At the heart of this success lies a fundamental element: topsoil. This rich, vibrant layer of soil is an invaluable asset for home growers seeking bountiful yields and healthy produce.

Understanding the vital role of topsoil and its key considerations empowers gardeners to create thriving vegetable gardens.

The Significance of Topsoil in Vegetable Gardens

Topsoil forms the uppermost layer of soil and is brimming with life-sustaining nutrients, organic matter, and a vibrant microbial community. That said, its significance in vegetable gardening cannot be overstated.

A nutrient-rich topsoil supports robust plant growth, aids in moisture retention, promotes beneficial microbial activity, and fosters root development, which is crucial for healthy vegetables. With its intricate ecosystem, topsoil acts as a perfect environment for countless organisms, creating a bustling underground community that nourishes and sustains plant life.

And with the service of topsoil delivery, it’s now easier than ever to access premium-quality soil blends tailored to specific plant needs, ensuring a hassle-free and convenient way to fortify your garden’s foundation.

Composition of Topsoil

The composition of topsoil plays a pivotal role in the success of a vegetable garden. Typically, it consists of a blend of sand, silt, clay, organic matter, and microorganisms.

Each component contributes to the soil’s texture, drainage, aeration, and nutrient-holding capacity, and balancing these components is essential for optimal plant growth and yield.

Think of topsoil as nature’s masterpiece, a carefully orchestrated symphony of various elements working together harmoniously to nurture your garden into a thriving oasis of greenery.

Selecting Quality Topsoil

When establishing a vegetable garden, selecting high-quality topsoil is fundamental. Look for topsoil that is well-draining yet retains moisture, contains a balanced mix of organic matter, and is free from contaminants or weed seeds.

Additionally, considering the pH level of the topsoil is crucial as it determines nutrient availability to plants. Conducting soil tests helps assess its pH and nutrient content, aiding in informed decisions for soil amendments.

Choosing the right topsoil is like laying a solid foundation for your garden, setting the stage for a spectacular performance of plant growth and abundance.

Improving Topsoil Quality

Enhancing topsoil quality is an ongoing process in successful vegetable gardening. Composting, adding organic matter like compost or aged manure, mulching, and employing cover crops are effective methods to enrich topsoil.

These practices boost soil fertility, improve structure, increase microbial activity, and contribute to a thriving garden ecosystem. Imagine your topsoil as a canvas – with each addition of organic matter or compost, you’re adding vibrant brushstrokes that enhance its fertility and vitality, creating a masterpiece garden.

Soil Structure and Aeration

A well-structured topsoil with adequate aeration is vital for healthy root growth and optimal nutrient uptake in vegetable plants. Compacted soil restricts root development and hampers water infiltration.

Techniques like tilling, aerating, or incorporating organic matter help maintain a loose, friable structure, fostering a healthy environment for plant roots. Think of your soil as a fluffy pillow for your plants to root in – the softer and fluffier, the more comfortable and nourished they’ll be.

Nutrient Availability and Management

Topsoil acts as a reservoir for essential nutrients necessary for plant growth. Understanding the nutrient requirements of different vegetables is crucial in maintaining a balanced soil fertility regimen.

Regularly adding organic amendments, utilizing natural fertilizers, and practicing crop rotation aid in replenishing soil nutrients and preventing depletion. Managing your topsoil nutrients is like creating a balanced diet plan for your garden – ensuring it gets all the essential nutrients to thrive and produce a delicious harvest.

Water Retention and Drainage

Balancing water retention and drainage in topsoil is vital for optimal plant health. Excessive water can lead to root rot and other issues, while insufficient moisture can stunt growth.

Employing mulching techniques, incorporating organic matter, and selecting appropriate irrigation methods aid in maintaining the right moisture levels within the topsoil. Imagine your soil as a trusty sponge – it absorbs just the right amount of water to keep your plants happily hydrated but never soggy.

Managing Soil Health and Pests

Maintaining a healthy topsoil ecosystem is vital in preventing pest infestations and diseases. Beneficial microbial activity, encouraged through the addition of organic matter and compost, helps in naturally suppressing pests.

Additionally, practicing crop rotation and companion planting mitigate the risk of pests and diseases, promoting a balanced garden ecosystem. Your topsoil is like the guardian of your garden, fostering an environment where beneficial allies thrive, and pests find it challenging to crash the party.

Conclusion

In vegetable gardening, good topsoil is crucial for success. Its composition, quality, structure, and management significantly impact the vitality and productivity of home gardens.

