All posts by Farhan Ahsan

My name is Farhan Ahsan,I am web enthusiast, writer and blogger. I always strive to be passionate about my work. I started my work at the beginning of 2007 by engaging myself with detail reading and exchanging information with others. Since then things and times have changed, but one thing remains the same and that is my passion for helping and educating people, building a successful blog and delivering quality content to the readers. I always love to write about gardening, sustainable life, off grid living and homestead farming.
Planting

10 Tips To Growing Pumpkins-Learn When To Plant and Harvest Pumpkin

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 Pumpkins are amazing to have as deserts and other edibles; you must have seen them on Halloween, as they are one of the most desirable things of the event. Planting and growing pumpkins is a rewarding and fulfilled experience – however, you can only grow big pumpkins if you exactly know how to grow them. The excerpt talks about the basic tips that can facilitate your aim of growingpumpkins from seeds and make the harvest a success:

1: Make sure the soil is well done:

If the growth is planned for the spring season, make sure you prepare the soil from fall. The soil must be worked out with raw manure and dried leaves; rot tiller is also an essential need here. Kitchen wastes when mixed with soil also help in growing big pumpkins and of various types.

2: Know your space:

Know one thing from the beginning; growing pumpkins always require larger spaces. The railings of the pumpkin plants may go up to 20 feet, so be prepared. Also, the area must be getting around 8 to 10 hours of full sun each day, otherwise you won’t be able to get the desired results.

3: When to plant Pumpkins:

When to plant pumpkins? Well, this might be based on your need of having miniatures or larger ones. As mentioned before, there are various types of pumpkins; many keep on posting how to grow a giant pumpkin, probably they are competition goers. If you are amongst these, make sure you start sowing in mid may to mid June. In case you want smaller ones, your period can be extended to July 1st. It would be ready to harvest during the late September.

4. Frost protection:

How to grow pumpkins if your area is likely to have late frost, it is better to start the growing process indoors and transplant seedlings later.

Frost would destroy the pumpkin plants, so it is ideal to have indoor setup. You can keep the soil warm and ideal; just make sure you have covered the soil with some black plastic one week before planting pumpkins. Keep the sheet over the soil until the frost goes away completely.

5. Where to plant:

As mentioned before, the vines of the pumpkins have the capacity to grow aggressively and cover large spaces around them. Therefore, choose the areas where if the vines spread, does not affect the other plants. The heavy wind can harm the leaves of vines so if are living in an area where you experiences a lot of wind then plant them in the same direction as normally the wind blows.

6. Growing in smaller space:

If you have smaller spaces, you can trellis the vines. This is one popular way that is used by pumpkin farmers, but strong support is needed to handle the ripen ones.

7. Supply plenty of water:

Other than inquires like how to grow pumpkins, one major question is about its care. For that, make sure you provide enough water to the soil so that they can easily grow. The soil used for planting pumpkin seeds has to be rich in nutrients and minerals, and definitely water is required too. Make sure you plant your pumpkin plants early in the morning. However, make sure you keep the foliage dry, otherwise fungus may infect your entire farm.

8. Look after the pumpkin patch:

Just like all the other plants, pumpkins would need your love and affection so that they can grow. Make sure you weed the rows and the patches on weekly basis. However, do not use too much fertilizer or nitrogen contents.

9. Careful Harvest

If you try to harvest your pumpkins before the right time, you will end up eventually losing the entire thing. Make sure when you are about to harvest it, it has a deep color and same thing you can find around it. Also, the rind has to be tough; you can check by pressing it with your nail, it has to resist it from getting scratches and dents. Make sure you have harvested your pumpkins before it is fall or frost. You can check out the vines, if they start to freeze, don’t be scared your fruit is still protected. Simply use some sharp cutting tools and cut off your fruit from the vines. Do not cut from the stem; leave around 4 to 5 inches in between.

10. Proper storage

The cure duration for pumpkins is about 8 to 10 days. During this period, they must be placed in those areas where the temperature remains between 80 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit and there is little humidity. This helps in keeping it for storage. Once this process is done right, make sure you select the place for storage which is cool and dry. The suggested temperature for this period is between 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The tip that you must know here is, never store pumpkins in double or more layers. They must be kept in single layer, otherwise they may get spoiled. It is because due to constant touch with each other, they would release some sort of heat, and ultimately it would cause decay. If you follow proper guidelines, you can easily store a pumpkin for about 3 months. You can enjoy your Halloween, in fact Christmas too with them.

Bee Keeping

How to keep bees in your backyard-10 helpful tips for beekeeping

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Honey Bees- Biological View

Honey bees play an important part in the essential biological process, simply known as Pollination. Pollination is a mechanism in plants for transfer of male gametes (pollen) onto the female part of the flower. It is during pollination that honey bees play their part. In return they extract the nectar from the flower, take it up to their hives and process it further to convert it into the honey- the sweetest substance that we know. These are some of the fundamental honey bees facts which can help any beekeeper to take up the task of beekeeping. Un-fertile female bees have much to do as they are generally known as the workers. They are responsible for the prosperity of the hive and contribute by feeding and cleaning the queen, gather water, pollen and nectar. Moreover, heating or cooling of the hive is also within their work-schedule.

Beekeeping Tips and Honey Collection

Beekeeping is an art which can be defined as the keeping and maintenance of beehive and extraction of honey when it is ready. The following are 10 important tips for you to carry on beekeeping so as to harvest fresh honey.

1-Health of Colonies: It is the first and foremost priority of a beekeeper to maintain the health of honey bee colonies. This is because some colonies tend to carry diseases, produce less than optimum yield, and are aggressive and lethal. Hence, the colonies of bees should be well guarded and cured from all possible threats.

