Category Archives: Gardening

Tips and ideas to plant and grow your own food to get fresh vegetables and fruit from your backyard for self-sufficient living.

Disease and Pest control

How to Rid Your Garden of Slugs and Snails

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan 2 Comments

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.

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.

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.

Good Luck!

Disease and Pest control, Homemade products & Recipes

7 Natural Homemade Pesticides To Keep Garden Pests at Bay

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan 1 Comment

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.

Disease and Pest control, Homemade products & Recipes

10+ Effective Homemade Fly Traps to Deal with Fruit Fly Infestation

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan 4 Comments

Fruit flies (also known as Vinegar Flies) are common in households. Generally harmless, a fruit fly infestation is pretty disgusting, and for great reason. They use ripening and softening food (mostly fruit) to lay their eggs in, where the young larvae (they look like little white worms) crawl through the food and eat it as they grow. Of course, they poop in the food as they grow too. They can be brought home in many ways, but are usually brought in the home from the grocery store on produce or other food. You can’t get sick from fruit flies and their eggs and larvae, but again, the whole idea of them living in the food you eat is repulsive for many.

Homemade fruit fly traps have been made and improved upon for years as an alternative to chemicals for getting rid of flies. Homemade fly catchers are very effective. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or time ridding yourself of your swarm of fruit flies. Here are 10 of the best, quick, easy, and cheap DIY fruit fly catcher ideas that you can make at home. Also if you have some garden area you can grow these plants that repel flies.

1- Suck them up with this diy fly trap!

A homemade motorized fruit fly trap by instructables like this one attracts the flies with a smelly bait that they like (like vinegar), and literally sucks them into the trap with a motor and fan. Never again will a smart fly or two get away!

2- Fruit fly catcher made from common household stuff

This homemade fruit fly trap by insects.about employs stuff that every single house has. A piece of plastic, a rubber band, and a container of any kind makes up this homemade fly killer. If you’re that much of in a pinch, you could probably find all of the makings of this trap discarded out on the street in many places.

3- Super simple yet very effective homemade fly catcher

This simple idea combines the same sort of bait that fruit flies can’t resist (vinegar) with a cone that’s easy to fly into but not fly back out of. Fruit flies fly into the hole of the bottom of the paper funnel cone and can’t fly back out- where you can drown them in the vinegar. Passive, yet extremely effective. This natural fly killer by getridoffliesguide is also non-toxic and safe to use in a home with a family.

4- Takes 30 seconds to make this homemade fly killer!

This is another incredibly simple DIY fruit fly trap by instructables that uses more very common household things that hide in junk drawers. There’s some really great bait suggestions in this DIY instruct-able too. Simply use what you see the flies attracted to like over ripe fruit on the kitchen counter. You may also like to see homemade tick repellents.

5- Use yeast to combat fruit fly infestation!

There are several species of fruit flies, and sometimes some fruit flies may be attracted to different baits than other flies. This yeast fruit flies trap by lancaster.unl.edu will attract All species of fruit flies, by offering a substance in a trap that the flies really enjoy laying their eggs into. Again, the ingredients for this homemade fruit fly trap are all very simple and easy to make.

yeast fruit flies trap — Image via: **lancaster.unl.edu**

6- Fruit fly traps to catch the vermin in style!

This blog idea is chock full of methods of capturing flies that might appeal to the more cultured. Try using wine, alcohol, or incense. There’s even a homemade fly catcher idea by stylemepretty that’s quite appealing to the murder-minded. Simply try completely destroying fruit flies right out of the air with a hair dryer! Might be fun on a rainy day…

7- Built to last

This is tough and attractive homemade fruit fly trap by curbly that will last a lifetime. Made from a simple mason jar and lid, you can find all of the makings of this trap from the same place you probably brought them home from- the grocery store.

8- A double whammy to get rid of the fruit flies fast!

This method of ridding your house of the fruit loving pests requires a very active and aggressive first step of manually capturing flies. The second step cleans up all the buggers you missed with a trap that lures them in. You could potentially rid your home of all of your flies with this one by husbandhood in a day with these two combined methods.

9- Super simple, easy to make and fast trap!

Another passive method of trapping and drowning flies, this trap employs a pop bottle and some form of liquid attractant that also drowns the hapless flies that make it into the trap. And yet another great idea in this article for bait, there are many kinds of baits that work great for killing fruit flies like this one by briellesavalon!

10- Several natural ideas to kill your fruit flies

Here are some more ideas for trapping and killing fruit flies by everydayroots using rotting fruit and other similar ingredients, but check out the recipe for a spray that works as a direct attack. Lemongrass and hot water kill the bugs on contact- so if you have a few fruit flies that are too stubborn for traps, this spray will pick them off in a flash. Oh, and it smells nice too! You may also like to see homemade pesticides.

