文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月30日
If you have a large property that needs some shade, consider growing beech trees. American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is a stately tree that makes a big impression when grown singly on an open site or when used to line driveways on large estates. Don’t try growing beech trees in an urban setting though. The branches on this huge tree extend low on the trunk, creating an obstacle to pedestrians, and the dense shade makes it nearly impossible to grow anything under the tree.
Beech Tree Identification
It’s easy to recognize a beech tree by its smooth, gray bark, which the tree keeps throughout its lifespan. In shady sites, beech trees have a massive, straight trunk that soars to a height of 80 feet or more. The crown stays small but dense in shade. The trees are shorter in full sun, but they develop a large, spreading crown.
Beech tree leaves are about 6 inches long and 2 ½ inches wide with saw-tooth edges and lots of side veins. The flowers generally go unnoticed. Small, yellow male flowers bloom in round clusters along the branches and tiny, red female flowers bloom at the ends of the branches in early spring. After pollination, the female flowers give way to edible beech nuts, which are enjoyed by a number of small mammals and birds. The American beech is the variety commonly seen in the United States, although there are several types of beech trees found throughout Europe and Asia. The American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is sometimes called blue beech, but it is an unrelated species of small tree or shrub.
Beech Tree Planting
Plant beech trees in a good, rich, acidic soil that isn’t compacted. It likes moist, well-drained soil. The dense crown spreads 40 to 60 feet at maturity, so give it plenty of room. Beech trees live 200 to 300 years, so choose the site carefully. Dig the planting hole two to three times wider than the root ball to loosen the soil around the planting area. This encourages the roots to spread into the surrounding soil rather than staying in the hole. If the soil isn’t particularly rich, add a few shovels full of compost to the fill dirt. Don’t add any other amendments at planting time.
Care of Beech Trees
Newly planted beech trees need plenty of moisture, so water them weekly in the absence of rain. Mature trees withstand moderate drought, but they’ll do best with a good soaking when you’ve been a month or more without a drenching rain. Spread a 2 or 3 inch layer of mulch over the root zone of young trees to help the soil retain moisture. Once the dense crown develops, mulch is no longer necessary, but it keeps the bare ground around the tree looking neat. Beech trees need regular fertilization. Spread the fertilizer over the root zone and then water it in. Use a pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer for each 100 square foot of the root zone. The root zone extends a foot or so beyond the canopy of the tree.
Beech Tree Identification
It’s easy to recognize a beech tree by its smooth, gray bark, which the tree keeps throughout its lifespan. In shady sites, beech trees have a massive, straight trunk that soars to a height of 80 feet or more. The crown stays small but dense in shade. The trees are shorter in full sun, but they develop a large, spreading crown.
Beech tree leaves are about 6 inches long and 2 ½ inches wide with saw-tooth edges and lots of side veins. The flowers generally go unnoticed. Small, yellow male flowers bloom in round clusters along the branches and tiny, red female flowers bloom at the ends of the branches in early spring. After pollination, the female flowers give way to edible beech nuts, which are enjoyed by a number of small mammals and birds. The American beech is the variety commonly seen in the United States, although there are several types of beech trees found throughout Europe and Asia. The American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is sometimes called blue beech, but it is an unrelated species of small tree or shrub.
Beech Tree Planting
Plant beech trees in a good, rich, acidic soil that isn’t compacted. It likes moist, well-drained soil. The dense crown spreads 40 to 60 feet at maturity, so give it plenty of room. Beech trees live 200 to 300 years, so choose the site carefully. Dig the planting hole two to three times wider than the root ball to loosen the soil around the planting area. This encourages the roots to spread into the surrounding soil rather than staying in the hole. If the soil isn’t particularly rich, add a few shovels full of compost to the fill dirt. Don’t add any other amendments at planting time.
Care of Beech Trees
Newly planted beech trees need plenty of moisture, so water them weekly in the absence of rain. Mature trees withstand moderate drought, but they’ll do best with a good soaking when you’ve been a month or more without a drenching rain. Spread a 2 or 3 inch layer of mulch over the root zone of young trees to help the soil retain moisture. Once the dense crown develops, mulch is no longer necessary, but it keeps the bare ground around the tree looking neat. Beech trees need regular fertilization. Spread the fertilizer over the root zone and then water it in. Use a pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer for each 100 square foot of the root zone. The root zone extends a foot or so beyond the canopy of the tree.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月29日
Is monkey grass invading areas of your lawn and garden? Do you find yourself asking, “How do I kill monkey grass?” You’re not alone. Many people share these concerns, but don’t worry. There are things you can try to rid this intruder from your landscape. Keep reading to find out how to get rid of monkey grass.
Ridding the Garden of Monkey Grass
Monkey grass is normally a favorite addition among gardeners, as it is extremely easy to grow and care for. But it’s also the plant’s hardiness and carefree nature that can result in its invasiveness, as the eagerly growing monkey grass begins to turn up in unwanted areas of the landscape. That’s when monkey grass control becomes necessary.
How to Get Rid of Monkey Grass
Removing monkey grass can be difficult but not impossible. There’s really no single best way to remove monkey grass. Rather, you need to find the method of monkey grass control that works best for you and your particular circumstance. That said, here are some ideas for ridding the garden of monkey grass: Dig it up – Digging up unwanted plants is the easiest way of removing monkey grass, but it may also be the most time consuming depending on how much you have. You should dig up clumps and surrounding soil to ensure that you get out as much of the root system as possible. Once it’s dug up, carefully check for any stragglers. You can treat the area (along with freshly cut roots) with Round-up as well to prevent further growth. Keep in mind though that this could take more than one application depending on how much root growth was missed.
Contain it – You can install some type of barrier of edging to keep monkey grass roots under control, minimizing its spread. These should be at least 12 to 18 inches down for best results. This can be done at the time of planting or during summer growth. When combined with digging, you’ll have a better chance of ridding the garden of monkey grass. For example, after removing monkey grass clumps, you can cover the area with plastic or landscape fabric. This should help suffocate any remaining roots or rhizomes in the ground. Call for backup – When all else fails, it’s time to call in a professional to help you get rid of monkey grass. Professional landscapers or gardeners can usually do all the dirty work for you, putting their knowledge to work as well. They can normally provide any additional tips you may need once the grass has been removed should any “jumpers” crop up.
Knowing how to get rid of monkey grass is a matter of having patience and choosing the method of removal that works best for you. With vigilance and time, your monkey grass control efforts will eventually pay off.
Ridding the Garden of Monkey Grass
Monkey grass is normally a favorite addition among gardeners, as it is extremely easy to grow and care for. But it’s also the plant’s hardiness and carefree nature that can result in its invasiveness, as the eagerly growing monkey grass begins to turn up in unwanted areas of the landscape. That’s when monkey grass control becomes necessary.
How to Get Rid of Monkey Grass
Removing monkey grass can be difficult but not impossible. There’s really no single best way to remove monkey grass. Rather, you need to find the method of monkey grass control that works best for you and your particular circumstance. That said, here are some ideas for ridding the garden of monkey grass: Dig it up – Digging up unwanted plants is the easiest way of removing monkey grass, but it may also be the most time consuming depending on how much you have. You should dig up clumps and surrounding soil to ensure that you get out as much of the root system as possible. Once it’s dug up, carefully check for any stragglers. You can treat the area (along with freshly cut roots) with Round-up as well to prevent further growth. Keep in mind though that this could take more than one application depending on how much root growth was missed.
Contain it – You can install some type of barrier of edging to keep monkey grass roots under control, minimizing its spread. These should be at least 12 to 18 inches down for best results. This can be done at the time of planting or during summer growth. When combined with digging, you’ll have a better chance of ridding the garden of monkey grass. For example, after removing monkey grass clumps, you can cover the area with plastic or landscape fabric. This should help suffocate any remaining roots or rhizomes in the ground. Call for backup – When all else fails, it’s time to call in a professional to help you get rid of monkey grass. Professional landscapers or gardeners can usually do all the dirty work for you, putting their knowledge to work as well. They can normally provide any additional tips you may need once the grass has been removed should any “jumpers” crop up.
