文章
Miss Chen
2018年04月08日
A close relative to other vining crops such as zucchini, melons and squash, the cucumber (Cucumis sativus) grows as an annual vine that does not survive frost. Its prickly stems clamber across the warm soil surface, producing yellow flowers that later become the familiar elongated fruits. Cucumbers are harvested when immature and small. Ripe cucumbers are large and plump with yellow skin, watery flesh and a bitter flavor. Plant cucumbers in a sunny garden plot two weeks after the last spring frost.
Types
Cucumber plants spread and take up at least 25 square feet in the vegetable garden. Regular cucumbers often produce vines as long as 8 to 10 feet. Look at the seed packet or seedling label to learn the size of a mature plant. Bush cucumbers genetically develop much shorter stems and a compact overall plant size. Bush types make exceptional choices for small-sized gardens or for growing in containers. Either type may be grown on a trellis of an appropriate height to meet the mature length of the cucumber variety's stems.
Planting Options
Cucumbers may be grown in rows or hills. Row planting requires a long furrow that is 1/2 to 1 inch deep. Place seeds in the furrow spaced 12 inches apart. If you know the cucumber variety is very large growing, increase the spacing in the furrow to 18 to 36 inches apart. Another planting option for cucumber planting is sowing in hills. Make a wide basin about 10 inches wide and 1 inch deep. Place four or five seeds in the hill, each spaced 2 to 3 inches apart across the basin.
Row Spacing
Space additional straight rows of cucumbers at least 36 inches apart. Space hills 36 inches apart as well. Increase the distance among rows or hills up to 5 feet if the cucumber variety is known to grow large. Planting cucumbers too closely together causes leaves and vines to compete with each other for sunlight and reduces air circulation, which can encourage diseases. A dense matrix of cucumber vines also is difficult to navigate later when you walk through the patch to harvest fruits.
Vegetable Garden Planning
Cucumbers do not cross-pollinate other vining crops in the garden, contrary to a common American garden myth. While you don't want crops growing into each other to create a tangle of vines, misshapen or poorly tasting cucumbers because of the pollen from nearby melons, squashes or zucchini plants. Only other cucumber varieties cross-pollinate -- all are the same botanical species. Cross-pollination does not affect cucumber fruit features or qualities, but it does yield hybridized seeds.
Types
Cucumber plants spread and take up at least 25 square feet in the vegetable garden. Regular cucumbers often produce vines as long as 8 to 10 feet. Look at the seed packet or seedling label to learn the size of a mature plant. Bush cucumbers genetically develop much shorter stems and a compact overall plant size. Bush types make exceptional choices for small-sized gardens or for growing in containers. Either type may be grown on a trellis of an appropriate height to meet the mature length of the cucumber variety's stems.
Planting Options
Cucumbers may be grown in rows or hills. Row planting requires a long furrow that is 1/2 to 1 inch deep. Place seeds in the furrow spaced 12 inches apart. If you know the cucumber variety is very large growing, increase the spacing in the furrow to 18 to 36 inches apart. Another planting option for cucumber planting is sowing in hills. Make a wide basin about 10 inches wide and 1 inch deep. Place four or five seeds in the hill, each spaced 2 to 3 inches apart across the basin.
Row Spacing
Space additional straight rows of cucumbers at least 36 inches apart. Space hills 36 inches apart as well. Increase the distance among rows or hills up to 5 feet if the cucumber variety is known to grow large. Planting cucumbers too closely together causes leaves and vines to compete with each other for sunlight and reduces air circulation, which can encourage diseases. A dense matrix of cucumber vines also is difficult to navigate later when you walk through the patch to harvest fruits.
Vegetable Garden Planning
Cucumbers do not cross-pollinate other vining crops in the garden, contrary to a common American garden myth. While you don't want crops growing into each other to create a tangle of vines, misshapen or poorly tasting cucumbers because of the pollen from nearby melons, squashes or zucchini plants. Only other cucumber varieties cross-pollinate -- all are the same botanical species. Cross-pollination does not affect cucumber fruit features or qualities, but it does yield hybridized seeds.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年03月24日
Closely related to broccoli, cauliflower grows best in cool weather and is easily damaged by the heat of summer. Generally planted for spring and fall harvests, this vegetable can be tricky to grow thanks to tough soil requirements and tight temperature ranges. All cauliflower plants should at least be started indoors, and you can continue to grow them indoors with the right type of container.
Starting Seeds
Because cauliflower must be harvested before the summer heat sets in, you have to start seeds indoors during winter. Sow seeds in small planting pots or seed trays at least 6 to 10 weeks before the final predicted frost date for your area. Final frost is generally in February or March, so you will begin planting in December or January. Plant in fast-draining soil mix, keep the soil consistently moist and store the seeds at or very near 45 degrees Fahrenheit to encourage the seeds to germinate. You should see small sprouts coming up from the seeds within two to three weeks of planting.
