Candytuft brings drifts of lacy white blooms to the spring scene, often flowering from late winter for many months. Although grown as an annual, candytuft will last for several seasons, but does become leggy. This can be rectified with gentle pruning after flowering. Read the rest of this entry »

To learn how plants that thrive in acid soil fit into their 1 natural environment, explore a natural forest. The same forces that shape and nurture a forest create acid soil. The copious rain that filters through the trees and soaks the ground underneath will leach alkaline minerals such as limestone sediment from the soil, neutralising it. At the same time, the natural mulch of evergreen leaves forms a blanket on the forest floor, along with bark and discarded branches. As this mass of plant matter begins to break down, it contributes acidity to the soil. So, unless a forest happens to be sitting atop a hefty deposit of crumbled limestone, the natural pH of its soil will be in the acid range. Read the rest of this entry »

The earthworm is one of the earth’s composters, working with bacteria and other organisms to decompose the organic materials deposited on the earth’s surface. Earthworms condition the soil: They aerate the soil with the tunnels they build, providing space and nutrients for growing plant roots. Soil which has been worked by earthworms is porous and spongelike, absorbing rainfall readily. Earthworms pull leaves and other organic materials below the earth’s surface, digesting and mixing them with the soil. Read the rest of this entry »

Compost Materials Branches (an armful or two)

• Wooden poles (3 or 4) Hay
• Grass clippings
• Leaves
• Weeds
• Sawdust
• Kitchen garbage
• Manure (horse, cow, chicken, rabbit, dog)
• Wood ash or limestone Rich topsoil
• Water Read the rest of this entry »

SOIL

Soil is generally used in compost heaps. Fertile soil contributes a large population of organisms which help decompose the compost materials, as well as minerals which the organisms need to live. Soil also helps prevent the loss of nitrogen to the air in the form of ammonia gas. Use very thin layers of soil—perhaps 1/8 inch—in the compost heap. It is important not to use too much soil, because it may add too much weight to the heap and compress the materials underneath. Soil is used as an insulating layer after the compost heap is completed. A 2-inch cover layer is sufficient to conserve moisture and heat. Read the rest of this entry »

Bonsai can be displayed in other ways as well. The most commonly seen alternative method is to plant the tree on a stone or slate slab to give the viewer the impression of a tree in a wide open space. Read the rest of this entry »

The delicate root hairs can take up only a certain amount of water from the soil and this is sentup through the stems to the leaves. Theroot hairs also need air to function properly and if the air between the soil particles is replaced with water, then the roots will soon rot and die. So, even though it is tempting to show your appreciation for your indoor plants by giving them extra water, this will only do them more harm than good. Read the rest of this entry »

Choose the site, remembering that your rockery will be a focal point in the garden – in small gardens a good site is often on the boundary. A slope is better than flat ground and you can grow more plants in a sunny position than you can in shade. 2. Decide on the size and shape of your rockery – it will look best if it follows a series of curves and is about three times wider than it is high. 3. Buy rocks of different sizes (not too small), calculating roughly 3-4 40 x 30 cm rocks to a metre length. 4. Clear the site. If you live in an area that experiences heavy rains or has poorly drained soil, build your rockery on a base of coarse rubble to improve the drainage. Contour the ground, if necessary.

Outline the shape of your rockery. Then start at the lowest level, positioning small and medium rocks so that their edges touch each other and tilting them slightly into the bank. Embed at least a quarter of each rock in the ground. Fill in the spaces with soil.

Position larger rocks on the higher level so that they form planting pockets of different sizes and at different levels. Build up your rockery to a focal point of one or two large, well-shaped rocks. Fill in with soil. Water the rockery and give the soil time to settle.

Check that your rockery holds the soil well – you may have to adjust the rocks and top up the soil. Choose a variety of trailing and upright plants suited to your conditions, keeping the rockery as natural-looking as possible. You could add one rock on its own, giving the impression that it has rolled away from the others.

There are five main methods of pruning. These match the five main categories of different types of shrubs: deciduous spring flowering shrubs, deciduous summer flowering shrubs, winter flowering shrubs, evergreen shrubs and small- leaved shrubs.

Whichever method is used, you should bear in mind these general points. Read the rest of this entry »

Gardens, no matter how small, have become incredibly important havens for wildlife. This is because wild creatures have lost many of their feeding and breeding sites in the countryside — either as a result of intensive farming, which makes widespread use of pesticides, or changes in land use. Read the rest of this entry »

Lazy gardeners argue about compost. Some insist nothing can take the place of a shovelful of compost mixed in planting holes for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and members of the cabbage family. Melons, cucumbers, and squash need its richness to send out strong, healthy vines. Read the rest of this entry »

A successful landscape needs a garden style which appeals to you, and this is often linked to the house design. It can also be influenced by the kind of plants you like, or by your garden site and its climate.

Garden styles

There is a variety of garden styles, from formal to cottage garden, each with its own atmosphere and character. A predominantly natural or wild garden might look best in the country, or, alternatively, it could turn a town garden into a green oasis and bird sanctuary. A Mediterranean courtyard style would suit a small garden or echo Spanish-style architecture. You may like a formal garden for its symmetry, or an oriental garden for its serenity. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have a root cellar, keep it cool in the fall when it’s full of produce by opening ventilators on brisk nights and closing them on warm, sunny days. That’s an easy way to keep the temperature and humidity at ideal levels.

