VEGETABLE GARDEN: TIPS FOR GOOD YIELD

The secret to super productive gardening is taking the time now to plan the strategies that are planned according to your garden. Here are some high-yield strategies gleaned from gardeners who have learned to make the most of their garden space.

Expert gardeners agree that building up the soil is the single most important factor in hiking the yields. A deep, rich soil encourages the growth of healthy, extensive roots that are able to reach more nutrients and water. The result: extra-lush, extra-productive growth above ground.

The fastest way to get a deep layer of fertile soil is to make raised beds. Raised beds yield up to four times more than the same amount of space planted in rows. Plants grow close enough together to shade out competing weeds so you spend less time weeding. The close spacing also makes watering and harvesting more efficient.

·        Interplanting compatible crops saves space, too. Consider corn, beans, and squash. Sturdy cornstalks support the pole beans, while squash grows freely on the ground below, shading out competing weeds. This combination works because the crops are compatible. Other compatible combinations include tomatoes, basil, and onions; leaf lettuce and peas or brassicas; carrots, onions, and radishes; and beets and celery. 

   

   Plant cherry or grape or tomatoes, and you'll get lots of tomatoes in compact clusters. They'll do well in the ground or in containers, so plant them in any accessible sunny spot.

·       It only takes about 45 days for radishes to reach harvest size, so that's another spot in your garden that you can replant.

·          In addition to growing what you eat, try growing tasty beverages also. 

·        Aim to harvest in the morning, which is when plants are filled with nutrients and moisture. 

·        Saving at least some of your own seeds will definitely mean spending less money on your garden each year, plus you’ll enjoy the convenience of always having a ready supply of plantable seeds. 

·        You need to buy high-quality organic compost, but make a habit of piling together pulled plants, leaves, tattered mulches and other organic materials to create rich compost for free.

    Growing types that store for a long time, such as butternut squash and shallots, will allow you to eat fresh food from your own garden all winter. 

OCTOBER TIPS FOR GARDENING

October means plenty of work is still there to be done which includes a lot of lifting and clearing of summer flowering items, moreover, many flower and vegetable varieties can be sown at this time too. Here are some general tips which would help in reviving your garden in this autumn season.

LAWN CARE:

·       Cut the perennials that have died down.

·       Collect seeds from the garden to sow next year.

·       Continue mowing lawns until the growth of grass stops.

·       Care for the lawn by brushing leaves off the grass.Collect them in a leaf bag, which will turn them into useful leaf mould.

·       Add autumn fertilizer to established lawns.

·       Renovate old lawns or create new grass areas

FLOWERS:

•  Seeding should be finished by early October.
•  Plant tulips now.
• Plant spring bedding and biennials, such as wall-flowers, for spring displays.
• Pots and hanging baskets can be planted with spring bedding, along with bulbs, grasses, and cyclamen for a colorful display.
• Plant up winter hanging baskets and containers using myosotis, dwarf wallflowers, and spring flowering bulbs.

VEGETABLES:

• Plant out spring cabbages
• Harvest apples, pears, grapes and nuts
• Continue watering, especially evergreens if soils are dry.
• Transplant deciduous trees once they have dropped their leaves.
• Place wire guards around trunks of young fruit trees for protection against mice
• Lift and store root crops such as carrots, beetroot, and potatoes.

Regularly check for insects, or disease damage throughout the garden and take the necessary steps to control the problems.

Gardening: Bees, Wasps and You

Gardening: Bees, Wasps and You

If you are a gardener then you must know the trouble for this time of the year. It is the time for the two of the biggest enemies for gardeners enjoying their beautiful garden, the evil Bees, and the wicked Wasps. During this time of the year, these two trouble makers are the biggest headaches for anyone indulged in gardening or simply enjoying the gardens. But things get a bit complicated with them. A little negligence might call for a painful and poisonous sting. So here are some methods to handle the bees and wasps avoiding being stung by them.

·         Weeds and Overgrown grass: First things first, remove the overgrown grass and weeds. These weedy areas are perfect for the bees and wasps to make their nests. Removing them will not only discourage their numbers but will also help you to handle your garden better.

·         Choice of Clothes while in Garden: You need to be more cautious about your clothing. Loose clothing or bright colorful dresses may make you more vulnerable to these guys. Try to choose clothes with white or khaki color to come out in the garden

·         Avoid Sharp Smells: Wearing cologne or sharp smelling shampoos in hair might attract them more and cause you more trouble.