Knowing how to get rid of monkey grass is a matter of having patience and choosing the method of removal that works best for you. With vigilance and time, your monkey grass control efforts will eventually pay off.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月28日
Gunnera manicata is one of the most astounding plants you will ever see. The larger specimens of these ornamental giants can be quite expensive but don’t worry, collecting gunnera seeds and growing plants from them is easy. There are just a few crucial items to know about gunnera seed propagation to ensure success. Read this little article for some tips on how to propagate gunnera from seed and grow your own giant rhubarb.
Collecting Gunnera Seeds
There are over 50 species of gunnera, but the most impactful is the huge Gunnera manicata, which is native to the mountains of southeastern Brazil. This monster of a plant can have leaves of 11 by 6 feet on petioles that are 8 feet in length. It is the most common in cultivation and harvesting seeds from the plant is relatively simple but they need special treatment to ensure germination. Seed propagating gunnera plants requires exacting temperatures and careful handling of the seed.
Gunnera plants produce large brownish panicles filled with tiny red-brown flowers. Pollinated flowers become small red berry-like fruits. Once ripe, these fruits are filled with numerous fine black seeds. These seeds are sensitive to handling and the oils on your skin can affect germination. When harvesting seed, wear gloves to prevent contamination. Seed propagating gunnera plants is not the only method of reproduction. Another common and quick method is by dividing the root ball and planting the resulting individual babies. Growing gunnera seeds is a much slower process but you can get many more starts and have the fun of watching these monstrous plants grow from pups to huge garden specimens.
How to Propagate Gunnera from Seed
Once the panicles produce fruit, wait until they are ripe and bursting before harvesting them. Open fruits over a container to collect the tiny seeds. Use them immediately for best results or refrigerate them for a short period. Always use gloves when handling seed. Sow in a flat filled with good moistened compost mixed with vermiculite or perlite. Seeds should be lightly strewn at about one inch apart. These seeds need light for germination so you can simply lightly tamp them into soil or gently cover with a fine layer of sand. Cover the tray with plastic or glass and place where temperatures are 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20-25 C.). Best gunnera seed propagation is achieved in warmer temperatures. Bottom heat will speed germination. Remove the plastic or glass once every day to allow air into the area and mist to keep moist.
Follow-up Care When Growing Gunnera Seeds
Germination is generally quite quick, within 15 days, but may take up to 60 days. Thin is necessary and grow the seedlings on in their flat until two pairs of true leaves appear. Then transplant to 2-inch pots filled with good compost. Keep them moistened and provide ventilation in a warm area of the home, garden or greenhouse. Lighting should be bright but not scorching. It is important to not let the seedlings dry out. Give seedlings a liquid diluted fertilizer once per month during the growing season. Do not transplant outdoors until young plants are a year old. Protect plants in the garden from freezing. In a few years you, will have your own giant gunnera plants, a sight which will amaze and awe your friends and family.
Collecting Gunnera Seeds
There are over 50 species of gunnera, but the most impactful is the huge Gunnera manicata, which is native to the mountains of southeastern Brazil. This monster of a plant can have leaves of 11 by 6 feet on petioles that are 8 feet in length. It is the most common in cultivation and harvesting seeds from the plant is relatively simple but they need special treatment to ensure germination. Seed propagating gunnera plants requires exacting temperatures and careful handling of the seed.
Gunnera plants produce large brownish panicles filled with tiny red-brown flowers. Pollinated flowers become small red berry-like fruits. Once ripe, these fruits are filled with numerous fine black seeds. These seeds are sensitive to handling and the oils on your skin can affect germination. When harvesting seed, wear gloves to prevent contamination. Seed propagating gunnera plants is not the only method of reproduction. Another common and quick method is by dividing the root ball and planting the resulting individual babies. Growing gunnera seeds is a much slower process but you can get many more starts and have the fun of watching these monstrous plants grow from pups to huge garden specimens.
How to Propagate Gunnera from Seed
Once the panicles produce fruit, wait until they are ripe and bursting before harvesting them. Open fruits over a container to collect the tiny seeds. Use them immediately for best results or refrigerate them for a short period. Always use gloves when handling seed. Sow in a flat filled with good moistened compost mixed with vermiculite or perlite. Seeds should be lightly strewn at about one inch apart. These seeds need light for germination so you can simply lightly tamp them into soil or gently cover with a fine layer of sand. Cover the tray with plastic or glass and place where temperatures are 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20-25 C.). Best gunnera seed propagation is achieved in warmer temperatures. Bottom heat will speed germination. Remove the plastic or glass once every day to allow air into the area and mist to keep moist.
Follow-up Care When Growing Gunnera Seeds
Germination is generally quite quick, within 15 days, but may take up to 60 days. Thin is necessary and grow the seedlings on in their flat until two pairs of true leaves appear. Then transplant to 2-inch pots filled with good compost. Keep them moistened and provide ventilation in a warm area of the home, garden or greenhouse. Lighting should be bright but not scorching. It is important to not let the seedlings dry out. Give seedlings a liquid diluted fertilizer once per month during the growing season. Do not transplant outdoors until young plants are a year old. Protect plants in the garden from freezing. In a few years you, will have your own giant gunnera plants, a sight which will amaze and awe your friends and family.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月27日
Did you know that most bamboo plants only flower once every 50 years? You probably don’t have the time to wait around for your bamboo to produce seeds, so you’re going to have to divide your existing clumps and transplant them when you want to propagate your plants. Bamboo will grow and spread quickly, but there is no real way to direct it into far corners of the garden. Take a portion of an established clump, however, and you can create a new stand of bamboo in one season. Let’s learn more about transplanting bamboo.
When to Relocate Bamboos
Bamboo plants can be a bit finicky when it comes to transplanting, yet if you treat them right, they’ll spread all over the new area in very little time. Never transplant your bamboo when new shoots are forming; early in the spring or late in the fall are the best times. The roots are very sensitive to lack of moisture and to sunlight, so choose a cloudy, misty day for the absolute best results.
How to Transplant Bamboo
The roots of the bamboo plant are amazingly tough. You’ll need a sharp shovel or axe to cut the root bunches for bamboo plant moving. The easiest way is to use a chainsaw. Wear protective clothing and eye covering to prevent thrown rocks or splinters. Cut down through the earth about a foot away from the clump of stems. Make a complete circle through the dirt, slicing down about 12 inches. Slide a shovel underneath the clump and rock it up out of the ground. Plunge the root clump into a bucket of water immediately. Lean the stand of bamboo against a shed or fence, as this plant doesn’t do well if you lay it down on the ground. Have the moist hole already dug for the bamboo’s new home. Carry the bucket to the hole and transfer the clump of bamboo from the water to the soil. Cover the roots and water the plant very well. Cover the base of the plant with organic mulch such as dried leaves or grass clippings. Bamboo loves water, especially when it’s stressed, and mulch will shade the soil and help keep in as much moisture as possible. Set up some shade for the new bamboo plants by stretching cheesecloth or other light fabric over poles to create a sort of light tent. This will give the new bamboo clump some added protection while it establishes itself. Once you see fresh new shoots coming up, you can remove the shade fabric, but keep the soil moist throughout the year.
When to Relocate Bamboos
Bamboo plants can be a bit finicky when it comes to transplanting, yet if you treat them right, they’ll spread all over the new area in very little time. Never transplant your bamboo when new shoots are forming; early in the spring or late in the fall are the best times. The roots are very sensitive to lack of moisture and to sunlight, so choose a cloudy, misty day for the absolute best results.
