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
Gardening, for people that have too much time. Faith in humanity, restored. SCORE 501 Favorite part of The Lion King SCORE 96 What sex ed should be. Grocery Turtle! My Type of People SCORE 154 It's not about the money... Let's get fat. Permaculture Guilds - Never Ending Food Permaculture is based on natural systems like those that we see in forests. In a forest system, there are mulitple layers of vegetation growing together in a very diverse setting. We see many types of trees, shrubs, plants, insects, animals, and various other things all living together in a system that continually strengthens itself. All of these components of a natural ecosystem serve a function (or several functions) that support each other like the strands of a web. In order to mimic these natural systems and to provide for human needs (i.e. food, building supplies, fuel, fibers, etc.) we must learn to identify and work with the various functions of our natural resources. A good Permaculture guild generally has seven components: Food for us When building a guild we need to think about maximizing the health and nutritional benefits that we will be getting from our systems. Food for the soil All plants need nutrients to grow, just like we do. Diggers/Miners Groundcover Climbers Supporters
Vinegar Tips - Vinegar uses for your Garden White distilled vinegar provides many safe alternatives to protect and enhance your garden and gardening tools. Not only will you feel good about keeping children and pets (and you!) away from pesticides and other chemicals, you’ll feel great about the low cost of vinegar compared to those other products. Kill weeds and grass growing in unwanted places by pouring full-strength white distilled vinegar on them. Give acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and gardenias a little help by watering them with a white distilled vinegar solution now and again. Stop ants from congregating by pouring white distilled vinegar on the area. Discourage cats from getting into the kids’ sandbox with white distilled vinegar. Preserve cut flowers and liven droopy ones by adding 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar to a quart of water in a vase. Clean a birdbath by scrubbing it often with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Keep rabbits from eating your plants.
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.
27 Medicinal Plants Worth Your Garden Space Playful as kids are, accidents happen. And the accident that befallen me at 7 years old was the feeling of the hot exhaust pipe of a motorcycle kissing the skin of my leg. Grandma was around and saw it. Immediately, she took out a knife and slice the thick lower part of the aloe vera plant by the garden and rubbed the exposed end on the burn. Looking back, I realized that it was important to have medicinal plants around the house cause you never know when you might need them. Aloe Vera The aloe vera grows only under the sun with well drained dry or moist soil. woundscutsburnseczemareducing inflammation Apart from its external use on the skin, aloe vera is also taken internally in the treatment of : ulcerative colitis (drinking aloe vera juice)chronic constipationpoor appetitedigestive problems Marsh Mallow The plant of which marshmallows were once made of. inflammations and irritations of the urinary and respiratory mucus membranescounter excess stomach acidpeptic ulcerationgastritis Camomile
Multi-Rain Barrel System I’ve been wanting to build a rain barrel system for a long time! I wanted something that would store a a large volume of water that can be used in the garden during the long periods without rain. I also wanted to build it in a way that it’s expandable. In other words, I wanted to add to it over time to make it larger for storing more water for even longer dry spells. Here’s what I came up with: Dual Rain Barrel It’s a simple two-barrel system with PVC plumbing. Here are the details for building the system: I began the project by selecting a location. Cinder Blocks stacked for Rain Barrels Once I decided on this location, I leveled the ground where the barrels will be placed. Leveled ground for rain barrels I placed the blocks in a triangular configuration so that the most contact was maintained between the barrels and the blocks. Next, I acquired the plumbing fittings I chose to use. Here are the parts for the inside of the barrel to act as a drain. Plumbing for inside the rain barrel
Composting 101 Unfortunately for us, Earth is not getting any bigger. Therefore, we must do all we can to preserve and protect the earth that we live in. This can be done a number of ways: riding bikes/using fuel efficient cars, being vegetarian, recycling, and COMPOSTING! I come from a composting AND recycling household, and let me tell you, the amount of trash we have saved is unbelievable. A little iffy about jumping on the composting wagon? Share This Infographic Get Free Infographics Delivered to your Inbox
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 Grow Delectable Lemon Basils January 28th, 2009 1Email 17 users recommend 'Mrs. Burns' is a large, strongly scented lemon basil. Renée Comet Lemon basil does well as a potted plant. Scott Phillips Cutting stems back just above the second set of lower leaves prevents flowering and promotes leaf growth. Photo: Renée Comet by Susan BelsingerApril 1999from issue #20 Having fallen in love with basil in Italy more than 25 years ago, I did not hesitate when friend and fellow herb grower Tom DeBaggio asked me if I would write a book on basil with him. Basil is the ultimate summer herb; it evokes warm sunny days, luscious fragrances, and mouthwatering food combinations. Lemon basil (Ocimum basilicum var. citriodorum) isoffered by many seed companies. Varieties to tryThe following lemon basils are all named varieties I have grown for years and will continue to grow for their intoxicating fragrance and superb flavor. ‘Sweet Dani’ basil was recently introduced by James E. Sow seeds a seed-width apart in rows 1 to 2 inches apart.
The Plant Lady 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]
Flash in the Pan | Flash in the Pan I haven't purchased garlic since 1996. That's because I grow enough to eat a bulb of garlic every day, year-round. While most of my garden adventures are hobby-level attempts at self-sufficiency, my garlic crop is for real. Garlic is an overwintering crop, planted in fall and harvested mid-summer. A year's supply of garlic hanging in your garage hints at many great meals to come, but by the time you reach that milestone the rewards have already been flowing for months. As spring continues, your plants will continue to skyrocket, and in late May—assuming you planted a flowering variety—you'll be treated to a funky display of garlic blossoms curling from the plant tops. The flowering varieties of garlic are collectively called hardnecks, so named because of their woody flowering stalks. The first step in growing your own garlic stash is getting your paws on some good garlic for planting. In my case, x = 365/(5-1), or 91.25, which I round up to 92. Ask Ari: Got milk options? Q: Dear Ari,
Propagating and Starting Potatoes Sunday, 13 March 2011 10:35 Seeds growing from seed is almost unknown (GV) seed potatoes, which are small potatoes saved from last season's crop are the preferred method of starting potatoes Seed Potatoes 2.5 pounds of Mountain Rose seed potatoes are laid out in this photo; each bag in the background also holds 2.5 pounds of seed potatoes of other varieties 2 to 2.5 pounds of seed potatoes plants 25 row feet. it's critical to buy certified disease-free seed potatoes. Chitting 2.5 pounds of Mountain Rose and 2.5 pounds of German Butterball seed potatoes laid out for chitting Note: I shouldn't have cut them before chitting them. Chitting seed potatoes shortens the time between planting and harvesting. Saving Seed Stock SSE: Save the very best potatoes for planting next year. Microplants specilist heritage varietes can be grown from microplants (GV) Cuttings Division Germination