How To Tell The Difference Between Foliage Plants

Foliage plants are an integral part of any home garden, they are not effected by any seasonal changes and continue growing beautifully all year long. There are thousands of species and varieties of plants available. The choices of size, color, leaf shape, is unlimited.

The plants in this article are able to be grown in any location, any part of the country and easy to find and available anywhere. The Chinese evergreen, is one of the easiest plants in the world to grow. The plant does well in either water or soil and require minimal care, other than an occasional spray.

There are many different varieties with different characteristics. The most well known is the Silver Queen, and the stem is about three feet long and the leaves are pointed and can reach up to one foot in length. A commutatum is not as big, but the size and shape are similar and has dark green striped leaves that can reach up to ten inches in length. One of the most beautiful foliage plants is the coleus, which has leaves colored pink, yellow and brown that contrast strikingly against green. It is not harmful to water them with warmer water during the winter.

There are several popular varieties of the plant that has leaves ranging from an inch to up to eight inches. These varieties look best on gardening planters and self watering containers. You can make the leaves larger by pinching them back and limiting the number allowed to grow. The plant is easily propagated by seeds or cutting, and make sure to use insecticides to prevent mealy bug infestation.

The Dracaena is a member of the lily family and has long striped leaves and can grow to large dimensions with leaves that can reach up to three feet long and possibly touching the ceiling. D. sanderiana, one of the more popular variety, have leaves that can measure up to ten inches in length and are green with a white border and grow in clusters. D. godseffiana, grows from a stalk and the leaves are green with white spots. D. fragrans, is the tall growing family member and should be propagated by air layering when it starts to grow overly tall and a bit more leggy. The plants do ideally well when kept at a consistent temperature year-round and you can increase your propagation by seeds or cutting the stems.

Soil Preparation Process

The single most important tool a gardener works with is the soil on his property. The quality of soil will of course vary greatly from one area to another, and all information outlined in this particular chapter is applicable to local conditions. As a general, soil can be divided into three groups; clay, sand or silt. The ideal combination of soil contains all three ingredients and is classified as garden loam. Clay soils have the best water holding retention capacity, and of course a sandy soil has the least.

Binding material of all good soil is an organic called humus, that increases the water holding capacity and easily absorbs the sun rays. Humus also liberates the compounds for plants from the soil and provides fertilization and improves soil texture quality.

Humus is added to the soil by using an organic fertilizer such as manure or the contents of a compost pile. Humus can also be bought directly, however the expense is prohibitive if going to be used in a large area and needs treatment.

Soil is actually a living thing. Even in the smallest area there are several million animal and plant organisms going about their specific tasks. The more bacterial activity that goes on translates to mean a more fertile soil. Fertility needs four elements; bacteria, sunshine, water and a food source. Given the sunlight, all of the other elements can be added to the soil during proper maintenance. Organic fertilizers give the soil all three of these elements. There is a number of ways that these materials can be added to the soil and a most of them are common and easy to do.

A compost heap is a combination of soil mixed with organic materials such as; manure, garbage, and plant cuttings. The heap is prepared by first placing a layer of inactive material and placing a layer of soil, alternate the layers of organic material and soil mixture to a height of around four feet. The width of the heap should be from four to six feet tall and the pile needs to be kept wetted down during the first few weeks and should be turned at regular intervals as well. When the pile begins to decompose, proceed to a sufficient point, the compost can be added into the soil.

Using Mineral and Nonorganic Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers, for example, those found in a compost heap or animal manure, can be added into organic fertilizer to make the best soil food. Organic fertilizers can be classified by their content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. You may find a fertilizer designated with a ratio of 2/6/2, this means it has two parts nitrogen, 6 parts phosphorus and two parts potash. The numbers of inorganic fertilizer always shows the proportions in the form noted above.

What are Cover Crops?

Certain crops will add the inorganic elements back into the soil as they grow and will also provide a valuable organic type manure. Cover crops are the best way to fertilize land and though they take time, usually a growing season, to produce their best effort. Cover crops like alfalfa and soybeans add nitrogen back into the soil when planted and when plowed under, provide more. A good cover crop of say legumes, can add over 100 pounds of nitrogen into the soil on a per acre basis or the equivalent would be around 10-15 lbs. of animal manure. Nitrogen and mineral content in the cover crope are highest before maturity and should be then plowed under. Hairy vetch is another good example of a cover crop that is a good soil builder, it may be sown in September and plowed under in May.

