Plants

For hydroponic growers, it can sometimes feel frustrating having to deal with the same level of development and growth season after season. In the world of hydroponics, the goal is to always get larger plants and bigger yields. Unfortunately, untold numbers of growers simply do not take the steps necessary to see the growth and improvement that they desire in their hydroponics garden. Most hydroponic gardens are only realizing a small fraction of their potential because growers are not doing everything in their power to increase their yields.

Fortunately, you do not have to necessarily be a master gardener in order to enjoy larger yields. All it takes is a little bit of knowledge and the right kind of grow enhancers.If you think you are stuck in your hydroponic development,  you will want to read on.

Root Improvers - All competent hydroponic growers know that they need larger roots in order to improve their garden. Yet so few actually do anything about getting the kind of thick complicated roots that lead to massive yields. One major step you can take in this regard is to use a potent root enhancer. These are specifically designed formulations designed to increase overall root mass, which leads to an improvement in nutrient absorption.The highest quality root enhancers usually have beneficial microbes that work symbiotically with the plants roots. By colonizing the root area and turning useless nutrients in your reservoir into something that you can actually benefit from, you create roots that are larger.

Immunize Your Plant - If you do not work to prepare yourself against possible pathogens that might enter your garden, you are just asking for trouble. Even if you have done everything else right, a single harmful fungal or bacterial infection can turn all for the money and time that you have invested in your garden into a room full of wilted plants. Taking just a few moments to think about how to ward off diseases can go a long way. This is why it is essential to use a hydroponic product that uses salicylic acid. Using this product on your plants functions a lot like an inoculation in humans. It stimulates the immune system and makes them more prepared for any future possible outbreaks.

Foliar Spray - Many hydroponic growers think that once they have maximized the potential of their roots, they have done everything that they can to give their plants the nutrients they need. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you really want to enter that next stage of nutrient absorption, you should also use a good foliar spray as a grow enhancers. By using a good nutrient solution, along with a surfactant to make the solution spread evenly over the leaves, you can actually increase your plants total nutrient absorption, which can sometimes be enough to make your overall yield and growth explode.

Cut off Under-performers - You should not neglect the very basics when it comes to your plants either. One of the oldest grow enhancers in the book is to make sure that your plant is as clean as possible. That means that if there are any under-performing or sickly branches, do not hesitate to chop them off. This works as a grow enhancers because it ensure that your plants do not waste energy on maintaining useless branches.

Make Sure To Adjust Your Nutrient Solution - One of the biggest ways that a grow enhancer helps plants is by increasing nutrient uptake. But during the vegetative stage of growth, when the plant is able to absorb the most nutrients, this feature doesn’t help much if adequate nutrients are not in your nutrient solution to begin with. When you add your grow enhancer, you may also want to increase the concentration of nutrients in your nutrient solutions. You should increase it slowly, making an adjustment every day, so you can see what these changes will have on your plants.

Combine with Beneficial Bacteria - The vitamins that come in a grow enhancer can be absorbed more readily when the roots are healthier, thicker, and fuller. For this to happen, you should combine your grow enhancer with a root enhancer, which often comes with beneficial bacteria. These bacteria can help break down the nutrients and vitamins in your reservoir, allowing them to be more useful to your plant and allowing your roots to grow to their full potential. They can also encourage the germination and growth of certain species of beneficial fungi, which can also provide a whole host of other benefits to your plants.

Bulb planting can be one of the most rewarding things a gardener can do. There’s nothing quite like putting that bulb in the ground, and watching as it grows into the full plant it’s meant to be. As long as some simple ground rules (pardon the pun) are followed, bulbs grow easily and are very rewarding.