11- Have paper, a cup, and a piece of apple? Now you have a trap!

Here’s a final example of how effective homemade fruit fly traps like this one by apartmenttherapy can be made with the simplest of ingredients. Try using some ripe and juicy apple with vinegar to lure in and drown those buggers once and for all. A simple homemade cone with paper and tape finish off the deadly assembly. You may also like to see mosquito and fly repellent plants.

Conclusion

Fruit flies are pretty unsightly, but they’re easy to get rid of. Try some of these fantastic ideas for traps and your flies will be gone in no time!

Indoor plants

10 Tropical House Plants Any One Can Grow Indoors

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan Leave a comment

Avid gardeners love being outside, getting their hands in the soil and watching young seedlings sprout to maturity. For many of us however, the season is too short or we live in apartments and condos where outdoor gardening space is limited. Indoor house plants are the next best thing. They bring beauty, fragrance and color indoors and will enhance your home with year round enjoyment.

One of the problems that many house plants face are low light, cool-ish temperatures, and, perhaps worst of all, low humidity. There are however several tropical house plants that that do very well in these rigid conditions and here are 10 most popular of them.

1- Dracaena Corn Plant

Like its namesake, this is an easy to grow and maintain tropical house plant that produces a main stem with long green leaves. The stems can grow to over four feet tall and can occasionally produce a small white flower at the top. They don’t need very much light or water and propagate easily if you want.

2- The Dragon Tree

This is one of the most popular house plants of a tropical nature to grow. They grow very slowly, taking about 10 years to reach full maturity height of five feet, but along the way they have a beautiful lush appearance with long thin leaves. These are such low maintenance plants that they can be left untouched for weeks with no effect. Direct sunlight can be harmful to the leaves, so the Dragon Tree is a great low light house plant. Related: Low light house plants.

3- Parlor Palm

If you have never grown house plants before, the Parlor Palm is a good one to start with. They thrive under low light conditions and require very little water. Just keep the soil a bit moist and with patience, the plant will mature to about three feet tall.

Here are some most common house plants of a more tropical variety that prefer indirect sunlight:

4- Jade Plant

Unlike the plants mentioned above, the Jade Plant requires lots of light, plenty of water at the right time, and produces thick oval shaped leaves. Pick a location in the house that provides a few hours of sunlight per day. When it comes to watering, it is a good idea to allow the soil to become fairly dry before giving the Jade a good drink. Drainage is important however, since water sitting around the roots can lead to rot. Lastly, a dose of weak fertilizer a couple of times per month will pay nice dividends. If conditions are right, some Jade plants will produce small white flowers in the winter. Related: air purifying plants.

5- African Violet

This is a wonderful tropical house plant to grow because it actually produces very colorful flowers that can be maintained for most of the year. There are many varieties of the African Violet, but their care is all the same. They thrive in bright light, but be careful to limit too much direct sunlight which can damage the leaves. Like the Jade Plant, watering as needed is good, but don’t allow accumulation at the bottom. Healthy African Violets are relatively small house plants that will mature to about 12 inches in diameter, which is a very manageable size.

6- Aloe Vera

Well known for various health benefits especially to clean indoor air, Aloe Veras are very easy to grow and maintain as house plants. Bright conditions are good, but like many other house plants, they should not be given too much direct sunlight. The Aloe Vera is a succulent which means that its leaves retain a lot of water, similar to cactus plants. They require very little watering, especially in winter, but just check the soil occasionally to make sure it remains moist. Related: small and large indoor plants.

7- Spider Plant

This could possibly be the most common of all tropical house plants, which may be due to the minimal care required to keep them flourishing. Keep them in a well lit location with no direct sunlight and provide plenty of water except in winter. Planted in a good potting mix, they really don’t need any fertilizer and they’ll produce attractive green leaves with a white stripe down the middle. The only other maintenance is removing the browning leaves as they die off so that new growth can continue.

Finally, here are three more house plants of a more tropical variety:

8- Bird of Paradise

Tolerant of some direct indoor sunlight, but requiring continuous moisture and high humidity, the Bird of Paradise is super colorful and an attractive addition to any home. While there are several varieties, make sure you grow what is called the “S. retinae”…the only one suitable for growing indoors. As with many tropical plants, you must have patience. It takes at least three years before you will see your first flowers and requires regular fertilizing. Related: indoor vine plants.

9- Anthurium

These are a bit more difficult to grow than most tropical house plants, but well worth the effort. Don’t let the temperature drop below 60 F. and make sure the soil is consistently moist. Beautiful heart shaped pink flowers can bloom throughout most of the year. Be prepared to re-pot every year or two.

