Gardening advice: growing broadbean plants?

Dogface asks: Gardening advice: growing broadbean plants?
I planted 3 seeds about two weeks ago but only 2 germinated they seem to be growing well but now theyve got small black patches on their leaves and theyre kind of curling up and going crinkly what is this? is it some sort of plant disease?? can i do anything about it??? Also what are the best conditions to be growing them in cos at the moment theyre in a small glass jar indoors but really theyre getting too big for it already. I dont know all that much about growing plants at all so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!(:

The answer voted best is:

Answer by nlmelley
It’s completely normal that 2 out of 3 seeds sprouted. Many people plant more than they need for this reason. It sounds like you have a fungal problem which is common when seeding things indoors. Broad beans (unlike some plants like tomatoes and peppers) are pretty easy to start directly in the ground and they actually like cooler weather. If you can, I would recommend just planting them right into a garden.

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Growing Bell Peppers?

KeitHxS asks: Growing Bell Peppers?
This is my first time to grow bell peppers and garden in general. I have a 7′x10′ garden about 3-4 inches raised. I live in North Texas and we are done with the frost having a range of temperature about 50-85 degrees right now.

I bought the plant that had already sprouted and had leaves. I planted almost 3 week ago now. The leaves keep getting holes in them and now darker spots have formed where the leaves connect to the stem, is this normal? I have sprayed with an organic pest killer for gardens also. The plant seems to still be growing okay though. I also have Jalapenos and cucumbers, but their leaves have gone untouched.

Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

The answer voted best is:

Answer by W
The holes in the leaves are caused by some sort of pest like aphids. As long as there aren’t a bunch of holes in each leaf, you’ll probably be ok. Not sure about the dark spots near the stem. You likely solved the problem by spraying. As long as the plant doesn’t turn brown or wilt, it should continue to grow well.

The following link has lots of info about planting, watering, fertilizing and harvesting sweet and hot peppers. Good luck!

http://www.backyard-vegetable-gardening.com/growing-peppers.html

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Vegetable Garden Planning ? Important Tips for Growing Your Own Vegetables

Vegetable Garden Planning ? Important Tips for Growing Your Own Vegetables

It is always a good idea to start a new project with a clear plan in mind. Work out a vegetable garden plan based on the desired outcome that you want. Consider your family size and then work on the assumption that roughly 100 square meters is needed to feed a family of four all through the year. Next consider the climatic conditions where you live; if it is cold you cannot grow vegetables all year round. In this case the garden you plan will need to be bigger so you can grow extra vegetables.

 

When planning a vegetable garden the climate is usually divided into cold, temperate and tropical. You will need to do some research on the type of climatic conditions that prevail in your part of the world and the vegetables that will thrive in this climate. This is the best way to plan a garden for growing vegetables. Once you have a plan and know what vegetables to grow and how to lay out the garden you can move on to the next part of the plan.

 

Identify a good store for your seeds and order them well before planting time so that you are ready for the growing season when it starts. You can choose to go with organic gardening methods which mean germinating the seeds separately and then planting them as seedlings. If you have big plantings on your list, stagger the seed germination so that you don’t end up with all of them maturing at the same time.

 

Next you have to focus on the planting plan, what vegetables to grow where in your garden. Each plant has different needs and you will have to take that into consideration when you plan your vegetable garden. Plants that thrive in cooler climes and can withstand frost include cauliflower, turnips, brussels sprouts, broccoli, snow peas and onions.

 

Vegetables that include carrots, parsnips, leeks, lettuces, celery and cabbages need a temperate climate. If you try growing them out of season you could very well end up with nothing for your table.

 

The warm season vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, corn and capsicums will not survive frost and will die. The majority of their growth should be in months which enjoy warm weather.

 

You should do your own research and decide on what exactly you want to grow and when. Don’t let nurseries talk you into buying seeds that will not produce anything because it is the wrong time of year to be planting them.

 

Keep the following gardening tips in mind when you plan your vegetable garden.

 

Cold winds stunt the growth of your plants and hot winds dry out the soil and harm the plants; extra strong winds will break the plants. You may need to prepare a lattice windbreak to protect the plants.

 

Where you locate your garden is important, it needs at least 5 hours of sunshine daily and that’s direct sunlight mind you.

Taller plants should not be positioned where they will block the sunlight for smaller plants. Before you start planting it may not be a bad idea to track the path of the sun through your garden first.

