While roses thrive in many places during the spring and
summer, they can face damaging wind and cold during the winter.To keep your roses healthy and looking great
year after year, you should take extra steps to protect them during the winter.
1. The first step in helping roses survive winter is
planting the appropriate varieties for your area.
While hybrid teas are quite beautiful, they
don’t fare well in cold winter weather.If you live in areas that get very cold and have harsh winds, choose a
hardier variety that will have a better chance of survival.
2. To fully protect your roses from cold winter weather, you
should take steps in the fall to help them go dormant.
If they are completely dormant by the time
winter weather arrives, they’ll have a better chance at making it.You should stop fertilizing your bushes
sometime around mid-august.The exact
date should be adjusted depending on how early or late your area freezes.
3. Once winter arrives, then you can take extra protective
steps.
In many rose varieties, damage is
not caused by freezing, but by alternating of freezing and thawing.To properly winterize roses, you should let
them freeze; then take steps to keep them frozen for the season.
4. After your area has experiences several hard freezes:
After your area has experienced several hard freezes you
should mound about a foot of compost around the bottom of your bush to protect
the roots and base.You should then
protect the branches by adding another foot of mulch.This will help insulate the bush and keep it from
thawing until it is warm enough to be safe.As an alternative, you can wrap the bush in a small fence or bag and
fill this with compost and mulch instead.
5. Climbing Rose Bushes:
If you have climbing rose bushes, remove the canes from
the trellises, attach them to the ground, and cover them with layers of dirt
and mulch.If you can’t move them to the
ground, try to wrap them where they are.It is important for them to be protected from the cold, but also
properly bundled so they don’t break from wind damage.
If you take these precautions during fall and winter,
your plant will thank you with beautiful foliage and flowers when spring and
summer come around.
Nothing is more important in your garden than a well
cared for lawn, but all kinds of pests can ruin the lawn and garden you’ve
worked so hard to maintain.Many
chemical treatments can take care of these pests, but they can be harmful to
the environment, your pets, and your children.If you’re sick of having your garden eaten alive, I have good news.There are several options available for
natural pest control.
1. Natural pest control
products are available:
Many garden care stores offer natural pest control
products.Most of these are similar to
chemical options; they are simply made from natural ingredients.While these are a good alternative, you
should do a little research before you buy.Just because something is natural, doesn’t mean its safe.It also may not work as well as chemical
pesticides.Check online to find other
people who have used the products.
You may be interested in having a look at an e-book named
Forceful Insecticides Home Made Formula, for some ideas on pest control. Imagine
knowing, in just a few hours, exactly how to unlock the full potential of your
lawn to quickly get astonishing results!
Another option for natural pest control is to add
beneficial insects to your garden.They
get rid of harmful insects without adding any chemicals (even natural ones) to
your garden.While this is generally
better for the environment, you should be sure not to throw your ecosystem out
of whack.Adding too many insects or
adding ones that are not already in your area can cause harm to your natural
ecosystem.Research any animal before
adding it to your garden. Even though this is a very good option you have to
make sure that you know what you are doing.
3. Companion
planting:
Another natural option you may not have heard of is
companion planting.I have found
companion planting to be the best option if at all possible. This technique has
been used by farmers for many years as a natural way to enhance the soil and
protect against pests.Companion
planting is when you put two different plants together in the same area.If you pick the correct plants and care for
them properly, they will benefit each other.In vegetable gardens, you can plant crops such as squash, which have
vines that many larger animals don’t want to work their way through.For traditional gardens, there are plants
that naturally repel certain kinds of pests, usually through smell.
Companion planting is your best option of natural pest
control. It is a very easy and safe way of maintaining your garden. The only
problem is that you need to know how to do it. Fortunately I have very good
news for you, I have found an excellent e-book that will show you exactly how
you are supposed to do it. The name of the e-book is simply "Companion
Planting" and it is immediately downloadable. Even though it is mainly
geared towards a vegetable garden, it is obviously right for any garden.
