Showing posts with label Gardening tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gardening tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Today's Tuesday Tip is information on when the best time to water your lawn is. Everybody has their own opinion on this subject regardless of the facts. It is a common misconception that watering at night is the best time to water your lawn.
In fact, the best time to water your lawn is during the early morning hours. There are a few reasons for this. Watering your lawn in the morning will spread the water more evenly because there is less wind blowing the water around. Also watering in the morning allows the grass all day to dry preventing mold, fungus and disease from forming during the night. The most obvious reason for NOT watering during the mid-day hours is to actually get some water in the ground. When you water your lawn in the middle of the day, most of the water evaporates before it soaks into the ground, wasting lots of water and your grass is not being fed causing stress.
So in closing, set your sprinkler system to water in the early morning to save water and actually feed your lawn. I hope you found this post helpful. See you next time.
In fact, the best time to water your lawn is during the early morning hours. There are a few reasons for this. Watering your lawn in the morning will spread the water more evenly because there is less wind blowing the water around. Also watering in the morning allows the grass all day to dry preventing mold, fungus and disease from forming during the night. The most obvious reason for NOT watering during the mid-day hours is to actually get some water in the ground. When you water your lawn in the middle of the day, most of the water evaporates before it soaks into the ground, wasting lots of water and your grass is not being fed causing stress.
So in closing, set your sprinkler system to water in the early morning to save water and actually feed your lawn. I hope you found this post helpful. See you next time.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Hello everyone and welcome to Tuesday Tips #3 - Mulching. Mulching is probably one of the most beneficial things you can do for your garden. If you have never considered mulching your garden in the past, maybe now is the time to reconsider.
Mulches are a labor saving device for all gardeners. Adding a layer of mulch will help to prevent the germination of many different weed seeds, dramatically reducing the need for cultivation or the use of any herbicides. Mulching your garden will also help to moderate the soil temperature and help to retain moisture during dry spells, reducing the need for watering. Mulching also protects the soil from the heavy impact of raindrops that can cause crusting.
While there are many types of mulch, organic mulches such as wood chips, grass clippings, or other locally available materials are best because they help improve the soil by actually adding organic matter back into the soil as they decompose. They may also encourage the growth of worms and other beneficial soil organisms that can help improve soil structure and the availability of nutrients for plants.
Mulching is also used to enhance your gardens appearance. Many of the bark mulches provide a uniformly rich brown color that contrasts with the plants. The mulch also helps keep plants clean by reducing the splash of soil onto leaves during rainstorms.
Here are a few things to take into consideration when choosing a mulch for your garden.
- What is your primary objective in using mulch? If you are most interested in weed control in a vegetable garden, a layer of newspaper covered with grass clippings or just grass clippings themselves will work pretty well. If you are finishing off a beautiful perennial garden in the front of your house, you may want to use something a little more attractive such as bark mulch.
- How long do you want the mulch to stay in place? If you are mulching around shrubs that will remain in place for many years, you might want to use some inorganic mulches such as brick chips, marble chips, or stone. These will not provide your garden with any organic matter to the soil, but they will be permanent. Remember that these are difficult to remove if you change your mind or want to add bulbs or perennials.
- How much money is in your budget? Mulching does not have to be expensive at all. In fact, some communities even offer chipped wood or compost to it's residents. You can use leaves, newspaper, and grass clippings which are all inexpensive mulches.
- How much mulch will you need? To really be effective, most organic mulches need to be piled on between 2 and 4 inches thick. So if your garden is a 10 feet by 10 feet garden mulched 3 inches deep then you will need 25 cubic feet of mulch.
I hope you found this post useful. See you next time.
Monday, August 18, 2008
In the process of creating Medicinal Monday's I also thought it would be a good idea to add in a Tuesday Tips series. Every Tuesday I will post a new Gardening Tip. For my first Tuesday Tip I have chosen Palm Tree Trimming Techniques. I have seen a lot of Palm Trees that are damaged when they are trimmed because people don't know enough about them, so I thought I might give some basic rules to pruning Palm Trees.