 

Set up your compost pile and keep topping it up, it’s the best way to fertilize your garden naturally. Plant rotation is good because it does not give the pests much chance to attack the garden.



4 Tomato Growing Tips To Think About When Asking, “when Should I Plant Tomatoes?”

4 Tomato Growing Tips To Think About When Asking, “when Should I Plant Tomatoes?”

Luckily most garden centers are a lot better than the retail stores and s you will not find tomato plants out for sale in the middle of winter. Other tomato gardening supplies and seed packs will be out as soon as all the red Valentine’s Day stock is taken down. The question always seems to be , “When should I plant tomatoes?” You will find that after reading tomato gardening tips in your gardening books and what you find online, it really boils down to 4 basic things.

4 questions and growing tomato gardening tips and suggestions for, “When should I plant tomatoes? “:

If you are lucky enough to live in a year round growing season, it doesn’t matter! You can easily stagger your tomato planting so that you will have new fresh plants replacing the old ones. Juicy tomatoes all year is a luxury to appreciate! For the rest of the people, you can plant when the danger of frost has past. Some places that will mean early spring, others in May or early June. Your garden center will have a chart to use as a guide. If you watch the weather carefully, you can plant a few weeks before that date.

Heavy, clumpy soil will simply not work with tomatoes. You need to cultivate the dirt each year by turning it over, raking, working in compost and fertilizers, and get it nice and loose. You also should not plant your tomatoes in the same place they were last year. Fresh nutrients in the soil are as important as the texture.

The optimum situation for planting tomatoes is two to three days after it rains. The soil will be nice and moist, but not clumpy, and it will be easy to work with, A hot and dry spring will mean you need to gently soak the dirt with a sprinkler for several hours the day before you plant.. Other tomato gardening tips for planting will tell you not to transplant in the hot sun. Seeds love the hot sun, but not plants.. The sun will cause the plants to wilt. If you plant in late afternoon at least give it overnight to adjust or devise some kind of temporary shade for a day or two.

Busy people who are working or have lots of commitments will often just have to do it when they have the time. It is a good idea to have a Plan A and alternate Plan B for when the weather does not cooperate with your schedule. Get the plants ahead of time, keep them watered and in the shade, so they will be ready when you are..

When should I plant tomatoes? Follow these four planting tomato gardening tips and suggestions and you should have a good tomato growing season.

5 Tips In Growing Tomato Plants

5 Tips In Growing Tomato Plants

Growing tomato plants is an enjoyable and worthwhile experience that will give you a good gardening experience. It will also provide you fresh tomatoes whenever you need it. There are many health benefits that you can get from tomatoes especially if it comes right from your own .garden. Tomatoes are grown differently. Some tomato suppliers use organic fertilizers on their tomato but there are also those that use fertilizers laden with chemicals that are harmful to your body. Therefore, having a tomato garden in your home will give you assurance that your tomatoes are organic and fresh.

The challenge in having a tomato garden is not in growing it. Tomatoes are resilient plants which can basically grow in any climate and soil type. What is difficult however is choosing the right tomato variety to plant since there are hundreds of varieties that you can choose from. Here’s how you can make things easy.

1. Choose a determinate variety of tomato. Determinate tomatoes require less maintenance such as pruning or staking. They also require less space in your garden plot. This means that you will be able to plant more tomatoes in a single plot using a determinate variety rather than the indeterminate variety.

2. There are many hybrid tomatoes that you can purchase at your local garden depot. These hybrid tomato varieties are easy to grow and are inherently resistant to various diseases. Although some do not like hybrid tomatoes because of its bland taste, there are pure strain hybrids that taste as good as natural tomatoes.

3. Plant tomatoes seedlings instead of saplings. This will give you the experience in dealing with the various problems related to having a tomato garden. These seedlings are available in your local nursery. The local nursery can also advice you on which variety is best for your garden and how to grow them. You can also get essential gardening tips from the experts at your local garden center such as tips that can help you minimize plant deterioration and maximize growth.

4. Start small. Instead of putting up a gardening plot, plant your tomatoes in containers first. This way you can plant more than one variety and organize each variety easily. You can use various soil types that are ideal for each tomato variety you are planting. You can also easily transfer the pots or containers to expose your tomatoes to sunlight if needed. When choosing a container, just make sure it is big enough to accommodate the growth of the tomatoes.