Container Growing
If you intend to keep cauliflower indoors, you will need to transplant the young seedlings into larger containers. Use containers that are at least 8 inches deep. The width of the container varies by the number of cauliflower plants you want to grow in a single container. Each head of cauliflower needs at least 18 inches on all sides to grow to full size. Use quick-draining potting soil and a container that features drainage holes. If you want to create your own growing container, such as from an old storage tub, you can drill 1/4-inch diameter holes along the bottom and sides (1 inch from the bottom) of the container to create your own drainage holes.
Indoor Care
Transplant the seedlings into the container about six weeks after planting when the seedlings have at least four good, strong leaves. Plant one of the seedlings at the direct center of the container, and plant each plant at least 18 inches removed from the first and from each other. Maintain temperature around the cauliflower between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit; temperature variations will slow or stunt growth. Keep the soil consistently moist. After about a month, add aged manure to the soil to feed the plant, encouraging growth. Cauliflower is ready for harvest 70 to 120 days after seeding.
Growing Indoors for Fall Harvest
If you will grow your cauliflower indoors only and control temperature, soil and watering, you can theoretically plant at any time for a harvest at any time of year. In general, a fall harvest requires planting in the summer, which does not always result in healthy plants thanks to warm weather. However, as long as you can maintain the 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit temperature range, plant cauliflower anytime of year for indoor growing.
Starting Seeds
Because cauliflower must be harvested before the summer heat sets in, you have to start seeds indoors during winter. Sow seeds in small planting pots or seed trays at least 6 to 10 weeks before the final predicted frost date for your area. Final frost is generally in February or March, so you will begin planting in December or January. Plant in fast-draining soil mix, keep the soil consistently moist and store the seeds at or very near 45 degrees Fahrenheit to encourage the seeds to germinate. You should see small sprouts coming up from the seeds within two to three weeks of planting.
Container Growing
If you intend to keep cauliflower indoors, you will need to transplant the young seedlings into larger containers. Use containers that are at least 8 inches deep. The width of the container varies by the number of cauliflower plants you want to grow in a single container. Each head of cauliflower needs at least 18 inches on all sides to grow to full size. Use quick-draining potting soil and a container that features drainage holes. If you want to create your own growing container, such as from an old storage tub, you can drill 1/4-inch diameter holes along the bottom and sides (1 inch from the bottom) of the container to create your own drainage holes.
Indoor Care
Transplant the seedlings into the container about six weeks after planting when the seedlings have at least four good, strong leaves. Plant one of the seedlings at the direct center of the container, and plant each plant at least 18 inches removed from the first and from each other. Maintain temperature around the cauliflower between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit; temperature variations will slow or stunt growth. Keep the soil consistently moist. After about a month, add aged manure to the soil to feed the plant, encouraging growth. Cauliflower is ready for harvest 70 to 120 days after seeding.
Growing Indoors for Fall Harvest
If you will grow your cauliflower indoors only and control temperature, soil and watering, you can theoretically plant at any time for a harvest at any time of year. In general, a fall harvest requires planting in the summer, which does not always result in healthy plants thanks to warm weather. However, as long as you can maintain the 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit temperature range, plant cauliflower anytime of year for indoor growing.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年03月23日
It is entertaining to watch a cucumber (Cucumis sativus) grow through its stages from tiny vine to full-size plant with edible fruits. As the soil temperature reaches the 70 degree Fahrenheit range, it is time to plant cucumber, one of the most popular vegetables in the Cucurbitaceae family of plants. Producing fruits used for pickling, slicing or eating fresh off the vine, cucumber is a simple vegetable to grow in a home garden.
Seed Sowing and Seedling Emergence
The seeds of vining cucumber varieties such as 'Boston Pickling' and 'Lemon Cucumber' are sown either four to five seeds per hill of soil or 2 to 3 feet apart in a straight row. Seed germination, or sprouting, occurs fairly fast. Watch for the two-leaved seedlings to emerge above the soil three to 10 days after sowing the seeds.
A seedling's first two leaves are called cotyledon and are round with smooth edges. The next leaves are true leaves with the characteristic cucumber heart-shape and sharp-edged margins.
The soil should remain moist at all times as the seedlings begin to grow. To test for moistness, put your finger in the soil. It should not be dry beyond the first finger joint. As seedlings reach 4 inches in height, remove some of them so the remaining ones are 1 ½ feet apart.
Each bush variety of cucumber requires 2 to 3 square feet of space, and the vine type can reach to 6 feet in height. Trellis systems or tomato cages can be used to support plants that are the vine type.
