Landscaping

Pike are a formidable predatory fish that displays different behaviour in different seasons. During the summer months the pike are generally quite active and can often be seen chasing after small fry and silver fish. Whether the pike are chasing them because they are hungry or whether it is the aggressive killer instinct that is being displayed no one really knows, however if you see small silver fish jumping out of the water it is likely there is a pike close by.

During the winter months, when it is cooler, the pike are generally more sedate. Whilst they will still chase fish they tend to do so less frequently and are more likely to lie in ambush, such as some reeds or weed, and strike at unsuspecting fish as they swim past. During the winter months pike will also become scavengers and will pick up injured and dead fish of the water’s bottom.

Because of the different behavioural patterns of pike the best method of fishing for them will depend upon the season and the angler needs to adapt the approach accordingly.

When pike are more active, i.e. during the summer months, a great way of fishing for them is to use a lure. When using a lure the angler is not trying to entice the pike to feed, instead the idea is to play on the pike’s natural aggressive instinct and prompt it in to attacking the lure and becoming hooked in the process. This method means the angler may catch a pike even if it is not hungry, which is a great bonus.

Pike are said to be a territorial fish, therefore they are unlikely to travel too far even when they are at their most active. However, it is up to the angler to go and find the pike, as opposed to letting the pike come to them, and lure fishing is perfect for this. Lure fishing is an active way of fishing and allows the angler to explore an awful lot of water. The constant casting out and retrieval of the lure means the angler can fish the lure at all depths, from right near the water’s surface to pulling the lure along the water’s bottom, and all depths in between, in order to seek out the pike.

A good way of exploring the water with a lure is to make the first cast to the left, before retrieving the lure, before making each subsequent cast a bit farther to the right until the final cast is over to your right. This ‘fan’ casting method ensures the maximum amount of water is covered. Once one fan is complete, the angler can repeat the pattern but vary the retrieval speed of the lure so it is at a different depth to the first series of casts. Once the first swim has been fished at different depths the angler should then move swims and repeat the process. If the angler catches a pike in a particular swim it should be released and the angler should then move to a different swim because, as a result of their territorial nature, it is very unlikely there is another pike in the same area of water. Pike tend not to be a shoal fish.

Landing a pike in the summer can be an exciting experience. The pike tend to fight very hard and there is often lots of head shaking and, on occasion, tail walking which is where the pike leaps out of the water and shakes in mid air. Fighting a pike in this manner really gets the adrenaline pumping through the veins and provides a wonderful and memorable experience.

Once a summer pike is on the bank the ‘fight’ is unlikely to stop there since they are a very lively fish that will thrash around. Because of this it is important all pike anglers have the correct kit, which consists of a large landing net, an unhooking mat and a long pair of artery forceps or blunt pliers for hook removal. The kit not only protects the pike from damage by potentially being dropped, but it also protects the angler and helps to ensure the pike doesn’t bite. The best way of holding a pike is to put your stronger hand under the gills and hold it head up, with the weaker hand supporting the body. This method helps to keep the head stationary, hence preventing the bike from biting, so the pike can be photographed and returned to the water to fight another day.

During the winter months a lure can be used, but because the pike are more sedate it is unlikely a pike will chase the lure. The angler may be fortunate to pull the lure past a pike’s hiding place where it may dart out and take the lure, however this is a game of odds. If an angler does prefer to lure fish during the winter months a good tip is to seek out weedy areas and reed beds and pull the lure past these potential pike holding spots.

The most suitable method of winter pike fishing is to fish either a live bait, which of course will be tethered by the line, or a dead bait.

When using live bait it is important to use bait fish that are caught in the same water as where they will be used to try and catch pike. Moving fish between waters is a big no no since it may lead to cross contamination of diseases that may wipe out the population of fish where the live bait is used. The idea when using a live bait is to keep the bait fish as alive for as long possible therefore it is advisable to hook the bait either through the lip or through the back. When using multiple hook rigs one hook can be put through the lip, and the other through the back to ensure maximum hold.

Some anglers don’t like using a live bait and prefer to use dead fish as bait. When using a dead bait the angler can enhance the bait further by injecting it with some fish oil before breaking the skin of the bait fish and casting it out. Hopefully, this will result in a slick of pungent oils that will lead right to the dead fish. Hopefully, any pike will follow this trail to the fish before devouring it.

When using live bait or dead bait the pike is likely to turn the fish around to swallow it head first, therefore it is important not to be too keen when the rod tip begins to quiver or the bobber goes under the water. If the rod tip quivers or the bobber goes under wait a few moments to let the pike turn the fish around before striking in to the fish. Striking too early will result in a dropped fish.

