Ask The Plant Lady

Posts Tagged ‘Herbs’

Many people stick a fake tree in a corner, dust the leaves off every week, and call it indoor container gardening, but indoor container gardening has grown into much more than that lately. There are people who only plant indoors, and guess what – they make it work. Yet there are many great reasons to start an indoor garden. One I can immediately think of is the weather. It might always be cold where you live. Another is that plants don’t only remove carbon dioxide from the air; they also remove many poisonous toxins and pollutants as well. So you get the benefit of indoor beauty and cleaner air.

When picking out plants for indoor container gardening, make sure the plants are adaptable and will be able to thrive in the conditions and setting in your house. Consider how much time you will be able to spend caring for the plants, how much light your house offers, and how much money you want to spend on your indoor garden. If you are short on money, then start small and use seeds or cuttings from a neighbor. If you have, some extra cash in your budget buy a plant that is grown. Also, consider whether or not you want your plant to be on display all year or for specific seasons. Herb gardens are a good thing for indoor container gardening; they are both attractive and edible. They will grow pretty quick and you won’t have to wait a long time to see results. Clearly, some very popular herbs, especially for cooking up recipes, are dill, chives, thyme, sage, and gold old oregano.

When indoor container gardening, consider the amount of experience you have before choosing a plant. Hmmm, how many have you killed versus how many have you saved? Some plants take a lot more abuse that others and you just can’t kill the darn things off. This is good if you are a beginner or just have a “dead thumb”. You might want to choose something like Coleus, Bromeliads, or some type of Succulent.

Understand that the basic rules of maintaining and growing plants outside in general, are different in indoor container gardening. Since plants won’t get the sunlight they do outdoors, lighting is essential. You must know the exact amount of light you precious plants need. I recommend picking plants that don’t need a lot of light, unless you are going to provide artificial lighting. If you buy a plant already grown, wherever you get it probably has better lighting than your house so you will need to “condition” your plant and gradually reduce the light it receives. Once the plant is indoors, be sure to rotate often, so it won’t grow lopsided, but will grow up nice and straight.

Just because you are indoor container gardening, don’t think the plants don’t have to have water; they still do. How much and how often you water, clearly depends on the plant. Take the time to learn what your plant needs or its roots will rot away. All plants can’t swim. The water need to drain out from the bottom of the pot. Oh and use water that is room temperature, you don’t want to shock the roots of your plants. If you want to maintain healthy plants, watch the temperature inside. A 10-15 degree range won’t hurt any plants, but rapid changes could cause damage.

Indoor container gardening is not all that difficult; in fact, it is pretty much the same as outdoor. There are even some advantages to indoor container gardening. For example, you won’t have to worry as much about bugs and insects bothering your plants. You also won’t have to worry about wind or frost reeking havoc on your garden. Plant your plants right, and every thing will be all right.

www.urban-gardener.net , Beautiful plants, including annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables,tropical foliage and mums can transform a deck, patio or walkway into a beautiful living space! The Urban Gardener programs are designed to make it as Easy as 1-2-3!™

Herbs are happy-go-lucky plants that are extremely accommodating with their basic needs. However, treating it right will yield amazing rewards. Preparing the best soil for growing herbs is one such step in the right direction.

Understanding Garden Soil Basics

Garden soil is made up of substances such as clay, sand, loam, silt, and peat in varying proportions. It consists of 50 percent solids, which is a combination of organic and inorganic matter. Inorganic matter comprises of clay, silt, and sand, a ratio of 20:40:40 of which is considered the ideal soil for an herb garden. Organic matter is decaying material like sawdust, hay, and cover crops used to enrich the soil.

Testing your Native Garden Soil

Reworking your garden soil before new plantings is the best way to grow healthy herbs. Testing the soil for pH (acid-alkaline) balance, concentrations of clay, sand, and silt will help determine the right organic matter to use to improve the soil. Ribbon test involves taking little bit of soil and rolling it back and forth in your hands. Soil that sticks together indicates high level of clay. On the other hand, if it disintegrates easily the soil probably has lots of sand.

Fine-Tuning the Herb Garden Soil

Clay soil does not drain well while sandy soil does not retain the required amount of nutrients. Adding compost solves both the problems of drainage and nutrients. High level of pH indicating most alkaline or sweet is the preferred level for herbs. pH levels can be raised by adding ground dolomitic limestone, which is harmless to the plants. Ammonium sulphate can be used to lower the pH balance.

Magic Potions

Humus is priceless constituent of the soil formed by the decomposition of animal or vegetable matter. Compost is a mix of decaying organic matter of leaves and manure. Both are used to enhance the nutrients in the soil. Mulch is an attractive protective covering of leaves and straws around the plants to avert any incidence of moisture evaporation, weeds, and freezing roots.

Preparing herb garden soil is a significant step in ensuring the healthy growth of herbs to enrich your lives in the process.

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Product Description
With the wide variety of containers available today, and the ever-increasing range of plants, the possible combinations are excitingly large. The Container Gardening Encyclopedia spans the world of container gardening in the most comprehensive manner possible, not only in terms of the vast array of different plants featured, but also the projects presented. The book is divided into thirteen distinct parts for easy reference. Parts One, Two and Three cover the basics, from choosing and making containers through to the principles of container gardening. The remaining ten parts each cover a different aspect of container gardening, from window boxes, through to patio pots, and from water gardens to herbs in containers. Throughout, practical advice is offered on selecting the right plants for particular types of container and location, while the essential techniques for planting up, growing and keeping the plants in peak condition are shown in over 1000 colour step-by-step photographs. A huge range of plants and “planted-up’ containers is shown in some 500 photos.

The Container Gardening Encyclopedia

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Deciding on the type of garden you wish to grow will depend on a number of factors. You will need to take all sorts of issues in to consideration when deciding on the nature of your garden. For instance, how much room do you have to create your garden? If you live in a house with a large yard and plenty of room to devote to your plants, the type of garden you grow will be very different from the garden of someone who lives in an apartment with only a window box or small balcony for their plants.

What zone do you live in? Throughout America, there are different temperate zones which will give you a guide to the type of plants that will do well in various areas. Study your zone and select plants for your area.

How much time do you have to plant the garden and devote to it? If you are planning a garden for long enjoyment and to watch grow over the years, you have plenty of time. But perhaps you are getting your house ready to sell and want to plant a new garden to enhance your chances of a good sale. If so you don’t have a lot of time. Also you may only be able to devote a small amount of time to your garden once it is planted. If so you need to investigate planning and planting a low maintenance garden, rather than one that needs constant care.

What about the soil in your garden? Is it full of clay or lime or sand? Is it rich in nutrients for your plants? Will you need to attend to the soil first before you start planting? Investigate your soil type and see what varieties of plants grow best in that soil.

Do you live in a drought-stricken area or is there plenty of rain about? Knowing your area’s water restrictions will also help in the planning of your garden and how to maintain it.

What types of plants are you interested in growing? Perhaps you want a native garden, showing off only plants natural to your area. Or maybe you want a cottage garden or a rose garden. Perhaps you want a more practical garden, one that grows herbs and vegetables. Deciding on the type of plants you want is exciting. Planning your garden well will lead to results that you want, whether it is a riot of color or gentle greens all year round.

All these points must be taken into consideration when deciding on the type of garden you want. If you are thorough with your investigation of your soil and planning of your garden layout, you will enjoy the end result much more than if you just throw any old seeds in to the dirt and hope for the best.