5. Do not just use any fertilizer, use organizer fertilizers. Tomatoes that are grown using organic fertilizers are known to have a longer shelf life, healthier and tastes better than those who are grown in an inorganic way.

Following the 5 tips above will help you have fresh and healthy tomatoes in your own backyard in no time.

Great Gardening Tips to Get Your Garden Growing

Great Gardening Tips to Get Your Garden Growing

Gardening is a rare activity that offers a combination of enjoyment and reward. No matter where you live, there is some type of garden you can start, even if it’s a very small indoor one. All you need is a little bit of land to have some sort of vegetable or flower garden. These great tips will help you make the most of your garden no matter what or where it is.

 

An easy place to begin is choosing what vegetables you want to grow in your garden and planting them to enhance your health and mealtimes. You can also save money by consuming your own vegetables rather than having to buy them at the store. These are some simple reasons why starting this type of garden is a great way to begin. Finding seeds for your vegetables that you would like to grow is as easy as shopping downtown and picking them up. Choosing from a variety of nutritious vegetables such as corn, yellow peppers, and rutabagas, you can grow what you like. Sunlight is an important factor in a successful garden so plant where sunshine is unobstructed. If you do a lot of cooking on your own, plant near your house adjacent to the kitchen for easy access. While you can use your own soil, and enhance it with fertilizer, when you start out as a gardener you may want to choose the option of buying commercially made soil. This is much easier than trying to fertilize and adjust the soil on your own. Don’t forget to ask the helpful staff at your local gardening supply store what specific type of soil you need for the plants you plan to include in your garden. Planting in your own soil is possible but it can have a negative impact on the health and beauty of your plants. Beginning the process with the appropriate soil is one less concern you’ll have to face.

 

During the long cold months of winter you can continue growing plants indoors that would not appreciate the weather outside. This can be the safest way to start your garden, in fact, as that way you can grow seedlings in a sheltered environment before planting them outdoors. When you plant them outside and a late frost occurs your seedlings are particularly vulnerable. Don’t begin planting outside until you’ve helped them sprout off to a great start first. Now that you know a bit more information on gardening, it is time to choose the right location for your garden and determine what vegetables you want to grow. Understanding the type of climate that your vegetables will do well in is essential before making a purchase. Be prepared to spend a long time and be very committed to your garden to make sure that all of your plants and vegetables grow properly.

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Expert Gardening Tips For Growing Your Own Herbs

Expert Gardening Tips For Growing Your Own Herbs

Supermarket herbs

Many common kitchen herbs are now available from supermarkets as potted plants, but they can be tricky to keep going. However, the majority of these, such as basil, coriander and parsley, are actually a collection of seedlings crammed into the pot rather than a single established plant. You can use this to your advantage and it can be an easy, convenient way to get a lot of herb plants. Just separate the individual seedlings, and re-pot separately.

Growing from seed is the cheapest method for annual herbs. Cut parsley, coriander and chives to within 5cm of the base before re-potting, and separate the individual plantlets and re-pot each one in its own container. Take care when dividing coriander, parsley and basil, as they all resent having their roots disturbed. If basil has become leggy, you can re-plant it more deeply to encourage stronger growth.

How to grow basil

You can start sowing basil towards the end of March in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill. It’s very sensitive to cold and will blacken at the slightest hint of frost, so make sure your early sowings are protected. Once the young plants reach about 15cm tall, remove the shoot tip to encourage more leafy growth and a bushier plant. When the warmth of June arrives, you can sow another batch outside and move any indoor plants outside to the patio. Make a final sowing in August to give you fresh basil into autumn.

Alternatively, you can buy basil in posts from the supermarket or garden centre. Look for bushy plants with lots of side-shoots and no sign of flowering. You can then make more plants by taking cuttings.

Keep your basil in the sunniest spot that you can find – preferably a south-facing windowsill or patio, once there’s no risk of frost. Water sparingly and remove flower spikes – if these are allowed to mature, your plants will stop growing new leaves.

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Pick individual leaves from the top of the plant and feed with a liquid fertiliser afterwards. Then leave it to grow again. If you find that you have a bumper crop at the end of summer, pick the lot and make it into pesto. It freezes really well if you leave out the parmesan, which can be added before use.