Keeping the Soil in the best condition

Keeping soil healthy and fertile does require an effort. Fertilizing during the growing season and during prep are very important. The best and easy way to add fertilizer is to add either organic fertilizer or inorganic one to the water supply and then use it to water soil. This ensures an even distribution and a quick absorption time to avoid lawn burn. You can spread it either by via a spread or by hand, such as on the lawn, but then you need to wash down with the hose.

If you are working on soil foundation issues, apply the fertilizer prior to working with a spade or tiller, then try to work it in evenly.

You can user lime, especially if you live in the Atlantic Coastal region where there is less calcium in the soil and the soil is more acidic. If you use ground limestone, with a bunch of organic matter, you are not apt to use more than you need.

The Importance Of Fertilizer To Your Lawn

The single most important tool a gardener works with is the soil on his property. The quality of soil will of course vary greatly from one area to another, and all information outlined in this particular chapter is applicable to local conditions. As a general, soil can be divided into three groups; clay, sand or silt. The ideal combination of soil contains all three ingredients and is classified as garden loam. Clay soils have the best water holding retention capacity, and of course a sandy soil has the least.

Binding material of all good soil is an organic called humus, that increases the water holding capacity and easily absorbs the sun rays. Humus also liberates the compounds for plants from the soil and provides fertilization and improves soil texture quality.

Humus is added to the soil by using an organic fertilizer such as manure or the contents of a compost pile. Humus can also be bought directly, however the expense is prohibitive if going to be used in a large area and needs treatment.

Soil is actually a living thing. Even in the smallest area there are several million animal and plant organisms going about their specific tasks. The more bacterial activity that goes on translates to mean a more fertile soil. Fertility needs four elements; bacteria, sunshine, water and a food source. Given the sunlight, all of the other elements can be added to the soil during proper maintenance. Organic fertilizers give the soil all three of these elements. There is a number of ways that these materials can be added to the soil and a most of them are common and easy to do.

A compost heap is a combination of soil mixed with organic materials such as; manure, garbage, and plant cuttings. The heap is prepared by first placing a layer of inactive material and placing a layer of soil, alternate the layers of organic material and soil mixture to a height of around four feet. The width of the heap should be from four to six feet tall and the pile needs to be kept wetted down during the first few weeks and should be turned at regular intervals as well. When the pile begins to decompose, proceed to a sufficient point, the compost can be added into the soil.

Using Mineral and Nonorganic Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers, for example, those found in a compost heap or animal manure, can be added into organic fertilizer to make the best soil food. Organic fertilizers can be classified by their content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. You may find a fertilizer designated with a ratio of 2/6/2, this means it has two parts nitrogen, 6 parts phosphorus and two parts potash. The numbers of inorganic fertilizer always shows the proportions in the form noted above.

What are Cover Crops?

Certain crops will add the inorganic elements back into the soil as they grow and will also provide a valuable organic type manure. Cover crops are the best way to fertilize land and though they take time, usually a growing season, to produce their best effort. Cover crops like alfalfa and soybeans add nitrogen back into the soil when planted and when plowed under, provide more. A good cover crop of say legumes, can add over 100 pounds of nitrogen into the soil on a per acre basis or the equivalent would be around 10-15 lbs. of animal manure. Nitrogen and mineral content in the cover crope are highest before maturity and should be then plowed under. Hairy vetch is another good example of a cover crop that is a good soil builder, it may be sown in September and plowed under in May.

Keeping the Soil in the best condition

Keeping soil healthy and fertile does require an effort. Fertilizing during the growing season and during prep are very important. The best and easy way to add fertilizer is to add either organic fertilizer or inorganic one to the water supply and then use it to water soil. This ensures an even distribution and a quick absorption time to avoid lawn burn. You can spread it either by via a spread or by hand, such as on the lawn, but then you need to wash down with the hose.