Plant cucumber seeds every two to three weeks until three months before your area's first average annual frost date to have a continuous harvest of cucumber fruits as summer progresses.
Flowering and Pollination
Cucumbers produce two kinds of bright, golden-yellow flowers: male and female. Male flowers emerge first but do not produce fruits and fall off after pollination is complete. Female flowers emerge within one to two weeks.
Cucumber plants are not self-pollinating; they require bees or other pollinators to carry their pollen from male flowers to female flowers. Insecticides applied at cucumbers' flower stage of growth can kill the pollinators, interfering with the process of pollination.
Fruiting and Harvest
After female cucumber flowers have been pollinated, they swell at their bases and begin to develop into fruits. Cucumber fruits usually can be harvested 50 to 70 days after the seeds were sown, depending on the variety and weather conditions.
Cucumber varieties used for pickling are ready to harvest when the fruits reach 3 to 4 inches in length. The harvest lasts seven to 10 days for each of those plants. The longer fruits of varieties used for slicing are ready for harvest when they are 7 to 8 inches long, and their harvest time may continue for as long as four to six weeks.
At peak harvest time, cucumber fruits should be picked every two days. Cucumber plants produce more fruits when the fruits are picked regularly. Fruits left on the vines become bitter and their skins tough.
A mature cucumber plant produces about 5 pounds of fruits, or about 10 fruits that are each 6 ounces. Heirloom varieties, however, produce about 2 to 3 pounds of fruits per plant.
Post-Harvest
When harvest is complete, pull the cucumber vines or bushes out of the soil, and put them into the compost bin or pile. Long vines can be cut into 1-to 2-foot lengths for speedier decomposition. Vines or bushes left on the ground to decompose may attract pests or diseases to the garden.
Seed Sowing and Seedling Emergence
The seeds of vining cucumber varieties such as 'Boston Pickling' and 'Lemon Cucumber' are sown either four to five seeds per hill of soil or 2 to 3 feet apart in a straight row. Seed germination, or sprouting, occurs fairly fast. Watch for the two-leaved seedlings to emerge above the soil three to 10 days after sowing the seeds.
A seedling's first two leaves are called cotyledon and are round with smooth edges. The next leaves are true leaves with the characteristic cucumber heart-shape and sharp-edged margins.
The soil should remain moist at all times as the seedlings begin to grow. To test for moistness, put your finger in the soil. It should not be dry beyond the first finger joint. As seedlings reach 4 inches in height, remove some of them so the remaining ones are 1 ½ feet apart.
Each bush variety of cucumber requires 2 to 3 square feet of space, and the vine type can reach to 6 feet in height. Trellis systems or tomato cages can be used to support plants that are the vine type.
Plant cucumber seeds every two to three weeks until three months before your area's first average annual frost date to have a continuous harvest of cucumber fruits as summer progresses.
Flowering and Pollination
Cucumbers produce two kinds of bright, golden-yellow flowers: male and female. Male flowers emerge first but do not produce fruits and fall off after pollination is complete. Female flowers emerge within one to two weeks.
Cucumber plants are not self-pollinating; they require bees or other pollinators to carry their pollen from male flowers to female flowers. Insecticides applied at cucumbers' flower stage of growth can kill the pollinators, interfering with the process of pollination.
Fruiting and Harvest
After female cucumber flowers have been pollinated, they swell at their bases and begin to develop into fruits. Cucumber fruits usually can be harvested 50 to 70 days after the seeds were sown, depending on the variety and weather conditions.
Cucumber varieties used for pickling are ready to harvest when the fruits reach 3 to 4 inches in length. The harvest lasts seven to 10 days for each of those plants. The longer fruits of varieties used for slicing are ready for harvest when they are 7 to 8 inches long, and their harvest time may continue for as long as four to six weeks.
At peak harvest time, cucumber fruits should be picked every two days. Cucumber plants produce more fruits when the fruits are picked regularly. Fruits left on the vines become bitter and their skins tough.
A mature cucumber plant produces about 5 pounds of fruits, or about 10 fruits that are each 6 ounces. Heirloom varieties, however, produce about 2 to 3 pounds of fruits per plant.
Post-Harvest
When harvest is complete, pull the cucumber vines or bushes out of the soil, and put them into the compost bin or pile. Long vines can be cut into 1-to 2-foot lengths for speedier decomposition. Vines or bushes left on the ground to decompose may attract pests or diseases to the garden.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年03月23日
Habanero peppers are one of the world's hottest peppers. They take a while to ripen after you transplant them or grow them from seeds. The peppers turn from green to red or orange when they ripen. Habanero peppers thrive in hot weather and acidic soil. The peppers do not require much water. In fact, too much water can cause the produce to have a bitter flavor. While the peppers are very hot in flavor, they are also rich in vitamin C. You can create salsa with the peppers or add them to your favorite dish to add a spicy flavor.
