How to Prune Plants Correctly

Pruning refers to, cutting away the dead or over-grown parts of a plant. Pruning is necessary to help a plant produce maximum effects on flowering, making fruit etc. It will make the plant well-balanced and healthy.

Yet, you have to think before you go wild.
However, the following guidelines will point you in the correct direction.

• Correct Garden Tools
  
  It is a very wise investment to have the correct garden utensils instead of depending on the kitchen knife.
  
  
  • Secateurs
    
    
    For small gardens, a pair of secateurs (pruning clippers) will be enough. Yet, if you are growing relatively large plants, you may need some other equipment.
    
    
  • Pruning Knife
    
    
    This is helpful for light-pruning jobs
    
    
  • Shears
    
    
    These come in handy if you have large bushy plants that require regular pruning.
    
    
• Pruning Techniques

  • Foliage Plants
    
    
    
    Plants with more leaves need no further pruning once they are established. Cutting back maybe necessary during the early growing periods. Ideally, pruning foliage plants should be done during raining season.

  • Flowering Shrubs
    
    
    
    Many flowering shrubs have relatively compact bushy habit and require less-pruning. You just have to remove dead flowers and trim away any unwanted growth. The way how to prune is totally in your hands so, do it as you wish.
    

  • Climbers
    
    
    
    Pruning climbers varies according to varieties. Climbers that grow vigorously need effective pruning. Once the basic frame of the plant has been established, the vertical and lateral shoots of the plant must be pruned back about one-third.
    

• After care
  
  
  
  You must be ultra-careful as not to damage the plants while pruning. Handle the plants gently.
  
  If by any accident the plant is damaged, a wound-sealing substance can be used to protect the plant. But make certain to shield the wound from direct sunlight and excessive watering.

How to Purchase Plants in Bloom Wisely

Flowers are the focal point of a garden. Their color and scent are the aspects that attract us to the garden. It is an idea if you are buying the genuine plants, you must be careful.

Follow the following recommendations below when you are up to purchase flowers to your front yard.

• Don't be fooled by the flowers on display
  
  Many gardeners get carried away especially by the color and scent of plants. Shops also get prospective buyers by offering certain plants pride of place when they are in flower. You must be careful not to be guided by their display and end up with plants that are really not established enough to bloom.
  
  
  
  
• Never allow flowering plants to dry out
  
  
  
  Plants may take longer to establish and will need extra care especially if planted during dry time. Container grown shrubs and trees are best planted immediately after rainfall. Water your plants thoroughly before planting.
  
  
• Purchase only flowers which are container-grown
  
  
  
  Check and see whether they are pot-bound. With larger shrubs, remove them from pots and make certain that roots will not be disturbed on planting.
  
  Purchasing container-grown plants give you the best chance of keeping most of the flowers alive but remember that plants in containers dry out very fast, in hot dry whether.
  If can, sink the pots into wet soil to reduce the need for watering.
  
  
• Avoid Plants flowering out-of-season
  
  
  
  There are some flowers that start to grow when their needed conditions get fulfilled. But, it maybe an year or half an year. So, it's better not to purchase seasonal flowers.
  
  
• Look for over-priced purchases
  
  
  
  At peak selling time or when a plant has just been introduced, keep your eyes open for over pricing. On the contrary, you may buy those very cheap at a plant sale.
  
  
• Exact color of a plant
  
  
  
  "Pink roses and Red Hibiscus"
  
  These two flower plants tell how important the color of a plant is. If you want roses, try to get the exact color of the roses. Unlike some artificial transplanting, some plants are worth for their significant color.

How to Maintain a Pond

I have met so many people that love to have animals in there garden. But you can't make your garden a zoo, though. The best thing I suggest them is to develop a Fish Pond. This idea come along with so many benefits. Watching at a pond makes your eyes relax and makes you forget every obstacle in your life. It helps a lot to calm your mind down. And on the other hand, a fish pond makes your garden even more rich with splendor.

Let's check out how you're going to make your fish paradise.

• Hard-scape
  
  
  
  You can make your pond by digging a pit in a shady spot in your garden and fitting the pond in concrete or plastic.
  
  
• Ready-made Ponds
  
  
  
  Even though building a pond on your own gives you some fun, maybe you won't be able to build it your own due to your busy routine. There are already made ponds for you in your local plant nursery. Buy one and build the pond.
  
  
• Make a animal-friendly environment
  
  
  
  After finishing your work with the pond, put water and then put duck weed and few tadpoles to your pond. Then introduce your colorful fish to the pond. You can also put deep water plants, pebbles etc. That's all up to you; how to beautify your pond.
  
  Here are some water plants to try in your pond:
  
  • Iris laevigata (Japanese water iris) - grows in shallow water
  • Butomus umbellatus (Flowering rush) - has umbels of pink fragrant flowers
  • Nymphaea alba (White Waterlily) - for large ponds only
  • Nymphaea Pygmaea Helvola - good for smaller ponds
  
  
• Observe the pond for modifications 
  
  
  
  Once you have established a balanced bio diversity in your pond environment, the water SHOULD remain clean. After that, the pond doesn't need any further attention. However, certain changes in number of fish, tadpoles and water plants may affect the pond environment incalculably. And even a current of algal growth may result.
  