Bulbs can be planted either in the fall or in the spring. Fall planting would be the preferred time to plant because that gives the flowers an opportunity to adjust to their surroundings, set their roots firmly, and bloom earlier in the spring. If you are going to be planting in the fall, anytime from about late September to early November is appropriate. Sometimes, circumstances lead us to not be able to plant until spring, or we would just rather wait. If that is the case, it is best to plant as soon as the ground thaws if you live in an area that freezes. If the ground does not freeze, anytime beginning in about mid-April through mid-May would be a good time. Your bulbs will bloom later than those planted in the fall, but they will still put on an impressive show. Planting in the fall does put the bulbs at an increased risk of being exposed to freezing temperatures because they will begin to grow earlier in the spring, but it is a risk that most gardeners are willing to take.

The majority of bulbs should be planted shallowly. There should be enough of a hole to cover them completely, but they do not need to go far down in the earth. However, there are some, like daffodils, that like to be planted a little deeper. Refer to the instructions on the bag or box for just how deep your bulbs should be planted. Be sure to follow those directions so that your flowers are not adversely affected by too deep or too shallow of a bed. Be sure to fertilize and water thoroughly as soon as the planting is completed. The bulbs will need those nutrients to help them root into their new home.

If the bulbs have been planted in the fall, as the winter months progress, they will remain dormant in the ground. Therefore, watering and fertilizing further will not be necessary until the ground begins to thaw in the spring. At that point, when the weather is dry for a few days and watering becomes necessary, do so with a garden hose for five minutes daily while the weather remains dry. Otherwise, it is safe to let nature take her course with these flowers while they are in bloom.

When blooming has completed, though it can be tempting to cut off those empty flower stalks, wait until they have become yellow and shriveled. The stalk is still taking in important nutrients to the bulb, which is now preparing for the next bloom season. If the stalk is cut off while it’s still taking in nutrients, in the following season, the flower will not bloom as well or may not bloom at all. It is important to give those flowers the time they need to prepare for the next growing season.

Common sense tells us that tropical Tillandsia will not withstand winter. So those of you who live in the North have already brought them inside. This is just the beginning though. In order for your Air Plants to survive winter inside, you need to make some small adjustments to their environment.

Chances are that you have electric or gas heat in your home. This type of heat is very drying as we all know from the changes in our own skin. It will reduce the humidity in our homes and this can be detrimental to your Air Plant. Air misting is one way to combat this dryness and should be done daily. Air Misting is different then plant misting.

In a prior article, I talked about plant misting and making sure that you saturate your plant, in Air Misting all you are doing is wetting the atmosphere around your plants and is exactly what it sounds like. Spritzing some water in the general area around your plants occasionally during the day.

Another way to increase the humidity is to place some decorative bowls of gravel or shells around your plant area and keep them filled with water. I like to do this with colorful glass bowls or vases on my window sills so that they catch and reflect the light.

Other winter considerations:

Fireplaces. Make sure your plants are a good distance from the heat and embers of your fireplace.

Air Circulation. Your plants need to have air enough to dry them after watering but should not be placed too close to a heater duct.

Light. Bright light is important and if not supplied naturally then by all means use artificial lighting. Do NOT place your airplants too close to an incandescent bulb though and please read my article on Indoor lighting. Also, please do not place your air plants in your Christmas Tree. The lights on the tree are hot and will burn your plants.

Lastly, if you open your window during the day for fresh air, make sure your plant is not effected. Going from room temp to cold will hurt your air plant. Oh and make sure that if you are spraying your room with that wonderful air freshener, you are not spraying your plant with it.

Catherine Essigmann

Air Plant City

Do you live in or around Phoenix, Arizona? This article will provide you tips for hiring a professional desert plant landscape expert in Phoenix and information about plants indigenous to the area. Whether you’re looking to create a xeriscape or just go low maintenance, the following information will be beneficial to you.

Because you live in the desert, you already know that Phoenix isn’t just a sea of brown sand and tumbleweeds. Many visitors are surprised at the color and variety of plants in Arizona, those that are indigenous and those that are not. There are numerous desert plants that stay green all year long and some even produce colorful, attractive blooms.

