How to Grow and Care for Aloe Vera Plants

Aloe barbadensis

An Aloe Vera Plant in Bloom, Aloe barbadensis There are over 250 species of Aloes in the world, mostly native to Africa. They range in size from little one inch miniatures to massive plant colonies consisting of hundreds of 2 foot diameter plants.
Although most Aloes have some medicinal or commercial value, the most commonly known is the Aloe barbadensis... better known as the Aloe Vera.
All Aloes are semi tropical succulent plants, and may only be grown outdoors in areas where there is no chance of freezing (USDA zones 10-11). However, they make excellent house plants when they are given sufficient light. Container grown Aloe plants benefit from spending their summer outdoors. Older specimens may even bloom, producing a tall stock covered with bright colored coral flowers.
The nectar from Aloe flowers is a favorite food for hummingbirds!

Growing Requirements for Aloe Vera Plants

Because Aloe Vera plants are very succulent and consist of 95% water, they are extremely frost tender. If they are grown outdoors in warm climates, they should be planted in full sun, or light shade. The soil should be moderately fertile, and fast draining. Established plants will survive a drought quite well, but for the benefit of the plant, water should be provided.
Because of their popularity, Aloe vera plants are available at almost every garden shop or nursery. Unless you live in area with a very mild climate, it's best to leave your Aloe plant in the pot and place it near a window that gets a lot of sun.
You can move the pot outdoors during the summer months. Aloe Vera is a succulent, and as such, stores a large quantity of water within its leaves and root system. During the winter months, the plant will become somewhat dormant, and utilize very little moisture. During this period watering should be minimal. Allow the soil to become completely dry before giving the plant a cup or two of water.
During the summer months, the soil should be completely soaked, but then be allowed to dry again before re-watering. Aloes have a shallow, spreading root system so when it is time to repot choose a wide planter, rather than a deep one. Use a planter with a drainage hole, or provide a 1-2 inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the pot to ensure adequate drainage. Use a good commercial potting mix with extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand added. You may also use a packaged 'cacti mix' soil. Fertilize yearly, in the spring with half strength, bloom type fertilizer (10-40-10). Aloe Vera plants are propagated by removing the offsets which are produced around the base of mature plants, when they are a couple inches tall (or larger). They can also be grown from seed.

The Medicinal Properties of Aloe Vera

The medicinal properties of Aloe vera have been known and recorded since biblical times. It has been used for a variety of ailments, and as an ointment for burns, cuts, and rashes, as well as an ingredient in various beauty preparations.
The sap of the Aloe is a thick, mucilaginous gel. It is this gel which is used medicinally. The outer skin has essentially no value, but because it is commercially easier and less expensive to utilize the entire leaf, 'whole leaf' Aloe juice has been hyped as the 'best'. This is not the case.

Using Aloe Vera Gel

As to the claims of the medicinal properties of the Aloe plant, I can only speak from my personal experience. I have kept an Aloe plant around for years, primarily for burns.
In case of burns, an immediate application of fresh gel has relieved much of the pain, and prevented blistering for me, many times.
I also found it to be quite effective to relieve itching from stings, bites and various 'stinging' plants, such as poison ivy.
Aloe gel is also good for the same problems when they are encountered by your pets.
When you need to use it medicinally, just remove a lower leaf from the plant, slice it open, and apply the gel on the affected area.

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How to Grow and Care for African Violets

African Violets were first collected from eastern Africa and Tasmania in the late nineteenth century. Their attractive, velvety foliage, compact growing habit and wide variety of long blooming flower colors have made the African Violet the most popular flowering house plant in the world.
There are twenty species and thousands of hybrid African Violets in cultivation today.
Unfortunately African Violets are only hardy in USDA zones 11-12 where they should be planted in moderately moist, rich, well draining soil in partial shade.

Growing Requirements of the African Violet

African violets need about fourteen hours of bright, indirect light each day for the best flowering.
It may be necessary to provide supplemental light for them by using a Gro-Light, especially during the winter months.
They should be planted in the smallest possible container because they need to be somewhat root bound to bloom.
Grow them in a rich soil mix containing 1 part potting soil, 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite or coarse sand. If you prefer, there are also many specialty mix African Violet soils also available.
They should be fed monthly when in growth, but it must be with a fertilizer
formulated specifically for African Violets because they require a soil acidifier
and certain trace elements that aren't available with an all purpose food.
The A V food will take care of these specific needs.
The chlorine used in public water systems can be deadly to many houseplants.
This is especially true with African Violets.
Tiny the Garden Gnome
I always recommend that you fill your watering container, and let it sit for a minimum of 24 hours.
The chlorine will have dissipated by then, making it somewhat more safe for your plants.
The water will also be at room temperature, which is much less of a shock to the plant. When watering African Violets, take care to keep water off of the foliage, flowers and crown of the plant.
Bottom watering is the best method, but never leave your plants sitting in water for more than an hour or so.
This can quickly cause crown rot which is fatal.
African Violets like a great deal of humidity (40-60%) but not wet leaves and stems, so misting is not an option.
Setting the pots onto water splashed, pebble filled trays will often solve this problem, as will having an aquarium in the near proximity.
Spent flowers should be removed as soon as they begin to fade.
This will allow the plants energy to be used to produce new blossoms rather than seeds.
If you have a chance, try growing violets under fluorescent Gro-Lights.
The colors of both the flowers and foliage will become more intense and bright.
Repot your African Violet plants annually with fresh soil. It is best to only increase the pot size by an inch or so.
When you are working with African Violets use care not to touch the stems more than necessary,
because they are by far more succeptable to damage than either the leaves or roots.