How to Transplant Bamboo
The roots of the bamboo plant are amazingly tough. You’ll need a sharp shovel or axe to cut the root bunches for bamboo plant moving. The easiest way is to use a chainsaw. Wear protective clothing and eye covering to prevent thrown rocks or splinters. Cut down through the earth about a foot away from the clump of stems. Make a complete circle through the dirt, slicing down about 12 inches. Slide a shovel underneath the clump and rock it up out of the ground. Plunge the root clump into a bucket of water immediately. Lean the stand of bamboo against a shed or fence, as this plant doesn’t do well if you lay it down on the ground. Have the moist hole already dug for the bamboo’s new home. Carry the bucket to the hole and transfer the clump of bamboo from the water to the soil. Cover the roots and water the plant very well. Cover the base of the plant with organic mulch such as dried leaves or grass clippings. Bamboo loves water, especially when it’s stressed, and mulch will shade the soil and help keep in as much moisture as possible. Set up some shade for the new bamboo plants by stretching cheesecloth or other light fabric over poles to create a sort of light tent. This will give the new bamboo clump some added protection while it establishes itself. Once you see fresh new shoots coming up, you can remove the shade fabric, but keep the soil moist throughout the year.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月27日
When I think of bamboo, I recall the virtual forest of bamboo on a Hawaiian vacation. Obviously, the weather there is consistently mild and, thus, the cold tolerance of bamboo plants is nil. Since most of us don’t live in such a paradise, growing cold hardy bamboo plants is a necessity. What are some cold weather bamboo varieties suitable for the colder USDA zones? Read on to find out.
About Cold Hardy Bamboo Varieties
Bamboo, in general, is a fast-growing evergreen. They are two ilks: Leptomorph and Pachymorph. Leptomorph bamboos have monopodial running rhizomes and spread vigorously. They need to be managed and, if not, are known to grow rampantly and willfully. Pachymorph refers to those bamboos that have sympodial clumping roots. The genus Fargesia is an example of a pachymorph or clumping variety that is also a cold tolerant bamboo variety. The hardy bamboo varieties of Fargesia are native understory plants found in the mountains of China under pines and along streams. Until recently, only a couple of species of Fargesia have been available. F. nitida and F. murieliae, both of which flowered and subsequently died within a 5-year period.
Cold Hardy Bamboo Plant Options
Today, there are a number of hardy bamboo varieties in the genus Fargesia that have the highest cold tolerance for bamboo plant cultivars. These cold tolerant bamboos create gorgeous evergreen hedges in shade to partial shaded locations. Fargesia bamboos grow to a height of 8-16 feet tall, depending upon the variety and are all clumping bamboos that do no spread more that 4-6 inches per year. They will grow almost anywhere in the United States, including the southern to southeast climactic zones where it is very hot and humid. F. denudate is an example of these cold weather bamboos that has an arching habit and is not only cold tolerant, but tolerates heat and humidity as well. It is suitable to USDA zone 5-9. F. robusta (or ‘Pingwu’) is an upright bamboo with a clumping habit and, like the previous bamboo, handles the heat and humidity of the Southeastern United States. ‘Pingwu’ will do well in USDA zones 6-9. F. rufa ‘Oprins Selection’ (or Green Panda), is another clumping, cold hardy and heat tolerant bamboo. It grows to 10 feet and is hardy to USDA zones 5-9. This is the bamboo that is the favorite food of the giant panda and will grow well in most any environment. A newer varietal, F. scabrida (or Asian Wonder) has narrow leaves with orange culm sheaths and steel-blue stems when young that mature to an olive green. A good selection for USDA zones 5-8. With these new varieties of cold hardy bamboos, everyone can bring a little piece of paradise into their home garden.
About Cold Hardy Bamboo Varieties
Bamboo, in general, is a fast-growing evergreen. They are two ilks: Leptomorph and Pachymorph. Leptomorph bamboos have monopodial running rhizomes and spread vigorously. They need to be managed and, if not, are known to grow rampantly and willfully. Pachymorph refers to those bamboos that have sympodial clumping roots. The genus Fargesia is an example of a pachymorph or clumping variety that is also a cold tolerant bamboo variety. The hardy bamboo varieties of Fargesia are native understory plants found in the mountains of China under pines and along streams. Until recently, only a couple of species of Fargesia have been available. F. nitida and F. murieliae, both of which flowered and subsequently died within a 5-year period.
Cold Hardy Bamboo Plant Options
Today, there are a number of hardy bamboo varieties in the genus Fargesia that have the highest cold tolerance for bamboo plant cultivars. These cold tolerant bamboos create gorgeous evergreen hedges in shade to partial shaded locations. Fargesia bamboos grow to a height of 8-16 feet tall, depending upon the variety and are all clumping bamboos that do no spread more that 4-6 inches per year. They will grow almost anywhere in the United States, including the southern to southeast climactic zones where it is very hot and humid. F. denudate is an example of these cold weather bamboos that has an arching habit and is not only cold tolerant, but tolerates heat and humidity as well. It is suitable to USDA zone 5-9. F. robusta (or ‘Pingwu’) is an upright bamboo with a clumping habit and, like the previous bamboo, handles the heat and humidity of the Southeastern United States. ‘Pingwu’ will do well in USDA zones 6-9. F. rufa ‘Oprins Selection’ (or Green Panda), is another clumping, cold hardy and heat tolerant bamboo. It grows to 10 feet and is hardy to USDA zones 5-9. This is the bamboo that is the favorite food of the giant panda and will grow well in most any environment. A newer varietal, F. scabrida (or Asian Wonder) has narrow leaves with orange culm sheaths and steel-blue stems when young that mature to an olive green. A good selection for USDA zones 5-8. With these new varieties of cold hardy bamboos, everyone can bring a little piece of paradise into their home garden.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月26日
If you plant an herb garden, by all means use it! Herbs are meant to be cut; otherwise, they get gangly or woody. Parsley is no exception and if you don’t prune it, you end up with leggy parsley plants. So what can you do about overgrown or leggy parsley plants?
Droopy, Leggy, Overgrown Parsley
If you have a drooping parsley plant or parsley plants falling over every which way, it may be too late, especially if the plant has blossomed and gone to seed. Don’t despair. Parsley grows rapidly from seed or you can get some inexpensive starts from the local nursery. Moving forward, however, you will want to learn how to trim parsley (and use it!) to avoid drooping and falling over parsley plants.
Of course, if your parsley plant is droopy, you might just need to give it some water. If it doesn’t appear to be leggy and the temps have been high, some extra irrigation just might remedy the situation. If you ascertain that the parsley plant is droopy due to extreme temps and dry soil, trim the plant back and water it generously. Trimming parsley increases the yield of the plant. If it is not occasionally thinned, it loses vigor. Cutting it back will also prevent it from taking over and choking out other plants or herbs. Also, parsley flowers should be routinely cut back or pinched. If allowed to go to seed, you’ll have more parsley than you know what to do with. When you remove the blossoms, the energy the plant was using towards seed production is redirected towards foliage production, which makes the plant grow more vigorously. Pruning also helps prevent some diseases, such as powdery mildew, by opening up the plant and increasing air flow.
How to Trim Parsley
If the parsley has any flowers, pinch them back (deadhead) or remove them with scissors. First, check and see of your parsley plants have grown any blooms. If these blooms have begun to fade, it’s important that you deadhead them. To deadhead means to remove the dying flowers before they form seeds. You may have also heard of this process described as pinching back the flowers. By “deadheading” or “pinching back” the dying flower blooms, you prevent the plant from over seeding all over your herb garden. This will keep your parsley vigorous and assist in preventing the plant from taking over. Take a sharp pair of scissors and cut off the flower stalk at the root. Next, remove any yellowed, spotted or shriveled leaves as well as those that are munched on by insects. Then give the parsley a 1/3 inch trim. Cut or pinch off 1/3 inch off the tops of the plant which will control the growth of the parsley. You can do this any time the parsley is getting too large.
Harvesting for use in cooking can take place any time after the leaves have become well formed. Cut the outer leaves and stems down to the ground, leaving the inner stems to grow. Don’t be afraid to cut too much. Your parsley will love it. Once you have pruned the parsley, mulch around the plants with mature compost to aid in water retention. Remember that parsley is a biennial herb. This means that it grows for only two years. At the end of the two years, parsley bolts, or sends up a bunch of flower stalks, goes to seed, and dies. In fact, many people treat parsley as an annual and discard and replant each year.
