STARTHOME

Source link

Rose aficionados have tips and tricks by the dozen to grow the perfect bloom. Some swear by daily Beethoven serenades, while others brew alfalfa tea. Still other rose lovers credit their prize-winning blossoms to bananas. Sort fact from fiction, and discover which secrets are worth following.

Bananas
A dose of phosphorus promotes flowering. Many rose lovers count on banana peels to provide a bit of phosphorus to plants, using two to three skins weekly per rose plant. Put bananas to work for you with one of these methods:

• Chop banana peels and bury beneath a rose (in the area beneath leaves, but not against the stem). Dig carefully to avoid disturbing roots. Bury peels about 4 inches deep to outsmart digging critters.

• Pulverize peels in a blender, adding water if needed. Allow the solution to sit for 15 minutes. Apply directly to soil beneath a rose. Toss any solid residue onto your compost pile.

Beethoven
Some gardeners swear that music grows better plants – classical, country or rock ‘n’ roll. The idea is that plants grow in response to the vibrations that comprise musical tones. But don’t invest in outdoor speakers yet. Research on this topic is inconclusive.

Alfalfa
Alfalfa provides solid nutrition to roses, supplying nitrogen, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and other nutrients, including a fatty acid known to promote plant growth. Work alfalfa meal or pellets into soil around roses (1 cup per large bush; one-half cup for miniature roses). You can also brew alfalfa tea by soaking alfalfa meal or pellets in water. Discover tips on making and using alfalfa tea from the American Rose Society.

The Real Keys to Success With Roses

Even tips and tricks from rose enthusiasts won’t help you grow the healthiest plants if you don’t cover the basics. Hit these six simple must-haves, and you’ll be on your way to growing the perfect rose:

1. Site. Roses crave sun, at least six hours a day is ideal.

2. Soil. Plant roses in rich, well-draining soil. When planting, mix organic matter, such as compost or ground bark, into excavated soil you’ll use to backfill the planting hole.

3. Mulch. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of coarse, organic mulch around roses. Coarse mulch helps reduce foliage diseases on roses because it reduces the amount of water splashing onto leaves (splashing water drops can spread fungal diseases).

4. Water. Irrigate roses deeply but infrequently, applying water directly to soil using soaker hoses or drip irrigation. Water needs vary based on weather and soil, so check soil with your finger. Water often enough to create consistently moist soil – not overly wet, not bone-dry. To prevent diseases, keep foliage dry, especially if you must water late in the day.

5. Inspect. Check roses frequently for insects or disease outbreaks. Catching problems early makes them easier to treat.

6. Prune. Roses need regular pruning.

 

Article source: https://www.bayeradvanced.com/articles/6-secrets-to-growing-roses

The post 6 Secrets to Successfully Growing Roses appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/6-secrets-to-successfully-growing-roses/

Source link

Sunflowers also know as Helianthus Annuus, they are beautiful large headed yellow flowers with a black central part that contains 1000’s of tiny florets that will later become  sunflower seeds. The petals of the sunflower are most commonly bright yellow but do also come in other varieties of orange and red. The typical sunflower can grow anywhere between 1.5m – 3.5m in height with the giant sunflowers growing as big as 8m in height.

If you are looking to grow your own sunflowers at home in the backyard here are the 3 top tips to make sure you have the best chance at growing vibrant sunflowers.

Tips 1: When is the best time to water sunflowers?

The roots of the sunflower can spread quiet wide which helps make them somewhat drought resistant. The optimal time to water the sunflower regularly is 20 before and after flowering. When watering before the 20 day period it is best to do a deep water which helps the sunflower establish it’s root ready for growing a top heavy flower.

Tip 2: Do sunflowers need fertilizer?

Fertilizer is not required to grow beautiful sunflower but it will definitely help, If the soil you are planting is is thin and poor it would be a good idea to add a slow acting granular fertilizer. Keep in mind the better the diet the larger the flowers.

Tip 3: Do Sunflower need support while growing?

In the early stages of growth their should be no need for any staking to support the stem but once the stem has reached 2.5m and over it would be a good idea to add a supporting steak as the stems can become quiet brittle, staking the flower will help with stem support and assist in growing a bigger flower.

Sunflowers are a beautiful flower to grown in your garden and look great as decorations inside once they have flowered. Not only are they a beautiful flower but there seeds are full of vitamins, they are rich vitamins B & E. sunflower seeds contain about twice the iron and potassium and about 4 times the phosphorus of beef.

 

The post Top 3 Essential Tips For Growing Amazing Sunflowers appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/top-3-essential-tips-for-growing-amazing-sunflowers/

Source link

Tip 1: Plan your garden bed before you start.

Plan before you plant, put plants together that have similar colors. It always looks best to have smaller plants/flower in front of the larger plants/flowers.

Tip 2: Location, Location, Location.

Different plants need different amounts of sunlight, choose you plants by the amount of sunlight your garden bed will receive, shade, part shade or full sun. Make sure you check the plant tag for light, watering and space recommendations.