10- Orchids

Popular around the world, the hardest thing about growing Orchids is selecting the variety you want…there are hundreds of them in a wide array of colors! When getting into orchids, it is a good rule if thumb to try to replicate their natural environment. They are, by nature, a climbing plant so provide them with good support. They like a good amount of light, high humidity and warm temperature of at least 60 F. Like the Jade plant mentioned above, it is a good practice to let the plants get fairly dry before offering them good drink. If you buy orchids from the store, wait until AFTER the first bloom and then go ahead and re-pot the whole plant.

There are hundreds of varieties of tropical house plants worth considering, so do a little research before you begin. Along with the ones mentioned above, think about English Ivy, Rubber Tree, Peace Lily, Snake Plants, Ficus, Shamrock Plants, Areca Palm, Fiddle Leaf Figs and so many more.

Bring a little bit of mother nature into your house. A selection of long lasting easy to grow house plants makes an attractive addition to any home. It’s the next best thing to being out in the garden itself!

Urban Gardening

Small Space Gardening – 20 Clever Ideas to Grow in a Limited Space

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan 1 Comment

Urban gardeners have to face quite a few challenges in order to nurture their love for greenery around them, and one of the biggest is shortage of space. Well, it’s about time to smile if you are interested in urban gardening, because we bring you these 20 Clever Ideas to Grow in a Limited Space.

1- Hanging Pots Idea

These hanging pots can serve as one of the best small space garden ideas. Even if you are not an avid DIYer, you can still succeed in erecting few wooden bars with a reasonably strong chain running through them to support the pots in which you can grow something.

2- Raised Container Gardening Idea

This idea can also be very helpful for gardening in small spaces, brought to you by Raised Urban Gardens. You can save some money if you are able to construct the tables yourself. Otherwise, you can also buy these readymade.

3- The Garden Tower idea

This is also an increasingly popular urban gardening technique shared with you by PREPARING YOU FOR SHTF, which can help you yield significantly despite scarcity of space in contemporary urban living.

4- Two More Small Garden Ideas

Lowe’s NEVER STOP IMPROVING have 2 more small garden ideas to share with you.

This is one of the most popular vertical garden ideas using pvc pipes nowadays, which can be done even with very small space at your disposal.

And this is another variation of square foot gardening, helping you get variety of plantation in a small space.

5- Simple Triangle Stand

If vertical garden ideas inspire you, this might be the best of them to please you.

6- Container Mound Garden Idea

This pile of containers neatly stacked on top of each other will surely turn your garden into a greener and more beautiful place, which will make you thank TIPSAHOLIC.

7- Three Superb Urban Gardening Ideas

Personal Liberty are delighted to share 3 more of urban gardening ideas with you, beginning by “Rain Gutter Lettuce Garden”.

“Cinder Block Stacked Garden” is another way to pursue your dream of urban gardening.

Or you can have some wonderful fresh and green salad grown through “Pallet Gardening”.

8- Hanging Garden Idea

Gardener’s Blog have something totally unique and beneficial for you if you are urbanised but still love gardening, i.e. the Hanging Garden.

9- Patio Transformation Garden Idea

And this is undoubtedly one of the best ideas for small gardens, which can literally transform your whole patio space. You will be compelled to appreciate and thank AOL HOUSE for this.

10- Rooftop Garden Idea With a Twist

It is hard to believe that you haven’t heard of rooftop gardening, but this one shared by Garden House Design just gives a whole new meaning to the concept.

11- Planter Box-On-Railing Garden Idea

Unlike its name, Pots-on-railing, this idea is quite simple in reality, requiring a railing and some old window boxes like this ones by iHaveNet to provide you with a little gardening space of your own.

12- Dwarf Tree Pot Gardening

The world of dwarf tree pot gardening will simply amaze you once you indulge in its beauty. The Get Wonderful Ideas at Micro Gardener.

13- Mini Garden Idea For Small Spaces

Get wonderful mini garden idea by AngloInfo to help you grow 21 varieties of vegetation only in a 3 squares meter space.

14- Salvaged Shutters Gardening Idea

If you really want to make your outdoor space look lovely, lively and green, Here is great salvaged shutters idea by Sunset to amaze you.

15- Garden Wall Idea

This garden wall idea by thesleuthjournal gives you another way of transforming your outdoor ambiance.

16- Vertical Salvaged Lumber Garden

A bit of creativity and hard work with salvaged lumber can help you amazingly in carrying out gardening in a small space.