Desert plant landscaping in Phoenix, Arizona, if done correctly, can bring both beauty and very low maintenance into your backyard. You can start by finding out your USDA zone. USDA stands for United States Department of Agriculture and its zone maps are based on plant hardiness and their ability to thrive in the lowest temperatures of the region you live in. The USDA zone for Phoenix, Arizona is 9, so be sure to choose plants that will grow well in that zone.

Most desert plants, including colorful shrubs and bushes, are hardy, drought tolerant, disease resistant and pretty easy to find. Looking for a little help? Here’s some information about a popular desert plant that will make a great addition to your desert plant landscaping in Phoenix.

Silvery Cassia, also called Cassia Phyllodinea, is a perennial that lives for many years and can endure the worst conditions the desert has to offer. This silvery shrub flowers in late winter through spring with brilliant yellow flowers.

Silvery Cassia is an evergreen-like shrub that has silvery-green, pinnate leaves with linear leaflets that are covered in grey hair. The flowers are yellow, pea-shaped and carry a heavy scent. Pods are light brown and slender when ripe. Silvery Cassia does well in the sun and is extremely drought resistant. Because of this, Silvery Cassia does not require maintenance if selected for the appropriate space, but it can be pruned if necessary after the flowering process. This plant will also attract bees, butterflies and/or birds.

If you are still unsure about what will work in your desert plant landscaping in Phoenix, there are plenty of online resources that can help you. For instance, many local landscaping companies have expertise in desert landscaping and plants that thrive in the area. They may also have a plant library that contains pictures and full descriptions of each plant. You can gather a lot of ideas from these plant libraries!

While you don’t have to be a horticulturist to create a beautiful desert landscape in your backyard, it might be better if you just leave it to the experts. Hiring a professional desert plant landscaping company in Phoenix, Arizona might just be your best bet. They can work with you to pick out the best plants that fit your taste, lifestyle and budget - and they can even help you maintain it!

So, your perennial border is prepared with the requisite quantities of plant food soil and drainage grit if required. What’s next?

* Plant Selection

Once you have gotten this far in the process, it is time to think about actually selecting the plants that will populate the bed or border itself.

My first piece of advice to gardeners selecting perennial plants is to let your mind “drift”. Groupings of plants that weave and interlock with other groupings of plants within the same bed are known as “drifts”. One cluster of plants begins where another cluster ends and the groups have a flowing effect as they grow to bloom. The shapes that these drifts create should be irregular, weaving through your perennial border and wrapping around other plants. Planting in drifts creates a sense of movement, which in turn will make your garden look alive, full and lush.

Select plants with interesting and contrasting textures. Plant fine leaved perennials with bold leaved specimens. Also, select different flower forms and shapes, select from tubular, loose, flat, round, pendulous spiked etc. Do not be afraid to include some non-perennials as well. Plants like Phormium, Cordyline, ornamental conifers and grasses all add structure and body to the perennial border.

When selecting colours be guided by the following…

Drifts of light or pastel coloured flowers tend to fade into the background, so the quantities of these colours should be larger than the drifts of vivid colours. If you find yourself having colour clashes (red / pink), try creating buffers between these colours with massed plantings of ornamental grasses or plain green leaved plants.

* Planting Rules

To ensure rapid establishment and growth of a perennial or herbaceous border it is important to follow a few simple planting rules.

Water your perennial even before planting. Immerse the pots in water-filled containers for about 10 minutes before planting is the best method, after this time remove them and allow the surplus water to drain away. Remove the pot and if the plant roots are wrapped tightly you should gently tease some free. This will cause new roots to branch out into new soil instead of continually encircling themselves.

When creating a planting hole, the ideal situation would be to make it twice as wide and deep as the pot, don’t forget to break up the soil as you dig. The planting depth can be just as important with some perennials, with certain varieties refusing to bloom or thrive if planted at an incorrect depth. A good rule of thumb to follow is to never plant any higher or deeper than the compost level on the pot. Position the plants in the prepared holes and firm the soil around the roots.