The first major rule to pruning Palm Trees is to avoid pruning them at all. Palm Trees are designed to shed their fronds on their own. Just because a Palm frond is turning colors or maybe even browning does not mean that it is done contributing to the tree. The browning of fronds is a process called Trans location of Nutrients meaning that the Palm Tree is recycling the nutrients of the frond back into the heart of the Palm Tree itself. If you remove the fronds during this process then you weaken the Palms defenses against molds and fungi. Allowing the process of self-pruning or self-cleaning is especially important to the species of Palm Trees with a "crown shaft" which is a green shaft located just below the fronds.
If it is necessary to prune the Palm Tree then a general rule is applied to Palms that you should not cut fronds that hang below a parallel line to the ground or the 9:00 to 3:00 o'clock rule. This is called a Hurricane Cut or a Candle Cut and is very damaging the the tree. If a Hurricane cut is repeated over and over it will create a condition know as a "pencil top" which is the narrowing of the trunk just below the fronds. The name Hurricane cut comes from the fact that during Hurricane winds, the head of the Palm Tree may snap off where the thinning occurred and become airborne.
So there you have it plain and simple, just don't prune your Palm Trees and they will be happy and healthy. And remember the 9:00 o'clock to 3:00 o'clock rule if you absolutely must trim those Palm Trees. Here are some examples of Palm Tree Pruning. I did not take these pictures.
Here is a classic example of the Hurricane Cut. This technique should be avoided at all costs.
If pruning is necessary, then this is the technique you want to use. Notice how there is a line parallel to the ground. This is called the 9:00 to 3:00 O'clock rule.
I hope you found this post helpful.
The first major rule to pruning Palm Trees is to avoid pruning them at all. Palm Trees are designed to shed their fronds on their own. Just because a Palm frond is turning colors or maybe even browning does not mean that it is done contributing to the tree. The browning of fronds is a process called Trans location of Nutrients meaning that the Palm Tree is recycling the nutrients of the frond back into the heart of the Palm Tree itself. If you remove the fronds during this process then you weaken the Palms defenses against molds and fungi. Allowing the process of self-pruning or self-cleaning is especially important to the species of Palm Trees with a "crown shaft" which is a green shaft located just below the fronds.
If it is necessary to prune the Palm Tree then a general rule is applied to Palms that you should not cut fronds that hang below a parallel line to the ground or the 9:00 to 3:00 o'clock rule. This is called a Hurricane Cut or a Candle Cut and is very damaging the the tree. If a Hurricane cut is repeated over and over it will create a condition know as a "pencil top" which is the narrowing of the trunk just below the fronds. The name Hurricane cut comes from the fact that during Hurricane winds, the head of the Palm Tree may snap off where the thinning occurred and become airborne.
So there you have it plain and simple, just don't prune your Palm Trees and they will be happy and healthy. And remember the 9:00 o'clock to 3:00 o'clock rule if you absolutely must trim those Palm Trees. Here are some examples of Palm Tree Pruning. I did not take these pictures.
Here is a classic example of the Hurricane Cut. This technique should be avoided at all costs.
If pruning is necessary, then this is the technique you want to use. Notice how there is a line parallel to the ground. This is called the 9:00 to 3:00 O'clock rule.
I hope you found this post helpful.
Friday, August 1, 2008
It is now time for my second update on my first Pineapple Project. My last update was April 10 so it has been a while. My Pineapple is doing fantastic. It seems to be really happy. I water the pineapple daily and have it placed in partial afternoon shade. I would recommend this to anyone who is growing Pineapple. Click here if you want to see my previous posts on the Pineapple Project which includes step-by-step instructions on how I did it. For now here are some pictures on my Pineapple Project progress.
Thanks for stopping by, see you soon!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Back in March I started a project that I call Project Air Layering: (Tangerine). I have never attempted to Air Layer anything before so I had no idea what to expect. If you want to see how I started Step by Step then click here.
Today I decided that it was time to check on my project. I pulled out the ladder and headed over to my Tangerine Tree. When I opened the black bag I was surprised to see that the bag was full of roots! I was amazed, it worked! Her are some more Step by Step pictures on what I did next.
