| Composting Composting is a useful tool for any garden as it adds the nutrients the plants require, back into the soil. Making a compost heap is easy to do, and isn't as smelly as you might think! The rule of thumb is fairly simple. Virtually any entire organic substance can be composted. There are about 6 important essentials to having a good quality compost heap. Those essentials are: Air, Nitrogen, Lime, Water, Heat, and Bacteria. Air circulation is very important, without it a different group of micro-organisms, known as Anaerobic Bacteria, works the soil turning it into stinking slime, which is not the type of compost you want to have. So make certain you turn the compost and keep it aerated. Nitrogen is a required fuel you will need to add a certain amount to the heap to have a healthy compost pile. Use a very small amount, a fine dusting every 12 inches will suffice. Lime will keep the compost heap smelling sweet and will help neutralize any acidity within the compose pile. Apply at the same time you apply the Nitrogen, only spread a heavier dusting of Lime then the Nitrogen every 12 inches. Water is an essential ingredient to a successful compost heap. Generally there is enough moisture in the green organic mater you put into your compost heap to keep it healthy. I live in the Southwest ( NM ) and the summer is very dry, you will need to apply extra water to keep it moist. Heat is another important element to a successful compost pile. It helps the decompose the organic matter into an nutritious additive for your garden soil. To heat the compost pile, you may use something like black plastic, such as a garbage bag, to help keep the heat in and prevent the heap from becoming too wet. I recommend using a carpet when it rains to protect your compost pile. This will allow more air into the heap as well as limiting the amount of moisture seeping into the pile. Finally, bacteria is needed. The bacteria is what helps to break down the organic matter and transform it into the nutritious element you are seeking to produce. There are millions of bacteria in just one crumb of soil, especially clinging to any weed roots you might pull up. If not, just add a fine dusting of soil to the compost heap to add the bacteria you will need. To build a good compost heap, layer your items, then mix together. Make certain the heap does not go over 3 feet in height to insure a good healthy compost heap. It is recommended you turn the compost heap every 3 days. |
| Keep Your House Plants Healthy Below are the most common houseplant problems and suggested treatments. In some cases where disease or insect infestation is severe, plants may need to be isolated, or even destroyed, especially in the case of bacteria or viruses that might endanger your other house plants. It's best to keep constant watch on your plants to try to catch early infestation or disease. (And, they do better with constant attention ). If you get a houseplant as a gift from a friend, put it in an isolated spot for a while and make sure it doesn't carry any disease before you incorporate it into your household greenery. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION/ SYMPTOM SUGGESTED TREATMENT BROWN LEAVES Leaves develop brown tips and margins. Plant growth may be checked. May be caused by buildup of mold or salt, dry soil, or low humidity. Leach salt from soil by running water through pot. Increase humidity by placing pebbles or marbles and water in a tray under the plant. YELLOW LEAVES Old leaves turn yellow, brown-spotted, dry or curl and drop. Leaves yellow but remain firm. Caused by over watering, poor drainage, excessive light, or too much lime in soil or tap water used to water plants. Limit light source and aerate soil (gently poke small holes down into soil), water less frequently. Remove damaged parts of plant. Use filtered water when watering and replant using acidic potting mix. LEAVES DROPPING Yellow and dropping leaves and buds at various levels on plants. Can be caused by either over or under watering, shock due to sudden change of light or temperature, mealy bugs, spider mites or scale insects. Change your watering procedure. Remove plant from drafts, and provide better lighting. If this doesn't work, see Formulas for Insects in the Garden for remedies for insect damage. LEAF SPOTTING Leaves have water-soaked spots with yellow margins. Entire leaf wilts and stem rots. Possibly caused by bacteria leaf spot, cirus, edema or dropsy. Improve light conditions, reduce humidity. Do not over water. Pick off and destroy infected leaves. LEGGY GROWTH Small leaves and elongated stems. Plant grows lopsided. Caused by incorrect light, humidity too low, temperature too high. Move plant to a better light source. Increase humidity (place marbles or pebbles in water in a tray underneath the plant) and lower the temperature. STUNTED OR WEAK GROWTH Leaves are light green or yellow, crinkled, mottled, deformed