Helping troublesome teens
What makes a New Zealander of the Year? Tim Hume talks to the three award nominees.
How to Propagate Lucky Bamboo
[affmage source="ebay" results="100"]Lucky Bamboo[/affmage]
Mosaic to Hold Conference Call Regarding Preliminary Injunction on Mine Extension
The Mosaic Company announced it will conduct a conference call on Monday, August 2, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. EDT to discuss the preliminary injunction entered late Friday, July 30, 2010 relating to Mosaic’s South Fort Meade mine permit in Hardee County, Florida. Â
Best Organic Fertilizers to use in your home garden
[affmage source="ebay" results="100"]fertilizers nutrients[/affmage]
Why are car companies/plants shying away from the traditional manual transmissions in automobiles?
I noticed Dodge Chrysler and a lot of car companies have that auto shift gear box. That’s so wack, compared to the traditional clutch. It just goes from side to side for gears, no more clutch. It’s really still an automatic to me because the clutch is gone. I see now why American cars are not being bought as much as foreign cars now. We (car consumers) want the traditional clutch to come back in effect. It’s the sportscar feel behind the wheel, you can’t feel it behind a Dodge Charger because there’s no clutch anymore, no matter how fast you make it. My favorite car is the Corvette, however, if someone tried to sell me a automatic I would not take it because it wouldn’t feel the same without the manual transmission. What’s your opinion on this?
The auto makers make cars that sell. While there is a small market for manual transmission cars, the great demand is for the automatics. There are many people in this world who can not drive a stick. Others can drive, but prefer an automatic transmission.
It is a case of lack of demand!
Autopot automatic plant feeder
[affmage source="ebay" results="100"]Automatic Plant[/affmage]
Clumping bamboo is composed of over 500 species, and is less adaptable than the running bamboo species. The vast majority of clumping bamboo species grow in the tropical, and sub-tropical regions around the world, however, several species will grow in the southern United States, zones 7 – 10. Clumping bamboo, as the name suggests, grows into large grass-like clumps with the stalks growing tightly together, and expanding 360 degrees outwards, to reach a diameter of 10 – 15 feet.
Generally, clumping bamboo is thought to have smaller diameter poles than running bamboo, because the varieties growing in the U.S. have grown to diameters of no more than 2 ½ inches. This observation, however, is a misconception, because some of the largest bamboo in the world is found in the clumping bamboo cultivars, but those species are only found in the tropics or sub-tropical regions. Of the 500 plus species of clumping bamboo, the genus, Bambusa, is the most wildly grown in the lower United States. Clumping bamboo is also grown for many of the same products as running bamboo, and accounts for the majority of paper pulp production, actually taking place today mainly in India. The Bambusa family is comprised of many species, but a few of the more widely planted bamboo varieties in the U.S. are Bambusa multiplex varieties, commonly known as ‘Hedge Bamboo.’ The primary species are Bambusa multiplex ‘Alphonse Karr’, Bambusa multiplex ‘Golden Goddess’, and Bambusa multiplex ‘Weeping Willow’ bamboo.
Bambusa multiplex “Alphonse Karr” bamboo grows variegated, bright yellow stalks with green pin-stripes. Alphonse Karr grows fast to 1 -2 inches in diameter, and poles up to 50 feet tall. Alphonse Karr striped bamboo was named in honor of the French botanist-novelist, of the nineteenth century, who admired this beautiful specimen plant of striped bamboo.
Bambusa multiplex “Golden Goddess” bamboo is the most popular hedge bamboo used in the U.S.. Golden Goddess bamboo has a solid bright yellow-gold stalk with beautifully contrasting small green leaves. The stalk grows fast to more than 2 inches in diameter and grows to a height of 40 feet. The contrast between golden stalks and green leaves is unparalleled, and the reason for its popularity. Golden Goddess bamboo is also popular, because it lends itself to pruning to the landscape height you desire to grow.
Bambusa multiplex “Weeping Willow” bamboo is fast growing in popularity across the south, for its graceful arching outer stalks, under which many Southerners relax on their patio furniture. Its stalks grow from ¾ – 1 ¾ inches in diameter, and to a fast height of approximately 35 feet. Weeping Willow bamboo has green stalks with a greenish-blue hue after aging, which gives it a fascinating emerald sheen. Weeping Willow bamboo grows so dense at maturity, that not even a rabbit could penetrate through its and thick clumps.
