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Landing in containers is a quick and easy way to create a green corner on a loggia, balcony or veranda. They can grow flowers, herbs, and even vegetables.

More recently, the choice of vegetables for containers was limited - green onions and parsley and celery roots. What is grown now, is striking in its diversity and beauty. Recently, for example, small tomatoes from the cherry group have become very popular. They are not only tasty but also very decorative. 50–80 cm high, with long beautiful tassels and red or yellow fruits, these mini-tomatoes can successfully grow in large pots and pots, such as the F1 Kishmish hybrid. Compact varieties Mikron-NK and Florida Petit 20–25 cm high are suitable for small containers. Hybrid F1 Tumbler It is a cascade bush with a height of 0.9–1.5 m, which looks very beautiful in tall vases and flowerpots. Its sweet fruits ripen earlier than other hybrids within 80 days (for other varieties and hybrids, the ripening period starts 3–3.5 months after sowing).

Another great variety of modern hybrids of pepper. They have a more clearly pronounced decorative direction, and they belong to hot peppers to taste. Spectacular hybrids with dark burgundy large foliage, like basil. These powerful cute plants (about 35–45 cm in height and width) will decorate the balcony or loggia all summer. Peppers with green foliage have other decorative features: different shape, color, and location of the fruit. Peppers can peek out from under the leaves or rise up above a bush like peak tips. The elongated wriggling fruits of such a hybrid as Medusa, Pepperoni, Chilly Chili look unusual. Their peculiarity is that fruits on one plant can be of two colors - yellow and red. And the variety Masquerade even three - yellow, red and purple.

To the tomatoes and peppers, you can add a variety of herbs. Especially beautiful is basil ' Clove aroma ' with a compact as if shrub bush.

Until late autumn, containers are decorated with curly parsley, chard, and a variety of salads, some of them look like exquisite flowers. Chao Bambino varieties with claret-green leaves, Ruby lace with rich colors of strongly fringed leaves form a rosette up to 30 cm and will be able to decorate your decorative garden in 25–35 days. Cort Uno Momento c burgundy leaves can be sown not only in spring but in August, the plants pleasing to the eye until late autumn.

When planting a home garden, one cannot overlook the decorative remontant strawberries. Most of its hybrids - with white or unusual for strawberry pink flowers of various shades - form beautiful cascades of edible berries that grow all summer. You can grow them yourself from seeds or buy seedlings in the spring, the plants bloom and bear fruit in the year of sowing. Currently, there are quite a few such hybrids, for example, F1 Moscow delicacy - with large white flowers and large berries, as well as F1 C-141 blooming until autumn - with bright pink flowers and tasty berries. Particularly impressive strawberries look in hanging baskets.

All this magnificence can be supplemented with edible flower plants such as nasturtium and marigold. And you can make a composition of flowers and vegetables.

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Greens and spicy herbs are planted by many, and even the opponents of the beds still find a place in the country for basil, dill, and cilantro. However, to season the salad with your own spices, it is not necessary to wait for the summer - at any time of the year, the greens grow well on the window.

Fragrant herbs have been valued at all times. They were eaten, used as medicine. And interestingly, they have always been attributed to some magical properties. So, the Egyptians considered dill to be a symbol of grief. In ancient Greece, the winners of sports competitions put on his head a wreath of celery. And the wine infused on its leaves, the soldiers drank before the fight - it was believed that it kindles the fighting fervor. The Romans believed that the smell of rosemary relieves bad dreams and preserves youth. Dill in antiquity decorated with bouquets of roses - "for flavor". From lemon balm, they made a love potion. Sprigs of hyssop moistened with water, the Jewish priests used in the ritual of ritual purification. In the Middle Ages, ladies embroidered thyme sprigs on the shirts of their knights - so that they remembered their lover. And cumin in old England was the main component of love potions. A lot of different diseases were treated with a brawler in Russia, and those who drank his decoction were strictly forbidden to swear.

Of course, all this is long past. But spicy herbs are bred today too - mostly for the sake of taste and aroma. And not only in the garden. Pretty easy to grow greens in a city apartment. But in order for your room to be filled with the smell of fresh herbs, it is not enough just to throw the seeds into the ground. These seemingly unpretentious plants also require some attention.

Perfect for a mini-garden kitchen is always moist air -. In winter, the "beds" is better to break on the south windows, in the summer - on the east and west. You can even expand the window sill if you are especially "herbivores."

On the window, it is easiest to grow dill, Kuper, white mustard, boletus, and leafy salads. Cress will be able to plant even a beginner. Just do not forget that the greens do not like too wet soil and suffer from a lack of light.

Seeds of dill, leaf lettuce, Kuper, white mustard, peppered are sown on the surface of moist soil and sprinkled on 1 mm of light humus soil.

Forcing onions can be carried out in the water or a layer of soil with a thickness of 7-10 cm. Bulbs of the same size are chosen for forcing - then feathers will grow evenly. They are soaked for 12 hours in hot water, and after planting, they are shed with warm water so that the roots sprout faster. When the leaves grow by 25-30 cm, they can be cut. It is necessary, to begin with extreme - greens accrue from the center of the bulb.

Rosemary - light-loving evergreen shrub. He is quite unpretentious but does not like sudden changes in temperature. Water should be moderate.

Watercress can be grown in the soil mixture, and you can use paper towels or napkins - they will fit for watercress. Seeds need to sow pretty tight. Sprouts will appear in just a couple of days, and after about two weeks, when the salad grows to 5-6 cm, you can harvest the first crop. If you sow the seeds at an interval of fourteen days, you will always have fresh cress.

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The big advantage of the home garden is that the plants are under our daily control. But for such gardening, there are a number of features. Vegetables can be grown even year-round. But the expected result will not always be obtained, you will have to work hard and even spend money financially. What moments need to be considered?

Varieties of vegetables for growing in the apartment

The range for growing on the balcony (loggia, windowsill) is very diverse: dill, basil, indau, spinach, cress, parsley, coriander, mint, rosemary. There are excellent representatives for container growing among the nightshade: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and even potatoes. From climbing crops a good crop will turn out at cucumber, beans, peas, even melon and watermelon will form a decent crop with proper care. With root vegetables at home growing more difficult, but realistic. Homes on the balcony can grow carrots, radishes, daikon.

Selection and seed companies have created a special series of seeds for home gardening - the “Four Summers” series, for example. But you can choose varieties and hybrids themselves, taking into account some features. Choose early-ripe, small-fruited, high-yielding hybrids and varieties with a compact form of plants.

Ramblin Gold Stripe, Yellow Cap, Megabyte and Red Placer show themselves well out of tomatoes at home. Parthenocarpic F1, Matilda F1, Santana F1 are successful among cucumbers. From the basilica worth trying fine-leaved forms Naughty, Fresh, Bush.

Optimum dates for sowing seeds

Enthusiastic plant growers do not stop the difficulties, and at home hydroponic technologies and modern phytotrons with controlled microclimate, especially for growing plants, take root for a long time.

For a guaranteed harvest, it is recommended to sow the seeds in the same traditional terms as when growing vegetables at the dacha. First, it is fully consistent with plant biology. Secondly, you do not have to configure a long additional supplementary lighting, maintaining the right temperature and use a large number of fertilizing plants.

So, in the middle band greens can be sown from late March to late August. Tomato, pepper, and eggplant - at the end of January, cucumber and root vegetables - from the end of March.

Container size and soil

For a tomato and cucumber, a 5-liter pot is enough, 2–3 l of beans, 5 l of a zucchini, greens - any container is 7 cm high or so.

It is desirable to use soil for plants ready, universal for vegetable cultures. It excludes the presence of fungal and bacterial diseases. It is often filled with fertilizer complex, which is important at the initial stage of growth. If there is a desire to use the "garden" soil, then it must be taken from the site where similar crops were not grown before. And it is better to disinfect it in one of the ways: calcined in the oven, shed with boiling water, disinfect with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is important for each plant to provide drainage in the container so that the root system does not rot out due to an excess of moisture.

The choice of the place of cultivation

The best lighting will be on the balcony or window located in the south or east.