Learn the secrets to growing a successful organic
vegetable garden and discover how to grow strong, healthy plants that truly
nourish you and your family.
By creating a healthy garden - and lifestyle - you will
regain energy levels, help restore your immune system and give yourself and
your family the best chance of living long, happy and healthy lives.
You'll Instantly
Discover:
How to choose the right plants to grow together
Which plants you must never grow together
How to protect your fruits and vegetables from insect
attack
And that's just a small 'glimpse' of what's included for
you. This guide was created out of a need for a simple, concise system to
easily decide what plants would grow the best together. Make use of this, and
you'll never have problems deciding which plants to plant together again.
Herb gardening is becoming more popular these days and there
are many good reasons why this is the case.Herbs have practical value, they serve a purpose with, herb gardening
you can actually use your plants.When
most people think of herb gardening they automatically think of cooking, but
herbs are also grown for their pleasant aroma and their beauty. If you have knowledge
you can also use the herbs for medicinal purposes but, that is a whole new
subject.
1. Drying the
herbs:
One important part of herb gardening is drying the herbs
for use during the winter months, especially if you plan on cooking with
them.First the tops of leafy herbs have
to be cut, washed, and hung up for the water to evaporate.Then, tie stems together and hang up in a
paper bag to dry.After two to three
weeks they must be removed; crumble the leaves, dry them out in the oven, and
store in a glass jar.
2. Basil:
One of the most common herbs gown in herb gardening is
basil.“Dark Opal” and regular green
basil are beautiful additions to any garden and often used as decoration.Dark Opal has light pink flowers and dark red
leaves.Basil isn’t just used for its looks;
it is used for extra flavor in tomato juices and pastes.
3. Chives:
Chives are very petite looking and resemble a blade of
grass.They are much stronger than they
look, however, and will grow well through a drought and a drought.Their toughness and sturdiness makes Chives a
perfect plant for herb gardening, especially if the gardener doesn’t want
plants that require a lot of hassle.Chives are good used in salads, egg dishes, and many different sauces.
4. Mint:
Mint is also very simple to grow and is good to use in
mint jelly, mint juleps, lemonade, and any other kind of fruity drink.Mint is also good in herb gardening for its
unique minty smell.Two herbs that
appear in nearly everyone’s herb garden are thyme and sage.Both of these herb gardening favorites are
used for flavoring soups, chicken, turkey, pork, and other sausages.Sage is also grown sometimes for its
beautiful blue spiked flowers.
5. Lavender:
Lavender is probably the best smelling herb in all of
herb gardening and is often used in candles, as a perfume scent, and to improve
the smell in linen chests.The light
purple flowers smell absolutely lovely.
6. Other types of
herbs often grown in herb gardening include:
i. Borage (used
in salads)
ii. Chervil (used
in egg dishes)
iii. Sweet marjoram (flavors lamb, fish, salad, and soup)
iv. Sesame
(flavors crackers, cookies, and bread)
v. Dill (flavors
meats and used in pickles).
Herb gardening allows gardeners to use herbs from their
own garden for cooking, their beauty, and their lovely smell.Herb gardening will produce much fresher
herbs with more flavor than store-bought herbs, and are a lot cheaper.
Herb gardening is very satisfying. In the light of the
above, decide which herbs you want to start with and take it from there.
Chives, mint and lavender grows very easy and it might be a good idea to start
with them.
Have a look at this, I'm sure you will be interested.
The Key to Organic Gardening: Composting
Every gardener should make full use of good compost. Compost
is a great tool for any gardener.It
helps your garden hold just the right amount of water, makes it the right
texture for plant growth, and provides it with beneficial natural organisms.While you can buy this type of product at the
store, it’s cheaper to make it yourself.You also get the added benefit of knowing that you’re not just throwing
your yard waste away; it’s actually doing something beneficial.
What should I put in my compost?
