Garden Plants Information

Shrubs to be transplanted from a natural stand or from one part of a yard or garden to another are most safely taken with a ball of earth on the roots. The size of the ball will vary with the size of the plant.

The average shrub should be transplanted with a ball of earth about one half the spread of the branches. This is simple enough for plants growing in a clay or clay loam soil.

Shrubs growing in a sandy or gravelly soil are more difficult to move with a ball of earth than are those grown in clay or clay loam because the soil will fall away from the roots as the plant is dug. However, plants growing in light soils can be more easily dug with a large root system.

A pick is used to comb the roots, thus saving a large portion of the root system. A shovel may also be useful to remove loose soil, but care must be taken not to cut or damage the roots.

If this work is done during a cloudy day, or during a rain, the roots will not dry out while the plant is being moved. If the shrubs must be moved on a sunny day, the soil should be puddled around the roots so the small roots will be covered with this mud. This precaution should be supplemented by covering the roots with wet burlap to protect them from the sun and wind.

Any plant should be planted in the new location as soon as possible. As with any plant transplant, take care to minimize the “shock” to the plant. Avoid cutting roots or breaking branches as much as possible.

Elizabeth Passage has a lifelong passion for, and extensive experience in, the garden gift, landscaping, garden decor, garden design industries. http://www.merchantspassage.com/garden-wall.html

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Save yourself time and frustration by avoiding these mistakes and your vegetable garden will be a success season after season.

1. Don’t plant in too small of a space- make sure the area you are using is large enough for all your vegetable plants. For years, I kept making the mistake of buying too many plants for too small a space. Or, there would be more plants in the pack than I could use, but I was determined not to throw anything away. One year the cucumbers overtook the tomatoes and caused them to die. Another year I planted watermelons that wrapped themselves around the other plants until they choked the life out of them.

2. Don’t plant more than you can care for. Unless you have a lot of time every day to work on your garden, limit your choices to two or three vegetables you want to work with and what you’ll look forward to eating freshly picked from your garden.There’s nothing like a home grown tomato sliced up with mayo between two pieces of toast. I plant at least two varieties of tomatoes so they won’t all be ready at the same time and I can enjoy them for months.

3. Don’t plant where the light is bad- make sure your garden is in full sun at least six hours of the day. As the trees in your yard grow every year, the shade they provide changes as well, and eventually they might block the sun your plants so desperately need. One year I planted too close to my wooden fence, and didn’t realize that this spot got sun for only an hour every day. My plants never grew well and I wound up having a disappointing growing season that year.

4. Don’t forget your garden- plant your vegetables where you can see them from your kitchen or deck. Not only will this remind you to water on those days it doesn’t rain, but you can see the results of your labor every day. You’ll notice how tall the plants are getting; see that first vegetable that’s ready for picking, and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment as your garden changes from week to week. Plus when you have company over, they can see the ‘fruits of your labor’ for themselves!

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Growing your own herb garden can be rewarding in many ways. You can enjoy the relaxation of gardening and reap the various benefits of what you grow. The problem is, many people simply don’t know how, or fear that it entails too much work or expense. In this article, I will guide you, step-by-step, through the process of easily and inexpensively growing your own herbs.

Early in the Spring, or even late in Winter, take some time to decide what your own needs are. Do you want herbs purely for medicinal purposes, craft uses, or are you more interested in cooking with the fruits of your labor? With pen in hand and a small notebook, make a list of the herbs you would like to grow. You may want to go through a book such as “Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Herbs.”

After you’ve made a list, see if you can determine what herbs will grow in your area. Many of the more common herbs, such as basil or sage, will grow just about anywhere, but there’s always a chance you chose a plant that just cannot thrive in your climate or “zone.” Check in books, look at seed packets, call local nurseries, or check with your local County Extension service if you can’t find the information anywhere else.

Going through catalogs is also a fun way to plan and learn. I know many people who love looking through their catalogs throughout the year; they dream of the green, fertile garden they’ll have in the Spring. It also seems to bring a touch of warmth to the cold days of late Winter when we’re all getting cabin fever and longing for the sun. Some good catalogs to send for come from:

Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Co.

110 Capital Street

Yankton, SD 57079

W. Atlee Burpee Co.

300 Park Ave.

Warminster, PA 18974

George W. Park Seed Co.

P.O. Box 31

Greenwood, SC 29647

Nichols Garden Nursery

1190 North Pacific Highway

Albany, Oregon 97321-4580

Richters Herbs

Goodwood LOC 1A0

Ontario, Canada

All this brings us to another consideration — where to grow your herbs. Are you ready to invest the time necessary to have an outdoor herb garden, or would you rather grow a few choice plants indoors? If you choose to have a mini-garden indoors, a warm window with good Southern exposure is a good choice, and you might even consider installing a special plant window for this purpose. There are plant windows available at larger hardware stores for around $200 - 400 and they are easy to install.

In Part 2 - Set it up and plant it!

Melinda Robinson is controlling partnerin Rodeo City Technology Group, a Texas-based company that offers TMS (Total Marketing Solutions) — including custom content creation — that fit your business and bring maximum ROI.
http://www.rodeocitytech.com

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