This first picture is of the bag in the tree.
Today I decided that it was time to check on my project. I pulled out the ladder and headed over to my Tangerine Tree. When I opened the black bag I was surprised to see that the bag was full of roots! I was amazed, it worked! Her are some more Step by Step pictures on what I did next.
This first picture is of the bag in the tree.
This second picture is what it looked like when I opened the black bag. You can see the roots inside the bag if you look closely.
This picture is what it looked like when I removed the black bag completely. Again you can see the roots through the clear bag.
This picture is after I cut the branch off of the Tangerine Tree with the bag still in place.
When I looked closer I noticed that there were two baby Tangerines on the clone. I will remove these so the clone does not use all of it's energy trying to produce delicious Tangerines like it wants to. Better it will use it's energy to produce more roots and support itself.
And the final picture is of the completed Air Layer Project: (Tangerine).
Thank you stopping by! I hope you enjoyed this post and continue to watch to see how the baby Tangerine turns out.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
I was over at my buddy Brandans house yesterday when we decided it was time to remove the pups from his Misi Luki Banana Tree. He had I think 5 Misi Luki pups and we dug them out and potted them. You can read his post by clicking here and you can see the pictures of the process that we used.
I ended up coming home with 1 of the Misi Luki pups to plant in my yard. The little guy looks down right now but he will be back real soon. The Misi Luki Banana is at it's best when grown in full sun light. There are plenty of reasons why the Misi Luki Banana is of the favorites of Bananas, I might even go as far as to say it ranks #1!! Here are a few of the reasons: The Misi Luki Banana is highly resistant to disease, the major diseases they are susceptible to are Panama Disease and Black Sigatoka ( a leaf spot disease ). The Misi Luki Banana grows on average 10-12 feet tall and is very wind tolerant. The bananas are around 4 inches in length and are packed with a smooth creamy flavor making it an excellent dessert.
Here are a few pictures of my new addition to my Banana collection!!!
I ended up coming home with 1 of the Misi Luki pups to plant in my yard. The little guy looks down right now but he will be back real soon. The Misi Luki Banana is at it's best when grown in full sun light. There are plenty of reasons why the Misi Luki Banana is of the favorites of Bananas, I might even go as far as to say it ranks #1!! Here are a few of the reasons: The Misi Luki Banana is highly resistant to disease, the major diseases they are susceptible to are Panama Disease and Black Sigatoka ( a leaf spot disease ). The Misi Luki Banana grows on average 10-12 feet tall and is very wind tolerant. The bananas are around 4 inches in length and are packed with a smooth creamy flavor making it an excellent dessert.
Here are a few pictures of my new addition to my Banana collection!!!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Today I was looking at my Red Ornamental Pineapple and thought to myself it was time to separate the sucker. I gather up my tools and materials and headed over to the workbench.
In the first picture you can see the sucker. The sucker is the sprout coming off the side of the plant.
In the second picture I am pulling the sucker away to show you a better view.
The third picture is just a close up of the two plants where they are connected. You want to disconnect them right where you see the white. Just grab and pull with a twisting motion until it snaps off!
The forth picture is of the separated plant. It is a pretty specimen isn't it!!
The fifth picture is an aerial view into the center of the new Ornamental Red Pineapple. I am not able to identify this plant due to the lack of serrated edges. All pineapples that I have seen have serrated edges. I was told that it must be a hybrid!! I am O.K. with that!! If you have any knowledge please let me know.
The sixth picture is of the mother and sibling sitting side by side!!
The seventh picture is of the new baby red pineapple in it's own pot!! I love the red in the leaves!!
The eighth picture is an extreme close-up of the leaves on the mother plant. I am hoping that this will help with identification. Not to mention how cool they look!!
And with that all being said, hopefully I will have successfully divided the beautiful Ornamental Red Pineapple into two!! Wish me luck!! Thank you!!
In the first picture you can see the sucker. The sucker is the sprout coming off the side of the plant.
In the second picture I am pulling the sucker away to show you a better view.
