Welcome to The Tao of Garden

Gardening is simply the practice of cultivating plants. People grow ornamental plants to harvest their flowers, foliage, or to get dyes out of them. They are also grown for their overall appearance.

There are also plants that are cultivated for human consumption. They are consumed as fruits, vegetables and herbs for medicinal purposes.

When we talk about gardening the subject ranges from fruit orchards to long boulevard plantings. Gardening practitioners may specialize themselves in growing only one type of plant or they may also practice mixed plantings that involve many various plants.

Gardening requires active participation of the practitioner and it usually requires intensive works and discipline.
Here you'll find many tips and tricks that are related to gardening.

There are various methods, types and approaches to maintain a healthy and beautiful garden. You can find all of them here.

You may want to learn what's the proper way to landscape the yard, choosing the right soil, maintain the plants, growing indoor gardens, and many many more.

We also look forward to hear your insights, suggestions, and even requests around gardening and landscaping. So please don't forget to leave your precious comments...

Happy gardening... :)

The Commercially Available Alternations For The Compositing Heap

Some times the compositing are assisted by the commercially available products. Composting requires the proper attention and time from you and also requires the proper balance of material added.

You must have best evaluating knowledge about the commercially available alternations for the compositing heap as their claims may not be true.

The literature of the commercial composting heap must have the best quality biological, chemical and physical aspects. The specifications of the compost will help you in figuring out about the best available commercial compost heap that is better from other brands and are best for the consumers’ use.

The first and basic requirement is the list of ingredients that have been added in any branded compost heap. So, that you can easily evaluate about your basic requirement and product’s specifications. Ambiguous description on the product may not force the customer to be in favor of the product. As, the basic requirement of the customer is to chose those commercially compost heap that allow them to read about the product’s details prior to the use.

Following are the specifications that must be checked over the packaging of the product to ensure about the best compositing heap:

1.    Trace Elements:

The trace elements will let you know that which element you should look for your compost heap best suited for your soil.

2.    Nutrient Content:

The nutrients will ensure that the soil is well nourished for the heap. It will also let you know the pay back of your money. For proper inspection you must have better evaluating abilities and knowledge.

3.    Soluble Salts

4.    Stability

5.    Amount of Organic Matter:

All of these will ensure that you have bought the best organic material for your compositing process. Higher organic matter means more suited for the soil.

6.    Moisture Level:

For keeping the compost in operating situation moister and air both are necessary. The moisture will facilitate the transformation of nutrients among the compost heap and soil and ultimately to the plant.

7.    Size of Particles:

The size portrays the well mixed combination of heap. you can watch the mixture by your eyes and evaluate the consistency. This will let you know the maturity of the heap.

8.    Maturity:

The maturity of the heap means that the heap is richer in nutrients and more stable. If the heap is not mature and you are intended to buy the young heap than it is better to save money and do not purchase it. Make the compost heap yourself at home rather than to buy the young heap.

9.    Ability to destroy weeds and other destroyers of soil:

The growth and fertility of the soil will be assured by the resisting factors that are available in the commercial compost heap. for avoiding the problems that may arouse by using the heap is to make sure that the heap does not contain any undesired element in it.

10.    PH level:

You must also need to check the pH level of the compost heap and other related parameters to ensure the fertility of the soil.

The Best Place for Garbage: The Essential Guide to Recyling with Composting Worms 

Tips And Tricks Of Composting

The compost heap is like anti ageing for the soil and it operates best for the soil fertility. Some people are very fascinating towards the hot sounding activities of composting and want to play their role in giving back again to the nature.

The best thing about compositing is that you can also apply the tested techniques by the host and the advocates of the compositing.

Balance the ingredients:

The basic thing that must be kept in mind is balancing the ingredients of the composting heap. The single component use in the composting process will not help you out and it will die down eventually. A good variety of materials must be put in the compost heap to keep it alive and in working condition as by nature it is inherited by numerous organic materials.