By prioritizing the considerations outlined above and nurturing the health of their topsoil, home growers can create thriving vegetable gardens abundant with nutritious produce, fostering a deeper connection with nature’s bounty while savoring the fruits of their labor.

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The chlorophyll in the plant is what gives leaves their green color. As summer turns to autumn, the days gradually grow shorter. This results in fewer hours of sunlight each day. Eventually there is not enough sunlight for photosynthesis. The trees go into a period of rest and live off the food they have stored during the summer months, much the way a bear lives off its food stores during the winter months.

What Causes the Variety of Colors in Leaves?

Leaves turn a variety of different colors in the autumn months. You may wonder why they turn different colors, rather than all turning orange, yellow or red. As the chlorophyll disappears from the leaves, the green color disappears. The orange and yellow colors are already in the leaves, but can’t be seen under the green. As the green fades, the yellow and orange can be seen.

The vibrant red and purple colors of the leaves give the autumn its intense color that make this season a favorite for many people. The red and purple colors are the result of glucose trapped in leaves. The glucose gets trapped after photosynthesis stops. The cooler temperatures in the night time hours cause the trapped glucose to turn red.

There is another purpose to the red and purple colors of the leaves. It actually helps the tree hold onto the leaves for a longer period. When the leaves remain on the tree for a longer period of time, it allows more of the nutrients to be used by the tree before the leaves finally do fall. These colors also protect the tree by lowering the freezing point. This provides some protection from frost.

The brown color on the tree is the result of waste products. The waste from trees is known as tannin. Tannins trapped in the leaves cause them to turn brown.

How Weather Affects the Colors

The intensity of the colors of autumn is affected by weather patterns. This explains the difference in the colors from year to year. The red and purple colors are enhanced by cool temperatures. If the autumn is very warm in the day and at night, the colors will not be as vibrant. This is because the glucose is not trapped in the leaves by the colder night time temperatures.

Moisture affects the color of the leaves as well. A succession of rainy and overcast days affects the color of the leaves. This increases the intensity of the color. A lack of moisture in the summer can result in colors that are less intense. If there is a drought in the summer, the colors will not be as vibrant as in a year when there is sufficient rain.

The best colors result from a weather pattern of warm, sunny days and cool nights. The warmth of the day and plenty of sunlight allow the tree to make more glucose. When the night brings cooler temperatures that remain above freezing the glucose is trapped inside the leaf. As the temperatures grow colder, the veins in the leaves constrict, which traps the glucose. This results in vibrant colors. For this reason, an autumn season with predominately warm days with plenty of sun and cool nights will give the best fall foliage.

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Why Distilled is Better than Tap Water

Tap water contains chemicals, such as chlorine, that are used to treat the public water supply. These chemicals are damaging to plants. The effect of the chemicals is more profound on your house plants than in your outdoor plants. The reason is the chemicals in the water build up in the soil and aren’t washed away by rain, as happens with outdoor plants.

Chemicals aren’t the only tap water problem. The hardness of the water can also impact your plants. If you have hard water, you will want to use distilled water for your house plants. Some plants are very sensitive to the minerals in hard water. Hard water is most often an issue with well water, but can be a problem with a municipal water supply as well.

If your water is supplied by a well, you may have a water softener system in your home. These systems are great for removing the hardness from the well water. Your soaps and shampoos will work better and there is less staining of your appliances and sinks. However, the softener is not good for your plants. Softeners use salts, such as sodium or potassium in the recycling process. These salts are very damaging to your plants. The softened water contains a high level of salt combined with a low level of important nutrients such as calcium and magnesium, which impedes growth.

If you have softened well water, you will want to use distilled water on both your indoor and outdoor plants. The outdoor plants are affected by softened water much more than by tap water supplied by your local community. This water contains heavy concentrations of salts, which hinder the growth of your plants. The salts can actually kill the plants along with your grass.

Watering with Distilled Water

It’s important to water your plants properly, whether you are using distilled or tap water. If not watered properly, it won’t matter what type of water you are using. Improper watering leads to a weak root system. This weakens the plant and makes it more vulnerable to disease. Follow the directions for watering your plants to be sure you are watering each of your plants properly.

Directions for care come with many houseplants. These are usually printed on plastic stakes that are placed in the soil inside the pot. Not all plants come with the care instructions. You may have to look up the information in a book or online. In general, blooming plants and those with a lot of foliage require more water than plants with less foliage. Tropical and woodland plants need less water than plants from dry areas.