2-Equipment: To start off, you ought to have the right set of equipment which is required for this enjoyable, yet demanding task. The first tool you require is the bee hive components. For beginners who want to start backyard beekeeping, the purchase of ready-made bee colony or package bees is highly recommended so that they can cut through the red-tape and start beekeeping without further hurdles. Though, the experts suggest that the beginners should go with the second option, i.e. package bees. Other things required are a protective gear and tools for managing the beehive while making sure that honey is extracted safely. A protection gear is required because bees’ sting and sting badly. Though, unless they are stimulated, these creatures do not sting.

3- Smokers: Smokers is a modern device which aids in beekeeping. As the name suggests, it emits a smoke which affects the bees in a way that it causes a stimulated response. The released smoke causes the bees to evacuate their hives in response to a false “fire alert”. The case is similar to people rushing about after hearing a cry “fire, fire, fire!” The guard bees’ pheromone is also distorted due to which the required information is not passed to the member bees. In other words, smokers make beekeeping and honey collection very simple.

bee smoker
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4-Timing of harvest:  It is important to harvest the honey for the hive at an appropriate time; not too early and not too late. Timing affects the color of honey which in turn, affects the selling of honey. Though, the color of honey does not alter the taste of honey, but the high demand is for light colored honey. Leaving honey in the heart of hive for a long time turns its color darker and less demanding. The same goes for extracting it too early, in which case the honey appears lighter in color.

5-The color and taste of honey:   The color of honey depends upon the floral source where the bees collect the nectar.There’re 300 types of honey available in all over United States ranges from light to dark brown that depends upon  the floral visited by honey bees.Generally the taste of light color honey is mild against dark one which is strong.

6-Beekeeping permits: Before starting to inquire anything regarding how to raise honey bees, it is recommended that you get in touch with your local authorities or search up the permits for beekeeping. Though, in a general sense, the advantages of beekeeping to an area are massive. The more lethal insects, for example, wasps and hornets are kept out by the presence of mild honey bees. Secondly, as described at the start, honey bees provide the plants with an excellent facility; pollination.

7-Local Bee farming:  It is highly recommended that you read the beekeeping manual before attempting to plunge into this task. Besides the long and boring work of going through the manual, you can adopt an easier option of local bee farming. In more advanced societies, bee farming courses are offered which are aimed to equip the interested lot with sufficient practical skills of beekeeping .This will provide you with the practical supervised experience which is highly appreciated.

8-The best hive: As the hobby of beekeeping is slowly starting to take a professional look, the associated people have come out with more hive designs. For beginners who are starting in this era, things can get very difficult, as far as hives are concerned. From the two major types, Langstroth Hive and The Top Bar Hive (TBH), the former is mostly recommended.

9-Physical requirements: The primary duty is to be able to handle the bee hive so that the honey can be harvested while bearing the inevitable stings. So, one has to have courage to come near the beehives and tackle the inevitable calamities. Though, it does not sound crazy once you have worn your protection suit.

10-Beekeeping Guide:  A beekeeping guide can easily be accessed through the internet or any other local source. The main sections of such a guide are the methods on how to raise honey bees, local beehive plans, bee information and all about bees and honey extraction etc.

Beekeeping is an emerging hobby which is being adopted by many people all around the world. Though, the task of playing with honey bees and threatening-looking bee hive seems bewildering, but with the required precautions and knowledge, one can not only keep one’s day busy but also make profit out of this business.

Planting

7 Natural Fertilizers That Promote Plant Growth

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In the past few years, we’ve seen a change in the way the World proceeds about its doings. People have gone through quite a few revelations, which have in general placed an impact upon their perceptions and outlook. Ever since, we’ve grown more aware of the toxicity rates of chemicals and chemical products, an organic trend has swarmed over the multitudes with people making choices to lead an ‘organic lifestyle’. Supermarkets and flea markets now have separate sections labeled as ‘organic produce’. And organic farming means that the farmers use the most conservative feed, and fertilizers, only then can their produce be termed as organic.

In farming, organic or natural fertilizers have gained a special place and there are several types of fertilizers today that cater to the needs of organic farming. In order for a fertilizer to be considered organic, it has to come from natural sources. Some of these have been gone over and detailed below.

1-Banana Peels

Bananas are available in the markets year round and are the favorite fruit of many out there. Rarely a house doesn’t have any banana peels lying around. And if more people took into consideration the fact that they can be recycled in a sustainable way, our Earth would have much less baggage. Banana peels after composting, when returned to the soil; help provide nutrients like Potassium, Nitrogen and Calcium to the plant. Or you can let them compost naturally by burying them in the soil before planting. They help in the fruit formation and the plant strength they propagate is especially essential for vertical veggies.

bana peels

2-Coffee Grounds

Do not dispose of the coffee remnants in the bottom of your mug after your morning ritual. Instead kill two birds with one stone, and recycle them as an organic lawn fertilizer. They are an excellent addition to your compost pile, especially beneficial for acid loving plants like tomatoes and roses. Or you can dilute the grounds and pour them over the soil, though it won’t be as effective. These grounds have been claimed to produce some of the largest and plumpest melons, carrots etcetera. They are believed to add nitrogen and other minerals and vitamins to the soil, which in turn reduces the risk of insect infestation.