Fighting winter pike is not normally as exciting as fighting summer pike. Whilst it is likely there will be some head shaking, although this is likely to be reduced, tail walking does not usually happen. During the winter months a pike will tend to hug the bottom and kite from left to right in order to get away.

A winter pike is unlikely to thrash around on the bank as much as a summer pike, however the angler still needs the same kit of large net, unhooking mat and forceps or pliers. In addition, winter pike should also be held under the gills with its head up. Winter pike may still bite so the angler still needs to take care with the fish.

Regardless of whether the angler is lure fishing or using a live bait or dead bait there are a few other items that should be used, including;

Treble hooks. In addition to the rows of teeth, pike have bony mouths and hooks may bounce off the bones and not take hold of the mouth, which will ultimately end up in a sot fish. To increase the chance of a hook hold treble hooks, i.e. three hook points coming off one shank, should be used. In addition to this many pike rigs, and lures, will have more than one treble hook.

A wire trace. Because of the and rows of small and razor sharp teeth which can easily cut through monofilament line, so a wire trace of about a meter is used to overcome this.

Both summer and winter pike fishing is very rewarding but in totally different ways. Catching a pike in the summer involves a lot of moving around and locating and then catching a pike is rewarding. In the winter the reward comes from knowing that you managed to outwit the pike in the battle of wits.

Find More Weed Killers Articles

Gardening in May out west is always fun… greenthumbers can hardly make a mistake, since nature has joined forces to warm up the soil so that seeds germinate faster. And as the days lengthen, and the sun warms the ground, annuals and vegetables will literally spurt from the ground.

Even cuttings root more easily. Plant foods applied to growing specimens bring almost instant reactions.

By the same token, fast-growing weeds can be knocked over quickly with any of the selective chemical weed-killers.

May is a kind month to greenthumbers because it seems that the garden suppliers, the weather and soil conditions are such that even a beginner will find it easy to plant his garden. The colorful seed display racks at the garden centers quicken the pulse, and the average temptation is to scatter so many seeds fore and aft of the house, that it will look like a blooming Persian carpet within ninety days!

In the favored rhododendron belts, Puget Sound, metropolitan Portland, the San Francisco Bay region, and the cool, coastal areas around Los Angeles, a big show of blossoms is on all month long.

There is still time to sow summer annuals.

Grow those which develop quickly and like heat. Though the list of these annuals is a long one, the most important ones are: zinnias, marigolds, nasturtiums, salvia, portulaca, sanvitalia, annual chrysanthemums, calliopsis, cleome, gaillardia and annual phlox.

For quick camouflage effects, sow some of the easy-to-grow vines. Some, you’ll discover, grow with Jack-in-the-beanstalk swiftness. These are especially good: morning-glory, moonflower, cup-and-saucer, thunbergia, balloon vine.

Perennials can be sown any time from May to the end of August. There are arguments as to whether it is best to sow early in the season or late. But if you are gardening in one of the hot weather sections of the West, you’ll benefit by sowing early. Germination of seed sown in July and August is poor because it is so difficult to keep the soil moist.

Raising perennials from seed provides an excellent opportunity to literally fill up the flower garden with fine items at low cost. Some recommended perennials are columbine, coreopsis, flax, hollyhock, Oriental poppy, Shasta daisy, campanula and stokesia.

Dahlias, gladiolus and tigridias can be planted now in all areas where the soil has warmed up. But first you should know first all the unusual house plants. In the higher elevations. where the weather is cooler, it might be best to wait a couple of weeks.

Some of the nurseries may still have a few begonia tubers and gloxinia tubers on hand, but you’ll get better results by waiting until later in the month and buying the new crop of seedling plants. Not only will these husky little plants provide you with blooms later in the season, but they’ll develop fine tubers for next year’s plants.

As you go through your routine of driving to the work or the store and walking in the evenings, look at existing plantings for what type of look you want. There are dwarf varieties, thin leaved varieties and taller varieties. The leaves can be deep blue/green, green or varigated with white stripes amongst the green stripes.

Once you have chosen a favorite type of Liriope you can start with site selection and preparation. Liriope can grow in full sun to full shade. If you do not currently have plantig on the site, then go ahead and start planting the Liriope about 4 inches apart. If you do have grass or another groundcover you will want to start two weeks ahead of time and spray with Round Up or another herbicide, wait a week and spray again. Follow directions on herbicide.

After you have planted, mulch with a few inches of mulch to keep the weeds between the Liriope plants down. Eventually the Liriope will take over the area and weeds between the plants will not be a problem and mulching will no longer be needed.