In the future, not every culture prefers direct sunlight. To ensure comfortable conditions, you need to shade the balcony windows so that the leaves do not get burned.

If the balcony is on the north side and there is a desire to grow vegetables and herbs with your own hands, then there is no need to do without light. This is especially necessary for the period when the seedlings are grown. There are several solutions: use home lamps, purchase specialized ones. For good growth, plants need light from 8000 lux. To date, such a number of suites can give a lamp type "Reflax".

Watering and feeding plants

Watering the plants need water at room temperature (+20 ... + 22 ° C) and ensure that the soil did not dry. Due to the drying out of the soil, the development of the plant will be uneven, during flowering it can throw off flowers and buds, and sometimes even leaves. As necessary, you need to loosen the soil crust, if watering is carried out over the ground.

Feeding on green cultures, as a rule, do not hold. They need more tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, and watermelons. The main thing here is not to overfeed: due to excessive intake of mineral fertilizers, the roots can suffer and the plant will die. It is better to “underfeed” their wards. Feedings are carried out with any complex fertilizers once every 20 days after 2-3 weeks after transplanting seedlings to a permanent place. The norm specified in the instructions can be divided into 2 times. At the time of budding need to feed fertilizers with calcium, magnesium, and boron, then the fruiting will be abundant.

Forming plants

Considering that plants from special seed series are often compact, they do not need to be formed. But a number of cultures have their own characteristics. Thus, as it grows, basil needs pinching of the shoots, due to this technique, it will acquire a spherical shape. Cucumber and tall tomatoes form in 1 stem, removing all side shoots. At the melon and watermelon, they tie up all the lashes, carry out pollination manually and leave 1-2 fetuses on each lash. Low-growing tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants do not need to be formed.

Love what you do

The right choice of variety and timely care is half the battle. Without love and creation success is not achieved.

Tasty and healthy crops all year round!

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Despite the fact that scientists many times warned that the overpopulation of the planet threatens humanity with various “heavenly punishments”, this did not stop the growth of the population. There are more and more people, which means that they consume much more significant amounts of food than before. Unequal distribution of resources leads to the fact that millions of people around the world are starving. This applies to many countries and regions, both large settlements and suburbs. However, food is produced much more than before, now there is a maximum. New technologies can solve the problem of food shortages, and not only pure technological tools are needed, but also new approaches to agriculture.

New heights

One of these approaches is the cultivation of food in the city. In the locality, this work can be practically no different from those cottages and gardens that many people have. But it may be different if you choose vertical multi-level trusses as the basis. Such “lands” can be configured as you like, but in most cases, we are talking about “beds” suspended in the air, where crops are grown on special substrates or without them. On such farms, as a rule, there is ultraviolet radiation, which emulates the rays of the sun. And instead of unpredictable weather conditions, which sometimes lead to catastrophic situations in the fields, virtual farms within the city limits are completely controlled - the “climate” here is controlled by a computer, and everything is aimed at obtaining the maximum yield.

In principle, if there are appropriate technologies, then farms of this kind can be created almost everywhere. In fact, we are talking about a “new trend” - urban farms that are in close proximity to those for whom food is grown. True, there are a number of conditions. All vertical farms need a certain space and access to electricity. Nothing more is needed. Farmers themselves can buy everything they need for food production. Start can be very easy - all that is required to the "urban farmer" is in any store of building materials and agricultural shops. Under these conditions, the number of farms is constantly growing - for example, there are hundreds or even thousands of large and small farms in the USA. They need volume, not square because here everything is expressed in cubic, not square meters. As a result, much more products can be grown on a vertical farm than non-ordinary ones if we talk about the same usable area. You can grow not only fruits and vegetables on vertical farms. Urban Organics, for example, produces plants and fish (salmon) on its farms. All thanks to a technology called aquaponics. These are closed systems, where plants contribute to the growth of fish, and those provide the plants with useful elements. The same company, which was discussed above, in 2014 began to brew its own beer, creating miniature breweries. In the same 2014, Urban Organics has named the Guardian newspaper one of the most innovative among all the agricultural organizations in the world. It should be noted that vertical farms are also “friendly” to the environment. Aquaponic systems produce very little non-recyclable waste that cannot be used further. Well, the placement of farms close to consumers allows you to avoid the formation of large transport schemes for the delivery of products.

Well, are there any difficulties?

Yes of course. If you create a large multi-level farm, you will have to find a fairly spacious, possibly a multi-story building where you can grow a large amount of food.

This problem is gradually leveled as there are companies that provide assistance to farmers who want to create their own vertical fields. One such farm is called Agritecture Consulting. At the moment, she has already helped a dozen major projects and continues to provide assistance. Such companies are likely to appear more and more over time. They are really great to make life easier for "urban farmers".

Volumes of production

How much a city farm can produce products can be shown on the example of the same Urban Organics. So, last year the company opened a new farm, much larger than the rest. Its capacity is about 124 tons of fresh fish and 215 tons of plants per year.

This vertical farm was located in the former brewing complex. “We not only produce products but also give jobs, create jobs,” said the head of the company. According to him, if there are a lot of urban farms, it will help to create communities of urban residents in the future, whole districts that provide themselves, that is, they can be called autonomous. It is possible and necessary to involve new members in the business of creating new agricultural communities - he is also sure of this. And this also contributes to the Internet. For example, on a site called Plus. Farm, everyone can find “accomplices,” companions who also want to create a vertical farm and work on it. People creating such farms on the basis of ready-made technologies often improve them - they develop the best lighting systems, sensors, and plant growing schemes. At the same time, not all consider such things to be their own intellectual property, for which you have to pay - information about successes with technical data is disseminated in various forums and social networks.

Farms of the future

If people continue to develop this area, then after a while it will be possible to talk about the global community. Gradually, this area is becoming more and more developed, it includes new players. In the village, a large farm of this kind can be a tool for obtaining food, as well as an incentive for the city's economy - because new jobs are created, and there may be a lot of them.

Creating such enterprises, it is worth paying attention to the region itself. For example, while there are so many fields that cope with their task of providing people with food, vertical farms may not be an urgent need. But in poor countries, regions where agriculture is underdeveloped and there is a shortage of food - their such companies can be very, very necessary.

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Quality through the process of production

In order to determine the quality of food, not only the specific properties of the product but also those of its production and processing must be measured and proven. However, science is still in its infancy when it comes to making an objective assessment of products from different production processes. However, from a chemical-analytical point of view, bioproducts have proven to produce better, in some cases equally good and only in rare cases worse quality characteristics than conventional products. Since the use of chemical and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is banned in organic products, there are hardly any residues of these substances. This is confirmed again and again in the investigations of official food controls.

Fewer ingredients, additives and processing aids

An increasing number of consumers are exposed to food intolerances. Organic foods often provide these consumers with a significantly lower allergy potential, as EU legislation on organic farming allows only a very limited number of ingredients, additives and processing aids for organic products. These are listed explicitly in so-called positive lists. For the additives alone, only 54 out of more than 320 are currently authorized, ie only about one-sixth, and these are also limited and product-related. This means that the number of substances used in the product is many times lower than that of conventional foods. Individual producers' associations further restrict the additives. Important for the consumer is that these substances are usually listed individually on the packaging up to the smallest quantity. This provides the consumer with an opportunity to obtain comprehensive information and to reduce the possibility of using additives through the choice of food.

Ingredients

There are studies that have shown a higher content of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and phytochemicals in plant bioproducts. But there are also studies that have found no significant difference between organic and conventionally produced products. A final evaluation is not available.

Organic fruit and organic vegetables usually contain less nitrate and pesticide residues. Some studies point to higher dry matter contents of organic products compared to conventional products. In some cases, the lower water content results in higher contents of valuable ingredients in organic products. Vegetable bioproducts often have higher levels of phytochemicals considered valuable by nutritionists.

For the quality assessment of animal products from organic farming, the species-appropriate husbandry and feeding have crucial importance. Each animal has the right to space, light and fresh air, allowing every animal access to the pasture and grazing land. Fully slatted floors are prohibited in cattle, pig and sheep farming.