Water thoroughly and deeply afterwards; continue doing this twice weekly for a few months to aid establishment. Certain perennials are quite tall upon purchase, I would advise you to reduce these in height to prevent plant failure due to wind rock. Although bark mulch is not a traditional material used on herbaceous borders, the addition of it to soil around your plants will save weeding and retain valuable moisture.

A 5 to 8cm (2 – 3in) layer of bark is sufficient for this purpose.

Many times we buy plants on impulse then find there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them. Before buying plants carefully examine your garden to see how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged and whether your aspect is sheltered or windswept. You’ll then be equipped to go and buy the best plants for your situation; shade-loving plants for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots, drought-resistant plants for the parched areas which may be either sunny or shaded, and swamp plants for the poorly-drained parts.

But wait! Test your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and what kind of nutrients you need to add, if any. Is the soil acid or alkaline? Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow. You can alter the soil’s pH level, but it’s much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.

Now you are ready to plant. Well - almost. Will you plant in groups or singly? If you buy ‘one of everything’ your garden may seem rather spotty. Group plantings are organised, harmonious and you can vary the color for interest.

Before planting out, place your chosen plants around the garden bed in their pots to see how they will look. Re-arrange them until you are satisfied. Grouping plants in sets of threes or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of even numbers. Be sure that you have an interesting combination of colors and textures of plants. Tall plants should go to the back, or the centre if your garden will be viewed equally from all sides. Try to keep your plants away from trees. The roots of trees are fiercely competitive and will steal all the nutrients and moisture meant for your flowers.

The right color scheme is one way to maintain the harmony in your garden. Imagine the color of the flowers when they are in bloom. Some colors may clash with others, but can still be planted side-by-side if they have a different blooming season. Foliage color is also important. Many flower plants have silver, grey or purplish foliage that is just as attractive as the flower. This means that they are still attractive well past the blooming season and so have added value.

A planting zone map is something that is very important to have as you embark on the wonderful world of garden planting. Remember that although you are planting many different things separately, your garden should be something that functions well together and helps every type of fruit and vegetable that you have survive. Therefore, you want to have a planting zone map that will help you make sure all of your plants are in the right place, and your garden is spectacular.

Sun/Shade

The first thing to consider when you are looking at a planting zone map is the way that the sun and shade works with your garden. Remember that some plants need sun and some plants need shade, and therefore you must be certain to provide your fruits and vegetables with the right amounts of both. Take into consideration the place where you will be having your garden, and design your planting zone map to ensure that there are shady areas as well as areas that get sun all day long.

Then, after you have your seeds, take a look at what requires sun and what requires shade, and plan to plant them in the right areas. Remember that having a garden near a tree or fence can allow for some of it to be shady during the day. If you don’t have a garden that has shade, you might need to make some artificial shade so that the plants that need it can have it.

Watering

Your planting zone map should also take into account the parts of the garden that are dryer and wetter. Some vegetables and fruits as well as flowers need to have wetter areas and some need areas that will dry out sooner. Take into consideration your water source, and whether the grown is flat or not.

If the ground is not flat, plan to have plants in the lower sections that need more water, and those in the upper sections that do not. This will help you get the right type of planting zone map for your garden.

Lastly, be sure that your planting zone map takes into consideration plants that will take over areas. Some types of flowers and vegetables will take over areas where they are not planted. Be sure that you know this before you plant them, and that you provide for this. You do not want nay of your hard work to go to waste because your planting zone map did not include these areas.

Have you ever wondered if what you know about plant and flower diseases is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on plant and flower diseases.

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about plant and flower diseases. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

Everyone who gardens will sooner or later have to deal with common diseases of plants and flowers. While some gardeners are luckier than others in this regard, everyone, from the smallest casual gardener to the largest commercial growing operation, has had to grapple with this serious issue.