Tip 3: Mix it up.

To keep your garden bed active all year round it is best to choose both perennials and annuals in your garden. Perennials will continue to grow year after year, while annuals will bring excitement and glamour during different seasons.
Keep these 3 tips in mind when your building your next garden bed and you will have a colorful and vibrant garden bed that changes all year round.

 

 

 

 

 

The post 3 Tips to Building Beautiful Garden Beds appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/3-tips-building-beautiful-flower-plant-beds/

Source link

Keep your trees healthy and strong with good pruning. It will not only keep them in good shape, it will remove damaged and dead branches allowing room for new growth, while preventing the spread of viral and bacterial fungal infection.

Here are 5 simple steps to help you correctly prune and avoid damaging the tree. Trim with safety from the ground without a step ladder.

Equipment you will need:

Handsaw
Folding Pruner
Hand Pruner
Gloves
Loppers
Pole Pruner
Safety Glasses
Secateurs

STEP 1: Trim smaller branches with pruners

Start by putting on your safety glasses and gloves on. Make sure you have a sharp blade so you can cut through the branches with ease. Use the pruners to trim for low hanging small branches near the base of the tree.

STEP 2: Cut medium branches with your handsaw

Use the handsaw to cut any protruding or lower level branches too big for the pruners. Cutting the branch off close to the tree trunk and avoid cutting the main trunk so you do not damage the tree. Ideally the blade on your handsaw will be very sharp so you can make trimming with ease. Cut the branch on an angle that protrudes slightly off the trunk.

STEP 3: Prune hard to reach branches

Cut hard to reach branches from the ground with your pole pruner. There are attachments for the pole pruner, including a saw for thicker branches.

STEP 4: Cut thicker branches with loppers

To cut through thicker branches with ease is loppers. They are like giant secateurs designed to give your better leverage for use on pruning big branches

STEP 5: Saw thicker branches using an undercut

Undercut is a technique to cut the larger branches upwards, instead of cutting from the top down. Cutting top down can lead to the weight of the branch snapping off resulting in tearing the bark exposing the tree to diseases. Start under the branch and saw upwards until you have cut halfway through. Next saw from the top of the branch, starting about 3-5 cm up the branch from the undercut. Continue cutting until the weight of the branch pulls it away from the tree. Once it is removed you can then cut the remaining branch away from the trunk.

The post HOW TO PRUNE TREES appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/how-to-prune-trees/

Source link

Using heirloom seeds . It’s becoming an increasingly popular style of gardening. So what are they and why should you choose them?

What are heirloom seeds?

Heirloom seeds are are old-time seeds that have been handed down through multiple generations. They have been open-pollinated instead of hybrid and usually cost less. They tend to more hardie, adaptable and have great flavour.

Why use heirloom seeds?

Heirloom seeds range from fruits vegetables, plants and also flowers. Unlike commercial seeds that are used to produce quantity, heirloom tend to have unique colours, textures or tastes. Growing from a seed can also be a large money saving unlike propagating.

Are they organic or GMO?

Heirloom are not always organic as presumed. Many varieties are however they can be produced utilising fertilisers or pesticides. Check with your seed supplier first.

Are heirloom seeds organic or GMO?

A common misconception is that all heirloom seeds are organic. While many varieties are organic, some heirloom seeds may be produced utilising fertilisers or pesticides so it’s best to check with the producers of the seed.

You can be sure however that heirloom seeds are not GMO (genetically modified). GMO have been altered and modified whereas heirloom are natural and passed down through generations of growing.

Heirloom vs hybrid

Heirloom seeds are open-pollination naturally by nature. By bees, birds, insects, the wind. Hybrid are produced manually with the notion of cross breeding two genetically different varieties of seeds together to gain positive traits from both plants.

Growing heirloom

Varieties of herloom you may want to grow might include tomatoes, capsicums, pumpkins and potatoes, all of which are ideal for growning at home.

Planting heirloom

Plant heirloom the same as any other vegetable. Add compost to the soil to prepare. Dig a small hole for the seeds a couple of inches from the surface and cover. Water and use liquid fertiliser as needed.

Happy planting!

The post All about heirloom seeds appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/all-about-heirloom-seeds/

Source link

Add that extra touch with this Christmas lights this festive season by lighting up your home and garden.

Sparkle with fairy lights

Customise your home with fairy lights, save power and use solar powered fairy lights. Some lights change color and flashing functions.

Wrap them around the trees and drape over the fences or around the base of your plants to create that spectial magical look. Use plastic clips or hooks instead of pins or nails to protect against getting electrocuted.

Place the solar panels in a sunny position so the battery can fully recharge during the day to give you maximum wow factor at night.

Make an outdoor Christmas Tree

Give your garden a whole new look with a Christmas Tree feel on any established plant in your yard. Pick any tree in a good location and wrap it with draping fairy lights. With multi-colours and remote control operation, they’ll make your tree look amazing. Make sure you use water-proof lights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light the footpath for Santa

Creat an amazing entrance to your home for Santa and your friends by lighting the entrance of your home with Solar-powered festive lights. Make an impression with soft blue lighting that illuminates the path and garden bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decorations larger than life

Make a BIG impression and maximum impact with life size blow-up decorations. Impress your neighbours and wow the kids with characters that have LED lights inside them. They are easy to inflate with built in fans. Some also come with stakes and fans so they don’t fly away.