VLUU L100, M100 / Samsung L100, M100

3-Grass& Weed

Looking for a great organic fertilizer? Well look no further than beneath your feet. Grass clippings once diluted, and then set-aside for a few days before straining the liquid proves to be a rich source of nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorus for the soil. Once sprayed over the soil, even miniscule grass can do wondrous remarkable things to your organic gardening endeavors. Weeds can also be added as they also break down quite easily and benefit the richness of your soil. In fact, grass/weed is one of the best fertilizers.

grass clippings and weeds as a natural fertilizer3

4-Manure

Manure is probably one of the oldest means for fertilizing land out there. It provides all the necessary nutrients like Potassium, Nitrogen and Phosphorus that are essential for plant growth, development and propagation. However, manure from livestock should be used; the one from household animals contains pathogens, which causes more harm than benefit. Composted manure and the manure that has aged for quite some time will be the most useful in richening the soil. However proper and guided use of manure is necessary, in order for manure to prove to really be the best organic fertilizer.

manure as a natural fertilizer

5-Bone meal Fertilizer

Bone meal is a quite useful albeit unfamiliar organic fertilizer. It is essentially what the name implies, bones that are ground to powder form before steaming sometimes, which helps the plant to get more benefit from it. Plants need it for stronger development of roots and growth of flowers. It is an ideal supplement for bulbs and roses that needs phosphorus to boost up. Its N-P-K ratio is usually around 4-12-0, which may alter in steamed bone meal. As it is implied from the ratio, it is basically a great use of Phosphorus for a soil but doesn’t provide any Potassium and not necessarily enough Nitrogen to the plant; Even though it also provides Calcium.

bone meal

6-Egg Shells

Mainly composed of Calcium Carbonate, which is what agricultural lime is composed of, broken egg shells from your breakfast will prove to be a great source of Calcium, Potassium as well as traces of Phosphorus which when combined, provide all the nutrients in a fertilizer. You won’t need to waste your money on buying lime when eggshells simply solve any deficiency of Calcium that may exist in the plant. Powered eggshells or eggshell tea are both equally effective, giving your plants an essential boost.

egg shell as a natural fertilizer

                                                                             Image credit

7-Fish Emulsion Fertilizer

Albeit a stinky alternative, fish and its by-products will make your soil rich and fertile, with a healthy N-P-K ratio of 5-2-2. This contributes towards one of the most powerful natural fertilizer. Which means your plant is getting the essential nutrients for its propagation and without seriously denting your bank account too. How about that for a budget cut?

fish emulsion as a natural fertilzer

Learn How to make fish fertilizer

Thus, all these fertilizers are great replacements for the synthetic and chemical fertilizers in the markets. Think wisely, choose wisely and live wisely.

Flowers

Top 10 Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds To Your Yard

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Hummingbird Facts

For centuries, gardeners have been fascinated with the aerobatics and beauty of the hummingbirds. Birds vary in their sizes and appearance; hummingbirds from their name can make a humming noise by flapping their wings (about 80 times per second). They are the tiniest of all birds, weighing less than an ounce and measuring only 3 inches long. They could be called as flying jewels with the ability to fly in various directions. These are small and colorful with iridescent feathers; their beaks help them to sip the nectar from thousands of colored flowers every day. There is a probability that these birds can’t resist red and crimson blooms could be an invitation for them in the gardens however it’s not the only way to attract them. Hummingbirds primarily eat flower nectar, tree sap, insects and pollen, this species is found only in North and South America.

What Plants and flowers that attract hummingbirds

There are several flowers that can attract hummingbirds but there are some of them that could be considered in the list of the favorite and most appealing ones. For the selection of such hummingbird plants and flowers, it is required to search for blooms that have rich and bright colors. These must be rich in nectar urging the birds to come back for them, hence satisfying their thirst. Diverse flowers could be added to provide plentiful food for the hummingbirds throughout the summer, fall and spring.

Following are the most preferable hummingbird plants along with their specialties:

1.Bee Balm

It is a spherical shaped attractive plant that could illuminate the gardens with its presence. It thrives best in full sun and can approximately grow about 12-36 inches high. Availability is in the intense shades of red, pink, purple and orange, it is also referred as bergamot or horsemint. They also attract bees and butterflies. These flowers could be used as a garnish for green salads, fruit, cakes or preserves. The aromatic leaves serve as a substitute for mint and can be dried for tea.

Bee Balm flowers for hummingbirds1

2. Cardinal Flower

Cardinal flower also called as lobelia is one of the flowers’ that can serve best in well-drained soil and moist. Its red blooms are gracefully shaped and its long stalks can grow about 48 inches with the quality to provide visual interest to the flowerbeds. It tolerates full sun with enough moisture and this species bares spikes of brilliant, scarlet red-flowers. It could also be found in pink, white and is non-invasive. You may also like to check out Flowers that attract butterflies to the garden.

Cardinal Flower for hummingbirds

3. Zinnia

Thriving best in full sun with a compact shape, this annual bloom is quite easy to grow from seeds. The blooms of pink, red, white and yellow becomes an ideal choice for the migrating hummingbirds as it flourishes more from late summer to mid-fall. These typically range from 10 to 100cm in height and can bare hot summer temperatures. They have the ability to attract the hummingbirds and works as a defense against whiteflies; therefore zinnias are a desirable companion plant.

Zinnia flower for hummingbird

4. Bleeding Hearts

These are dangling heart-shaped blooms in pink or white. The bleeding hearts thrives best in lightly shaded locations and are hard in cooler climates. The growing rate is 24-36 inches and can be an affordable choice for hummingbird gardens as they can be divided to transplant. It grows best in moist conditions. You may also like to check out colorful flowers that are easy to grow.

Bleeding Hearts for humingbirds

5. Salvia

It is one of the great plants that serves the centers or backs of flowerbeds. These flowers range from pink to mauve, blue to purple and works best in full sun being larger in size each year. Salvia flowers come out in mid-summer and continue blooming till late summer. This plant does best in full sun and it tolerates dry soil; one of the top flower to attract hummingbirds.

Salvia flower for hummingbirds

6. Butterfly Bush

The butterfly bush plant acts as a source of attracting butterflies justifying its name and is also welcoming for the hummingbirds. The clusters of flowers are in purple and from mid-summer through fall they have a continuous bloom. It thrives in full sun and become a thick, luxurious shrub over time.

