Black Mondo Grass Care

Posted on June 4, 2011 by admin

So, black mondo grass is unique, as it has blackish leaves, but, the color may not be that pronounced in young plants that are found to have green leaves. The black color develop as the leaves grow in size. They are evergreen perennials that grow from rhizomes. Black mondo grass is found to grow in round clumps, with a maximum height of around eight to ten inches and a spread of around twelve inches. The leaves develop in tufts, from which flower racemes emerge. The flowers of black mondo grass are usually found to be whitish or lilac in color. As in leaves, the fruits too are bluish black in color.

One of the advantages of these plants is that they retain the glossy black color throughout the year. This is more applicable for those in warmer areas, but, in colder regions, the condition of the foliage may deteriorate during winter. However, black mondo grass is found to be a wonderful non messy plant for growing and the following paragraph deals with how to grow black mondo grass properly.

Black Mondo Grass Care

If you plan to grow black mondo grass, it will be always better to a basic understanding about the plant and its requirements. This plant requires well drained soil, which is acidic and rich in decomposed organic matter. You may plant them at locations that provide them with full sun or partial shade. Prepare the soil by tilling and adding some compost. You may also add a small amount of slow release fertilizer. If you want to plant black mondo grass in containers, use a good quality potting mix with good drainage. Once done, make holes that can accommodate the root ball of the grass. If there are more than one, keep a distance of at least eight to ten inches between them. Plant black mondo grass and water the soil thoroughly. The soil should be kept moist, till the plants get established. Continue reading →

Posted in Tips | Tagged | Leave a comment

How to Grow Hydroponic Tomatoes at Home?

Posted on May 31, 2011 by admin

For a plant to thrive, it needs adequate light, nutrients, water, air, temperature and other growth factors. If all these requirements are fulfilled, nearly all types of plants can grow luxuriantly even in soilless systems. The same logic is applied in hydroponics, a technique in which plants are grown in water with dissolved nutrients. Likewise, while growing tomatoes in hydroponic system, the plants are fed with nutrients via the water medium. Other factors like temperature, light, air circulation, etc. are maintained to suit the plant species.

Similar to the misconception that revolved around genetically modified foods, lots of questions have been put forth regarding the introduction of hydroponic tomatoes in the market. People are concerned about the hydroponic tomatoes nutrients, taste and quality. According to avid gardeners, hydroponic tomatoes taste is superior than the store bought ones. Instead of picking at the immature stage, the green tomatoes are allowed to ripen in the plant itself. Also, the nutrients fed to the plants are adjusted to ensure great taste and high nutritional value.

How to Grow Hydroponic Tomatoes at Home?

The method of maintaining plants in water is definitely a boon for gardeners who are left with unsuitable soil or no spare land for nurturing plants. This gives a chance to implement their personal skills and enjoy their hobby. In fact, there are several advantages of growing tomatoes hydroponically, such as easy plant maintenance, efficient use of water and fertilizer, high yield and easy pest control. If you are interested in knowing how to grow hydroponic tomatoes indoors, the following are simple to understand guidelines for you.

Choose the System
Consider the type of cultivar, tomato size and available space while selecting the hydroponic production system or setting up homemade hydroponic system. A popularly used model is expandable drip system, configured with the usual drip irrigation. Over here, the planting system is positioned at a higher level than the nutrient reservoir. The nutrients from the reservoir are fed to the plants, which then circulate back by gravity.

Tomato Propagation Mode
Needless to mention, hydroponic tomatoes are maintained as a part of indoor gardening. For growing hydroponic tomatoes, you can start with seeds or purchase young tomato plants from nursery. Seed propagation is preferred to avoid pest problems, and also to reduce cost. Either you can use rockwool starter cubes (presoak with water) or simple garden tray containing perlite and peat moss. Sow seeds, and keep them moist and covered till they germinate. Then, transfer the sprouts under fluorescent light for maximum light exposure.

Tomato Seedling Transplantation
Tomato seedlings are ready for transplantation when you notice true leaves. This is one of the crucial steps of growing hydroponic tomatoes indoors. So, go through the user guide provided with the system. First, prepare the hydroponic nutrient solution as directed in the label and fill the reservoir. Directly transfer the seedlings from the starter cube to the individual pot, provided in the hydroponic system. Cover them with porous rocks (haydite) to give support to the plants. Continue reading →

Posted in Study | Tagged | Leave a comment

Koi Pond Designs

Posted on May 26, 2011 by admin

Irrespective of the beauty of a koi pond, if certain basics are not followed during koi pond construction, you will face a lot of problems later on, as they are unique in themselves. Koi fish grow very fast and produce a lot of waste and as such they need to be supplied with good quality water, you need to create a mechanism wherein the water is continuously being filtered. Moreover, you also need to consider its size, koi fish need a larger pond. The smallest koi pond construction should be at least 4 feet deep, 8 feet long and 7 feet wide, if larger the better, but preferable should not be larger than 21 ft. in length, 17 ft. in width and 6 ft. in depth. You may not be happy see a few koi fish roaming around, and you may want to include a few more, so a larger pond is better. But having said that too large a pond may make it difficult to clean and maintain, so don’t make it too large. Moreover, see to it that the pond is situated in such an area where some portion of the pond can receive some shade.

During summers, water can get hot, and so the little creatures need cool areas around. Additionally, you need to remember that, leaves would fall on the water, so you need to think of measures to clean them. So these were some of the most important points which you need to keep in mind while going for koi pond construction, now let’s take a look at the cost of constructing a pond. You may like to know about koi pond maintenance so that the pond remains clean.