  
• Don't bother about Pests
  
  
  
  Pests are not a problem in ponds with fish. Because, the fish eat the insect in their very first stages. If aphids bother you, feel free to use a hose pipe to wash away them.
  
  
  
• Maintaining your Pond
  
  If your country has a continental climate, the best time to clean your pond is in late autumn when most of the creatures are less active. But in a tropical country, the climate doesn't affect much.
  
  
  • Drain the pond
    
    
    
    Use a pump for this. You can rent a pump from you nearby machinery shop for a day.
    
    
  • Removal of fish
    
    
    
    As the water level falls down, move the fish to a basin.
    
    
  • Call the smaller creatures
    
    
    
    Set the Decaying Plant Material on the side of the pond, so that any remaining small creature hiding away can find their way to the pond
    
    
  • Remove the silt from the base
    
    
    
    Do this while in the pond boundary and make sure to add back a little silt to the pond to help re-establish micro organisms.
    
    
  • Brush and Scrub
    
    
    
    Clean the pond base and liner, with a brush or a hose pipe and remove the dirty water out with a bucket.
    
    
  • Refill the pond
    
    
    
    After returning the saved silt, refill the pond with water (Rain water if possible). Then, position the pond plants.
    
    
  • Return the fish
    
    
    
    Finish by moving your fish and other creatures back to the pond.
    After cleaning a pond it may take few months to return to a balanced eco-system.

How to Water Your Garden Wisely

Water is a scarce and a precious resource. Even though everybody knows it, people use their domestic water to water their plants. Other than that, we can make our garden irrigation system more wisely.

Below are some basic tips for you to make your garden water wisely while still preserving its natural beauty.

• Harvest Rain water
  
  
  
  Simply, you can collect rain water in a tank, pool etc. In this way you won't use drinking water to water your plants again. You can collect rain water in a smaller scale if you are in an urban area.
  
  
• Use Drip Irrigation
  
  
  
  Always, water your plants at the roots. When you hose water, only about 2% actually reaches the roots. The rest is just wasted. Keep a stop to this and use water wisely.
  
  
• Hard-scape
  
  
  
  This is one of the best solutions for your garden irrigation system. You have already reduced your watering issues, then. Hard scape on lawn areas. Because, that soil supports storing water. When you hard scape, make sure the beauty doesn't fade away. You can even beatify the area with pebble stones, concrete steps, etc.
  
  
• How often to water?
  
  
  
  Observe watering times for effective plant growth. Through observations, stretch the intervals between watering. Early mornings and evenings will be the beneficial times to start your irrigation on.
  To observe how long you should keep watering, dig a hole to the root area of the plant and observe the moisture level. If the water doesn't go down further, stop!
  For better results, only water when plant leaves start to wilt.
  
  
  
• Try Shade Gardening
  
  
  
  Partly enclosed gardens sounds effective when it comes to preserving water. Because of the shade given, the soil hardly gets evaporated.
  
  
• Using Grey water
  
  
  
  Grey water refers to the water you get out of bathroom basins, showers, tubs, washing machines etc. It may contain dirt, food, grease and hair even. But, it is a beneficial source when it about irrigation. You can infiltrate grey water into ground but DON'T store grey water in tanks etc. That will be a terrible nightmare.
  
  
• Be the Gardener
  
  
  Just keep making your own creative ideas and you'll come up with a new gardening style. You may even marvel others and yourself by innovating aesthetic beauty that can even be a trend to others to follow.
  
  
• Irrigation Systems
  
  
  • Seek for advice
    
    
    
    The most efficient way to apply water is a well-designed and automated irrigation system. You can buy a DIY Irrigation kit and make your system your own. But it is necessary to take expert advice from professionals.
    
    
  • Using Space emitters
    
    
    
    This will help you to apply water to your crops evenly. But place emitters only where they are needed. Make sure they water only plants not your house or the pathway.
     
  • Partition of the Garden
    
    
    
    Divide your garden into different zones based on the garden size and flow rate, as vegetables, lawns, bushes etc.
    
    
  • Install a rain switch
    
    
    
    Rain switch will manage your automatic controllers. It is also beneficial to switch soil moisture sensors to automate the system.
    
    
  • Try a Tap timer
    
    
    
    Using a tap timer, you can control the time and amount of watering.
    
    
  • Check for faults regularly
    
    
    
    Every irrigation system have issues. So, the quicker they are pinpointed, the better. Observe the system and look for leaks, blocked nozzles in space emitters and plant growth that is blocking the irrigation system.
    
    
    

 WARNINGS!

• Don't mix different types of emitters on one planting scheme
• Don't put too many emitters so that insufficient water will make your garden, a mess.
• Don't put two few emitters on one line so that the existing emitters will work on high pressure.