17- Window Box Garden Idea

Window box garden idea by onehundreddollarsamonth is also a fascinating way of gardening for urbanites, this one shared by One Hundred Dollars a Month.

18- Mini Grow Bag Garden Idea

You can also fulfill your urban gardening inspirations with this wonderful idea, courtesy seeitgro.

19- Hanging Planters Garden Idea

Moosey’s Country Garden inspire you with these hanging planters to pursue urban gardening in some style and ease.

20- Balcony Gardening Idea

3bp blogpost introduce you to this balcony gardening idea to add some colors and freshness of nature into your urban life.

Tools and Equipment, vegetable garden

7 Free Vegetable Garden Planner Software For Better Gardening

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan Leave a comment

If you would like to grow your own fresh vegetables, but don’t know where to start, these 7 vegetable garden planner software sites from our round up will help you from plowing to harvesting. The free garden planning advice given for home vegetable gardens on these software sites is invaluable to both novice and seasoned gardener alike.

1-Smart Gardener Vegetable Planner Sotware

The first one in our list is Smart Gardener that helps you plan a vegetable garden layout and select the right plants for your layout, growing zones and household size. This vegetable garden planner software will also help you keep track of work that needs to be done in your garden by creating a customized ‘To-Do’ list for you.

The free garden planning software also keeps garden journal for you so you’ll have past gardening information at your fingertips for future reference. You can enter photos and notes into the garden journal, but all pertinent information will be journaled for you, a big plus for busy home gardeners!

vegetable garden planner software, Image source: **Smart Gardener**

2- Free Kitchen Vegetable Garden Planner

Kitchen Garden Planner by Gardeners will help you virtually build raised bed gardens so you can create a vegetable garden design that will produce an abundant crop in minimal space.

Use this vegetable garden planner to create your own garden design or choose a pre-planned design. Expert advice and several gardening resources, including pest and disease control advice, are also available through this software that I like about this software.

Free Kitchen Vegetable Garden Planner, Image source: **Gardeners**

3-Vegetable Gardening Online

Vegetable garden planner by vegetable planner.vegetable-gardening-online.com provides a grid for planning a vegetable garden online that is customized for your household’s needs and growing zones. Plant your garden online before ever breaking ground so you can tinker with plants and planting and design your own garden plans with a click of a mouse. This is one of our most favorite vegetable garden planning software.

This vegetable garden planner software will also provides zone chart, worksheets, planting guide and more. A garden gift shop is also available so you can purchase needed and wanted items for yourself or a gardening friend. You may also like check out landscape design software.

4-Interactive Vegetable Garden Planner

GrowVeg.com provides an inactive garden that allows you to plant and replant until you get your vegetable garden plans just right. The interactive vegetable garden planner on this software site has vegetable garden designs that range from raised beds, in-ground rows and square footage garden plots.

You choose the design then choose from 130 different vegetable and herb plants to set out in your online interactive garden, then in the soil of your home vegetable garden.

interactive vegetable garden planner — Interactive vegetable garden planner, Image source: ***GrowVeg.com***

5– Vegetable Garden Planner

Here we have The Old Farmer’s Almanac vegetable Garden Planner Software that has been helping people with everything from starting a vegetable garden to preserving their vegetable harvest for years. The Old Farmer’s Almanac in paper back version was often referred to as the ‘gardener’s bible’ and nothing was plowed, planted, harvested or preserved unless the almanac was first consulted.

Now the updated online software allows the modern day gardener to have a wealth of digital information at their fingertips so they can grow vegetables in a home garden just as tasty as grandpa did. The garden planner software will also send you email reminders of garden tasks which need to be done.

almanac garden planner — Almanac garden planner, Image source: gardenplanner.almanac

6-Online Garden Planning Tool

Plangarden.com is a vegetable garden planner software that allows you to layout, plan and manage your home vegetable garden online. This software site allows you to quickly plan how you want your garden to grow and offers expert advice to frequently asked questions. Learn when to start seeds indoors, how far apart to space the plants when setting them out in your home vegetable garden and when to harvest.

Discover innovative gardening ideas that just might be the answer to your challenging landscape or growing zone issues. Plangarden.com also offers a forum where you can interact with other gardeners to chat and get or give advice. You may also like check out fast growing vegetables.

online garden planning tool — Online garden planning tool, Image source: ***Plangarden.com***

7-Vegetable Garden Planner

Vegetable Garden Planner provides users with an easy to use garden bed layout tool that allows you to place and re-place each plant until you get your garden arranged just the way you want. Planning a vegetable garden is hard work, but this free garden planner software helps make the job easier by allowing you to know right where every plant will thrive and produce its best before it’s set in the soil.