The third picture is just a close up of the two plants where they are connected. You want to disconnect them right where you see the white. Just grab and pull with a twisting motion until it snaps off!
The forth picture is of the separated plant. It is a pretty specimen isn't it!!
The fifth picture is an aerial view into the center of the new Ornamental Red Pineapple. I am not able to identify this plant due to the lack of serrated edges. All pineapples that I have seen have serrated edges. I was told that it must be a hybrid!! I am O.K. with that!! If you have any knowledge please let me know.
The sixth picture is of the mother and sibling sitting side by side!!
The seventh picture is of the new baby red pineapple in it's own pot!! I love the red in the leaves!!
The eighth picture is an extreme close-up of the leaves on the mother plant. I am hoping that this will help with identification. Not to mention how cool they look!!
And with that all being said, hopefully I will have successfully divided the beautiful Ornamental Red Pineapple into two!! Wish me luck!! Thank you!!
Monday, April 28, 2008
As I mentioned in my last post about the Clustered Fishtail Score, my girlfriends parents asked me to come over and dig up the Fishtail. While I was there they asked me if I wanted a White Silk Floss Tree ( Chorisia insignis ). I already have 1 that is about 5 feet tall that I transplanted from them about 6 or 7 months ago. This one is about 8 feet tall though and looks really good. I said sure I will take it off your hands.
So when I was finished digging up the Clustered Fishtail I started to dig up the White Silk Floss Tree. Her parents are thinning out there private jungle as it is getting a little wild in there. It works out for both of us as I dig up what they don't want, and I get to add to my little jungle!! Win Win situation!!
As I mentioned in my earlier post on the Clustered Fishtail Score I did not have my camera to snap any shots before I started the dig, or the transportation. I did get some pictures of the re-pot. I added vitamin B-2 to the soil to minimize the transplant shock and added liquid root hormone to stimulate new root growth. When I was done I soaked the pot until the water was running out of the bottom. I will water continuously over the next month or so.
A few facts on the White Silk Floss Tree ( Chorisia insignis ): This tree may grow over 40 feet tall and tends to bottle up!!! This tree also love to sun bathe all day!! Extreme caution should be used when handling or just hanging around the White Silk Floss Tree as it is covered in very large, very sharp thorns!! The White Silk Floss Tree is also drought tolerant making it suitable for xeriscaping!!
Here are the pictures that I did get, the last one is a picture that I found on the Internet. I posted it to give you an idea what it looks like all grown up, enjoy!!!
So when I was finished digging up the Clustered Fishtail I started to dig up the White Silk Floss Tree. Her parents are thinning out there private jungle as it is getting a little wild in there. It works out for both of us as I dig up what they don't want, and I get to add to my little jungle!! Win Win situation!!
As I mentioned in my earlier post on the Clustered Fishtail Score I did not have my camera to snap any shots before I started the dig, or the transportation. I did get some pictures of the re-pot. I added vitamin B-2 to the soil to minimize the transplant shock and added liquid root hormone to stimulate new root growth. When I was done I soaked the pot until the water was running out of the bottom. I will water continuously over the next month or so.
A few facts on the White Silk Floss Tree ( Chorisia insignis ): This tree may grow over 40 feet tall and tends to bottle up!!! This tree also love to sun bathe all day!! Extreme caution should be used when handling or just hanging around the White Silk Floss Tree as it is covered in very large, very sharp thorns!! The White Silk Floss Tree is also drought tolerant making it suitable for xeriscaping!!
Here are the pictures that I did get, the last one is a picture that I found on the Internet. I posted it to give you an idea what it looks like all grown up, enjoy!!!
Scored again!!! My girlfriends parents have a mini jungle going on over at there house too! They asked my if I wanted a large Clustered Fishtail Palm ( Caryota mitis ). They told me it was about 5 years old, I said you better believe it!! All I had to do is go over and dig it up and take it home! I told them I was on my way!!