Frequently check your compost bin for the material is it may happen that one component may be replenished again and again and dominate other materials.

Select the right bin or container:

The frequently checked right bin will ensure the right dynamic in the compositing materials. If the bin is not appropriate and right it may happen that the material inside the container becomes passive by the time. Make sure that the containers are in suitable form without holes, well maintained and free from infestations that may have negative impact on the growth of the composting heap.

Dampen and don't soak:

Put the right amount of water in the compost heap. Soaking can have the negative impact and it is like evil for the compost heap. So do not drown the heap completely in water that will impact negatively on the soil. Also put other humus other than the water in the compost heap so that it can repay you in making the compost heap.

Bacteria needs air:

Aeration is also necessary for the ample moisture for your composting heap. Enough amount of air in the compost heap is essential as it will grow the bacteria that will boost up the process of the compost heap. If you do not have much variety of materials in the compost heap, in that case you must try to allow the enough amount of air to enter in the heap. But keep in mind excess of anything is bad and excess amount of air will over expose the pile and will kill the purpose of good compost heap creation.

Check the temperature:

Ideal temperature is required for the composting process. As the compositing is the natural process you must try to keep it in the required temperature and try to maintain it or else the compost will not grow and process will remain incomplete. Every day when you inspect the compost heap check the temperature with the thermometer.

Have a fixed area for composting:

Try to have the static and fix compositing heap and do not try to move it by the time as it will affect the growing process. Moving the heap will result in the less reaction.

Choosing The Suitable Tree For Your Desire

Though it is a very challenging and difficult sometime to grow and care for a tree but choosing the tree according to your desire is considered as the most difficult part.

You have to keep few attributes in mind like size, fruit and other attributes. It includes different sizes: dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard.

Choosing a size is a typical because it can affect everything about your growing experience which includes the effort you are putting to get the reward in the form of fruit.

It is ideal to keep a dwarf trees if you have insufficient space in your yard. It takes a little space as only as eight-foot diameter. It is true that the dwarf fruit trees are smaller than others but the fruit we get are just the same size and its shortness creates ease for you to prune and harvest.

Dwarf fruit tree does not live as long as larger fruit trees. They takes three to five years to stand fruit that is why it is suggested to always evaluate and see how old it is while purchasing.

Semi-dwarf trees are medium sized; they required fifteen foot diameter when they are fully grown. Height of Semi-dwarf fruit tree can range from ten feet to sixteen feet. They should be prune at least once a year in order to keep them from getting bigger.

Sometimes these trees do not produce any fruit but most of the time they produce many fruit every year. Semi dwarf-fruit trees produce more than a dwarf tree that is why people feel more pleasure in keeping this, and they are easy to harvest and maintain than other standard fruit tree.

Standard sized fruit trees generally occupy more space then the smaller tree, and it become difficult to manage and to harvest the fruit. Its size can grow up to thirty feet if you do not prune them properly at least once a year.

If you are seeking to have a good tree which can provide you many delicious fruit and could help you in keeping your yard shaded, a standard size tree would be the perfect choice for you. Standard sized fruit tree take long time to reach to their full height but they start to bear fruit after only three to five years.

Those fruit trees are considered the best one which carries fruit and perform well in your area, because a local fruit tree grows best and require less effort.

There are many other exotic kinds of fruit trees are available which seem more exciting but they might not grow well in your area. You can definitely try to grow it at your area but it required much commitment and time.

In deciding a type of tree you have another factor involved that the type of soil you have, as some trees perform well in damp soil while other grow well in drier soil.

Plum tree would do well if it rains often in your area. But if you get rain very rarely than a pear tree or an apple tree is suitable for you. It is better to contact the local nursery in order to explore which tree would do well in your area.

While looking for a fruit tree, there are few other things that you should care about like how sturdy it is, if all of the branches are out, how straight the tree stands, roots condition, stem length and the height of fruit from the ground. Difference can be noticed if a careful decision is made.