The first summer after planting you may need to water if they begin to droop in a dry period. After the first summer they should be very drought tolerant.

Once a year they need to be trimmed. It is hard to give a date on the calendar when this should be done because the weather varies from year to year. Instead, time the trimming of the previous years growth with the blooming of the Forsythia. When the bright yellow Forsythia begins to unfurl its first few petals, trim the Liriope. If the area is completely covered by Liriope then just run over it with the lawnmower. If the Lioriope is still in it’s first few years and there is much that you do not want to pick up, use heavy shears or clippers to trim by hand.

If the Liriope gets so thick that it begins to choke out the center, just dig out the center and random sections throughout the bed. Fill the holes with dirt and the Liriope will soon fill in the old sections with bright, new growth.

This might seem hard to believe, but to some folk weeds are seen as being quite attractive to their garden. Weeds such as dandelions, daisies and buttercups can look very humble and innocent. Don’t be fooled! Without a moments notice these weeds can take over your entire garden, smothering your the plants that you want to be growing in your outdoor living space.

Time to take control and kick mother nature’s backside!

Before I go any further, I must point out that I am not recommending using any chemicals or toxic weed killers.

We just want to kill the weeds in our garden, not killing our environment, that would be kicking mother nature’s backside a bit too hard.

Weeds can be controlled both before and after they emerge from the ground. The most effective way of dealing with weeds that have emerged is using a bit of old fashioned elbow grease.

Get down your knees and with a long handle tool with sharp prongs, grip the weeds and yank them right out from the ground, making sure you’ve taken out the root of your victim or else they will grow back. I know it will involve quite a lot of effort on your part and granted it may be not the best way to spend your weekends or days off, but this kind of manual labour is far more effective than spraying some weed killer down and waiting to see if takes effect. Believe me you’ll thank yourself later.

Once that’s done and your garden is looking weed free, it’s time to take action against the weeds that are sitting under the soil waiting for their moment to emerge. DON’T GIVE THEM THE CHANCE!!! Use a mulch covering such as tree bark chips or a black plastic liner and lay it over the soil and around the plants. Doing this can not only retain the moisture in the soil, but also can block the sunlight getting to the weeds underground.

One last tip, keep your lawn fertilised as without the proper nutrients in the soil your grass won’t grow as it should and instead sprout big ugly deep rooted weeds…not good.

Once all this done, go out to your garden, sit back, relax and admire the work you’ve done. Well done!

Related Weed Killers Articles

GROUND ELDER
Aegopodium podagraria
Ground elder reaches a height of about 1m (3ft). It spreads very quickly if left to its own devices. Easily identified by the characteristic white flowers.

BLACK MEDICK
Medicago lupulina
Black Medick is commonly found in lawns, especially short cut lawns. Good lawn culture should overcome this low creeping weed. Don’t cut the lawn too close

COUCH GRASS
Elymus repens
The Roots are very dense in the soil and go down about 15cm (6in). The other key identifier is that couch grass will not be killed by burying it under ground as happens with normal grass.

Weak Points of couch Grass

Couch grass is shallow rooted, no long taper like roots going deep into the ground. The roots of couch grass typically go down about 10cm (4in) and rarely more than 15cm (6in).

If the soil is well-dug, the roots of couch grass can be pulled out with relative ease.

Digging of the soil weakens couch grass.

Couch grass produces less seed than most grasses

BINDWEED
Convolvulus arvensis
Bindweed and Bellbind are very similar in appearance and can be treated the same. Very invasive, they require persistent weeding to eradicate them. Their roots can go down 5m (16ft).

WHITE CLOVER
Trifolium repens
White Clover is often found in cultivated grass. It spreads easily. Without resorting to a chemical weed killer, this weed is difficult to eradicate. Dig up each plant with the roots and as much of the runners as possible. Don’t cut the lawn too close.

WALL BARLEY
Hordeum murinum
Wall Barley is relatively easy to control. Simply cut is low so that no seeds fall on the soil. Existing seeds will only survive two years so the regular cutting this weed can be eradicated in two years.

STINGING NETTLE
Urtica dioica
Wait for a day when the soil is damp, equip yourself with a stout pair of gloves and pull each nettle up by gripping it near the base and gently ease it out of the soil with the roots.

SUN SPURGE
Euphorbia helioscopia
Can irritate the skin, and if eaten will cause significant sickness. The seeds last for 8 years in the ground so don’t let them et seed. The weed can be pulled up individually by hand.

