Gardening Reference

“Growing Organic Roses”

Many people are now getting into growing all things organic. Farmers are doing it with produce and meats, so it is natural that you might want to grow your roses that way also. Many people have problems using the pesticides and insecticides that go along with growing roses and keeping them healthy. Well now you can use more natural methods of growing your roses (Growing Organic Roses). This post will show you how in a step by step method.

1.    Each bush that you want to plant will need to have a foot of space all around it so that the flowers can get the proper amount of circulation. It also helps to prevent leaf diseases for your roses.

2.    You will want to purchase organic roses. You will want to buy roses that have a sturdy green stem and no blemishes on them. Bare root roses are best for this. Read more…

"Lavender Bonsai"

How to care for lavenders

French and Spanish lavenders are common herbs grown to train bonsai trees. The sweet marjoram is another of the herbs grown to train bonsai. Each plant is the member of the tender perennial group, which the plants will live for a long time if cared for properly. French lavender grows woody shrubs and requires brilliant light and warm environments to survive.

The plants can survive in lower temperatures if grown outdoors, yet the warm environment is recommended. The south window is the recommended spot for growing French lavender bonsai indoors. You can also rest the plants at the west or east, yet south is best. In fact, most bonsai plants require the south, west, or east corners to grow healthy.

Lavandula dentata or French lavender is grown as bonsai trees. The beautiful plant includes leaves with indents. The trees grow woody shrubs; therefore, you can grow the bonsai as a cascade, or grow the bonsai upright. The French lavenders can live a long time. The plant grows elongated stems and arched flowers, which are light purple. French lavender requires brilliant lights to survive. If the lights are lowered, the plant becomes weak. Read more…

“Bonsai Disease”

How to fight bonsai disease and damage continues?

Bonsai are subject to decay and damage. To protect your bonsai you must learn how to treat the plants from pests and disease. Before you can treat the plants however, you must learn the symptoms to prevent damage or decay.

How to spot damage and decay:
Decay and damage comes from lack of care, as well as from red spider mites, scale insects, and mealy bugs, aphids, which include the greenfly, gall aphid, and the black fly. Wooly aphids also attack bonsai as well as goat moth, leopard moth, geometer moths, small ermine moths, etc.

Spider mites include the web-forming tetranychus and the glasshouse reds. The greenhouse mites and the red spiders often feast at the underside of bonsai or other plants, especially at the leaves. The spider mites and greenhouse will chew at the foliage as well. If the spiders or mites gnaw at the leaves, you will notice marks, patterns, or irregular patterns, which turn yellow, or silver-gray. It depends on how severe the pests have attacked the bonsai.

The tree may fade away if you do not treat immediately. The web-formers create webs, which you will find on the trees. To eliminate the problem and save your bonsai spray the plant/foliage with insecticides. You want to spray the undersides. Use acaricides immediately if you notice mild symptoms. You can use defensive action at the start of spring, otherwise use a selection of acaricides so that the pests do not adapt to the chemicals.
Read more…