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Gardening

How to Bonsai

November 14, 2017

A bonsai tree is a Japanese approach for growing mini trees in ceramic pots to model aged saplings. The trees are becoming progressively popular to bring the outdoors in, and hundreds of species could be chosen to develop into a bonsai plant. The method might seem intimidating for a beginner; however with research and practice you can excel in the art form of bonsai! Follow these steps to grow your bonsai tree to perfection!

SELECT A SPECIES OF TREE
Selecting the right sapling is the first step of bonsai, and the choices should be carefully weighed judging by your geographical location and whether you want your plant indoors or outside. Some plants muster better inside and in a controlled climate, while others ought to be outdoors where they can go dormant in the winter. Analyze the trees that do the very best where you live, and go from there. The most common styles of bonsai trees are Elm, Juniper, and ficus.

SEED OR AGED TREE
The next step is to choose whether you wish to grow the tree from the ground up, or buy an existing tree from a nursery. It is advocated that beginners buy an existing tree for their first time trying to bonsai to make sure that they can succeed. Your local nursery will help you to decide on the perfect bonsai for your climate and expertise level.

CHOOSE A POT
The ceramic pot that you grow your bonsai tree is a crucial in the success of your plant. The term bonsai means ‘plant in a tray’, which someone can theoretically conclude that the tray is equally as important is the plant. Choosing the appropriate pot has a lot to do with the size of your desired plant. A deep pot will bring a larger tree, while a shallow pot will keep the roots miniature and keep the size of the tree small. The ceramic pot must allow proper drainage, and should be lined with wire to ensure your soil erosion does not occur.

CHOOSE SOIL
Bonsai soil is available in organic and inorganic, and most bonsai hobbyists strategically mix both soils to come up with the perfect mix for their plant. This also requires research depending on your geographical location and plant type.

PREPARATION
This step requires you to arrange your tree with wires and the initial steps of pruning, to procure the design of the bonsai tree. Remove the plant from its existing holder, and water the roots and prune them to ensure they fit securely into your purchased ceramic pot with the proper amount of soil.

POT THE TREE
If you haven’t already placed mesh netting on the bottom of the pot, you should do so now. Place the roots down at the bottom of the pot, and run a wire through one of the drainage holes to tie the plant into place. Attach the other side of the wire to the root system and pour soil over the exposed roots. Trees that are in temperate climates should be planted by spring, while tropical trees should be planted in the summer.

PRUNE & ENJOY!
The last step is to prune your tree when the leaves grow out, and have fun growing your bonsai!

Gardening

Hunter Valley Gardening – Roses

November 12, 2017

Winter is over and Spring is in the air. The sights, scents and sounds are all around with the garden coming back to life. Trees are coming into leaf, the blossoms are out and the roses are budding up ready to commence their 9-month flowering spree.
The rose is one of the most widely grown of all plants and dates back to ancient times, there are even fossil evidence discovered in Colorado dating back 35 million years.
The domestic rose most likely originated in Asia around 5 thousand years ago and has made its mark throughout history as symbols of love, beauty, war and politics. In ancient Egypt the rose was considered the most sacred of all flowers and was used as offerings to Gods as well as being used as wreaths in tombs. In 1492 a crew member on Columbuss ship picked a rose branch out of the ocean which was a sign of the presence of land and the next day Columbus discovered America, while in England in during the 15th century the rose was used as a symbol for factional fighting. Known as the War of the Roses- the white rose symbolised York and the red rose symbolised Lancaster. In the 17th century roses were in such demand that royalty considered roses and rose water as legal tender and Shakespeare refers to roses over 50 times in his works.
In modern times the rose continues to make its mark with the Netherlands being the world leader in the export of roses with over 19,000 acres under rose cultivation while Zambia being a small nation has 80 per cent of its cultivated land dedicated to the production of roses. The rose is also the national floral emblem of the US and was signed in by law in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.

So what does all this mean? Not much really except that the rose has stood the test of time, not only due to its beauty and elegance but also because it is one of the toughest plants around. Full sun, a little fertiliser and some water and the modern rose will reward the even the most novice of gardeners. The biggest problem people face these days is which rose to grow. Roses come in all shapes, sizes and colours (except blue!) and the range can be a bit confusing – Bush, Climbers, Standards, Ramblers, Pillars, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas and landscape are few types but all will do well in our climate.
If you have never tried to grow roses before and not sure what to grow, here is a list of the top 10 we grow at Hunter Valley Gardens. All these varieties are tough, disease resistant and very free flowering and will reward with months of colour.

Apricot Nectar – A floribunda rose with large, very fragrant apricot blooms with pink tints. A compact bush with strong stems. An excellent cut flower.

Chameleon – A floribunda miniature rose with flowers that change colour as they mature on the plant. Starting at a mid yellow with the outer petals changing to pink while the centre changes to white.