THISTLE
There are a wide varieties of thistles but they should be treated the same. Either hoe as soon as they are noticed or weed them individually when the soil is damp.

LESSER TREFOIL
Trifolium dubium
A difficult weed to eradicate, especially in lawns. It spreads by runners and seed. The seeds remain viable for 20 years. Hand weed, removing as much of the runners as possible.

DANDELION
Taraxacum
With their long tap roots Dandelions are difficult to eradicate. On top of that the seeds remain viable for 15 years. Hand weed on a day when the soil is moist. Pull up as much of the root as possible.

MAYWEED
Matricaria recutita
Mayweed is not particularly invasive so individual plants can be hand weeded when the soil is damp. Don’t let it flower because the seeds stay viable for over 10 years in the soil.

http://www.sos-gardening.com

diylife.com – Alternatives to store-bought weed killers. Some work better than others. www.diylife.com
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Marijuana is a mixture of the crushed leaves and flowering tops of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). The plant contains a substance called THC (tetrahydrocannabinal) that has a combination of psychoactive properties which defy simple categorization. It produces euphoria and release from inhibition much like the depressant alcohol; the relaxation or even fatigue of a sedative; and hypnotic, sensory, and perceptual distortions like a mild hallucinogen (which ordinarily increases wakefulness). This is why marijuana and other cannabis drugs are treated as a unique category of psychoactive substance in the latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM III (1980). The various forms of cannabis   differ chiefly in their concentration of THC. Of the natural forms of cannabis, marijuana is the least potent, and hashish (pure plant resin) the most potent. Recently an almost pure form of THC has been artificially synthesized in the laboratory.

Cannabis is most frequently taken by smoking it in a cigarette or pipe. It can also be eaten (Alice B. Toklas, a friend of the poet Gertrude Stein, is said to have baked delicious marijuana brownies). At low dosages, most users quickly develop a feeling of relaxed euphoria. Some become more talkative, while others become quiet and contemplative. Many describe their perceptions and sensory experiences as intensified and unusual. Previously   unnoticed colors and sounds become vivid and important. Space and forms may appear distorted, and time slows. However, while many people feel only pleasant or interesting effects, others become anxious and irritable. The particular pattern of one’s reactions depends a great deal on the particular situation and the behavior of those who are nearby.

There are physical symptoms as well. The eyes redden as blood vessels dilate, the mouth dries as saliva flow is inhibited, and the heart beats faster; appetite often increases.

As more THC enters the bloodstream, the user feels more and more drowsy. Speech may become slurred and thinking distorted. Things may seem hysterically funny and inspire long spells of giggling. Finally, the user falls into a deep sleep.

For many centuries, cannabis was used in Asia as an anesthetic and medication for maladies ranging from insomnia to rheumatism. In the mid-nineteenth century, Western European doctors began to prescribe it for neuralgia, menstrual pain, and migraine headaches. In the early twentieth   century, its medical use was widely promoted in the United States by the drug company Parke-Davis. By the 1930s, however, doctors were prescribing such other drugs as morphine, aspirin, and barbiturates instead.
Marijuana began to be used simply for pleasure and was distributed illegally.

This period was marked by progressively harsher antidrug laws, and by 1937, marijuana, incongruously lumped with opium and heroin, was completely outlawed. During the 1960s marijuana use underwent a resurgence, with growing recognition that the harsh legal penalties seemed inconsistent with its apparent low level of danger, The National Survey of Drug Abuse (1979) reported that during 1979 more than 26 million Amercans icons used cannabis at least once, including 31 percent of adolescents under   18 (10 percent of all high-school seniors), 68 percent of individuals between 18 and 25, and 20 percent of those over 26. It is clear that earlier efforts to characterize cannabis as a “killer weed” were counterproductive exaggerations. Concerning its safety, however, real doubts still remain. Some evidence suggests that it is addictive.

Chronic users may develop tolerance (Nowland & Cohen, 1977) and experience  withdrawal symptoms such as loss of appetite, running nose, diarrhea, and sweating (Jones, 1977). Also, the potency of illegally obtained cannabis has increased, and there are more instances of accidents related to cannabis intoxication (Marijuana Research Findings, 1980). Longer-term dangers may include susceptibility to lung disease (Tashkin, Calvarese, & Simmons, 1978) and reduced fertility (Hembree, Nabias, & Huang, 1979).