 Purple Pony Fruitless Flowering Plum Tree, 5 Gallon Dwarf 

The Facts And The Myths Of Composting

Composting term refers to be a very simple and a natural process but though it can be complex if complicated machines, misleading information.

Fallacies, misunderstandings and myths have been introduced with the concept of the compositing. During the last few years it has happened unfortunately.

People have attached some illogical myths with the composting and that has passed from generations to generations and has become the fact for the people. All this have done through the falsify commercials and word of mouth. Compositing smell is a myth that has been accepted over the time. Let’s discuss some of the myths that are introduced with the simple concept of the compositing.

Myth: Composting requires a lot of work:

Fact: Composting is the simplest process in which the people involved just have to gather the materials for compositing, lay it down and just has to wait till the nature do its work. Compositing is the less tedious task, you just have to ensure that the proper air is flowing to quicken up the process of decomposition. All you need is to have patience and wait till the compost finish.

Myth: Composting is limited to farms and wide open spaces

Fact: People living in the urban areas who do not have much space is just need to make their composting bin from the trash can. They can also use the vermicomposting technique; it includes the red worms that can be feed by the table scraps in a bin. Both of them would not require much space.

Myth: Composting needs precise measurements:

Fact: The combination of the browns and greens are the best elements that do not need to be in the proper measurement. Estimations can best works for you. You do not need to follow the green piles shown in the commercials, magazines, pamphlets or brochures haphazardly.

Myth: You need specially formulated chemicals as starters or activators:

Fact: Buying the commercially claimed products that gives guarantee of the fastest growth of the compost is not necessary at all for your compositing. There is no such need to buy any expensive claimed stuff.

Myth: Adding yeast will boost the compost’s performance:

Fact: Some people believe that adding the yeast pile will enhance the compositing material. But the fact is opposite; you do not need to add any yeast to your compost pile. Yeast has no concerns with the compositing and it does not have any impact on the quality of the composting pile.

Myth: Animals are attracted to composting piles:

Fact: It is true that the animals like cats, dogs or raccoons are attracted towards the compost pile. It is due to the fact that the compost piles f yours have kitchen scraps like meat, fat, dairy products, bones and pet manure.

Myth: Compost smells

Fact: Compost pile never smells and it should not. But still if your feeling the bad smell coming out of it, it means that the maker has not done its job properly and has picked the wrong materials for the compost pile.

Many other myths regarding the composting process is in air. So you should better research about it before believing it.
Mike McGrath's Book of Compost 

Collect The Materials For The Compost From Your Home

For keeping the compositing in operating condition, you do not need to worry about the sets of materials.

The basic idea is to have the correct locations from where you can get the resources. These resources can be generated from the recycling the waste materials.

The best thing to collect the materials for the compost is to find the free time t home and categorize the different parts of the home.

Now you would be able to know that which material can be obtained from which part of the home. This will save your time of search when you be needing the materials immediately for the compost.

Kitchen:

Many things from the kitchen waste can be reutilized for the compositing purpose. For example the stale vegetables or fishes that cannot be eaten can be reused as the organic substance. Similarly, the freezers containers and the bags made up of the burlap and the lint that are found behind the freezers and the other wasteful condiments and spices can be used in the organic purpose.

Dining Area:

Leftover food at the dining table can also be the best source of the organic materials you can secure this wasted food in paper napkins for compositing purpose.

Study Area:

All the wasted papers and the notes that you do not need any more and they are wasting in the study area can also be the best source of compositing material. If you are habitual of getting food to your study area you can also use the leftover food for the compositing function.

Pet Kennels and Cages:

If you are having pets at your home and you have to throw the despicable hairs of them, you can put that in the compost bin and they can be then used as the compost materials. Similarly the wood chips of the toys of the pets can be reutilized in compositing pursuits.