Choose your lights

With such a huge range of festive lights you can buy anything from fairy lights to rope, blow-up and novelty lights either online or at your local shop. Let your imagination run wild and have fun!

The post Add outdoor Christmas decorations to your home and garden appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/christmas-decorations-for-your-home-and-garden/

Source link

When you first buy your rose plant from your local nursery it often looks beautiful and bushy and when you get it home and plant in the ground it starts to deteriorate and you wonder that happened. Well here are the 6 must know tips for making sure when you plant your rose bush that it continues to grow and flourish.

Tip 1: Choose a location in your garden that has full sun light or at least 6 hours of sunlight minimum. There are some types of roses that bloom in partly shaded areas but for the majority of rose bushes they flourish in spots that get lots of sunlight.

Tip 2: When digging a hole for your new rose bush make sure it is as deep as the bushes root ball. Generally, this is around 14-18 inches deep and 17-24 inches wide.

Tip 3: Make sure the soil you plant your rose bush in has good drainage. Roses will need regular deep watering but if the roots are left in wet soil for to many days they can begin to rot.

Tip 4: Roses are not practically fussy about soil but since they are heavy feeders it is best to mix in a handful or bone meal or superphosphate with the soil that was removed from the ground when digging the hole. This will give the rose bush some good nutrients and also help the bush acclimatize to its new home.

Tip 5: If you purchased your rose bush in a container it is best to gentle remove the plant from the pot and loosen the roots so they expand out which will give the rose bush the best chance of adapting to its new home.

Tip 6: Water deeply a least once per week for a few weeks until the rose bush has become stablished. You will know it has acclimatized when it starts to send out new growth on the stems.

If you follow these planting tips then your will enjoy beautiful rose bushes for years to come.

The post 6 Critical Things You Need to Know When Planting Roses appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/6-critical-things-need-know-planting-roses/

Source link

Grey water is a great way to recycle water during winter and especially over a hot summer that would usually go to waste down the drain. An average family house can produce as much if not more than 400 liters or 105 gallons of grey water a day. Here are a few basic tips and things to keep in mind if you want to recycle your water.

What grey water should you use?

Water waste from you house can be split into 3 categories.

1. Toilet – (Do not use on the garden especially vegetable patch)
2. Dishwasher, kitchen sinks
3. Shower, bath, washing machine

Grey water is any water that goes down the drain at your house that isn’t from the toilet. Water from your bath, shower, hand basins and washing machines. Water from the kitchen sink and the dishwasher is grey water, however because it usually has food scraps in it, water from these sources is referred to as having a high “organic load” – which is another way of saying that it’s in danger of being a source for unhealthy bacterial growth.

Where to use grey water

Use grey water on all of the garden and try not to concentrate the grey water in just one area of your garden. Don’t put too much on and keep an eye on the health of your plants to make sure you’re not doing any damage to your soil.

Plants

Grey water usually has a much higher salt content than tap water, plus water with a lot of detergent or soap in it can also be a bit of a shock to your plants. Consider discarding water from your washing machine wash cycle but using the water from the rinse cycle. Another option is using “grey water friendly” detergent and soap. Your garden is a living thing. To make sure that it stays that way, it’s important to keep its exposure to certain chemicals and bacteria to a minimum.

Soil

The best soil type that is suited to grey water use is a loamy type that retains water well without becoming muddy. Very sandy soils or ones with a high clay concentration are not good for using with grey water. High clay soils don’t absorb water as well and can lead to water run-off issues. Very sandy soil can lead to excessively deep drainage with grey water entering the water table.

Lawn

Choose the right water for the right plants. If you think about the sources of grey water in your house, you’ll realize that there is more than one variety. Some sources are better suited to certain applications. For example, if you’re using detergent with phosphates in it, it’s best not to use that on native plants but your lawn will love it. You must also never use grey water on food plants – especially leaf and root crops.

Regulations apply

Every state has different rules governing the use of grey water.
Check to see if any of these apply to you:
Do grey water systems need to be installed by a licensed plumber?
Do you need to use different color grey water pipes?
Do you need a sign on the grey water pipe saying “unfit for drinking”?

Grey water warnings!

Never use grey water on the vegetable garden or food crops.
Never allow the grey water to enter a swimming pool.
Don’t let the grey water run off your property.
You must also never use it on food crops like a vegetable garden.

Grey water use is a smart way to recycle your waste water if used appropriately and your garden will love you for it.
Happy watering

The post Save money and water by using grey water appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/save-money-by-using-grey-water/

Source link

The post Top 10 Indoor Plants appeared first on Garden force.

from Garden force http://www.gardenforce.co/top-10-indoor-plants/

Source link