Propagating African Violets

African Violets are easy to propagate by division or by using leaf cuttings.
Leaf cuttings can be struck during any season of the year,
but the winter months when the plant is less inclined to bloom seemed to work the best for me.
Prepare a cutting tray or pot by filling it with a loose mixture of peat moss and vermiculite.
Allow about 4 square inches of surface area for each cutting you intend to take.
Water the soil well to be sure that it is settled and moist.

Using a nail or small stick, make evenly spaced, slightly angled cutting holes (the same depth as the length of your stems)
Select a good healthy leaf and remove it (with stem) from the plant by reaching in as close to the crown of the plant as possible,
grasping the stem and gently twisting it until it pulls free.
With a sharp, sterile knife or razor blade, cut the stem at an slight angle (matching the angle of the leaf), 1-1 ½" from the leaf.
Insert your cutting into your rooting media deep enough that about ¼-½" of the base of the leaf is covered by the soil mix.
Gently press the soil around the cutting.Keep the rooting media evenly moist, but never soggy.
Place the tray in a warm (70°-75°), brightly lit area (not full sun).
The cuttings should begin to produce roots in about two weeks, you should have a new plantlet in about eight weeks!
Bottom heat and a grow light will speed up the process considerably.

Growing African Violets from Seed

Growing African Violets from seed is not as fast as growing them from leaf cuttings but it is a great way to add to your A V collection.
Seed packets will usually contain many different varieties and colors of flowers.
Do not cover the tiny African Violet seeds with soil because they require light for germination.
Sow the seeds on a bed of well draining, finely screened growing medium, then cover the tray with a pane of glass.
Maintain a temperature of 70°-75° within the growing medium.
Germination takes 20-25 days but can be sped up with the use of fluorescent lighting.
Blooming takes up to eight months.

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HOW TO GROW THE STRAWBERRY TREE FROM SEED

The Strawberry tree is a gorgeous, small, evergreen tree that is noted for its unusual strawberry-like fruits. usually propagated from cuttings,  the Strawberry tree can be rather expensive to purchase but if you can get hold of ripened fruit then you have an excellent chance of growing your own stock of Strawberry trees from seed.

You should sow Strawberry tree seeds when they are fully ripe, usually in March. Use a good quality compost such as John Innes 'Seed and Cutting' or create your own using 2 part moss peat and 1 part lime-free horticultural sand. Sow the seeds in pans, or large modular trays, water in and then place inside a cold frame.

Once the seedlings have emerged, they can be pricked out, but be careful so as to reduce any damage to the root systems. Plant these on onto individual 3-4 inch pots using John Innes 'No 2', gently water in and place back into the cold frame for another year or so.

The young plants will be ready for transplanting into their final positions in May to March. They will require a sunny sheltered position away from cold northerly or easterly winds. They are happy in an ordinary well-drained, but moist soil, but they will perform best in alkaline soils.

While young plants will benefit from some winter protection, the Strawberry tree will become progressively hardy as it matures.

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What Do Dolphins Eat?

The worlds dolphin populations square measure created up from nearly forty species varied in size from one.2 m and forty for the Maui's dolphin, and up to nine.5 m  and ten tonnes for the Orcinus orca. they're found worldwide, principally within the shallower seas of the Davy Jones's locker. So clearly, with this a lot of variation inside the dolphin family, you'll expect constant variation in every species diet. So, whereas some dolphins eat fishes like herring, cod or mackerel, others species can opt to eat squids. Of course, the most important of all the dolphin species - the killer whales - will eat marine mammals like oceanls or sea lions and someday even turtles. Usually, the quantity of fish that they eat depends on the type of fish that they hunt. whereas mackerel or herring can contain lots of fatty oils in their bodies, squid won't have such a lot, therefore, to urge enough energy needed for his or her activities, dolphins can have to be compelled to eat lots additional squid than mackerel. On average, a dolphin with a weigh of two hundred to twenty five0 weight unit can eat between ten and 25 weight unit of fish a day.

As you'll be able to expect, numerous ways of feeding exist among and among species, some apparently exclusive to one population. Fish and squid ar the most food, however the false killer|dolphin} conjointly the} orca (the true killer whale) also take advantage of alternative marine mammals like seals. they need been famous to eat penguins and even ocean turtles!

One common feeding technique is social, wherever a pod squeezes a college of fish into atiny low volume, referred to as a bait ball. Individual members then move plowing through the ball, feeding on the shocked fish. Corralling is another technique wherever dolphins chase fish into shallow water to additional simply catch them. In South geographic region, the Atlantic bottlenose takes this more with "strand feeding", driving prey onto mud banks for straightforward access.

In some places, orcas come back to the beach to capture ocean lions. Some species conjointly hit fish with their tails, beautiful them and generally knock them out of the water.

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How to Grow Peanuts

However, peanuts do not look like most regular nuts - and there is a good reason for that. This is because peanuts are fairly unique in the nut world, as they grow underground and - unlike most other nut varieties - are not produced by large trees.
Peanuts are a native to South America and are believed to have first been cultivated as a farmed crop in the valleys of Peru. To be fair though, peanuts are not what we would consider to be a true nut, but are in fact legumes - the pea family. This then really does make it a pea nut!

What is a peanut?

The peanut is a small annual herbaceous plant that grows to 30-40 cm tall. It produces a typical peaflower flower which is usually yellow with reddish veining.

Weirdly, once pollinated the flower stalk will begin to bend until the fertilized ovary touches the ground. However, the stalk continues to grow and pushes the ovary underground! The ovary continues to develop into a legume pod which matures into what we commonly call a peanut. Each pod can be between 1-3 inches long and containing as many as 4 ‘seeds’.

How to grow peanuts:

While you can have some good success by planting peanuts bought at the grocery store -  raw ones, not roasted, you will do far better by purchasing proper seed peanuts from a good plant retailer. Purchased peanut seed should still be in their shells, but you will have to shell them immediately before planting or they may dry out to  a point where they will not germinate.