The season will also impact the water needs of your plants. When the temperature is higher, the plants will need more water. This is because the water tends to evaporate faster at higher temperatures. The temperature in the house will impact the plants as well as the outdoor temperature. When the heat is on in the winter months, you may notice your plants get thirsty faster. The heat causes the air in the home to become dry, which causes the water in the plants to evaporate faster.

When using distilled water on your plants, be sure the water is room temperature. If you make your own water and leave it outside for distillation, bring it back in the house and allow it to reach room temperature. The water can get very hot in the summer or quite cold in the colder months. Very hot or very cold water can shock the roots and damage, or even kill your house plants.

Making Your Own Distilled Water

You can make your own distilled water at home. You can either use tap water or catch rain water in a bucket or barrel. Rain water works well for making distilled water as long as the water is not too acidic. If the rain water in your area tends to be acidic, you are better off using tap water. Acids don’t dissipate well and can damage your plants.

Fill the container with water from the tap and set it outside. If you will be using rain water, place a clean container outside to catch the rain. Leave the container outside for two days to allow the chlorine or other minerals to dissipate. The water is then ready to use on your plants. You can store some of the water in clean, gallon size jugs for later use.

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Shovel
The shovel will be your best friend as a gardener. How else would you get to dig holes for planting all of your wonderful bulbs and plants? Shovels come in a variety of styles and sizes to choose from to meet your needs. There are long handled, pointed blade shovels, which work great when you need leverage to dig big holes. The sharpness cuts through the dirt and roots to get down to the depth you need easily. A flat-ended shovel, or spade, will get under sod to dig it up or trim it from the sidewalks and driveway. Hand trowels are small, short-handled shovels to dig in pots or when you are up close to the base of a plant.

Rake
A rake sounds a lot like work and not a fun gardening tool, however it is a necessary tool. Using a lawn rake at the beginning or end of your growing season will pull all of the dead leaves, stems and stalks out of an area quickly. A lawn rake has closely spaced, long tines on the end of it, which easily rake up piles of leaves and garden debris. A seeding rake is much heavier, and has tines spaced further apart. Working the soil, leveling the soil or cleaning up the grass is done with a seeding rake. There are also small, hand held rake tools for small flower beds and raised pots.

Hoe
A hoe is a tool you will have a love hate relationship with. This tool is all about work. Those plants that are growing beautifully in your flowerbeds and along the house will have evil weeds in their midst. A hoe will be your best friend for removing them. Hoes can come with large heads for general weed removal in the yard, flowerbeds and vegetable garden. A smaller, pointed edge hoe works best for small areas or when plants are close together and it is hard to get between them.

A hoe will also till the soil in small areas, before you plant or transplant any flowers and seedlings. The edge digs down and then you can mix the soil up and get it loose before planting. Hoes also come in smaller, hand held version to work in pots or small areas.

Gloves
When you care about your hands, and every gardener should, gloves will keep them protected. Whether you are trimming rosebush branches or pulling pesky weeds, the gloves will keep your hands from getting cuts and scratches. The barrier against the soil will also keep your hands from drying out and keep the extra grit from under your nails. Every gardener likes dirt, but cleaning it out from under your nails several times a day will be hard on your skin! Gloves can be cotton, canvas and even rubber for extra waterproof protection.

Wheelbarrow
When you have a large yard, transporting anything can be tough if you don’t have a trailer for your lawn mower or a tractor. The next best thing – a wheelbarrow. This will do a lot of your backbreaking work without a complaint. Whether you have a load of weeds to haul to the back of the property or a hundred bushes to plant, the wheelbarrow will do it all in one trip. Wheelbarrows now come in two wheeled varieties, so they aren’t as tippy when using with a heavy load.

Cart/Supply Holder
Since you have all of these large and small tools, how do you store them? Never fear, there is a garden tool holder just for you! There is a nice little hand held tray which can hold your small tools or all of your tools if you don’t have very many. Then there is the cloth divider that can be placed over a five-gallon bucket. Small and large tools of every size can be sorted and stored with care inside of this, and moved around easily. If you have even more tools, a small cart is made that has compartments and drawers to hold all of your tools. Since tool holders come in every size, you don’t have any excuse for leaving your tools laying around in the yard or garage now!