Backyard Garden:

The backyard garden can be blessing for the compost materials if you have great observing eyes. You can find the treasure in the backyard gardens as they are full of bee droppings, hay, Pine needles, match residues, leaves, herbs, chicken manure and many more that cannot be listed. All such things are the best source for the compost materials and can be used.

A Word of Caution:

Some of the things should not be included as the part of compost materials. The list of the things that must not be the part of the compost material are as: dead animals, feces of your pets, bread, meat parts, dairy products, grease, grains, cooking oil or any derivative of it. Also never include the plants that are having any disease and also the any type of weeds.

Another important consideration for the compositing is to keep the requirement of the compost materials in the mind. In this way you will be able to keep your compost bin filled up by the kitchen or other materials.

Five Of The Most Popular Types Of Apples

Previously, there were only some types of apples that you could buy.

But because of the genetic engineering there are many types of apples has been introduced today, if you want to buy an apple tree you could choose among these different types of apples and flavors.

Five of the most popular types of apples that you could consider as your initial apple tree are discussed below.

Firstly launched in Japan, the Fuji apple has been approximately since 1962. It has yellowish green skin and red streaks down side. from inside it is delicious and sweet, it is white, firm, crispy, and very tasty.

It becomes mature in the mid of September, but if it is rested until October or November it becomes fully mature and best.

These apples will start growing early and grow in large quantity. These apples can bear dry, wet or poor soil. Fruit quality will for sure reflect the quality of soil. These apples always taste best when they are fresh and they are just great for cooking also.

Second type is Gala apples. They are imported from New-Zealand. Gala apples are of yellow skin with a minor hint of red. It is medium in size.

From inside, they are yellow, very juicy, firm, crisp, and smell exceptional. They are one of the best apples to grow when they are fresh. The trees bear heavily and grow quickly.

They turn into mature in July. Normally they are not used for cooking just because Fuji is enhanced option. These trees can develop in wet, dry, and poor soil also.

Third type is Brae Burn apples. Their color varies from gold with red streaks to almost completely red. Firstly it was popularized in the late 1940's. It was also belonging to New Zealand all along with the Fuji, and became the best selling apple in Germany.

From inside they are white, crisp, aromatic, firm, and juicy. They are sweet and also little bit tart. Their size varies from medium to large. They were launched to the US around 1980 with great interest. Brae Burn is very famous apple tree in the world.

They usually don't be converted into brown too quickly if it is cut. They become mature approximately in October or November.

Fourth type is the Red Delicious apples, self defined by its name. These apples are very tall and large. These are yellowish from inside and are crispy, sweet, juicy, and tasty.

They become mature across the country, and can be a great choice to put in salads. They are generally known by their distinct heart shape. Firstly introduced in 1874 in Peru, Iowa. They turn into ready in mid to late September.

Fifth and last type is Golden Delicious apple. They are simply great and juicy. From inside, they are hard, white, crispy and sweet. For cooking, they are considered great as their shape and taste remain same as they are cooked and baked.

Their skin is slim and squashy. They came in size from medium to large. Their shape is much like the red delicious apples. From insides they are crispy, sweet, juicy and mild. People enjoy eating them and they can get damaged easily.

They become ready in late September. They can be used for several purposes and usually last for the long time even if handled roughly.

 Golden Delicious apple tree crisp sweet fresh 10 seeds 

The Basic Method Of Composting

The person that is environment friendly would always be preferring the compositing method. This is a recycling process in which you try to return the land that what it has given you.

You will be noticing that the pile of decaying things eventually become the part of the land. It is very interesting thing to notice. You might also come to encounter that some offspring are coming out from land by this natural process. If you are seriously involved in noticing any such cycle, you will surely feel it joyful and a miracle of life cycle.

Compositing also depicts the life cycle and it is more then fertilizer for the soils. For compositing process you can gather things like dead plants, leaves, other manures and other decaying things in the garden. This material then can be used for creating the compost.

Usually the farmers are engaged with the compositing. But if it will be applied by the other gardeners and people than it would defiantly be very beneficial.