If you are working on soil foundation issues, apply the fertilizer prior to working with a spade or tiller, then try to work it in evenly.

You can user lime, especially if you live in the Atlantic Coastal region where there is less calcium in the soil and the soil is more acidic. If you use ground limestone, with a bunch of organic matter, you are not apt to use more than you need.

Houseplants And The Common Houseplant Pests

There are many different types of species that eat up houseplants. There are also a few found in almost all areas.

The first type of common houseplant pests are so tiny you cannot even see them with your eyes, though their damage can become obvious, bacteria.

Rotting roots is a common type of problem with plants that are victim of over watering. Some forms of rot are the result of fungi that grow as a result of over water. The excess moisture aids the growth of bacteria found in the soil that already live in the soil and can be beneficial in small amounts. Once they get to a certain size, the attack the roots and they get transported up into the body of the plant and the leaves. This can quickly kill even the healthiest plant.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, is applicable here. Simply watch how much you water your plants and when. How much water is the right amount, when it best time to water and this will vary from one species to another. You need to research the different types of needs your plant may have.

Whiteflies, are a common indoor plant pest. They bugs are easy to identify, and have long waxy white bodies. You may seem the flying around the leaves if you shake them gently. Aphids appear similar, however they do not display the same rapid pattern of movement as whiteflies and their body is more round, particularly after they feed.

Mealy bugs are very different, they attach themselves to a joint between the branch and leaf stem. They leave behind small sacks that appear like wet cotton.

Spider mites are quite a common plant pest and can be easily spotted by taking a closer look with a magnifying glass if necessary. They appear like small spiders with tiny webs. Oftentimes, their bodies are yellow and will turn red, with tiny black spots, and black mites are also another common pest.

Fungus gnats are another type of pest, though the flying pests arent a major problem for houseplants. Their larvae are developed from eggs that are laid in the soil and can damage your plants. You can treat the soil and kill the flying adult bugs, they will only proceed to lay more eggs if not dealt with.

These common bugs, although seldom found on zz plant, can be taken care of with a commercial insecticide. For fungus gnat, spider mites the solution is neem oil. For mealy bugs, lady bugs are best eradicated by a biological control means. In most cases, using a simple spray of diluted liquid dishwashing soap works quite well. To make your own, add a half ounce of soap to water and mix well. Spray the plant and make certain to get the under part of leaves as well.

Be careful not to overdo the mix concentration or over spraying. You do not want to clog the leave pores, this is how a plant breathes. They breathe in carbon dioxide and exert oxygen into the air through these pores.

When its hot outside, they close down, this makes it a good time to spray. When the temp drops and the bugs die, you can spray with clean water to rinse. Through the right mix an spraying, this is not necessary.

Choosing a House Plant

Although many plants can adapt equally well to indoor or outdoor conditions, some will flourish in the protected environment inside your home, while others enjoy the elements outdoors. If you enjoy gardening, be sure to understand your plant’s requirements when choosing a new plant for either your home or garden.

Herbs are one of the most adaptable types of plants available. As long as they have enough drainage and light, they will thrive indoors or out. However, if you are looking specifically for plants to keep indoors, there are many other plants that are well suited to this.

Bay Laurel, a plant native to the Mediterranean, grows well even in poor soil conditions as long as it receives plenty of light. You don’t need to water frequently or fertilize excessively; in fact, it is quite possible to overwater or add too much fertilizer. Go easy when caring for a plant like Bay Laurel.

Parsley is an excellent herb to plant indoors. It will do better indoors than when exposed to the elements outdoors. It loves sun, as do most herbs, so place your planter of parsley near a window where it will receive lots of sunlight.

Unlike many herbs, most bonsai plants prefer to be outdoors. However, there are several species that will adapt well to indoor conditions. In some climates, you cannot grow bonsai outdoors, and they will actually do better indoors. For example, tropical bonsai will do well outside if you live in a warm climate. But if it dips below 50 degrees for more than a day, you’re better off keeping your tropical bonsai plants indoors. When you keep plants indoors, you can control the conditions.

You may think that you need to simulate tropical conditions for these plants, making yourself uncomfortable. However, all you need to do is make the area near the plants hot and humid. Regularly spray your plants with water. However, keep them out of direct sunlight, as it can even overwhelm plants that thrive in heat and sunlight.