Scientific investigations

So far there are no scientific studies on whether the regular consumption of organically produced food can generally be more conducive to health than the consumption of conventionally produced products. It is important to remember that food must not endanger health in general. An investigation by the Max Rubner Institute came to the following conclusion: "The question of whether organic buyers generally eat healthier, could not be answered unambiguously so based on the data of the National Consumption Study II 13,000 people aged 18 to 80 years The results show that there is a connection between the purchase of organic food and the dietary habits and lifestyle.

Organic buyers are healthier, more frequent non-smokers and active in sports. Overall, they practice a healthier lifestyle than non-organic buyers. When buying food, aspects of a healthy diet play just as important as altruistic criteria.

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A shrub with evergreen leaves gives life to a sleeping garden. This plant with generous foliage all year round is ideal for protecting oneself from the prying eyes of neighbors. Solved to adopt for your balcony or terrace? In this gardening tutorial, we gives you professional advice to plant a persistent shrub in a pot. Know that this gardening operation is ideally practiced in autumn. For the necessary material and planting technique of the shrub.

Necessary equipment To plant a persistent shrub, plan:

- Large water tank,

- Shovel,

- Pot,

- Knife,

- Slate mulch,

- Topsoil,

- Ppotting soil,

- Clay balls.

Choice of different elements The choice of the evergreen shrub depends on its future location. Generally, this type of plant is placed in a place exposed in full sun or partial shade. For the proper development of your evergreen shrub, you must also choose good soil. Our plant designer recommends a mix of potting soil and top soil sandwiched between clay balls at the bottom and slate mulch on top. While clay balls provide better drainage, slate mulch protects the plant from weeds.

Moistening the plant Beforehand, moisten the shrub by simply plunging the root ball into a large bowl of water. Do not forget to make a cut all around this mound to prevent the bunching of the roots. During this time, you can mix the topsoil with conventional potting soil.

Stuffing the Evergreen Shrub Start by pouring 5 cm of clay balls into the bottom of the pot. Then add a little soil mixture. Then, place your shrub in the pot. Fill in empty spaces by pouring a mixture of potting soil and topsoil. As you add soil, do not forget to pack by hand. To finish, scatter the mulch of slate at the foot of your shrub.

Maintenance of the evergreen shrub Like any garden plant, the evergreen shrub needs some care. Watering is the first attention you should give to your plant. Regularly throughout the year, also think of putting fertilizer. Finally, when it comes to pruning, cut the branches at the end of winter to keep the foliage more attractive.

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Everybody tells you to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day? Easier to say than to do, right? There are however very simple and clever solutions to grow your vegetables at home. Whether on your balcony, in your garden, in your kitchen or in a closet, anything is possible! Learn how to grow cherry tomatoes or onions with hydroponics to grow vegetables all year long and much faster. Or opt for outdoor growing and build a small garden square! There are really a multitude of ways to grow your own vegetables ... it only needs to take the hand. Look !

Hydroponics

You have to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day, easy to say but hard to do.

You can grow your own vegetables in your kitchen or on your balcony.

There are solutions allowing you to get your own vegetable crops in a small space and especially without land.

Having your own home is possible thanks to hydroponics.

This method allows you to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers all year long.

As the term itself indicates, hydroponics is a mode of cultivation using water instead of soil to develop plants.

More precisely, a liquid nutrient solution is used.

A very powerful sodium lamp will replace the sun and reproduce its rays.

A salad planted using this technique grows 5 times faster than a salad planted in the ground.

Rest assured that fruits and vegetables keep their taste as if they were grown in the soil.

You can a small cabinet dedicated to this method to tidy up your plants.

The aeroponic culture

To plant above-ground vegetables, there is also another technique such as a central aeroponic which is very easy to set up.

This device was set up by NASA for astronauts.

Aeroponics consists of installing the small seed kits that come with the device.

The central is equipped with a kind of reservoir containing the liquid supplying the plants with nutrients.

In just 25 days, you can harvest salads or herbs thanks to this system without soil or sun.

The Smart garden As for those lucky enough to have a terrace or a balcony, they have the possibility to cultivate outside thanks to the mini square vegetable garden.

Just take four 90cm boards and fill with potting soil.

Thanks to the square, there is no risk of overproduction because you plant a small amount at a time.

To order varieties, it is best to divide the square into four.

In each small square thus produced, it is, therefore, possible to plant different vegetables.

Ignore bulky vegetables like cabbages and potatoes, instead prefer dwarf forms and fast-growing plants.

You can plant for example basil, thyme, lettuce or strawberries.

For an organic garden, use a plant with a repellent virtue of aphids.

Do not forget to mulch your vegetable garden as this will protect your future pantry.

Magnetic pots

For those who do not have room to build a vegetable garden, they can opt for the magnetic pots to place on the wall of the kitchen.

You will always have beautiful herbs to flavor your dishes.

You will not lose any vitamins without mentioning the taste.

Indoor crops are not lacking to fill up with vitamins.

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A Beautiful Plant In The Garden: Viburnum

The Viburnum is perfect and has it all, a generous flowering with some decorative berries, and foliage with beautiful hues during the fall, and sometimes even persistent! It is a very interesting plant throughout the year.

Pleasant in any garden, the plant, Viburnum tinus (Laurier tin) is grown both in hedge and pot. It is true that viburnum plicatum can be planted as an isolated subject, and you can choose the Viburnum opulus (snowball or viburnum obier) particularly in massive. Thanks to its winter or spring bloom, Viburnum brighten up and forget the gloom and the gray of the winter! Offering an abundant bloom with soft shades, pink or white, the viburnum is appreciated for its appearance "snowball".

Origin Of The Viburnum

The Latin name is Viburnum, it belongs to the family of adoxaceae. Its common name is viburnum. Its flowering is winter or spring, and the plant can grow from 1 to 5 m, it particularly likes a sunny or half shaded exposure. As for the soil, it can be cool, well-drained, fresh and humus. Resistant, it can tolerate temperatures up to minus 15 or minus 20 degrees for the majority of species and -10 ° C for viburnum tinus.

Viburnums are very decorative because of their delicate blossoms, foliage and colorful berries with beautiful hues in autumn. It is true that Viburnum are very popular because of their many assets! During the winter or spring season, they can decorate massive with their generous pink and white flowers. After flowering, you will see red, blue or black berries bringing a new attraction to the garden and attracting many birds. In autumn, sumptuous orange or red colors cover the deciduous species. For example, Viburnum opulus (Viburnum plicatum or viburnum lantana) are trimmed. For persistent species such as Viburnum tinus (or Laurier tin), Viburnum rhytidophyllum or Viburnum davidii, they keep their foliage and remain decorative during all winter! These beautiful plants so installed in hedges will constitute a screen plant preserving you from prying eyes during the bad season.

The Cultivation Of Viburnum

Viburnum is very easy to grow and requires little maintenance. The majority of these varieties are relatively hardy and will be able to enjoy half shade and sun. Developing in rich, well-drained and cool soils, viburnum can be adapted to any type of soil. The plant, however, prefers acidic soils. Viburnuopulus, Viburnum davidii and Viburnum tinus are particularly resistant to pollution, which is why viburnum can be planted in urban and polluted areas.

Size And Maintenance Of Viburnum

When planting, it is important to fold viburnum to facilitate new ramifications. Also, the shrub cannot be totally bald at the foot. Next year, you will have to renew the operation if needed. You will be able to carry out a maintenance size, you must know that viburnum is very small. This plant is very easy to maintain. At first, you will be able to remove all the oldest rods to facilitate the renewal of the latter. And, in a second time, it will remove all the faded flowers, especially after flowering. Regarding the species with winter bloom, you will have to intervene in March.

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Glycine, The Royal Climber

A wonderful climbing plant, glycine is very popular thanks to its generous and fragrant flowering.

Beautiful climbing and woody plant, wisteria is a classic plant in the heart of spectacular flowering gardens. This plant offers clusters of flowers measuring approximately 50 centimeters in length. Very decorative with its touch of romance, it can adorn pergolas, walls, and fences. It will also be possible to drive it on a rod to create an isolated subject in the heart of a lawn.