Choose to grow thin-necked varieties of onions rather than thick-necked ones, and you’ll have less incidence of onion-neck rot in storage. Cure them in sun for a week or two after harvest, then lay screens in the rafters of your garage or attic and spread the onions one layer thick. Leave them there for a month or so. Make sure onion necks are thoroughly dry before clipping to an inch or two. Store in a cool, dry place with good ventilation. Read the rest of this entry »

Lima beans, horticultural beans, and blackeye peas are my favorite shell beans. I pick them when the beans inside have formed but are still soft and tender. They can grow to the dry stage, but if you let them do that, you’ll miss out on an early harvest and some very good eating.

Lima beans need 11 or 12 weeks of frost-free weather

To know the real taste of lima beans, you must eat them fresh from a home garden. There’s no comparison between fresh and store-bought. Succotash, that terrific blend of fresh corn, milk, butter, and limas, isn’t worth a hoot without fresh lima beans. Read the rest of this entry »

I blanch it with its own leaves

A thriving row of cauliflower is a spectacular sight in the vegetable garden, but few people think they can have great success with it. I think it’s as easy to grow as any cabbage family crop. Cauliflower is less tolerant to hot weather than its relatives, though, so it’s important to set your plants out very early or plan on a fall crop. If the heads mature in the heat, they’re apt to have a bitter taste or go by very quickly.

For your first crop, set out some plants 3 or 4 weeks before the average date of the last spring frost. Pinch off a couple of the lower leaves.

As cauliflower heads get to be 4 to 5 inches across, they should be blanched by preventing sunlight from reaching the heads. Read the rest of this entry »

Some gardeners are hesitant to try celery and I understand why. It needs a long time to grow—up to 4 months of mostly cool weather. Celery also demands steady water and fertilizer because its root system is near the surface. But if your soil holds water well and has plenty of organic matter in it, you’re in good shape, especially if you plant early and harvest early.

Because celery takes such a long time to grow, start the seeds indoors early. Celery seeds are slow to germinate, so you can soak them overnight to speed the process. Plant them indoors 10 to 12 weeks before the average last frost date. Read the rest of this entry »

Chard has a lot going for it. You can plant it as soon as you can work your garden in the spring, and it will provide tasty, nutritious greens for months. Through cold weather or hot, it won’t get bitter, tough, or strong as long as you keep it harvested.

With wide rows you can get basket after basket of chard to can or freeze for the winter. To me, it’s the perfect green for a wintertime meal. It tastes good, it’s nutritious, and it’s a lot cheaper than store-bought greens. Read the rest of this entry »

Building your rows up to form raised beds can help you grow better root crops. Sometimes in heavy clay or shallow soils it’s a hassle getting long, straight carrots or parsnips, or large, well- shaped beets. The answer is to create a raised bed and heap extra topsoil onto the row from the walkways. It sounds like a lot of work but it’s not.

No matter what kind of soil you plant root crops in, get the seedbed smooth and as free of clods and rocks as possible. In rocky, clumpy ground, all the seeds won’t poke through the soil at the same time. This is a problem when you rake-thin and weed the first time.

Coaxing carrots with 0-20-0

To coax the best root crops possible from your soil, add a little phosphorus fertilizer to the seedbeds before planting. Broadcast a common commercial fertilizer such as 5-10-10. Use about 1 quart for each 100 square feet and mix it in the top 2 or 3 inches of soil. Read the rest of this entry »

squirrels & chipmunks

Squirrels and chipmunks are fun to watch, but they are the hardest to keep away from your corn and sunflowers. A fence won’t keep them out, not even an electric one. They jump so well and scurry into the garden so fast that an electric shock doesn’t stop them. They’re in the garden while they’re still feeling the zap.

In the sweet corn or popcorn rows, squirrels climb right up the stalks and eat the ears. They’re smart. Often they only work the inside rows so you won’t notice them. A few times I have seen squirrels trying to haul away whole ears of corn. In a row of sunflowers they can jump from one stalk to the next as if they were in a tree.

In a small garden you may be able to use old stockings or heesecloth on the sunflower heads and corn ears to foil the squirrels at harvest time. In a big garden, an active cat or an eager dog may be your only hope. Read the rest of this entry »

Inadequate soil preparation before planting or sowing is a major cause of horticultural disappointment. Digging and the application of fertilizers and bulky organic materials are usually necessary to ensure that the soil is suited to the plants or crops that you want to grow. Drainage may also be required.

Four fertilizers that supply all the major foods.

There are certain fertilizers that supply all three of the principal foods required by plants: nitrogen for leaf and stem growth; phosphorus for good root growth; potassium (potash), which helps to form and ripen flowers, fruits and seeds.

• Blood, fish and bone Slowly releases nitrogen, phosphorus and potash; use before sowing or planting, or around established plants.
• Fishmeal Dig in before planting or sowing in spring. Read the rest of this entry »