Working with dahlias

Dahlias are among the most beautiful and most exotic residents of any garden. The large blooms of the dahlia are impossible to ignore, and they stand out in any garden in which they are planted. The sturdy, large blooms of the dahlia are available in a variety of colors, and in sizes ranging from as small as an inch to as large as a foot. In addition, the flowers themselves come in a variety of shapes. Some dahlia blooms are shaped like baseballs, while others curve back on themselves to where they nearly touch their stems. Dahlias are known as sun loving plants, and they definitely do better with sufficient sunlight. Gardeners recommend providing dahlias with at least a half day of sunlight every day. In addition, dahlias need enough water to thrive, and most varieties require from one to two inches of rain, from either rainfall or artificial watering, every week. In addition, dahlias need a good rich soil with plenty of organic material, a regular pruning schedule, a good insecticide to protect them from beetles and grasshoppers and possibly staking as the plants grow ever taller. In addition, dahlias should be fed with a quality low nitrogen fertilizer as needed. Dahlias are actually grown from a tuber, a bulb like structure, and dahlias are actually classified as bulb plants. It is best to plant dahlias near the beginning of June, and those dahlias will usually bloom around October. Dahlias can be planted earlier in the season as well, and those dahlias will provide late summer blossoms. Dahlias should be dug up after the first frost of the year. After being dug up, the dahlias should be divided and stored for the winter. Doing so will allow the gardener to replant the dahlia tuber the following year. Dahlias come in a great many varieties, but one of the most popular varieties is the David George. The David George variety of dahlia features a bloom of deep red color and medium size. Other popular dahlia varieties include the Bonaventure, featuring large bronze colored flowers, and the Allie Yellow, with features a tiny yellow bloom. In addition to staples like orchids and roses, dahlias are often seen at flower shows, and many gardeners grow dahlias purely for these competitions. A prize dahlia can certainly be the star of any flower show, due to their striking beauty and large size.

It's time to Divide Chrysanthemums and discard old woody central parts. Protect pansies, phlox and other preferred rabbit food with dried blood or a commercial repellent. Disbud peonies for largest terminal bloom. Support peonies with grow-through types of supports. Wait at last two more weeks before setting out dahlias, tuberous begonias, caladiums.

Benefits of Organic Gardening

If you are a person who is interested in reaping the benefits of organic gardening, you may be wondering where you can turn for helpful and reliable resources and information pertaining to organic gardening practices. As with so many things in the 21st century, the Internet and World Wide Web has become a wonderful resource and source of information for men and women interested in organic gardening in this day and age. There are a growing number of websites on the Net that deal with organic gardening. For example, there are organic gardening coops that maintain websites that provide a whole host of information on organic gardening. In addition to organic gardening and organic food coops, companies that market products for organic gardeners oftentimes now maintain very user friendly websites on the Net. These sites provide information and also include the ability through which you can purchase product to meet your own organic gardening needs. Some colleges and universities now maintain website venues through which you can access information about different types of gardening practices, including organic gardening. These websites can very helpful to a person who is looking for information about organic gardening. There are now enterprises on the Net that publish in cyberspace magazines that deal with organic gardening. By subscribing to these publications, you can have delivered through email organic gardening magazines that can keep you abreast of the very latest developments when it comes to organic gardening in this day and age. These magazines strive to give you the very latest information about organic gardening practices from around the world. In short, these can be very vital resources to a person interested in organic gardening in today's world. There are also organizations that you can join in cyberspace. Through these organizations you can further your own self education about organic gardening. In addition, you can share information with like minded gardeners, with other men and women who are interested in organic gardening practices. Finally, in association with these organization, there are websites that offer community forums and bulletin boards. Through these services, you can link up with other men and women around the world who are involved in organic gardening. In so many ways, the best ways to learn about organic gardening is to share experiences with other organic gardeners from different parts of the globe. About the author: Jena Luthowski writes about Graden Coupons,Save on Gardenning and A pricots

Garden Design Software

How were those tomatoes looking this season? Were your green peppers and radishes up to par? When it comes to our personal gardens, we like to work with a little concept called perfection, at least I do. I can't help it. It's just an innate quality we've all been afflicted with since the beginning of time. Okay, so maybe I just made that up. Anyway, the point is we love our gardens, and that's why we prefer to go to great lengths to keep them looking wonderful and producing perfect vegetables and flowers. After all, that's why we have them in the first place. We don't want that nasty, pesticide-coated produce from the local grocery store. However, not all of us know the absolute best and most efficient way to start a garden. Keeping these small patches of dirt in order can be a tad more difficult than it sounds. Fortunately now days you don't have to be a landscaping expert or work in a greenhouse in order to acquire an ideal garden of your own. All you need in a personal computer and some garden design software. Now, who's got the hoe?

