GaRDENING>>>>>>>?

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
gardening
Kai asks:


My fiance and I recently moved into our first home. Our grass has finally begun to come up and we were wondering about some ideas on what to plant. We both have full time jobs and not alot of time to work in the garden. Any suggestions? (I really like my yard to be colorful). And if you do have suggestions, could you please give me a step-by-step run-down of how to plant and take care of them?

Apauled: Gardening

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
Dessie asks:


Colleges pride themselves on keeping a beautiful campus so Paul takes on the job of watering the grass.

Things To Consider Before Planting A Lawn

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008
A garden lawn

Image via Wikipedia

It can be hard to grow a thick, dark green lawn, but there are a few tips to follow. When seeding a lawn, fall is undoubtedly the best time. September is the perfect time to begin your lawn, because the hottest weather will be over. You could also start in early spring, but there needs to be good root growth before the hot summer weather arrives. However, they will be competing with crab grass, which grows quickly in the summer months, as well as high heat and inadequate water.

When planting your grass seeds, keep in mind that the seeds are relatively small, so they should not be planted deeply into the ground. As long as the ground is relatively moist, the seeds only need partial covering with soil. You should use about 4 pounds of seeds for 1,000 square feet of lawn. Don’t try to make up for low-quality seeds by using more of them; this will just increase competition between them.

When planting your seeds, use a mechanical spreader if you can. To ensure even coverage, you should spread half the seeds in one direction, the rest in the other direction. That way, you will not miss any spots. When you’re done, rake the seeds lightly. You may also want to cover the seeds with 1/8 inch of soil or compost, but this is not absolutely necessary.

If you’re trying to plant a lawn on a slope, this will need special treatment. If it rains, the seeds are likely to be washed away. You can cover them with straw to keep them in place, but remove the straw as soon as they sprout. Or you can cover the new seedlings with an open mesh burlap, cheesecloth, or garden mesh. These will keep the soil intact and protect the new grass. It should be removed by the time the grass is half an inch long.

Rainfall is best for new grass, but if you have decided on sowing grass seeds during dry weather, you’ll need to water for the seeds to germinate. Be sure to use a fine mist so that you won’t create puddles. Water in the morning, before the hottest part of the day. Especially once the grass seeds sprout, be sure to adequately water them. You can use a sprinkler, but don’t leave it on the lawn until the soil becomes too wet. After you water, the water should reach down about 5 inches into the soil.

As your grass begins to grow, you may wonder when it’s time to begin the chore of mowing. You can start moving when the tallest blades of grass are 2 inches long, but don’t cut the grass shorter than an inch and a half.

If you’re considering tearing out an old lawn to replace it with a new and healthy lawn, this may be a wise decision. However, there are also some things you should do before planting the lawn. If your lawn is growing poorly because the soil is too hard, plow it and add compost. You can also try aerating the top layer of soil, or adding 4 pounds of plant food for every 100 square feet of lawn. If your lawn is mossy, you should improve the drainage before planting your new lawn.

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Improve Your Lawn With The Use Of Mulch

Sunday, December 7th, 2008
Mulch & Stone for the Garden

Image by mstephens7 via Flickr

If you want to make a good impression on your friends and neighbors, then your lawn and garden may need some attention. The right landscaping materials and plants can enhance and beautify your home and increase its overall appeal.

You can turn your simple barren, bland yard into a work of art at a relatively affordable price, by doing it yourself.

Recently, in the past few years there have been many companies that have introduced a wide variety of bagged rocks and mulches. The newest line from Vigoro offers the landscaping artist over 26 varieties of products. They vary in size, color and shapes, so your possibilities are limitless.

Beautiful and decorative landscaping rock and mulch are a great way to improve your yard. Try using mulch to accent your garden, flower beds, driveway and walkway. Mulch also provides added benefits, other than being attractive they improve your soil and plants. Mulch is good at controlling and slowing erosion, maintaining proper moisture levels, and it controls weed population and soil insulation.

Here are just a few helpful tips when choosing and adding mulch to your yard or landscape:

1.) Choose a mulch that lasts a long time and is heavy, this prevents it from being easily washed away from heavy rains.

2.) Choose a mulch with looser structure to allow better soil aeration

3.) Make sure to apply mulch at the proper time, during late spring it will help preserve water and reduce ground temperature

4.) When applying mulch make sure it is 1-2 inches deep. A finer, more fluffy mulch should be applied 3-4 inches deep.