Hunker Source Material - Midcentury Design
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Habanero Care
Grow the peppers when the threat of frost passes, because they do not tolerate the frost. Habanero plants require temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit before they produce peppers. Habaneros can often tolerate higher temperatures during the daytime. Remove small flowers until the plants become established if you are growing them from transplants. Water the plants only once a week to stress the plants to produce the hottest peppers. Watering the plants more often will create milder peppers.
Harvest Time
Inspect the habanero peppers between 100 to 120 days after you plant them. The time it takes for the peppers to ripen will depend on sunlight, water and soil conditions. Habanero peppers will remain green when they sprout on the plants, but they will change in color when it gets closer to harvest time. Check on the habanero peppers daily to determine when they are ready for harvesting.
Harvest Signs
Habanero peppers will transform from green to red or orange in color. You will no longer notice any green on the peppers when they ripen completely. Inspect the size of the habanero peppers. Peppers that are three-quarters inch or larger in diameter are ready for harvest because they have reached the desired size. Harvest the habanero peppers as they ripen so that the plant can dedicate its energy into producing new peppers.
Harvest Tips
Wear gloves when handling the habanero peppers to prevent irritation to your skin or eyes. Cut the habanero peppers from the plants with pruning shears. Cut the peppers off at the stem, leaving up to an inch of the stem attached to the peppers. Avoid pulling or tearing the peppers from the plant, because you can damage it. Store the harvested peppers in a paper bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Wash the habanero peppers off with cool water before you use them.
Hunker Source Material - Midcentury Design
00:00
Habanero Care
Grow the peppers when the threat of frost passes, because they do not tolerate the frost. Habanero plants require temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit before they produce peppers. Habaneros can often tolerate higher temperatures during the daytime. Remove small flowers until the plants become established if you are growing them from transplants. Water the plants only once a week to stress the plants to produce the hottest peppers. Watering the plants more often will create milder peppers.
Harvest Time
Inspect the habanero peppers between 100 to 120 days after you plant them. The time it takes for the peppers to ripen will depend on sunlight, water and soil conditions. Habanero peppers will remain green when they sprout on the plants, but they will change in color when it gets closer to harvest time. Check on the habanero peppers daily to determine when they are ready for harvesting.
Harvest Signs
Habanero peppers will transform from green to red or orange in color. You will no longer notice any green on the peppers when they ripen completely. Inspect the size of the habanero peppers. Peppers that are three-quarters inch or larger in diameter are ready for harvest because they have reached the desired size. Harvest the habanero peppers as they ripen so that the plant can dedicate its energy into producing new peppers.
Harvest Tips
Wear gloves when handling the habanero peppers to prevent irritation to your skin or eyes. Cut the habanero peppers from the plants with pruning shears. Cut the peppers off at the stem, leaving up to an inch of the stem attached to the peppers. Avoid pulling or tearing the peppers from the plant, because you can damage it. Store the harvested peppers in a paper bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Wash the habanero peppers off with cool water before you use them.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年03月21日
Gardeners often place matchsticks in the soil beneath green peppers (Capsicum annuum Grossum Group) when setting them out to feed those plants' love of sulfur. Because peppers prefer a pH between 6.0 and 6.8, the acidifying chemical does help provide optimum conditions for them, so their use isn't just an old wives' tale. The number of matches recommended varies from two or three per plant to an entire book (20) per plant. If you have other uses for matches, you can add a small amount of garden sulfur to each planting hole instead.
Await Warmth
Peppers must have warm conditions to thrive, so don't set them out until after the last spring frost. Wait until the soil temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures have climbed above 55 degrees F., daytime ones above 70 degrees F.
Harden Seedlings
If you started pepper plants indoors, begin taking them outdoors for a few hours every day. Set them in the shade at first, and gradually extend their outdoor time while moving them into more sun.
Prepare Holes
Plant peppers in full sun, in fertile, well-drained soil. First, make a 6-inch-deep hole, partially filling that excavation with 2 inches of compost and about 1/2 cup of 5-10-10 organic fertilizer. Work those amendments into the bottom of the hole with a trowel.
Add Matchsticks
After removing the cover from a book of matches, place the matches atop the just-worked soil. If you prefer to use garden sulfur instead, add 1 teaspoon of it. To avoid shocking the seedling, cover the matches or sulfur with 1 to 2 additional inches of soil so the amendments don't come in direct contact with the plant until it is well-established. You then can set a pepper in the hole, loosening its roots if they have become matted together, and positioning the plant slightly deeper than it grew in its container.