Origin Of The Plant

The plant whose botanical name is Wisteria belongs to the Fabaceae family. This beautiful climbing plant can measure between 5 and 15 meters high. Taking advantage of a sunny exposure, glycine can easily grow in ordinary soil. Belonging to the Leguminous or Fabaceae family, the genus Wisteria has about 10 species of climbing plants. They are all from the United States and Asia. The plant was brought to France in 1816. It is true that the fragrance of glycine is developed in perfumery, for the composition of different perfumes of large brands.

A little anecdote to emphasize is that the wisteria of Japan wraps easily on the support and also in the direction of clockwise. On the contrary, Chinese wisteria tends to curl in the opposite direction. Regarding the language of flowers, it should be noted that glycine indicates tenderness, and if presented in a bouquet, a friendship.

The Cultivation Of Glycine

For planting, it is advisable to plant it in the spring or fall. You will have prepared beforehand a mixture of potting soil, garden soil, and seaweed and manure type amendment. It is also possible to plant during the summer after watering regularly. It is advisable to avoid periods of high heat for planting. It is true that wisteria requires sun to grow and bloom abundantly. In addition, it is not useful to bring fertilizer because glycine does not require even to facilitate the development of the foliage.

To multiply glycine, it is necessary to know that the cuttings are easily feasible on the glycine, just as the technique of the marcottage. It is also possible to plant the seed of glycine in the heart of pods giving rise to a seedling. In addition, this technique proves to be quite long before seeing the appearance of the first flower, the wait can last between 10 and 15 years ...

Size And Maintenance Of Glycine

The size of the glycine is relatively easy and can be done every year otherwise you will be quickly invaded. In fact, glycine tends to gain, throughout its growth, and little by little ground. Also, the size will be done during the period of vegetative rest, since the fall of the leaves and this, until the end of the winter.

It is really advisable not to trim wisteria during frosts. Indeed, at that moment, the flowers appear directly on the stems of the past years. Also, you only need to prune the new shoots of the year in order to facilitate the flowering of the next season. During the winter season, you will have to cut the side shoots and leave only one or two eyes. Then, leave the main branch and then cut short all the stems starting from this branch. Do not forget to remove all the faded flowers, they have toxic seeds.

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While we all are familiar with what wonders the plant-based diet does for our bodies, few are aware of the fact that plants can improve your overall health just by being inside your rooms in your house and not just for decoration. In 1989, research by NASA proved that certain indoor plants can improve the air quality in a home by absorbing chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, therefore, acting as natural air purifiers.

Moreover, a study has shown that indoor plants have positive effects on mental health as well by reducing stress, improving your blood sugar levels, etc. Common houseplants are usually succulents, cacti, and tropical or semi-tropical epiphytes.

So here’s the wide list of 40 indoor plants that you could add in your space; home or office for a little dose of zen.

1) Aloe Vera: They have numerous healing properties. Not only known to alleviate cuts and burns but also to detect the air quality in the environment. If the air is polluted with toxins and harmful chemicals, the plants’ leaves will show up brown spots. Aloe Vera also absorbs airborne particles from paints or cleaning agents. Moreover, they come in handy for your food and drink recipes.

2) English Ivy: This is good for purifying the air indoors, absorbing a large portion of the airborne mold. Ivies prefer dry soil and bright sunlight. So keep it somewhere bright and sunny.

3) Spider Plant: In summers, the spider plants produce tiny white baby spider plants, on its long stems called “pups”. You can re-pot these pups and keep at well-lit spots for added greenery. They are commonly known for their air-purifying capabilities, although in large quantities spider plants should be planted to reap its true benefits.

4) Jade Plant: They are an interesting succulent plant which has unique bush-like structure. These don’t require a lot of suns and in too much sunlight, they develop a red or yellowish tint. Also, jade plants need very less water throughout the season.

5) Pothos Plant: One of the most common and popular houseplants, also known as ‘devil’s ivy’ due to its exceptional hardiness and the belief that it is nearly impossible to kill. Pothos can be grown as a suspension plant, as the leaves will grow down in long cascading vines. They make in the list of NASA for its ability to absorb formaldehyde from the air and toxins from carpets/rugs. Like a lot of other indoor plants, these can thrive in a wide variety of lighting.

6) Peace Lily: This is a wonderful low maintenance flower to keep in a home which does not get a lot of natural light. As found by NASA, this is known to breakdown and absorb compounds like; carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and benzene from the air. Peace lilies prefer shades and cooler temperatures.

7) Chinese Money Plant: This bright green colored, pancake-shaped leaves with straight stems plant is easy to care household plant. Chinese Money plant does not require direct sun but prefers warm temperatures with adequate well-draining watering pots. You could propagate the little offshoots that rise from the base of the plant and spread them for more green corners in your apartment.

8) Snake Plant: They are very common, low maintenance house plant is known to purify and eliminate toxins like; xylene, toluene, and trichloroethylene from the air in your home. Snake plants can withstand any environmental conditions, considered exceptionally hardy as well as, indestructible by many; they require indirect sunlight and irregular watering.

9) Rubber Tree: The tall, glossy Rubber trees can take a lot of neglect, absorb much more toxins from the air than any other plant; then converting them into nutrients for the plant or compounds for the soil. They love bright, well-lit, and high humid areas. These can grow up to 8-foot, add in your office or living room for a major pop of green in the room; for short length prune the longer stems and shape it as you like.

10) Boston Fern: The tropical Boston ferns are powerful toxin eliminators and are easy-to-care-for. These eliminate compounds like; formaldehyde, cigarette smokes from the air, plastic particles, etc. the gorgeous fern needs bright filtered light and damp high nutrient soil.

11) Mass Cane: Also known as, “corn plant” this ranks number one in NASA’s experiment in removing formaldehyde. It is low maintenance and slow-growing plant grows most healthy in well-lit areas.

12) Chinese Water Bamboo: Or the “lucky bamboo plant” doesn’t really need soil to grow, only now and then changing the water is sufficient for this beauty. Direct sunlight or hot temperature may harm the plant, hence cooler and bright areas are favorable. They are found in a variety of types like the spiral, tree, trellis, bunch, etc adding these will give feng shui and Zen vibe to your place. This bamboo has been a significant part of Chinese culture for thousands of years but its popularity has touched heights all over the world for last 15 years.

13) Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree: Fiddle leaf figs makes a beautiful, tall indoor tree which has broad, dark-green waxy leaves brightening up your room corners. These hardy tropical plant can grow up to 50 feet tall and is best for less floor space and high ceilings. They require bright light and only need to be watered when the soil is dry to touch.

14) Heartleaf Philodendron: Tiny heart-shaped bushy philodendron is a popular indoor plant for many years as they are easy-to-care-for that needs indirect sun and damp soil. You can put them in hanging pots or trellis because they grow into beautiful decorative vines. As Ivies, these are great in absorbing xylene.

15) Bamboo Palm: They have made on to the list of NASA as one of the best air- purifying plants, having a purifying score of 8.4. The attractive Palm is known to absorb trichloroethylene and benzene then converting them into compounds that are utilized by the plant for nutrients.

16) Red-Edged Dracaena: This gorgeous Dracaena can grow up to 15 foot tall, removing pollutants like; xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde. Prefers bright sunlight and moist soil.

17) Oxalis: One of the most vibrant colored Brazilian household plant. They prefer quite a few hours of direct sunlight in a day and normally sprout within a week. Their color ranges from violet to crimson.

18) Cacti: Very popular, low maintenance and non-fussy plant that we all know requires less water and care. Too much sunlight might bleach your cactus so consider keeping them in bright indirect light. They blend into a variety of homestyle/offices and enhance its aesthetics.

19) Dragon Tree: Dragon tree is low-maintenance, fast growing and great for corners office plants. They grow strongest in bright indirect light and moderate temperature like any other house plant. Water it only after the soil is dry.

20) ZZ Plant: Zamioculcas Zamiifolia produces brilliant bright-green leaves with tall stems. These hardy plants are easy to maintain and need less fertilizer and brightlyt lit spaces.