Compost is the organic substance that can be attained by converting the different materials collected from the land. It would turn into some blackish, crumbly and fragrant thing. The main idea is that the bacteria and fungi in the soil break down and multiply. Bacteria requires proper food, air and moister to convert the raw material in compost in the suitable environment.

If you have never made the compost but want to make, than all you have to do is to collect all the green and dry material from the ground or from anywhere you can find. You have to think that what you can feed to bacteria. It can be the green weeds, the tap on the grass clipping, vines of peas or the lettuce leaves. They all have high levels of sugar and protein that is useful for the decomposition process.

For decomposing the dry leaves and small twigs must be combined with the green leaves. Dry leaves and other small twigs can decompose very soon because they have low level of nitrogen, so it must be combined with some green material.

You can also add the manure and garden soil in between the gathered material for decomposition of pile.

You do not need to be professional for making your own pile of compost. All is need is your nature oriented heart; this will help you in performing the process.

You just have to tell yourself that you are doing worth for the nature and environment by contributing your part. Everyone does not have eager for having the garden, but working on this compost concept will surely provide you happiness.

It is practice that can make the person perfect. It is also suited with the idea of compositing. By practicing you will be able to develop your own techniques and can also share your gem with others and can work for the betterment of the environment and nature.

Fruit Tree: Facing Pests Problems

An ample supply of fresh fruits from your backyard is quite a nice thing and most of the people attempt the utmost of them to attain this nice thing.

However, some of the people couldn’t make it and they fail to realize that how easy it is to get infestation of worms in their fruits.

Just imagine how unpleasant it would be when you bit an apple off of the tree one have slaved for a greater time and you find out worm in it. This would be just because one is not conscientious with their pesticides.

Undoubtedly, it seems terrible and time consuming to spray pesticides every time as one have to move out and buy all the supplies, mix the chemicals, apply them, and clean up everything you used in the process.

Moreover, at times you’ll even need a ladder to reach all segments of the trees but, it’s something which one should not overlook.

If spraying pesticides is taken for granted then one must have to end up in cutting their whole tree and remove it from roots. At even initial stage one could pick up that moths have laid eggs on their trees at the end of the branches.

And if you notice that something like a cluster of moth eggs then you should immediately prune the branch you found infested with moths before it destroys whole tree and all your efforts of years and years and leaves larvae crawling in the fruits. Ops! Thinking of this makes someone feel wretch.

To keep yourself save from the greater loss of tree and before watching you all efforts going with a wind; one should take an intelligent step of spraying pesticides religiously in their backyards. Consuming a little time and efforts in spraying could save oneself from a bigger loss and can have fresh and yummy fruits without larvae.

Doing the process of spraying pesticide bi-weekly is truly exhausting. On the other hand, it’s rather more difficult to start completely over on a new seed and making efforts to make that seed turned out into a tree.

Therefore, it is better to prevent your tree by spraying pesticides. It’s well said that prevention is better than cure.

Myself and one of my friend lives in the same area. Once I saw that my friend was worried, after inquiring from him I came to know that he lost all his trees just because of very severe infestation of worms in his trees as he never sprayed pesticides.

Comparatively, I never faced this problem of infestation as I had made spraying pesticides as my routine schedule of every Saturday during spring times.

If yet one hasn’t thought of spraying pesticides, then move ahead to your local gardening supplies store today. Find out the kinds of pests that are most prevalent in your area, and buy the appropriate pesticide to prevent them from ever visiting your trees as it will save you from a bundle of troubles in long run.

Pests of the West, Revised: Prevention and Control for Today's Garden and Small Farm

Prevent Yourself From Harmful Things In Composting

Compositing brings you close to the nature but also have some dangers associated with it.

These dangers can be avoided if you are bit careful and know how to save yourself.

This article will put light on some essential points that will help you out in preventing yourself.

