Companions in the Garden Gardening is close to the soul and we are heart-sick at the prospect of a world without bees, so gardeners are focusing on companion planting vegetables with herbs and flowers that attract bees and butterflies. Companion planting is strategically positioning plants in a garden to improve the soil, enhance growth and provide maximum ground cover. By companion planting you attract beneficial insects, and you repel pest insect communities and strains of disease reliant on different plants from invading your garden. Tomatoes like asparagus, Basil, Bee Balm, Borage, carrots, cucumbers, onions, Parsley and Petunias. The cabbage family (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale) like beets, Borage, celery, cucumber, lettuce, Mints, Nasturtiums, onions, potatoes, Sage, spinach and Thyme. Potatoes do well near bush beans, corn, Flax and members of the cabbage family. Peas like beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, and turnips but keep them distant from onions and potatoes. Discussion
Make Your Own Pop Bottle Drip Irrigation System | You Grow Girl The last time I forgot to water my outdoor potted plants and discovered them completely wilted and hanging on the cusp of near death, I decided it was time to take action. Some of the plants on my deck receive a full, searing sun all day long during the hottest mid summer days. While these plants thrive under such conditions if properly taken care of, they will die quickly if they don’t receive enough water. Although it has been unusually rainy this year in these parts, full sun deck plants will still get extremely hot and dry very quickly. One of the best ways to provide a steady water supply to your plants without your constant attention is the gradual watering system or drip irrigation. The materials you will need are as follows: 2 litre plastic soda bottle or water bottle that still has the lidDrill and small drill bitSharp knifeCutting surface Drill 4-8 small holes into the cap of the plastic bottle.
Potting Benches Like a fantastic hybrid of some very useful furniture pieces from the sideboard to the baker's rack to the kitchen island, the potting bench is built for function. Think of it as an extra helper in the backyard. When the time comes to pot new flowers, or prune your bonsai trees, a potting bench makes the job more comfortable. Wide work surfaces are brought to your level so you can forget about having to squat in the dirt. Potting Bench Parties But the really cool thing about the potting bench is what it can do after sunset. Brunch, Lunch, and More Your potting bench can be used for daytime entertaining, too. How Entertaining So what other ways are there to use a potting bench? And Don't Forget … This bench is made for potting.
List of companion plants Dill is one of the few plants to grow with Fennel This is a list of companion plants. Many more are in the list of beneficial weeds. Companion plants assist in the growth of others by attracting beneficial insects, repelling pests, or providing nutrients, shade, or support. They can be part of a biological pest control program. Vegetables[edit] Fruit[edit] Herbs[edit] Flowers[edit] Other[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit] Further reading[edit] Cunningham, Sally Jean.
Grow Your Own Super Fruit: The Pomegranate By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter This year I have made a commitment to be more hyper-local in my food choices. I have decided not to eat anything out of season that I have not canned or frozen and I will not eat anything exotic that I have not grown myself. But when I made this personal commitment I did not think about one of my favorite fruits and that is the pomegranate. Pomegranates are not that difficult to grow and actual do well indoors since they are self-pollinating. They can even tolerate a few nights of below 32 F degrees but it is always a good idea to move indoor when the temperatures dip into the low 40s F degrees. To start pomegranates from seed requires a little work and patience. Once the seeds have dried out plant two to three of them in a 5-inch pot that is filled with an all-purpose soil and cover with ¼-inch of soil mixture. Once the sprouts appear, remove from the plastic bag and place in a brightly lit area. To keep the pomegranate at a workable size, prune in the winter.
Fork & Bottle: Seed Sources - Organic, Biodynamic, Heirloom & Heritage Seed Sources Native Seeds/SEARCH The NS/S Seedbank houses (for future generations) the seeds of crops and wild plants traditionally used as food, fiber and dyes by prehistoric and more recent cultures inhabiting the arid southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. More than 2,000 different seeds are offered, representing traditional crops grown by Apache, Chemehuevi, Cocopah, Gila River Pima, Guarijio, Havasupai, Hopi, Maricopa, Mayo, Mojave, Mountain Pima, Navajo, Paiute, Puebloan, Tarahumara, Tohono O'odham and Yaqui farmers. More than a half of the offerings are corn, bean, and squash (aka the three sisters). Turtle Tree Biodynamic Seeds The first Demeter-certified biodynamic seed source I've found. Territorial Seed Company I'm a fan of theirs. High Mowing Seeds (100% Organic) I think that their selection is interesting and I love that their seeds are organic. Kitazawa Seed Company They offer a tremendous selection of Asian Vegetable seeds and are the oldest seed company in America.
Companion Planting Home > Companion gardening Companion planting and combining means growing plants together that like or benefit each other. Vegetable companion gardening can have a real impact on the health and yield of your plants. In nature everything interacts to create a whole life force. Every plant has an effect on every other plant and every creature has an effect on every other creature. Over time, gardeners have observed these interrelationships, and scientists have studied them. It’s well worth while reading a little bit about how and why companion planting is so important before we get into which specific plants go with what. . . . Plants, unlike many people, are not timid. They select and reject nutrients; they create in their structure and the environment, complex chemical compounds, such as perfumes, pollen, essential oils, growth inhibitors, hormones, enzymes and some minute trace elements. Nature's Way of Companion Planting The companion effect happens naturally in the wild. Uh oh...
How to Turn a Pallet into a Garden Good news and bad news. I had planned to film a short video showing you how to make a pallet garden, but the weather didn’t cooperate. I was stapling the landscape fabric onto the pallet when it started drizzling and got really windy. That’s the bad news. But I know I promised a tutorial today, so I took photos and have kept my word to share how to make the pallet garden. I tried to be as detailed as possible. So keep reading my pallet loving friends, instructions on how to make your own pallet garden are just a few lines away… Find a Pallet The first thing you need to do is–obviously–find a pallet. Don’t just take the first pallet you find. Collect Your Supplies For this project, you’ll need the pallet you found, 2 large bags of potting soil, 16 six packs of annual flowers (one six pack per opening on the face of the pallet, and two six packs per opening on the top of the completed pallet garden), a small roll of landscape fabric, a staple gun, staples, and sand paper. Now for the sides.
Flower World List of beneficial weeds This is a list of undomesticated or feral plants, generally considered weeds, yet having some positive effects or uses, often being ideal as companion plants in gardens. Beneficial weeds can accomplish a number of roles in the garden or yard, including fertilizing the soil, increasing moisture, acting as shelter or living mulch, repelling pests, attracting beneficial insects, or serving as food or other resources for human beings. Chart[edit] Categories of beneficial weeds[edit] Pest-repellent[edit] Neem -- repels leaf eating insects Edible[edit] Habitat for beneficial insects[edit] Shelter plants[edit] Normal grass can be used as ground cover, especially in nitrogenous soils. Trap crops[edit] Trap crops draw potential pests away from the actual crop intended for cultivation. Cowpea -- attracts ladybird beetle, so planting around cotton fields protects them from sucking insects. Medicinal use[edit] Rumex -- Dock. Other[edit] Nightshade -- breaks up hardpan, allowing roots to grow deeper Indexes[edit]
New USDA Plant Hardiness Map - Survival Training Online