Droopy, Leggy, Overgrown Parsley
If you have a drooping parsley plant or parsley plants falling over every which way, it may be too late, especially if the plant has blossomed and gone to seed. Don’t despair. Parsley grows rapidly from seed or you can get some inexpensive starts from the local nursery. Moving forward, however, you will want to learn how to trim parsley (and use it!) to avoid drooping and falling over parsley plants.
Of course, if your parsley plant is droopy, you might just need to give it some water. If it doesn’t appear to be leggy and the temps have been high, some extra irrigation just might remedy the situation. If you ascertain that the parsley plant is droopy due to extreme temps and dry soil, trim the plant back and water it generously. Trimming parsley increases the yield of the plant. If it is not occasionally thinned, it loses vigor. Cutting it back will also prevent it from taking over and choking out other plants or herbs. Also, parsley flowers should be routinely cut back or pinched. If allowed to go to seed, you’ll have more parsley than you know what to do with. When you remove the blossoms, the energy the plant was using towards seed production is redirected towards foliage production, which makes the plant grow more vigorously. Pruning also helps prevent some diseases, such as powdery mildew, by opening up the plant and increasing air flow.
How to Trim Parsley
If the parsley has any flowers, pinch them back (deadhead) or remove them with scissors. First, check and see of your parsley plants have grown any blooms. If these blooms have begun to fade, it’s important that you deadhead them. To deadhead means to remove the dying flowers before they form seeds. You may have also heard of this process described as pinching back the flowers. By “deadheading” or “pinching back” the dying flower blooms, you prevent the plant from over seeding all over your herb garden. This will keep your parsley vigorous and assist in preventing the plant from taking over. Take a sharp pair of scissors and cut off the flower stalk at the root. Next, remove any yellowed, spotted or shriveled leaves as well as those that are munched on by insects. Then give the parsley a 1/3 inch trim. Cut or pinch off 1/3 inch off the tops of the plant which will control the growth of the parsley. You can do this any time the parsley is getting too large.
Harvesting for use in cooking can take place any time after the leaves have become well formed. Cut the outer leaves and stems down to the ground, leaving the inner stems to grow. Don’t be afraid to cut too much. Your parsley will love it. Once you have pruned the parsley, mulch around the plants with mature compost to aid in water retention. Remember that parsley is a biennial herb. This means that it grows for only two years. At the end of the two years, parsley bolts, or sends up a bunch of flower stalks, goes to seed, and dies. In fact, many people treat parsley as an annual and discard and replant each year.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月25日
Lemongrass is a popular plant to grow for its culinary possibilities. A common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine, it’s very easy to grow at home. And what’s more, you don’t even have to grow it from seed or buy plants at a nursery. Lemongrass propagates with a very high success rate from the cuttings you can buy at the grocery store. Keep reading to learn more about propagating a lemongrass plant and regrowing lemongrass plants in water.
Lemongrass Propagation in Water
Propagating a lemongrass plant is as easy as placing the stalks in a glass of water and hoping for the best. Lemongrass can be found in most Asian grocery stores as well as some larger supermarkets. When buying lemongrass for propagation, pick stalks that have as much of the bottom bulb still intact. There’s a chance there may be some roots still attached – and this is even better.
Rooting Lemongrass in Water
To encourage your lemongrass stalks to grow new roots, place them bulb down in a jar with an inch of water in the bottom. Rooting lemongrass in water may take as long as three weeks. Over the course of that time, the tops of the stalks should start to grow new leaves, and the bottoms of the bulbs should start to sprout new roots.
To prevent the growth of fungus, change the water in the jar every day or two. After two or three weeks, your lemongrass roots should be an inch or two long. Now you can transplant them to your garden or a container of rich, loamy soil. Lemongrass prefers full sun. It can’t tolerate frost, so if you experience cold winters, you’ll either have to grow it in a container or treat it as an outdoor annual.
Lemongrass Propagation in Water
Propagating a lemongrass plant is as easy as placing the stalks in a glass of water and hoping for the best. Lemongrass can be found in most Asian grocery stores as well as some larger supermarkets. When buying lemongrass for propagation, pick stalks that have as much of the bottom bulb still intact. There’s a chance there may be some roots still attached – and this is even better.
Rooting Lemongrass in Water
To encourage your lemongrass stalks to grow new roots, place them bulb down in a jar with an inch of water in the bottom. Rooting lemongrass in water may take as long as three weeks. Over the course of that time, the tops of the stalks should start to grow new leaves, and the bottoms of the bulbs should start to sprout new roots.
To prevent the growth of fungus, change the water in the jar every day or two. After two or three weeks, your lemongrass roots should be an inch or two long. Now you can transplant them to your garden or a container of rich, loamy soil. Lemongrass prefers full sun. It can’t tolerate frost, so if you experience cold winters, you’ll either have to grow it in a container or treat it as an outdoor annual.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月24日
It’s Christmas time again and maybe you are looking for another decorating idea, or you live in a small apartment and just don’t have the room for a full size Christmas tree. Of late, rosemary Christmas trees plants have become popular nursery or grocery store items. Not only is rosemary used as a Christmas tree a festive ornamental for the season, but it is predominantly disease and pest resistant, aromatic, a culinary treasure, and responds beautifully to pruning to maintain the shape. Additionally, a rosemary tree for Christmas can be planted in the garden to wait the following holiday season while maintaining its role as an indispensable herb.
How to Create a Rosemary Tree for Christmas
With the burgeoning popularity of rosemary as a Christmas tree, you can easily purchase one for use during the holidays. However, if you have a bit of a green thumb, it’s also fun to know how to create a rosemary tree for Christmas. If you aren’t a big fan of rosemary, other herbs such as Greek Myrtle and Bay Laurel are also suitable for small living Christmas trees. Initially, the purchased rosemary tree has a lovely pine shape but over time as the herb matures, it outgrows those lines. It is very easy to prune the rosemary to help it maintain its tree shape. Take a picture of the rosemary Christmas tree, print it out and draw an outline of the tree shape you wish the herb to have with a permanent marker. You’ll notice that outside of the marker lines there are branches. These are the branches that need to be pruned back to regain the tree shape. Use your photo as a template to show you where to prune, clipping the branches all the way to their base near the trunk of the rosemary. Don’t leave nubs, as this will stress the herb out. Continue to prune every three to four weeks to maintain the desired shape.
Care for a Rosemary Christmas Tree
Keeping a rosemary tree for Christmas is extremely simple. Continue with the pruning schedule and mist the herb after pruning. Keep the plant in a sunny window or outside in full sun. Keeping rosemary for Christmas healthy requires regular watering. Rosemary plants are drought tolerant, but this doesn’t mean they need no water. It is difficult to tell when to water rosemary as it doesn’t wilt or drop leaves as other plants do when in need of water. The general rule is to water every week or two.
The rosemary Christmas tree will have to be repotted at some point or planted outdoors until the following Christmas. Keep shaping the plant from spring through fall and then bring indoors again. Repot in a larger clay pot to aid in water retention with a lightweight potting mix that provides good drainage.
How to Create a Rosemary Tree for Christmas
With the burgeoning popularity of rosemary as a Christmas tree, you can easily purchase one for use during the holidays. However, if you have a bit of a green thumb, it’s also fun to know how to create a rosemary tree for Christmas. If you aren’t a big fan of rosemary, other herbs such as Greek Myrtle and Bay Laurel are also suitable for small living Christmas trees. Initially, the purchased rosemary tree has a lovely pine shape but over time as the herb matures, it outgrows those lines. It is very easy to prune the rosemary to help it maintain its tree shape. Take a picture of the rosemary Christmas tree, print it out and draw an outline of the tree shape you wish the herb to have with a permanent marker. You’ll notice that outside of the marker lines there are branches. These are the branches that need to be pruned back to regain the tree shape. Use your photo as a template to show you where to prune, clipping the branches all the way to their base near the trunk of the rosemary. Don’t leave nubs, as this will stress the herb out. Continue to prune every three to four weeks to maintain the desired shape.