Winter is around the corner and insects like bees are really desperate to find more and more nectar to survive the winter hibernation. Thus, making peace with them is the best option for both the parties. For more suggestions and help in gardening, keep following us.

STEP-BY-STEP PLANNING OF YOUR FIRST VEGETABLE GARDEN

Having your own garden is both rewarding and fun. All you require to get started is some a few plants and good soil. But to become a successful vegetable gardener, it takes to keep your garden vigorous and healthy.

The basics you need to know-

To feed the soil is a must for organic gardeners. Although different mineral nutrients and fertilizers should be combined regularly to the garden, the most useful material for maintaining and building a well-balanced and healthy soil is organic matter, like compost, animal manures, and shredded leaves.

The area of your garden i.e. the amount of sunlight it gets, closeness to a source of water, and protection from frost is important.

There are 2 primary approaches to planning the design of a vegetable garden:

·       Row Cropping -This is basically what comes to mind when you decide about what to grow in a garden with vegetables. You put plants single file in rows, leaving a walking space between every row.Row cropping is best for big vegetable gardens and makes it easier to use a mechanical device like tillers to battle weeds.

·       Intensive cropping -This kind of making a garden with vegetables means doing in wide bands, usually 1-4 feet across and as long as you wish. Intensive cropping decreases the amount of space required for paths, but the nearer spacing of the plants generally means you have to weed using your hand.

 Some careful observation and keeping a record of it may teach you more about growing vegetables than any single authority or book.

Things to know before you shop flowers for your garden

Seeds or plants?
Both annuals and perennials can be sown from seed straightforwardly in the greenhouse, yet it will take a while for them to grow, shoot out and sprout - a few weeks for annuals, up to a year for perennials. To shorten this wait, you can purchase grown plants. It's ideal to purchase plants that aren't flowering yet.

Work cost

Try and maintain a record of work cost of the garden: The cost of annuals plants or any season sprout is derived from the fact that they require customary watering and treating. That is each one of those blossoms in all season takes a ton of water and supplements, and also daylight.  Perennials aren't absolutely joyful - relying upon the species and on your atmosphere and soil, they additionally require some watering and manure, yet not as much consideration as annuals. 

Shade

Just as a few plants need sunlight, some thrive under the shade but ordinarily, the less daylight you receive, the less flowers you will get; in an excess of shade the plants may grow leaves but no flowers. A few types of annuals and perennials can sprout in under eight hours a day of daylight, however you'll need to search them out. When purchasing plants, read names, seed package or index numbers carefully.

Right plant, correct spot. Frequently we fall for a bloom on its appearance, how good it might look in our garden and pay little heed to whether we can give it what it needs. Instead of falling prey too these attractive plants set up a mental plan of your garden with plants for direct sun, ground cover, shade loves and hangable. 

Organic Gardening & its benefits

Personal health and environmental are the 2 basic benefits of organic gardening that are attaining popularity. Organic is definitely in, no more organic vegetables and fruits are just for the tree-huggers. They have entered the mainstream diet vigorously.

So what are the benefits actually?

·       Taste – Fresh fruits and vegetables have an explosion of flavour that bears little similarity to the taste of market raised produce. For vegetables and fruits that do not need to be cooked, they can be tested directly in the garden.

·       Health – An organic garden has no toxic chemicals, which means that its produce is also toxic free. Organic produce has a higher mineral and vitamin content than those produced with the help of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers.

·       Money – Purchasing organic produce can cost up to 50% or more over the regular market. By growing your own, will save money. Storing the excess will make your garden last long in the winter without purchasing greenhouse vegetables from the market.

·       Spiritual – While tilling the soil or planting seeds, or pulling weeds, any organic gardener thinks- being in the garden brings him closer to nature, working and watching the garden grow makes him feel he is part of something huge.

·       Environment – Lack of chemical run-off is beneficial as small insects, animals or birds are not harmed by chemical use. Organic gardeners are constantly building up the soil with organic matter. By combining organic waste into compost, you help relieve landfills since the waste will otherwise be filling up space there.

The benefits of organic gardening are much more than this. Only a few of the best ones are listed above.