Before getting started on your compost pile, you should
know what to put in it.To get good
compost you need carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and water.Grass clippings from your yard provide
carbon, and nitrogen comes from leaves in the fall.To make sure your pile gets water, build it
somewhere where it will be rained on; just be sure it’s not completely soaked
with water.Lastly, you can add oxygen
simply by mixing the pile. If you can’t provide enough nitrogen or carbon to
your compost pile, you can always add a little fertilizer.The type will depend on what nutrient you’re
lacking.
There are two different types of compost piles you can
make:
1. The first is a cool pile.To make a cool pile, simply throw your clippings and leaves in the bin
as they come and stir the ingredients occasionally.This is a good option if you don’t have a lot
of time to devote to composting, but it takes about a year to get useable
compost.You shouldn’t add diseased
plants or weeds to this mixture because they can be harmful.
2. The second is a hot compost pile. If you need your
compost sooner than a year, you should try making a hot compost pile.Unlike cool piles, you need to have a
significant amount of yard waste available to start a hot pile; at least 3 feet
by 3 feet.This mixture will require
mixing much more often.You can mix it
anywhere from once every two weeks to once every couple of days.The more you mix, the faster you get
compost.This type of pile will kill
weed seeds and diseases because it reaches much higher temperatures (about
160°), but may also kill beneficial bacteria.
When you compost pile no longer resembles what you put
into it, it’s ready to be used.Just mix
into your soil for strong, healthy plants.
Making your own compost is really worth the trouble. If
you have a vegetable garden it is essential as vegetables grown in good compost
is a lot healthier than vegetables grown in soil with a lot of artificial
fertilizer. You will enjoy the feeling of knowing you are feeding your family
really healthy veggies.
If you are ready to start making your own compost I recommend that you get a good e-book to help you. You may want to have a look atThe World Best CompostThis e-book will give you all the info you need to make your own compost with a resounding success.
Here is an article on no-dig-gardening, I hope you enjoy it.
Is It Possible? No Dig Gardening
I have to be honest I have not given this a try yet. May be
we can have a look at this and you can let us all know what you think. One never
knows, it might just work! The idea is not that you should never dig, but, I'm
getting ahead, read the article and let me know what you think.
The idea of do-dig gardening was developed by an Australian
named Esther Deans. It was originally both developed both as a labor saving
idea, and a method to rejuvenate badly depleted soil in a vegetable garden.
The process involves starting with layers of newspaper, and
by adding lucerne hay, straw and compostin succeeding layers, you can create a growing medium without resorting
to heavy digging, and one that is rich in nutrients and which will simplify weeding
and encourage your much desired plants to grow. The layers compost together,
and greatly encourage earthworms. The gardens are maintained by adding manure,
compost, etc., and should not be dug up, as this will undo the good work. I
have used this approach to creating vegetable gardens, and it certainly does
work.
The principle of not digging has sound foundations.
Excessive cultivation of the soil, especially when very wet or very dry, will
damage the structure of the soil, and lead to compaction. Such excessive
cultivation can also discourage the earthworms, and they are the best free
labor a gardener has.
Some followers of permaculture and organic gardening have
translated no-dig into never-dig, which I believe is sadly mistaken. If you
start with a base soil that is badly compacted, then your no-dig garden will
initially work well, but you may find your garden does not continue to perform
well. The fertile layer you have built up will encourage the earthworms, but we
do know that the worms need to shelter from excessively hot, dry, cold or wet
conditions. They have been found to seek shelter from extreme conditions by
burrowing more deeply into the soil, sometime many feet down. If they cannot
shelter in this way, it is my contention that they will die out or move out.
The belief is that an initial cultivation of the soil before
you apply the no-dig system will guarantee a better environment for the worms,
and thus a better garden for growing your plants, over the longer term.
By all means give the no-dig approach a try – you will be
pleased with the result.