Compost Pile
Since you have everything else related to gardening, and if you have a large yard and a large garden, you may want to think of having your own compost pile. A compost pile is easy to maintain and will be a great benefit to the soil in your garden or flower beds. Simply find a space for your compost, make a bin for it to protect it from the worst elements and begin mixing. Use leaves, grass clippings, organic food materials and soil. If you don’t know where to begin with a compost pile, the library has a slew of helpful books.

Pruning Shears
Not every gardener will need pruning shears. Some gardeners are strictly vegetable lovers. Other gardeners have a yard full of bushes or flowers that require yearly pruning. You can buy long handled or short handled shears. The shears themselves can have short or long blades.

Take good care of all of your tools to keep them in the best possible working order. Store them in a garage or shed during the cold and snowy months. The cold air can make the metal or plastic parts brittle and snap. The heat of the sun can dry out wooden handles and cause discoloration during the summer. Care for your tools and they will help your hobby in turn!

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The purpose of composting

If you were to look up the word in a dictionary, you would find a straightforward definition for compost. It is simply a mixture or composition of decayed organic matter that is used to fertilize soil. By using compost in your garden, you will ensure that the soil is rich in nutrients without using chemical fertilizers.

The purpose of composting is to improve the quality of the soil in the garden naturally. Good garden soil is the foundation for a flourishing garden. Without quality soil, you will experience sick-looking plants that turn yellow or wilt. If your plants look like they are starving, they probably are, or perhaps the pH is off. If your soil isn’t too bad, but isn’t ideal for gardening, your plants may look okay, but they may not produce as they should, or they may not produce at all.

Adding organic matter to the soil makes it fertile and it also improves the texture of the soil. It will have adequate drainage with the ability to conserve moisture. Composting can be used to maintain pH and nitrogen storage which will help your soil to feed the garden.

How to make compost

You’ve heard the old saying, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure”. Well, here’s the opportunity to make your own trash your treasure. People waste so much, even if they are into recycling and protecting the environment. Tons of trash goes into landfills when we’d be much better if we reused it. Think about it…

• When you get up in the morning and make coffee, what do you do with the coffee grounds?
• When you rake your yard, do you bag the leaves and set them out by the dumpster?
• When you peel a potato, where do you put the peelings?
• When you use an egg, what do you do with the eggshell?

If you are putting them in the trash, you are depriving your garden. Start enriching your garden and depriving the landfill; after all, landfills are an environmental problem. All of these items – coffee grounds, leaves, potato peelings, and egg shells – are organic matter. They can be made into compost, instead of wasted. You can use the compost in your garden instead of buying expensive fertilizers. It’s free as long as you use your wastes.

Composting can be accomplished by making a compost pile and letting it decay, and then working it into your soil. This is the ideal way to compost, although some home gardeners choose just to bury waste in the garden. Either way is better than throwing your organic matter away.

There are several things that you can add to your compost. Fruits, vegetables, shredded paper, grass clippings, leaves, weeds, straw, dead flowers, tea leaves, coffee grounds, wood chips, sawdust, eggshells, dried manure, etc. It is also important to know what not to add. This includes meat products, bones and fats, dairy products, diseased or poisonous plants, chemically treated wood or sawdust from it, and wastes from humans or pets. Cow or horse manure is okay as long as it isn’t fresh.

The concept of composting is to add organic matter to the dirt to make your soil healthy and productive. You can build a compost pile right on the ground; however, some gardeners prefer to use composting bins, at least to get started. If you choose to build a pile, make sure that you have a good variety of contents including dried out greenery and vegetable peelings. Keep it moist so that the contents will decompose.

When you feel that your compost is “done”, work it into the soil in the garden. When your compost is ready to be put in the garden, it will be dark in color with most of the contents decomposed beyond recognition. If some things aren’t totally decomposed, they will continue to decay even after they have been buried in the garden. Composting is not hard do, in fact it’s almost impossible to mess up. Just make sure that the contents of your compost are wholesome organic items and it’ll be just fine.

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However, there have been differences in the findings, with respect to the effects of smoke on plants. Pineapple growers used to make smoke producing fires near their fields in order to aid flowering in the plants. In ancient China, to ripen harvested fruit, it was a practice to burn incense in the rooms, where the harvested fruits were kept. The created heat and smoke helped in the ripening process. The traditional methods are still in use in many rural areas even today.

Research has revealed that plants absorb indoor air pollutants, though their effect on smoke absorption is not confirmed. It is generally found that houseplants are very effective in removing smoke and obnoxious gases from the atmosphere. The presence of carefully assimilated houseplants indoors definitely adds to the quality of air inhaled by the family, while enhancing the ambience.