This garden planner software also allows you to upload photos of your growing vegetables, keep a garden journal, make and update a to-do list and record your planting and harvesting times for future reference. You may also like check out vegetables that grow well in pots.

Conclusion!

Now you have vast options to consider planning your vegetable garden. You can choose any of the above free vegetables garden planner software we have shared with you for planning your own garden that best suits your requirements. Hope you like our article! We will be excited to see you once you have done your work!

Planting

10 Edible Weeds That Have Rich Taste and Nutritious Value

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan 9 Comments

Most home owners and gardeners spend hours every summer killing weeds in their lawn and garden. They don over-the- shoulder canisters filled with chemicals, a mask and gloves every Saturday and head outdoors to do battle with their green enemies. But as those who fight this summertime battle already know, those little green enemies are a formidable foe and keep coming back again and again. Maybe it’s time to make peace with these plants and look at them from a new perspective. Many of these weeds we try in vain to kill are not poisonous weeds, but are actually edible. They can add a rich taste and nutritional value to salads, stir fry or stews, and best of all, they’re free for the picking. Learn the art of identifying edible weeds and give some of these 10 edible weeds a taste test, you just may discover a fondness for their flavor.

You may also like to check out: common garden weeds and natural weed killers.

1- Dandelions

With flat green green leaves that grow low to the ground and bright yellow flower that children can’t resist picking, dandelions are well known lawn weeds.

The leaves of these wild greens have a bitter flavor and the bigger the leaves, the more bitter the flavor. The flowers and stems are sweet and crunchy.( See also edible flowers)

2- Clover Weed

While hunting for a 4-leafed clover for luck, pick a few extra to chop into a soup or salad. The leaves can be dried and made into tea. Identifying edible weeds doesn’t get any easier than clover.

3- Chickweed

Chickweed has a a 6 inch stem with small round leaves and produces small white flowers in top of a mature plant. The entire chickweed plant can be eaten raw or cooked and has a spinach-like flavor.

Chickweed also has medicinal uses and can be brewed into a tea and used a diuretic or made into a poultice and applied to minor cuts and burns.

4- Curly Dock Edible

This wild plant produces long edible leaves that curl and both leaves and stems can be eaten. The leaves have a tart taste. The seed of curly dock weed can be dried and brewed as a substitute for coffee.

5- Lamb’s Quarters

These edible plants is also called goosefoot because of the size and shape of the leaves. It can be eaten raw, steamed or sauteed and offer a flavor and texture much like spinach. Seeds from lamb’s quarters are edible and have a flavor like quinoa.

6- Plantain

Not to be confused with the fruit that goes by the same name, this little weed that grows in gardens and landscape across the country is one that children are very familiar with. Plantains have low-growing broad leaves with spikes of green seed pods that are easy for kids to strip off and throw at each other.

The young leaves of this edible weed can be raw, steamed, boiled or sauteed. As the plant matures, the leaves become tough, so pick them while they are small and tender.

The seed pods can be cooked and eaten like a grain or ground into a flour for variety of cooking uses. The seed pods are rich in fiber and provide the same digestive benefits as psyllium seeds.

The plantain weed has also medicinal uses and can be ground and used as a topical onitment on minor cuts, rashes and burns.

7- Mallow

Mallow has a seed pod that resembles cheese and that causes this edible weed to also be known as cheeseweed. Both leaves and seed pods are edible and can be enjoyed raw or cooked. The polder plant leaves tend to be tough, so harvest leaves while mallow is small.

8- Pigweed

Also known as wild amaranth, is a fast growing and tall edible weed that seems to pop up overnight as a garden weed. The large, flavor leaves can be used in any dish that calls for leafy greens, either raw or cooked. The long seed pods which sprout from the weed top can be gathered and cook in the same way as store-bought amaranth, either cooked of ground.

9- Purslane

Purslane spreads along the soil in any moist, shady area and it’s high omega-3 content makes it an edible weed well worth hunting for and adding to your dinner plate. This edible weed is a succulent that has a crispy texture and peppery taste and adds a nice crunch to salads. Purslane is also used as a thickening agent for soups and stews.

10- Queen Anne’s Lace

Also known as wild carrots, Queen Anne’s lace produces a large head of tiny white flowers that resemble lace. The flower heads are good to eat raw, but are typically lightly battered and deep fried. The seeds can be can be added to soups and stews, or brewed into a tea.

Disease and Pest control, Natural Solutions

7 Effective Natural Tick Repellents You Can Make at Home

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan Leave a comment

Summer is here and so are blood-sucking, disease-carrying ticks. There are several chemicals options on the market that are effective at getting rid of ticks, but if you don’t want to use chemical tick spray to get rid of these yard and garden pests, use some of these recipes to make your own natural insect repellent for a safe and effective natural pests control.

