Organic Gardening - Growing Zucchini in Containers

Growing zucchini in containers is a great way to add to the decor of your landscape. They can be grown on a patio, deck or even planted in pots around the yard. They are an attractive bushy plat with dark green leaves and bright yellow flowers. It is a great crop that you can easily include in your edible landscape. Enjoy there beauty while producing a thriving crop at the same time.

It is a fast growing crop of the squash family that produces a long cylindrical shaped fruit that has a smooth dark green skin and creamy whitish-green milky flavored flesh. They are a warm weather crop that needs a soil temperature of above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Containers are an ideal way to grow this crop. The plants can be started indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before the last expected frost and the pots or containers can be moved outdoors once all dangers of frost have past in your area. This gives them a head start to producing a healthy and thriving crop.

Gardening

Planting your zucchini in pots or containers also gives them the advantage of having less of a problem with pests or disease. The pots allow the plant to be higher off the ground, this increases the air circulation around the plant making it a place that most pest wont want to make there home and keep the plant drier to prevent common problems like powdery mildew.

Container growing your zucchini is a cost effective way to grow a high yielding crop.

Organic Gardening - Growing Zucchini in Containers

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Tips On Growing And Caring For Orchids

Orchids are fascinating flowers that are fun to nurture but do need some special care. These slow growing plants are best grown indoors and will need to be repotted every other year. In addition to repotting, you will need to provide the plant with enough light, water and fertilization as well as prune it properly to keep it in the best of health.

Repotting

Orchard

Orchids should be repotted in a pot that is larger then the current, but not too much larger - go just one size up. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can repot into a really huge pot and then not have to worry about it for the next 5 years! Fill the pot about 2/3rds of the way with soil that is formulated for orchids and set the plant with the growing tip in the center and it's roots spread out in the soil. Fill the pot with the rest of the soil and pack it gently around the plant. Water thoroughly.

Soil

Tropical orchids thrive in organic material. Fir bark and osumda fiber mixed with peat are great for growing orchids. You need soil that has good drainage but will also hold some moisture. You can buy special orchid mix soil to plant your orchids in.

Light

Orchids like light and your plant will do best in a bright sunny window. A south window, where the plant can get indirect light in the morning and afternoon is best. Make sure the window is not drafty. In the winter you must be sure that your plant is getting enough sunlight and you may want to use fluorescent lighting to supplement the natural sunlight. Fluorescent lights work quite well for growing orchids and you can use them in even the darkest corner and have wonderful plants.

Water

All plants need water but many people do not know how to provide it properly. Some water too much leaving standing water in the pot all day and contributing to root rot. Others don't water the plant for weeks and wonder why it can not survive. The first consideration is to make sure you use a pot with good drainage - either one of those with a hole in the bottom and a saucer or at least put pebbles under the soil. Water the plant thoroughly but not so much that a pool of water is sitting on the soil - water once a week or when you feel the soil has dried out. If your orchid is planted in bark, then it will probably need to be watered every 5 days or so.

You can also moisten your orchid with a spray bottle to give it a more humid environment. Some people like to gently wrap the plant in a floral paper or wax paper cone and spray inside. The cone helps to keep the moistness in. If you do spray your plant, use distilled water as tap and spring water can leave deposits on the leaves.

Temperature

Although orchids are tropical plants, they prefer cool temperatures at night. Most orchids will do best in temps that would be to cold for you in your house. When grown in professional greenhouses, they are kept between 55 and 65 degrees at night. The cool temperatures help to keep the soil more moist.

Fertilizer

Orchids growing in bark or peat and bark mixes do best with a liquid fertilizer that has a 20-20-20 analysis or, better yet, a specialized orchid fertilizer (30-10-10). Try using a water soluble urea free fertilizer for best results. When fertilizing, simply add it in your regular watering schedule following the instructions on the fertilizer package.

Pruning

Pruning is important for orchids to remove dead parts and shape your plant. You can prune your orchids periodically throughout the year, or reserve the pruning for once a year typically in the fall or early winter. When the blooms have died and the stalk is dried up and yellow or brown, use sharp shears to cut it back to an inch from where it comes out of the soil. A new bloom will appear during the next blooming season.

In some cases, you may want to just remove the end of the bloom stalk which may cause it to bloom again. If you do this, you may find a new shoot or baby plant to spring up. If this does happen, you can remove the baby and plant it in a separate pot for an additional orchid plant to enjoy!