After filling in the soil around its roots, pat the soil down and water it well. If you wish to set out more than one pepper, space the plants 18 inches apart and their rows 24 inches apart.
Water Plants
Keep the peppers' soil damp while they are becoming established, providing them with at least 1 inch of water per week, via rain or irrigation. To help maintain their soil's moisture and discourage weeds, mulch the plants with up to 2 inches of a light organic material such as straw or shredded dead leaves.
Await Warmth
Peppers must have warm conditions to thrive, so don't set them out until after the last spring frost. Wait until the soil temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures have climbed above 55 degrees F., daytime ones above 70 degrees F.
Harden Seedlings
If you started pepper plants indoors, begin taking them outdoors for a few hours every day. Set them in the shade at first, and gradually extend their outdoor time while moving them into more sun.
Prepare Holes
Plant peppers in full sun, in fertile, well-drained soil. First, make a 6-inch-deep hole, partially filling that excavation with 2 inches of compost and about 1/2 cup of 5-10-10 organic fertilizer. Work those amendments into the bottom of the hole with a trowel.
Add Matchsticks
After removing the cover from a book of matches, place the matches atop the just-worked soil. If you prefer to use garden sulfur instead, add 1 teaspoon of it. To avoid shocking the seedling, cover the matches or sulfur with 1 to 2 additional inches of soil so the amendments don't come in direct contact with the plant until it is well-established. You then can set a pepper in the hole, loosening its roots if they have become matted together, and positioning the plant slightly deeper than it grew in its container.
After filling in the soil around its roots, pat the soil down and water it well. If you wish to set out more than one pepper, space the plants 18 inches apart and their rows 24 inches apart.
Water Plants
Keep the peppers' soil damp while they are becoming established, providing them with at least 1 inch of water per week, via rain or irrigation. To help maintain their soil's moisture and discourage weeds, mulch the plants with up to 2 inches of a light organic material such as straw or shredded dead leaves.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年03月06日
Teaching children about plants is problematic, since seeds are usually buried in potting soil. The germination process is invisible. However, with a wet paper towel, a Ziploc bag, dried pinto beans and a bright, sunny window, you can provide a teaching moment even in the dead of winter. Pinto beans sprout and grow quickly. This project holds interest for several days. After the beans sprout, continue the teaching process by planting the beans inside or in the garden.
Step 1
Wet a paper towel. Squeeze most of the water out.
Step 2
Fold the paper towel to fit into the Ziploc bag. Place in the bag.
Step 3
Insert one or two pinto beans per bag on between the paper towel and the side of the bag. Do not seal the bag.
Step 4
Tap a nail into the wall on each side of a bright, sunny window. Stretch a piece of twine across the window, tying it to the nails.
Step 5
Hang the Ziploc bags on the twine with a clothespin with the bean facing the window.
Step 6
Monitor the Ziploc bag, making sure that the paper towel stays moist while the pinto bean sprouts. Pinto beans germinate quickly, sometimes overnight.
Step 7
Plant the bean sprout in a paper cup with potting soil or in the garden. Handle the root gently. It breaks easily. Water the sprout thoroughly after planting.
Step 1
Wet a paper towel. Squeeze most of the water out.
Step 2
Fold the paper towel to fit into the Ziploc bag. Place in the bag.
Step 3
Insert one or two pinto beans per bag on between the paper towel and the side of the bag. Do not seal the bag.
Step 4
Tap a nail into the wall on each side of a bright, sunny window. Stretch a piece of twine across the window, tying it to the nails.
Step 5
Hang the Ziploc bags on the twine with a clothespin with the bean facing the window.
Step 6
Monitor the Ziploc bag, making sure that the paper towel stays moist while the pinto bean sprouts. Pinto beans germinate quickly, sometimes overnight.
Step 7
Plant the bean sprout in a paper cup with potting soil or in the garden. Handle the root gently. It breaks easily. Water the sprout thoroughly after planting.
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成长记
cclecombe
2018年02月25日
Looking a little worse for wear! I noticed that the soil had shrunk down massively last weekend so she’s had a bit of a top up and her new leaves are developing nicely
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文章
Cole Csolak
2018年02月19日
What you need : eight to twelve in. pot, miracle grow soil, and marigold seeds.
Step one : fill pot With the soil
Step two : poke half inch holes in the soil
Step three : put three mariglod seeds in each hole
Step four : cover the holes and saterate the soil so germination is possible
When seeds sprout, always keep the water moist.
Tips : best time to plant is in early may
Seeds will reproduce as soon as the flower buds bloom
Marigolds always need to be watered so count three in you head while you water them
You can grow marigolds in your house in the whole winter to keep them alive for the comming spring
Well have a fun time planting marigolds
Step one : fill pot With the soil
Step two : poke half inch holes in the soil
Step three : put three mariglod seeds in each hole
Step four : cover the holes and saterate the soil so germination is possible
When seeds sprout, always keep the water moist.