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After all the long hours of hard work from the previous two months, early May is a magical time when you start to see all your hard work starting to pay off. All of your plants should be well on their way to showing the promise of future crops, but the work isn’t over just because everything has started to grow. Several things must be done to insure you plants overall health to maximize your crop’s potential, so regular inspections on a daily basis is always a good idea when it comes to your garden’s general maintenance. The most common problem with vegetable gardens will be dry conditions, weeds or insects. Living in the country as I do also causes other problems such as deer or rabbits damaging my plants at their early stages when the plants are young and tender. I like to check on my fields at least twice a day, (morning and evening), for plant damages due to insects or herbivores such as rabbits or deer, in order to catch these problems at their earliest stage, and take what ever measures are necessary to eliminate the problem. Once you get into a daily routine of checking your garden, it actually becomes an enjoyable part of your day that you will look forward to with each passing day!

Plant Care & Watering …

Many times, the difference between a successful vegetable garden and an unproductive vegetable garden will often be the amount of rainfall you receive each week. Two inches a week in most cases is more than enough to insure a bountiful harvest. Young developing plants will need more frequent rain or watering until their roots can develop deeply in the soil. Once the root systems are developed, vegetable plants can tolerate harsh dry conditions much more easily because they can obtain their moisture from the soil six to eight inches deep. Its not very often I have seen the soil dry at that depth, but in extreme conditions, it does happen.

In the area I live in ( N.E. Georgia ), we have just come through a period of record breaking drought that reached its peak in my last growing season , but the practices I implemented on my farm not only saved my crops, I managed to have one of the most productive farms around all summer long ! I have too many row crops to irrigate my entire fields during times of drought due to low water levels in my well, but by taking a few preventive measures early in the season I was able to keep my entire field vibrant and healthy while everyone else complained their fields just dried up and died.

Early in the season while my vegetable plants were developing their root systems, I would till between the rows at least once a week to keep down any weeds that would rob my vegetable garden from any available moisture, giving them a fighting chance in extreme conditions. Once the plants were developed and starting to bloom, I used a hoe to pull the soft soil between the rows close around the base of my plants, putting the root systems even deeper in the soil where they might find any remaining moisture in extreme drought conditions. It was a lot of work, but through my efforts, I had one of the few gardens around to survive the extreme drought without irrigation.

In order to insure my hill crops survival, early in the season while I was setting them out, I used two to three inches of mulch around each plant to help retain moisture. Because many of the hill crops require more water for proper production, I found it necessary to carry water to them every evening. I watered each plant individually, giving each about one quart of water in the evenings after the sun had set below the tree line, so the plants would have all night to make use of the water. The mulch helped prevent evaporation in the heat of the day, while making the soil richer for future garden plants. It sounds like an easy enough task, but I was using between forty and fifty gallons of water every evening to keep everything watered ! While vegetable gardening is an enjoyable task, many times you will find assuring its’ survival can be very labor intense task as well.

As a basic rule of thumb, let the natural rain cycle keep your garden watered and give the additional water in the evenings if you see them drooping or wilting. Avoid watering in the morning hours due to evaporation. Mulch around hill crops and add extra dirt around the roots of your row crops to retain moisture during hot summer months.

Weed Control …

Weed control in the garden is very important to insure the nutrients you are feeding your plants will not be robbed by fast growing grasses and weeds. I mention they are fast growing because if left unchecked for over a week, you will find that any weeds you may have let develop seem to grow twice as fast as your vegetable plants and most have the ability to reach seeding maturity within 4 to 6 weeks. Allowing the weeds to reach maturity will increase the problem 100 fold ! Preventive measures will need to be taken to minimize the problem of any type of weeds in your vegetable garden.

May is an excellent time to take care of the majority of weeds because as of yet they haven’t had sufficient time to mature. The vegetable plants you have planted are developing into strong healthy plants and are distinguishable from the weeds by this point so it makes it a lot easier to see what you want to keep out of the garden, and what shouldn’t be growing in your garden.

By tilling between the rows on a regular basis as weather conditions permit ( 7 to 10 days), you will find the problem is easily managed. Additional weeding will be necessary close to your vegetable plants, and for this process an old fashioned hoe works well if you have a talent with the tool. Although a hoe works well, you will find you damage some of your crops by trying to dig weeds that are too close to the plants you are trying to protect. I prefer pulling the weeds that are close to my plants rather than using a hoe to minimize damage to future crops. The best time to pull weeds is often after a rain shower or in the early morning while the dew is still present on your garden plants. Try to remove as much of the root system of the various weeds as possible to prevent future growth and discard them between the rows where the sunlight can wilt and kill the weeds. In extreme cases of weeds, it is often recommended to remove them from the garden entirely by gathering the pulled weeds in a 5 gallon bucket and adding them to your compost pile as long as they are young and without seeds.