Given their long growing season, you may want to get your peanut plants started early indoors. Use paper or peat pots as can reduce root shock when it comes to transplanting. You will need pots that are 3-4 inches in diameter so if you cant find biodegradable pots at this size them use plastic instead.

Start your seeds 3 or 4 weeks before you expect your last frost date. Using a good quality compost such as John Innes 'Seed and Potting' , plant 2 or 3 seeds in each pot, and  covered them with 2 inches of compost soil. Keep them well watered, but don’t have the compost waterlogged as this will damage the juvenile root system.

Once the peanut seeds begin to germinate, remove the weakest leaving just one strong peanut plant per pot. Your peanuts or seedlings should be planted outside into their final position once there is no more threat of frost.

Planting peanuts outside:

Dig your soil down at least 6 inches to loose in it up for the growing peanut roots. You may need to add a little extra lime to the soil to balance the pH, but this should only be done once a soil test has confirmed that this is necessary.

As it grows, your peanut plant will produce runners, and each one will eventually grow a peanut at the end underground. These runners start out as the above-ground flowers. So once you see the plant’s flower starting to wilt and bend down, do not pick them off. That’s where the next generation of peanuts will be produced. Those downward growing stems are commonly known as “pegs”

When you see your plants starting to grow their pegs, lightly dig around the plants in order to loosen up the soil. The peg needs to grow down underground so you don’t want it blocked by stones or compacted soil.

Once your plant has set down its pegs, do not cultivate or weed to roughly around the plant or you could accidentally pull up or break off a runner. Mulching can help keep the weeds down, but do not add mulch until the pegs have moved down into the soil.

You will want to water your plants frequently, but avoid giving them too much water at once. Fertilizing is fine though not really necessary. Use a low-nitrogen formula or you will end up with very bushy plants and no peanuts. When the plants begin to flower, a treatment with a calcium-rich fertilizer can help with nut formation.

Growing peanuts in containers: 

Peanuts can be grown to harvest in containers, but you need to allow for extra surface space for the pegs to be put down by the plant. Your peanuts should be in pots no smaller than 20 inches across and at least a foot deep. You can only have one plant per pot.

Keep your plants well-watered but take care not to let the roots get waterlogged. It is important that your containers are well drained.

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How to Use Comfrey as an Organic Fertilizer

For any grower who desires to grow their vegetation by using tight natural concepts, modern fertilisers can often be a bit of a staying point. However, help is at hand from the local Western natural herb Comfrey – otherwise known as ‘Knitbone’ as it was once used as a conventional solution to help cure brittle bone fragments.

Comfrey has a normally strong based and comprehensive main system which functions as a powerful accumulator by getting a variety of nutritional value from strong within the ground. These nutritional value normally acquire within its fast growing results in - up to 4-5 lbs per plant when cut. Because comfrey results in lack " floating " fibrous cells they can easily crack down coming back their nutritional value to the ground surface making them more easily accessible to designed vegetation. In addition there is little risk of nitrogen being ‘locked up’ during breaking down when comfrey is dug into the ground as the as well as to nitrogen rate of the results in is lower than that of a well-rotted wealthy compost. Comfrey is also full of blood potassium - an essential plant vitamin needed for plant, seeds and fruit development. In fact comfrey results in contain 2-3 times more blood potassium than most farmyard manures.

There are various ways in which comfrey can be used as a manure, the most common are as follows:

Comfrey can be used as a wealthy compost activator - Add comfrey to a wealthy compost pile to add nitrogen. Its rapid breaking down will also help to heat the wealthy compost pile. However, comfrey should not be added in big amounts as it will easily crack down into a black sludgy fluid that will need to be healthy with more " floating " fibrous, as well as wealthy content.

Comfrey fluid manure – This can be created by either decaying results in down in rain water for 4–5 weeks to generate a prepared to use 'comfrey tea’, or by putting dry results in under a weight in a package with an opening in the platform. When the results in break down, a dense black comfrey focus can be gathered. This must be watered down at a rate of 15:1 before use.

Comfrey as a compost or top putting on a costume – By implementing a 2 " wide part of comfrey results in around your preferred plant, it will gradually crack down and launch a variety of plant nutritional value. It is especially useful for plants that need extra blood potassium, such as fruiting vegetation, but there is also proof that it can improve spud plants too. Comfrey can be permitted wilt a little bit before application but however you use, avoid using blooming arises as these can take main.

Comfrey planting wealthy compost – This was initially designed to be used together with peat moss, but ecological attention has led to a leaf-mold based alternative being implemented instead. Two year old, well corroded foliage pattern should be used, as this perfectly takes up the nutrient-rich fluid launched as the comfrey decays. Using a black plastic material bag, different 3-4 inches wide levels of foliage pattern followed by 3-4 inches wide of sliced comfrey results in. Add a little dolomitic limestone to a little bit increase the pH level. Keep for between 2–5 months based on the season, but make sure that you check that it does not dry out or become too wet. The combination will be prepared when the comfrey results in have rotten and are no longer noticeable. This mix can be used as a muli-purpose planting wealthy compost, although it will be too wealthy for new plants.

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What Is The World's Most Poisonous Snake?

1. The most venomous snake on land:

The Most Venomous Snake toward land is that the 'fierce Snake', Otherwise referred to as The 'inland Taipan'. The unimaginable inland  Oxyuranus scutellatus Has the foremost nephrotoxic Venom Of Any Land Snake within the World. the utmost Yield Recorded For One Bite Is 110mg, Enough To Kill concerning a hundred Humans, Or 250,000 Mice! With associate degree Ld/50 Of zero.03mg/kg, it's ten Times As Venomous because the Crotalus scutulatus, And fifty Times over The Common elapid snake. luckily, The inland  Oxyuranus scutellatus Snake isn't significantly Aggressive And is never Encountered By Humans within the Wild. No Fatalities Have Ever Been Recorded, tho' It may probably Kill associate degree Adult Human inside forty five Minutes.