Care for a Rosemary Christmas Tree
Keeping a rosemary tree for Christmas is extremely simple. Continue with the pruning schedule and mist the herb after pruning. Keep the plant in a sunny window or outside in full sun. Keeping rosemary for Christmas healthy requires regular watering. Rosemary plants are drought tolerant, but this doesn’t mean they need no water. It is difficult to tell when to water rosemary as it doesn’t wilt or drop leaves as other plants do when in need of water. The general rule is to water every week or two.
The rosemary Christmas tree will have to be repotted at some point or planted outdoors until the following Christmas. Keep shaping the plant from spring through fall and then bring indoors again. Repot in a larger clay pot to aid in water retention with a lightweight potting mix that provides good drainage.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月24日
I love the aroma and flavor of rosemary and use it to flavor several dishes. When I think of rosemary, however, I just think…rosemary. I don’t think of different rosemary plant varieties. But there are a number of rosemary plant types to choose from. Read on to learn more about the varieties of rosemary.
Are There Different Types of Rosemary Plants?
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) has a wonderful and lengthy history. It has been nurtured by cooks and treasured by apothecaries for centuries. Interestingly, rosemary is said to live for exactly 33 years, Christ’s life span, and then die. Although native to the Mediterranean, rosemary has been cultivated for so long that natural hybrids have developed. So yes, there are different types of rosemary, but what types of rosemary are there?
Types of Rosemary to Grow
There are basically two types of rosemary, those that are upright shrubs and those that grow as ground covers. Beyond that things get a little more complex, especially since one variety may be sold under several different names. In cold climates, rosemary wouldn’t survive the freezing temperatures and is more often grown in a pot that is moved inside for the winter. However, some varieties are more cold hardy than other types. In warm regions, rosemary thrives outside and may grow into tall shrubs. For example, upright rosemary plant varieties run the gamut from 6- to 7-feet tall to smaller ones reaching around 2-3 feet in height.
Here are some common rosemary plant types:
‘Arp’ is a cold hardy rosemary that was named for the town of Arp’s newspaper editor, also by the name of Arp. It was discovered by a woman by the name of Madalene Hill. Later down the road, yet another cold hardy rosemary was named after her, the ‘Madelene Hill.’ ‘Joyce de Baggio’ also known as golden rain or golden rosemary, is indeed somewhat gold in color. Sometimes mistaken for a variegated plant, the leaf color actually changes with the seasons. Leaves are bright yellow in the spring and fall and become a dark green during the summer.
Blue Boy rosemary is a slow-growing herb that works well in containers or as a border plant. The tiny leaves are edible; you just need a lot of them. Creeping rosemary does exactly what it sounds like it does and makes a lovely scented ground cover. Pine scented rosemary has wispy or feathery looking leaves. One of the creeping types of rosemary to grow, pink rosemary has small leaves and pale pink flowers that bloom in late winter. It can become a bit out of hand if not pruned frequently, but luckily this rosemary suffers no ill effects from pruning. ‘Santa Barbara’ is another trailing rosemary that is a vigorous grower that can reach lengths of 3 feet or more. ‘Spice Islands’ rosemary is a very flavorful herb that grows as an erect, four foot shrub that blossoms with dark blue flowers in the late winter and early spring. Upright rosemary has wonderfully flavored leaves and dark blue flowers, while white rosemary, as its name suggests, blooms with a profusion of white flowers from mid-winter to late spring. It is also very aromatic and a bee magnet.
Are There Different Types of Rosemary Plants?
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) has a wonderful and lengthy history. It has been nurtured by cooks and treasured by apothecaries for centuries. Interestingly, rosemary is said to live for exactly 33 years, Christ’s life span, and then die. Although native to the Mediterranean, rosemary has been cultivated for so long that natural hybrids have developed. So yes, there are different types of rosemary, but what types of rosemary are there?
Types of Rosemary to Grow
There are basically two types of rosemary, those that are upright shrubs and those that grow as ground covers. Beyond that things get a little more complex, especially since one variety may be sold under several different names. In cold climates, rosemary wouldn’t survive the freezing temperatures and is more often grown in a pot that is moved inside for the winter. However, some varieties are more cold hardy than other types. In warm regions, rosemary thrives outside and may grow into tall shrubs. For example, upright rosemary plant varieties run the gamut from 6- to 7-feet tall to smaller ones reaching around 2-3 feet in height.
Here are some common rosemary plant types:
‘Arp’ is a cold hardy rosemary that was named for the town of Arp’s newspaper editor, also by the name of Arp. It was discovered by a woman by the name of Madalene Hill. Later down the road, yet another cold hardy rosemary was named after her, the ‘Madelene Hill.’ ‘Joyce de Baggio’ also known as golden rain or golden rosemary, is indeed somewhat gold in color. Sometimes mistaken for a variegated plant, the leaf color actually changes with the seasons. Leaves are bright yellow in the spring and fall and become a dark green during the summer.
Blue Boy rosemary is a slow-growing herb that works well in containers or as a border plant. The tiny leaves are edible; you just need a lot of them. Creeping rosemary does exactly what it sounds like it does and makes a lovely scented ground cover. Pine scented rosemary has wispy or feathery looking leaves. One of the creeping types of rosemary to grow, pink rosemary has small leaves and pale pink flowers that bloom in late winter. It can become a bit out of hand if not pruned frequently, but luckily this rosemary suffers no ill effects from pruning. ‘Santa Barbara’ is another trailing rosemary that is a vigorous grower that can reach lengths of 3 feet or more. ‘Spice Islands’ rosemary is a very flavorful herb that grows as an erect, four foot shrub that blossoms with dark blue flowers in the late winter and early spring. Upright rosemary has wonderfully flavored leaves and dark blue flowers, while white rosemary, as its name suggests, blooms with a profusion of white flowers from mid-winter to late spring. It is also very aromatic and a bee magnet.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月24日
Many people don’t realize that a mustard seed plant is the same plant as a mustard greens plant (Brassica juncea). This versatile plant can be grown as a vegetable and eaten like other greens or, if allowed to flower and go to seed, mustard seeds can be harvested and used as a spice in cooking or ground into a popular condiment. Learning how to grow mustard seeds is easy and rewarding.
How to Plant Mustard Seed
Mustard seed plants are normally grown from seed but can be grown from purchased seedlings as well. When selecting mustard seeds for planting, any mustard plant grown for greens can also be grown for mustard seed.
Plant the mustard seed about three weeks before your last frost date. Since you’ll be harvesting the mustard seed, there’s no need to use succession planting like you do with mustard greens. Plant your mustard seeds about an inch apart. Once they sprout, thin the seedlings so that they are 6 inches apart. Mustard plants grown for seed are planted further apart than plants grown for just leaves as the mustard plant will be getting much larger before it flowers. If you are planting purchased mustard seedlings, plant these 6 inches apart as well.
How to Grow Mustard Seeds
Once mustard seed plants start growing, they need little care. They enjoy cool weather and will bolt (flower) quickly in warmer weather. While this may seem like a great thing if you are looking to grow mustard seeds, it is not. Mustard plants that bolt due to warm weather will produce poor flowers and seeds. It’s best to keep them on their normal flowering cycle to be able to harvest the best mustard seeds. Mustard seed plants need 2 inches of water a week. Normally, during cool weather, you should get enough rainfall to supply this, but if you don’t, you’ll need to do additional watering. Mustard seed plants don’t need fertilizer if they have been planted in well amended garden soil, but if you’re unsure if your soil is nutrient rich, you can add a balanced fertilizer to the roots once the plants are 3 to 4 inches tall.
How to Harvest Mustard Seeds
The mustard plants will eventually flower and go to seed. The flowers of mustard seed plant are generally yellow but some varieties have white flowers. As the mustard flower grows and matures, it will form pods. Watch for these pods to start to turn brown. Another sign that you are nearing harvest time will be that the leaves of the plant will start to yellow. Be careful not to leave the pods on the mustard seed plant for too long as they will burst open when fully ripe and the mustard seed harvest will be lost. The next step in harvesting mustard seeds is to remove the seeds from the pods. You can do this with your hands, or you can place the flower heads in a paper bag and allow them to finish maturing. The pods will open on their own in one to two weeks and a gentle shake of the bag will shake loose most of the mustard seeds. Mustard seeds can be used fresh, but like other herbs and spices, if you plant on storing them long term, they will need to be dried.