Butterfly Bush for hummingbirds

7. Lupine

It is a drought tolerant plant that serves as a representation for attracting spring hummingbirds. Its purple and blue shades are striking, working best in areas with full sunlight. It reaches around 1 to 4 feet in height and may be annual. Wildflowers of the lupine plant are generally in hues of blues and white.

Lupine flower for hummingbords

8. Trumpet Creeper

The plant has dense foliage and can climb on many surfaces. It is also known to be hummingbird vine or trumpet vine. Its tubular flowers are perfect for hummingbirds and it works best in full sun to partial shade. It ranges in red, orange or yellow blooms.

Trumpet Creeper for hummingbirds

9. Columbine

This flower is also known as Granny’s bonnet and it is known for its bell shaped flowers blooming from mid spring to early summer. It is from Columba (a Latin word) and is an ideal for hummingbird. This elegant flower is in the shades of pink, purple and blue. It works best in areas with limited shade, growing about 15-20 inches tall.

Columbine flower for hummingbirds

10. Petunia

Petunias are easy to grow and are perfect for containers and baskets in small spaces. They flourish best in full sun. These can be in shades of pink, red, purple, blue, white providing nectar to the hungry hummingbirds. These are an important type of annual and are divided into Grandiflora having larger and Multiflora having smaller flowers. They are also tolerant of heat.

Petunia flower for hummingbirds

Key points for flowers to attract hummingbirds:

For attracting the birds’ utilities like lots of flowers and habitat for shelter, shade and security is important. A moving hummingbird loves water so a gentle spray from a nozzle could serve the purpose. Bright colors can capture their attention. Red is the most popular color for them. Tabular flowers hold much nectar including columbines, lupines, petunias.

Planting, vegetable garden

10 Tips to Starting a Vegetable Garden for Beginners

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Nurturing a vegetable garden in your house is beneficial in several ways. Vegetable gardening for beginners courses are widely available in the internet. You can gain immense physical exercise whilst your mind relaxes blissfully. Seeing a plant you sowed as a flower and produce fruits is proud experience. A few dollars you spend to buy seeds can earn you several dollars when you reap baskets of flowers and fruits. Besides, it will save you loads of medical bills and gym subscriptions.  Here are the top ten tips to for beginners on how to start a vegetable garden.

Related: fast growing vegetables, vegetables that grow well in pots, vegetables to grow indoors, popular winter vegetables to grow, top spring vegetables to grow, and starting vegetables seeds.

1- An important aspect of vegetable garden planning is determining what to grow. There is no use in planting a rare vegetables or excess variety of same vegetable. Take a list of the normal vegetables your family consume and plant only them in the beginning.

2- Space is never a constraint for vegetable garden planning. There are techniques like container vegetable gardening and intense vegetable gardening which will help you plant several varieties of vegetables even in a very small place.

 3- Tomatoes, peas and leafy vegetables like lettuce and cabbage are the easiest to plant. Their consumption is also very high. Vegetable gardening for beginners courses recommend them to plant these basic items first as they are easy to nurture and maintain. They require very little time every day for their tending. Further these plants are suitable for various climates and can grow with moderate water consumption.

4- Learn carefully how to use organic fertilizers and how to tend to various diseases affecting the plants. There are several different forums and websites giving you easy tips on how to use cheap and common house hold materials to drive away garden pests. Weeding is the most important work in good gardening. It consumes most of your gardening time. It is better to know the difference between various plants to avoid pulling out actual plants.

5- Vegetable gardening planning and creation is similar to cooking. You might get only rotten fruits in a season and there will be abundant growth in another. It is a matter of things falling to place in a proper way. Natural factors, your hard work and the quality of the seeds everything affects the growth of the plants and the harvest. Never get disappointed if your efforts do not give you the desired results in the first attempt.

6- Be sure to involve your kids and other interested family members in gardening. The whole experience should be a relaxing one. There is no use in doing hours of hard work in the garden and venting out anger on your family members. Simply ensure you make it an enjoyable experience which releases stress.

7- Starting vegetables from seeds or seedlings is crucial part of vegetable gardening. While it is easy to start vegetables from seeds by directly sowing into the ground but some takes several month of growing season to mature like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers that may be a problem if you’ve short season; so it is better to start your seeds indoor some weeks before the last frost date and then transplant them when soil is warm.

8-There’re some vegetables that grow well when sowing directly into the ground like root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes unlike transplanting.  Container vegetable gardening can be best done with seeds. Even a small balcony is enough to grow multiple vegetables in container gardening. Several vegetables can be grown together in a single container. The toughest job is to weed out the unwanted plants and nourish the various plants growing together. However, there are various methods to do it successfully which can be mastered easily.

9- Beans and peas can be cultivated easily if you have a wide garden. You need to till the soil well, add good manure and make the soil fertile for a few weeks before you start to plant anything. Organic fertilizers, cutworms, compost and various other natural soil enriching sources can be purchased from local nurseries for a very low cost.

10- Besides they will also visit your garden directly and teach you how to plant a vegetable garden. The agriculture department will also help you do the same. They will give recommendation regarding what to plant in which season after doing various soil tests.

Learning how to plant a vegetable garden is easy. But, implementing it and becoming successful is no easy task. There are several practical issues you will encounter. But, the end result will be the happiness of eating the products created from your own sweat and knowledge. There is no satisfaction compared to that feeling.

Garden Projects Plans

12 Innovative DIY Hydroponics Systems To Grow Soil Less Plants

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The term ‘hydroponics’ is derived from two Greek words ponics (toil) and hydro (water) that started to be used since 1950. Hydroponics is another way of growing plants that do not require soil and this hydroponic gardening is being used by countries like Australia. Being 30-50% faster in growth than the soil planting; these hydroponic growing systems actually uses water to mix the nutrients to get their way to the root system enabling the plant to utilize much energy for fruit making besides the search process (that plants do to search nutrients in the soil in non-hydroponics systems). Testing pH in these diy hydroponic growing systems is also important however mostly plants grow within the 5.8-6.8 pH range. Moreover to direct the nutrients to the plant various mediums are used like Rockwool and perlite.