1: All Purpose Homemade Bug Spray

Here we have two great recipes for homemade tick repellent by mommypotamus. One is water-based and the other is lotion-based. Both are easy to make and safe for children. The water-based version won’t stain clothing and the lotion-based version is long-lasting and works well to protect skin.

2: Permethrin Tick Repellent

Permethrin is a compound that is derived from the favorite flower of fall; the chrysanthemum. This recipe found for natural tick repellent on Emaxhealth.com is easy to make, safe for use around children and is great to use when making a homemade tick collar for your pets. Just apply a few drops of this natural permethrin tick repellent to your pet’s collar and they will be protected from ticks bites for up to a month. You may also like to see fruit fly traps.

3: Natural Pest Control For Dogs

Most flea and tick products contain toxic chemicals that can harm your beloved pet by causing skin or respiratory problems. By using these ideas for homemade pesticides you will be able to keep your dog free of flea and ticks while allowing them to enjoy the great outdoors during the warm summer months without side effects from tick spray.

Learn several useful and natural ways to keep your dog pest free year around by hippyhomemaker. The website also offers valuable information of types of natural oils that should never be used on dogs.

You may also like to see getting rid of snails and slugs.

Natural Pest Control for Dogs — Image via: **hippyhomemaker**

4: Essential Oil Tick Repellent

This recipe from BStone over at BrightHub offers a way to smell good while protecting yourself from tick bites. Not only are tick bites painful, but many ticks carry Lyme disease which cause a bitten person to develop a bull’s eye rash and flu-like symptoms. If the Lyme disease is left untreated, the symptoms will worsen and can cause chronic health problems such as joint pain, heart problems, respiratory problems, neurological issues and problems with the digestive system.

This mixture of several essential oils is kept handy in a spray bottle and should be sprayed over clothing and on skin anytime you venture outdoors. The smell-good tick repellent is safe for children and pets. You may also like to see diy Screened In Porch to keep away from bugs.

Essential Oil Tick Repellent1 — Image via: ***BrightHub***

5: Homemade Tick Repellent For Clothes

This natural tick repellent recipe by healthextremist comes from a Connecticut writer with a website called the Healthextremist.com Ticks in Connecticut were recently found to be carriers of the Powassan virus, which is said to be worse than Lyme disease (which ticks are carriers of also). protect your health with this easy to make recipe will effectively keep ticks off of clothing while you enjoy exercising, gardening or other outdoor activities so you will be protected against the disease-carrying bites of ticks. You may also like to see homemade pesticides,

6: Homemade Tick Repellent For Pets

Maryruth Belsey Priebe has provided a wealth of information for pet owners on her website, Ecolife for repelling ticks for dogs. Maryruth tells about essential oils and how to apply them to your pets to keep them safe while they outdoors, how to make tick shampoo for your pets plus how to make an herbal tick collar.

If you have wondered how you can allow your pet to enjoy the outdoors while keeping them tick-free, this is one website you must visit. While Maryruth may not answer the question, ‘how to get rid of tick in the yard’, she certainly answers the question of how to keep pets tick-free while they are in the yard. Keeping ticks off your pets will also keep them out of your home, carpeting, clothing and your skin. You may also like to see mosquito and fly repellent plants.

7: Essential Oil Insect Repellent Spray

We have primarily dealt with how to kill ticks so far, but we all know ticks are not the only summer time menace outdoors. Mosquitos can also ruin a summer BBQ or game of horseshoes in the backyard, plus mosquitos are carriers of several diseases that no one wants to contact.

Mix up a batch or two of this essential oil repellent spray by Tasty Yummies to use during your next outing to repel mosquitos, ticks, fleas and other biting insects..

Several recipe options are given so you can mix up your own personal batch of insect repellent spray that works for your skin and is pleasing to your sense of smell.

Essential Oil Insect Repellent Spray — Image via: ***Tasty Yummies***

Planting, Urban Gardening

15 Low Maintenance Plants That Require Little Gardening Work

October 26, 2022 Farhan Ahsan 1 Comment

Low maintenance landscaping allows you to have a beautiful yard without putting in hours of hard work each week. By using low maintenance plants you can design a low maintenance garden that will provide your landscape with beauty and function for years to come.

Low Maintenance Plants

Start by planting low maintenance plants that are suited to your particular landscape and growing climate. Select plants that require minimal pruning, dead-heading, separating and clean-up that grows well in your climate. For example, a slow-growing conifer will require less of your time and energy than an oak tree, and perennials require less planting effort than annuals. Opt for the easiest to maintain trees, flowers and shrubs to meet the landscape needs you have.