5.) Ensure mulch is applied evenly by raking through it with your hands

6.) Water the mulch after applying

7.) Make sure to move mulch a few inches away from plants and tree bottoms

To prevent grass growth and keep your plants in a healthy state, there is a mulch made by Vigoro called “Mulch with Weed Stop”. This mulch is the first ever to contain a pre-emergent herbicidal agent. It controls weeds for up to 4 months, while allowing your annuals and spring bulbs, shrubbery and trees to continue growing and thriving for an ever-beautiful landscaping or garden. It is the only mulch that contains natural forest products and is certified by the Mulch and Soil Council.

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Things To Know About Garden Mulch

Saturday, December 6th, 2008

If you want to make a good impression on your friends and neighbors, then your lawn and garden may need some attention. The right landscaping materials and plants can enhance and beautify your home and increase its overall appeal.

You can turn your simple barren, bland yard into a work of art at a relatively affordable price, by doing it yourself.

Recently, in the past few years there have been many companies that have introduced a wide variety of bagged rocks and mulches. The newest line from Vigoro offers the landscaping artist over 26 varieties of products. They vary in size, color and shapes, so your possibilities are limitless.

Beautiful and decorative landscaping rock and mulch are a great way to improve your yard. Try using mulch to accent your garden, flower beds, driveway and walkway. Mulch also provides added benefits, other than being attractive they improve your soil and plants. Mulch is good at controlling and slowing erosion, maintaining proper moisture levels, and it controls weed population and soil insulation.

Here are just a few helpful tips when choosing and adding mulch to your yard or landscape:

1.) Choose a mulch that lasts a long time and is heavy, this prevents it from being easily washed away from heavy rains.

2.) Choose a mulch with looser structure to allow better soil aeration

3.) Make sure to apply mulch at the proper time, during late spring it will help preserve water and reduce ground temperature

4.) When applying mulch make sure it is 1-2 inches deep. A finer, more fluffy mulch should be applied 3-4 inches deep.

5.) Ensure mulch is applied evenly by raking through it with your hands

6.) Water the mulch after applying

7.) Make sure to move mulch a few inches away from plants and tree bottoms

To prevent grass growth and keep your plants in a healthy state, there is a mulch made by Vigoro called “Mulch with Weed Stop“. This mulch is the first ever to contain a pre-emergent herbicidal agent. It controls weeds for up to 4 months, while allowing your annuals and spring bulbs, shrubbery and trees to continue growing and thriving for an ever-beautiful landscaping or garden. It is the only mulch that contains natural forest products and is certified by the Mulch and Soil Council.

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How to get rid of grubs in your lawn

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

This article talks about the devastation caused to your lawn by the presence of grubs. It outlines ways and means by which you can get rid of grubs in a safe and effective manner.

Maintenance of a lawn is very important for it to look beautiful and healthy. One possible damage to a lawn comes from grubs. In fact, the extent of harm from grubs can be quite considerable and preventive steps should be taken as soon as possible. Wilting of grass and the presence of wildlife and birds in your lawn is an indication of the fact that your lawn has been infested by grubs. If you find small holes in the lawn, then it could be because of small animals having tried to uproot the grubs. Generally, possibility of grub infestation is high during dry weather, particularly the time between spring and fall. Before starting with treatment for grubs, do make sure that the problem is actually with grubs and nothing else. The good part about treatment of grubs is that it is not a very difficult procedure as grubs can be seen immediately under the lawn soil.

The only care you have to take before treatment is to verify the kind of insect that is present in the soil. If your soil is infested with white grubs, then it is the larvae of beetles and it is usually white, fat and seen in a C shape. These beetles have six legs and a brown head and take two years to transform into a matured beetle. The best time to treat them is during warm weather, when they are usually feeding. As long as no grub infested area is left untreated, grub removal is easily achieved.

However, it is always better to stop grub infestation before it starts rather than worry about the treatment procedure. This applies to grub infestation, also. If you take certain measures beforehand, you will not be afflicted by the problem of grubs and you won?t have to spend time in treating them. The best cure for not letting grubs enter your lawn is to place bacteria that give rise to milky spore disease in your garden. The great thing about these bacteria is that it does not let grubs appear in your lawn and it has no other side-effects on your lawn. Apart from this, the bacteria can function for a great number of years and is very useful, particularly when used before the infestation has begun. If the lawn is already infested, then the bacteria do not have a very impressive effect on your lawn and it will take considerable time for you lawn to be rid of the grubs.