Double Delight – A large flowering hybrid tea rose. A very fragrant rose with high centred double flowers. Creamy white with red streaks around the edges of the petals.

Fiona’s Wish – A vigorous hybrid tea. Large vivid pink petals flushed with a white underside. A full classic rose with fragrance. Bush. Excellent for cut flowers.

Iceberg – The best rose available. A white flowering cluster floribunda with slightly scented flowers. A very free flowering rose that will show colour all year round.

Just Joey – A large flowering hybrid tea. Full petalled flower in tones of fawn, copper and buff. Very fragrant in warmer climates with extremely large flowers that fold out.

Peace – A vigorous large flowered hybrid tea. Very large flowers are a bright yellow flushed with pinkish-red at the edges and are lightly scented.

Pierre De Ronsard – A pillar/climbing rose with very full double cupped blooms with a slight fragrance. Flowers are centred with mid pink and fade to white on the outer petals.

Seduction – An open flowered floribunda rose. Buds start at mid pink and fade to a white. Flowers open completely to expose stamens. A delicate, elegant flower.

Simply Magic – A spreading floribunda rose. Very heavy flowering variety with carmine-pink clusters of open petal flowers. A low and spreading variety with a very long flowering period.

For those who enjoy their roses or want to try something new, there are some exceptional new releases available for 2008 that are sure to inspire.

Tequila La Savillana A floribunda with bright yellow-orange flowers blending to pink. Loose medium flowers that offer a continuous display.

Blooming Miracle Highly perfumed repeat flowerer with apricot, cream blooms. Very hardy.

Fire & Ice A hybrid tea with a white petalled flower with cherry red tips. Excellent disease tolerance and dark glossy green foliage.

My Hero A Classic shiny pink flower that will not fade and is self-cleaning. Massive flowers borne above dark glossy foliage.

Love-In A psychedelic rose with swirling lemon, pink flower that ages to a rose colour. Voted the most disease resistant rose at the 2006 rose trials.

Make sure you visit your local garden centre to see all the latest releases and enjoy the spring weather and Happy Gardening.

Gardening

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Sun Gloves & Sun Sleeves For The Most Neglected Part Of The Body

November 6, 2017

When I moved to Colorado from the Northeast several years back, I noticed a disturbing thing starting to happen – brown sun spots appearing on my hands and arms. I had always worn a hat to protect my face, but tended to neglect my hands and arms. Then I noticed in particular that the sun spots were appearing a lot more on my left arm than my right. I didn’t know what to make of it until, one day when I was driving, it all became clear. The sun beating down on my hand and arm through the driver’s side window was the culprit. I spent several hours a week driving and never even considered the implications of having my left hand at the mercy of the sun while holding the steering wheel. I have heard (but not yet substantiated) that in countries where the steering wheel is on the left side of car, skin cancer is more prevalent on the left side of the body, particularly the arm. Where the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, skin cancer is more prevalent on the right side of the body.

I had never liked the idea or, frankly, the feeling slathering my skin with chemical sun screens. And I always suspected that they were not quite as effective as advertised. Indeed, several articles in recent years point out that the SPF ratings are exaggerated and that in order to be effective, chemical sun screens have to be applied very liberally and very often. For years, dermatologists have told us sunscreen protects skin. Now, many people are questioning that advice after an environmental group challenged the sunscreen safety of many popular brands.

Patients are confused, said Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University who is a skin cancer researcher. Ive had patients come in and ask, Am I harming myself by using it? Ive spent a lot of time talking to people about it.

The latest report comes from the Environmental Working Group, which claims that in an investigation of nearly 1,000 sunscreen products, four out of five offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain ingredients that may pose a health risk.

What they are doing is developing their own system for evaluating things, said Dr. Warwick L. Morison, professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins and chairman of the Skin Cancer Foundation’s photo biology committee, which tests sunscreens for safety and effectiveness. Using this scale to say a sunscreen offers good protection or bad protection is junk science.

What I preferred was something to wear to protect my hands and arms and my choice is sun gloves and a sun sleeve or sun sleeves. I have found that sun gloves are useful for pretty much any outdoor activity: fishing, hiking, cycling, gardening or golf. Easy to slip on and off, versatile UPF/SPF sun protection.

Take a look at an old angler’s hands and you’ll get a pretty good idea of why sun gloves and sun sleeves are a good idea. Of course, there’s always chemical sunscreen, but we already discussed the questionable effectiveness of it and it tends to make slippery work of casting and line control, and who wants coconut-scented flies, anyway? The solution is a light, comfortable, fingerless sun glove made from quick-drying, UPF 50+ nylon/spandex fabric. Sun Gloves are easy to wear and easy to slip on and off. Your hands will thank you.

Gardening

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Health Benefits Of Herb Gardening

October 31, 2017

One trend that is quickly gaining huge popularity is herb gardening. People everywhere are starting their own gardens and producing great herbs and other plants that are much healthier and cheaper than the produce that can be purchased at the store. While it used to take a fairly large garden to grow herbs, it is now possible to have your own herb garden inside your home through a process called hydroponic gardening. This means that you will be able to enjoy the health benefits of herb gardening, even though you may have limited yard space or live in a small apartment.