Micro-Climates

Every landscape has its own variety of micro-climates. One section of your yard may be shady all the time while the another section may be in full sun and remain dry all the time. Select plants that do their best in each micro-climate for easy-care. Plant drought tolerant plants in the sunny, dry soil and shade-loving plants in shady areas and the plants will be right at home with little effort on your part.
Always select plants that do well in your particular growing zone for easy-care. A tropical plant, like a bird-of-paradise, will require much less hands-on care in Florida than it will in New York. Plants that are native to your growing zone will be the most easy care plants and require the least of all maintenance.

Low Water Plants Choices

1- Blue Flax

This is a short lived perennial with each plant producing a small blue flower for one day. Blue flax grows well in most regions, preferring to be planted in full sun and under low water conditions.

2- Cosmos

Cosmos is fragrant and colorful and makes quite a visual impact with their height and bold colors. Cosmos loves full sun, low water and will spread quickly.

3- FeverFew

This is a white flowering, scented herb that has several medicinal uses when harvested. Plant feverfew in a low water areas around outdoor eating areas to help keep insects away.

4- Morning Glory

This low maintenance plant will climb on most any vertical surface and produce new flowers each morning. The morning glory vine grows best in poor soil with very little water. Related articles: Low light house plants that are easy to grow.

5- Johnny Jump Ups

This is a low growing, self-seeding beauty that produces tri-colored blooms and is striking when planted en-masse.

6- Crepe Myrtles

These are drought tolerant, shade-providing, blooming beauties that all low maintenance garden ideas should incorporate at least one of. Prune to any size or plant it and forget about and the shrub will reach a mature height of 20 feet. Colorful, crepe-like blooms will appear in late summer when most other plants are finished for the season.

Sandy Soil Choices

Hot, dry climates that need drought tolerant plants typically have sandy soil and these flowers love to have their ‘feet’ in the sand.

7- Beach Sunflower

This flower is often seen growing on sand dunes and can grow upright or lay down. It’s self-seeding and requires no care.

8- Beautyberry

This plant grows best in sandy soil and light shade. The plant will reach a mature height of six feet, bearing clusters of purple berries from late summer through fall.

9- Firebush

This flowering plant is a tall growing bush that bears nectar-rich red blooms all summer when planted in full sun and sandy soil. Firebush is a favorite flower of hummingbirds and butterflies.

10- Golden Aster

This Low maintenance looks similar to a yellow daisy and loves to be planted in sandy soil and full sun. Golden aster produces long-lasting yellow blooms on two-feet tall plants.

11- Trumpet Honeysuckle

This twining vine loves the sun and sand. The vine produces clusters of red, tube-shaped flowers in the spring that attract hummingbirds.

Shade Loving Plants

Not all landscapes are sunny and most are a mix of sun and shade. Use these easy care plants in the shady areas of your yard.

12- Hostas

Hostas plant enjoy a secluded shady spot and will grow into a 2 x 2 feet mound of broad green leaves. Hostas grown in heavy shade rarely bloom, but if the plant does receive a little sunlight it may send up a few spikes and produce some tiny purple bell-shaped blooms. Related articles: easy to grow low light indoor trees.

13- Lady Ferns

These low maintenance plants grow well in heavy shade where the soil remains moist. Lady ferns produce delicate-looking, deciduous fronds on plants that can grow up to three feet across.

14- Japanese Spurge

This is an ornamental plant that typically is grown as a ground cover. Japanese spurge is an evergreen perennial that produces tiny white flowers in spring.

15- Ginger

This pretty low maintenance plant has culinary uses and grows well in heavy shade. Ginger root is harvested and used to make tea, season foods and in the making of some home remedies.

Planting

7 Popular Dwarf or Miniature Fruit Trees For A Limited Space

October 21, 2022 Farhan Ahsan 9 Comments

Trees can be distinguished on the basis of several factors like their height, support and rootstock. Both of the dwarf fruit trees and the miniature fruit trees are relatively smaller in size but they have different rootstocks’ (stump or part of roots that is used for grafting of cutting or bud of another plant) in order to keep up with their significant sizes;also varying with the height and need of support. A dwarf fruit tree could be 8-10 feet however a miniature tree remains between 6-8 feet keeping it smaller.

You may also like to see fast growing fruit trees and fruit bearing trees.

Dwarf fruit trees that are commonly available include nectarine, olive, pear, peach, apricot, apple, cherry, fig, citrus and quince.

Four Methods to Reduce Fruit Tree Size

The dwarf fruit trees usually on the smaller trees produce regular sized fruits but while buying such trees the end use is also considered. Potted fruit trees on the other hand in cold regions require picking a tree enduring to the zones than the current one.