You may also like to see: diy aquaponics systems

An Overview of the important DIY Hydroponic Systems

The diy hydroponics systems can generally be passive or active. Wick system being the non-recovery one carries the nutrient solution to the root system. Ebb and flow system on the other hand works with pump in the container hence becoming the active system. How to make a hydroponic system surely demands the appropriate medium, type and some necessary parts however, some innovative and best hydroponic systems are as follows:

1. Vertical Hydroponic Grow System

These diy hydroponic systems by instructables require good lighting and are best for small space gardeners. Various herbs and vegetables could be grown, with proper organic fertilizer. Many such vertical systems are developed with square buckets or round units stack, having particular characteristics using perlite commonly. The cost is usually $500 not benefiting commercial for production.

Vertical Hydroponic Gardening System
Image via: instructables

2. A DWC DIY Hydroponic System

A deep water culture system within the range of $20 is cheap and reliable. It needs a rockwool cube, 5 gallon bucket with air pump and net cup of 6”. Watering the system in the starting days could keep it cool. The conversion of the rockwool into the DWC bucket is done when the leaves begin to sprout. 68 degree F is the temperature to water the plants. Get the tutorial here at outdoorhydro.com

A DWC system
Image via: outdoorhydro.com

3. DIY Hydroponic Drip Gardens

The Ebb and Flow system is useful for home hydroponics drip gardening in which water pump with nutrients of some inches. It functions to full the tub and is drained back to the reservoir when it gets loaded. It may involve pump failure so a large reservoir is necessary. Such systems can also work with the fog and raft system. Get the details at instructables.

Hydroponic Drip Gardens
Image via: instructables

4. DIY Hydroponic Fodder System

Hydroponic Fodder System1
Image via: instructables

In order to save much cost and to get quality fodder hydroponic systems like these by instructables could be used. Fodder Pro 2.0 Feed Systems are suitable to grow any required nutrient, protein and enzymes-rich fodder thus bringing betterment to the poultry. It requires no fertilizers and could help in increasing the daily production. However the organic dairies can produce their own seeds.

5. DIY Indoor Hydroponic Gardens

Antonio Scarponi has helped to describe how to maintain and develop numerous indoor hydroponic farms from a ledge herb to a vertical garden. ELIOO is the instruction manual for this purpose. Hydroponics using little space and being environmental are beneficial for the users to make the systems in accordance to the planted nutrients. Get the detail here at rinamarie.wordpress.

Indoor Hydroponic Gardens
Image via: rinamarie.wordpress

6. Aquaponics As Art

A food production system like this one by rinamarie.wordpress that brought up aquatic animals like prawns and snails with the hydroponics is called aquaponics. In this system water in the hydroponic plant breaks the bacteria into nitrates that are used by the plants however microbes convert the ammonia. Aquacultural operation involves several stages that involve hatchery or nursery operation.

SONY DSC
Image via: rinamarie.wordpress

7. Indoor DWC Hydroponics Systems

Indoor hydroponic systems like this one by milkwood involve plants that are placed in a basket poised in a reservoir with nutrient solution. Inert medium like the clay pellets gives support to the anchor. Air stone is attached to the air pump with opaque walls of the reservoir. Nutrient toxicity will occur if the solution is not changed periodically thus increasing pH may kill the plant.

Indoor DWC Hydroponics Systems
Image via: milkwood

8. Cheap, and Expandable DIY Hydroponics System

Hydroponic grow systems like this one by instructables should be cheap and expandable. The ebb and flow system is popular as it may use an aquarium pump for production. This could be accomplished with the help of few items like dremel, pliers using 3 containers and a pump of about $20. Enough lighting is also important; example of such an expandable system could be Patent US7975430.

Cheap, and Expandable Hydroponics System
Image via: instructables

9. Small NFT DIY Hydroponics System

Nutrient Film Technique uses nutrients enriched with water allowing the plant to fulfill its needs. It needs lumber for the pipes so that the required openings for water flow could be created at the ends. The making of such system involves 4” PVC pipe, screws, Teflon tape, opaque bucket, clay ball as the medium etc. The turn -around at the end of the crop reduces the labor costs. Detail plan at instructables.

Small NFT Hydroponics System
Image via: instructables

10. DIY Hydroponic Drip System

This diy hydroponics system by homehydrosystems could be used to grow less or more plants through containers costing $80 and may need a PVC connecting with 5 gallon buckets.  Hydroponic growing system, like this may require Grow Rock with a removable filter pump. Moreover to keep the filter in place for water drainage rocks should be placed at its top.

Hydroponic drip system
Image via: homehydrosystems

11. Hydroponic NFT Lettuce Production

One major use of the NFT hydroponic growing systems like this one by homehydrosystems is that they enable herbs and lettuce production. The rinsing and drainage of lettuce head is done quickly in such systems so that it could help in the further placement. The root system can be shipped out of the channel bringing an increase in its shelf time. The PVC pipe should have no slope and could be around 4”.

Hydroponic NFT Lettuce Production
Image via: homehydrosystems

12. Deep Water Culture Hydroponic Gardening Systems

The deep water culture systems are also called the bubble hydroponics that uses plastic buckets with a plant having a net poised above the solution of nutrients. An air pump constantly delivers oxygen so that plant gets flourished properly. An aquarium could be converted to such system with vertical sides using Styrofoam 1 1/2″ to 2″ thick, plastic cups, perlite and a hydroponic fertilizer. Get the instruction at simplyhydro.

