Green Earth OrganicsNatural Fertilizers

How best To Top Dress A Lawn

Top Dressing is the task of applying a mixture of sand and topsoil to the surface of a lawn. The renovation process is based on enhancing the integrity of the existing grass, so as to cause as little damage as possible to what is already there.

You will need to spread the topsoil in an even layer over the surface of the lawn. If need be you can fill in any depressions in the surface and mix in some extra seed.

Using a tru-lute or any flat surface, brush the soil into the existing turf. When you have finished it should be possible to see grass blades protruding above the top dressing soil. This is essential as buried grass will die owing to a lack of light, leaving large bare areas. Once you are satisfied this has been completed, rake the area to remove any large lumps.

The best material to use is rootzone (a mix of sand and soil screened down to 2mm with whatever % of sand/soil you require; 70% sand 30% soil is good ratio to work with).

This can be thrown on by shovel or you can hire a spreader. A good idea if you have to top-dress a large area. Before you top-dress a lawn you can spike or hollow tine (core) the existing turf so that the dressing can be brushed into the hole. This will aid drainage and air movement in the turf itself.

Top dressing can be carried out at any time of year but the autumn and spring are the best times.

A dry top dressing is more expensive (as it has gone through a kiln) but it will fill up the holes more easily and will work its way in with less work from you.

Seed

Renovation only requires half the seed recommended for a new lawn. Otherwise, the same techniques apply. Divide the seed in half and sow half in one direction, half the other then rake and water thoroughly.

After care

After care is the same as for a new lawn. Make sure your client understands how important this is. Let the lawn grow 75 -100 mm before the first cut. Reduce the height at each subsequent cut until you achieve the best height for the particular species of grass.

Before long you should have a healthy vigorous new lawn with a minimum of fuss and disruption to your client and in very little time.

About the Author

Richard Harrison is a Director with Jim’s Mowing. He is happy to speak with anyone who lives in the East of England who is interested in operating their own gardening business. He can be contacted on 0845 555 60 60 or click
http://www.jimsfranchise.co.uk

How to Grow Grass : How to Start a New Lawn

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Clumping Cold Hardy Bamboo Plants In America

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.

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Planting Around Tree Roots

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

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You think you’re so smart? Try this math problem and lets see who gets it right before anyone else !?

The physician orders for a patient to receive the antineoplastic drug mechlorethamine (nitrogen mustard, Mustargen) 4 mg/m2 as a single intravenous dose. The patient has a body surface area (BSA) of 1.2 m2. The nurse has a vial of medication that is labeled 1 mL = 10 mg. How many milliliters should the nurse give in order to administer the medication as ordered?
kk.0.48 mL
ll.0.8 mL
mm.0.9 mL
nn.1 mL

.48 mL ?

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Acidic or Alkalinic Soil

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/
.

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When should I apply fertilizer again?

I put weed n feed on my lawn 5 weeks ago. I have 2 bags of just plain scotts turf fertilizer. Should I put it down in a week or two when it’s still a time of the year when we get rain? I live in Kansas City. Thanks!

They recommend feeding your lawn 4 times a year. This is why they have the 4 step program. Once in the early spring, again in late spring or early summer and again in late summer and finally in the fall when you want to get the roots to grow to help over the winter. Look at the Scott’s bag for the exact times and amounts for your area. Each bag contains different amounts of N_P_K for the growing cycle. A lawn should get at least 1 inch of water per week by rain or hose during dry periods. You should also check the pH and lime it once a year in the late fall or early spring. Grass likes a pH of 6.2 to 7.

How to Spread Turf Fertilizer

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The Mariposa
Elsewhere in the world, the Mariposa is known as the Butterfly orchid. Scientifically, it is called the Phalaenopsis, and it is arguably the most graceful of all orchids. Of course, it resembles a butterfly in flight and it is the most common orchid plant in Asia, Europe, and America. Half of the Phalaenopsis species and varieties worldwide are found in our country. There are countless hybrids …
Making an Olla plant self watering clay pot on the potters wheel demo how to make a Ingleton Pottery

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Nine Essential Factors To Determine Your Soil Type!