Recommended varieties of basil

Sweet basil, often sold as ‘Sweet Genovese’ has the classic basil taste. Greek basil is compact and bushy with tiny leaves, so there’s no need to chop them before cooking. ‘Green Ruffles’ has the classic basil flavour with a crinkly leaf texture, while ‘Thai basil’ is spicy and hot.

‘Cinnamon basil’ has a flavour rather like aniseed sweets, or for a fresh lemony tang try ‘Mrs Burns’ Lemon’. For ornamental use in window boxes or edging beds, try ‘Purple Ruffles’ for its crinkly purple leaves.

How to grow coriander

Coriander doesn’t like being moved, so it’s best sown where you want it to grow, either in the ground or in large pots. Sow in late spring or early summer, and in August sow some more in pots on the windowsill for a supply during autumn and winter. Well-drained soil in a sunny spot is essential for growing coriander, and if you’re growing it indoors on a windowsill, give it plenty of light and don’t over water.

Coriander is annoyingly quick to flower and set seed before it has produced much leaf, so it’s best to sow little and often. Watch out for fine, feathery leaves – a sure sign the plants are about to flower.

Keep picking mature leaves as and when you need them. Regular cropping should delay flowering, but once the plants do flower, allow them to set seed. The seed is ripe when it stops smelling unpleasant. Collect it and use in cooking, keeping some to sow for another crop.

Recommended varieties of coriander

If you want the leaves choose ‘Cilantro’ and ‘Leisure’, which are slow to form seeds. If it’s seed you’re after, go for Moroccan coriander.

How to grow rosemary

Rosemary is widely available as established plants in garden centres for planting in spring. For more plants, take cuttings from young shoots in spring or summer. Rosemary is slightly tender and needs a sunny, sheltered position in well-drained soil; it does well in chalky soils. If you are growing it in a container, add some grit to the compost to aid drainage and don’t over water. After flowering in March, trim into shape and feed.

You can pick leaves from this evergreen all year round. It’s a good idea to dry some leaves at the end of summer if you want to use lots of rosemary over the winter, or add a sprig to olive oil for salad dressings.

Recommended varieties of rosemary

The Common rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is the hardiest form and most used in cooking. ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’ is a more vigorous and upright variety and makes a good focal point in a herb bed. The Prostratus Group are low-growing forms ideal for the top of a wall or rock garden. Corsican rosemary has a more pungent scent.

Hydroponics gardening guide -introduction to growing mediums and hydroponic supplies used in hydroponics

Hydroponics gardening guide -introduction to growing mediums and hydroponic supplies used in hydroponics

Growing medium is any medium, in which a plant can grow. Generally, hundreds of multiple types of growing medium exist: some are manmade and some are organic. Sometimes, even old AIR can work as a good growing medium for roots.

 

Defining the best growing medium is pretty challenging and disputable. It is a matter of personal likes, preferences and exact growing needs or requirements in most cases. It is like choosing a car: everyone picks the one, which suits his/her personal likes and requirements: someone chooses a small economic car for city traffic, and someone prefers powerful SUV to conquer sand and morass. Just like choosing a car depends on many factors, while choosing a growing medium it is also necessary to consider many variables, for example, what type of system is used, what plants you are going to grow and under what environmental conditions. Though there are a great variety of factors to consider while choosing a particular growing medium, it often comes to price, availability and personal preferences. 

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The most common types of growing mediums as well the description of their key advantages, disadvantages, their basic characteristics and tips on general use are specified below.

 

Oasis cubes

 Expanded Clay Pellets

 Rockwool

 

Coconut Fiber

 Sand

 Gravel

 

Perlite

 Sphagnum Moss

 Water

 

Vermiculite

 Fiberglass Insulation

 Saw Dust

 

Soilless Mix(s)

 Air

 Lava Rock

Oasis cubes

Oasis cubes are lightweight cubes, which serves the best for plants propagation from seeds or cuttings. Pre-formed oasis cubes are commonly used by hydroponic gardeners. This type of growing medium features neutral pH level and can hold water very well.

Since oasis cubes are usually used at the first stages of plant growth, they are usually not larger than 2” x 2” inches in size. It is very easy to transplant such cubes into any type of hydroponic system, growing medium or even into the soil. 