When to Use Pesticides …

May is also an excellent time for pest control because the young tender plants seem to attract every type of insect known to man that thrives on young tender vegetation. By keeping a close eye on your garden for any plant damage on a daily basis, these types of problems can easily be eliminated with safe affordable pesticides that can be purchased at any lawn and garden center. Depending on which type of pesticide you choose will determine the type dispenser you will need to perform the task at hand.

I personally use a liquid poison ( Seven Concentrated Liquid Poison ) that I dilute with a gallon of water and disperse with a pump-up sprayer. This multi-purpose poison seems to eliminate any damaging insects I have in my region ( N.E. Ga.) and is a very affordable solution to any insect problems that may arise. If you prefer, ( Seven Dust ) is also an excellent pesticide, but you will need to purchase an old fashioned dust dispenser to apply evenly, and only use when the wind is not a factor. Either type of dispenser you choose is perfectly alright, but keep in mind, any type of pesticide you choose will need to be re-applied after each rainfall, or 7 to 10 days to treat new foliage that develops. Persistence and determination seem to be the key factors when fighting garden variety insects because of the multitude of harmful insects that can create problems in your vegetable garden. Once again, I stress the importance of early detection and resolution of any problems insects may be causing by simple checking your garden twice a day. Early detection means early prevention. You may loose a plant or two, but its better to see the problem early and take care of it before you loose the entire crop.

Although pesticides are a great way to insure your plants success against harmful insects, try to remember there are helpful insects such as bees, praying mantis, spiders and lady bugs that are better in the garden for its overall health. Bees are needed to pollinate the blooms so as a general rule I avoid spraying blooms on any of my vegetable plants directly. The praying mantis survives by eating smaller insects as much as the spider does, while lady bugs are known to eat tiny larva some insects will lay on the underside of certain plants leaves. Usually by July I am able to put away the sprayer and let nature take care of any problems unless extreme infestation arises.

Some farmers use fowl of various types to help prevent insect infestation, and depending on the crop you are growing usually determines the type bird you will use. Guineas are great for eating moths and grasshoppers and forage well in the garden, yard or woods that may surround your property. I personally prefer Bantam chickens for their small size which lowers the risk of damage to any of my plants due to over zealous attacks they may make on insects. Tobacco farmers train turkeys to work their fields to keep down the tobacco worms because you never want to use a pesticide of any type on tobacco plants. Finding solutions other than pesticides for insect control is a very smart way to improve the over-all health of our environment, so don’t be afraid to be creative by turning insect’s natural predators against them, as long as the solution isn’t creating an even larger problem.

Plant Supporting Devices …

Toward the end of May is an excellent time to decide which type of trellis or plant support device you will need to keep certain plants off the ground when their fruits become too heavy for the plant itself to support. Depending on the plant you intend to support will have a large determining factor as to which device works best for your situation.

Tomatoes

Depending on the size garden you have is a key factor when deciding which is the most efficient and affordable system to use. A small garden with only a few tomato plants, stakes or tomato cages seem to be the best solution. Stakes can be bought at any local hardware store or made from existing lumber you may have on hand, and driven a few inches from your plant to avoid damaging the roots no matter how large it has become. Tomato cages can be purchased at a number of local lawn and garden supply stores, and even some hardware stores, or purchase the wire and design your own cages to save a few dollars. Keep in mind, when using tomato cages its helpful to install these devices while your plants are at a smaller size to avoid damaging the plants.

For larger areas that have 30 plants or more, you may find it much less expensive to use a few fence posts in your row or rows of tomatoes and buy an inexpensive tie wire (about .00 for a 1 lb. roll) and run several strands from post to post. Later as the plants grow, you can tie the plants with a soft strip of cloth such as an old bed sheet that has been cut into strips, or loosely tie a string to attach the plant to the fence. Either type of device you choose will need to be accompanied with some type of cloth strips or string to loosely attach the plant to the device.

Cucumbers

I used to grow my cucumbers on the ground like everyone else. There were always some that would be missed each time I picked and by the time I found them they were to old to be of any use to me other than the seed. Another problem with allowing them to grow on the ground was the grass and weeds that seemed to take over once the plants had started to run and it was impossible to control the weed problem because of the damage I caused the plants I was trying to protect. A simple solution to both problems was a short fence along the row that I was able to install by simple driving a few stakes in the row and slipping the wire over the stakes in a fashion that held the wire in place six to eight inches off the ground. I would train the cucumber plants daily to follow the fence and inner-twine, which not only made the cucumbers easier to find to harvest, I was able to control the weeds ! I recommend placing the fence first and setting your plants afterword to avoid damaging the cucumber plants, but with a little help from an extra pair of hands, the task can be accomplished after the plants are in the ground. Just remember to do this early before the plant starts it’s runners so you can train the plant to the fence at an early stage.