Besides being a great experience, there are many health benefits of herb gardening. The first main health benefit of growing your own herbs is the added nutrition that you and your family will be getting from your food. Home grown food is higher in nutrition because it can be harvested at peak ripeness. This means that you and your family will be getting more nutrients from your food, which will lead to less medical problems. Another one of the health benefits is that garden grown plants are not contaminated with the harmful chemicals and pesticides that are widely used in commercial farming. These chemicals can be dangerous to humans, even in small amounts, so not having them on your food can help keep you healthy.

Aside from the health benefits there are many other benefits that make growing your own food a great option. Plants that are grown at home will be much fresher than plants that were picked, shipped, and sat in the store until you purchased them. The best tasting plants are the ones that are picked fresh and immediately used., and this is only possible for you if you grow your own.

Starting your own garden can be a great idea and also be a lot of fun. Try to choose herbs and plants that you will be using frequently and others that you may not be able to find in local stores. By growing your own herbs you will be getting all of the health benefits of herb gardening as well as better tasting food at a lower cost. If you are new to herb gardening and need some additional information, you can find tips, tricks, and suggestions on the Internet. There is a lot of information that will be able to help you get started with your own garden.

Gardening

Benefits Of Aeroponics As An Indoor Gardening System

October 25, 2017

Being from the similar background of soil-free rearing of plants, Aeroponics takes one step further by eliminating the need for any medium whatsoever. Aeroponics system often consists of plants supported on channels with their roots dangling midair for the whole time.

So, when in hydroponics, the nutrients are supplied to the plants thorough water acting as a reservoir, Aeroponics just takes out the middleman entirely. The nutrients are directly sprayed onto the roots of the growing plants dangling in form of an atomized mist sprayed with much high pressure.

So, here well discuss the benefits of employing the aeroponics system for gardening, by citing the some basic differences that separate the same from the conventional hydroponics.

Better Results

As the plant roots directly receive the nutrients in atomized form, the uptake for the same certainly is faster. Also, since every spray of nutrients is separated with intermittent time gap, the oxygen intake of the plants is much more. This not only accelerates the growth of the plants, the roots even spread out seeking more air and speeding the vegetative growth altogether.

Aeroponics is the most advanced method of farming, which takes the whole accountability to every input idea to a entirely new level. As with the absence of any growth medium and thus resultant spatial availability issues , the plant are no more deprived from any amount of nutrients and oxygen.

Efficient Resource Management

Three crucial factors are to be considered here. Water, nutrients and air, these are the factors which were primarily targeted in the first place with the advent of aeroponics.
No system of any kind in modern farming provides such efficient use of water. As the nutrients solution is directly sprayed on to the roots, the water requirement is much less. This is in lieu of fact that water is no longer acting as the medium, but instead as to transmit the nutrients to the roots directly. Thus the total water requirement can be maintained up to 1/20th of the amount that is used in conventional methods.

With no medium to dilute the possibility of uptake by roots, the nutrients requirement in an aeroponics system can be tuned much more closely. As the maximum amount of nutrient supplies taken by roots, the total nutrients input in the system decreases even further. Nutrients are can be now supplied evenly throughout the crop, thus eliminating the randomized effect that a growth medium has in this respect.

In hydroponics or any other method, the supply of air is managed thought the medium itself, which in turn leads to uneven distribution. So, now we have dangling roots in constant supply of air i.e. oxygen and CO2, making the equipments such as aerators more or less redundant.

Economical
Aeroponics systems are generally built with few commonly found or even recycled materials. A readymade setup is also available if one is looking for an aesthetically pleasant structure. Tubes, buckets are often used in a modular structure to build an efficient system.
Money is also saved in maintenance of the system with a nutrients solution of 700-900 ppm is found to be quite adequate for a typical scenario. A simple water pump giving out 60 psi worth of pressure can be used to provide the required atomized mist.

Disease-Free Conditions
With a constant supply of fresh air and absence of a medium which may act as a shelter, pathogens are less of a problem in any aeroponics system. Not only the excess oxygen keeps the anaerobic bacteria at bay, removal of affected plant part is much easier.

Mobility
An aeroponics system offers a certain ease when it comes to moving the entire crop from one place to another.

Changes in the Regimen
Any kind of change in the nutrient input is much economical if not easier, as the plants do not need to be flushed altogether. This gives a grower certain freedom so as to manage the crop more efficiently.

The benefits which are listed above presents a better scenario for any grower in order to procure the maximum yield with best of the quality.

Want to know more on Aeroponics System or need some expert tips just log on to http://www.advancednutrients.com/hydroponics/articles/hydroponics-gardening/aeroponics-and-NASA.php

Gardening

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