Bug Trouble? Try Some Bugs!!!

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire! Especially if you are trying to refrain from using any pesticides that might harm your garden. Why not try a predator bug? Ladybugs can be a gardeners friend also a praying mantis will always be welcome in my garden. First you will want to find out what kind of bugs you are having trouble with and make sure that the predator bug you bring into your garden will help with that type of bug. Your local garden shop will usually have a selection to choose from and if not you can find them online but sometimes bugs are not fond of shipping. And you will want to release them correctly or you will be wasting your time and money! Please read the article on good bugs at http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=806    

A Great Potting Soil Thats Very User Friendly

Review Of  Ocean Forest® Potting Soil Good Things From the Earth and Sea

I have been using this soil for my houseplants and just wanted to let everyone know this is a great product. If you haven't tried it you will be very pleased with the growth of your plants and the soil contains a great mix of nutrients to keep your plants healthy with no need to add plant food for quite a while depending on what you are growing. If you have used this soil then you already know how great it is but i just wanted to let everyone know that this is a great product! The Following is straight from the FOX FARM website.  The ultimate potting soil—everything your plants need, in one bag. Ocean Forest® is a powerhouse blend of premium earthworm castings, bat guano, and Pacific Northwest sea-going fish and crab meal. Composted forest humus, sandy loam, and sphagnum peat moss give Ocean Forest® its light, aerated texture. Start with Ocean Forest® and watch your plants come alive! Garden tip: Perfect for containers and ready to use right out of the bag. Ocean Forest® is pH adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to allow for optimum fertilizer uptake. There’s no need for nitrogen fertilizers at first; instead try an organic blend like FoxFarm Big Bloom™ Liquid Plant Food to encourage strong branching and a sturdy, healthy growth habit.

Start seeds Indoors to get a head start and save time and money!!

If you want to grow your own plants you can start most of them from seed and most are very easy. First you will decide what you will be growing,there are thousands of different plants out there and selecting the right ones to start with will save you a lot of frustration. Start with easy ones after you have got the hang of caring for your plants you will be able to care for plants that need a bit more attending to. The seed you select will depend on how you start so make sure to follow any special directions but for the most part it will be very basic. Plants need three basic elements to thrive water,light and air, but seeds are just a bit different. Most seeds will need more humidity then will be available and in some cases will require that you soak in water overnight or even in the fridge for a few days prior to planting. For example we are going to start a packet of tomato seeds that we got for one dollar.Tomato seeds will germinate best in a humidity dome or greenhouse type environment. Jiffy makes a seed starting kit that works very well it even comes with the seed starting pellets and makes everything even easier. If you are on a tighter budget you can make a makeshift humidity dome out of a cake container or something similar and just get a seed starting potting soil mix and a few of those little plastic containers or even a few egg cartons. Now your ready to start your seeds. If you are using the jiffy open the package and add enough water for the size of kit you have. Make sure to use water that is about room temperature if the water is too hot you will kill your seeds! Once the pellets swell up they are ready to have the seeds placed in them. Put the dome on and you are set. If you are using your own dome basically the same except you are not waiting for the pellets to expand. After everything is planted and your dome is on you will just need to place the dome in soft light not in direct sunlight because its to hot. A small florescent works best. Leave the light on 24 hours a day and in about a week you should see them sprout after that in another week or so you will be able to remove the dome completely. Once seeds reach maturity you will be able to plant them straight into your garden or into larger container if garden is not an option at this time. Its as easy as that! Your very own tomatoes and at a fraction of the cost and much healthier. Happy Growing!!