About Hydroponic Gardening 0 comments

Did you know that not all plants have to be placed in soil in order for it to grow? Yes this technique has been around for hundreds of years and this is called hydroponic gardening.

Hydroponics comes from two Greek words namely "hydro" meaning water and "ponics" meaning labor. Some of the greatest examples happen to be the hanging Gardens of Babylon and The Floating Gardens of China.

This type of gardening made a come back in the 1950’s. Now, countries like Australia, Germany and Holland use it extensively for crop production.

What people should know hydroponic gardening is that there are a lot of benefits. Studies have proven that this technique makes plants grow 30-50 percent faster than planting in the soil. This is because the extra oxygen in the hydroponic growing mediums helps to stimulate root growth and makes the plants absorb nutrients faster.

These nutrients are already mixed in the water and goes directly to the root system unlike in soil where plants have to rely on the nutrients that are in the ground.

If you water your plants twice a day, hydroponic gardening delivers nutrients several times a day and with no obstruction around, uses up less energy to find and break down food causing it to grow faster and bear fruit.

Another benefit of hydroponic gardening is the fact that it will have fewer problems such as bug infections, disease and funguses. In short, you will most likely have healthier and happier plants all year round.

But doesn’t hydroponic gardening require you to consume more water? The answer is no because less water is used thanks to reusable nutrient solutions.

Plants grown through hydroponics occur through a medium. One of the fastest ones around is called the Hydroton or the expanded shale that works well in an ebb and flow type system. For the most part, it is light and expanded clay aggregate which allows sufficient amounts of oxygen to penetrate the plant's root system.

The nice thing about this type of medium is that it is reusable but shale, one of its components has a tendency to break down making hydroton a better option. But despite that, these are stable and rarely affect the pH of the nutrient solution.

Another option is the use of Rockwool. This is produced from volcanic rock and limestone. This is very popular because it is able to hold 10-14 times more water as soil and retains 20 percent air. Gardeners should be careful though because although it has a pH of 7.8, this can be harmful to the plants.

Other mediums available include perlite, vermiculite and different grades of sand. These three mediums are stable and rarely effect the pH of the nutrient solution. The downside though is that it holds too much moisture and can only be used with certain plants.

We mentioned earlier that hydroponic gardening uses nutrients that are mixed in the water to give the plants the food it needs to grow. Most of these happen to be highly concentrated and mixed with 2 to 4 teaspoons of water. You can choose to use the liquid or the powdered mix. Liquids are cheaper and dissolve quickly.

But none of these can work without a hydroponic system. You can use the ebb and flow that was mentioned before or use something like continuous drip, nutrient film technique or the wick system.

Now that you know more or less about hydroponics, the question you probably want to know is whether you should build it or just buy the system. If you know how to put everything together, then you can buy all the materials and build it yourself. However, if you are not sure that what you build will work, you should probably buy the system instead.

A lot of people believe that hydroponic gardening is the way of the future. After all, the Earth is made up more of water than land so people have to find ways to grow crops to feed the ever increasing population. As a result, the technique is being studied by local horticultural societies and in government funded research labs at major universities and NASA.

If gardening is your thing, then why don’t you try hydroponics. It is just as fun as planting in your backyard or in your greenhouse.

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About Japanese Gardening 0 comments

There are different ways to make your garden look good. For those that want to make it look simple and yet elegant, you can try Japanese gardening.

Japanese gardening has been around for centuries. What makes it so unique is that you are able to do a lot with less. There are three types of landscape gardens that you can do for your home namely Tsukiyama or hill garden, Karesansui or dry garden and Chaniwa or tea garden.


The Tsukiyama or hill garden may consist of a hill, a pond, trees, stones, flowers, pathways and even a bridge. The objective here is to create a miniature reproduction of a natural scenery.

The materials used for the Karesansui or dry garden are much different. Here, you get to use gravel, sand and stones with patches of moss to represent mountains. Its design is strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism but you don’t have to be a Buddhist to try this style in your home.

The Chaniwa or tea garden is usually built for a tea ceremony since it often has pathway made of stones and lanterns leading to a tea house. This is great if your guest house is a few meters away from your home so people will not have a hard time going back and forth.

But the first step in making a Japanese garden in your backyard is to decide which type you want. You can do research online to see what pictures you like and then see if this can be done in your own garden.

While you are browsing, you will notice that a lot of people will tell you that there is no right or wrong way to make a Japanese garden. Some will even tell you to incorporate all three types into your backyard.

Can you actually do that? The answer is yes and here are a few things you should know if you decide to put these structures.

If you decide to put a garden bridge, make sure that this is placed over a pond. For those who have space, make sure it looks natural. Add a few water plants as well because this will make it look nice and provide a source of food for the fishes in the pond.