Dwarfing rootstocks
Genetic Dwarf Fruit Trees
Branch pruning use in the pots
Control of Pruning in order to Produce Miniature Fruit Trees

7 Popular Dwarf or Miniature Fruit Trees

A list of famous dwarf Fruit Trees to grow in a limited space is as follows:

1- Dwarf Apple Tree

Dwarf apples tree is a sort of resilient and tough tree type that can bare freezing temperature of 45 degrees or less. Such trees grow in assorted conditions at small spaces and can take around three years for this. Apples thrive best in drier soil and a drier climate could make it even precious. Proper care is a compulsion in order to get quality fruit so if there is a drenched climate than apple trees want a constant drainage. Small fruit trees can estimate a less production of apples like an apple tree of about 3-4 foot may give 45 apples in variety. Popular varieties are Fuji and red delicious and the common rootstocks are Malling or the Cornell-Geneva, M27 and M9 are helpful in producing smallest ones. Pots are helpful in dwarfing the plants; pot size should be at least 16-18 inches or more.

2- Dwarf Cherry Tree

Cherry trees can grow in the pots and produce quality fruit if care is done properly. These small fruit trees are unable to give fruit if 2 years old branches are not there; however it is also important to note that all the varieties cannot thrive in pots. Such trees need below 45 degrees F and preferable to be grown in sandy loam mixture of soil. Dwarf sweet cherry trees than the large ones can give about 10-15 quarts each year. Well-drained soil with sunlight could be the considerable sources for the fruit production. These should be spaced on dwarfed rootstocks about 5-10 feet apart. The pot size should be big for such trees like across 18 inches. The common rootstocks for cherries could be Colt or Gisela 5.

3- Dwarf Pear Tree

Another kind of dwarf fruit tree is pear dwarf tree, pears could be considered as the largest of such varieties pruning in early spring or winter. Slightly rich acidic soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5 with sunlight is favorable for this fruit tree. Such trees are spaced about 8 feet apart and semi-dwarf at 13feet apart. Pear fruit trees are winter favorable trees having temperature about -25 degrees F. Container should be deep and minimum of 24inches. Common rootstocks for dwarf pear trees include EMH, Quince A and Quince C.

4- Dwarf Apricot Tree

The dwarf varieties of this fruit can be produced with the help of containers. Early spring is the season for apricots to bloom; trees are strong enough to cope with winter temperature about 20 degrees F. These small fruit trees can be planted any time except when it is extreme hot. They need much warmth during the summer, however 2-3 years old is good to be bought at buying time. Several colors of such trees could be seen in the yard like white in the blossoms, bronze foliage and yellow in the fall. It is one of the stone fruit tree like peach, cherry and nectarine. Pears must be spaced 20 feet apart in general and is usually 5-10 feet in height. Common rootstocks include Citation, Lovell, St.Julien and pot size could be 10-15 inches.

5- Dwarf Orange Tree

Planting fruit tree like this comes in the citrus category like lemons, mandarins. It can preferably be grown in wide pots rather than deep pots as it has a shallow root system; a dwarf orange tree is a potted fruit tree to harvest; preferring indoor planting conditions. However, sun rooms make it healthy for the tree. These small fruit trees cannot be more than 3-4 feet tall while other varieties can be of 8-12 feet, self-pollinating with rich soil. Preferable temperature is 65-45 degrees F at day and 50-55 degrees F at night. One common rootstock could be Trifoliate. The pots allowing free drainage with about 6-9 inches diameter is suitable for these trees.

6- Dwarf Avocado Tree

Avocado dwarf fruit tree is an ideal one as it bears fruit throughout the year, not able to deal with temperature below freezing. If sunshine is proper then it can take below 30 degrees F indoor, varying to harvest in summer or winter depending upon tree type. These growing fruit trees could be from 10-12 feet tall producing fruits in 1-3 years. Avocado trees demands sandy loam, able to withstand alkaline soil too. These trees can be about 3-4 feet tall and enjoys full sun, temperature to deal with cold is 28 degrees F. Large pots would produce quality ones of about 20+ gallon.

7- Dwarf Plum Tree

This dwarf plum fruit tree is grafted not affecting the fruit size. A container of about 12 inches in diameter is appropriate with protection from frost. These trees need either less or no pruning and spacing should be about 15-20 feet apart. If pruning is required then only March and September are favorable. Sunlight is good for production along with well drained soil. This tree starts production by 3 year; 2m in height and width and could also be used for jams. The common rootstocks include Pixy or St Julien A .The soil conditions should be loamy and best temperature for storing is about 31-32 degrees F.