Deep Water Culture Hydroponic Gardening Systems
Image via: simplyhydro
Flowers

12 Best Drought Tolerant Plants-Perennials and Annuals

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Unlike a decade ago we get lower rainfall in some regions of the country at present. Due to this reason and many others, we are compelled to use as little water as possible for the maintenance of our gardens. One of the best ways to cope with this problem is to have drought tolerant plants in our gardens that need lesser water than others.

Choosing the right kinds of plants

One of the best ways to curb the usage of water is to find low maintenance perennials. These plants never need daily watering. The following are good plants to grow.

1-Cone flowers:

This drought tolerant flowers bloom during the summer. The flowers could be of colors such as purple, yellow, white, red, pink or orange. Though flowers of these plants were always pink sometime back now-a-days you get them in several colors. Slender cornflower leaves minimize water evaporation.

Cone flowers

2-Coral bells:

This drought tolerant plant got its name due to the fact that its original flowers had shapes of corals. These look attractive foliage plants but it is their blooms that are most beautiful. The flowers could be pink, white or red and they bloom in late spring and early summer. Leaves of coral bells are broad and make them useful foliage plants.

Coral bells

3-Russian Sage:

You need well drained areas to grow this drought tolerant plant that carries blooms of shades of blue. The flowers will appear from mid-summer up to fall. As the blossoms open, the colours become vivid. This is one of the best low maintenance plants to have in your garden. Gray green leaves of Russian Sage are narrow and limit water evaporation.

Russian Sage

4-California poppy:

Being the state flower of California this plant grows in many locations in the state as a wild plant. The flowers appear in a range of colours such as red, yellow, salmon, white and orange. These are highly drought tolerant flowers. The leaves of the plant are divided into lobes and they are of blue green colour.

California poppy

5-Madagascar periwinkle:

This is a drought tolerant plant that is around 18 inches in height and its flowers are white, pink, red, purple or salmon in color. The plant grows either in hot sun or in the shade. Leathery leaves of dark green color cover the soil in most species.

Madagascar periwinkle

6-Zinnia:

This is another hardy plant that produces beautiful blooms of a variety of different colors. The plant grows in bright sunshine and is moderately drought tolerant. The leaves are located on opposite sides of the stem and are rigid. Water evaporation through them is minimal.

Zinnia flower

7-Hedge roses:

These are plants that will not perish in drought. The flowers are around 3½” across. They bloom from June to August. They are good for growing on borders and also on hedges. Do not have lots of leaves and the leaves are small.

Hedge roses

8-Siberian Bellflowers:

This sprawling drought tolerant plant that blooms in May and June bear star shaped flowers of lavender blue color. This plant is good as edging for paths and for rock gardens. The leaves are small and form cushion like mounds.

Siberian Bellflowers

9-Siberian Iris:

A plant highly adaptable to dry weather once it is established. Its leaves are narrow. The flowers could be purple, blue or white. Bloom in late spring and sometimes form blooms again during the fall.

Siberian Iris

10-Sea Thrift:

These are drought tolerant plants that could not only grow in dry weather but also thrive in rocky soil. The plant look like tufts of grass and the flower is formed at the end of a stem. Flowers may be of red, lilac, white or rose in colour.

Sea Thrift

11-Foam flower:

This is an ideal plant for ground cover to reduce evaporation of water from soil. It grows fast and the leaves are of maple shape. The flowers come off the leaf clusters and are white to pink in color.

Foam flower

12-Blazing Star:

If you are looking for a drought resistant plant that also grow on marshy lands choose Blazing Star. Its grassy foliage will grow on any kind of soil and needs little water. There will be blooms from mid-summer to fall. The flowers will be white or purple.

Blazing Star

When you water your plants, do that early morning. This will minimize water evaporation and the plants will absorb water better when you do so. Instead of watering several times using a little water every time, use more water and water the plants less frequently. Mulch around plants helps to retain moisturizer in the soil thus protects the plant roots from hot sun. If you’re starting your plants in small pots make sure you transplant them in large pots before they become root bounded. Though these are just simple tips they will help you maintain your garden easily and you will have your plants in great shape when you follow them.

Here are some more useful tips to fight drought

Gardening Tips

15 Common Lawn And Garden Weeds-Guide To Weed Identification

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A garden with a beautiful lawn and a few flower beds is an asset to a home a housewife will love to have. She will toil to nurse the plants and will take care of the lawn but there is one thing she will hate to see and that is weeds. These unwelcome guests will appear in your lawn and will invade your flower beds using up the nutrients you provide for your plants. The best thing one could do in order to control all types of weeds is to identify them and to use the right methodologies to control their growth and ultimately make the garden free of weeds.

Related: natural weed killers and edible garden weeds.

The following are some of the common lawn weeds and ways to control them in order to minimize the damage caused to a garden by them.

1) Crabgrass:

This is an annual garden weed that thrives on warm weather. It will appear in early spring and is one of the most common weeds that could create lawn problems. Since this plant propagates mainly through its seeds the best thing to do is to remove the plants before the flowers appear. Using the organic pesticide of corn gluten meal in your garden could bring about good results as it will prevent seeds from germinating.

weed Crabgrass

2) Pigweed:

This annual is a weed that spreads through its seeds. Therefore, you must remove it whenever it appears in your garden before it flowers. You can make it out easily with its taproot of red color. However, it is also good to remember that well grown plants of this weed is edible.

Pigweed grass weed

3) Chickweed:

There are two species in this common lawn weed. The annual common chickweed and the perennial mouse ear chickweed are the two. Both these have roots that won’t go deep. Therefore, if you see these weeds in lawn pull them with hand in order to get rid of them.

Chickweed identification

4) Morning Glory:

A common annual garden weed that spreads through its seeds. Its roots go deep and not easy to pull them off. However, the best way to eradicate them is to dig this weed before flowering so as to not to allow seeds to form.