Fall composting in the garden

Fall composting in the garden- Leaves, grass clippings great additions to a compost pile By RICHARD POFFENBAUGH News Journal columnist Compost is to fertile soil as clean air is to healthy lungs. Both are vital to our survival. Composting is a process in which bacteria and fungi break down organic matter into humus -- the black crumbly material that improves soil structure. There is no substitute for generous amounts of organic matter in soil for the growth of healthy plants. Generally, it takes a year to produce compost. The process can be speeded up if selected materials are included in the pile. Over the many years I have combined grass clippings (pesticide-free) with shredded leaves as an excellent base for compost. The nitrogen in the clippings gives the compost pile a kick-start to generate heat for the composting process. Keeping the pile moist and turned every week or two will add to quicker break-down of plant material. Urban gardeners lack access to cow or horse manure. Compost from leaves and other plant matter offers an effective substitute. If added to a garden each year, the soil will become fertile, loose and receptive to root growth. The better the soil, the better the roots and more productive a plant. It's that simple! My garlic and sweet onion plants are planted in the same general area each year. It works well without rotation. These two crops are not eaten by deer and thus don't take up valuable space in my fenced-in garden. These are deer-proof vegetables. But each year a generous amount of compost is worked into the onion/garlic patch. This is done in the fall just before garlic is planted (this week). As a result, the soil is loose, fertile and easy to work without tilling. The compost does wonders for the production of these two crops. If you don't have a shredder to chop up the leaves, a rotary mower can be used as a shredder. For a finer product, mow over the leaves once. Then attach a bag to a mower and mow over the leaves again. The bag will accumulate leaves that have been chopped up twice. These will be ideal small-size particles to add to the compost pile. Some do's and don'ts for composting: DO recycle fallen leaves and other plant refuse into compost. It's a cycle that occurs naturally in woodlands and forests. DO start or add to a compost pile each fall. This provides a continual supply of organic matter for soil enrichment. DO make the compost pile at least 4 feet tall and wide, a 4 foot cube. If smaller, the material loses heat and won't heat up properly. DO locate a pile so it is convenient to water and turn the material over. DO begin the pile on soil with a layer of coarse material like corn stalks or other tough stems. This allows some air to enter from the bottom. DO create the pile like a sandwich. A layer should be at least 4 inches thick with a one-inch layer of soil between each two layers. Pest-free grass clippings combined with shredded leaves provides nitrogen and heat that will begin the decomposition process. DO chop or shred leaves, stems and other plant materials to increase their surface area. This will increase the rate of decomposition. DO add several shovels of finished compost to a new pile and mix thoroughly. This will introduce microorganisms to the new material. DON'T add these items to a compost pile: charcoal, meat or dairy materials, fish scraps, bones or fat, pet droppings, pesticide-treated grass clippings of other treated materials; or any materials that will attract rats, dogs, raccoons, skunks or other animals. DON'T compost diseased plant materials. While some pathogens may be destroyed due to heat inside the pile, odds are some will survive and be carried over from year to year. DON'T compost weeds that have seed heads. Seeds are survivors and likely will produce more weeds when the compost is spread over a garden area. DON'T add materials such as poison ivy or black walnut plant residue. This is a case where avoidance is the best protection against carryover of unfavorable chemicals. DON'T worry if you don't have a composting bin or enclosure. All it takes is a pile in a sunny location with a mixture of shredded materials and kept evenly moist. DON'T layer a pile higher than 5 feet. A tall pile is awkward to turn and the organic matter becomes compacted with poor aeration.

Backyard Leaf Composting

Fall is coming and so do the leaves. One alternative for dealing with leaves is backyard composting. Leaves may be composted by piling them in a heap. Locate the pile where drainage is adequate and there is no standing water. The composting pile should be damp enough that when a sample taken from the interior is squeezed by hand a few drops of water will appear. A shaded area will...

Spring Bulbs

Spring Bulbs Expand your bulb plantings with blooms other than the usual tulips and daffodils. Winter aconite, for instance, blooms faithfully by Valentine's Day in the coastal area; snow drops often flower even earlier. Scillas are commonly found in spring gardens in many forms, the most common are not hardy but are great for forcing. One is Ornithogalum dubium, first cousin to star of Bethlehem, which has bright yellow or orange flowers with a black eye. It can produce up to 25 flowers per stem. The other is Veltheimiak called winter red hot poker, with foot-high stems topped with clusters of drooping tubular flowers. This oine will thrive in an east window and flowers in late winter or early spring. Plant fall-flowering bulbs on arrival Order minor spring-flowering bulbs for September planting Order daffodil bulbs for October planting, tulips for November planting

Container Recipe for Sun

For hot, sunny spots, try this creative combination of drought-tolerant annuals and perennials that stand up to the hear.

1. Purple fan flower-Grows 14 inches tall, 20 inches wide.
2. Toothache plant-Grows 12 inches tall, 30 inches wide.
3. Golden dewdrop-Grows 24 inches tall, 24 inches wide.
4. Tricolor sage-Grows 24 inches tall, 30 inches wide.

Tip-Clustering containers filled with both blooms and foliage helps keep the arrangement beautiful throughout the season. If the flowers fade or need a rest before the next wave of blooms, the foliage will keep the composition lively. Purple sage and golden dewdrop are beautiful foliage companions to the yellow blooms of the toothache plant and the long blooming, heat-loving flowers of New Wonder Fan Flower.

Compost pen to make

Compost pen to make

A 10' length of 4' wide welded wire fencing forms a circular compost pen slightly larger than 3' in diameter. Fasten the ends of the fencing together with wire or reusable clips. Turn the compost by unfastening the fencing and setting up the pen next to the freestanding pile; turn into the now-empty pen. To direct moisture into the center of your compost pile, drive a pole or length of pipe into the ground in the center of your pen so that it extends slightly above the top edge of the pen and your compost.

myorganicflower

Barrel Composters

Barrel Composters

If you have a small space you can compost in a garbage can or a steel drum. If you don't generate large quantities of compost materials you can just use a bigger bin. Either galvanized metal or heavey duty polyethylene cans will work. I prefer the polyethylene ones with a locking lid for this purpose. Always be sure to secure your lids with a strap of some kind.

Punch or drill 1/4 inch holes in the bottom, sides, and lid of drainage and aeration. Be sure to set the can up on bricks or concrete blocks so that it will drain properly. As you fill the bin, cover each layer of materials with a layer of soil or brown materials. To preven odors, stir the material once in a while, as barrel compost bins receive less natural aeration than other types of bins.