How to Plant Mustard Seed
Mustard seed plants are normally grown from seed but can be grown from purchased seedlings as well. When selecting mustard seeds for planting, any mustard plant grown for greens can also be grown for mustard seed.
Plant the mustard seed about three weeks before your last frost date. Since you’ll be harvesting the mustard seed, there’s no need to use succession planting like you do with mustard greens. Plant your mustard seeds about an inch apart. Once they sprout, thin the seedlings so that they are 6 inches apart. Mustard plants grown for seed are planted further apart than plants grown for just leaves as the mustard plant will be getting much larger before it flowers. If you are planting purchased mustard seedlings, plant these 6 inches apart as well.
How to Grow Mustard Seeds
Once mustard seed plants start growing, they need little care. They enjoy cool weather and will bolt (flower) quickly in warmer weather. While this may seem like a great thing if you are looking to grow mustard seeds, it is not. Mustard plants that bolt due to warm weather will produce poor flowers and seeds. It’s best to keep them on their normal flowering cycle to be able to harvest the best mustard seeds. Mustard seed plants need 2 inches of water a week. Normally, during cool weather, you should get enough rainfall to supply this, but if you don’t, you’ll need to do additional watering. Mustard seed plants don’t need fertilizer if they have been planted in well amended garden soil, but if you’re unsure if your soil is nutrient rich, you can add a balanced fertilizer to the roots once the plants are 3 to 4 inches tall.
How to Harvest Mustard Seeds
The mustard plants will eventually flower and go to seed. The flowers of mustard seed plant are generally yellow but some varieties have white flowers. As the mustard flower grows and matures, it will form pods. Watch for these pods to start to turn brown. Another sign that you are nearing harvest time will be that the leaves of the plant will start to yellow. Be careful not to leave the pods on the mustard seed plant for too long as they will burst open when fully ripe and the mustard seed harvest will be lost. The next step in harvesting mustard seeds is to remove the seeds from the pods. You can do this with your hands, or you can place the flower heads in a paper bag and allow them to finish maturing. The pods will open on their own in one to two weeks and a gentle shake of the bag will shake loose most of the mustard seeds. Mustard seeds can be used fresh, but like other herbs and spices, if you plant on storing them long term, they will need to be dried.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月24日
Lavender shrubs bear bright, fragrant blossoms and can live for 20 years or more. However, after six or eight years, they can begin to look woody, filled with dead wood and bearing fewer of the sweet-smelling flowers. Don’t give up on these plants. If you want to know what to do with woody lavender, understand that pruning woody lavender plants can often restore them to their former glory. Read on to learn how to trim a lavender with woody stems.
Preventing Woody Lavender
Prevention is always easier than cure. If you have young, healthy lavender plants, you can work at preventing woody lavender with appropriate planting and cultural care. The keys to lavender care are good drainage and minimal fertilizer. Plant your lavender in well-drained, rocky soil, on a slope (if possible) to ensure drainage. Fertilize them lightly the very first year after planting. After that, do not fertilize regularly. Prune lavender lightly to maintain the rounded shape.
What to Do with Woody Lavender
When you notice that your lavender is woody, it’s time to take action to help it recover. Here’s what to do with woody lavender plants: prune them. Pruning woody lavender plants is the key to rejuvenating them. For restorative pruning, be sure to sterilize the pruners by soaking them in a solution of water and denatured alcohol to prevent disease spread. It’s also important that the tool blades are sharp. Prune these lavender in spring when all frost is finished for the season. A frost can kill off new plant growth.
How to Trim a Lavender with Woody Stems
It isn’t hard to learn how to trim a lavender with woody stems. The basic rule of pruning lavender is not to trim into brown, dead wood. You’ll usually find brown branches at the base of the plant. Remove them only when they are truly dead. Never cut them back, hoping to stimulate new growth. The plant cannot produce new growth from the woody parts. When you’re pruning woody lavender plants, it’s also a good idea not to prune all of the plant at the same time. Instead, work slowing, trimming back each branch but never into the brown wood. You can trim branches back by one-third or one-half. Always be sure that there are green leaves on the plant when you are done pruning. The entire restoration may take several years to accomplish, as you never want to do too much pruning at one time. Prune again in autumn just to shape the plant, then weed all around it and offer a handful of slow-release granular fertilizer to help get your lavender growing well before the winter cold snap.
Preventing Woody Lavender
Prevention is always easier than cure. If you have young, healthy lavender plants, you can work at preventing woody lavender with appropriate planting and cultural care. The keys to lavender care are good drainage and minimal fertilizer. Plant your lavender in well-drained, rocky soil, on a slope (if possible) to ensure drainage. Fertilize them lightly the very first year after planting. After that, do not fertilize regularly. Prune lavender lightly to maintain the rounded shape.
What to Do with Woody Lavender
When you notice that your lavender is woody, it’s time to take action to help it recover. Here’s what to do with woody lavender plants: prune them. Pruning woody lavender plants is the key to rejuvenating them. For restorative pruning, be sure to sterilize the pruners by soaking them in a solution of water and denatured alcohol to prevent disease spread. It’s also important that the tool blades are sharp. Prune these lavender in spring when all frost is finished for the season. A frost can kill off new plant growth.
How to Trim a Lavender with Woody Stems
It isn’t hard to learn how to trim a lavender with woody stems. The basic rule of pruning lavender is not to trim into brown, dead wood. You’ll usually find brown branches at the base of the plant. Remove them only when they are truly dead. Never cut them back, hoping to stimulate new growth. The plant cannot produce new growth from the woody parts. When you’re pruning woody lavender plants, it’s also a good idea not to prune all of the plant at the same time. Instead, work slowing, trimming back each branch but never into the brown wood. You can trim branches back by one-third or one-half. Always be sure that there are green leaves on the plant when you are done pruning. The entire restoration may take several years to accomplish, as you never want to do too much pruning at one time. Prune again in autumn just to shape the plant, then weed all around it and offer a handful of slow-release granular fertilizer to help get your lavender growing well before the winter cold snap.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月22日
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is used in a great many different dishes, particularly Mexican and Asian dishes, but despite the growing popularity for this dish in cooking, you don’t see cilantro growing in the home garden as much as you do other popular herbs. This may be due to the fact that many people think that growing cilantro is difficult. This is not the case at all. If you follow these few tips for growing cilantro, you will find that you will be successfully growing cilantro in no time at all.
Cilantro Seeds
In cooking, cilantro seeds are called coriander. The “seeds” are actually two cilantro seeds encased in a husk. The husk is hard, round and is light brown or grey in color. Before you plant them in the ground, you need to prepare the cilantro seeds to increase the chances that they will germinate. Gently crush the seed husk holding the two seeds together. Soak the cilantro seeds in water for 24 to 48 hours. Remove from the water and allow to dry.
How to Plant Cilantro
Once you have prepared the cilantro seeds, you need to plant the seeds. You can either start cilantro indoors or outdoors. If you’re starting the seeds indoors, you’ll be transplanting cilantro to the outdoors later on. Put the seeds in the soil and then cover them with about a 1/4-inch layer of soil. Leave the cilantro growing until it is at least 2 inches tall. At this time, thin the cilantro to be about 3 to 4 inches apart. You want to grow cilantro in crowded conditions because the leaves will shade the roots and help to keep the plant from bolting in hot weather. If you’re transplanting cilantro into your garden, dig holes 3 to 4 inches apart and place the plants in them. Water thoroughly after transplanting.
Cilantro Growing Conditions
The most important thing to remember when growing cilantro is that it doesn’t like hot weather. Cilantro growing in soil that reaches 75 F. (24 C.) will bolt and go to seed. This means that the ideal cilantro growing conditions are cool but sunny. You should be growing cilantro where it will get early morning or late afternoon sun, but be shaded during the hottest part of the day.