21) Paddle Plant: These non-fussy, low care succulent can bear some direct as well as indirect sunlight. Paddle plants do well in a dry environment and hence, prefer soil more on the drier side. In too much sun, they might develop reddish tinge on their leaves.

22) The string of Pearls: This amazingly unique indoor plant will definitely amp up any space. This beautiful Senecio rowleyanus is best for hanging planters, preferably in bright spaces but not sunlight, they produce a delicate chain of round beads that overflows the pot. They prefer soil more on the drier side.

23) Dieffenbachia: This pretty tropical-looking plant can grow up to 6 feet long, they love normal room temperature and don’t do well in cold. They prefer low indirect shade, try keeping the soil evenly moist.

24) Weeping Fig Ficus Tree: Weeping fig has shiny leaves and could be grown as a tiny topiary. It loves full sunlight or at least bright, filtered light, prefers several days of dry soil in between watering.

25) Peperomia: Peperomias are small, often with colorful leaves and easy-to-manage plants, some of these varieties include; watermelon, red-edge and ripple peperomias. They have shiny, textured leaves and prefer room temperatures with low-level lighting conditions.

26) Shamrock Plant: They have bright green leaves and grow small, sweet-smelling white flowers on its tall stems. This indoor plant loves bright indirect sunlight.

27) Areca Palm: This tropical plant can grow up to 7-feet tall and prefer indirect light. Need to keep the soil fairly dry.

28) Silver Dollar Plant: Xerosicyos danguyi drought-tolerant succulents need planters with good drainage. Xerosicyos are actually a climbing succulent so leave a little headroom wherever you display them! They love spaces with direct sunlight is best.

29) Tillandsia: Succulents of Tillandsia family are some of the easiest to care for, very low maintenance plants. Besides occasional misting, they’ll take all the water they need from the humidity in the air. Another benefit is its lack of root system, so you can be creative with this plant and make wonderful arrangements like sea urchin shell planters and hang them to amp up any room.

30) Donkey Tail Plant: Sedum morganianum or Donkey Tail Plant is a wonderfully unique flowering succulent that loves bright direct light but not extreme heat, and require regular watering in hot weather but too much watering can harm during its dormant winter stage.

31) Prayer Plant: These plants look like a work of art. Maranta leuconeura has leaves with red veins that makes them a great accent for interiors that need a little color. The leaves actually rise and contract in the day-night cycle, quite interesting to watch as the day progresses. This folding effect is how it gained the common name of “prayer plant”. Like many low-maintenance plants, these simply need indirect light and even a lot of moisture.

32) Calathea Orbifolia: Smooth streaks of white stand out against the vivid green leaves of the Calathea orbifolia, like an art. These plants are a little tricky to care for compared to other indoor plants. Moist soil, good drainage, and low but reliable lighting conditions are a great to start with.

33) Elephant Ears Plant: Colocasia gigantea is another big and wide-leafed plant for interiors that need a good amount of bright light. In some Asian countries, including Japan and parts of Vietnam, the stalk is a popular ingredient in meals in the regional cuisines. They are a little tricky to grow indoors but quite worthwhile, needs indirect sunlight and considerably high humid regions.

34) Giant White Bird of Paradise: This statement plant can grow up to 20 feet tall in ideal conditions. Strelitzia Nicolai loves bright sunlight, damp soil and needs the change of fertilizer monthly to grow its best.

35) Hawaiian Umbrella Tree Bonsai: Plant enthusiasts will love this versatile and attractive tree, officially known as Schefflera arboricola. Even better, they stand up wonderfully to a variety of lighting conditions and watering routines. You can let your umbrella tree grow naturally or trim it into a desired shape. Let it grow tall, or restrict to a small planter as your needs.

36) Grafted Ficus Bonsai: Ficus micro-carpa “Ginseng” is very forgiving, easily tolerating conditions ranging from low to bright light (but not direct sunlight) and can live through irregular watering for the most part. They are a wonderful addition to any office environment.

37) Anthurium: This plant is very popular for its long-lasting, eye-catching red blooms. These waxy red flower plant needs indirect sunlight and prefers dry to slightly moist soil.

38) Guinea Chestnut: This beauty is native of swamp forest and features a beautiful braided trunk. It is more commonly known as a money tree, Pachira aquatica prefers a spot with bright, indirect light and frequent watering.

39) Lemon Button Fern: Nephrolepis cordifolia fern is a native to Asia, Australia and Hawaii. Like many ferns, it poses no danger to pets. These are easy to grow and low on maintenance.

40) Yucca: Yucca Gigantea, is a species that is native to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the eastern part of Mexico. The secret to keeping your yucca is easy: Sun, sun, and more sun. Water sparingly and plant in a deep container to prevent the top-heavy woody stems from toppling over.

Growing indoor plants hydroponically can be very simple. If you do not have the time to grow plants but you want greens indoors, this is one of the best method for beginners. Watering and nutrient measurement can be fine-tuned to suit your plant. All the above plants can be grown with zero effort with a herboponics smart garden. You can grow a wide variety of plants hydroponically indoors ranging from decor plants to edible herbs! Giving you a choice to grow lettuce to basil in your kitchen itself. The commercially available nutrient solution gives almost foolproof feeding to your plant. Technology has reduced a lot of assumptions and has automated uses to save your valuable time and effort.

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Overview

Many cultivators enjoy grafting a fruit tree. Grafting is the art of connecting or fusing twig branches from two separate but compatible fruit trees. When it's done successfully, a crossbreed between plants occurs, and this results in beautiful, healthy flowers. A variety of fruit trees can be grafted. Citrus-type fruit trees are commonly grafted because they're often compatible with other types of citrus trees.

Step 1

Cut two twigs from compatible fruit trees. Cut both twigs at 45-degree angles. Cutting twigs during November and December works best because the twigs are dormant and buds have not begun to sprout.

Step 2

Secure the two twigs together. Adjoin the two twigs at the cut to allow the plant cells to fuse together. Use commercial grafting tape to fuse the twigs together. Rubber electrical tape or duct tape may also be used if grafting tape is not available. Firmly attach a rubber band around the grafting area.

Step 3

Allow the twigs to fuse together over 2 to 3 weeks. If you're not planting immediately, place the twigs in the refrigerator. Dipping the twigs in wax seals closes the ends and prevents drying. Place the unused twigs in a plastic bag. Apply a few drops of water into the bag.

Step 4

Eliminate fast-growing bud tips. If some buds appear to grow at a faster rate, remove these from the twig. Do not cut the twig branch. Wear gloves or protective tape over your fingers to prevent accidental cuts.

Step 5

Remove the grafting tape before the site area starts to expand. When the twigs begin to fuse and flourish, remove the grafting tape. Examine the tape and look for signs of tightening and girdling. Girdling can choke and damage the twig.

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Overview

Tomatoes are fruits that are commonly mistaken for vegetables and in ancient times were even considered to be poisonous. Reintroduced to the palettes of Europeans by the early explorers, the tomato began to gain in popularity once it was realized that the tales of toxic tomatoes were, just that, tales. The interest in tomatoes began to boom during the 1900s in America, and they have been respected members of the produce community ever since. But as delicious as tomatoes are from the local supermarket, nothing beats the taste of a home-grown tomato. Most gardeners have great success growing their own tomato crops, but how and when to plant them is the most important consideration.

Step 1

Begin planting the tomato seeds in trays over the winter season. Seed tray kits are inexpensive, and convenient, and will allow you to start growing your seedlings indoors, in spite of the weather outside.

Step 2

Transfer the seedlings that are beginning to outgrow the seed trays into 3-inch pots. When the tomato seedlings begin to grow in height and width, it is time to give them more room. In order to accommodate their expanding root system, a 3-inch pot should be used. Place the pots in an area that receives plenty of sunlight during the day, or use ultraviolet light, and water regularly to keep the soil moist.

Step 3

Head out to your garden after the final thaw of winter, and start to prepare your garden. Ideally, mid-May is the best time to consider planting outdoors. Soil quality is very important, so add some compost and fertilizer. Break up the soil with a garden rake, and mix in the fertilizer and compost well.