Apart from this, there are microscopic worms called nematodes in the soil which attack the white grubs. They are very small, but perfectly capable of destroying the grubs. The way they function is by entering the grubs? body and then giving out a poison which finishes off the grubs in around two days time. Rather than resorting to chemicals, nematodes are a very effective way of doing away with grubs. This should be an essential learning from your supplies gardening exercises.

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The right way to look after your lawn

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

This article talks about how some basic steps will ensure that you get a great looking lawn. The article also talks about the proper way to mow your lawn, and the fertilizer to be used for your lawn.

If you are one of those people for whom a great lawn matters, then there are certain things that you need to do. To begin with, do not anticipate instantaneous results. You have to be willing to put in a lot of hard work. The problem with most people is that without any hard work, they want solutions. As with everything else, this is not going to work even in the area of lawn care.

So, if you really desire a good-looking lawn, you have to make a detailed plan for your garden. See to it that you schedule a routine for your lawn. This will make it easier for you to keep in mind the things that you need to do annually for your lawn. Along with this, try and obtain quality commercial equipment for maintaining your lawn and also make use of great products available in the market to promote the health of your lawn.

Before beginning with lawn care, gauge how your lawn is faring at the present. You have to check whether the grass is bouncing with health or it is drooping, whether your lawn exhibits the presence of weeds and if it does how bad the situation is. If your grass is drooping, then you have to try and find the degree of dryness. A good idea of these and other essential factors will help in proper planning for lawn care.

After assessing the state of your lawn, you can start thinking about the steps that need to be taken. A good idea would be to begin by mowing the lawn. Do not abandon the plan if you find that the length of the grass is negligible. Giving one more mowing is always going to benefit your lawn. The fact about mowing is that people often underestimate the seriousness of mowing. Many people assume that simply running the lawnmower over the grass is what mowing is all about. This is a fallacy.

First of all, you have to ensure that the lawnmower has sharp blades. This is very important because otherwise there is a possibility that instead of cutting the blades of the grass, the lawnmower is only shredding the blades which results in the lawn having an unkempt look. While mowing the garden, a good idea would be to cover the lawn by taking as many directions as possible. This means that you should go diagonal, clockwise and counter clockwise to get that clean look for your lawn.

Apart from lawn mowing, you need to reach a proper understanding of the condition of the quality of soil in your lawn. The best idea would be to go for a soil test. With the help of a soil test, you will be able to find the levels of potassium, lime requirements, pH and phosphorus in your lawn. To find out the level of nitrogen, a soil test will not help and so you will have to find other ways to do this. Generally, compost is a great fertilizer to provide the needed nutrients to your lawn and is used in most of the front yard landscape designs exercises.

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Avoid chemicals and opt for organic lawn care

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

This article talks about the ways in which you can stick to organic lawn care. Having tall grass, buying organic pesticides and organic fertilizers are some of the ways in which you can avoid chemicals and adhere to natural methods for your lawn.

Taking care of the lawn in an organic way is extremely important. Organic lawn care is very beneficial to the environment and also to your health which is why you should completely do away with the use of pesticides and other chemicals. When you use organic methods for your lawn, you will not have to lose sleep over the idea of kids and pets playing in the lawn. The kids could roll over in the soil to their heart?s content and you could enjoy the view without anything to worry about.

If you are planning to go organic with your lawn, the first thing you have to pay attention to is the length of the grass. Unlike chemicals induced lawn care where grass is cut very short, in organic lawn care the length of the grass has to be on the higher side. To be more precise, you need a minimum of three inches of grass and this is more so in summer. This is a very important part of organic lawn care. There are various reasons behind this. The fact is that tall grass has more capabilities of perseverance and survival than the shorter one. Closely cropped grass can be affected by summer heat really fast and then change color, whereas tall grass can withstand the scorching heat of summer. What happens is that taller grass has a sturdy root structure and so it gets enough of nutrition and water. Also, tall grass offer better shading facilities to seeds and ensure that they do not wither because of the unbearable heat of summer.

The second aspect of organic lawn care is the process of fertilization. Always remember to apply organic fertilizers and among the vast variety of organic fertilizers available in the market today, make sure to pick up a reputed brand. Another important thing you need to keep in mind is the time of fertilization. You should only fertilize your lawn during spring or fall. Fertilization during summer can scorch the grass because of the heat emitted, so do not fertilize your lawn during summer.