In all of the excitement I scurried out the door without my camera AGAIN!! When will I learn?? I have no pictures of the dig, but some of the re-plant. And once again the re-plant pics are slim as the excitement of the planting caused me to forget to take pictures. It took my buddy Brandan from Another Yard In Fort Pierce to say " Where's the camera", and I said geeeeeezzzz, not again!!
I did go get the camera and snapped a few shots. Before I put the Fishtail Palm in the hole I sprayed the hole with root hormone and vitamin B-2 very well. I also added each element as I added more dirt to insure good growth and to cut back on shock. Now I am watering like crazy!!!!
Here are the pictures that I have. Enjoy!!
In all of the excitement I scurried out the door without my camera AGAIN!! When will I learn?? I have no pictures of the dig, but some of the re-plant. And once again the re-plant pics are slim as the excitement of the planting caused me to forget to take pictures. It took my buddy Brandan from Another Yard In Fort Pierce to say " Where's the camera", and I said geeeeeezzzz, not again!!
I did go get the camera and snapped a few shots. Before I put the Fishtail Palm in the hole I sprayed the hole with root hormone and vitamin B-2 very well. I also added each element as I added more dirt to insure good growth and to cut back on shock. Now I am watering like crazy!!!!
Here are the pictures that I have. Enjoy!!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Today I started germination on 22 Triangle Palm ( Dypsis decaryi ) seeds. I placed these seeds in a polystart solution 4 days ago and let them soak. I have done this to speed up the germination process. In the first picture you can see my tools. My incubators 12 and 13, polystart container with 22 Triangle Palm seeds and tweezers. I use tweezers because it is not a good idea to touch the seeds once you have started germination. I germinate my seeds in peat pellets which I purchase from my local garden center for really cheap!!
The second picture is a closer look at the seeds. You can also see the process of prepping the peat pellets. The ones on the left have just been placed in the warm water and the ones on the right have been in the warm water for about 5 mins.
In the 3rd picture you see my process unfold. I place the Triangle Palm seeds on the tops of the peat pellets so I can remember which ones have seeds. If I just start putting them down I forget where I started and try to put seeds in already occupied holes, waste of time. This way I know they all have seeds and if I don't see them they are already in.
In the forth picture you see all the Triangle Palm seeds are in!!
The final picture shows the incubators sealed, labeled, and ready to go!! The heat from the warm water is fogging up the incubators, this is good as heat and humidity are positive factors in germination.
The second picture is a closer look at the seeds. You can also see the process of prepping the peat pellets. The ones on the left have just been placed in the warm water and the ones on the right have been in the warm water for about 5 mins.
In the 3rd picture you see my process unfold. I place the Triangle Palm seeds on the tops of the peat pellets so I can remember which ones have seeds. If I just start putting them down I forget where I started and try to put seeds in already occupied holes, waste of time. This way I know they all have seeds and if I don't see them they are already in.
In the forth picture you see all the Triangle Palm seeds are in!!
The final picture shows the incubators sealed, labeled, and ready to go!! The heat from the warm water is fogging up the incubators, this is good as heat and humidity are positive factors in germination.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
I went to the Fort Pierce Farmers Market this morning bright and early. Finally, I am always late and miss out on everything. I made my way over to the Pineapple guys and picked up another Pineapple. Their Pineapples are the best tasting Pineapples ever!! Since I had success rooting my last one I decided to do it again. Besides you want several that have been planted at different times to fruit at different times to create a cycle.
When I arrived back at the house, the first thing I did was crop the top of the beautiful Pineapple. To crop the top of the Pineapple I just grabbed the green and give a quick spin and pull and it comes right off.
After you have cropped the top of the delicious Pineapple you have selected, you need to clean it. By cleaning I mean don't just put the top right in the ground, it may work but chances aren't very good. You may rot the the Pineapple out. To prevent from rot, what you need to do is pull off all the leaves at the bottom until you have exposed about an inch to an inch and a half of the stalk.
Then you need to let the top sit upside down on the counter or something until it callouses over or dries up. This may take from 2 day's up to a week. My last one took 4 days. This is the part I am at with my second Pineapple Project. In a few days I will follow the rest of the instructions. If you want to know what they are now you can click here for how to do the rest of the Pineapple Project. I have posted some pictures to help visualize the process. So, until the update!!!