Tips : best time to plant is in early may
Seeds will reproduce as soon as the flower buds bloom
Marigolds always need to be watered so count three in you head while you water them
You can grow marigolds in your house in the whole winter to keep them alive for the comming spring
Well have a fun time planting marigolds
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Lisa Stout
2018年02月14日
Common: Coast Indian Paintbrush
Botanical: Castilleja affinis
Native: Western North America
Size: 2 ft tall x 2 ft wide
Likes: Full sun, rocky, Sandy, loamy soil
Facts: Rare to buy, butterfly attractant; hemi-parasite (derives some of its nutrients from host plant).
Botanical: Castilleja affinis
Native: Western North America
Size: 2 ft tall x 2 ft wide
Likes: Full sun, rocky, Sandy, loamy soil
Facts: Rare to buy, butterfly attractant; hemi-parasite (derives some of its nutrients from host plant).
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年01月02日
Lily (Lilium) bulbs multiply continuously, hidden under the soil. Each spring, new flowers come up reliably, even if you neglected them through the year. But, every few years, lilies need to be divided and transplanted, otherwise they get overcrowded, resulting in fewer flowers and weak plant growth. Lilies grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8.
When to Divide Lilies
When growing lilies, it's best to let them grow undisturbed as long as they are flowering reliably. In general, plan to divide lilies about every three years, or when when you notice an overall reduction in flowers and spindly weak-looking stems. Lily bulbs produce small offsets that grow into full-size bulbs. As the bulbs multiply, it causes overcrowding in the growing area. Plan to separate and transplant lilies in early fall, after the flowers fade and the leaves start to die back.
Digging Lilies
Use a garden fork to dig under the bulbs and lift them from the soil. Lily bulbs grow right below the leaf stalk, so you can dig 3 to 6-inches from the edge of the clump without damaging the main bulbs. Shake of the excess soil to expose the bulbs. Gently pull the clump apart to expose the individual bulbs. Use your fingers to untangle the roots.
Dividing Bulbs
Hold the lily bulb and identify the smaller offset growing out from the side. They will be connected at the base. Gently break the smaller bulb from the larger bulb. Ideally you should replant immediately, but you can store lily bulbs until spring if replanting right away isn't convenient. To store, pack lily bulbs in damp peat moss and place them in a plastic bag. Keep the bulbs in the refrigerator until you are ready to plant.
Transplanting
You can replant all the lily bulbs in the original spot spreading them out to avoid overcrowding, or move some to a new garden area. Lilies grow best in full sun and soil with good drainage. Dig holes for each bulb two to three times deeper than the height of the bulb. Place one lily bulb in each hole with the flat side down and the pointed side up. Push the soil over the bulb and pat it down gently. Space each lily bulb 12 to 18 inches apart. After you are finished planting, water the area.
When to Divide Lilies
When growing lilies, it's best to let them grow undisturbed as long as they are flowering reliably. In general, plan to divide lilies about every three years, or when when you notice an overall reduction in flowers and spindly weak-looking stems. Lily bulbs produce small offsets that grow into full-size bulbs. As the bulbs multiply, it causes overcrowding in the growing area. Plan to separate and transplant lilies in early fall, after the flowers fade and the leaves start to die back.
Digging Lilies
Use a garden fork to dig under the bulbs and lift them from the soil. Lily bulbs grow right below the leaf stalk, so you can dig 3 to 6-inches from the edge of the clump without damaging the main bulbs. Shake of the excess soil to expose the bulbs. Gently pull the clump apart to expose the individual bulbs. Use your fingers to untangle the roots.
Dividing Bulbs
Hold the lily bulb and identify the smaller offset growing out from the side. They will be connected at the base. Gently break the smaller bulb from the larger bulb. Ideally you should replant immediately, but you can store lily bulbs until spring if replanting right away isn't convenient. To store, pack lily bulbs in damp peat moss and place them in a plastic bag. Keep the bulbs in the refrigerator until you are ready to plant.
Transplanting
You can replant all the lily bulbs in the original spot spreading them out to avoid overcrowding, or move some to a new garden area. Lilies grow best in full sun and soil with good drainage. Dig holes for each bulb two to three times deeper than the height of the bulb. Place one lily bulb in each hole with the flat side down and the pointed side up. Push the soil over the bulb and pat it down gently. Space each lily bulb 12 to 18 inches apart. After you are finished planting, water the area.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月15日
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) are a common houseplant requiring filtered light and continually moist soil. They can reach 6 feet, but are typically 1 to 4 feet high. White flowers are highlighted against the plant's dark, glossy leaves. Both attractive and easy to grow, it is not needy. However, providing fertilizer will encourage blooms and help your peace lily thrive. And you can mix up a homemade fertilizer with ingredients you have on hand.