2. The Most Venomous Snake In The Water

This Carries 2 Titles, the primary Is That it's the foremost Venomous Snake within the Water, The Second Is That it's the foremost Venomous Snake within the World. it's referred to as The 'belcher's ocean Snake' And a couple of Milligrams is robust Enough To Kill one thousand People! fortuitously, but 1/4 Of Bites can Contain Venom, and that they ar comparatively Docile.
Fisherman ar sometimes The Victims of those Bites, As They Encounter The Species once they Pull Nets From The Ocean. The Belcher's serpent are often Found Throughout Waters Off South East Asia And Northern Australia.

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What do peacocks eat?

The pheasant emerges from dense forest within the early morning to feed at its favorite spot, and can shortly subsequently moves off to search out water. Wild pheasant forever live close to a convenient water supply. The peacock can eat virtually something, however it always feeds on grain, seeds, fruit and insects. However, the peacock isn't loth to supplementing its diet with the odd little snake or mouse.

As evenfall approaches, the peacock can come to identical spa for a final drink before moving off to roost within the trees for the night. wherever do peacocks live? Peacocks sleep in little teams in mountainous forest areas. They pay their days on the bottom, finding shade in impenetrable thickets, returning at evenfall to the trees wherever they roost for the night.

As they climb the trees within the late afternoon their screeching decision are often detected. Incidentally, Indians believe the decision of the pheasant means there'll be rain! They additionally believe that the iridescent 'eyes' on the peacocks tail have hypnotic qualities. Being sociable and far loved  by individuals in its native environs, pheasant will typically be found around human settlements. In its really wild state, the fabulous body covering amazingly acts nearly as good

Peafowl have very regular habits. They keep to identical roost and inclose identical place day once day. The peacock can even have a specially chosen place for displaying. Preyed upon by tiger and leopards, the pheasant typically acts as AN early warning system for alternative game animals. It tends to note huge cats long before the other creatures do, and raises the alarm with a loud hoot.

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How to Collect and Prepare Lettuce seeds

Select two or three of your best lettuces, and stage them out for plant plant seeds. It’s very essential that you do not gather plant plant seeds from plants that protected starting as you want lettuces that will take a place well. If your mom or dad plants need a little help in getting their flourishing stalks to appear, try slitting the brings partially begin with a knife as this often functions well.

Once the lettuces have lavish, their plant plant seeds will older gradually and after about 2-3 several weeks you can begin to gather the plant plant seeds daily to be able to get the biggest possible produce. This can be done by either shaking the brings into a bag or by with patience patiently waiting until a cost-effective variety of plant plant seeds are ready and then cut the plant away from its primary. Put it go first into a container, then move and rub it to remove the plant plant seeds. If you can keep the whole cut plant advantage down in the container somewhere dry then any early plant plant seeds that are staying will keep older over the next few periods. Most of what you will gather in the container will be chaff, but you can kind the plant plant seeds from it by shaking it properly into a kitchen narrow. Some plant plant seeds may fall through the holes but most will collecting the end creating the chaff to improve to the top where it can be chosen off. If the plant plant seeds seems a little wet, keep it to dry on a clay-based bowl before labelling and preserving. Lettuce plant plant seeds should keep for around 3 decades providing it is kept amazing and dry.

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How to Grow Jalapeno Peppers from Seed

This fantastic, spicy South American food crop has never been more popular and by growing your own from seed you can really create those truly authentic dishes inspired by traditional Mexican dishes and regional cuisines now found throughout the United States.

These thick-walled 3 inch long peppers are often harvested green and used in many Mexican dishes. They are best grown in a greenhouse but if you start them off indoors early enough they can also be grown outdoors in the ground without protection.

Sow indoors around January for if you want them to establish quickly for outdoor planting or sow anytime up to the end of March for greenhouse growing.

Sow your Jalapeno pepper seeds - adequately spaced - into either plugs or a seed tray containing John Innes ‘seed’ compost. Top them off with another 1/2 inch of compost then gently water them in. It's important that the seeds remain moist until they germinate and as such will require adequate ventilation to prevent fungal rots. If ventilation is poor you may need to spray your newly germinating seedlings with a liquid fungicide once a week to protect them.
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Once germinated – this will be normally between 7 and 24 days - pepper seedlings will require plenty of light, in fact for optimal growth they will need between 12 to 16 hours of light a day. If the weather isn’t yet suitable for planting outside then they will need to be placed onto a south-facing windowsill but remember to turn them daily to keep them from acquiring a permanent lean.

Once the seedlings have produced four leaves they will be ready to prick out into individual pots, but you need to be careful so as not to damage the fragile root system. The safest way is to gently hold onto one of the sturdier leaves while using either a pencil or slim dibber to lift the roots as intact and undisturbed as possible. When re-potting, use either a standard multipurpose compost or John Innes ‘No.1’ or ‘No.2’ potting compost.

Grow them on for another couple of weeks and they will be ready for either the greenhouse or for planting directly outside into open ground once the threat of frosts is over. Make sure you choose a location that is in full sunlight and - if you have it - mix in some mushroom compost or other organic compost to help keep the soil fertile and moist.

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How to Grow Garlic in Pots

Growing garlic in containers is an excellent way of providing your kitchen with one the freshest, and most flavoursome of herbs, especially if you are a little short of space in the garden. Not only is garlic simple to grow, it has also been used throughout history for its medicinal value too.

The best time to plant garlic in containers is mid-October as the cold weather helps to initialize growth that will result in far larger bulbs and a greater number of cloves.