Should having a pond prove to be difficult, do without it by having a dry river bed instead that is carefully filled with raked pebbles. To add the finishing touch to the pond, put a few flowers and shrubs on both sides of the bridge.

We all know that rocks come in all shapes and sizes. When you are buying them from the store, choose each one carefully so you can be sure they look very natural even when these are arranged later on. You can add sand in between the edges and are also great to have when there are wild plants.

Lanterns can also be used for your backyard especially at night. You can put these along a walk way so you know where you are going while a few can also be hung on trees to set the right mood in the garden.

Lastly, a Japanese garden is not complete without a bench. Just make sure this is sturdy so it is not blown way by the wind. You can buy one made out of marble or stone. This can be placed near the pond or under a tree so you can relax when you need to be alone.

The end product may not always look like what you saw in the picture. This is because there may be some limitations to your work area so you will have to make a few adjustments. But once you have an idea of what you want to do for your garden, it will already be easy to buy what you need.

One important reminder before you do anything is to remove the weeds as this will damage your garden in the long term. To do that, spray it with a herbicide that is designed to destroy the plant all the way down to the roots.

When you are doing this, be careful not to contaminate the soil. Wait at least 2 weeks after spraying before you begin to cultivate the soil and start working on your Japanese garden.

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About Rose Gardening 0 comments

What would you like to know about rose gardening? Chances are, you want to know how it is done so you can do the same on your backyard. So, if you want to know what you need, you better read what is here and then apply what you have learned.

If you have found the ideal spot, get some grid paper and then plot everything. You may need to make some changes if the area where you plan to do this does not offer that much sun exposure so use a pencil to make it easier for corrections. Remember, roses need at least 5 hours of sunlight in order for them to grow.

The last thing you have to ask yourself before planting in your rose garden is whether to plant these on the soil or on a raised bed. Both options are good but for convenience, it is probably best to put your roses on a raised bed.

The reasons for these are simple. With a raised bed, you don’t have to bend over that much to take care of them, you also get better drainage and defined pathways. This prevents weeds from ever harming your roses.

When using a raised bed, its size and weight will determine if this needs to be reinforced. If it needs some help, you can use metal stakes inserted into the planks so that your bed will hold up the weight of the soil.

Another option is to use rebar by placing it into the ground and around the edges to keep the wood in place. If you do this, make sure that half the length of the stake is inserted into the ground.

When you plant roses in the garden, make sure you are only using one type on each row. With the different colors of roses around, find a focal spot and then plant a perfect rose right in the center perhaps so everyone will be able to see it.

Naturally, you need to buy roses from the gardening store for your rose garden. When you are out shopping, make sure that these are at least two years old and are field grown.

When you transfer the roses you bought from the store to the ground or the rose bed, make sure that the hole where this will be placed is at least 6 inches deep and is wide enough to accommodate the roots without bending or crowding. For better drainage, put some small rocks or pebbles before putting it in.

Your rose garden will flourish as long as it gets enough sunlight, water and fertilizer. Don’t forget to prune these during the spring once there are signs of new growth as the buds you will see will turn into new branches. Should there be some damaged branches, cut them first and then cut all but four or five healthy stems.

It takes a lot of time and effort to make a rose garden from the planning stage, to choosing which roses to plant, where this will be planted and finally taking care of them. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, you can probably let someone do it for you but what is the fun in doing that?

By doing it on your own, you know you worked the soil to make it become what it is. It may take days or even weeks to put it all together but those who are able to surpass this will feel proud of what they have accomplished especially when your rose garden will be the envy of your friends and neighbors.

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About Water Gardens 0 comments

What do you think should people know about the water garden? Well aside from also being known as an aquatic garden or pond, it has been around for years dating back more than 2000 years.

Water gardens are man made features. Most of the time, these are usually combined with a pool that has aquatic plants and fish. To make it look good, a few other fixed items are installed like a fountain, a statuary or a waterfall.

There are many things to consider when you decide to have a water garden. The first is deciding what type of pond you want to build. Will this contain fish or just plants? These details have to be put into consideration so you don’t make a pond that is too small which limits the number of fish or plants that you can put inside.

But is a koi pond the same as a water garden? The answer is no because a koi pond has fishes and perhaps a few rocks. No plants are able to survive if you try to put them inside because the fishes will just eat them.

Another difference between a koi pond and a water garden is that a koi pond is bigger because these fishes grow as they get older. Ideally, this should contain 1000 gallons of water and must be between 3 to 5 feet in depth. If you want fish and plants inside the water garden, the best fish to have are gold fish.

Once you have decided what kind of water garden you want, you can already move to the next step which is selecting the proper location.

