Using Grow Lights for a Basic Herb Garden

Many people find that their biggest challenge to have a successful indoor garden is their location. If you live in an area – or a building, for that matter, that doesn't receive an abundant amount of light, you may feel it is impossible to garden indoors successfully. Never fear, where there is a will, there is a way!

For growing herbs indoors, it seems that fluorescent lighting is probably the best bet. There are other types of lighting systems that include; high-intensity discharge and incandescent lighting. However, if you live in a small area and plan on a garden that is not too large, you will want to use grow lights that do not take up too much room but also do an excellent job in giving the seedlings a good start. One of the advantages of using fluorescent grow lights is that they release less heat making it a safer method. One important piece of information, initially, it is best to place your seedlings in a warm place. Most people choose to start their herb garden in a room that is usually warm. A laundry room is a good room to use. If you don’t have a laundry room, use the room of the house that receives the most sun. Even if you don’t receive direct sunlight in that particular room, if the sun beats down on a certain part of your house or apartment, that room should be the warmest room in your living spaced. When the seeds sprout you gradually increase the amount of light they get. This method works best; at least it has in my experience.

Fluorescent lighting is ideal for small gardening projects. The light given off from fluorescent bulbs can be as much as three times the intensity of incandescent lighting. It may take some trial and error on your part, to determine how to use grow lights to their best advantage. As with anything, having a good plan before you purchase them and exploring all the possibilities they offer is the best idea.

To find the appropriate grow lights for herb garden seedlings, you need to know that a successful basic herb garden, or any gardening project for that matter, should receive anywhere from around 1500 to 3000 lumens per square feet. If you start your garden indoors, you won’t have the advantage of the naturally high lumens put out directly by the sun.

Once you know how to use grow lights, the rest of the process is easy and lots of fun. Knowing the herbs you want to grow, planting the seeds, and preparing for an abundant supply of fresh herbs throughout the year is definitely rewarding.

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How to Eliminate Weeds From Your Lawn

For homeowners, weed problems in lawns can be a nightmare. In warm climates, where it is not an easy option to dig up the lawn and start over, rapid weed growth is as scary as a Japanese beetle outbreak in a rose garden. Luckily, if you have some areas of healthy grass in between the weed-stricken areas, there is hope of a healthy lawn without starting over.

Lawn Rescue 101

Step One: Make Existing Grass Happy

Before you begin killing the weeds, you need to focus on making your existing grass plants as happy as possible. Begin a regimen of mowing to the proper height, watering deeply and infrequently, and applying fertilizer in the right amounts at the right time.

Step Two: Kill the Weeds

There are many ways to kill weeds. You can dig up and remove the weeds entirely. You can spray the weeds with a systemic herbicide. (That is a herbicide that the plant takes in through leaves or roots. The herbicide then acts from the inside-out to kill the plant.)

Regardless of your selected method, you need to be certain that you remove the weed entirely. If you dig up the weed, you need to dig up the entire weed—not just remove the top. If you kill the weed, you need to kill it top-to bottom. Weeds are weeds because they are great at recovering from anything and everything and surviving harsh conditions.

Step Three: Support New Grass Growth

Depending upon the type of grass you grow, you can sometimes over-seed with the same species to fill in dead areas. For grass that spreads by runners, you will need to fill in with “plugs” or tiny plant sections, or just encourage growth of your existing grass.

Step Four: Examine and Amend the Soil

Once you have eradicated the weeds and boosted the health of the existing grass, you can aerate and make soil amendments. Some weed problems are caused by soil that is inhospitable to grass growth. If your soil contains too much sand or too much clay, you need to add organic matter. The best way to do that is to core-aerate and top-dress with a compost/topsoil blend. You need to wait until your lawn has recovered from the weed control measures to do this because aerating is stressful for the grass.

Step Five: Maintain Healthy Lawn Care Practices

Once you have rid your lawn of the weed problems, the best way to keep weeds from re-establishing is to keep your lawn healthy and happy. Water your lawn properly—that will keep your grass from becoming stressed or dying, making room for weeds. Mow the lawn to the correct height so that the grass shades out potential weed seeds, keeping them from sprouting. Feed your lawn the correct amounts at the correct times. Too much fertilizer is not a good thing, and can actually make your lawn less healthy, opening the door to weed growth.

Author : Steve Habib

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=314244&ca=Gardening

Discover the Benefits of Aerating Your Lawn.

Lawn aerating is another great lawn mystery, after the thatch question. Everyone aerates their lawn, but why? And when is the best time to aerate? How deep should you go? Is a core aerator or a punch aerator better? Do I need to break up the soil cores? How do I do that?