Read up:

Reading up the basic concepts behind the compositing before actually implementing it is very crucial. It will not only let you know that how you can better perform the compositing but also help you out to prevent yourself from doing those things that are harmful for you. It will also let you know the right way of doing the compositing. It is must similar to new language learning, you gather information before learning it.

Wash your hands frequently:

Danger of poisoning is associated with the compositing, so it is necessary to carefully wash the hands and let your hand save from absorbing any poison in it. This will also be dangerous to your surrounding people, may be for other family members who are not use to organic chemicals. This is the best way to keep your composting heap secure by closing the lid.

Inspect your active compost frequently:

You should make careful and frequent inspections to ensure that no weeds and unwanted creatures inhabited in the pile. Make sure that no breeding is going on in the pile that is in your backyard, as it will cause the growth of unwanted and dangerous animals and pets.

Orient your friends and family about your composting activities:

It is always better to involve your friend and family in the composting activities. It will not only provide you sufficient help but also let them know that what is going on in the backyard. It will also let them spend their leisure time in the productivity activity. 

Keep the compost aerated:

The compositing pile can be poisonous if it is closed tightly and air is not allowed to circulate inside and outside. This will be killing for the plants. So make sure that it is not closed too much tight that through which air cannot passes. The compositing process will be quicken up by the aeration process. Aeration process will also safe the organic material from converting in to the poisonous blob. Of course you do not want your hands to enter in something dangerous.

Familiarize yourself with the machinery (for industrial scale compost heaps):

If you are doing the work at larger scale than it would require you to use the machineries. While using machineries make sure that you have complete know how about the machine system and you are cautious enough. Plus also make sure that you can make the machine fix in case of any problem aroused.

It is dangerous also because the compositing heap on the large scale can make more damage. Also make sure that the people you are hiring on the compositing work is familiar with the usage of the machine and can do better with it.

How To Get Rid Off The Birds From Your Fruit Tree?

You are very lucky if you have the cherry tree in your garden. Having the fresh cherries from your own garden is a gift itself.

Also watching the marvelous and glorious cherry tree from your window is also unexplainable. Some non-gardeners avoid growing cherry trees and think that they are exotic plant.

But the most annoyance factor of the cherry tress is that it welcomes the most unwanted creatures more than any other plant.

You might have experienced this fact that with the cherry tree you have been encountering the new type of pestilence swarming everyday. They usually nibble in the cherries and destroy your all efforts of growing cherries.

Most of the people seem to remain busy in order to get rid off the birds and the pests that are eating the fruits of their trees. It is almost impossible to stop these pests as they can come from any side and make their gateway to the cherries very soon.

They can also habitat on the branches and munch and hide them between the leaves. The birds are still easy to deal with, but these little creatures are a big problem to get rid with. However there are some methods that you can follow to get the birds away from your homes.

The most common way is the use of the plastic owl placement in your vicinity of your home for repelling the birds. The real birds are intellectual enough and avoid visiting the place where there are other birds which eat them.

So buy the plastic version of that bird which eat other birds and place it in your vicinity so to repel the birds visit in your garden. Snakes, owls, scarecrows and hawks are the examples of such creatures. Although some of them do not eat the bird still they are enough for terrifying the birds.

Local gardening stores offer these plastic toys for sale, so you can purchase it from there. If you want some other versions and styles you can also search them over internet and from there find the one which suits you and your vicinity.

If the birds are still taking the courage to come in to your garden and eating the fruits then it is time to try some other trick. You can use any reflective surface or noisy object that usually keeps the birds away. These can also be available in the garden stores.

You can also use the combination of the plastic animal and reflective surface or noisy object, and this will for sure solve your problem.

Airborne are difficult to tackle so you must compromise and leave one tree for them as their share. They may seem like the pests. The birds are the only creatures that live upon eating those airborne.

Have you think that if you have got the birds away and have succeed in keeping them away then what will you be missing? All the songs and crippling of these birds. If yes then let the bird visit your garden and enjoy what is happening there.

Bird B Gone MMRTH1 Hawk