Allotment Foresrty Home to Englands Woodland Products Support your local woods: use coppiced hazel beanpoles to support your beans this year! The area of coppice in the UK has fallen dramatically since the 1950s and we need to bring these woods back into management Hazel coppice provides valuable habitat for animals such as the dormouse, nightingales, warblers and many more species Coppicing is a traditional and sustainable form of woodland management that ensures a continuous supply of useful products Hazel beanpoles provide an attractive and effective addition to your garden To find a local supplier or an event check out the websites below www.allotmentforestry.com or www.coppice-products.co.uk or call the Green Wood Centre on 01952 432769 A celebration of coppice products. Support your local woods: use coppiced hazel beanpoles to support your beans this year! Contacts:- Geoff Sinclair 2 Five Acres Holbrook Ipswich Suffolk, IP9 2QE England Tel 01473 327 720 Email:geoff at allotmentforestry.com
Guide to planting by the moon - The Gardeners Calendar Moon planting calendar for fruit, vegetables and flowers In ancient times when man had not quite got round to inventing the wristwatch, the most reliable source of telling the time was the sun, moon, and stars. There seems to be several opinions of who came up with the moon planting calendar first. Was it the Egyptians or the Babylonians? It is more than likely that each and every farmer had a planting calendar based on the moon phases, and there would be different variations depending on the geographical location. As their calendars where passed on through the generations they evolved to cover the different crops they tried to grow, and the more productive farming techniques used. It was noticed that different plants grow better when they are planted during different phases of the moon. To provide more accurate records it was noted that certain crops faired better when planted whilst the moon was in a specific constellation. Moon planting rediscovered Three Moon planting methods
Snails/RHS Gardening Snails are so abundant in gardens that some damage has to be tolerated. They cannot be eradicated so target control measures on protecting the more vulnerable plants, such as hostas, seedlings, vegetables and soft young shoots on herbaceous plants. Non-chemical control There are various measures you can take: Transplant sturdy plantlets grown on in pots, rather than young vulnerable seedlings. Transplants can be given some additional protection with cloches Encourage predators such as thrushes, toads, hedgehogs and ground beetles. Chemical control Following the manufactures instructions Scatter slug pellets thinly around vulnerable plants, such as seedlings, vegetables and young shoots on herbaceous plants. Most plants, once established, will tolerate some slug damage and control measures can be discontinued.. Download Pesticides for gardeners (Adobe Acrobat pdf document outlining pesticides available to gardeners)
Gardening Tips | Garden Plants Advice and Lawn Care Culinary uses of Rhubarb | The Rhubarb Compendium Rhubarb or "pie plant" is prized for use in pies, tarts, and sauces. Only the petioles are eaten, although herbal remedies use the leaves and roots. The high levels of oxalic acid and other compounds within the leaves are toxic to humans. The petioles contain lower levels of oxalic acid and, primarily, malic acid. Harvesting and Preparation Rhubarb is sold by the "bunch" which is usually 2 to 2-1/2 lbs., 1 lb. cooked yields 3/4 cup. Rhubarb in Marketplace photo credit The time of harvest is dependent upon the variety as well as on the location and temperature. Harvesting should be delayed until the second year following planting to permit accumulation of root reserve. Select petioles that are bright pink, crisp and free of disease or insect damage. Storing Rhubarb Rhubarb, if not used immediately, can be stored by refrigeration, caning, freezing or drying. Refrigeration Caning Freezing Choose firm, tender, well-colored stalks with good flavor and few fibers. Drying References:
Lunar Planting What if we told you that mowing your lawn on certain days would mean you could mow less often? Before you roll your eyes, think about it. The moon influences more than the ocean tides. Just ask any bar worker, clergyman or nurse. In fact, my friend Emma braces herself before going to work. Amy works at the hospital and when the moon is full, those nights in the emergency room are, as she calls it, "memorable." Many scientists insist that the myth that a full moon affects the behavior of humans, animals and plants is a bunch of baloney. Before I go further, let me tease you with a possibility: What if mowing your lawn during certain phases of the moon retarded growth which meant you didn't have to mow as often? According to a National Geographic news article more gardeners today are turning to the moon for sage advice on the best time to plant, prune, weed, and harvest. Gardening by the moon is as old as time. Moon gardening has been passed down through many generations.
How to Control Flea Beetles in the Organic Garden Description Many species of flea beetles are found throughout the United States. They are small jumping insects (similar in appearance to fleas) commonly found in home gardens early in the growing season. A voracious pest, they will damage plants by chewing numerous small holes in the leaves, which make them look as if they have been peppered by fine buckshot. When populations are high, flea beetles can quickly defoliate and kill entire plants. They feed most on hot sunny days and attack a wide variety of plants including beans, cabbage, corn, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and most seedlings. Adults are small (1/10 inch long), shiny, dark brown or black beetles with large hind legs that allow them to jump when disturbed. Note: Flea beetles transmit viral and bacterial diseases. Life Cycle Adults overwinter in the soil or garden debris and become active in the spring, feeding on host plants as new growth appears. Flea Beetle Control Recommended Products
Welcome to Spiralseed - Spiralseed Free SeedPlanner download Downloading Later Free Downloads Center is the only software archive that provides "LINK-TO-EMAIL" service for free. Just enter your email address to receive a direct link to SeedPlanner. Having its address in your inbox, you will be able to download it when you want and resume download if it breaks, without visiting any website or search engine. Reviews, related to SeedPlanner: Sarmsoft Resume Builderb>Sarmsoft Resume Builder, a valuable tool that help you create outstanding resumes. GROWING KIDseed master opener featureshow to do seed in little alchemyanime season 3gp BackYard Chickens One of the Many Benefits of Raising Chickens: Composting with Chickens Recently delivered 30 yard dumpster of hay, shavings & manure - 8-27-2011 After four months of the chickens working the compost - 12-31-2011 (this picture was taken where those trees are in the first picture) Regardless of whether you would like to start raising chickens or have been raising them for decades, it’s a known fact that chickens love to scratch. By now, you must be thinking, this article is about the benefits of raising chickens, not their downsides. Because part of the chicken yard is on a slight side hill, the chickens kept on scratching everything downhill, I added boards to "terrace" the compost area. Chickens and compost are “a match made in heaven”, because of their love of digging and scratching. The high protein bugs and beneficial microbes are a favorite “snack”, as well as, the weed seeds, food scraps, and any edible green plant tossed into the compost pile. Vermont Composting Company