Tips On Growing And Caring For Orchids

Lee Dobbins writes for [http://orchids.garden-corner.com] where you can learn more about caring for orchids [http://orchids.garden-corner.com]

Organic Gardening - Growing Yard Long Green Beans

Yard Long Green Beans, productive, tasty and unusual looking. These beans are a native to Africa and are an incredible heat tolerant plant that has a beautiful flower along with an attractive foliage. It is a great crop to include in your edible landscape on a trellis in your yard. These beans are also know by name as asparagus beans, Chinese beans, garter beans and snake bean.

These beans are from the same family as the cowpeas and the black-eye pea. It is an annual vine plant that can grow between 10 to 12 feet tall and prefers a warm soil and growing climate.

Gardening

Soil conditions that yard long green beans prefer is a loose, friable soil that is not to rich in nitrogen and has a ph level of between 5.5 - 7.5, but will tolerate acid soils. A soil that has a high nitrogen content can cause an abundant leaf growth that can cause a reduced productivity of the bean crop.

Raised beds or hills are the best method for growing this crop because of the fact that the soil warms quicker and the soil is looser to a deeper depth. Mixing compost or composted manure into the soil in the early spring to a depth of 8 to 10 inches will improve the soils structure and help to boost the soils fertility.

Sow seeds directly into the garden after all dangers of frost have passed. This is a warm weather crop and will not thrive in cool temperatures. Plant seeds 2 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart in loose soils and 1 inch deep in heavier soils. Once the seeds are planted water deeply and keep the soil moist throughout the entire growing season to have a high yielding productive crop. Once the seedling have emerged you can thin the plants to 6-12 inches apart.

Harvesting can start about 2 months from the time the seeds were planted and continuously throughout the summer months to fall.

Organic Gardening - Growing Yard Long Green Beans

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Perennial Flowers - Tips For Growing Your Perennial Flower Garden

So, you are thinking about starting a new flower garden, but don't know where to begin? Perennial flowers make an excellent choice for a beautiful flower display, but in order to create a garden with the most impact, there are many factors to consider before planting your perennial flower garden.

Site Selection

Garden

When selecting a site for a perennial flower garden, you should be certain that it receives enough sunlight. Most perennial flowers thrive on six hours of sunlight a day or more. If you are stuck with a shady place, however, you can still grow some perennial flowers. You will just need to be careful of which varieties you choose, and make sure they are shade tolerant.

You also need to consider soil quality and drainage in your proposed perennial flower garden site. Avoid planting in areas with an abundance of weeds, as they will compete with the perennial flowers for needed nutrients and water. You should also avoid areas that have poor drainage. While perennial flowers will be able to survive in a wet area for a short period of time after a rain or watering, they will not survive in an area where there is standing water for long periods of time. Ideally, the soil in your perennial flower garden site will also be fluffy and rich, but if not, try to incorporate sufficient compost into the soil before you plant your flowers.

You should also consider foot traffic and children and pet play habits in the area you are considering establishing your perennial flower bed. Try to avoid planting your perennial flowers in an area where they will be trampled underfoot.

Flower Selection

Perennial flowers come in a wide array of colors, shapes and types, and the perennial flower gardener may quickly be overwhelmed by choices. One tip for making your flower selection is to consider how colors combine. Try not to choose flowers whose colors may clash (such as orange and pink), and instead focus on complementary colors in your garden (pinks and blues often make a beautiful combination).

You should also consider the height of different flower species. Try to make sure a tall perennial flower you have selected does not hide a smaller one behind it.

Finally, pay attention to the blooming period of the perennial flowers you are selecting. Most perennial flowers have a short blooming period lasting from two to four weeks, and for maximum impact you should coordinate the blooming periods of different perennial flowers.

Growing Habits of Perennial Flowers

If you are starting your perennial flowers from seed, you should be aware that it is unlikely you will see any flowers during their first year of growth. This is because most perennial flowers will put all their energy into root and plant growth during the first year, but during the second year (and future years) you can expect a beautiful display. If you do not think you have the patience to wait a full two years to see flowers, consider planting some annuals with your perennials so that you will have some color in your garden during the first year.

You can also try using transplants you first year, in order to get your perennial flower garden off to a quick start. If you decide to use transplants, try to select plants that are not in bloom when you plant them, since this is not a good time to establish them in your garden. Also avoid transplants that have pale or yellow stems and leaves. Try to do your transplanting on a day which is relatively cool and overcast for the best results, and be sure to water the plants well after transplanting and continue watering until the plants have become well established.

Although starting a new garden can be a challenge, by following the few suggestions outlined above, you should be well on your way to creating a beautiful, and long lasting, perennial flower garden.

Perennial Flowers - Tips For Growing Your Perennial Flower Garden

Michelle Day is an avid gardener currently living in the Pacific Northwest. You can read more about perennial flowers on her Perennial Gardening Blog.