Why Aerate the Lawn?

Aerating the lawn accomplishes many things beyond strewing the lawn with soil plugs. Aerating helps loosen lawns that have been compacted from lots of foot traffic. (Golf courses aerate their greens for this reason.) Aerating is a great way to add organic matter to soils that are primarily heavy clay. The aerating opens spaces in the yard to which compost or loamy topsoil can be added. Improving the soil improves grass growth, which makes the lawn healthier!

Aerating is also one way to rid your lawn of thatch problems. De-thatching with verti-cutters is stressful for the grass. Aerating also helps lawns recover from thatch problems, but in a less stressful way for the plants.

When is the Best time to Aerate the Lawn?

You can aerate the lawn almost any time that the ground is not frozen. Depending upon your soil type and grass type, you will need to aerate at different times, and different amounts of time. Sandy soils need to be aerated about once a year, because they do not compact as quickly and easily as soils with heavy clay content. Lawns composed of sarm-season grasses should be aerated at the beginning of spring, as they are emerging from dormancy, because that is when their root systems are most actively growing, and can recover from aeration. Cool seasons benefit most from aeration in the early fall.

In warm climates where grasses are overseeded for the cool season, the lawn should be aerated just before overseeding. The aeration process will allow seed, water and fertilizer to soak into the lawn for best results.

When NOT to Aerate the Lawn

Aerating, for all of its benefits, is also stressful for grass plants. Grasses that spread by elongated stems along the ground are chopped into many pieces during aerating and have to recover. For this reason, it is not a good idea to aerate during periods of excessively hot, dry weather, because the lawn will not recover quickly.

Additionally, if your lawn has multiple weed problems, aerating should be left until the weed problems are solved. The process of punching holes into the ground and drawing up cores of soil can spread weed problems rather than eliminate them. If the weed problem is caused by soil compaction, however, first you need to address the soil compaction problem and then the weed problem.

What type of Aerating Is Best?

For aerating to be most effective, holes created by the aerator need to reach at least 3-4 inches into the soil. “Self aerating shoes” sold by various hardware stores might be fun to wear, but the do not really work. The best type of aerating is punch-core aerating by hydraulic aerators. These are aerators that punch into the soil and draw out a core of soil. That type of aerating is best completed by a lawn care professional, as they will have the right type of equipment. For the best aerating results, water your lawn before and after aerating. That will help loosen the soil slightly beforehand, and break up the cores after. For soils needing an addition of organic matter, immediately apply a layer of a compost/topsoil blend to the top of the grass and rake it in.

Aerating, when completed at the right time and with proper equipment can help your lawn stay healthy and vibrant.

Author : Steve Habib

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=314241&ca=Gardening

3 Tips For A Successful Container Herb Garden

If you are like me, I absolutely love the smell of fresh herbs. However, buying fresh herbs at the grocery store would often make my wallet cry, so I would pass them up. Often times I didn't buy enough or they would spoil before I used them all. So like me, Container Herb Gardening can give you an abundant, readily available supply of fresh herbs. It doesn't matter if your living quarters are small because you can put the containers inside in the kitchen within reach. Even next to the coffee pot.Growing herbs in containers is the perfect gift for gardening friends, as well as for cooking. Take into account these 3 tips for the successful container herb garden, for some flavorful and or smelly results.

Tip #1. Select the herbs you want to grow. Choose from basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, mints and dill. All are easy to grow in containers, require very little maintenance, and are adaptable for a wide variety of dishes. Plants such as lavender and yarrow spread quickly and can take up all your space, so these are ideal for container herb gardening in small batches.

You will want to grow herbs that you will actually cook with. Because your fresh herbs are full of flavor and not diluted, you only need to use half the amount of fresh herbs as store bought herbs in recipes. In fact, when substituting dried herbs for fresh herbs, one tablespoon of fresh herbs equals about one teaspoon of dried herbs. You might even consider growing a container full of organically grown herbs. It's safer for you and less expensive because you aren't using pesticides. Organic pest control is a comprehensive approach instead of a chemical approach.

Tip #2. Seeds or budding plantings' are viable options. Growing herbs in a small garden is quite affordable especially if you start from seeds. Don't skimp on seeds of good quality, go ahead and spend a little more. Remember seeds can spoil just like other natural food products. I typically don't get my seeds from plants, but it's your choice. In doing that, you just need to understand how to properly dry out and store the seeds. Remember to check the dates on the package, to ensure your seeds are fresh.