To keep houseplants, such as the peace lilly plant healthy, consider purchasing supplemental lights or heat lamps to simulate the conditions under which they thrive. Purchase a kit to monitor the plant soil conditions. Above all, make sure that the plants you choose are well suited to indoor conditions to begin with. When you choose a plant that will only thrive indoors and try to force it to flourish inside your home, you will only end up frustrated at its poor growth.

Changes in Popular Garden Features Over Time

Did you know that gardening is one of the oldest hobbies? Plants have, of course, been around since the beginning of mankind. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and gardening has long been a leisure activity for the elite.

In Asia, plants have been used to treat and cure diseases for hundreds of years. Chinese medicine is especially known for its use of herbs and other plants. Not only have plants been cultivate for their medicinal properties, but also for their beauty. Early on, gardeners learned how to cross two varieties of plants to create a new type of plants. Many of these early plants are useful as well as beautiful.

In the Middle Ages, members of royalty grew gardens of flowers, but most people grew plants as food more than for aesthetic reasons. Herbs were very popular for their healing properties. New spices and herbs were introduced to the European world due to travelers who brought them back from faraway lands.

Between the Middle Ages and the Victorian period, gardens became more popular. Many members of the nobility were famous for their extensive gardens, include Marie Antoinette. Exotic plants because very popular. In the Victorian era, gardening reached heights never before seen in England.

English gardens created during the Victorian era were meant to display the wealth of the homeowner, as well as provide a place for entertaining. Roses were a popular addition to Victorian gardens. Greenhouses and conservatories became popular for hobbyist gardeners to try their hand at growing unique plants from far away lands. Gardeners created many new varieties of common and popular plant species, including begonias and daffodils.

Victorian gardeners soon turned their attention to adding architectural elements to their gardens, as structures and rows of hedges became popular. Topiary plants were also a common addition to English gardens, including those shaped like animals.

In contrast, American gardens of the same time period were a bit more restrained. Many of the founding fathers were farmers with practical vegetable gardens and orchards. Even though flowers and greenhouses were popular, many people lived in cities and did not have room for such luxuries.

After the Industrial Revolution, formal lawns with shrubs were replaced by much more elaborate gardens including fountains, large conservatories, and massive plantings. As people began to rely on store-bought medications, plants formerly grown for their medicinal qualities were abandoned in favor of those with more beautiful blooms. Today, the use of herbs is coming back into style, and many modern gardens have a place for herbs and other medicinal plants.

Landscaping plants like the kentia palm plants are becoming more and more popular today as people try to create a retreat in their own backyard. New plant varieties are being developed that are hardier and require less care. As you can see, gardening has long been a popular hobby. If you decide to start a garden, you will be continuing a tradition that is many hundreds of years old.

How to Grow Plants in Typical Indoor Conditions

When you are purchasing houseplants, pick the right plant for your environment, instead of trying to change your home to accommodate the plant you have chosen. Keep in mind the temperature at which you keep your home; different plants will thrive at different temperatures. Some like cool temperatures, in the 50s and 60s, while others enjoy 70 or even 80 degrees.

If you turn your thermostat down at night, your plants will be able to cope. In the wild, after all, they are used to a 10 to 15 degree drop in temperature at night. Because your plants are probably going to be near a window, make sure that there are no drafts that will make your plants too cold. Be aware that the temperature near a window is often several degrees colder than the temperature on the other side of the room. Especially if you live in an old home or have casement windows, be aware of where you are placing your plants.

Not only can your plants get too cold, but they can overheat, as well. While most plants can adapt to the heat levels inside the typical home, excess heat or too high temperature can lead to reduced humidity, which can damage your plants. Many houseplants are used to more humid environments than in the typical home. Plants need moisture not only through their roots, but also in the air, which they absorb through their leaves. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to increase the moisture available to your plants. Do not try to do this by soaking them with too much water every time you water them; the moisture must come through the air, not through the soil. There are a few things you can do to make the air around your indoor and outdoor houseplants more humid.