The ideal place to put it inside your home is the backyard. This should also be situated in a place that will not be overflowed with rain otherwise it could flood the pond and make the fish come out.

You should also avoid putting the pond too close to the tress so falling leaves and other debris don’t land in the water. This should also be placed in an area that will get between 4 to 6 hours of sunlight daily especially if you plan to grow water lilies.

Don’t forget to also have a pump as this will keep the plants healthy and make sure your filter, fountain or waterfall is working. The best one to get is a biological filter.

Water gardens come in different sizes. If you have not decided on its size or shape, you can do so now by using some rope or a water hose to lay out the shape on the ground.

Next, you work on the ideal depth of the pond. Ideally, it should be 2 feet deep if you plan to grow both goldfishes and water lilies. But is this depth the same regardless where you live? The answer is no. If you live in a cold climate, it should be deeper to prevent from the pond from freezing during the winter.

The bigger the water garden, the better because it is more stable and easier to maintain. If after plotting it with a rope you think that you are satisfied with size, just remember that the finished pond will be 30% smaller so you should give some allowance.

Once you have figured that out, you can now start building the water garden by digging on the ground. We mentioned earlier about filters so once the hole is ready, have these installed these in their proper locations.

The most important thing to put in the water garden is the pond underlayment. This will make sure that the water placed inside will not sink into the ground. Once this is placed, get some rubber pond liner and put it along the edges. If there are folds as you are putting it, don’t worry because it should flatten when water is added. To make the water garden complete, you now add the water, the plants and the fish.

You will not be able to make a water garden on your own and chances are, you will call a contractor to do the work. If you are able to come up with a plan, they will not have a hard time taking care of the rest.

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About Organic Gardening 0 comments

What would you like to know about organic gardening? There are a lot of interesting facts regarding this technique and perhaps the most interesting is that it has been used by farmers for hundreds of years.

Naturally, you want to know more than its history. This is because a lot of people are talking about it and more vegetables with the “organically grown” label are being sold in supermarkets.

But first what is organic gardening? It is simply the practice of growing crops without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. Nature does most of the work so once you plant these into the ground, you rely mostly on the sun, water and some organic fertilizers to help these grow until it is time to harvest.

Organic gardening like traditional gardening is still threatened by pests. Since pesticides are not used, you have to create an organic pest management system.

You can use insects, caterpillars, microbial pesticides and certain plants that will provide security to your crops. If you are practicing organic farming in the farm, you may also use livestock, birds and toads.

To make sure that the soil is always fertile, farmers should practice crop rotation which is planting a certain variety of fruits and vegetables each quarter and then replacing it with another variant which is designed to control the nutrient levels.

Aside from crop rotation, organic farming can also be done by applying compost, manure and cover cropping.

Compost can be homemade by simply recycling trash and then mixing this with the soil. The same can be done with manure. But if getting your hands dirty is not your thing, both can be purchased from the gardening store.

Cover cropping is basically planting certain plants together with your other crops. It is very similar to crop rotation. The only difference is that the plants used are annual, biennial, or perennial.

For those who insist on using fertilizers, there are now processed versions that are environmental friendly such as seed meal and other mineral powders like rock phosphate and greensand that are natural forms of potash.

People who decide to go into organic gardening are required to follow certain standards set by the US Department of Agriculture. These guidelines are very similar to what was introduced by the European Commission since 1991.

But the governing body which tells the other organizations how it must be done is the International Federation of Organic Agriculture or IFOAM that has been in operation since 1972.

It is no joke when people say that organic gardening is labor intensive. This is because you simply rely on Mother Nature for the most part when you decided to stop using fertilizers and pesticides which gives more nitrates and nutrients.

Although for a time it did produce higher yields, the harmful chemicals that are used are absorbed by the crops. It may be cleaned and washed but it remains as a threat that is harmful to anyone who consumes it.

This is why more and more people are switching to organic gardening. An additional benefit is that it helps the environment.

You might get the impression that organic farming can only be done outdoors but this is not true. If this is planted in a pot, it can be done inside the home. Just make sure you are using a mixture of peat, perlite and vermiculite. It still needs to be watered regularly because its survival is dependent on the fact that it is moist and not damp. Don’t forget that it needs sunlight especially if this is done indoors so put the pot by the window.

Organic gardening is easy and you can do it in your own backyard or indoors. The only things you will need are some gardening tools, some seeds and the ideal location to make sure your crops get sufficient amounts of water and sunlight.

You can get all your organic gardening supplies at the local store or online. When you start planting, try working at night rather than during the day especially when you know that it is about to rain because the seedlings or plants will need a lot of water to adjust to the new environment. Read More ..