When planting at this time of year you must stick to using specific cultivated varieties such as ‘White Pearl’, 'Albigensian Wight', 'Early Purple Wight', ' Iberian Wight', 'Lautrec Wight' - widely regarded as Frances finest garlic, and Purple Moldovan Wight, all of which are known to suitable for growing our northern climates. Unfortunately, if you try to some of the larger supermarket bulbs they have probably been treated to prevent sprouting and are highly likely to die off in the cold wet weather.


You can plant as late as April although your ‘crop’ won’t be as big, although at this warmer time of year you can try planting up any spare cloves left over from a supermarket bought garlic. Start by dividing the cloves of garlic from the bulb and then setting the largest and healthiest looking cloves aside for planting.
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Fill a deep container - with a circumference of at least 6 inches - with John Innes ‘Seed and potting compost’. The depth is important here as although garlic is now a highly cultivated plant – its wild ancestors would have originate from the mountainous regions of Asia. In this environment their fine roots were programmed to search for water far deeper than other similar plants, a natural result evolved to ensure their survival in these harsh conditions. Plant one clove per pot in an upright position, no more than 1 ½ inch below the soil surface - the bottom of the clove is identified by its flattened, slightly concave end.

Water the pots well and place them outside in a sunny position, and if you are planting up before winter, try and keep the pots out of the way of cold winds. From early-June onwards, begin feeding with a general purpose plant food every two weeks.

Your garlic should be ready for harvesting any time between August to September depending on both the weather and individual varieties. The problem with harvesting garlic is knowing when they are ripe in order to lift them. Harvest them too early and the bulbs will be too small, but harvest too late and the bulbs will begin to loose their quality, and so a more accurate method is needed to determine whether or not the garlic is ready to harvested. If the weather is wet in early August, pull up a single bulb and see how many sheaths (the thin papery layers that surround the bulb) you can peel off the bulb, if the answer is three then the bulb is ready to be lifted. If you can remove four or more layers then it is best to wait another couple of weeks or at least until most of the leaves have turned brown.

When harvesting garlic bulbs, gently ease them out of the ground using a trowel to loosen the surrounding soil, taking care not to bruise them as they will then not keep for long. Once lifted,
most of the bulbs can be washed and dried, and then placed into a warm dry part of the garden dry out, however if rain is forecast then they will need to be brought indoors. Once dried off, these bulbs should now keep in good condition for between 3-4 months.

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How to Propagate lavender from Cuttings

Getting clippings from rose is amazingly very easy provided that you take them at the right season. Fortunately you will get two attacks of the cherry regarding this as you can take rose clippings either in the springtime - just before the plant comes into plant, or in the fall around aug time.


Lavender has been spread by clippings for centuries so I will keep the technique 'old school' because I know this way works. Using 3 inch clay containers, complete with a high quality rich compost such as David Innes 'Seed  and Cutting' or you can create your own by mix approximately 3 parts peat moss moss with 1 part gardening resolution or vermiculite. The most essential thing here is that the rich compost is well cleared. Reduce the combination then stick a little opening about 1 to 1½ inches wide strong into the floor  into which you will plant your 'freshly -cut' clippings.

How to take a rose cutting.

Taking a reducing from a proper and balanced older rose plant will not damage it, and besides - it will need to be cut back hard at the end of summer anyway to motivate strong healthier growth in the springtime. Using a sharp, sterilised blade or secateurs, cut a little division off the lower 50 percent of the plant that is about 3-5 inches wide lengthy. Ensure that that the division is soft and not woodsy. Remove the bottom 50 percent of the reducing of results in, place in the opening in floor that you prepared earlier then close the opening with floor. There is no need to use cheering testosterone on rose reducing, but no damage will be done if you are dependent to using it.

Water your new plant thoroughly after growing. For the first few several weeks keep the floor wet, but then water less frequently. At this point water when the floor starts to get dry, but before the plant shows any problems. Too much water will destroy your new rose plant. When attempting to distribute rose, this is the most common error.

After about 6 several weeks you can move your new rose plant to a larger pot or into the floor. If growing rose in the floor, dig the opening about 1 ft wide and about 8 inches wide (20 cm) strong. Prepare the floor by combining sand, peat moss moss or rich compost, and your local floor. It's most essential that the floor strain very well. Fill the opening far enough with your floor combination that the plant will be at the proper level when the opening is filled the rest of the way. Before filling add a tsp. full of bone meal or another slow launch manure. After eliminating the plant from the little pot, add a bit of main activator on the origins, then cover with floor.

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How to Grow Red Kidney Beans from Dried

I love to develop the same delicious vegetation that are used in our house food preparation, and as chilli-con-carne is a preferred in my family, house red renal legumes are a must. With knowledge obtained from last season's tests and mistakes, I shall now provide you with my so called ‘expert’ tips
in how to develop red Kidney legumes from dry flower seeds. It starts with choosing a free depleting site that gets a lot of sun and is secured from severe climate. It is also worth planning the floor a few months before you purpose increasing you red renal legumes with a lot of compost and farmyard manures.

How to emerge red renal legumes from dry flower seeds.

1. Create your own rich compost using a 2:1:1 mix of David Innes ‘Seed and Potting’ rich compost, Gardening resolution and top ground from where they will be lastly placed.

2. Relax a few legumes instantaneously in a dish of luke-warm water.


3. Using flip connect containers or 2-3inch containers – do not use flower seeds containers as you need to keep main interference to an overall lowest – sow your flower seeds, 1 per pot/module into your rich compost mix, having the vegetable about ½ inches below the outer lining area.


4. Water well and then move to a heated, shiny windowsill – keep wet, but do not allow the rich compost to become water-logged.

5. The legumes will begin to emerge after a short time and after there have created their first two true keep they can be solidified off for increasing outside.

6. Planting red renal legumes can only be considered after the risk of freeze is over and when outside temperature ranges are continually attaining 16 levels Celsius.

