Buy Chinese Elm Bonsai Tree – Medium at Amazon

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Plant a pumpkinseed with a child, and cultivate wonder. This simple act of reconnecting with children with nature is Sharon Lovejoy’s purpose and joy and gift. Author of Sunflower Houses: Garden Discoveries for Children of All Ages and Hollyhock Days: Garden Adventures for the Young at Heart, Sharon Lovejoy is a nationally known garden writer whose books, television specials, and projects at her learning landscape in California have introduced thousands of children to the pleasures of gardening.

In her newest book, Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots, she presents 12 spirited, easy-to-implement ideas for theme gardens that parents and kids can grow together. Illustrated throughout by the author’s own lyrical watercolors, each garden includes a plan, the planting recipe – seeds, seedlings, and growing instructions spelled out step-by-step – and activities. There’s the Pizza Patch , a giant-size wheel garden planted in “slices” of tomatoes, zucchini, oregano, and basil. A Flowery Maze to get lost in. A Moon Garden of night-blooming flowers, including a moonflower tent. And Mother Nature’s Medicine Chest.

Discovery Walks teach kids how the gardens work, and a chapter on gardening basics includes a child-friendly 10-Minute Plan for planting and maintenance, plus a list of the top 20 plants guaranteed to make gardeners out of kids.

Buy at amazon: Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children

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The Fiskars big grip garden knife features a comfortable grip and an oversized tool head to provide added comfort and control. The garden knife is an ideal choice for digging, planting, weeding, and transplanting. It sports a serrated edge on one side to cut through tough roots and a straight blade on the other side ideal for digging.

The pre-sharpened edges are designed to cut through the ground easier. The middle of the blade has a trough-like indention for transplanting soil or seeds, and has a notched tip at the end to remove weeds. The metal blade is also coated with a rust-resistant material, and the handle features a large hang hole for easy storage. The tool comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

• An ideal tool for digging, planting, weeding, and transplanting
• Large, soft molded grips provide added comfort and control
• Serrated knife edge to cut through roots and other tough material
• Coated metal head resists rust
• Limited lifetime warranty

Buy: Fiskars 7079 Big Grip Garden Knife

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“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.

3.    Along with roses that have green stems, you will need to look for stems that have evenly spaced leaves that are close together.

4.    You will need to use well drained soil so that you can promote the healthy growth that will give the flower all of the water and nutrients that it needs from the root to the flowerDs head.

5.    Fix the soil so that you can build organically. You should use a raised bead if drainage is a constant problem. Ask your local garden center rep about how best to fix your soil to be organically correct.

6.    Soak your bare root roses in a large container of composte tea for many hours before you plant them.

7.    You must mound up enough good organic sol that is mixed with an equal amount of composte in the middle so that you can spread the roots out and down from where they meet at the trunk.

8.    Now, plant the rose at the point where the stem breaks into the root so that it is at soil level, or approximately 1 inch below the top level if you live in an area that is prone to hard winters.

9.    You have to check your bare root roses first. If your roots grow out in a tight circle, you have to cut a straight slice down each of its four sides. A knife is good for this. Then you will dig a hole that is 2 inches deeper than the container and at least twice as wide.

10.    Mix your organic soil garden soil with an equal amount of composte and use your hands to gently spread the roots into the soil mix.

11.    You have to mulch to help you prevent your roses from being exposed to weeds, and water stress complications. It will also ensure that your roses remain at their lowest possible maintenance level.

12.    You must feed your roses organically also. Fertilize with organic fertilizer and maintain a regular watering schedule.

13.    Water your organic roses deep at the planting, and then once every week after that during growing season so that you can promote deep roots. Watering in the early morning is best.

14.    You must cultivate the top inch of your soil around each of your roses and fertilize on a monthly basis with a balanced organic fertilizer. You will need a good granular type of fertilizer that you can work into the soil. Either that, or you can use a fish emulsion or seaweed based product that you can mix with water because it has all of the necessary nutrients that a healthy flower needs. Check the ingredients listed on the labels to ensure that they have nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and calcium.

15.    To help protect your bed against the various types of pests and insects that can plague your roses, put sticky yellow bars every ten feet to catch them.

16.    You may use an organic pesticide if the problem is bad.

17.    If your pest problem is severe enough, you may use insecticidal soap to spray over your roses.

Now you have all of the necessary knowledge that you need to grow your own bed of earth friendly roses. Your flowers will be just as beautiful as those that are not grown organically, and will likely have the healthiest life span that a rose can get.

Organic roses have some of the best color and Dimmune systemsn that a rose can have. The fragrance of them cannt be beaten. Of course, it still helps to know how to prevent your roses from being taken over by diseases.