The role of soil in plant growth is unique. Soil serves as the basic resource and the roots of the plant act as a means to transfer the water and nutrients from the soil to the leaves.

Soil provides physical support, acts as a temperature fluctuations moderator, and protects from toxins.

Normally, soil comes in six types–sandy, loamy, clay, silty, peaty, and chalky.

As the soil type and its quality directly affect the roots and its nutrient transferring job, it is good to understand the soil types and identify the best soil for your plant.

Soil types can be differentiated based on its characteristics–color, moisture content, compaction, organic content, pH, structure, texture, profile and temperature.

1. Color: It is a basic factor to determine the soil’s organic matter, biotic activity, fertility and aeration. So, depending on the soil color, the condition of the soil can be determined.

Dark colored soil: The organic matter, available nitrogen, fertility and aeration will be very high whereas erosion factor will be low.

Medium colored soil: All factors will be medium.

Light colored soil: The organic matter, available nitrogen, fertility, and aeration will be low whereas erosion factor will be high.

To identify the soil color, the only way is to dig in 3? – 4? deep and test the color using a slice of soil.

2. Moisture Level: The moisture content in the soil differs significantly with the soil type, organic matter in the soil and atmosphere.

Although the moisture level in the soil can be estimated roughly, it is good to determine the moisture content in the soil through a laboratory test [soil testing]. The soil moisture level is generally reported as percent moisture on the weight of a given sample.

3. Compaction: Soil with high compaction rate doesn’t provide enough air to the roots and water tends to move overly causing more damage to the plant growth.

But, a normal soil with low compaction rate can able to absorb and preserve water, release water to the roots slowly and provides sufficient air to the root zone of the plants.

So, the less the compaction rate in the soil, the more the plant production will be. For example, sand doesn’t preserve many nutrients or water, whereas clay can preserve more nutrients than other soil types.

4. Organic Material: This content in the soil influences the plants and other organisms in the soil. Organic material decomposition supplies several essential nutrients to the plants as well as soil residents.

So, keep the soil deficient free through regular applications of organic materials to the soil. Ignition is the best way to determine the organic materials quantity in the soil.

5. Level of pH: pH level of about 6 – 6.5 in the soil is good for plant growth. Universal indicator solution or pH paper is the best source to determine the amount of pH in the soil.

Remember that pH level below 3.5 is too acidic and above 8.5 is too alkaline. Moreover, the pH level fluctuates within the soil and each layer of the soil differs in pH concentration.

6. Soil structure: It describes the way soil affects the water flow, airflow and penetration of roots into the soil. The shape of the soil determines the soil structure.

So, to know the soil structure, carefully cut the layers and observe its characteristics with one of these structural types of the soil–columns, blocky, granular, and plate-like.

7. Profile: Determining the soil type is really possible by obtaining a sample of the soil using a soil core tool, a tool that helps pull out the soil from the ground. Examining this soil core helps determine the soil type and its layers.

8. Soil Texture: The proportionate allocation of the various sizes of particles in the soil determines the soil texture. Sand, clay and silt are the forms that describe the size of each particle in the soil.

Sand is the largest particle and very gritty; clay is very smallest sized particle and is normally sticky and tough to squeeze; silt is medium sized particle and very soft.

9. Temperature: It plays a vital role in identifying the plant growth rate and its endurance.

Soil temperature can be measured using a thermometer at 2”, 6“and 12” below the ground surface and compare their readings. The temperature ranging 40-85 F indicates a better growth whereas below 40 F and above 85 are considered as no growth at all.

About the Author

Neelima Reddy, author of this article writes for TheGardenCentral.com Garden Central blog helps you learn everything you need to know about gardening. Know more about various important gardening tips for taking care of your vegetable garden, fruit garden, flower garden, landscaping, etc. Visit The Garden Central

Healthy Soil equals Healthy Plants and People

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