The third aspect of organic lawn care deals with pest control. Making use of chemical insecticides is totally forbidden even if your lawn is filled with plant shrubs and bugs. What you can do is to get hold of a bird house or bird bath to draw bug eating birds to your lawn. If this does not produce very effective results, you can buy non-chemical and non-poisonous pest control products from the market. There are plenty of these organic pesticides and landscaping tools available today, so pest control should not be a problem when it comes to organic lawn care.

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When It Comes To Gardening Lawn Care, Know What’s Best

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

For those starting out, gardening lawn care is important. Find the best information available for maintaining your yard.

Quite a bit of information regarding gardening lawn care is available to you, and you need it all. There are some aspects that you really need to know how to handle properly including proper methods to mowing your lawn, removing pests and adding fertilizers. These are just the start of the information you need, but highly important.

Proper Mowing

In gardening lawn care, mowing is one of the most important aspects of lawn care. There are several things to pay attention to in particular to get the results you want. First, mow your lawn in different directions with each mow rather than mowing along the same pattern every time. Doing this will allow you to see benefits in cutting off more of each weed leaf. Any leaf that may be leaning in one direction is still cut. This keeps them out of the competition with your grass.

Keep the clippings on the lawn. This gives several advantages including the fact that during a dry season, they add moisture to your lawn. This is because grass clippings are composed of 85 percent of water. They are also full of nutrients that the soil need to remain healthy for the grass you want to grow there.

Proper Watering

Regular watering of your lawn is important to gardening lawn care. Most know this but you also have to look at drainage of that water. For example, if you live in an elevated area, you need to add more because water run down will be substantial. You may want to consider adding an irrigation system to your lawn so that the area is regularly watered well.

Handling Pests

Perhaps one of the worst things working against you in gardening lawn care is the pest. The best thing for this is to have a dense turf to protect from the invasion. This will also keep out weeds. Fix any problems with your lawn when you notice them so that they are handled before becoming larger problems.

Fertilizing Properly

Finally, an important part of gardening lawn care is providing your lawn with the nutrients it needs to remain healthy. To do this, add fertilizer correctly. Remember that fertilizer should only be added when the soil has dropped below the necessary nutrient level for maintaining healthy grass. Sometimes all you need to do is to add compost to your lawn to give it the necessary nutrients it needs. Gardening lawn care requires a bit of attention to these details!

More articles about planting grass seed and gardening lawn care available here.

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Organic Solution : New Lawn Care Tips

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

You are starting a lawn or reseeding the one you already have. Planting new seed needs some reliable information to guide you in this task and have a successful outcome.

When you plant grass in an area which has a hostile climate to the new grass, all the advice and tips received are welcomed. Learn here valuable advice.

You are starting a lawn or reseeding the one you already have. Planting new seed needs some reliable information to guide you in this task and have a successful outcome.

When you plant grass in an area which has a hostile climate to the new grass, all the advice and tips received are welcomed. Learn here valuable advice..

Tilling And Cleaning The Soil

Clean the soil of any debris, organic matter, stones and other objects that can obstruct the growing of your seeds. Seeds need the best available conditions to grow and you are supposed to give them in an efficient way. Clean and till the soil as the first step to make it more hospitable for the seeds, they need to find a comfortable and rich environment and it begins with a clean soil that cover their requirements. Condition the soil before seeding. You can find many commercial soil conditioners, there are organic varieties, too. Engaged in the organic lawn care program, you can choose an organic soil conditioner. The objection made to organic product is cost, but the benefits are greater, they help to balance environment actors, like bacteria classified as good and avoid the destruction of beneficial forms of life. Beneficial bacteria and insects are respected by organic products. Organic care given to the seed will boast improved results when the bouncing, green turf will be spreading over your lawn. Strong, healthy and lively, the grass will endure any climatic adversity.

Soften the soil to provide a suitable bed for seeds. If you wonder how to soften it, the reply is : by tilling. This condition will produce a quick development of the seed. After that, apply the soil conditioner you have selected

Watering Your Lawn

Watering is a crucial point in growing any type of grass. Many people excess in watering using a daily watering routine for mature grass that can damage grass and roots by drowning. Water with moderation making sure your seed won’t be hurt by losing too much of the soil.

Water enough to maintain moisture when the grass is growing and still small. Once a day you can wet the soil with water without exceeding. If your area supports heavy rainfall, reduce watering to the minimal. Don’t water after a rain.

Weed Control

Use organic weed control products and pull out weeds by hand. Avoid the chemical herbicides, that can be dangerous to your new grass

Organic Solution : New Lawn Care Tips

Organic solution will ease the management of lawn care problems. Adopt the organic solution and reduce the problem before they start.

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