Epson Salt Fertilizer
Mix 1 tablespoon of Epsom Salts into 1 gallon of water in a jug or pitcher. Shake or stir the mixture thoroughly. Apply this solution to your peace lily every 4 to 6 weeks in place of a water application. Shake the container before each use.
Fish Tank Fertilizer
If you have a fish tank, save the water from a tank cleaning in a clean jug. Shake the water and apply to the base of the peace lily every month in place of a water application. This homemade fertilizer will provide much-needed nitrogen to your plant.
Vinegar Fertilizer
Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into 1 gallon of water in a jug or pitcher. Shake or stir the mixture and apply to your peace lily once every three months in place of an alternate monthly feeding. Vinegar contains acetic acid, and will increase the acidity of the soil slightly.
Milk or Juice Fertilizer
Rinse out empty milk cartons and apply it to the base of your peace lily. Milk contains nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium -- all components of a basic commercial fertilizer. Use the rinse water from apple or orange juice containers in the same manner to provide a potassium boost to your plant.
Epson Salt Fertilizer
Mix 1 tablespoon of Epsom Salts into 1 gallon of water in a jug or pitcher. Shake or stir the mixture thoroughly. Apply this solution to your peace lily every 4 to 6 weeks in place of a water application. Shake the container before each use.
Fish Tank Fertilizer
If you have a fish tank, save the water from a tank cleaning in a clean jug. Shake the water and apply to the base of the peace lily every month in place of a water application. This homemade fertilizer will provide much-needed nitrogen to your plant.
Vinegar Fertilizer
Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into 1 gallon of water in a jug or pitcher. Shake or stir the mixture and apply to your peace lily once every three months in place of an alternate monthly feeding. Vinegar contains acetic acid, and will increase the acidity of the soil slightly.
Milk or Juice Fertilizer
Rinse out empty milk cartons and apply it to the base of your peace lily. Milk contains nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium -- all components of a basic commercial fertilizer. Use the rinse water from apple or orange juice containers in the same manner to provide a potassium boost to your plant.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月05日
Picky morel mushrooms require exact soil, temperature and moisture levels in order to produce the edible fruiting bodies that mushroom hunters consider delicacies. For this reason, it is often difficult to propagate morel mushrooms to encourage larger yields in hunting grounds and to propagate additional morel mushroom patches nearer a hunter's home. Though successful yields depend upon specific, strict and somewhat mysterious conditions, spreading morel mushroom spores to encourage those higher yields and development of new patches is relatively easy.
Step 1
Collect wild morel mushrooms from their natural locations to use spores from those mushrooms to propagate additional mushrooms. Search the woods near your home, or at state and national parks that allow mushroom hunting. Morel hot spots include the vicinities of ash trees, fallen and rotting logs, and in areas recently burned in forest fires.
Step 2
Cut the fruiting bodies -- the stems and caps -- of the morel mushroom at the ground, leaving the underground root system of the fungi intact. Interconnected root systems of the morel mushrooms may spread over large areas of the forest and will reproduce more efficiently if you leave them intact when harvesting the fruiting bodies.
Step 3
Place harvested morel mushrooms in mesh grocery bags or make your own breathable bags from the red mesh sacks used to contain potatoes and onions on grocery store shelves. The open design of the bags prevents morels from sweating as they would in plastic grocery bags and allows morel spores to fall to the forest floor as you continue morel hunting. This will encourage higher yields of morels in your hunting site.
Step 4
Spread morel mushrooms on old towels, sheets or newspapers to dry. Space mushrooms so they do not touch. As the mushrooms dry, spores will fall onto the towels, sheets or newspapers, creating yellow and brown spots.
Step 5
Remove and bag the dried mushrooms for storage. Take the towels, sheets or old newspapers outdoors and shake the morel spores off, over an area you intend to use as a new morel patch. Newspapers printed with soy-based ink that does not contain chemical additives may be spread on the ground and covered with a layer of forest soil and rotting leaves. This layer of rotting leaves is full of the nutrients and minerals necessary to encourage growth and mimic the morel's natural habitat.
Step 1
Collect wild morel mushrooms from their natural locations to use spores from those mushrooms to propagate additional mushrooms. Search the woods near your home, or at state and national parks that allow mushroom hunting. Morel hot spots include the vicinities of ash trees, fallen and rotting logs, and in areas recently burned in forest fires.
Step 2
Cut the fruiting bodies -- the stems and caps -- of the morel mushroom at the ground, leaving the underground root system of the fungi intact. Interconnected root systems of the morel mushrooms may spread over large areas of the forest and will reproduce more efficiently if you leave them intact when harvesting the fruiting bodies.