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Hydroponics gardening guide – growing mediums used in hydroponics – Soil less Mixtures and Coconut Fiber

Hydroponics gardening guide – growing mediums used in hydroponics – Soil less Mixtures and Coconut Fiber

Soil less Mixtures

There is a great amount of soil less mixtures available, which contain different ingredients. Sphagnum moss, perlite, and vermiculite are the most widely spread hydroponics components, used in such mixtures.

Being organic, soil less growing media are usually used for container gardening wick systems or on-recovery drip systems. It is also possible to use soil less mixtures in recovery systems, however, it is necessary to remember that because of very fine particles in such mixtures, they can clog tubes, pumps and drip emitters, when used without a good filtration system. By the way, according to the urban gardeners, one can use panty hose as a filter: just fit it to the return line and to the pump inlet, and all the tiny particles will be filtered out.

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Most soil less mixes form a good growing medium for multiple hydroponic and organic gardens, because they can hold water well, have great wicking action, and, at the same time, they provide a reasonable amount of air to the roots of growing plants.

 

Coconut Fiber

The popularity of coconut fiber as growing medium increases rapidly around the world. Being the first totally organic growing medium, providing highest performance for hydroponic systems, coconut fiber may soon become the most popular growing medium ever. It is interesting to note that coconut fiber is, actually, a waste product, which contains the powdered husks of coconuts.

In comparison to rockwool, coconut fiber is characterized with higher oxygen capacity and water retaining. These features are important advantages for hydroponic systems with intermittent watering cycles.

Coconut fiber also contains a lot of root stimulating hormones, thus offering some protection against fungus infestation and other root diseases. The mixture of 50% coconut fiber and 50% expanded clay pellets is considered to be the perfect growing medium.

However, it is necessary to underline one precaution when buying coconut fiber. Avoid purchasing a low grade coconut fiber, which is very fine grained and contains a high level of sea-salts. Such coconut fiber will have negative and disappointing effect on hydroponic system.

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Hydroponics gardening guide – growing mediums used in hydroponics – HOW TO USE ROCKWOOL

Hydroponics gardening guide – growing mediums used in hydroponics – HOW TO USE ROCKWOOL

The most widely-spread growing medium is, perhaps, rockwool. Originally used for insulation purposes and also known as mineral insulation, rockwool was first used as growing medium by Dane gardeners. Now, it is frequently used for drip-style indoor gardens around the globe.

Rockwool is produced by a process similar to making cotton candy: a particular mixture of sand and rock is melted and then turned into fibers by spinning the mixture to form products of multiple shapes and dimensions, from 1″ starter cubes and up to large slabs of  3″x12″x36″ in size. The variety of available forms and sizes turns rockwool into one of the most widely-used growing mediums.

Key advantages, as well as disadvantages, of this popular growing medium are listed below.

Rockwool’s Strong Points

HOLDING WATeR – rockwool as a growing medium in hydroponics systems is capable of holding a large amount of water. This creates an additional protection for situations, when water is not supplied because of power outages or failures in pumping or other gardening equipment.

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ACCUMULATING AIR – up to 18 % of air are constantly kept by rockwool. Due to this capability, there is a very little risk to over water rockwool; besides, the plants are always supplied with enough amount of oxygen.

MULTIPLE SHAPES AND SIZES AVAILABLE – whether it is a small 1″ cube for seeds propagation or a large 3x12x36 inches slab for huge plant, rockwool offers a wide variety of shapes and sizes to choose from. Besides, loose rockwool is also available, designed for filling different plant containers.

NO DUST AND EASY TO USE – since rockwool maintains its form almost perfectly, it cannot be scattered accidentally. Besides, usually packed into plastic rockwool is a very clean material that is easy and comfortable to work with.

Rockwool’s Weak Points

NOT A “GREEN” MATERIAL – rockwool is claimed to be not environment-friendly material, because of its almost indefinite time of breakdown.

HEALTH HAZARDS – rockwool particles and fibers pose serious health danger, especially for human lungs. That is why it is necessary to wear a protective dust mask, while working with rockwoll.

pH PROBLEMS – because of rockwool’s high pH level, it is necessary to balance pH level in the nutrient solution properly and make it suitable for the plants, you are growing. In general, the use of rockwool requires more routine work to keep pH level of your nutrient solution at steady level.

LONG PRE-SOAK PERIOD – before rockwool can be used in the hydroponic system, it should be soaked for at least 24 hours beforehand. Other growing media usually do not require pre-soaking, it is enough just to well-water them.

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