These clumping bamboo species are, like the running bamboo, not particular concerning soil type and the amount of sunlight required. Clumping bamboo trees are planted for use as tall hedges, privacy screens, windbreaks, or for their ornamental beauty. Clumping bamboo is primarily prized for its non-invasive characteristic, which allows this bamboo to be used as barriers between homes in densely populated urban communities.
All of the previously mentioned running and clumping bamboo are of Asian origins, however, there are two native American bamboo varieties as well. Arundinaria gigantea, also known as “canebreaks” or “switchcane” that once covered vast areas from Virginia down to Florida, and West to Texas. This American native bamboo was once so densely populated, that it provided an effective refuge and exit for runaway slaves from the South headed North to join the Union Army. Arundinaria gigantea was an excellent forage crop for early settlers. It’s demise came from uncontrolled grazing; removal processes that accompany logging, the growing lumber industry, and wild fires. Native American bamboo rarely grows greater in diameter than 1 inch, and 25 feet tall, with very large leaves on fast growing poles. American native bamboo is technically a running bamboo, but not nearly as aggressive, growing very densely and spreading very slowly, so that little clues remain that was once a vast under story of native American bamboo.
About the Author
Patrick A. Malcolm, owner of TyTy Nursery, has an M.S. degree in Biochemistry and has cultivated bamboo plants for over three decades.
How to Understand & Appreciate Bamboo : How to Plant Bamboo
[affmage source="ebay" results="100"]Bamboo Plant[/affmage]
Have you ever tried to cut through layers of maple roots to plant that groundcover or flowering shrub that you so diligently picked out?Have you ever found that after picking the perfect spot to plant that there is a four-inch diameter root in the middle of the hole? Well there is a better way to plant in the shade and it does not involve digging at all. After years of struggling with pick axes and shovels, I started planting on top of the soil.
The first step to my above- ground planting technique is to remove all debris from the planting area ( i.e., leaves, sticks, old mulch). Next, lay down old newspaper in the planting area. This will help reduce weeds and prevent the old tree roots from invading your planting area until the new plants are established. It is best to water the newspaper to prevent the wind from blowing it away.
Now add pinebark mulch on top of the newspaper to the depth of the pots. If you’re using one gallon plants this would be about 6″. The reason I use pinebark mulch is that it is not toxic to plant roots. Hardwood mulch or any mulch containing woody material will rob your plants of nutrients as it breaks down. Be careful not to pile the pine bark on the existing tree trunks. That would be an invitation for insects and diseases.
If your planting area is large, the pinebark can be acquired in bulk. It is sold by the cubic yard at landscape supply companies. A cubic yard is 27cubic feet. If the area will be 6″ deep, you can expect to cover 54 square feet per cubic yard. That same area would take 9 (3) cubic foot bags from your local garden center.
After the area is covered in bark the holes can be dug by hand. Remove the plants from the pots and pull at the roots if they are wrapped in circles. If the plants are very root bound cut from top to bottom with a knife or shovel. Place your new plant in the hole and backfill to the top of the root ball. Don’t put any mulch on the top of the root ball. Everything that was above the roots in the container should still be seen.
Water the bark well to settle in the plants. A drip hose should be used for the first few weeks while the plants become established. It is hard to say how often to water because it depends on the time of the year and the amount of wind the area will receive. I like to run the drip hose for a couple of hours and then check by hand to see if the water has saturated the bark. Let the area become slightly dry before watering again. I have seen far more plants killed with too much, rather than not enough, water.
The pinebark has very little nutrient content and needs additional fertilizer. A slow release fertilizer is best. Slow release fertilizers have a coating that prevents all the nutrients from being released at once. This prevents the plants from being injured and your fertilizer money from being washed away. All garden centers have many different brands of fertilizers, so ask a sales person for a good slow release brand and follow the directions on the bag.
I have used this technique many times with great success. So put away the pick axe and the shovel and enjoy planting around the trees.
Get more gardening information at Jim website www.wholesaleplants.biz
About the Author
Jim is a registered Landscape Contractor in North Carolina and owner of Earthworks Nursery
Lotus-Plant Your Root-4/12/08-Fox Theatre
[affmage source="ebay" results="100"]Plant Root[/affmage]
Need advice using “plant gel” as an alternative to soil. Help?
I’ve tried growing indoor plants before, and always have a gnat problem because apparently they lay eggs in the potting soil and eat the roots of my plants. Poisons, and many other remedies have failed me, and i just gave up last summer.
I recently heard about this Plant Gel stuff, and how it can be used as an alternative to potting soil. It sounds kinda strange though. I’m afraid to invest any money in it til i know if it will actually work or not.