7. Plant new vegetation 18 inches wide apart in series 2ft apart.

8. Red renal legumes are susceptible to damage from slugs and snails so create sure that there is sufficient protection against these insects as soon as the vegetation go outside.

9. During 12 months be aware that red renal legumes require a lot of water and nourishment otherwise the vegetation can fall short – mulching consistently will help with this.

10. Your legumes will develop as a little shrub and need assistance during 12 months. Ensure that that this in place soon after increasing – provide them with the same assistance that you would do beans such as wigwams or little levels.

When to collect renal beans
Allow the vegetable coffee pods to dry as much as they can before the wet climate of fall comes. If they are not dry enough before that time, pick them and allow them to dry off fully in the house. Once completely dry they can be saved or used for food preparation.

Important!
Dried legumes also contain poisons, so when food preparation with legumes they must be saturated instantaneously in cold water. Afterwards, wash the legumes thoroughly then steam them quickly for 10 minutes before including them with your other formula substances.

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How To Grow Onions from Sets

Growing onions from onion sets is about probably the easiest way to produce a good crop of quality onions and generally you will achieve better success planting onion sets compared to growing onions from seed.

To begin with you need a sunny site with good drainage but the key is to grow them in a permanent bed in order to build up soil fertility. There is a down side to this however, as you can also encourage the build up of diseases. With this in mind, it may be advisable to rotate your onion bed with the rest of the vegetable garden once in a while.

Avoid soils that have been planted to onions within the past three years, and because onions are shallow rooted and poor competitors with other plants, try and avoid sites with a history of perennial weeds.
.As mentioned previously, it is possible to grow onions on the same bed year after year but in order to maintain successful and healthy cropping a strict health routine must be followed. If there are any onions that you suspect are harbouring any kind of disease, remove not only the plant but also a small amount of soil from where the onion was growing. Hopefully this will eliminate any unwanted bacteria in the soil. It is also worth watering the bed with a dilution of Jeys Fluid once the crop has been harvested - this again will help to kill off any unwanted bacteria or fungi. There are onion beds around from over 140 years ago that are still in production today using this kind of method!


If you can, start preparing your onion bed in the autumn by digging in plenty of well-rotted farm manure. This will give the ground a chance to settle over the winter period and allow frosts to break down the soil clods. If you soil is to acidic – below pH 5.5 – you will need to add lime to the bed according to manufactures recommendations. In general, onions prefer a pH of between 6 and 7.5 and a fine tilth to be planted into. Weather permitting, the frosts should do a good job of this.

You can plant onion sets as soon as your soil will allow you to which can be any time from late February onwards, but you can steal a march here by picking a dry day a few weeks before planting and raking the soil to a fine tilth. Onions like a firm bed so tread over the area you have just raked. Try adding a general fertiliser like growmore for extra fertility, and for an even earlier crop you can plant onion sets under protective cloches at the end of January. (You can gain an advantage by setting up cloches before planting. If cloches are placed over the ground prior to planting, the ground has a chance to warm up, reducing the chances of a check in growth). The soil may require some watering to achieve a uniform moisture before planting onion sets, but try and avoid planting them into a dry bed.

Plant onion sets 4 inches apart and in rows about 1 foot apart. Plant onion sets to a depth where only the very tips of the sets are just showing through the soil. Dig a hole in the soil with a trowel and place the onion sets the hole with their necks uppermost. Do not just push them into the soil as they may grow out of the soil as the season progresses.

Micro-nutrients are also important in onion production - in particular boron and zinc - so look at giving your onions a periodic liquid feed of seaweed based fertiliser. However if your onions are clearly growing well then this will probably be unnecessary.


You will need to keep a a particular eye on the newly sprouting onion shoots as these will often attract the attention of inquisitive birds – particularly pigeons and black birds - who will lift your juvenile crops straight out of the seed beds for nothing more than a bit of mischievous fun. If you don't have some kind of protection in place you can end up loosing almost the entire crop!

Onions are not very good at supressing weed growth, and if regular weeding is neglected they will easily be out competed for nutrients. This will result in your crop becoming stunted. If you can, leave enough space between the rows to get your hoe in for weeding. However, always hand-weed any weeds close to your onions as they are easily damaged by garden tools.

To have a year-round supply, you can make a second planting during the late summer which should be ready to harvest from June, although a second planting isn't recommended in heavy, poorly drained soils. In general, onions should be given as long a growing season as possible to reach their maximum size.

Your main crop onions should be ready for harvesting any time between August to September depending on both the weather and individual varieties. The onion bulb will be mature when the foliage turns yellow and begins to tip over, but you will need to leave them for another couple of weeks before lifting. Choose a dry day, and if the onions are fully ripe they will lift easily from the ground by hand. Any problems and you can carefully ease them out of the soil with a gardening fork. They will now need to be dried and depending on the weather or the size of your onions it will take approximately 2-4 weeks for them to properly cure. They are now ready for the kitchen. If any of your onions have developed thick 'necks' over the growing season, use these ones straight away as they will not store well and will be prone to neck rot.

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How to Grow Roses from Cuttings

A long time ago before professional grafting methods and cheering testosterone, all flowers were spread the old designed way - a reasonable scaled capture trapped in the ground! And while you should get some kind of a outcome from this technique - provided that you flower enough, a few guidelines in the right route will get you increasing flowers from clippings in next to little time.

Propagating flowers from cuttings:

Firstly, you can take clippings from any type of increased, you just need to create sure that you choose lengthy, powerful, healthier arises from this year's development. Do not use clippings from old wooden as they are extremely unlikely to take!

Make the clippings between 10 inches wide to a feet in total, reducing above a bud at the top to eliminate the capture tip and below one at the platform. Keep one foliage at the top and eliminate all the reduced results in.