or undersized. Can be caused by under watering, poor drainage, excess warmth and/or light, lack of fertilizer, and low humidity. Move plant to a cooler, less lighted location. Fertilize, and increase humidity. Aerate existing soil or replant using more porous soil. ROTTING Leaves or stems turn mushy brown or black. Plant wilts, dies or rots. May be caused by soil borne bacteria or fungus disease. Remove infected parts of plant. Treat soil with fungicide and/or systemic pesticide, avoid over watering. WILTING Plant produces small leaves and wilts often. Possible causes: pot too small, air too hot or dry, over or under watering, root rot. Check drainage and change watering schedule. If soil is dry, add moisture and spray leaves frequently. Repot if necessary. INSECT GUIDE For insect remedies you can make at home, visit Formulas for Insects in the Garden. APHIDS Small brown, green yellow or red colored insects with pear shaped bodies. Aphids cluster on buds, leaves and tips of shoots. They feed on plant juices causing poor plant growth and distorted leaves. FUNGUS GNATS Adults are small, gray, fly-like insects. They're attracted to light and tend to swarm around windows when inside. Immature larvae are whitish maggots and tunnel into soil, destroying plant roots. Plants wilt, yellow or develop mold on surface. SPIDER MITES Reddish-brown, greenish or yellow, barely visible oval bodies found on the undersides of leaves. Mites suck plant juices, causing whitish or yellowish speckled areas on tops of leaves. Heavy infestations produce frail, silky webbing and can cause plant to die. WHITEFLIES Adults are white and have white wedge like wings. They resemble bits of ash when plant is moved. They feed by sucking juices from leaves. Infested leaves may turn yellow, die or drop off and are covered with sticky substance. MEALYBUGS Small white, waxy insects with powdery appearance that cluster at undersides of leaves and stem junctions. Foliage curls and yellows. Mealybugs suck plant juices, stunting plant growth or killing plants. |
| Selecting Lilies When it comes to fragrance in gardens, there are few plants that can rival the lily. We've grown them for thousands of years . Not only are they beautiful, but they have a sweet aroma. Lilies are true bulbs and success in growing them depends on the variety you choose, the condition of the bulbs you select, and how you plant them. This is a large family of plants and some are easier to grow than others. If you're just getting started, you might try some of the Asiatic lilies. While they're not as fragrant as some, they've very durable. I've grown a variety in my garden for years called 'Sterling Star'. The Oriental hybrids can be a little fussier to grow, but the fragrance makes the effort worthwhile. Now, I've only scratched the surface of lilies, there's lot of varieties out there to choose from. But whatever you choose, you always want to make sure that the bulbs are firm and that they have plenty of fresh fleshy white roots. A bulb that's soft and shriveled with withered roots should be avoided. As a rule, lilies need excellent drainage, so when I plant I always incorporate some sand or even small gravel in the bottom of the hole. I also work in some compost and bone meal and then spread the roots out gently before covering them up. If you're into instant gratification and don't mind spending a little more money, you can often find them grown in containers. The thing I like the most about lilies, is that they're a long lasting perennial that I can always depend on to come back in my garden. |
| Growing Mint Growing herbs has become very popular. We use them everyday whether we realize it or not. For example, the mint flavor in the toothpaste you used this morning no doubt came from the leaves of peppermint. If you are interested in growing some of your own herbs, I recommend you start with something that is not too difficult, like one of the mints. If you grow this plant you'll find that it is easy to grow a lot of mint, but it is a little more of a challenge to grow just a little because the plants can be very vigorous. In fact, mint can be downright invasive. But I like to keep it around anyway because of its fresh scent and I like to use it in certain dishes. You shouldn't let the fact that it is such a vigorous grower scare you away because there's a way to keep it contained. Rather than planting the mint directly into your beds, cut the bottom out of a large plastic nursery container and bury it in the soil. Then plant the mint within the container. This will keep it from spreading and taking over, at least for while. You just cannot believe all the different varieties of mint that are out there with interesting names and subtle aromas. Like one called 'Hillary Sweet Lemon Mint' and for those with a sweet tooth there is chocolate mint. |
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