Step 3
Place harvested morel mushrooms in mesh grocery bags or make your own breathable bags from the red mesh sacks used to contain potatoes and onions on grocery store shelves. The open design of the bags prevents morels from sweating as they would in plastic grocery bags and allows morel spores to fall to the forest floor as you continue morel hunting. This will encourage higher yields of morels in your hunting site.
Step 4
Spread morel mushrooms on old towels, sheets or newspapers to dry. Space mushrooms so they do not touch. As the mushrooms dry, spores will fall onto the towels, sheets or newspapers, creating yellow and brown spots.
Step 5
Remove and bag the dried mushrooms for storage. Take the towels, sheets or old newspapers outdoors and shake the morel spores off, over an area you intend to use as a new morel patch. Newspapers printed with soy-based ink that does not contain chemical additives may be spread on the ground and covered with a layer of forest soil and rotting leaves. This layer of rotting leaves is full of the nutrients and minerals necessary to encourage growth and mimic the morel's natural habitat.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月05日
Mushrooms are the product or fruit of fungus-infested soil and can produce rather quickly taking over a lawn. The fungus feeds off decaying substances in the soil, such as old rotting mulch, dying tree stumps and animal feces. Removal of lawn mushrooms can be difficult, once the fungus has infested a large portion of the yard. Chemical products are one way to rid the yard of the mushrooms and fungus, but are more likely to work once the matter the fungus is feeding on is removed.
Fertilizer
Fertilizers containing nitrogen not only stimulate lawn growth, but can also rid the lawn of mushrooms. Nitrogen rich soil provides the perfect base for a fast growing lawn, but also increases organic waste and matter decomposition times. Nitrogen also speeds up the growth and breakdown of the mushroom systems, lessening the lifespan of the fungus.
Fungicides
Fungicides, available in both powder and liquid form, are chemical compounds used in the removal of different types of fungi. Depending on the type of fungicide used, the chemical may either slow the growth of the fungus, keeping new growth from being reproduced or kill the fungus, causing both the fruit and root system to die. Fungicides must be used with care, especially when used in gardens or on lawns where pets and children walk or play.
Lime
Lime, used by gardeners to prevent pests from eating plants and raise the soils acidity levels in gardens and lawns, can also help slow the growth of mushrooms. Lime raises the PH level of the soil. While grass and some flowering plants thrive in a higher PH level soil, mushrooms prefer lower PH levels and will not grow well or produce fruit in acidic soils. While lime will not actually kill the mushrooms, it can work to slow and eliminate the fungus when used in conjunction with other lawn chemicals.
Considerations
While chemical products can slow the growth of fungi and even, at times, eliminate it from a lawn, fungus growth is a sign of a rich soil environment and fruit may reappear if soil conditions remain fertile. Removal of animal feces and other decaying matter, such as rotting tree stumps, can help eliminate the growth of fungi. Lawns mowed on a regular basis may also help slow the spread of growing fungi fruit. Homeowners should also not use fungus infested lawn clippings in compost, as the fungus can easily spread to any area where the compost is used.
Fertilizer
Fertilizers containing nitrogen not only stimulate lawn growth, but can also rid the lawn of mushrooms. Nitrogen rich soil provides the perfect base for a fast growing lawn, but also increases organic waste and matter decomposition times. Nitrogen also speeds up the growth and breakdown of the mushroom systems, lessening the lifespan of the fungus.
Fungicides
Fungicides, available in both powder and liquid form, are chemical compounds used in the removal of different types of fungi. Depending on the type of fungicide used, the chemical may either slow the growth of the fungus, keeping new growth from being reproduced or kill the fungus, causing both the fruit and root system to die. Fungicides must be used with care, especially when used in gardens or on lawns where pets and children walk or play.
Lime
Lime, used by gardeners to prevent pests from eating plants and raise the soils acidity levels in gardens and lawns, can also help slow the growth of mushrooms. Lime raises the PH level of the soil. While grass and some flowering plants thrive in a higher PH level soil, mushrooms prefer lower PH levels and will not grow well or produce fruit in acidic soils. While lime will not actually kill the mushrooms, it can work to slow and eliminate the fungus when used in conjunction with other lawn chemicals.
Considerations
While chemical products can slow the growth of fungi and even, at times, eliminate it from a lawn, fungus growth is a sign of a rich soil environment and fruit may reappear if soil conditions remain fertile. Removal of animal feces and other decaying matter, such as rotting tree stumps, can help eliminate the growth of fungi. Lawns mowed on a regular basis may also help slow the spread of growing fungi fruit. Homeowners should also not use fungus infested lawn clippings in compost, as the fungus can easily spread to any area where the compost is used.
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