If you are using plants to start your container garden, plant the plants at the same height. If you plant them too shallow, some hair roots may be exposed. If you plant them too deep, they may choke or suffocate due the all the soil overhead. Also, check to see if your plants have become root bound. If roots start coming out of the drainage holes, replant them in a larger container. Roots have feelings too. Have you ever worn a pair of pants and have gotten a wedge. Ouch. !

Tip #3. Where are you placing the containers (pots, etc.)? Mother Nature will not provide the right amount of water and sunshine. Container herb gardening provides the mobility necessary to protect your herbs from bad weather and seasonal conditions, as well as hungry animals and insects. Inside, you can place your containers in the right location for the herbs they contain. Most herb plants require similar growing conditions: a minimum of six hours of sunlight per day. Plants may need full sun, partial sun or partial shade. For example, parsley and thyme like to be in a sunny spot. Plants will only receive what you give them; therefore, you will be able to regulate the pH, nutrients, nutrient strength, water amount, and light amount. This makes it important that you research the plants you will be growing so you know what they need to survive.

Now that your vision has been expanded a little, you can see that the possibility of creating that special herb container garden that can happen now. You will be able to incorporate all of your 5 senses; touch, taste, smell, feel. What you will hear is everyone applauding the wonderful flavor or smell you create. Using these 3 tips for a successful container herb garden will have you well on your way to herb heaven.

Author : Theresa Goodman

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=314337&ca=Gardening

Attracting Birds to Your Garden Bird Feeder

It is most beneficial to feed wild birds during the winter months when their natural food may be unavailable but shortages do occur at other times of the year. So putting food out for the wild birds at any time of year can help when there are shortages. During the breeding season a temporary shortage of food will affect the young fledglings so it is especially helpful to put out food for the birds at this time.

Feeding in the Spring and Summer

During the summer and especially when they are moulting, birds need high protein foods. Good examples to put in your feeder are raisins, currents, black sunflower seeds, grated cheese, meal worms, soaked sultanas and commercially prepared summer seed mixtures. You can also purchase mixes for insect loving wild birds.

For fruit eating birds put out grapes, bananas, apples or pears, suitably chopped into smaller pieces. Avoid the use of peanuts, bread or fats as they can be harmful if taken back to baby birds. Home made fat balls are not really a good idea as they quickly go off in the warm weather. Commercially prepared fat bars are better and last for around three weeks before they must be thrown away.

During unseasonably cold or wet weather there may insect shortages. If the weather is very dry earthworms become difficult to catch. For birds with young in the nest they will be tempted by food on bird tables during these times so it is essential to make sure any food you put out is suitable for the young birds. Never put out loose peanuts, large pieces of bread, fats or hard, dry food at this time as these can be fatal if taken back to feed the baby birds.

Feeding in the Fall and Winter

During the colder months put food out for the birds regularly, twice a day if possible, especially in very cold weather. The birds need high energy food during this time so foods high in fats are particularly suitable. Put out good quality food and remove any uneaten food regularly.

Attracting Birds to Your Feeder

You can attract different species of birds to your garden by providing the food they like in a suitable feeder. Large birds will need a feeder with large, sturdy perches, hummingbirds will be attracted to a nectar feeder, finches to a thistle feeder. You can also purchase goldfinch feeders, jay feeders and woodpecker feeders.

Types of Bird Feeders

Feeders suitable for different types of food:
Tube feeder - small seeds including thistle seeds
Platform feeder - fruit or other food types
Hummingbird feeder - nectar
Squirrel proof - mesh cage feeders - peanuts, larger seeds, suet
Standard type feeder - safflower seeds, sunflower seeds

Food suitable for different species.

* Bluebird - bluebird seed available to purchase, cornmeal with peanut butter
* Bunting - small grains and seeds.
* Blackbirds - breadcrumbs, small seeds and grains
* Chickadee - sunflower seeds, unsalted nuts, safflower seeds, suet
* Finches - black sunflower seeds, thistle seeds
* Jays - peanuts, suet, corn, sunflower
* Mourning Doves - cracked corn seeds, wheat, sunflower and safflower seeds
* Mockingbirds - bread, suet, raisins
* Robins - breadcrumbs, raisins, apples
* Northern Shrikes - Suet.
* Siskins - sunflower seeds, thistle seeds
* Thrashers - suet, raisins, bread
* Towhee birds - seed mixes for small birds
* Woodpeckers - cracked corn seeds, wheat, sunflower and safflower seeds
* Warblers - peanut butter, suet
* Townsend’s Warblers - cheese, peanut butter, suet
* Yellow Throated Warblers - breadcrumbs.

Author : Janet Ashby

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=323940&ca=Gardening