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“Watering Roses”

Watering your roses can be a tricky thing. It is one of the most important aspects of taking care of your roses. Roses need almost as much water to stay healthy as people do. Of course there are quite a few things that must be considered before you water your roses. They are as follows:

- Like people, roses need more water during the hotter weather than during the colder ones. Heat makes the soil dry faster and the roses get “thirstier”.

- Keep in mind that even during the rainier times, roses still need to be watered with fresh water because rain alone cannot provide the right amount of moisture for your roses.

- You want to water your roses in a manner that goes deep enough into the surrounding soil so that it reaches the roots. Try going approximately 45cm deep.

- You do not want to water the petals directly or the canes because it can cause fungal disease in your roses.

- To help you lower the risk of your roses getting diseases, mulch is a nice way to keep the soil moist, without allowing all of the fungal problems that too much moisture can cause.

- Watering your roses in the morning also helps to dry the dew off of the leaves.

- Once your roses are fully established, you should water them once a week. You should do it twice a week if its in the hotter months.

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“Fruit Tree”

When you have decided on which kind of fruit tree you would like, and where you would like it, you can finally start to plant it. If you buy your tree from a nursery, be especially careful when you are taking it from the nursery to your house. I once had a friend who put the tree in the back of his truck, but clipped a sign on the way home. The entire tree snapped in half, and my friend was left a very sad man.

When you have gotten your tree safely back to your yard, look at the bottom of it and see how big the clump of roots is. It may seem like a lot of work now, but you want to dig a hole that is twice as wide as the clump, and just a little less deep. Making the hole slightly bigger than the clump of roots allows there to be room for the soil that you dug out to be put back in.

Otherwise you would be stuck with a giant heap of unwanted dirt, and nowhere to put it. After you have dug the hole, line the hole with some compost or fertilizer so that the tree will grow better. After you have done this you should set your fruit tree into the hole, and spread the roots out evenly so that the tree will be strong and stable.

When all of this business is done, take the soil that you dug up and fill in the hole completely. Unless you want big piles of dirt everywhere, you should be sure you use all of the dirt even is it is a couple inches higher than the rest of your yard. This is because it will compress when watered. Before you firm up the soil, make sure that the tree is completely vertical and will not fall over. After you have checked that the tree is perfectly vertical you can gently firm up the soil.

If the tree’s trunk is not yet completely sturdy and can be bent, you need to tie the tree to a stake with a bit of rope. Be sure not to tie the rope tightly to the tree, as you need to allow room for the trunk to grow. Once the tree is sturdy enough to withstand all types of weather, you can take the stakes off of it. When all of this is done you should mulch around the base of the tree. If you live in an area where wildlife can access your yard, then you should put a fence around your tree, because some animals will eat the bark off of young trees.

Once you have successfully planted your fruit tree it will start to bear fruit after it is three to five years old. Once your tree starts to carry a lot of fruit you should periodically pick some of the fruit so that the branches aren’t weighed down too much. If the fruit gets too thick, the branches can break off. On some years your tree might not bear as much fruit as others, but this should not worry you. Healthy trees often take years on “vacation” where they produce little or no fruit.

After you’ve planted your tree you might start to have some problems with pests. To help keep these pests away, always rake away old leaves, brush, or any other decaying matter that could be holding bugs that could be harmful to your tree.

To make sure that your tree always stays healthy in the long run, you should prune it during winter or spring. Water your tree every two weeks during dry times, and be sure not to hit your tree with a lawn mower or a weed eater because it could severely damage the growth process. Also just make sure that your tree gets plenty of water and plenty of sun, and your growing experience should be just great.

43 Things Tags: Fruit Tree, Fruit Tree

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“Healthy Plant”

When it comes to getting started with your garden, you have two choices; planting seeds, or buying entire plants. Both have their own benefits. If you plant seeds and care for them every day, you will find it is a much more rewarding experience when you have a full, healthy plant. However, this method is a lot more risky. I can’t tell you how many seeds I’ve planted and never seen any trace of whatsoever.

If you choose to buy the plant from a nursery and install it in your garden, it reduces a lot of the work involved in making it healthy. However, I have found in the past that many incompetent nursery workers will absolutely ruin the future of the plant by putting certain chemicals or fertilizers in. I have adapted to this incompetence by learning to choose the healthiest plant of the bunch. Here I will discuss some of the techniques I use in my screening process for plants.

It may sound superficial, but the one thing you need to check for on your prospective plants is how nice they look. As far as plants go, you can truly judge a book by its cover. If a plant has been treated healthily and has no diseases or pests, you can almost always tell by how nice it looks. If a plant has grown up in improper soil, or has harmful bugs living in it, you can tell from the holey leaves and wilted stems.