When I arrived back at the house, the first thing I did was crop the top of the beautiful Pineapple. To crop the top of the Pineapple I just grabbed the green and give a quick spin and pull and it comes right off.
After you have cropped the top of the delicious Pineapple you have selected, you need to clean it. By cleaning I mean don't just put the top right in the ground, it may work but chances aren't very good. You may rot the the Pineapple out. To prevent from rot, what you need to do is pull off all the leaves at the bottom until you have exposed about an inch to an inch and a half of the stalk.
Then you need to let the top sit upside down on the counter or something until it callouses over or dries up. This may take from 2 day's up to a week. My last one took 4 days. This is the part I am at with my second Pineapple Project. In a few days I will follow the rest of the instructions. If you want to know what they are now you can click here for how to do the rest of the Pineapple Project. I have posted some pictures to help visualize the process. So, until the update!!!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Today when I was watering my sprouts and clippings I saw my Pineapple sitting there. If you haven't read my post about the first steps of the Pineapple Project you can click here to read how it all started.
I decided that today was the day to check for roots. Day 1 started on April 1st so it has been 9 days. As I am still pretty new to this I have never grown a Pineapple before so I don't have a time frame to go by.
Apparently 9 days is good!! I have roots forming on the stalk of the Pineapple. If you read the first post on The Pineapple Project then you know that the next step is to prepare for potting.
What I have done is sprayed the stalk with a liquid root stimulator mix. Then I sprinkled root hormone all over the stalk. The root stimulator mix is weak and is used mainly to make the powder root hormone stick to the stalk.
After I applied the root hormone to the stalk I filled a pot with my special potting mix I make myself. Then I planted the Pineapple in the pot. I have photo documented this process to help answer any questions you may have. I hope you enjoyed the pictures!!!!
I decided that today was the day to check for roots. Day 1 started on April 1st so it has been 9 days. As I am still pretty new to this I have never grown a Pineapple before so I don't have a time frame to go by.
Apparently 9 days is good!! I have roots forming on the stalk of the Pineapple. If you read the first post on The Pineapple Project then you know that the next step is to prepare for potting.
What I have done is sprayed the stalk with a liquid root stimulator mix. Then I sprinkled root hormone all over the stalk. The root stimulator mix is weak and is used mainly to make the powder root hormone stick to the stalk.
After I applied the root hormone to the stalk I filled a pot with my special potting mix I make myself. Then I planted the Pineapple in the pot. I have photo documented this process to help answer any questions you may have. I hope you enjoyed the pictures!!!!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Today I started my Pandanas utilis ( Screw Pine ) germination project. As you already know from my earlier post "Screw Pine Seed And Sprout Score", I have a lot of Screw Pine seeds. If you haven't read this post "click here"I suggest you do as it has lots of information on the Pandanas utilis.
I placed 11 seeds in a polystart solution a few days ago. Today I decided to start germination of these seeds. What I have done here is taken the sandiest dirt I could find in my yard and filled the pot up about a quarter of the way. Then I placed my Pandanas utilis seeds on the top of the dirt. Once my seeds were all on the dirt I covered them with about 2-3 inches of mulch. That's it, that's all you have to do. I will water 1 time to soak the mulch and dirt and that's it. Do not water anymore, let the rain take care of it. I have done this with 11 polystarted seeds and 16 non polystarted seeds. Now I wait to see results, should take about a month or so.
I placed 11 seeds in a polystart solution a few days ago. Today I decided to start germination of these seeds. What I have done here is taken the sandiest dirt I could find in my yard and filled the pot up about a quarter of the way. Then I placed my Pandanas utilis seeds on the top of the dirt. Once my seeds were all on the dirt I covered them with about 2-3 inches of mulch. That's it, that's all you have to do. I will water 1 time to soak the mulch and dirt and that's it. Do not water anymore, let the rain take care of it. I have done this with 11 polystarted seeds and 16 non polystarted seeds. Now I wait to see results, should take about a month or so.
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