Have you ordered your warm weather bulbs yet? Get your online orders in because the most popular types sell out quickly. Many people start their warm weather bulbs indoors (especially in areas that suffer long cold springs). Sprout the bulbs in nursery pots in a sunny window or sunroom.
Compost
Are you ready with compost? One of the first spring garden chores you’ll need to complete is to add two to three inches of mulch around your plants. The compost helps keep the roots warm during spring temperature fluctuations, helps the soil hold moisture, and prevents unwanted weed growth.
If you are like most Americans, you start your day out with a piping hot cup of coffee. Do you normally throw away your used coffee grounds? After you have enjoyed your pot of java, you probably discard the coffee grounds without a second thought. Instead of tossing the sodden grounds, save them to grow mushrooms!
One of the main appeals of micro-farming is the low initial cost. The small plot of land is far thriftier than hundreds of acres. You can even use your current house and yard if the zoning allows you to farm the land. There is no need to invest a sizable amount of money in farming equipment. In fact, some micro-farmers still opt to till the soil the old-fashioned way- by hand. Remember, one of the main things about micro-farming is that it is a return to the basics. It’s a way of embracing the farming practices of a century ago and saying ‘no’ to high tech/high dollar farming equipment.
A plant can harness the sun’s energy and then use it to create oxygen and glucose for growth. Animals then eat the plants for energy. It is a basic circle of life. A plant absorbs carbon dioxide and water. The plant then relies on its vast cellular system to kick off an oxidation process on the water which causes it to release its electrons. The carbon dioxide is then processed so it can gain electrons. The entire amazing process converts water into oxygen and carbon dioxide into glucose.
You must wait to prune any hydrangea that blooms on old-growth wood until it has finished its flower process. A hydrangea that forms blooms on old growth starts to develop the buds during the fall months. The shrub then enters a state of dormancy until spring. Once spring arrives, the canes start to wake up and the buds again start to complete their formation cycle before flowering. The only safe window of time to prune such a shrub is right after the flowerheads are spent. If you do not heed these directions then the bush will produce very few if any flowers. In fact, some hydrangea shrubs will take two years to recover if you prune away the shrub’s old growth canes.
Thorn-covered raspberry bushes adore the cold weather. The shrubs will grow on the side of a mountain as far north as the Canadian border. The hardiest varieties produce red or yellow berries. Avoid planning thornless raspberries shrubs in areas that suffer extreme weather because they are not as cold hardy
Choose a planting location in full sunlight. Raspberry bushes prefer well-draining soil that is somewhat sandy. The planting location should provide some protection from extreme winds. Often a slope is the best area to plant the bushes because they will have some protection.
Flowers look amazing and they smell wonderful, but they also carry pollen which can trigger an allergic avalanche of physical symptoms. Modern, hybridized plants are less likely to contain exceedingly high levels of pollen, but most gardens contain the old-fashioned plant varieties that have flourished for generations.
Pollen in Big and Small Flowers
Luckily, the most outstanding flowers do not always have the most pollen. In fact, Mother Nature designed brilliant blooms to attract honeybees and other pollinators to evenly disperse the plant’s pollen because the blooms contain very heavy pollen which is not transferred easily via the wind. The worst flowers for allergies are usually very nondescript and tiny. They have dust-like pollen that is easily dispersed via the wind.
Nowadays, it seems like everyone banters the words microgreens and sprouts interchangeably but they are really two unique stages. Sprouts are germinated seeds. The small plant bursts out of the seed, pushing the seed shell up and out of the soil. The shell usually hangs precariously on the top of the sprout. Currently, you harvest the sprout, and you enjoy the tender plant and the seed. The combination of crunchy goodness is loaded with nutrition.
A microgreen is the next stage of the plant’s life right after it sheds the seed shell. Most people think of the microgreen phase as the toddler stage of a plant’s life and the sprout phase as a baby stage.
Composting is an important part of gardening. A rich compost combined with a nutrient-rich fertilizer such as one of Humboldts products is a great way to successfully grow a thriving garden. For centuries backyard compost piles have been an indispensable tool for gardeners, but nowadays you have options that provide greater efficiency and ease to create black gold compost for thegarden. In this article, we will explore the differences between composters and tumblers.
The diversity of bamboo is truly mind-boggling. Bamboo grows on five continents and there are 1718 species that are divided into 128 genera. At your local nursery, you will encounter around 100 species. Many can reach staggering heights of 30 feet and others will barely stand five feet tall when fully grown. You will see that bamboo is divided into two categories: clumping and running. Clumping bamboo grows in an easy-to-maintain clump and is not invasive. Running bamboo travels everywhere and can quickly overtake a landscape if not maintained. However, running bamboo is ideal for creating a privacy hedge or fence.
Air plants are easy to maintain but they are not completely ‘care-free’. Like any plant, they require light, air circulation, water, and nutrients. They are incredibly happy with only minimal watering and nutrients though. You can easily keep these plants alive by using a hydroponic nutrient solution and water. Simply lightly mist the plant daily with the formula and it will thrive. Some people take the air plants and submerge them in a water and nutrient bath once a week to abstain from the daily misting.
All air plants adore light so make sure you put them in an area of high light that replicates where they would be growing outdoors on a tree. Many people like to pair the Tillandsia with orchids because they both require similar care and light and will easily complement each other
Microgreens are not a specific species of plant but a collection of plants that must be harvested as a very specific stage during the growth process. Depending on the microgreens, you’ll either harvest when their cotyledons are present or wait until their true leaves appear. Microgreens are terribly like baby greens. They are highly nutritious, and you can dine on the stem and leaves. Some common types of microgreens include buckwheat, arugula, sunflower, cress, amaranth, and broccoli.