So let us all try this, saving the soil is vital and
anything that can help should at least be given a go. This method is also up
the alley of organic gardening and that is good. I am definitely a firm
believer in organic gardening at least for our vegetables. If they are grown
the usual way they simply do not have all the nutrients they should and organic
gardening is the only way to restore that.
What's the Ultimate Health Giving Secret of Plant Feeding? Get The Worlds Best Compost and you will learn all the secrets.
To my total amazement I found out that almost ALL plants grown by man today are being force fed into sickness and us along with them.
And that as it turns out is why we have all the plant and pest problems we do. for more on this why do you not have a look at The Worlds Best Compost?
If you want to discover for the very first time how to feed your plants as Nature really intended. And do it without bins, tumblers, odor or TURNING ... then this is going to be the most exciting message you ever read.
Plants must be fed naturally through humus of the plants free choice in the soil.
Spending a huge amount on landscaping your garden is a
waste of money if you do not spend enough time on the upkeep of your garden. A
simple thing like pruning your trees correctly can make a big difference to
your garden. No amount of landscaping is worth anything if your garden is not
kept neat. So this article is meant to give you a few tips on the best way to
ensure your garden's neatness.
Follow these gardening tips to ensure a better life for
your garden:
1. Gardening tips for pruning:
As we have discussed in the introduction, pruning plays
an important role in garden maintenance. If you make a mistake while pruning
your trees, don’t lose your heart because it’s like a bad haircut, it is going
to grow again. It is wise though, to get the help of someone that are
knowledgeable the first few times until you get the hang of it.
2. Avoid watering in the evening:
During the summer, you may experience high humidity,
which might result in lot of problems in your garden. To get your plants nice
and dry, cover them in for the night. In addition to this watering in the
evening is best avoided to prevent damage to the plants. Watering in the early
morning is recommended.
3. Get rid of Powdery mildew:
Powdery mildew is a common fungus that mostly affects
your ornamental plants. The mildew creates a white film on the leaves of your
plants. Even other ornamental plants such as Sand cherry and Dogwoods can also
get affected with this fungus. The best way to prevent this is spraying with a
general fungicide obtainable from your garden centre. If you are doing organic
gardening, you can have a look at our "OrganicGardening" section. My
experience is that companion planting is the best here. It is also important to
make sure your plants' leaves are kept dry by watering carefully.
4. Prevention of Pythium Blight:
If you stay in the north and you have perennial Rye
grass, then you have to be very careful not to leave your grass wet at night. A
dreadful fungus called Pythium Blight may get the upper hand if you leave your
lawn wet in the night because this fungus loves to grow in conditions of high humidity,
mostly at night.
Pythium blight can be seen very easily in the early
morning. This fungus gives the appearance of white cotton candy on top of your
lawn. You can often see this fungus along driveways and walks, where the soil
is moist. Pythium blight can very easily be controlled by watering your garden
as early as possible in the morning to leave enough time for the grass to dry
before dark.
5. Fire Blight:
Fire Blight is yet another culprit that grows more during
summer than any other season. This fungus attacks Pyracantha, cotoneasters,
crabapple trees, and Apple trees. The presence of Fire Blight can easily be seen
once some of the branches of the plant turns red and dies. This Fire Blight can
be prevented by pruning the affected branch and removing it as far as possible from
the main plant.
It is also important that the cut branches should be
burnt since Fire Blight is contagious. You must also wash or dip, the shears
used, with alcohol so as to prevent the spreading of this deadly fungus to
other parts of the tree.
6. Shotgun fungus:
A little gem like fungus, which prefers to grow in mulch
and tends to swell, has been termed as “Shot gun Fungus”. This fungus can fly
up to 8 feet in the air and will spatter your house with tiny brown specks and
once they stick to your house or windows, they stick like glue. Most of us accuse
the spiders and aliens for this tiny brown speck. You can’t prevent this
fungus, but you can do something by keeping the mulch loose so that the air can
circulate inside and keep the fungus out. Although mulch is great, don’t allow
them to get packed, try to remove it at least once in a year and rake it flat.