Additional Tips for Growing Cilantro
Even with ideal cilantro growing conditions, this is a short lived herb. Taking the time to prune cilantro frequently will help delay bolting and prolong your harvest time, but no matter how much you prune cilantro, it will still eventually bolt. Plant new seeds about every six weeks to keep a steady supply throughout the growing season. Cilantro will also reseed in many zones. Once the cilantro plant bolts, let it go to seed and it will grow again for you next year, or collect the cilantro seeds and use them as coriander in your cooking. So as you can see, with just a few tips for growing cilantro you can have a steady supply of this tasty herb growing in your garden.
Cilantro Seeds
In cooking, cilantro seeds are called coriander. The “seeds” are actually two cilantro seeds encased in a husk. The husk is hard, round and is light brown or grey in color. Before you plant them in the ground, you need to prepare the cilantro seeds to increase the chances that they will germinate. Gently crush the seed husk holding the two seeds together. Soak the cilantro seeds in water for 24 to 48 hours. Remove from the water and allow to dry.
How to Plant Cilantro
Once you have prepared the cilantro seeds, you need to plant the seeds. You can either start cilantro indoors or outdoors. If you’re starting the seeds indoors, you’ll be transplanting cilantro to the outdoors later on. Put the seeds in the soil and then cover them with about a 1/4-inch layer of soil. Leave the cilantro growing until it is at least 2 inches tall. At this time, thin the cilantro to be about 3 to 4 inches apart. You want to grow cilantro in crowded conditions because the leaves will shade the roots and help to keep the plant from bolting in hot weather. If you’re transplanting cilantro into your garden, dig holes 3 to 4 inches apart and place the plants in them. Water thoroughly after transplanting.
Cilantro Growing Conditions
The most important thing to remember when growing cilantro is that it doesn’t like hot weather. Cilantro growing in soil that reaches 75 F. (24 C.) will bolt and go to seed. This means that the ideal cilantro growing conditions are cool but sunny. You should be growing cilantro where it will get early morning or late afternoon sun, but be shaded during the hottest part of the day.
Additional Tips for Growing Cilantro
Even with ideal cilantro growing conditions, this is a short lived herb. Taking the time to prune cilantro frequently will help delay bolting and prolong your harvest time, but no matter how much you prune cilantro, it will still eventually bolt. Plant new seeds about every six weeks to keep a steady supply throughout the growing season. Cilantro will also reseed in many zones. Once the cilantro plant bolts, let it go to seed and it will grow again for you next year, or collect the cilantro seeds and use them as coriander in your cooking. So as you can see, with just a few tips for growing cilantro you can have a steady supply of this tasty herb growing in your garden.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月22日
You don’t need many excuses to grow borage. With its brilliant blue starry flowers and charismatic fuzzy stems, borage is an herb with tons of garden appeal. This plant has a rich history of use as an herbal remedy but you might also consider borage cover crops to enrich soil. Using borage as green manure allows the nutrients brought up by the plant’s deep taproot to be dispersed into the upper areas of soil when the plant composts. Borage returns high nitrogen to the soil when it is tilled back in. The result is healthy soil, rich in nutrients and deeply aerated earth.
Borage Cover Crops and Fertilizer
Borage is an old-fashioned herb with a history of culinary and medicinal use. Also known as starflower because of its arresting blue flowers, borage is also a great companion plant said to improve the flavor of tomatoes. Commercially, borage is grown for its oil content, but in the garden, you can use its leaves soaked in water as a fertilizer or plant masses of the herb as a living soil enricher. Borage provides a showy display for 4 to 6 months and then has a slow nitrogen release when you chop it back into the soil.
Planting a borage cover crop affords a period of spectacular beauty as the sea of deep blue blooms decorate the landscape. Once the flowers are spent, you can till in the plants, reducing them to smaller broken down pieces that will compost back into the soil. Using borage as green manure has a win-win effect with a season of beauty and a season of giving back to the earth. True, there are higher nitrogen cover crops that release more quickly when returned to the earth, but the colorful abandon of borage cover crops is a delight to behold and the gradual nitrogen release allows more nitrogen to remain for future crops while it conditions the soil and increases tilth.
How to Use Borage as a Cover Crop
Sow the seeds in March to April into a well turned bed that has been raked to remove any debris and obstacles. Seeds should be planted at 1/8 inch under soil and 6 inches apart. Keep the seed bed moderately moist until germination. You may need to thin the seedlings to allow the plants to mature. If you are in a hurry, you can till the plants into the soil before they flower or wait to enjoy the blooms and then chop the plants into the soil to release their nutrients slowly. The deep taproots and wide fibrous root zone will break apart problem soils and aerate, increasing water percolation and oxygen. Planting a borage cover crop in late summer will provide green material for nitrogen release but will not provide you with the flowers. It is still a worthwhile green manure that is easy to plant and grow.
How to Use Borage as Fertilizer
If you just simply like to have a few of the plants around for their beauty, use as a tea or for the decorative bee attracting flowers, the plants are still useful even in small numbers. These annuals can get 2- to 3-feet tall with numerous secondary branching stems and leaves. Strip leaves and place them in enough water to cover them. Put a lid on the container and let it ferment for two weeks. After the two-week period, drain out the solids and you now have an excellent fertilizer. Use borage as fertilizer weekly, diluted with water at 1 part to 10 parts water. The solution can keep for several months. And don’t forget to till in your annual borage plants no matter how many there are. Even small numbers of the plants are excellent soil conditioners, the plant equivalent of beauty and brains.
Borage Cover Crops and Fertilizer
Borage is an old-fashioned herb with a history of culinary and medicinal use. Also known as starflower because of its arresting blue flowers, borage is also a great companion plant said to improve the flavor of tomatoes. Commercially, borage is grown for its oil content, but in the garden, you can use its leaves soaked in water as a fertilizer or plant masses of the herb as a living soil enricher. Borage provides a showy display for 4 to 6 months and then has a slow nitrogen release when you chop it back into the soil.
Planting a borage cover crop affords a period of spectacular beauty as the sea of deep blue blooms decorate the landscape. Once the flowers are spent, you can till in the plants, reducing them to smaller broken down pieces that will compost back into the soil. Using borage as green manure has a win-win effect with a season of beauty and a season of giving back to the earth. True, there are higher nitrogen cover crops that release more quickly when returned to the earth, but the colorful abandon of borage cover crops is a delight to behold and the gradual nitrogen release allows more nitrogen to remain for future crops while it conditions the soil and increases tilth.
How to Use Borage as a Cover Crop
Sow the seeds in March to April into a well turned bed that has been raked to remove any debris and obstacles. Seeds should be planted at 1/8 inch under soil and 6 inches apart. Keep the seed bed moderately moist until germination. You may need to thin the seedlings to allow the plants to mature. If you are in a hurry, you can till the plants into the soil before they flower or wait to enjoy the blooms and then chop the plants into the soil to release their nutrients slowly. The deep taproots and wide fibrous root zone will break apart problem soils and aerate, increasing water percolation and oxygen. Planting a borage cover crop in late summer will provide green material for nitrogen release but will not provide you with the flowers. It is still a worthwhile green manure that is easy to plant and grow.
How to Use Borage as Fertilizer
If you just simply like to have a few of the plants around for their beauty, use as a tea or for the decorative bee attracting flowers, the plants are still useful even in small numbers. These annuals can get 2- to 3-feet tall with numerous secondary branching stems and leaves. Strip leaves and place them in enough water to cover them. Put a lid on the container and let it ferment for two weeks. After the two-week period, drain out the solids and you now have an excellent fertilizer. Use borage as fertilizer weekly, diluted with water at 1 part to 10 parts water. The solution can keep for several months. And don’t forget to till in your annual borage plants no matter how many there are. Even small numbers of the plants are excellent soil conditioners, the plant equivalent of beauty and brains.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月22日
Sage, rosemary and thyme are perennial staples of most herb gardens, but don’t forget the annuals. A hardy annual, suited to all USDA hardiness zones, is borage. This self-seeding herb is easy to grow and if allowed to bloom and set seed will provide year upon year of edible blue blossoms as well as foliage. The question is, when and how to harvest borage?