If the air in your home is not humid enough for your plants, you can purchase a humidifier to place near them. These keep the humidity around them at a constant level, which will help your plants thrive. A less expensive alternative is to fill pans of water near your radiators. This water will evaporate, adding moisture to the air. Most plants also enjoy being sprayed lightly with water from a spray bottle. When done once or twice a week, this spraying will keep the foliage hydrated. Misting your plants can help keep them from drying out in a low-humidity environment. It also cleans the leaves of the dust found in a typical home, and helps keeps insects from settling on them. However, be aware of the needs of your plant. Some, like African Violet or others with hairy leaves, an actually be damaged by misting. If you mist an African Violet, the leaves will grow white spots and begin to decay.

Be aware of your plants’ requirements when bringing them into your home. While many can adapt to the conditions of the typical home, you should monitor the temperature and humidity so that your plants can thrive.

Stopping Pests From Infecting Your Fruit Trees

Protecting your fruit trees from pests in the summer time can be frustrating and seem to be an impossible task to accomplish. Doing so without pesticides or chemicals is even more so. Many people are scared by the prospect of using chemical pesticides, believing that they will infect the tree and its fruit. If done properly, however, this is rarely the case. You can get rid of pests using chemicals and not infect the tree or its fruit in the process.

If you’re using chemicals, you’re likely using a pump (atomizing) sprayer or a hose-mounted bottle sprayer. In either case, your technique is what will keep your trees healthy and safe.

Using a pump sprayer, you can more accurately determine the mix of chemicals and where the spray will land. On the down side, however, you won’t be able to spray as far and are more likely to get it on yourself. So wearing proper clothing that covers your body and a mask will keep you from inhaling the spray. You’ll also need a ladder and more maneuverability as you’ll be required to be much closer to the spray areas.

Using a hose-end sprayer, you will have longer range and wider coverage-including the top of the tree. However, you won’t have the accuracy and the mixture is totally dependent on water pressure, which you can’t easily regulate. The chemicals you purchase to use this way are much more concentrated and need to be well-diluted in order to be safe. This means good water pressure. So if you’re going to spray and your water pressure seems low, wait and see if it improves later in the day or earlier in the morning.

When you actually spray with these devices, the object is the same: even coverage over all surfaces. The spray should not be dripping from the leaves, but every surface should get an application. A ladder can help you get to the harder-to-reach areas of the tree. Apply the spray evenly, moving it back and forth so you don’t hit the same spot twice.

With neem tree and other larger trees, spraying of insecticide from the inside to the outside (trunk to leaf) is best and will ensure best coverage. The best method of spraying is starting from the top and working down, you’ll be able to see where the spray has dripped down and avoid re-covering those areas. This also allows you to methodically cover all areas of the tree without question as to whether you’ve done a spot or not.

Once you’ve completed spraying, be sure to completely clean off your equipment to get any residues off of them and then thoroughly clean your clothes and yourself to make sure you’ve washed it off completely. Wash your clothes separately and in a small load so as to get as much water into the wash basin as possible, ensuring the chemicals are thoroughly rinsed away.

Finally, water the base of the tree and around it on the ground in a parameter slightly larger than the tree’s spread. Soak the ground thoroughly to make sure all the chemicals which dripped down are heavily diluted. This keeps them from absorbing too readily into the tree itself, thus keeping your tree and its fruit healthy.

Grading Your Own Yard

Not every home on the block has an ideal environment, with the promise of easy to create outdoor recreational and entertainment areas, a great lawn and pristine garden. Many times, it is necessary to undergo a certain amount of time and effort to ensure quality of life for your trees and garden. This will be necessary when you want to plant trees and build any type of construction.

The most common type of landscaping issue is the grading. Ideally what grading means is to build a slope or a sloping area on your property. These slopes can provide proper drainage of water, can add beauty to your home and make it easier to take care of. Whatever you intend to build, plant or grow, grading is the most important thing to consider.

The best time to undergo a grading project, is when you are doing construction on your home. It is a quite simple to ask for a few extra inches between the entry level and ground. These couple of inches will ensure easier development of a grade away from the house to improve the look of your environment and obtain a clean, dry basement that will not flood.