Step 4

Arrange your tomato pots in the garden approximately 2 feet away from each other. Tomato plants need a lot of room to expand, so you will want to avoid overcrowding. Laying the pots out on top of the prepared soil first will help you decide where to dig the holes.

Step 5

Remove the pots one at a time, by lifting them up, and digging a hole that is large enough to accommodate the plant and its original soil that is surrounding the root. Continue the process until all of the tomato plants are in the ground and removed from their 3-inch pots.

Step 6

Support the tomato plants by using wood stakes, or plastic rods. Carefully tie the plant against the stake using twist ties or strips of cloth. If you do not use some type of support system for the tomato plants, they will bend and break with the weight of the growing tomatoes. As a consequence, the tomatoes will usually rot if they lay on the earth for too long.

Step 7

Water the tomato plants at least once a day during the growing season. Allowing the water to become soaked with a sprinkler or soaker hose creates an ideal growing environment for most tomato plants. In cases of heavy rain, skip watering for that day.

Step 8

Harvest your tomatoes as they begin to turn deep red. Although, you can also pick them when they are light orange, and keep them on your window sill until they turn red. This way, you can get them before the squirrels do.

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Growing plants is not really as simple as it first appears. For example, an indoor garden needs lots of special attention and care in order to flourish and bloom fully. Some of the things you’ll need are supplies formulated specifically for indoor gardens. The exact type of supplies required depends upon the exact type of gardening system you wish to use. Some of the most popular and successful indoor garden systems today are hydroponic gardening and aero gardening systems.

Hydroponic gardening means that you grow flowers, vegetables, and fruits using no soil or natural sunlight at all. The nutrient solutions include all the potassium, magnesium, calcium and other nutrients required by the plants. There are many benefits to hydroponic gardening, one of these is that you’ll have healthier plants that are free of insect damage. For a successful hydroponic gardening system, you will need tools such as an effective lighting system such as the 250 MH EconoWing manufactured by Better Grow Hydro to keep the plants thriving and provide light in the same spectrum as natural sunlight. The complete package, including the bulb, reflector, cord, wire hooks, and ballast costs about $180 and measure approximately 21 1/4 inches long, 15 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches tall.

In addition, to form a quality light system, you must have other supplies such as a poly-cart for transporting plants and tools around. you’ll also want a garden rack so you can organize your gardening supplies neatly. The EZ-Haul Poly Garden Cart, available at Amazon for $132.95, is extremely handy and every indoor gardener should have one. This poly garden cart provides a six-foot poly tub which will never rust — and it’s guaranteed. It can carry tool and supplies up to a total of 250 pounds on the 20-inch easily maneuvered wheel. The cart weighs in at 44 lbs and measures 55 inches by 28 inches by 28.

The garden rack you select can really help in the organization of tools and supplies. You may only need a simple rack that is small and can be purchased for about $20. Depending on the number of tools and supplies you need to store and organize, however, you may opt for a three or four tiered garden rack. You can find the larger racks at Amazon and they fall into the $50 price range, give or take.

Perhaps the most important indoor garden supply you will need for hydroponic gardening is the blend of nutrients to feed the plants. Botanicare markets a line of nutrients and supplements which is perfect for hydro-gardening. Some of the products include soilless growing media and substrates, organic or bio-organic plant foods and supplements. For growing fruit and vegetables hydroponically, opt for the Botanicare Hydroplex Qt Item #732245 which can be found at Interior Gardens Inc. for $27.50 each. This nutrient blend provides all the supplements necessary for your plants during reproduction, fruiting, and flowering. It contains sulfur, potassium, and phosphorus to enhance the plants’ development. It is also fortified with amino acids, humic acid, seaweed, and vitamins, providing your plants everything they need, including those nutrients which would normally be mixed with water and fed through the roots.

Some other indoor garden supplies you might require are hoses, fans, containers, air pumps, and a few others. Successful hydroponic gardening will offer tons of benefits that simply aren’t available from older, more typical methods of gardening using soil as the growing media. Plus, you can find some great online guide and tips to help you learn exactly how to grow the very best hydroponic garden in your own home.

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The Exciting Science Of Hydroponics

In the 1800s, physiologists discovered that plants absorb much of their nourishment from mineral nutrients dissolved in water. The nutrients plants need are not normally present in water, but are absorbed when water comes in contact with soil and then carried into plants through their roots. This was an important discovery because it showed that soil itself is not an essential part of plant growth. Rather, it simply acts as temporary storage for the minerals that plants need.

Hydroponics works by artificially introducing these nutrients directly into a plant’s water supply. The most common method hydroponics gardeners use to do this is to purchase one of the many brands of concentrated nutrient solution on the market, mix it with water and regularly feed it to plants using whatever hydroponics technique is preferred. This completely eliminates the need for soil and helps ensure that each plant receives the optimal level of every essential mineral nutrient. Plants can obtain the air they need in a number of ways. A good way to achieve aeration is to use a porous growing medium that traps air bubbles (such as vermiculite). Other options include constantly circulating the water in the system and even removing the plants’ roots from the water at regular intervals. Artificial lights are often used in hydroponics systems - sometimes as the only light source and sometimes to augment natural light. The use of artificial lights makes it possible for plants to be grown indoors on a year-round basis.

Why Is Hydroponics Superior To Soil?

One of the main reasons hydroponics is so popular is that it produces healthier plants than soil-based gardening. This is because hydroponically-grown plants can focus their energy on processes that benefit the development of healthy leaves, flowers, and fruit. Plants grown in soil expend a great deal of energy on root growth. Their roots plunge down into the soil, searching for water and using up nutrients that otherwise could be put toward upper leaf development. In a hydroponics system, plants are always provided with easy access to water and nutrients, so they do not have to expend much energy on root growth. The result of this is that hydroponically-grown plants are able to develop at rates that are unheard of in soil gardening. Any plant that grows normally in the soil can be grown hydroponically. However, some will perform better than others depending on the technique and equipment used.

Is Hydroponics New?

No, hydroponics is most certainly not new. Hydroponics has been around for centuries and has been used worldwide in many different countries for the production of food. A good example of its age is the use of hydroponics in the gardens of Babylon.

What Is Hydroponics Used For?

Many people often ask, what is hydroponics used for. Well, it's quite simple as you can grow almost anything you desire. Vegetables, herbs, peppers, and flowers are all grown hydroponically and regularly supplied for the public to consume. Your weekly trip to the supermarket will provide you with many items that are grown hydroponically by large commercial companies and there are many restaurants and homeowners that nowadays use hydroponics to grow their own fresh produce.

Is Hydroponics A Reliable Method Of Cultivation?

Hydroponics is now becoming the most popular method of plant cultivation around the world, as it is the most reliable method for a regular source of fresh food to be produced, even NASA have used hydroponics as a means to raise crops in outer space, it really is out of this world.

What Methods Are There For Hydroponics?

Hydroponics is to supply a nutrient-rich solution to the inert growing media and roots to feed the plants and then re-circulate or run the excess solution to waste. There are various methods for hydroponics that are used and below are the main methods for hydroponics cultivation, which nowadays have also formed many hybrid hydroponic systems.

1. Aeroponics

Aeroponics Growing Systems are designed to support your plants in the top of the system, usually in mesh pots to allow the roots to be suspended below in the dark in a sealed container or tank and misted or sprayed constantly or regularly at timed intervals with a nutrient rich solution. Excess solution will drain from the roots and system and re-circulate back into the main storage tank for later use. Aeroponics is an extremely clean and efficient way to grow and requires very little growing media to support your plants, and with the large amounts of oxygen available to the roots, it is also one of the quickest methods of plant cultivation as well.

2. Deep Water Culture - DWC

Deep Water Culture is a very simple, yet very effective method for hydroponics. Plants are supported in the top of the system and the roots are suspended below in the dark sealed container or tank and submerged into a deep solution of water and nutrients that is constantly aerated and highly oxygenated by an air pump and stone. The flow of bubbles into the solution and around the roots allows the plants to flourish, and with a constant supply of water and nutrients, they grow very quickly. DWC is becoming a very popular method with growers, as it requires very little growing media and it is an easy way of growing with hydroponics.