When we buy new clothes and furniture, we bring chemicals and other substances into the house that give off harmful gases. In fact houseplants are helpers that work silently, in order to rid the air in the house from toxins and harmful pollutants, by counteracting, out-gassing and maintaining appropriate levels of humidity. But each plant can have an effect only within a limited area. The area that one plant can take care of is considered to be approximately ten square yards, where the average ceiling height would be eight to nine feet. Two or three indoor plants would suffice to maintain the air quality of a room having an area between twenty to twenty-five square yards.

Plants that are effective controllers of air pollution

Ten different plants have been found to be most effective in controlling the negative effects of gassed chemicals and help to balance internal humidity. It would undoubtedly be beneficial to have some of these in your house. The presence of the following plants definitely help in maintaining the internal humidity and contributing positively to the family’s health, while enhancing the beauty of the garden:

• Reed Palm
• Dwarf date palm
• Boston fern
• Areca palm
• English Ivy
• Janet Craig dracaena
• Peace lily
• Rubber plant
• Australian sword fern
• Weeping fig
• Where to keep houseplants

It is generally assumed that plants kept inside the house need to be placed near to or next to the window. It is not so and many indoor plants are initially from tropical forests, where there is dense shade due to the foliage. They have a high photosynthesis rate and can ideally be placed in the darkest corners of the room. To get the maximum benefits from the plants, it is important to position them properly. If indoor plants are place in the path of drafts, it affects their efficacy in countering air pollution. The placement of different plants should be different, according to the specific requirement of each species.

Contributors to air pollution

The result of extremely high levels of indoor-pollution caused by the new designs of super insulated homes and buildings is the buildup of ‘off gases’. Thee harmful effects of these gases are further aggravated by the presence of organic compounds given off by materials in daily use like cleaning compounds, building materials, furniture, fabric and cigarette smoke. All these materials add to the toxins in the air and result in a number of diseases.

The ‘sick building syndrome’ symptoms consist of typical allergic reactions like rashes, itchy eyes, sinus and respiratory congestion, drowsiness and headaches, resulting from working in new buildings where there is very little or no ventilation. The overall productivity of the employees is also affected, due to the poor working conditions.

NASA recommends using house plants as air filters

NASA scientists conducted tests with many common houseplants grown in conditions very close to those in homes and offices for effective filtering of indoor air. They found after a two-year study that a dozen that were most effective were Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen), Syngonium (Arrowhead vine), Dracaena (Cornplant), Spathiphyllum (Peace-Lilly) and Syndapsus (Devil’s ivy). These species have been proved by research, to enhance the air conditioning within the home or any enclosure. NASA is constantly conducting research to contribute positively towards the issues of global warming and pollution that threaten the world at large.

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It’s not easy. But before you go and blow your whole tax return money on seeds through online stores, you need to do a little planning and a little bit of sleuthing. Not every seed dealer online is reputable. Nor will you need all 128 seed packets in your shopping cart. Unless of course, you have acres of unplanted land. So, with a little bit of help, you can control your spending and not get ripped off in the process.

Sleuthing Duty

Unfortunately, not every website that sells seeds, gardening products and accessories is legitimate. Internet scammers know that gardening is big business, especially in North America, and that they can net even bigger money. Protect your wallet by investigating your website or online store before you make any purchases. Here’s what to look for:

Check their reputation.

Do they belong to the Better Business Bureau (BBB)? If so, are there any complaints lodged against them? The BBB will keep track and monitor all complaints and cases of fraud against a certain person or company. You can search their site for a list of grievances in progress or previously filed against them. If they have none, their record will appear clean. In gardening, clean is positive.

Check for guarantees.

Do they offer a thirty-day, sixty day or other warranty on seeds? Do they guarantee a certain percentage will grow? Do they offer money back if you are not completely satisfied with their product? All of these are important items to check before placing your order. That way, if a problem does arise and you want your money back, you know exactly what the policy is and how to go about doing it.

Check for references and referrals.

A great website will post referrals from satisfied customers. If they do not, send an email to the company, ask for several, and investigate on your own. If they still refuse to give out referrals, they might not have any. Companies usually throw out people who will give them a great review will little asking, so their hesitation may be a red flag. Proceed with caution, if at all, with this company.

Compare prices.

