant and choke them. In place of utilizing ordinary growing medium, you’ll have to use a specific orchid growing medium consisting of a mixture of inorganic and organic components. The orchids roots should be kept properly ventilated by ensuring that the pot isn’t filled too densely and that you select a container that is the right size for the plant. Avoid choosing a container that’s too big since it will hold a great deal of liquid that your orchid doesn’t need, which can cause root rot.

Humidity: The natural environment of an orchid is the humid regions of rainforests and mountains. If they are raised within a house, they’ll do what they can to reproduce this atmosphere yet, with exclusion of the bathroom, the orchid’s natural surroundings cannot be reproduced indoors without some work. To make it similar, you need to mist the area on all sides of your orchid so that it gets the humidity it must have to flourish. You can also place bowls of water, a water fountain or humidifier near the plant. You may want to grow your orchids in a hothouse because these structures frequently have increased amounts of humidity with good air movement.

Natural light: Orchids enjoy light providing it’s not strong. Light that’s too intense can bring about injury to your plant and its foliage. If you spot a ruddy tinge to your orchid’s foliage, it’s a warning sign that it is receiving an excessive amount of sunshine. Make certain to move the orchid to a less sun-drenched spot, or provide it with some shade by way of blinds or curtains.

Temperature: Orchids thrive in the temperature range of 70 to 90 degrees F; although, the exact temperature range can be different depending on the species of orchid you are growing. For the majority of orchid species, temperatures will need to fall during the nighttime hours along with the dormant times to ensure that they can bloom. If you are raising your orchid plants inside, maintaining the perfect temperature isn’t that difficult and you don’t have to do anything more to the atmosphere. Then again, if there are problems, you might have to move the orchid to another location throughout particular periods of the year.

Moisture: Make sure to water your orchid with care. Generally, an orchid doesn’t require watering in excess of once each week. If you are uncertain if your plant requires watering, test how wet the growing medium is. If it’s still fairly damp, don’t give it more water. If it’s totally dry, it’s time to water your orchid.

There are a lot of different types of flowers that you can grow, but the orchid is a favorite of many gardeners. Once you know the ropes on caring for orchids, you’re sure to receive years of enjoyment from these beautiful blooms.