3. Drip Systems

Hydroponic dripper systems are a favorite with many growers as they are very easy to use and they are also very reliable. Plants can be grown in pots, trays or slabs and irrigation feed lines will be placed into the top of the media to drip and deliver the nutrient solution directly where it is required to go. The solution will drain through the media to feed the roots and any excess nutrient solution can be re-circulated back into the main tank or it can be run to waste. A great example of a hydroponic top feed dripper system is a Drip Potz System, which is capable of re-circulating the nutrient solution back into the main tank, or it can be run to waste.

4. Flood & Drain - Ebb & Flow

Flood & drain systems do exactly what they say they do, which is to flood the system with a nutrient-rich solution to moisten the media and roots to feed the plants, and then they drain pulling air back into the media. Flood Potz Systems are a good example and these even combine DWC. As the Potz is flooded an air stone connected to the bottom of each mesh basket aerates the solution, media, and roots to provide the perfect environment for the plants to flourish, a failsafe method that provides the ultimate yields as well.

5. Nutrient Film Technique

NFT is probably the most popular method used for hydroponics. NFT Growing Systems use a sloped top tray to support and grow your plants on, and this tray is placed onto a tank or supported with a stand and a tank. A pump is placed into the tank to deliver your stored water and nutrients up into the high end of the top tray and with the slope, it will slowly fall across the tray and plant roots and back into the tank and re-circulate. Plants are usually grown in Rockwool blocks, which are sat onto the top tray when a good root system is established. A piece of correx (plastic sheet) is used and holes are cut out to position your plants on the top tray, the correx prevents the light penetrating your roots and affecting growth.

What Are Hydroponics Nutrients?

When plants grow outdoors with Mother Nature to help them along the way, they obtain natural minerals that lie beneath the ground through their roots to provide food for them to grow. Hydroponics growing media contains no nutritional content that can feed plants and also the water you supply, so the correct proportion of elements required for plants to grow and also produce flowers or fruits is provided into the water that is supplied to the roots to feed them.

Hydroponic Nutrients will contain macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients in a well-balanced form that can be easily absorbed through the root system and then broken down chemically within the plant. Macro-nutrients are the elements that plants require the most to grow, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are absorbed through plant roots in very large amounts, with secondary macro-nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and sulfur also required by plants in large amounts. Plant roots absorb micro-nutrients in very small amounts. Zinc, manganese, iron, boron, cobalt, and molybdenum are all micro-nutrients which will be available in a good quality hydroponic nutrient. We stock only quality hydroponic nutrients from Canna, Plagron, Biobizz, Plant Magic and House & Garden, and if you choose to use one of them we have all of their Hydroponics Feed Schedules available to download. These should only be used as a guide, as different plant varieties will require different levels of food to be supplied.

What Is Hydroponics Growing Media?

Hydroponics requires an inert growing media to be used, which is chemically inactive and contains no nutritional content as all the nutrients required by the plants to grow will be supplied in the water by you.

Hydroponics Growing Media is used mainly to support the plants that are being grown and allow the roots access to water, nutrients, and air at all times. This is one of the main reasons for hydroponics cultivation being so much quicker and better than soil grown plants. A soil grown plant will divide its energy into root growth and plant growth to ensure it uptakes any available nutrients, but a hydroponically grown plant is supplied with all the nutrients it requires directly to the roots and with higher amounts of oxygen also available, it allows the plant to concentrate more on plant growth. The most common growing media used for hydroponics is expanded clay pebbles and Rockwool fibers as these both can hold oxygen, water, and nutrients very well and contribute to the plants' ability to grow very fast. There are several other growing substrates that can be used for hydroponics, such as perlite, vermiculite, gravel, and foam, all of which can deliver some great results. Irrigation feed times can vary with the different types of hydroponics growing media, and it will also depend on the size of your plants and the environment conditions in your hydroponics grow room.

What Are The Benefits With Hydroponics?

Hydroponics offers many more benefits when compared to normal methods of plant cultivation, especially when it is used indoors in a controlled environment.

1. Pests and Diseases

When growing indoors with hydroponics, the chances of pests and diseases occurring is very small, but if unfortunately, they do it can be far easier to treat and eliminate the problem. Hydroponics growing media is inert, containing no nutritional content so the chances of the growing media carrying any pests or diseases, is also very small if any. Usually, the main culprit who transports any pests or diseases into the grow room will, unfortunately, be you.

2. Maintain Weekly

Growing many plants in soil can be a tedious task with many hours spent on maintaining the garden and feeding the plants, but with hydroponics a garden can be set up and checked weekly for maintenance, as a large tank of nutrient solution can be left at the correct PH and EC levels and automatically fed to the plants daily in the hydroponic system.

3. Quicker Growth and Bigger Yields

As hydroponic systems provide the nutrient solution directly to the roots of the plants, the plants can put all their time and effort into vegetative growth up top. This provides much quicker growth from the plants and when growing fruit-bearing plants the yields that can be achieved cannot be matched with any other method of cultivation.

4. Grow All Year Round

When using hydroponics indoors under controlled conditions, you can grow any time of the year and produce a consistent, bountiful harvest all year round. The outdoor temperatures and light conditions throughout the year play a major role for commercial growers who depend on good weather and light, but growing indoors with hydroponics defies Mother Nature and allows you to continue growing all year round.

Is Hydroponics Better Than Soil?

Hydroponics is definitely better when compared to soil grown plants, the rate of growth and yield from fruit-bearing plants cannot compete from soil-grown plant to a plant grown hydroponically. Hydroponics supplies all water and nutrients directly to the roots of the plant and this means the plant does not have to develop a large root system to feed, but with soil the plant will divide its energy between growing upwards (plant vegetation) and also downwards (roots) to ensure a good supply of nutrients are available to the plant. To put it simply, a plant grown for ten weeks with hydroponics will be a lot bigger and stronger, yielding much more than a plant grown for ten weeks in soil, and if the plants are flushed correctly to remove all the nutrients before harvest, the taste from your fruits should be much the same.

What Do You Need For Hydroponics At Home?

Now you have a clearer idea to what is hydroponics, you may well wonder what you will need for you to grow your own fresh produce at home and setting up hydroponics grow room at home couldn't be simpler these days, with all the specialist equipment that is available. Hydroponics at home requires an enclosure for your grow room, which can be an empty cupboard or a grow tent and you will most certainly need a grow light. Apart from a hydroponic system, the other major items you will need are some fans, ducting and a carbon filter to control the environment inside your grow room. "Plants are very much like humans, they require a night and day period and given a warm sunny climate with good food and plenty to drink, they will be very happy and flourish"

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Now day’s many people are getting involved in flower gardening. This is a simple and rewarding hobby for many people. Flower gardening is a simple hobby but it requires a lot of commitment, hard work, and dedication from you.

In this article, I will be discussing 3 essential tips for flower gardening which will ensure you a beautiful, healthy and well-structured flower garden.

Planting

First and the major step for flower gardening is to decide where you want to plant your flower garden. There are lots of options available out of which you can select any one which is best suitable for you.

You can plant your flower garden in a container. It is easier and simpler to manage because you can replicate the soil conditions as you want.

Next option is available in your backyard. If you have a sufficient amount of space available in your back then you can easily plant your flower garden in your backyard. Before planting your flower garden in your back yard you have to follow some basics such as you must test your soil for determining the type of soil in your backyard. Next, your soil must be equally composed of clay and sand.

Gardening Journal

A second essential tip for flower gardening is a gardening journal. This can help you in tracking your flower garden progress and it is highly recommended too. A gardening journal will help you in determining your success and failures. You can easily distinguish the flowers which have grown properly and which have not grown properly. This will definitely help you when you grow your next flower garden. There is professional software available in the market which can help you in the tracking of your flower garden or you can simply use any notepad to keep track.

Organic Materials

Final tip for flower gardening is the use of organic materials. Presence of a suitable amount of organic matter or fertilizers in the soil will make the soil fertile and nutrient rich. Such type of soil will ensure a healthy and beautiful growth of your flowers in your flower garden.