How and When to Harvest Borage
Before we get into borage harvesting, a little more info about the plant is useful. An ancient herb, borage also goes by the names “bee plant,” “bee bread,” talewort, starflower and cool-tankard. The reference to bees is particularly apt, as the plant is an excellent bee attractor with its also aptly named star-shaped flowers. Borage flowers are usually bright blue, but the cultivar ‘Alba’ has white flowers.
Although borage self-seeds, it is less likely to be invasive than herbs such as mint. Borage spreads from seeds above ground rather than underground stolons like mint. The plant can be top heavy with the weight of its cluster of flowers and will reach a size of between 18-36 inches high by 9-24 inches across. Not only is borage beneficial to pollinating bees, but it seems to improve the quality of other plants. It is often grown in conjunction with cucumber, beans, grapes, squash and peas. Borage is high in calcium and potassium, so many folks plant it with their tomatoes to stave off blossom end rot, which is the result of a lack of calcium. Potassium also helps plants set fruit, so a little borage in the garden may go a long way towards engendering healthy and bountiful crops.
Borage (Borago officinalis) is of Mediterranean origin and, as such, thrives in full sun, although it will tolerate light shade. Direct sow seeds ¼ inch deep in rows set 18 inches apart in February or March. Germination should occur within a week or two. When the seedlings are two inches tall, thin to a foot to 15 inches apart. Seeds can be readily obtained at nurseries, garden centers or via the internet. Or, if you know someone who is growing the herb, you might try harvesting borage seeds yourself. Harvesting borage seeds is pretty easy since, unlike many other seeds, borage seeds are fairly large. They look like small, hard seed pods with grooved sides and a cap on the top.
Borage Harvesting
Both the leaves and flowers of borage are edible with a flavor much akin to a cucumber. The stalks and leaves are covered with fine, silvery hairs that tend to get pricklier as they mature. Borage leaves contain a small amount of silica, which for some people can act as an irritant. It’s wise to handle the plant with gloves while picking borage leaves and even in the kitchen if you know or think you may be susceptible. When picking borage leaves, select the young ones, which will have less of the little hairs. Continual harvesting and deadheading will allow for a longer period of use.
How and When to Harvest Borage
Before we get into borage harvesting, a little more info about the plant is useful. An ancient herb, borage also goes by the names “bee plant,” “bee bread,” talewort, starflower and cool-tankard. The reference to bees is particularly apt, as the plant is an excellent bee attractor with its also aptly named star-shaped flowers. Borage flowers are usually bright blue, but the cultivar ‘Alba’ has white flowers.
Although borage self-seeds, it is less likely to be invasive than herbs such as mint. Borage spreads from seeds above ground rather than underground stolons like mint. The plant can be top heavy with the weight of its cluster of flowers and will reach a size of between 18-36 inches high by 9-24 inches across. Not only is borage beneficial to pollinating bees, but it seems to improve the quality of other plants. It is often grown in conjunction with cucumber, beans, grapes, squash and peas. Borage is high in calcium and potassium, so many folks plant it with their tomatoes to stave off blossom end rot, which is the result of a lack of calcium. Potassium also helps plants set fruit, so a little borage in the garden may go a long way towards engendering healthy and bountiful crops.
Borage (Borago officinalis) is of Mediterranean origin and, as such, thrives in full sun, although it will tolerate light shade. Direct sow seeds ¼ inch deep in rows set 18 inches apart in February or March. Germination should occur within a week or two. When the seedlings are two inches tall, thin to a foot to 15 inches apart. Seeds can be readily obtained at nurseries, garden centers or via the internet. Or, if you know someone who is growing the herb, you might try harvesting borage seeds yourself. Harvesting borage seeds is pretty easy since, unlike many other seeds, borage seeds are fairly large. They look like small, hard seed pods with grooved sides and a cap on the top.
Borage Harvesting
Both the leaves and flowers of borage are edible with a flavor much akin to a cucumber. The stalks and leaves are covered with fine, silvery hairs that tend to get pricklier as they mature. Borage leaves contain a small amount of silica, which for some people can act as an irritant. It’s wise to handle the plant with gloves while picking borage leaves and even in the kitchen if you know or think you may be susceptible. When picking borage leaves, select the young ones, which will have less of the little hairs. Continual harvesting and deadheading will allow for a longer period of use.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月22日
Help! My basil leaves are curling and I don’t know what to do! Why do basil leaves curl under? The reason for basil leaves curling up may be environmental, or your plant may be diseased or pestered by pests. Read on to learn more about this frustrating problem.
Reasons for Basil Leaves Curling Up
Generally, growing basil in the garden is easy and stress free. That being said, problems can and do happen. Basil leaf curl treatment is dependent on the specific factor causing it. Here are the most common stressors leading to curling basil leaves.
Sunlight – Basil is definitely a sun-loving plant and exposure to less than six hours of bright light per day may result in distorted foliage or basil leaves small and curled. Relocating the plant to a sunnier location may solve the problem. Water: Too much or too little – Basil requires regular water, but not too much. As a general rule, water the plant deeply whenever the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feels dry to the touch, usually once every four to seven days. However, keep in mind that potted plants may require more frequent irrigation, especially during hot, dry weather.
Whether the plant is in the ground or in a container, be sure the soil (or potting mix) is lightweight and drains well. Water at the base of the plant and keep the leaves as dry as possible. Diseases – Fungal diseases may be the cause of basil leaves curling up, but chances are, you’ll notice other telltale signs. For example, powdery mildew is a fungal disease that causes a grey, powdery substance on the leaves. The disease is caused when conditions become too moist, including too much shade or soggy soil. Fusarium wilt, which is usually deadly, can cause brown or distorted leaves. To prevent moisture related diseases, water basil carefully as directed above. Pests – Basil is a hardy plant, but it can sometimes be bothered by aphids and other small, sap-sucking pests such as spider mites or scale. The pests can be difficult to see, but a close look at the leaves, especially the undersides, will usually tell the tale.
If you determine your plant is infested with bugs, insecticidal soap spray usually keeps the pests in check. Be sure to spray when the foliage is in the shade; otherwise, the spray may scorch the plant. Don’t spray when the temperatures are above 90 degrees F. (32 C.).
Reasons for Basil Leaves Curling Up
Generally, growing basil in the garden is easy and stress free. That being said, problems can and do happen. Basil leaf curl treatment is dependent on the specific factor causing it. Here are the most common stressors leading to curling basil leaves.
Sunlight – Basil is definitely a sun-loving plant and exposure to less than six hours of bright light per day may result in distorted foliage or basil leaves small and curled. Relocating the plant to a sunnier location may solve the problem. Water: Too much or too little – Basil requires regular water, but not too much. As a general rule, water the plant deeply whenever the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feels dry to the touch, usually once every four to seven days. However, keep in mind that potted plants may require more frequent irrigation, especially during hot, dry weather.
Whether the plant is in the ground or in a container, be sure the soil (or potting mix) is lightweight and drains well. Water at the base of the plant and keep the leaves as dry as possible. Diseases – Fungal diseases may be the cause of basil leaves curling up, but chances are, you’ll notice other telltale signs. For example, powdery mildew is a fungal disease that causes a grey, powdery substance on the leaves. The disease is caused when conditions become too moist, including too much shade or soggy soil. Fusarium wilt, which is usually deadly, can cause brown or distorted leaves. To prevent moisture related diseases, water basil carefully as directed above. Pests – Basil is a hardy plant, but it can sometimes be bothered by aphids and other small, sap-sucking pests such as spider mites or scale. The pests can be difficult to see, but a close look at the leaves, especially the undersides, will usually tell the tale.
If you determine your plant is infested with bugs, insecticidal soap spray usually keeps the pests in check. Be sure to spray when the foliage is in the shade; otherwise, the spray may scorch the plant. Don’t spray when the temperatures are above 90 degrees F. (32 C.).
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