Although it isn't really necessary, dip the platform of the reducing into a cheering hormonal combination. Next, place several clippings into a large pot of high quality rich compost such as David Innes 'Seed and Cutting'. Should you have it available you can add a further several of handfuls of gardening resolution or pourous pebbles in order to enhance the waterflow and drainage yet further. However, go no further than a 3:1 rate of rich compost to grit/perlite.

Water the pot well then place it in a tinted identify leave until the clippings have based. Keep the rich compost wet. Pot up increased vegetation independently when well based which will probably be sometime next summer time.

Alternatively you can take bigger increased clippings - around 18 inches wide to 2ft in total,  and flower them straight into a tinted reproduction bed outside. Mike Titchmarsh talks about this further in the above movie.

Of course, if at first you do not be successful, try again. Many gardeners can have problems in increasing flowers from clippings. While the effectiveness for increased clippings can be low, you can enhance your possibilities by growing several clippings at once, and by making sure that they are of a excellent width - something similar to a pen.

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How To Overwinter Roses

If you reside in a northern Western environment, fall is enough a chance to begin planning you flowers for winter time - even though many increased types will continue to blossom until Oct or even later.

Preparation would normally begin at the end of the summer by no longer dead-heading or implementing fertilizer, and enabling the increased waist to form. This will help to prevent new development, and allow current development plently of your energy and energy to harden-off before winter time.

With regards to irrigating, this can be permitted to blend off as the chilly comes, but never let flowers dry out or become famine pressured as this can increase the chance of chilly harm.

Although many flowers, such as most Flower flowers and Old Garden flowers, will need little or no winter time planning or security, this will not always be the case the further northern you are. In fact in the very very coldest areas where flowers are grown you may need to give your flowers an early winter time trim to help you to apply you selected winter time security.

The more soft types that are likely to need security will include the Multiple Tea and Grandiflora flowers. In particularly chilly areas they should at least have the graft partnership and origins secured from the changing winter time temperature ranges. At the very least, a couple of part of ‘frost-protection’ wool will probably do, but of course more extreme actions may need to be taken based on where you stay. On established vegetation this can be carried out by mounding ground over the top and lower arises to a size of 8-12 inches wide. However, don't clean up ground from around to obtain as not only will this will harm " floating " fibrous origins it will also reveal them to the chilly.

For added security, consider adding hay or dry results in around the base and the arises of flowers. This ‘mulch’ can be kept in place with poultry cable - or something similar - and properly secured by small levels. Come the following springtime the compost and ground pile can be progressively eliminated as the elements heats up up.

If you would like to try and do without the palaver of defending you flowers from chilly harm you could always try growing those types that display the best chilly sturdy patience. Below have been listed some of the best.

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How To Grow Watercress from seed

Although the natural environment of watercress is amongst slowly moving systems of water, their flower seeds can be germinated in containers much like any other vegetation flower seeds. In fact they are so easy to grow they can even be started off in the house. The only factor you need to create sure of – apart from maintaining them saturated at all periods – is that you are using an alkaline rich compost. This type of rich compost can easily be made up by combining 1 part limestone resolution to 2 parts David Innes flower seeds rich compost.


Start by using nasty containers which have had little gaps (approximately 3-4mm in diameter) drilled into the edges. Complete them with the rich compost mix and force 3 or 4 flower seeds – equally propagate - into the outer lining area to around about an inches wide deep. Complete a appropriate, high-sided package with water and position the planted containers into it. Leave the stage so that it is about ½ to 1 inches wide below the ground stage. Put the package outside in a shiny position, but out of natural light and extreme conditions of heat range. The main factor to remember here is to ensure the ground continues to be saturated at all periods and to change the water for fresh each day to avoid fungus attacks. You can expect to see the new new plants growing at any time from 7-10 days.

After a further 2-3 more weeks in the pot, the new plants should be big enough to be replanted in to their long lasting roles. The best periods of season for this would be at the end of springtime and beginning of fall as this will give them a lot of time to identify before they need to deal with the extreme conditions of summer time and winter heat range ranges. However, so long as their final position allows them to be protected by at least a few inches wide of water throughout the season, they can be placed at almost at any time.

Ideally, you would be growing into a superficial stream or little flow. Just dig a few gaps in the edges of the flow bed, creating sure the gaps are roughly a foot apart. Ensure that that when placed, the simply leaves of your watercress are perfectly sailing on the ocean surface.

If the stream they are being kept in is surrounded - such as a large lake - and fed by a re-circulating force, then as the watercress vegetation naturalise they can be propagate by simply splitting off segments of vegetation - creating sure that they have a healthy main system connected – and enabling them to just to flow around on the ocean surface. There are normally enough nutritional value present in the water (especially if you are maintaining fish) for the vegetation to continue growing without the need to take main and get its nutritional value from the ground.

Harvest your watercress simply leaves as and when you need them from the end of springtime and forward into early summer time. You will have to hang on for delayed fall however if you wish to collect any more, as the simply leaves will become nasty and inedible once the flower comes into flower.

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How To Collect, Prepare and Save Okra Seed For Germination

Often termed as females fingertips, okra is popular veggie in the southern of Indian (where it is mostly used in dry curries) and the southeast declares of The united declares (where it is used in a wide range of dishes such as gumbos). Relatively unidentified in North European countries the okra is a lengthy natural pod with a ribbed and a little bit fluffy skin. The inside of an okra pod has a somewhat gooey structure and is full of delicious, frothy flower seeds. When food preparation, okra gives a glutinous juice which thickens soups and braised dishes.

Okra vegetation easily cross-pollinate so if you are preparing on preserving flower seeds from your vegetation it is best to flower just the one wide range - otherwise the causing new plants will not develop true to the mother or father flower.

