Vertical Gardening Secrets

If you give your plants excess water or have poor drainage you will run the risk of water logging them

This will cause the leaves to go a yellow or brown color and they will usually drop off.
When plants start getting waterlogged the leaves at the bottom of the plant will be affected first.
By the time the upper leaves of the plant start turning yellow and brown you have a real problem.

The problem arises because of the fact that plants need air as well as water around their roots to survive and with excessive watering the air pockets in the soil are filled with water.
Without this air the roots of the plant will begin to die and as the roots are needed to supply the plant with the necessary nutrients to survive, the plant begins to die from the bottom up.
That is why you see the lower leaves getting affected first.

To remedy the situation you will need to allow the soil to dry out to reduce the water content.
If the plant is in a container you will need to check to see whether there are sufficient drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.

If the soil has become compacted from all the water it is best to remove the plant and give it some new soil. Often when plants begin to wilt they can appear to be lacking water when the opposite is the case so it is best to check the moisture content of the soil before assuming the plant needs more water.

Before watering your plants allow the soil to dry out completely, or partially between watering to reduce the chance of them getting waterlogged. Try to improve the drainage of the soil for plants in the garden and even consider raising the garden for better water control. I know it’s hot this time of year but feel the soil before watering to see if it’s still moist.

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This is my first attempt to grow corn and my husband said I was crazy because it was too late in the year. I had him put 50 pounds of rich soil down and I literally threw the seeds on it. Yes I’m serious, my back was out and I knew I couldn’t plant it in rows.

We put about 2 inches of soil over the seeds about 2 months ago and guess what, we have some corn. OK maybe late corn but I love to garden and experiment even if my back won’t cooperate. Where there’s a will theres a way is what I’ve always said.

Anyone that knows me will tell you I love container gardening but I don’t know if you can grow corn in containers, hmm now there’s an idea. Well it’s too late this year to experiment any more but there’s always next year.

Pick up a free copy of my container gardening book. If it’s too late to use it this year you’ll still have it next spring. Get a copy here, remember it’s free.

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If by chance you are using a weed killer and it accidentally gets on to your plants you should hose it off immediately. The sooner you can do this the less chance of damage affecting the condition of your plant.

Sometimes while we are spraying elsewhere a wind can carry the spray to other plants and it won’t be until sometime later that the damage from this appears. This damage will appear as leaves that have become smaller, narrowed and twisted.

Once this damage is seen there is nothing that can be done other than to remove the damaged portions of the plant and hope that more damage will not occur over the following days.
Often a plant will recover if it has only received a light residual amount of weed killer that has blown over from a breeze.

It really depends on how much weed killer it was exposed to and how big, or how durable the plant it.
Some plants are a lot more susceptible to weed killer than others and only a small amount of exposure to this will be enough to kill the plant.

You really need to take care when using weed killer to ensure that none of it drifts to areas where it shouldn’t be. Only use weed killer when there is no wind and hold the sprayer close to the weeds so it will only go on them and nowhere else.

It is also wise to have dedicated containers for weed killer and other sprays in the garden as residual weed killer left in a container that you would use for other things in the garden could ruin your plants.

If it is not possible to have more than one container for poison and another for other garden sprays then you should always ensure that you clean it thoroughly after use to remove all the poison.

I personally use white vinegar and table salt mixed together to kill weeds. This can also damage your plants so be careful. This dries the weeds up so make sure you use it when it’s sunny outside. I have used it on poison ivy as well in the cracks of sidewalks and other hard to reach places.

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I have always wondered who ever determined what was a weed and what was a flower.
There are some delightful looking weeds that grow in the garden even when we don’t want them to be there.

I guess the best explanation of what represents a weed, and what represents a flower is, a weed is a plant that is growing somewhere that it shouldn’t be.

I’m sure that if we started planting these plants that we call weeds, the ones that we call flowers now would start sprouting up everywhere.

I have known people who will happily leave weeds in the garden if they think their color and style will add to the variety of their garden.

More often than not however, we fight the never-ending battle to eradicate these unwanted residents from our gardens only to have them grow back faster than ever.

Adding a covering of mulch will help to reduce the return of weeds.
Another method that helps is to lay dampened newspaper on the ground before covering it with mulch. This is very effective.

The problem with weeds is the fact that many of these plants are better at seeking out the nutrients in the soil and by doing so they are using the goodness that we want for the plants that we choose to have in the garden. Many weeds also attract insects to the garden that can affect the condition of other plants.

No matter how diligent we are at removing weeds from the garden they will always reappear as their seeds are transported by insects, the wind, and even on the clothing and shoes that we wear.

Replanting from one garden to another can easily introduce new weeds so it is always important to check the soil and the roots of the plants that you are moving to ensure you aren’t transplanting weeds also.