If you’re browsing the nursery shelves looking for your dream plant, you want to exclude anything that currently has flowers. Plants are less traumatized by the transplant if they do not currently have any flowers. It’s best to find ones that just consist of buds. However if all you have to choose from are flowering plants, then you should do the unthinkable and sever all of them. It will be worth it for the future health of the plant. I’ve found that transplanting a plant while it is blooming results in having a dead plant ninety percent of the time.

Always check the roots before you plop down the money to purchase the plant. Of course if the roots are in absolutely terrible condition you will be able to tell by looking at the rest of the plant. But if the roots are just slightly out of shape, then you probably won’t be able to tell just by looking at it. Inspect the roots very closely for any signs of brownness, rottenness, or softness. The roots should always be a firm, perfectly well formed infrastructure that holds all the soil together. One can easily tell if the roots are before or past their prime, depending on the root to soil ratio. If there are a ridiculous amount of roots with little soil, or a bunch of soil with few roots, you should not buy that plant.

If you find any abnormalities with the plant, whether it be the shape of the roots or any irregular features with the leaves, you should ask the nursery employees. While usually these things can be the sign of an unhealthy plant, occasionally there will be a logical explanation for it. Always give the nursery a chance before writing them off as horrendous. After all, they are (usually) professionals who have been dealing with plants for years.

So if you decide to take the easy route and get a plant from a nursery, you just have to remember that the health of the plants has been left up to someone you don’t know. Usually they do a good job, but you should always check for yourself. Also take every precaution you can to avoid transplant shock in the plant (when it has trouble adjusting to its new location, and therefore has health problems in the future). Usually the process goes smoothly, but you can never be too sure.

43 Things Tags: Gardening Tips, Healthy Plant

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“China and Japan Bonsai”

Bonsai plants cultivated in Japan or China require special care and treatment to grow effectively. The plants form miniature trees. As the trees grow, they become valuable and graceful. If you plan to purchase or scout for bonsai trees, it is important that you understand how these plants are cared for.

The bonsai from Japan and China require water, fertilization, sunlight, mist, etc. To help you learn a few steps to take care of your bonsai can consider watering your plant.

How to water bonsai:
Bonsai trees quickly drain. The roots do not tolerate water as well as common houseplants. Bonsai also requires less soil than common houseplants. Since the trees drain quickly, thus bonsai requires frequent watering. Still, you must consider soil, light, location, and weather condition, and/or temperature. The foliage is your focus. If the tree feels light after testing the soil, the tree will need water. You can purchase meters that test moisture to maintain your bonsai plant.

Bonsai like houseplants require fertilization. Again, since bonsai requires less soil, you will need to fertilize the plant often. During the spring you can lightly fertilize your bonsai, however during fall you will need to increase feed. The fertilizer will assist your bonsai in growing healthy, yet you need to proper fertilizer. The fertilizer should contain potash, nitrogen, chelated iron, superthirive, and phosphoric acids. Once you purchase your fertilizer, make sure that you provide your bonsai moisture first.

Bonsai require sun to grow. The sunlight should come from south, west, and east for the best growth. During winter months, you can use brilliant lights; however, bonsai grows best with natural light. Adding mist to your bonsai tree is a good idea also. The bonsai trees can handle humidity beyond what we can stand indoors. You can purchase a tray, and add moisture at the bottom, sit your bonsai pot inside the tray and be ok. You can add gravel at the bottom of the tray so that the pot isn’t directly in the water.

How to trim bonsai:
Trimming and pruning bonsai requires shaping. You want the growth of its root to be consistent with ground. Form and shape the bonsai to your likings. You will need sharp shears or scissors to trim your tree. Light branches and foliage is best removed with shears designed to handle bonsai pruning and trimming. Concave cutters are ideal if you have heavier shrub growth. In fact, you can use the cutters on all bonsai trees for trimming.

Bonsai trees should be protected. If you bonsai tree is healthy, it will reduce attacks from insects or illness. Sunlight, ventilation, and fresh air will help your tree stay healthy. As well, cleaning your plant often will keep it healthy. Remove any debris in the soil, such as fallen leaves. Insecticides are good to use as well, as long as the product is safe to use.

How to choose bonsai soil:
Bonsai soil has a confer mixture. As well, sub-tropical and tropical mixtures are included with the confer soil. To add soil you must first shield the drainage openings and screen the area. To help your bonsai grow properly you should read the instructions provided to you with your purchase. In addition, your tree will grow; therefore, you will need to purchase new pots as needed.

When you notice your tree is larger than the pot, it is time to change. In fact, if you can change the pot before the tree becomes larger than the pot can handle, then this is a great idea. Giving your bonsai the room it needs to grow is essential.

43 Things Tags: Bonsai Tree, China, Japan, Bonsai, China and Japan Bonsai

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