Koi Pond Construction Cost

The cost of koi pond construction depends of several factors, the first and most important being the cost of koi fish. Then you need to consider all the building materials like the size of the pond liner, cost of stones or rocks which need to be used at the bottom of the pond, pump and filter which needs to be fitted, UV sterilizer, fittings and PCV pipes and not to mention the cost of labor. Moreover, you also need to consider how big the pond would be, bigger the pond, more the money you would have to spend. Usually for a standard sized pond of 19 ft. in depth and width, and 4 ft. depth, you may need to spend about US $8000, and this amount does not include the cost of koi.

How to Build a Koi Pond Continue reading →

Posted in Tips | Tagged | Leave a comment

What is Sphagnum Moss

Posted on May 23, 2011 by admin

A close scrutiny of the green vegetative layer that spans across marshes and wetlands would reveal that there are actually two distinct layers of vegetation involved. The upper, topmost surface that faces the sky is actually made up of a layer of live-growing moss cover, while the subsequent layers that lie underneath this surface layer is composed of decaying vegetative matter which is known as sphagnum peat moss. Sphagnum moss belongs to the phylum Bryophytes which is a lower strata of the plant kingdom that also includes lower plant forms like seaweed and algae. Like all other mosses, protists and fungi, Sphagnum mosses undergo metagenesis. The hahaploid gametophyte releases archegonia (female gametes that produce eggs) and antheridia (male counterpart that produces sperms). The sperms swim across the water to access the archegonia and fertilize the eggs contained therein. The fertilized eggs are known as diploid zygote and these turn into sporophytes which, on maturity, manufacture and produce haploid spores. On germination, these spores become gametophytes and the entire cycle starts all over again.

Bogs and sphagnum mosses share a symbiotic relationship. Bogs and all vegetation that thrive there are completely dependent upon rainfall to derive nutrition. Sphagnum moss has an important role to play here, as it has the ability to trap and store air and rainwater within its cells that can be used by the rest of the bog after the rains have ceased. Let’s take a look at some other interesting facts about sphagnum moss.

Sphagnum Moss Facts

Check out these interesting facts about sphagnum moss and you’ll realize that this particular moss is much more than a bog-shroud. •The largest number of Sphagnum species occur in the Northern hemisphere including the Arctic tundra biome where they can be seen in the summer months growing over moist, soggy, summer marshes. A few species are also found in the Southern hemisphere, especially in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, sub-tropical regions of Brazil and Tasmania.
•Like all other species of moss, the sphagnum moss is also capable of dispersing its spores aerially.
•Due to its ability to lock large amounts of moisture and air within its cells, peat moss is widely used as a soil conditioner for gardening and horticulture.
•The absorbing capability and acidic composition of peat moss made it a popular dressing for wounds during both World Wars, since it acts as an anti bacterial agent and fungicide.
•Peat moss is considered as an organic alternative to chlorine for purifying the water of swimming pools. Continue reading →

Posted in Study | Tagged | Leave a comment

How to Grow Your Own Tobacco

Posted on May 17, 2011 by admin

Growing tobacco is not a difficult task, if you have a basic know how about the right techniques. These plants have green foliage and produce attractive flowers and so, can be a good for gardening. Another advantage is that they can grow in a wide range of soil types, but, the nature of foliage may vary with plants growing in different types of soil. However, little bit of care is required in germinating the seeds, transplanting them and protecting the plants from diseases. Let us take a look at the various aspects about how to grow your own tobacco at home.
•First of all, you have to obtain seeds or young plants. This will be easy for you, if you have access to tobacco farmers. Otherwise, you can order the seeds through mail or online. For ornamental purposes, jasmine tobacco or rose tobacco are more suitable, as they produce attractive flowers.
•Tobacco seeds being tiny in nature, you have to keep them indoors in a covered container. Sowing of these seeds is usually done, before a month from the last frost.
•Take a seed tray and fill it with a potting mix made from equal amounts of potting soil and humus. Sprinkle some water over the soil and spread the seeds over it.
•Once you are done with sowing, keep the tray in a propagator for a few days. Otherwise, place the tray in a cupboard with a temperature of 70 to 80 degrees.
•Seedlings will appear within eight to ten days and from this stage, you have to keep them in a location with a lower temperature of around 55 degrees.
•After a few weeks, you can plant them outdoors. You may also plant them in containers and grow your own tobacco indoors, but, these plants may not grow as healthy as the outdoor ones.
•In order to grow tobacco outdoors, you have to till the soil and fertilize it, before planting them. Tobacco plants love bright sunlight and so, prefer locations that fulfill this requirement. Cold climates are not suitable for tobacco plants.
•Plant them at a distance of around two feet. Regular watering is also a must for tobacco plants. Fertilizers for tobacco must be rich in nitrogen and potash. You may also replace such fertilizers with wood ash.
•Another important part of tobacco growing is the timely removal of suckers (buds that arise from the base of leaves) and terminal bud, so that the leaves grow big and healthy. This is applicable for those who grow this plant for personal use and not for ornamental purposes.
•If you want to grow your own tobacco, then, you must be aware of the pests and diseases that can affect this plant. While, diseases, like, root rot and mosaic disease may occur in these plants, it is the pest called hawk moth that can cause harm to the plant. Its caterpillar can cause immense damage to the plant and so, this pest should be controlled.
•After a growth of three to four months, when the leaves get big enough for harvest, you can remove the leaves from the plants and dry them for further use. Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Product & Services | Tagged | Leave a comment