This is another reason I appreciate container gardening. It’s so much easier to maintain. If you want a great little book on container gardening you can get a free copy here.

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If you are going to scarify, make sure that you cut the lawn first with a mower. If you have never done any scarifying before, let me save you a great deal of time and effort by urging you to remove as much grass and rubbish as possible first.

If you have moss on your lawn then this can be a sign of two main problems.
Either you have a drainage problem or poor nutrition. With moss on your lawn you will need to remove as much of the moss as possible before you start to take action to prevent it from coming back again.

Aerating the lawn will help to solve the problem. There are various ways that this can be done. The best way to aerate your lawn is with a coring machine that actually pulls small plugs of approximately 2 inches from the lawn. It is possible to hire these machines or get a professional to do the job for you.

Alternatively you can aerate your lawn by using a garden fork and punching holes throughout the affected area. This can be quite time consuming and tiring.

Another way to improve your lawn is to rake the lawn vigorously, and in doing so you will be removing the moss and any old grass clippings and other debris that is lying around. This procedure is called scarifying.

You can then use a lawn specific moss killer to kill off any moss that is left.
It is important that you get a moss specifically formulated for lawns as ordinary moss killers can also kill your lawn.

As the moss dies it will turn black and the lawn might look unsightly for a while but once the moss has died you can scarify it again to remove the dead matter. Scarifying the lawn will allow the water and fertilizer to reach the roots of the grass and improve the quality of your lawn.

When to scarify, would be either mid-spring or early fall. These are both good times to accomplish this task.

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Plants are approximately 90% water and therefore it is essential that they get enough water to survive.
Gardening is all about balance and that applies to the amount of water your plants need to stay healthy.

Over watering can be as harmful as not giving them enough water.
The soil that the plants are growing in is a big factor in the amount of water that you should be giving them.
If the soil is heavy and doesn’t drain well you will need to give them less water or they could get water logged and the roots can rot.
If the soil is well draining then you might need to water a little more often.

Too much water can reduce the plants ability to draw oxygen and nutrients from the soil and this is as essential to their growth as the water.
Gentle watering is better than heavy watering with a hose as the higher pressure of the hose can cause the soil to turn to mud. Once the soil dries out again it will become solidified.
This compacting of the soil after heavy watering makes it more difficult for the plants to grow.

Soakers are a good method of watering provided the flow of water is not too great.
Soakers are also excellent when using a timed irrigation system so that the plants get sufficient water when you are away and particularly in the hotter months of the year when the soil tends to dry out more often.

If you are using timed irrigation you will need to adjust the timing and the flow of water according to the seasons and always make changes when there have been unseasonal changes to the weather that will require extra care for the plants. Once again, plants need the human touch to maintain that balance.

Visit My Perfect Garden.net for some great tips on gardening.

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Tomatoes from the grocery store shelves taste well, NOTHING! Most of the tomatoes purchased from grocery stores have been harvested days before they reach the grocery, treated to turn red, and bred to stay firm and not bruise on the shelves. Plant breeding for the last fifty years has concentrated on producing a tomato that can survive anything, except for a taste test.

Gardeners and tomato aficionados alike have given up on the produce aisle for anything other than garnish. Instead, they turn to seed and plant catalogs to find tasty varieties to grow. When viewing a plant catalog of tomato seed sources, you will be confronted with hundreds of varieties. Huge and tiny, purple, red, yellow and orange tomatoes. Perfectly round, almost flat, and lemon-shaped tomatoes. Seed catalog highlight another variable to understand regarding tomato growing.

Heirloom versus Hybrid tomatoes.

Heirloom Tomatoes
Tasty and unique, heirloom varieties are endless. This category of plant is where you will find purple, orange and yellow tomatoes sharing space with red ones. Heirloom varieties are open pollinated plants, which means that if you harvest seeds from a plant, prepare them, save them, and plant them next year, you will grow the same plant. Heirloom varieties were developed over time, in isolated gardens and communities, thus developing unique characteristics.

Heirlooms require particular growing conditions, and each variety is different. The key to success with heirlooms is choosing a variety that is well suited to your growing conditions. Because heirloom tomatoes have not been bred for generations to promote vigor and disease resistance, these varieties need a little bit of extra care. They are, however, worth the extra work. Heirlooms will produce lush, flavorful tomatoes of every shape, size and hue, for every culinary taste or need.

Hybrid Tomatoes
These tomatoes are the result of two different tomato varieties being ?crossed? or joined, and the seeds harvested from the resulting plants. Hybrid tomato seeds will produce the tomato with hybrid characteristics for only one plant generation. If you harvest your tomatoes from the hybrid plant and plant those seeds next year, you will not have the same plant.