Peppers

Many pepper plants won’t need any supporting devices be cause of their small size when fully grown. Chili and Cheyenne peppers are excellent examples of plants that don’t really need the added support, while other varieties such as bell and jalapeno can always use the extra support to help keep their fruits off the ground. Simple stakes and cloth or string ties seem to work best no matter how many plants you have. Simply drive a stake a few inches from the plant to avoid damaging the roots and tie the main stem of the plant to that stake as it grows. This is also handy when it comes to weed control and harvesting, so plan ahead for a healthy garden environment that is easy to manage and control.

Upcoming Issue …

The June edition of “How to Grow a Vegetable Garden Series” will cover topics such as “Continued Weed & Pest Control” , ” Additional Fertilizers or Plant Foods” , “When to Harvest” , and ” Ways to Preserve Vegetables “. For everything you need to know about “Growing a Vegetable Garden” , don’t miss a single monthly issue !

How to Make a Rain Garden

Select a Location for the Rain Garden
     If you are wondering how to build a rain garden, then the first thing that you need to do is select a location for the rain garden. Select a location for the rain garden that receives plenty of sunlight so that the excess water gets evaporated quickly. Make sure that the location of the rain garden is at least 12-15 feet away from the perimeter of the house. This is because if it is too near the house, it will cause water to seep into the foundation which might compromise the integrity of your house’s foundation. An ideal location for a rain garden is a spot that ends at a natural slope. This will make the water from the stormwater runoff naturally flow to the area.

Plan the Shape and Size for the Rain Garden
     You can have a rain garden of any size, but make sure that the size is proportional to the area of the property and that it enhances the landscape. The depth of the rain garden for a ground which is fairly level should be around 3-5 inches. For ground that has a slight slope to it, a depth of 6-8 inches is sufficient. A natural shape like an oval, kidney or a teardrop shape looks more attractive than a square or rectangular shaped rain garden. So choose a shape that looks natural and gels well with the landscape.

Dig the Ground for the Rain Garden
     Once the location of the rain garden has been established, it is time to dig the ground. Define the perimeter of the rain garden by laying a piece of string. Install wooden stakes around the perimeter of the rain garden that you are about to dig. Now start digging the ground to the required depth using a shovel. If you are planning to build a rain garden of a larger depth, then it is advisable that you use professional services for digging the ground. If you are building the rain garden on a slope, then you will need to make a berm on the downhill side of the rain garden. To build a berm just compact the soil that you dug out on the inside of the downhill edge of the depression. The idea is to have the same elevation for both the uphill and downhill side of the rain garden so that water does not flow out of the depression, but percolates slowly into the ground.

Plant Grass and Shrubs on the Depression
     After you have dug the depression on the ground and created a berm around it, it is time to plant your garden. Select a variety of tall grasses, ferns, flowering plants and shrubs and plant them in the garden. Choose rain garden plants and shrubs that can thrive in a moist environment. Plants that have a well established root system are ideal for a rain garden as they help in absorbing the excess water without any fear of rotting. Add a layer of mulch to the garden bed taking care that you do not bury the crowns of the plants with mulch. Water the plants regularly after mulching them.

     This was all about how to build a rain garden. Once the garden is established and the plants grow and thrive, remove weeds from the garden periodically. You can beautify the garden by using small pebbles or river stones along the edge of the berm. Creating a rain garden is not a difficult task, although it can be a little time consuming. However, the benefits of having a rain garden are many and you should definitely build one in your front or backyard.

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It is easy to see how to hold a person or a non-care of their property. Pile of leaves, grass yard, tall grass and even garbage can in a meadow, which is not provided. Although each of us, that when the grass has begun to realize in a state of collapse slip, it is always easy to produce.

doing gardening is inconvenient and takes time away from today. People with allergies are especially reluctant to their sites. In this article I will teach you how to work your garden to make it faster if you have more time to things you want to spend. I will also teach you some of the technologies that people use their garden work done with fewer headaches.

The first thing you realize that people can be on small and large lawn areas to benefit from the purchase of a lawnmower engine. Leaf vacuums with a sheet of paper shredders will always be better than rakes and plastic bags. You will not find anywhere if you are old lawn mowers and motorcycles with engines no comparison.