Morning Glory

5) Quack Grass:

Though spread by seeds this creeping perennial also forms a mat of rhizomes on the soil and new shoots rise up from them when conditions are ripe. This easy to identify weed has to be dug out with their rhizomes in order to eradicate them.

Quack Grass

6) Buckhorn Plantain:

This is yet another grass weed you may find growing among the grass of your lawn. It is a hardy plant with slender leaves. Best way to get rid of it is to remove these plants by hand and to destroy them. It thrives throughout the year.

Buckhorn Plantain

7)  Dandelion:

This perennial plant has to be removed from the garden as it could overgrow your lawn. In case you are not able to identify it, you will certainly do when their yellow flowers appear. Remove them by hoeing or through pulling by hand. Corn gluten which is a good natural weed killer could be used to destroy their seeds in early spring.

Dandelion weed plant

8) Annual Sawthistle:

This is another weed you will probably find on your lawn. It grows up to about 18 inches in height and bears yellow flowers. Better way to remove these plants is to pull them off with roots.

Annual Sawthistle

9) Carpetweed:

This annual lawn weed spreads through its seeds. Its stem could have a height of about one foot. Hoeing or pulling plants as they appear is the way to get rid of them.

Carpet weed

10) Large Crabgrass:

This is a weed that could grow on your lawn to a height of 3 feet. Though you could cut it to about 4 inches above ground level to prevent it from flowering, you must not keep it as weeds in grass will compete for nutrients. Corn gluten used early spring could destroy their seeds.

Large Crabgrass

11) Poison Ivy:

This creeper is a dangerous species to have in your garden as it is a poisonous plant. You must remove it and burry or leave it in trash. Must not burn it as the smoke is also poisonous. Mulching with cardboard could prevent this plant from appearing.

Poison Ivy

12) Prickly Lettuce:

This common weed that grows up to 5 feet is easy to identify. Though it has the ability to attract useful insects it is one of the yard weeds you will find in your garden. Pull the plants away or cut their roots below soil.

Prickly Lettuce

13)  Common Mallow:

If your garden is fertile this is one of the grass weeds that will appear most likely during summer. It bears white flowers and will produce a lot of seeds. It is not difficult to pull these plants away from your lawn to get rid of them.

Common Mallow

14) Purslane:

This plant with fleshy leaves and stems will also grow well on well fertilized lawns. Since it grows fast it could soon be a nuisance if you don’t remove it from your garden. Pull these weeds out by hand and remove from your garden.

Purslane weed

15) Common Cocklebur:

This is a plant that could grow up to 4 feet in height. It could poison livestock. Could be used as compost if removed before seeds are formed. Must pull them by hand and dispose.

Common Cocklebur or Clotbur

Conclusion

These are not the only weeds that could invade your lawn and your garden as a whole. Lawn weed identification is the key to success in case you want to have a garden free of weeds.

Note: These plants are weeds as they pop up randomly as against your will so ruins your lawn beauty but on the other hand some weeds are edible that people like to grow such as Dandelion and Buckhorn platain to use in salad or for medical use.

Disease and Pest control

How to Rid Your Garden of Slugs and Snails

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No matter how diligent and experienced you are as a gardener, things don’t always go as planned. Mother Nature has many ways of frustrating our efforts through weather, varmints, disease, garden pests, etc.  Slugs and snails can be one of the most destructive creatures we face every season.  They are efficient plant killers and getting rid of slugs and snails early in the spring should be a high priority.

How to Kill Slugs and Snails

Before beginning a slug and snail termination program, we have to know what to look for.  The slimy critters can be difficult to find, especially during the day, because they hide in moist dark places like underneath rotting leaves and rocks or wood laying on the ground.  It is actually easier to spot early damage and then go after them before they really take hold of a plant.

You should routinely inspect your garden everyday especially in the spring when tender young leaves are most vulnerable.  If you see holes in your plants or encounter leaves whose edges have scallop shaped bites, you have a slug problem.  Don’t wait!  Get started immediately and kill the slugs and snails.  Early intervention will save your crops! You may also like to see homemade fruit fly traps.

Physical measures

Obviously, the most effective course of action is to physically catch and squish the little devils.  If you go out to the garden at night or during a dark rainy day, you will see slugs chomping away.  If you are a bit queazy about wearing rubber gloves and squishing them, you can also drop them into a pail of soapy water, or gather them up into a container and spray with a solution of water and ammonia.  If you follow this procedure on a daily basis for two or three weeks, you will most likely have eliminated the problem and can then slow down your plan to get rid of  snails in the garden to once a week.

Keep away compost pile from snails and slugs

There are also some good preventative tactics you should use to get rid of slugs and snails.  One is to make sure your compost pile is well away from the garden itself.  To slugs and snails, the compost pile is like living in a luxury hotel!  All those rotting leaves, piles of wet lawn clippings and other garden wastes are like heaven to garden slugs. You should also try to keep the area around the base of your plants clean. Leaves that are growing low on the stems aren’t going to produce anything so you may as well cut them off which eliminates convenient hiding places. You may also like to see plant to keep fly and mosquitoes away.

Slugs in compost bin

Time of watering

Watering in the morning is also a good practice. Since slugs and snails are nocturnal and attracted to moisture, if you irrigate at night you’ll be sending them a message that now is a great time to come out for dinner.