Both flowering and non-flowering plants are prone to a number of pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Fungi are able to survive in the soil, independent of the plants, while both bacteria and viruses require a plant host for their survival.

Fungi

Fungi are among the most primitive of all organisms, and they are able to reproduce through the use of spores. These spores can be extremely difficult to kill, and the spores are designed to spread rapidly. Fungi produce spores in large numbers, and some of the spores are able to enter plants through their roots, while other spores attach themselves to the leaves of the plant. A single infected plant can release up to 100 million spores, so it is important to completely eradicate any fungal infection.

Bacteria

Unlike fungi, which can lie dormant for years or even decades in the soil, bacteria need both warmth and water to multiply and grow. Therefore, the majority of bacterial diseases are more of a problem in climates that are both warm and wet. Bacterial infections are easily spread through rain, splashing water, and even unknowingly by gardeners as they move between their plants. Most bacteria enter plants through a natural opening like a flower, or through a wound or cut in a stem or leaf.

Viruses

Viruses are even smaller life forms than bacteria, and they are able to reproduce only from within the cells of the plant or animal they infect. Certain viruses can be transmitted from plant to plant by insects such as aphids, thrips and leafhoppers, while still others can be carried by infected seeds or pollen spores. Like bacteria, viruses often enter plants through cuts or wounds in the stems, leaves or other parts of the plant.

As with all other disease treatment, the first step to effectively treating a viral, bacterial or fungal infection in the garden is to diagnose it properly. Every gardener should keep a book or guide on hand which shows the effects of common plant diseases. This guide will prove invaluable when trying to figure out what is bothering your plants. If you are still stumped for a diagnosis, be sure to seek the assistance of the staff at your local garden center, or the help of a more experienced gardener.

When treating bacterial, fungal and viral infections, the best approach is to try the most natural, least invasive methods first, and to move on only if those natural cures do not produce results. It is always a good idea to keep the use of harsh chemical pesticides and fungicides to a minimum, both for the health of your garden and the health of the wider environment.

Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about plant and flower diseases into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about plant and flower diseases, and that’s time well spent.

Planting roses correctly in a proper location is the most important success factor. Before you plant your roses, let’s review proper placement.

Roses should receive a minimum of 6 hours of strong sunlight. The more the better. They benefit from good air circulation and should not be planted too near to large plants that will compete for food and water. Do not plant roses where the drainage is poor. When spacing roses, follow this guide for zone 6. Plant Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras 30-36″ apart, Floribundas 24-30″ apart, Shrub roses 4-8′ apart and Climbers on fences 10-18′ apart. Plant climbers and pillar roses right up against their supports. In general, for full coverage, climbing roses are planted on every other fence post. In the south, roses should be planted farther apart; and in the north, somewhat closer planting is recommended.

Upon receiving your roses, open the cartons to check their condition. If the plants are dry, spray with water or soak the plants. If you are not ready to plant your roses, keep them in the cartons in a cool (35-40 degrees F.) area. Check daily to make sure the roots and canes do not dry out; usually a light spray every 2-3 days is sufficient. Keep the plastic securely wrapped around the roses.

One day before planting your roses, bring them into room temperature. It is particularly beneficial to unpack them and place the roots in a pail of lukewarm water into which you have added SeaMate™ at the rate of 1 tablespoon to a gallon of water.

Planting Roses

While preparing the soil, keep the unplanted roses in a shady place and take care that the roots do not dry out. Prepare the planting hole by removing the soil to a depth of 12-18″. Make the hole wide enough so the roots will have enough room for natural root spread, plus 2 inches on all sides. The soil you have removed should be mixed thoroughly with organic material. It can be peat moss, compost, well-rotted manure or leaf mold. Leafgro, Chesapeake Blue or Chesapeake Green all work especially well. This should be added at the rate of one part organic material to two parts soil.