If you think that your soil does not have enough amount of organic matter, you can change the soil by adding compost in it. You can prepare the compost at your home or you can easily buy it from your gardening supply store. Compost provides necessary nutrients which are very beneficial for flower gardening.

Above mentioned were 3 essential tips for flower gardening. You can easily grow and maintain beautiful flowers in your container or in your backyard by just considering the above mentioned tips.

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The arrival of seed catalogs by mail and the appearance of seed racks in stores signal the time to start planning your garden. Both the catalogs and the seed displays appear in time for early spring sowing of slow-starting seeds indoors.

1. What’s your climate like?

When you select the vegetables you will grow„ consider two climate factors.

The first is frost tenderness. The length of the growing season for frost-tender vegetables is determined by two dates, the last spring frost, and the first fall frost. Plan to grow frost-tender vegetables only in the period between the two average dates for your area.

The second important climate consideration is the temperature preferred by the vegetable—warm or cool. Even when the danger of frost is past, warm-season vegetables need adequate heat to germinate the seed, set fruit and ripen their crops. Cool-season vegetables will usually recover from a moderately heavy frost and can he grew throughout the winter in mild climates. These grow poorly when it’s hot.

With most warm-season vegetables, the fruit is what you harvest (tomatoes, squash, melons, peppers, eggplant); with most cool-season crops you harvest the leaves, roots, or stems (lettuce, spinach, carrots, broccoli). Seeds of warm-season crops will not sprout and plants will not grow if the weather is not warm enough for them; cool-season crops will bolt in warm weather, producing premature flowers and seeds instead of the leaves, roots, stems, or immature flowers that you want to harvest.

If you think your climate is too cool for the crops you want to grow, try early varieties—they require less heat to mature than late varieties. Some warm-season vegetables, however, require so many warm clays and nights that they rarely succeed in northern states.

Carefully consider your climate and the beginning of the frost-free period before deciding when to plant. Don’t assume that because seeds or plants of a particular vegetable are on display it’s the best time for setting them in your garden. Dealers sometimes offer frost- tender plants too early for safe planting.

Once you know the climate requirements and length of the growing season of a particular plant, you might find that spring may not be the best time to plant some vegetables. In warm regions, for example, autumn is the best season for planting cool-season vegetables. And to avoid harvesting an overabundance of vegetables over a short period of time, plan for successive small plantings of many crops. Good timing is one of the key secrets to successful vegetable gardening.

2.Include some perennials

Only a few vegetables will come back reliably for several seasons, sending up new growth from heavy, frost- hardy roots: asparagus, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, multiplying onion, and rhubarb. (Jerusalem artichoke, a native American relative of the sunflower, is grown for its starchy tubers. The true artichoke is a perennial only where winters are mild.)

Don’t confuse these true perennials with annual plants that give you volunteer seedlings each spring from seeds dropped the previous year. Tomatoes, for example, are prolific reseeders. Volunteer plants can be grown to harvest, but they may not look or perform like their parents.

3. Climbers save space

Plant-for-plant, pole (climbing or runner) types often yield twice as much as bush varieties. Some people claim that pole varieties have more flavor than bush kinds.

Plan on training the vines up supports such as stakes, tepees, or frames. You’ll need 8-foot-long, 2 by 2-inch stakes for individual plants. For several plants, use 8-foot long 4 by 4-inch stakes as posts, running wire and heavy string between them. Tepees can be made of lightweight stakes or bamboo poles.

In very hot climates, don’t use metal frames, chicken wire, or galvanized clothesline wire for stringers. Plant leaves and tendrils can burn from touching the hot metal.

Only pole beans and tall peas actually cling. Beans cling strongly with spiraling, twining vine tips; peas that are bothersome to maintain can become excellent sites for vegetable beds. Drive short pegs or posts in the corners of these plots to keep hoses from knocking down the plants.

If you have scouted your property and can’t find a good site for a vegetable garden, don’t be discouraged. Look around your immediate neighborhood for idle land on which to plant a garden, such as easements under power transmission lines. (Check to see if you need a permit.) Small businesses sometimes have back lots that are eyesores but can be gardened in return for cleaning them up. And some forward-looking cities rent small vegetable plots for modest fees. Don’t depend on the inherent honesty of people to protect an off-premises garden, though. Passers-by may succumb to the temptation to take vegetables unless you can fence the area and lock the gate.

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Summer plants with a voracious appetite for warmth, water, and space. The mouth-watering fruits take about 3 months to mature from seeds. Like their fellow members of the cucurbit family (squash and cucumbers) melons thrive in warm weather, take up lots of space, and need regular, ample water. If you can provide these requirements, home-grown melons will reward you with a vine-ripened sweetness impossible to find in the market.

If you don’t have a very long warm season, however, look for the earlier maturing hybrids that can be successful in all areas but those with the coolest or shortest summers. Compact varieties with short vines even make it possible to grow melons in a small garden. The silvery green to buff or golden cantaloupe (muskmelon) are the fastest maturing and easiest to grow of the melons. The long-season melons—such as the green-skinned ‘Persian’, the pink-fleshed ‘Crenshaw’, the lime green fleshed ‘Honeydew’, and the white-fleshed ‘Casaba’— require up to 115 warm days to mature and dislike high humidity. They grow best in the warm interior valleys of the West and Southwest.

Watermelons—once considered long-season vegetables—can now he grew wherever cantaloupes mature reliably, thanks to new short-season varieties. The quick-maturing types called “icebox” -melons have smaller fruits than those sold commercially. The large- fruited varieties require 85 to 90 days or more to ripen roots and are fragile. Set plants 3 to 8 feet apart, depending on variety. Before planting seeds directly in the ground, wait until you find the soil has warmed to the 70-75°C required to sprout seeds. Plant 1 inch deep in circles of 5 seeds and later thin to 3 plants per circle.

Melons respond dramatically to manure or fine compost in the soil and to being grown on mounds raised 6 inches above the garden level for drainage and warmth. Build mounds for three plants by excavating about a bushel of soil, mixing with equal parts of organic matter and refilling the hole. Add a complete garden fertilizer when mixing the soil and feed plants every four to six weeks. Grow melons in full sun at the side of the garden where the robust vines can be trained away from smaller vegetables. Vines are brittle and break easily, so train them while young.

Care. Mulch around the plants with straw to maintain an even level of soil temperature and moisture and to reduce the loss of fruit to rot. Watch the tips of vines for signs of wilting; then soak around the plants thoroughly.

Pests. Virus-carrying insects, such as cucumber beetles, can cripple young plants. If the plants slowly turn yellow and start to dry up, pull them up and replant. Spray with diazinon when beetles appear, stopping when label instructions indicate.

Harvesting. Here are some clues to ripeness in melons: for cantaloupes, if the stem slips off easily, the melon is ripe. Also, the opposite end softens and the netting becomes thick and corky as the fruit ripens.

For Persian and Crenshaw, try the aroma test. Sniff the blossom end; if it smells sweet and fruity, the melon is ready. (Crenshaw can be fully ripe, yet have green skin.) For honeydew and casaba, pick when the rind has turned deep yellow. The blossom end also tends to become springy instead of firm.

Even the experts are sometimes fooled by watermelons, but these tips can help you pick them at their prime. Rap the melon with your knuckles; a dull “plunk” means the watermelon is probably ready—a higher pitched “ping” means wait for a few days-and thumps it again. (This test is most reliable in the early morning.) Also, note the two curly tendrils that extend from the stem nearest the fruit. When these turn brown, the melon is likely to be ripe. Check the light spot on the underside of the fruit. When this turns from white to light yellow, the melon is probably ready. Or, press down firmly on the top of the fruit with the palm of your hand. If you feel the flesh crack inside, it is ready to eat.

In containers. Large plants, slow growth, and low yield per plant make melons impractical for containers.

Plants of mustard grow knee-high in 35 to 45 days and develop large, wide leaves. Cool weather improves the flavor. During hot weather, the peppery tang to the greens can become strong, especially in older leaves.

Once flowering has started, it is useless to snap the tops off in the hope that new crops of leaves will form. Flowering is your signal to wait until cooler weather to plant a new batch of seeds.

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