Home And Garden

Sixteen plant food nutrients are essential for proper crop development. Each is equally important to the plant, yet each is required in vastly different amounts. These differences have led to the grouping of these essential elements into three categories; primary (macro) nutrients, secondary nutrients, and micronutrients. PRIMARY (MACRO) NUTRIENTS Primary (macro) nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They are the most frequently required in a crop fertilization program. Also, they are need in the greatest total quantity by plants as fertilizer. NITROGEN · Necessary for formation of amino acids, the building blocks of protein · Essential for plant cell division, vital for plant growth · Directly involved in photosynthesis · Necessary component of vitamins · Aids in production and use of carbohydrates · Affects energy reactions in the plant PHOSPHORUS · Involved in photosynthesis, respiration, energy storage and transfer, cell division, and enlargement · Promot...

Among a huge variety of plants that are used for home, office, apartments, malls and landscape decoration, dracaena family is the one you can meet practically everywhere. This group of plants enumerates nearly 40 species that vary in sizes and forms. As dracaena is a very beautiful plant, it requires proper care and attention. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to grow it. If you’d like to have this flower in your home as well, then follow our tips and find out more about care for dracaena. Types of Dracaena Not all 40 kinds of this plant can be found in garden centers. In most cases, people choose those types of dracaena that grow between 2 and 10 feet. To the commonest of them belong: marginata sanderiana fragrans deremensis draco cinnabari Marginata (the Madagascar dragon-tree or red-edged flower) is a quite thin dracaena plant with purplish-red leaves and curving stalks. It grows between 8 and 15 feet tall and has a spread of 3-8 feet. Sanderiana (the lucky b...

it’s become increasingly important to know how much water you use to irrigate your yard Watering Do’s and Don’ts Water your yard early in the morning and soak the ground thoroughly so that it penetrates to a depth of at least 3″. While the amount of water needed will vary depending on your climate, the weather, and the time of year; the general rule of thumb is to make sure your lawn receives 1″ of water to your lawn per week during dry conditions. To see how much water your grass is actually receiving, put several containers with straight sides—such as a coffee mug, metal can, or plastic container—on the ground around the yard while you are watering. Then use a ruler to measure the depth of the water in the container. Calculating Water Use To provide your lawn with one inch of water takes a little over half a gallon per square foot (0.623 gallon to be more exact). That means that every 10’x10’ area will require over 62 gallons of water. That doesn’t sound like much until y...

Growing rosemary indoors is sometimes a tricky thing to do. Many good gardeners have tried and, despite their best efforts, end up with a dry, brown, dead rosemary plant. But, if you know the secrets to proper care of rosemary plants growing inside, you can keep your rosemary plants growing happily indoors all winter long. Tips for Growing Rosemary Indoors Most often, there are four things on the list of what kills rosemary plants indoors. These are: lack of sunlight poor watering practices powdery mildew pests If you can avoid these issues, your rosemary plant will live happily inside. Let’s look at how to avoid each. Lack of Sunlight Most people are not aware that the lack of sunshine is the most common reason for a rosemary plant growing indoors to die. Often, rosemary plants are brought indoors without any acclimation. They go from 6-8 hours of strong, direct light to 4-6 hours of weak or indirect light. The rosemary plant is unable to produce enough energy to stay al...

Cypress trees are fast-growing North American natives that deserve a prominent place in the landscape. Many gardeners don’t consider planting cypress because they believe it only grows in wet, boggy soil. While it’s true that their native environment is constantly wet, once they’re established, cypress trees grow well on dry land and can even withstand occasional drought. The two types of cypress trees found in the U.S. are bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and pond cypress (T. distichum). Cypress Tree Info Cypress trees have a straight trunk that tapers at the base, giving it a soaring perspective. In cultivated landscapes, they grow 50 to 80 feet tall with a spread of 20 to 30 feet. These deciduous conifers have short needles with a feathery appearance. Most varieties have needles that turn brown in winter, but a few have lovely yellow or gold fall color. Bald cypress has a tendency to form “knees,” which are pieces of root that grow above the ground in odd and sometimes myste...

BANANA PEELS  –  Eating a banana helps replenish lost potassium. Roses love potassium too. Simply throw one or two peels in the hole before planting or bury peels under mulch so they can compost naturally. Get bigger and more blooms. I also use banana peels on my vegetables. COFFEE GROUNDS  – Acid-loving plants such as tomatoes, blueberries, roses and azaleas may get a jolt out of coffee grounds mixed into the soil. But more likely it’s the nitrogen that helps. Sprinkled on top of the ground before watering or pour a liquid version on top of the soil. If using as a soil drench, soak 6 cups of coffee grounds in a 5 gallon bucket of water. Let it sit for 2-3 days and then saturate the soil around your plants. EGG SHELLS  – Wash them first, then crush. Work the shell pieces into the soil near tomatoes and peppers. The calcium helps fend off blossom end rot. Eggshells are 93% calcium carbonate, the same ingredient as lime, a tried and true soil amendment! I use eggs...