All About Home and Garden

There are literally thousands of different tomato types out there and anyone who is new to the hobby of tomato gardening is sure to be confused as to what all of these classifications mean, and more importantly, which variety of tomato should they be planting? Fortunately, only a basic knowledge of the way tomatoes are classified is required to make an educated decision on a particular species that is right for you.Determinate vs. IndeterminateThe first basic way tomato types are broken down is...

Buying plants from grower or nurseries is an easy way to start or enhance your garden. But, you don't want to buy problems. Taking a few minutes when you are picking out your plants, can save you lots of time and money. Buying unhealthy plants can either be a waste of money because they don't survive the transplanting, or they can bring insects and disease to your garden and cause you more time and expense to treat these on all your plants. Take a few minutes and look at these 7 areas to make sure...

Your work is not done once you have planted your vegetables. Now you must deal with the many different vegetable diseases and problems. There is no shortage of problems that Mother Nature can bring that can affect the health of your plants. Some gardeners get so frustrated they resort to herbicides and pesticides.Before you follow suit and start using poisons on your vegetables remember that you plan to eat your harvest. Please take into account the many safer forms of combating pests and weeds...

When it comes to gherkins you either love them or hate them, you either like the taste of them or you do not, there is no middle ground. Many people dislike the taste when they are younger but then grow to like them when they are older.In the shops you only tend to be able to buy pickled gherkins and not fresh ones.So if you want fresh gherkins to eat or to pickle yourself then you will most likely have to grow them yourself.They are actually part of the cucumber family, and whilst they taste far...

You may be asking yourself the question: "Why do I need an eco-friendly garden?"By maintaining an eco-friendly garden, you'll be contributing in a very real way to improving the environment and reducing the damage caused by modern living. Simple changes on a small level can result in marked differences to the health of the planet, slowing down 'The Greenhouse Effect' and improving the environment for future generations.An eco-friendly garden employs a few simple solutions to make a real impact...

Shade can be the bane of gardener's lives. Several years ago I moved from a garden that received full sun (and I could hardly find any shade in summer) to one that was shady. It was very frustrating as I had to adjust to the fact that I could not grow my favourite summer annuals. But I began to realise I could grow other things beside impatiens. I brought 6 inch pots (14cm) or tubes 3 inch (7cm) because they were cheaper and they recover from transplant shock quicker. I brought a Cheiranthus sp....

Has the selection of "organic" foods at your local grocery store expanded as it has in so many others? Organic foods are no longer just for the fringe environmental nuts. No longer confined to health stores, organic foods have become a staple at most grocery stores. So what about the fruits and vegetables you grow in your home garden?Don't let the idea of going organic put thoughts of "too much effort" into your head. It is a lot easier than many people think it is and there are effective ways...

When it comes to kids and Halloween you simply must have a pumpkin, yet in recent years the price of pumpkins has skyrocketed with them selling for ?5 for a small pumpkin and ?10 for a large one.Also demand for them in recent years has jumped up massively with them being in more demand, and many people now buying one for each of their children to carve.Indeed Halloween is not Halloween without a pumpkin.So why not save yourself some money and grow some pumpkins for the kids instead? Not only do...

One of my favorite bushes are hydrangeas. They come in so many varieties and are reliable, often constant bloomers. They tolerate full sun to full shade.Lemon Daddy Hydrangeas are a perfect shade shrub for your garden. What is great about them is even when they are not blooming, the color "pops" due to the hard-to- miss lemon color or chartreuse (yellow green) foliage. This is perfect when your shade garden could use some brightening up. The more sunlight the leaves get - the more lemony the color,...

Combine intensive planted garden beds, with rows, and drip tape irrigation. With a design that reflects the most productive yields, with the least amount of labor involved, the least expensive components, and the best use of your space and resources.Use Any Space You Have Available to grow your own vegetables. To grow what you need for fresh use throughout the growing season, and grow more for food storage, up to five times the amount that you get from a conventional row system.There are many approaches...

