Half-used packages of seed lie before you. Will you take a chance and plant them next year? What if few germinate? That would be a waste of time and energy. You can throw the old seeds away and start with fresh packets each spring, or you can test the leftovers to find out which batches are still viable.
Dampen a paper towel. Lay ten seeds of the same variety on it. Cover with another damp paper towel. To provide continuing moisture, either mist occasionally with water or roll the towel gently and place it in a plastic bag. Label it and put it in a warm place, next to rising yeast dough, perhaps. After the germination time has elapsed (find it on the package), count the number of seeds that have sprouted. Seven or eight is a good number. If fewer than 50 percent have germinated, order new seed. Read the rest of this entry »
Always harden off transplants for eight to ten days before you set them out in the garden. Expose them to short, then gradually longer periods outdoors. (If you purchase transplants, find out if they’ve been hardened off. If not, make sure you do it.)
If seedlings are in flats, slice the roots into squares with a knife about a week before transplanting. Repeat the process before removing from flat.
Feed transplants with fish emulsion the day before setting them out. If possible, transplant on a cloudy or drizzly day. Or set out seedlings in the late afternoon or early evening. It’s more comfortable for you, and the plants will thrive without requiring shade or constant watering. Read the rest of this entry »
Only two rules for thirsty plants
Water from this “impact” sprinkler hits a deflector, causing the head to rotate continuously. In most cases, sprinklers should run until soil is moist to a depth of 4 or 5 inches.
There are only two rules for watering the garden correctly: water at the proper time and water deeply.
Too many gardeners, especially beginners, feel they must water a garden. But you should water your plants only when they really need it. How do you tell? Look at your plants in the morning. If they are wilted, it’s a sure sign that the soil has very little moisture left to provide for plants. It’s time to water! Read the rest of this entry »
Categories:
Gardening Equipment,
Lighting,
Paths,
Plant Cultivation,
Plant Materials,
Plants,
Relaxation,
Rose,
Soil,
Spring,
Water Garden
Here is a selection of garden tools used for pruning, cutting hedges and grass, plant propagation and other tasks of this nature.
- KnifeA straight-bladed horticultural knife is useful for cutting string and for taking cuttings. Don’t choose one with a stainless-steel blade, as this quickly becomes blunt.
- Long-arm pruner Has a very long shaft (at least 2.4m/8ft) with a cutting blade at the top, operated by a lever at the bottom. Invaluable for high branches.
- Pruners (or loppers) These have two long handles and are essential for “heavy” pruning — that is, stems of 1.25-2.5cm/ 1/2—lin in diameter.
Categories:
Cactus,
Dutch,
Gardening Equipment,
Lighting,
Outdoor,
Plant Materials,
Plants,
Roof Garden,
Seeds,
Soil,
Spring,
Vegetables,
Water Garden
Two automatic watering systems
If you cannot regularly attend to watering, consider an automatic system which runs from a header tank connected to the mains water supply (or a semi-automatic system which is supplied by a reservoir).
- Capillary watering Pots are placed on water-retentive capillary matting and take up moisture as required. The matting can be laid in gravel trays. Complete watering systems are available, with trays, matting and sometimes water reservoirs.