The cheapest isn’t always the best, but neither is the most expensive. When you are comparing prices, you not only need to check the seed prices, but what the shipping charges will be too. If shipping is outrageous, see if there is a local nursery or greenhouse that also carries that brand to save you on shipping charges.

Planning

You’ve done your sleuthing duties and the site has passed inspection, so now it’s time to plan. In the dead of winter, there is nothing more fun than picturing your glorious flower or vegetable garden. The problem usually is though, that our imagination is bigger than our checkbook, or the garden for that matter. All of those brightly colored pictures and vivid descriptions makes us want to do nothing more than buy, buy buy. But, you must plan first, buy second.

Draw your garden plans.

Measure the area you will be plating. Sketch out what plants, flowers and seeds you want to go where. Be reasonable with your measuring and don’t crowd stuff in. Overcrowding will cause your seedlings to not prosper, which will result in lost money for you in the long run. Order what you can feasible fit in your plans.

Lay out what you need vs. what you want to try.

It’s OK to get a little extra. After all, you never know when a bare patch of garden may open up. However, if you have a 20 x 10 foot garden, you know that you can’t plant 100 pumpkin seeds. They will sprout every which way and over top of each other, smothering each other and dying. Waste of money. If you want to try a new variety in addition to what normally fits, it’s OK too. Weed out some weaker seedlings and let the new trials grow.

Buy only what will reasonably fit in your garden THIS year.

Even though we know we shouldn’t over buy seeds, we do. We can use them from year to year, but their success rate is much lower after a year goes by. Professionals recommend buying and planting for one year at a time. No matter how tempted we are by a pretty flower, if the space is all used up in the ground, it’s all used up. There is no point in buying that pretty flower if it will just sit in a drawer for a year.

Lastly, to find out where to get the best seeds online, ask a fellow gardener. Gardening forums and chat rooms are full of people eager to give advice on seeds. After all, what else does a gardener like to talk about! Get online and start planning your seed buying adventure.

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Herbs are also used for medicinal purposes and for spiritual reasons. Some are even grown for their beauty or their aroma. No matter how you use them, it is good to know about growing herbs indoors.

There are six simple steps to planting an herb garden indoors 

1. Learn about herbs
2. Decide your method for growing herbs
3. Select the herbs you wish to grow
4. Choose the location for your herbs
5. Purchase containers for the herbs
6. Prepare the soil and plant the herbs

Learn about herbs

There are some things you need to learn about herbs before starting your herb garden. Reading a book about herbs or researching them at the library or on the internet is a good idea. Consulting gardening experts may be useful.

You need to know what certain herbs are used for and whether or not growing them will benefit you. There is no need to grow herbs that you won’t use, unless you are growing them for aesthetic purposes. You might consider that herbs that can be preserved make great gifts as well. Some herbs can be dried and put it decorative containers, or can be preserved in bottles of vinegar or oil. These make practical gifts that are sure to be appreciated, so if you grow more herbs than you can personally use, they won’t be wasted.

Another thing you need learn is about the growing conditions for each individual herb that you are considering. Knowing the requirements for sunlight, temperature and watering are important. You should also take into account whether the herbs are perennials or annuals and what kind of soil they grow best in.

Decide your method for growing herbs

Herbs can be started from seeds or from clippings. This is possible, but more time consuming that purchasing the plants. If you want access to fresh herbs immediately, purchasing the plants is best. However, if you want to the challenge, buying seeds may be for you. If you had herbs planted before, you may have been able to preserve the seeds from them so it is cost effective to use the seeds to produce new plants.

Select the herbs you wish to grow

After learning about herbs and deciding your method for growing herbs, you will be ready to select the herbs you wish to grow and to purchase them. Seeds and plants are available in many variety stores, gardening shops and nurseries. If you can’t find what you want, be sure to look for mail-order companies in gardening magazines or on the internet.

Choose the location for your herbs

Choosing a location for your indoor herb garden is essential to success. The herbs need to be located where their natural growing environment can be simulated. Most herbs require sunlight, so putting them a window is usually a good idea. If you can’t arrange them for adequate sunlight, using grow lights to compensate for sunlight is an option. If you use containers, you can also set them outside in the sunlight when possible.

Purchase containers for the herbs

An indoor herb garden usually uses the same concept as container gardening. There are some herbs that can be planted in the same container; however, it is best to plant each herb in a separate container unless you know that the two herbs will grow well together. If you plant two herbs together in the same container, be sure that the conditions that the herbs require are similar.