Liquid lawn fertilisers are a wonderful addition to the group of nutrients we have at our disposal to care for our lawns. These are the lawn fertilizers which are often based on seaweed, manures and other organic compounds, as opposed to the standard lawn fertilizers which are most often chemically derived.Organic Fertilizers Are A Responsible ChoiceBeing naturally derived, these organic liquid fertilizers are not only gentle and beneficial to our lawns and pose almost no possible detrimental consequences...

Something all gardeners know is that at some point, they will face bugs! Of course, the initial reaction is to run out and buy various commercial insecticides. The trouble with using conventional chemical pesticides is that it undermines the benefits of raising home-grown vegetables.A healthier solution, though the outcomes are not as easily appreciated, would be the reduction and prevention of such a bug invasion to start with. Companion plantings are an old, yet effective approach to pest control...

Organic gardening is far more than just not using sprays and chemicals on our foods. The journey really begins with creating a soil mix that is rich in nutrients by using simple every day things like banana skins, which are rich in calcium, silica, sodium, sulphur, magnesium and phospates.Organic gardening is about creating the ideal environment for helpful critters to thrive. Organic gardeners love worms and frogs! It's about allowing some critters you might not really want around, to remain,...

One of the biggest problems with conventional agriculture is the excessive tillage that occurs. Tilling is a method farmers use to fluff up their soil by chopping it up with spinning blades on the back of a tractor (typically). The problems that arise with this is that the excessive tillage often leads to soil depletion after a few decades. All that fluffy soil is eventually blown away by the wind, leading to an unsustainable level of erosion. When the soil erodes too much, there's no top soil...

The fountain of youth has fascinated the minds of people around the world since the beginning of time. Getting to live forever is such a dream for some. For others in the world of plants, it can actually happen. It is said that we humans can actually learn a thing or two from the plant life on our planet. What if the answer is finally here?Orchids are considered one of the oldest living species of plants in the world. They have been around since the time of dinosaurs and can virtually be found...

Polyvinyl chloride is a cheap and good material for the construction of pipes, greenhouse shades and sewerage lines etc. Polyvinyl chloride is a chemically resistant material. So chemicals can't damage the polyvinyl chloride material easily. The uses of polyvinyl chloride have been increasing. Most of organizations have been using this material for the construction purposes like pipe lines, shades, different types of pipe frames etc. The other main feature of PVC greenhouse plans is that it is...

In a previous article I touched on the subject of what to grow, some good combinations, identified some plant types, and covered some planting dates. I will now get into more detail on these subjects, layout some beds with different combinations, and plan them through the growing season. When we get to the planting. You should have a good idea what you want to do with the space that you have available.To plan a bed I will make a template that can be used every time, with different combinations,...

Are you prepared to grow your own food? Preparedness seeds are also known as non-hybrid, open-pollinated, heirloom, non-gmo and survival seeds, and are a great addition to your survival gear. Some type of emergency garden or survival garden should be a part of your urban survival supplies in preparedness for a disaster. Preparedness seeds can also be used in your everyday garden too.Heirloom seeds may be saved at harvest time and used to replant in next year's garden. Survival seeds may also be...

We are all starting to think more and more about the effects our actions have on the planet, and the legacy we are leaving for our children. We hear about this 'carbon footprint' expression and recalling it reminds us to turn the power off on our TV before we go to bed at night and make sure we only use as much water in the kettle as we're really going to need. We think about our travel, and whether we could cycle to work instead of drive, or take a bus. How many of us really think about what we...

Measure your space and put a stake in each corner. Run your nylon string from stake to stake. Now you have the area that will need to be prepared inside of the strings.When you are using a shovel to turn the soil, start on one side and push the shovel in the ground about 1'. Lift the soil and turn it over in the same spot and break it up with the shovel. Continue this until all of the soil is turned over inside the staked area. When the area has grass and you are starting your project in the summer...

Farmers world-wide have been practicing crop rotation for centuries. The reason for this is that they discovered long, long ago that by growing certain crops in a certain sequence, they were able to optimize the precious resources of the soil.If one crop is grown season after season, year after year, without a break, the soil will tend to deteriorate in both structure and the content of nutrients. But if crop rotation is practised correctly, each subsequent crop will add nutrients to the soil that...