The first step in lawn or garden construction is rough grading. The amount of grading will depend on the condition of your ground, the desirable ground level and attention that an extreme slope will require. It is very important to stick as close as possible to the natural slopes in grading, this will cut your expenses considerably.

The first thing you will do in grading is strip and separate topsoil from the area the level is going to be changed. If the grading is for construction of a terrace, then saving the topsoil is important. If this is the case, spread the topsoil in areas that are thin or use it in a flower garden, you cam save a great deal of money.

Once you have your topsoil stripped, the under soil can be graded to the contours you desire. This will allow sufficient room for adding the topsoil you already removed. For your lawn, a gently sloping area works best, most expert landscapers recommend a minimum of six inches in slope for every one hundred feet of land. The same measurements can be efficiently applied to a stone terrace as well, this will prevent the pooling of water during rainy weather.

When you have a thick subsoil made of clay, it is important to the well being of your lawn, that a drainage system be installed. If the soil is sandy, it is still a good idea to use subsoil drainage, because it provides quick and even distribution of water to the lawn or garden area. The first problem with drainage is to find an area where you can send the flow. If you live on low ground, water will flow from higher areas and this run-off area is very important. On higher ground, an underground piping system leading away from the slope will be enough.

If you are constructing your very own drain run-off, it is easier to do a dry well. This is nothing more than a simple pit, four to six feet in depth and diameter, and is filled with rock. The well should be marked after it is covered, so you can locate it when water starts to back up on the lawn.

Draining the subsoil is best accomplished by using tile lines. Semi-circle lines are laid in the upper soil layer, about one to two feet deep. The lines are two to four feet apart and covered with a foot of cinder before the dirt is replaced. The most effective landscaping idea for grading hillside areas for tile lines is three inches for every hundred feet in length.

When you are doing backfilling, you need to be sure to place all the soil you removed back in its place. If there are any slight mounds left after this, they will disappear after the first winter.

It can be very hard, even for a pro, to measure the grades by eye sight alone. It is even harder still for a novice. You need two sticks and twine, if you are going to grade to level. You pull the twine tightly between the two sticks embedded into the ground. Once the rough work of grading is over then you will need to level, you can use a long board as your straight edge against the ground to use for accuracy.

The Unique And Exotic Ochid Plant

Orchids are very beautiful and unique plants, with amazing flowers. These flowers come in astonishing color combinations, and add an exotic touch to any location. In nature, orchids are usually aerial plants, so their roots grow in the air or attached to tree trunks.

There are over 25,000 known species of orchids growing worldwide. This number is always growing due to new discoveries in remote locations, as well as the creation of new hybrid varieties. Many of these varieties are found in rainforests and tropical areas where they thrive in the humid climate. There are three main types of orchids, although this by no means encompasses all of the known or commercially available orchid species.

Dendrobiums are among the most popular types of orchid plants. Some bloom with white flowers, while others are purple or yellow. These are usually found in Asia and other tropical areas, including the Philippines, Borneo, New Zealand, Australia, and New Guinea. Due to demand, there are many newly created hybrid species based on Dendrobium orchids. These are specially created to have large, exotic flowers, unlike those found on most other plants, and many bloom for longer seasons than most other orchids.

Cattleyas are another type of beautiful orchid. These are found in some South American countries, as well as parts of Asia. These are among the most extravagant species of orchids, and each plant produces from one to eight flowers per season. The amazing colors of these flowers range from white and yellow to dark purple. Cattleya orchids do not grow tall, but instead spread out along a tree trunk or other surface.

Another unique orchid species, the Vanda, is a very strange looking type of orchid. Their leaves grow on a single tall stalk, with flower stalks sprouting from the leaves’ bases. These stalks can grow up to twenty individual booms of exotic flowers. Vanda orchids are found in India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Himalayas, Australia, and New Guinea.

These three types of orchid species are just a few of the different species. There are many rarer or more exotic orchid species, as well as newly discovered species that have actually existed for hundreds of years in remote areas of the rainforest. For example, with special care for phalaenopsis, in places very different from rainforests or tropical climates, such as the average home is very possible. Many hybrids, in fact, are grown particularly for adaptation to indoor climates.

Next Page »