In selecting containers, it is valuable to know how far apart the herb plants need to be planted. That will help you to decide the size of the containers. Clay pots, plastic containers and hanging baskets may be appropriate for your herbs. Most herbs require moist soil, but drenching the roots can inhibit their growth. When purchasing containers, make sure that they had the ability to drain well.

Prepare the soil and plant the herbs

When growing herbs indoors, it is fundamental to understand that growing the herbs inside is exactly like growing them outside. The soil and planting procedure is the same, for each herb, as it is if you are planting them outside. For each herb that you are planting, be sure to lookup the recommended procedure for planting them. This will include the depth and spacing as well as the soil attributes.

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Fortunately you can have both, and you can add several days to the vase life of fresh cut flowers simply by following the practices of professional florists. For only a small investment of your time you can enjoy the extended life of your beautiful blossoms for up to an additional seven days – depending on the flower type and care they receive.

Here’s How You Make Your Flowers And Floral Arrangements Last Longer

Keep the vase filled (or floral foam soaked) with water containing a flower food provided by your florist. Flower foods make flowers last longer but it is important to follow the mixing directions on the flower food packet.

Fresh cut flowers benefit tremendously from the use of these products, which contain three main ingredients: first, sugar in a form which is useable by the flowers so as to provide nutrition; secondly, an acidifier such as citric acid to lower the pH of the solution (cut flowers take up water best if the pH is around 4.5, well below neutral); third, a biocide to kill any bacteria that may be present. Many of the current generation of fresh flower nutrient solutions also contain an agent which helps keep the water in the vase clear longer.

Most packets are to be mixed with either a pint or a quart of warm water. Mix the solution using lukewarm water – 110° F. is ideal. Fresh flowers absorb water faster if it’s warm. Flower foods should not be diluted with more water than is specified on the packet. If the flower food solution becomes cloudy, replace it entirely with properly mixed flower food solution.

If possible, re-cut stems by removing one to two inches with a sharp knife. Be sure to use a sharp knife or clippers that will not crush the stems. Immediately place the stems into solution. Carefully unwrap your fresh cut flowers and remove any foliage from the stems that would fall below the water line in the vase. The leaves can rot underwater and can harbor bacteria which would decrease the life span of the cut blooms. Cut one to two inches off from the bottoms of the stems, at a steep angle. Use a sharp knife rather than scissors, which can crush the vascular system of the stem and impede the uptake of water and nutrients. If practical, cut the stems under clean water.

Re-cutting helps to remove any blockages from the stem, caused by callusing or air embolisms (bubbles.) Once the stems have been freshly cut, immediately place the flowers gently into the vase containing the nutrient solution. Don’t drop the stems in – this can bruise the cut ends when they hit the bottom of the vase, again damaging the vascular system. Never pound or crush the stems of cut flowers, even woody branches, for the same reason.

Keep flowers in a cool spot (65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit), away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents, directly under ceiling fans, or on top of televisions or radiators. (Appliances like televisions give off heat, which causes flowers to dehydrate.) Most flowers will last longer under cool conditions.

Here’s How You Make Loose Bunches or Boxed Flowers Last Longer

• Keep your flowers in a cool place until you can get them in a flower food solution. Don’t forget how important it is to follow the mixing directions on the flower food packet.
• Fill a clean (washed with a detergent or antibacterial cleaning solution), deep vase with water and add a flower food from your florist.
• Remove leaves that will be below the waterline. Leaves in water will promote bacterial microbial growth that may limit water uptake by the flower.
• Re-cut stems by removing one to two inches with a sharp knife. Place the flowers in the vase solution you’ve prepared.

If you purchase loose flowers for your own arrangements you should also consider these tips:

• When selecting flowers, look for flowers with upright, firm petals and buds beginning to open. Yellow, spotted or drooping leaves are signs of age.
• When using woody stems and branches (such as quince, forsythia or lilac), cut the stem with sharp pruning shears. Place them in warm water containing fresh flower food to promote flower opening.

Plant Care Tips: Green Thumb Not Required

Green and flowering plants a great enhancement to any home or office décor and they are also beneficial to your health. The results of a study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) show common houseplants are powerful, natural air cleaners which is all the more reason why you should keep your plants healthy with the proper care.