- Trickle watering Popularly known as the “spaghetti system”: a main plastic supply pipe with thin tubes sprouting from it. Each tube is positioned over a pot or container so every plant is watered when the supply is turned on. Read the rest of this entry »
Categories:
Autumn,
Gardening Equipment,
Lighting,
Paths,
Plant Materials,
Plants,
Precipitation,
Soil,
Spring,
Summer,
Water Garden,
Winter
Lawn care requires an annual programme of various operations. If all you do is mow, you will end up with a thin or patchy lawn that becomes invaded by weeds and moss. For a healthy carpet of green, you must feed, water, remove rubbish and dead material, relieve the lawn of compaction, and perform various other tasks. There are no short cuts. Alarge neglected lawn is an eyesore. If time for routine maintenance is limited, better to have only a small well-kept lawn and devote the rest of the garden to more labour-saving schemes, such as groundcover. Read the rest of this entry »
The quality of domestic water supply varies tremendously from area to area and this is an important consideration when it is to be used for watering orchids. The pH is particularly important and should ideally be on the acidic side at a value of about pH 5. Very hard water is not good for orchids but beware of chemical water softeners; these introduce chemicals just as injurious to your plants as the hardness. The householder can collect rain water from the roof if this is preferred to the domestic supply, but if you live in an upstairs flat you will have no choice other than to use water from the tap. In this case, if you find that the water is hard and alkaline, a harmless method of softening is to suspend a nylon mesh bag full of peat in a bucket of the water for a few days. This will absorb much of the lime content and lower the pH. Whatever the source of the water, it should always be given to the plants at room temperature. It is always a good idea to fill the watering can the day before it is to be used, to allow the temperature to adjust and unwanted chemicals to settle. Read the rest of this entry »
Frequency and amount
There is no hard and fast rule that can be laid down for watering orchids. It depends on so many variables such as the species, size and stage of orchid, the size of pot, density of compost, humidity and temperature. A large, actively growing plant in a small pot may need soaking twice a week or more. Each plant should therefore be examined daily, lifting it to see if it feels light compared with when it was last watered. The surface of the compost may appear dry while the material underneath is still quite moist, particularly if standing in a fairly deep humidity tray. Only experience will teach you when to water by comparing wet and dry plants. A dry plant with shrivelled bulbs is a sure sign of underwatering, but a thorough soaking will soon restore the bulbs to a plump and healthy state. No growing plant should be allowed to become dry for any length of time and it should be remembered that plants growing indoors will dry out much quicker than those in a greenhouse where the humidity is high. Read the rest of this entry »
Hanging baskets and wall-mounted pots provide you with more opportunities for creating colourful displays outdoors, on house walls and even on outbuildings such as the garage or shed. They are mainly for summer displays since plants, even if hardy, often do not survive winters in these containers, except in areas where winters are very mild. Hanging baskets or wall containers are relatively small, and the soil in them can quickly freeze solid. There is not much one can do to prevent this, except to hang baskets of plants in a cool but frost-free greenhouse during freezing weather.
Traditionally hanging baskets are made from a widely spaced mesh of strong galvanized wire and are bowl-shaped. They are generally supported with three chains. Plants can be planted right through the wires in the sides to create a ball of colour. Such wire baskets are inclined to dry out rapidly in warm weather, so frequent watering is a must — at least twice a day. Read the rest of this entry »
It cannot be denied that growing plants in containers is quite labour intensive, particularly during warm weather when they will need a lot of watering. Then there is feeding of plants (needed more often than plants growing in the garden), changing potting soil, moving plants into larger containers, the pruning of some permanent plants (although the same plants in the garden would also require this) and protection during the winter if you live in an area subject to severe frosts.
This will be a regular task in warm weather, when some containers may need checking twice a day. Do not neglect to check them regularly in cooler weather, too, even in winter, when the soil can still dry out, albeit more slowly. Read the rest of this entry »
Watering was another garden job on which Walter had very strong views. Nothing annoyed him more than to hear that overworked bromide ‘You can’t start watering unless you go on doing it every day. His theory was that people who have to go on doing it every day don’t water properly. They give a pleasant little sprinkle which damps the ground and makes it smell delicious, without even beginning to get down to the roots of the plants, in fact it tempts the roots to come up to the surface to get a drink, and they get burnt up unless that little sprinkle is repeated every day. If you scratch the ground after a so-called watering you will usually find that the water has hardly penetrated below the surface.
Walter’s way of watering was thorough in the extreme. He had lengths of hose with which he could reach every part of the garden, and it took him several days to do the job as he thought it should be done. This, of course, was in the days when one was allowed to use a hose and there was no restriction on watering from main supply. Read the rest of this entry »