Trim any roots or stems that are broken. Then build a mound of soil in the hole so the roots are supported at a 45-degree angle. Spread the roots over the mound. The mound should be high enough so the bud union is 1″ below ground level. In areas where the minimum temperature is warmer than 10 degrees F., plant the bud union at or 1″ above ground level. (The bud union is the knob where all the canes come together to join the central trunk). Only budded roses have bud unions. “Own root” roses, usually hardy shrub roses, are always planted with the place where the canes branch out from the trunk an inch or two below the soil surface.

Fill the hole 2/3 full with the enriched soil mixture and tramp to remove any air pockets. Water thoroughly with liquid SeaMate solution prepared at the rate of 1 tablespoon of SeaMate to a gallon of water. Fill hole with solution and let it soak into soil. After solution has soaked in, fill the hole with the soil mixture to ground level, firm the soil and water again. Mound the remaining soil mixture (and additional soil, if necessary) over the rose, covering all canes to within 2-3″ of the top. Finally, make a water-holding ring of soil, about 24 inches across, around the rose. Slowly water the soil mound. Keep the mound moist at all times. This soil mound will keep canes plump and moist while new feeder roots and sprouts are forming. Carefully remove the soil mound after the sprouts have been formed. Within a week, they will turn their normal deep green color. Try to protect these sprouts from sudden late frost. (If the young sprouts should be injured, the rose will sprout again in a few weeks).

Newly planted roses should be fertilized monthly, but very lightly. Too little is better than too much. Until the leaves are full-size, use 100% natural organic fertilizer such as fish emulsion, SeaMate™ or Plant-Tone®. Never fertilize roses in autumn.

Newly planted roses that are reluctant to leaf out can be encouraged if the procedure below is followed: Lay a piece of cotton cloth over the rose canes with one end of the cloth in a bucket of water which sits next to the rose. An old T-shirt, a piece of bed sheet (double thickness) or burlap will work fine. The cloth should not touch the ground all the way around the rose: a small air space is needed for ventilation. The bucket should be kept full at all times. The purpose of this procedure is to make a greenhouse (steam chamber) effect: this will keep the canes from drying out before the roots begin to grow. A similar process commonly referred to as “sweating” is often used in nurseries. Once very small leaves appear on the rose canes, the cloth and the soil mound can be removed, preferably in the evening before a cloudy day.

Which are the right plants for the conditions in your garden? We often buy plants on impulse only to discover when we get them home that there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them. Before buying plants, carefully look at your garden to determine how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged, and whether your planting area is sheltered or receives gusts of wind. You’ll then be equipped to buy the best plants for your situation; shade-loving plants for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots, drought-resistant plants for the dry areas (which may be either sunny or shaded), and swamp plants for the poorly-drained parts.

It is also important to test your soil first to check the pH level of your soil and what kind of nutrients you will need to add, if any. Is the soil acid or alkaline? Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are plants that must have alkaline soil to grow. You can alter the soil’s pH level, but it’s much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.

Now you are ready to plant. Will you plant in groups or individually? If you plant ‘one of everything’ your garden may seem patchy. Group plantings are organized, harmonious and you can vary the color for interest.

Before planting, place your chosen plants around the garden bed in their pots to see how they will look. Re-arrange them until you are satisfied. Grouping plants in sets of threes or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of even numbers. Be sure that you have an interesting combination of colors and textures of plants. Tall plants should go to the back or center if your garden will be viewed equally from all sides. Try to keep your plants away from trees. The tree roots are will steal all the nutrients and water needed for your flowers.

The correct color scheme is one way to maintain the harmony in your garden. Imagine the color of the flowers when they are in bloom. Some colors may clash with others, but can still be planted side-by-side if they bloom at different times. Foliage color is also important. Many flower plants have silver, grey or purplish foliage that is just as attractive as the flower. This means that they are still pretty well past the blooming season and so have added value.