Most plants come with care instructions specified for the type of plant, however these additional general guidelines will help keep most green houseplants thriving:

• Avoid direct sunlight. Keep plants in medium-light locations.
• Natural light is best, but some plants can also thrive in office fluorescent light. Most flowering potted plants should be placed in areas with the most light in order to maintain good flower color and promote the maximum number of flowers to open. Foliage plants will do well under lower light levels and can be placed in areas providing reduced light.
• Plant soil should be kept moist at all times: Plants should not be allowed to dry out or wilt. Be careful to avoid over watering – do not allow plants to stand in water. Avoid wetting plant leaves.
• Avoid excessive heat or cold: Plants should be kept in a cool spot (between 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit) for best performance. They should be kept away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents, directly under ceiling fans, or on top of televisions or radiators. (Appliances like televisions give off heat, which causes plants to dehydrate.)

We hope you enjoyed this article on how to make your plants and flowers last longer.

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The meaning of flowers is something that can be discussed from both an historical and present perspective. For many cultures flowers have had different meanings, but there are many similarities that last even to this day. Peace, beauty, purity, strength – all of these and more can be linked to flowers.

It has long been a custom that lovers will gift one another with flowers as a declaration of their desire and faithfulness. This is a custom that still stands today. Often, the flowers are chosen due to their meaning to someone, usually as a result of personal taste or favoritism.

In addition to this, the individual meaning of the blooms can be an influence in the selection. When you are choosing flowers for a loved one, you may wish to consider the historical meaning behind each blossom:

The Chrysanthemum has long been a popular flower for a wedding or similar happy occasion, with both the red and white varieties carrying the meaning of true love for another.

The Carnation has been used for Mother’s Day for over a century. The white variety is ideal for this purpose, as the yellow carries with it a message of disappointment or disdain, and the striped variety are used as a refusal to let someone know you can’t be with them.

The Daffodil can have the meaning of a new beginning, but is also used to convey true love. As a result, it is appropriately associated with the tenth wedding anniversary.

The Azalea, considered in China as the symbol of womanhood, carries also the meaning of love and romance. Similarly, Ivy can mean affection and friendship, and is used as a symbol of marriage.

Poppy flowers are used in Canada for Remembrance Day, and carry with them the meaning of consolation and pleasure in their white form, but wealth and success in their yellow.

Magnolia flowers suggest dignity and nobility, but also a love for nature. The Peony can mean shame, but is also used for good health and prosperity. A purple Hyacinth has the meaning of apology, whereas a yellow one indicates jealousy.

The ever-popular Orchid can mean love, but is often used to indicate beauty – specifically in a woman. In China, the orchid demonstrates longevity as well as beauty.

Along with personal preference and historical meaning, there is the symbolism to consider because most flowers have a symbolic meaning that stretches back over the years.

Many people choose to give specific types of flowers to a loved one, friend, or associate in hopes of conveying a specific message to them. For example, someone might present their lover with a bouquet of Red Roses, which have long been symbolic of romance and passion, to remind their partner of their feelings for them.

A White Lily is symbolic of purity and sweetness, and is often associated with children or young women. This meaning is likely associated with the fact that white is often used to present the idea of virginity and innocence, especially in the form of flowers. Daisies are another example of such symbolic flowers which carry with them a pure and innocent meaning.

The Iris is symbolic of wisdom, but is not limited to that specific meaning. Yellow irises, for example, symbolize passion, whereas blue are symbolic of hope and faith. In addition to the above flowers, a white iris also carries the meaning of purity with it.

Violets, popular flowers among the ancient Greeks for its aphrodisiac qualities, carry a meaning with them that does not seem linked to their historical use. Violets in general are symbolic of modesty or faithfulness, but also have other meanings as well. A purple violet can be a symbol for love, and a yellow one can be used to display nationalism.

There are a few flowers that are named after their meaning. For example, Forget-me-nots are symbolic of remembrance and memories and the Weeping Willow flower is symbolic of mourning.

The symbolism of flowers extends to many aspects of our lives today. Weddings, for example, will utilize a specific flower to demonstrate purity and another for love. Each flower is used appropriately for its individual meaning. As another example, consider the types of blooms used for a funeral. They are often chosen because they are symbolic of peace or rest, or of a similar other meaning.

So the next time you want to say something special to someone special, consider carefully the message you convey when you choose your bouquet or flower arrangement. Because as you’ve learned here, flowers say everything without saying a word, and their messages are as beautiful and diverse as the flowers themselves.

If you have any questions or are curious about the meaning behind different types of flowers, consult with a professional florist. Not only will they be happy to assist, but they’ll be able to help you make the appropriate choices depending on your needs.

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