Hybrid tomatoes have been bred for disease resistance, uniformity, and ability to withstand mechanical harvesting, packing and shipping. Little time has been spent in enhancing flavor in hybrid tomatoes. Much like hybrid tea roses, hybrid tomatoes may be nice to look at, but they have few other desirable attributes.

For 20 tips on gardening visit My Perfect Garden.net

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First you need to find the right size container for your plants. If you want the little cherry tomatoes (which are excellent in salads) then you can use the regular size hanging baskets, but if you prefer the larger tomatoes you’d do best to purchase five gallon buckets, because your plants need plenty of room to grow, you don’t want them to be cramped.

Next you need to go to a nursery and purchase your tomato plants. You don’t want to get too large of a plant, you can buy a determinate tomato plant, that stops growing after they reach a certain size, or indeterminate that will continue to grow and produce larger tomato plants. Two very popular indeterminate tomato plants are Big Beef and Better Boy, which are also very resistant to plant disease and will give you tomatoes for a longer period of time.

Now you’re ready to begin planting, make sure you put some holes in the bottom of your container for proper drainage. You don’t want your plant to become overwhelmed with excess water. Remove a few of the bottom leaves and place in the container. Make sure you don’t use a flimsy, light weight container, because when your tomatoes are in bloom they may be top heavy and could cause the plant to topple. Putting some type of stakes in the container and tying the plant to them will help to keep your tomato plants straight. Use healthy potting soil with natural organic matter. Ask at your neighborhood nursery for help in picking out the proper soil and fertilizer for in home planting. Pick up a free copy of vertical gardening secrets here.

Plants need plenty of sunlight, at least 6 to 8 hours a day. It’s probably a good idea to pick up a grow light for the days that are cloudy, because a lack of light can be harmful to your plants. Be sure to water them daily, forgetting to water them for a couple of days and then starting to water them again, and then you once again forgetting; this back and forth process can cause the death of your plants. So please, be consistent with your care for them.

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How to manage your plants for better health and better fruit

Undoubtedly, the main reason tomatoes are so widely grown is that home-grown tomatoes taste so much better than their store-bought counterparts. But another reason for growing tomatoes is the intrinsic vigor and hardiness of this nightshade relative, which almost always guarantees a successful harvest. However, the rapid growth of a healthy tomato plant can also lead to problems.

Like all plants, a tomato is a solar-powered sugar factory. For the first month or so it’s in the garden, all of the sugar it produces is directed towards new leaf growth. During this stage, tomato plants grow very rapidly, doubling their size every 12 to 15 days. Eventually, the plants make more sugar than the single growing tip can use, which signals the plant to make new branches and to flower.

This usually happens after 10 to 13 leaves have expanded, at which time the plant is 12 to 18 inches tall. In the next few weeks, the entire character of the tomato plant changes. If unsupported, the increasing weight of filling fruit and multiple side branches forces the plant to lie on the ground.

At this point you will need to stake the plants. Once the main stem is horizontal, there is an increased tendency to branch. Left on it’s own, a vigorous indeterminate tomato plant can easily cover a 4- by 4-foot area with as many as 10 stems, each 3 to 5 feet long. By season’s end, it will be an unsightly, impenetrable, disease-wracked tangle.

Early pruning encourages strong stems. Remove all suckers and leaves below the first flower cluster. Let a second stem arise from the node just above the lowest flower cluster. Let a third stem arise from the second node above the first flower cluster.

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Soil is a main food supply for your plants but sometimes plants need a little more help and that can be in the form of fertilizer or mulch. Mulch is great for plants, simply because you are turning something that would normally be thrown out as waste into a food supply and a very effective one at that.

Mulch will help to maintain moisture in the soil and reduce the weeds in the garden too.
Generally you should use mulch in damp weather so the plants will have sufficient moisture in the soil.
If you are using mulch in dry conditions make sure you water the soil first to retain some moisture as it will be harder for any water to get to the roots of your plants through the covering of mulch.

Mulch keeps the soil moist but it can also stop the soil getting moist if the water can’t penetrate.
If you are using lawn clippings for mulch make sure you haven’t used any chemicals on the lawn prior to cutting, that could have a detrimental affect on your plants.

If you leave the clippings to rot this will often reduce any side effects that these chemicals might have on your plants. Lawn clippings can also generate a lot of heat so spread them around lightly in thin layers and don’t smother your plants with it.

There are many different things that can be used for mulch, from lawn clippings and plant cuttings to straw, hay and bark. All those autumn leaves that are blowing around your property can make good mulch but they really need to be left to rot before being used, as they can be quite acidic if used too soon.
If in doubt with anything you are using for mulch, leave it to rot and you can be sure it will be better for your garden. Have fun with your garden and come up with different ideas. I am giving you a free resource to give you a few ideas. You can get it here.

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