When growing Okra coffee pods for food preparation use they are best selected before they get any bigger than 3 inches wide lengthy. If they are left to develop any bigger they will begin to give off an unpleasent woodsy taste together with a rather unpalatable structure. However, if you want to gather flower seeds from them it is best to allow the coffee pods to get as big as they can. Either choose them off the stalk so that they can be dry off in the house or allow the coffee pods to dry off normally on the stalk before growing.

Have a dish on hand to gather the flower seeds then either perspective the dry coffee pods in your arms to break open the flower seeds or piece the coffee pods lengthwise from top to base, spying the coffee pods apart at the cunt with your fingertips -the flower seeds will fall out quite easily.

Dry the flower seeds thoroughly for several days, then store in a awesome, dry place in firmly shut bins until next period.

Okra flower seeds have a record of not preserving well so you will need to gather new flower seeds each fall for use the following period. Okra flower seeds are unlikely to stay practical into their second year. When it is time for replanting, seeps the flower seeds several hours before growing.

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How to Grow Giant Onions

To accomplish top outcomes the red onion bed should be a well start site with excellent waterflow and drainage, trench roughly. 18in (45cm) strong, hand the end of each trench if powerful. Into every four rectangle metres of the bed perform in the following: four forkfuls of pea, vegetable or pea haulms, one barrow of well rotten farmyard fertilizer, 5oz (141gm) cuboid food, 6oz (170gm) sulphate of potash.
First spread the haulms in the end of the ditch and mix the fertilizer and fertilizer into the ditch top soil. It is essential that the greater amount of fertilizer is within 4in (10cm) of the outer lining area, to make sure that the origins get in touch with this during the beginning of development. After trenching it is an benefits to spread 8oz (227gm) of primary slag on the top. The bed can then be remaining over winter season.

During Goal when the top floor begins to dry out add to the four rectangle metres 2oz (57gm) superphosphate and 1oz (28gm) moisturized calcium or we have discovered calcified seaweed at the amount of 0.7 kg to the place advantageous.

January is a very essential 1 month, for this is the 1 month for the growing of the huge vegetables, they are, a while red onion therefore growing should be done during Jan and Feb. Sow using a seeds plate and a excellent plant rich compost, we favor David Innes No. 1 for growing, but if you cannot an excellent provide, one of the soil-less composts can be used. Protect the plant seeds once placed with 0.6cm of the same rich compost which has been put through a excellent filter. At a heat range of 55F (12.8C) germination should take roughly two several weeks. The rich compost should be kept wet during this interval. Prevent germinating the plant seeds at a greater heat range or other than green house circumstances. If you have issues with maintaining the heat range in the green house, which during Jan can be quite challenging, we recommend that you wait growing to delayed Feb.

Once the new plants are roughly 1.75cm above the floor surface area 'crook stage' implant into a more powerful planting rich compost David Innes No. 2 or soil-less kind, containers or bins can be used but the best outcomes are acquired from individual flowers. This stage is very crucial, especially if the elements is boring and black, irrigating should be kept to a lowest during these times, a apply with Benlate fungicide after planting can avoid botrytis (damping off).

The new plants should be kept in the green house, ventilate as much as possible to help develop a powerful flower rather than a smooth one. Vegetation which were placed in Jan can be performed of the green house into a chilly shape in beginning Apr to firm up the flower before growing, later placed plants, during the center of Apr. Planting time can differ from place to place, and from springtime to springtime, but by the first weeks time in May the red onion plants in almost every place can be placed.

Work the formerly ready floor into a excellent tilth, the vegetables can then be placed at roughly. 12in x 16in (30cm x 41cm) apart, with the platform of the flower 1in (2.5cm) below walk out. We have discovered a benefits in protecting the plants with cloches, or nasty channels for two to three several weeks after growing.

Feeding, this is quite a discussing point with eager growers. On recognized red onion mattresses providing is not necessary, actually damage is done by providing on such mattresses making the vegetables very smooth with inadequate maintaining features. If providing is to be done this is best done beginning in the interval and never after the end of July, nitrate of soft drinks at the amount of one tsp. per quart (4.5L) of water to one rectangle garden can be used as a nourish.

When to collect, here again much has been published on this topic, we have done many tests into this and have discovered that best outcomes for excellent shop vegetables is to take while still a little development in the covers. This will be from mid Aug forward but before second weeks time in Sept. For the display regular allow roughly ten days before the display day for the planning. For kitchen area or display take the top off roughly 6in (15cm) above the light, cut off the main and any divided off corroded skin, clean the lights with a smooth wet fabric to eliminate any floor. Place the vegetables on a regular in a green house or reduce with a lot of air flow and natural light. For kitchen area use keep on the regular for two several weeks to dry, then shop in bins, or sequence purses in a snow free, awesome and dry place.

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How to Grow Blueberries at Home

Blueberry bushes don’t extremely need plenty of attention. however to make sure that your plant remains productive over a few years you'll have to be compelled to prune them every spring around Feb or March, whereas the plant remains dormant.


Pruning blueberries is de facto clear-cut once you recognize what you're making an attempt to realize. the thought is to make sure that your plant perpetually incorporates a good choice of productive young red stems with many fat mature buds. These buds square measure a lot of rounder than the vegetative buds thus you'll simply tell that stems can turn out the foremost fruit. It’s the 2 year recent wood that's most efficient.

Cut back the simply terribly oldest stems to ground level annually to encourage new stems to be made - making a relentless method of rejuvenation. whereas you're pruning you must conjointly aim to trim out any dead or broken stems to assist produce a healthy open framework. Blueberries tend to channel some low horizontal stems near the bottom and these also can be cropped out too.

With regular pruning your highbush blueberry plants ought to stay productive for several years manufacturing delicious fruit each summer. And with its enticing flowers and superb season foliage your blueberry plant can create a surprising feature in your garden too.

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