Rudbeckia, popularly known as the Black-Eyed Susan, is a very colorful plant that comes with deep yellow petals with daisy-like flowers and other features including hairy-like leaves which come with a rough texture. It is truly one of the most common flowers on the planet and no wonder it has numerous species thronging gardens and yards all over the world. Even though different species thrive in different areas, these flowers generally survive well in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9. Different Rudbeckia...

The timeless flower of love is a rose - every girl is a sucker for roses whether they admit it or not and I can tell that on good authority. In fact, the rose has been a special flower that has brought people from all walks of life together.You only have to look at the local florist's store to see how popular roses are! Chances are the most number of flowers in the store will be roses! I kid you not. Just go have a look see and you'll find that I am right! You will find roses of all sizes, colors...

Compost tea sounds like some bizarre concoction, likely to be created by some mad scientist or crazed eccentric gardener. Perhaps you've never ever heard of this compost tea information before, don't worry you are not alone by any stretch of the imagination. The big secret is about to be let out! The truth is that many good gardeners have long ago learned about this tea making and have come to enjoy its strengths and benefits. Brewing this garden compost tea is going to become a lot more common...

Even non-gardeners seem to know about hostas - the ever-present shade perennial that is found near most homes. But in committing myself to shade gardening earlier this year, I wanted to make a statement with them. I wanted hostas that couldn't be ignored.So in early May I got myself to a nursery that has the largest selections of plants, shrubs, trees, and garden decor near me and asked "What are the largest hostas you have?" The answer came back 'Empress Wu' and 'Sum and Substance'.Now 'Empress...

Finding a flat spot is not always an easy task. If you can't find one then it's recommended you create one. You may need to adjust some landscape by terracing, digging out some bushes, removing trees, rocks, and other debris. Keep in mind that the most work will be required in the beginning, and your extra effort at this stage will be greatly rewarded.A spot where there is lawn, that can be tilled under will provide organic matter, and fertilizer for your first season. I have gardened in soil that...

Salvia or Scarlet Sage is one of the most recognizable flowers in the world, due to the fact that it has a sizable number of species, believed to number around 900 consisting of shrubs, perennials and annuals. The plant reportedly originated from Africa and the Mediterranean while some specific species were first located in the Americas, specifically Argentina and Mexico. They carry numerous characteristics that are common to rhizomes and tuberous plants but different species come with different...

Two Fluorescent Grow Lights On the MarketIn the search for indoor fluorescent growing lights, you may have heard that T8 fluorescent lamps are more efficient than standard T12. You may have also heard buzz about the other new fluorescent growing lights, the T5 High Output (HO). So what are the pros and cons of these two different technologies? How do they compare and which is best for your garden?The DifferenceThe basic difference between these two fluorescent bulbs is reflected in their names....

There are many things you can do to adorn your yard, but one of the best ways to make this space truly appealing is to plant a wide variety of beautiful flowers. There are very few people in this world who do not like flowers, there are so many types, colors and species in and around the world that there is sure to be at least on to appeal to every age group, sex or personality. Beauty is objective, but here are the top ten most beautiful flowers in the world.Bleeding heartThese flowers are usually...

In addition to oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, anthurium flowers like practically all other varieties of plants demand thirteen elements to live. A lot of these elements are only essential in trace amounts, but there are half a dozen elements that are required in greater portions and hence are deemed macro nutrients. They're: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; and magnesium, sulfur and calcium. In this posting, I am about to take a look at the most important macronutrients: potassium, nitrogen,...

I like to keep my home vegetable gardening as simple as possible. Sure on occasion I will venture out into something new and little more advanced, but my entire gardening process surrounds some basic tips that I am going to share with you in a moment.My gardening philosophy stems from the teachings of my dad. My dad is a very simple person and that translated the same into his garden. So when I watched him all of those years I saw that he kept things simple and easy to handle. My tips that I am...

Since the economy has gotten so bad a lot of people are turning to growing their own herbs, fruits and vegetables. You will really be amazed at how much money you can save by growing your own produce.When you grow your own herbs, fruits and vegetables you know exactly what went into growing them. By knowing what was used for fertilizer and pest control you will know exactly what you are feeding your family.Now days there have been so many produce products which have been tainted. They have been...