Use of snail and slug baits to get rid of them

Today there are a number of safe and effective snail and slug baits that can be purchased at any garden center that are designed for killing slugs and snails. These slug baits contain iron phosphate and when eaten by the garden slugs, they will avoid your plants and crawl off to die in a couple of days.  Be sure to apply the slug bait around the base of your plants after it rains or after you have irrigated. The moisture will lure the garden slugs out of hiding. Iron phosphate will not hurt your plants so you have nothing to worry about by sprinkling the bait throughout your garden. Remember, slugs and snails are most active in the spring, so lay your snail bait down early. While they may take some time off in the summer, they will return during rainy fall days which is when they lay their eggs.  Another application then is a good idea. You may also like to see homemade pesticides.

snails-and-slugs baits

Natural predators and flowers

Lastly, don’t forget about natural predators who love to feed on slugs and snails.  Toads, frogs, chickens,beetles, garter snakes, birds, etc. will make a serious dent in your slug population.  There are also several flower varieties that are bothersome to slugs and snails such as marigolds and black-eyed susans, ferns and ornamental grasses, astilbe, foxglove, mint and many many others.  Plants some of these throughout the garden to serve as a barrier to garden snails and slugs. You may also like to see getting rid of moles.

Sprinkle some coffee ground

Since most of the world drinks coffee, here is one final tip.  Slugs and snails hate the stuff, so make use of this slug repellent and feel free to sprinkle some spent coffee grounds right on top of the soil near your plants.  You don’t need a whole lot…just a light dusting will do the trick.

coffee groung to kill slugs

Good Luck!

Disease and Pest control, Homemade products & Recipes

7 Natural Homemade Pesticides To Keep Garden Pests at Bay

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No matter how much time we spend in the garden doing battle with unwanted pests, we will never win the war.  There is no such thing as a perfect pest free garden. What we all have to do is learn the best way for pest management through the use of natural, organic and homemade pesticides.

The first thing to do is learn to distinguish between beneficial insects and those that do damage. Here is a basic list of “good guys” that we like to see in the garden:

Ladybugs:  Attack any number of slow moving, soft shelled pests.

Fly Predators:   Parasitic wasps that kill flies in their immature stage.

Green Lacewing:  Their larva do the real work, killing hundreds of pests per week.

Praying Mantis:  A ferocious killer that will attack any insect.

Whitefly Parasite:  Excellent for killing white flies common in greenhouses.

Mealybug Destroyer:  If you have a mealybug problem, the Destroyer is a very effective organic solution.

Predatory Mites:  Great for attacking pest mites found on the underside of plant leaves.

Hover Flies:  These look like bees, but they are really flies whose larvae feast on aphids.

Here is a partial list of the most common garden pests that we need to manage:

Aphids:  Soft bodied insects that infest peas, beans and others.

Spider Mites:  These look like tiny 8 legged spiders that dwell on the undersides of leaves and extract the sap from your garden plants.

Mexican Bean Beetle:  Hard bodies insects, yellow/brown with 16 black spots. They remove leaf tissues between the veins giving your plants a skeleton like appearance.

Seedcorn Maggots:  These maggots emerge as brownish colored flies in the spring and can damage seeds and seedlings, especially in moist environments.

Leaf Miners:  These are flies whose larvae (maggots) can do serious damage to tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans.

Whiteflies:  Piercing/sucking mouthparts will remove plant sap and leave honeydew behind which can transmit diseases.

Colorado Potato Beetles:  A round black and tan beetle with black stripes, this beetle attacks potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

Cutworms:  These are caterpillar pests that will cut the stem of tender young seedlings.

There are many more garden pests out there so do your own research for your particular area and learn which pests must go and which are beneficial.

There are many good organic homemade pesticides on the market today, but make sure you target the pests you are going after.  Most homemade pesticides will kill both beneficial as well as harmful insects, so don’t randomly spray entire plants without carefully observing who is living on the undersides of your leaves.  It would be a shame to destroy a bunch of ladybugs when all you may have on your plants is a couple of potato beetles.

Many diy pest control remedies make very effective organic pesticides.  Here are a couple of proven winners.

Homemade Pesticide Recipe #1

1/2 cup chopped hot peppers

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons of bleach free dish soap.

Puree all the ingredients and let sit for 24 hours.  Pour into a spray bottle and apply to infected plants.

Homemade Pesticide Recipe #2

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of dish soap (no bleach)

2 tablespoons of baking soda

2 quarts of water

Combine all these ingredients and pour into a spray bottle and apply as needed.

Homemade Pesticide Recipe #3

A simple cure for slugs is to set out a shallow container filled with beer and the slimy critters will just crawl in and drown.

Also, here are seven links to natural and homemade pesticide recipes.  They all contain the basic ingredients of water, soap (with no bleach), repellent additives like garlic, peppers, onions, etc.  As with any new pesticide, it is always a good idea to try them out on small section of your garden or even on an individual plant in order to observe the results. Here are some homemade pesticide recipes.

1- Natural homemade Pesticide recipe

2- All purpose organic insesticide

3- Multiple homemade Pesticide Recipe

4- Natural pesticide recipe

5- Homemade Pest Control Recipe

6- Homemade Bug Repellent

7- Homemade Pesticide- Organic Garden Pest Control

Of course one of the best methods of garden pest control is to eliminate the pests by hand.  Most pests are nocturnal, so killing them at night is your best option.  Take a flashlight out in the dark and carefully check your plants, especially under the leaves where most pests live and work. Pick off and destroy the culprits and it won’t take long to rid your garden of most of the damaging insects.

Lastly, think about the health of your soil. Good soil produces strong plants which thrive on proper ratios of various nutrients. Poor soil produces undernourished plants and thus too many carbohydrates, which pests thrive on.  The practice of organic gardening will also help with your battle against pests.  Natural biological control of your garden is good for the environment and confusing to pests. Keep good garden records about what plants grow well for you and which ones don’t, which pesticides work best against which insects, and trust your own experiences (not necessarily relying on the advice of others).

We’ll never get rid of all the pests in our gardens, but we can certainly manage them better with a little diligence, research and commonsense applications.