For the spring for maintenance, you want good garden gloves and the right tools to rake and weed your garden to have. To do this, in early spring, so you can quickly fall mulch. It is good to mulch early as this increase the growth of weeds in the garden. A leaf shredder and the shredder can help the mulch you need to rely on them.

During the summer, your main task cut grass and maintain the flower beds. Note that for a period of very hot and dry, it is better to keep raising the blade on your lawnmower, the grass a little longer. You will find that burn more grass, less chance.

After the late summer and autumn begins to set, you need to ensure the alignment of the leaves and grass. With a sheet of high quality and a thin blade, this can happen very quickly. This will ensure that you are not worried about raking leaves or drop them on the curb.

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As Britain and many countries in the northern hemisphere are in the icy grip of the worst winter in decades the RSPB and other ornithology groups request that people give their garden birds a helping hand by putting food out. Most of the ground is covered in a blanket of snow and most watering holes are frozen solid making the search for food and water for our feathered friends a very arduous one.

The RSPB ‘s conservation director, Mark Avery told the BBC “With the icy weather predicted to last at least another week, this winter could be the single greatest wildlife killer of the new millenium.” They warn that bird numbers could be hit for many years to come.

Spare a thought for your garden birds and put out your food scraps for them instead of chucking them into the bin. Most food waste will be taken by one type of bird or another.

Here is a selection of kitchen scraps you could put out.

Bacon rind, meat, chicken, fish, batter, eggs (cooked), chips, roast potatoes, hash browns, beans, biscuit crumbs (not chocolate), crackers, wafers, cake, bread, cheese and cereals.

If you choose to buy foodstuffs for the birds here are some options I recommend. I’ve given them a rating out of 10 for how successful I find them.

Sunflower hearts- I find sunflower hearts to be one of the best choices as they are popular with the majority of UK garden birds. Sunflower hearts are less messy than sunflower seeds with the shell still attached and also more suitable for a wider variety of birds. (Some birds would be unable to remove the shell.) I put them out in hanging bird feeders but I also put a handful on the bird table and some on a tray on the ground. (Not all birds can access hanging feeders.) Birds I have seen eating sunflower hearts in my garden include blue tits, coal tits, great tits, robins, house sparrows, dunnocks, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch, blackbirds, collared doves, wood pigeons.10/10

Peanuts-Popular with blue tits, great tits, coal tits and great spotted woodpeckers. If you put some loose on the bird table they are also very popular with jays and jackdaws (both of whom will also come for monkey nuts with the shells on which they carefully open.) If you put chopped nuts on the bird table they will also be popular with blackbirds, chaffinch and robins.10/10

Suet Pellets -Another popular choice with the birds, which come in a several varieties, insect, mealworm, berry and fruit. They are so popular they will be hoovered up in minutes. It is therefore wise to put some out in a caged hanger so that smaller birds get a chance to eat them as well as putting a handful on the bird table. Popular with starlings, blackbirds, tits, robins, house sparrows, dunnocks, chaffinch, collared doves, wood pigeons.10/10

Fat Snacks or Cakes -Similar to suet pellets but instead they are one largecylinder or square which are hung out in special containers. Very popular with starlings and tits.9/10

Fat Balls -Popular with starlings and tits but not as good as suet pellets or far snacks / cakes.5/10

Wildbird Seed Mix -Popular with house sparrows, dunnocks and finches but sadly theses days the manufacturers tend to pad it out with unpopular rye, so the majority of the stuff is thrown to the ground, disregarded by the birds as they try to get to their favourite bits. Most of it reappears as weeds. Sunflower hearts is a much better option.3/10


Here are some alternatives to the specialist bird foods

Porridge Oats -Very cheap and a very popular choice with blackbirds and robins, but make sure you supply some water in your garden. Also taken by house sparrows, dunnocks, collared doves and pigeons.7/10

Sultanas / Currants -Extremely popular with blackbirds as well as starlings.8/10

Apples / Pears- You could dice them up and put them on the bird table, but it is very effective to cut them in half and fix them to a tree (I spear them on to a spur of my dwarf apple tree.) You could simply place the halves face up on the bird table or if you are good at DIY, fix a skewer to your bird table. I find apples and pears are popular with blackbirds, starlings, blue tits, great tits and blackcaps.9/10

Bread -Wholemeal bread is much more suitable for birds than white. I give them the supermarkets own value / basics bread which is much cheaper.5/10

Please don’t forget in freezing temperatures to put out some fresh water for the birds to drink. The birds will appreciate what you put out for them and pretty soon you will have a variety of interesting and entertaining visitors flocking to your garden.

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