Have any of you tried it before? And did you have any good or bad experiences to share?
i just started to use it. i have planted a jack be little in about 20 containers if the beeds. so far so good. i went on ebay and bought it from hong kong for a buck a piece and got free shipping. the stuff is relay cool. i had to use alot because pumpkin plants, no mater what kind, use alot of root space. im thinking about buying more. i have never had a nat problem. i just use the nema toad treatment. grow some nema toads in a jar. put a small x in the top. make sure that you use a plastic jar. the nats will lay eggs and the larva will eat the nema toads, but then they are to big to get out so they drown. another thing i have done is make sure that there is light on the soil. nats like damp shaded places. i hope that helps and go ahead and try the funky gel. its realy kinda cool. i bet you can find it even cheaper than i did on ebay.
Plant Hydro Gel
[affmage source="ebay" results="100"]Plant Gel[/affmage]
Whether your soil is acid or very alkaline has an important bearing on how well your plants will grow. But how acid and how alkaline must a soil be? How does a soil become one or the other? A soil may become acid in several ways. Because of certain minerals some soils are naturally acid, just as others are naturally alkaline. Large amounts of organic matter of the kind which rot down slowly will induce acidity chiefly because the bacteria associated with this rotting down generate acids in the process. When acids accumulate, the soil will pass through various degrees of acidity.
It may even return, or become neutral. There is no static phase in any soil, it is always changing. Temperature, moisture, cultivation, manures, fertilizers, outdoor fountains, garden statuary, even large waterfalls, applied to it will change its reaction one way or another. It’s largely a matter of degree. You can test the soil for acidity or alkalinity. Any of the simple test kits sold will give you a reaction. Just how accurate it will be depends upon the technique and the freshness of the chemicals used.
Your State Experiment Station or Agricultural College will do it for you. In color tests, acidity is indicated by a gradual changing from pink to red; the brighter the color the greater the degree of acidity. Alkalinity is indicated by a change from pale to dark blue, the changes indicating the intensity of alkalinity. A contrivance of the scientist called the pH scale measures the degrees of acidity or alkalinity. This scale may be compared to a thermometer. The dividing line between gradual increases in warm and cold temperature is 32°F.
On the pH scale, the dividing or neutral line is pH 7. Below this, acidity increases above pH 7 and alkalinity increases. At pH 8, the soil is extremely alkaline; at pH 3, extremely acid. Plants have difficulty growing in either case unless they are plants adaptable to such conditions. Nor is it a matter of increasing acidity by just 1 degree from 5 to 4 or alkalinity 7 to 8. The jump is tenfold. For example, pH 6 is ten times more acid than pH 7. But pH 5 is 100 times more acid than pH 7.
The question arises as to what is the best range at which plants will grow. For acid-soil plants such as rhododendron, azalea and the like, the range is considered to be around pH 5 to pH 6. For blueberries the range is between pH 4 to 5.1. This is certainly pretty acidic. So the term acid soil, as generally used, only tells half the story. Fortunately, the great majority of ornamental, fruit, and food plants grow best in a neutral soil, that is, a soil neither one thing nor another. Many like it slightly on the acid side. Most garden soils are just within this range.
If you are planting acid soil plants and a test reveals that your soil is alkaline or if you are not sure, there are certain materials you may apply to change the reaction. The safest for the beginner is the use of acid peat moss, or leaf mold; sawdust, too, will help. These materials will not affect any potential outdoor fountains, garden water features, or outdoor waterfalls either. Any of these packed around the roots and then spread on the ground surface over the roots after planting, will assure sufficient acidity for growth. Chemicals are suggested in various ways.
One of these is aluminum sulphate. This is not a fertilizer. It is a soil reagent. Enough will change a soil to the acid side. How much you should use to get a specific reaction is hard to say. Only by a careful test before and after application can you tell how much you need. Too much applied at once will cause trouble. It is suggested by many authorities that more than 1 lb. per 100 square feet at one application is dangerous. If more is needed, it is applied over a period of months to avoid a too sudden change. The other chemical suggested is sulphur. This is less sudden in action.
About the Author
Allison Ryan is a freelance writer from San Diego, CA. She specializes in landscaping, gardening, and enjoys collecting
garden statuary
and
garden water features
for her home and backyard. For a wide selection of fountains, statuary, and waterfalls, stop by
http://www.garden-fountains.com/
.
How to Plant Gardenias : Mixing Potting Soil for Gardenias
[affmage source="ebay" results="100"]Soil Plant[/affmage]
