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... :)

Let Your Hands Dirty In Making Compost

The gardeners never get worried about the dirtiness of their hands rather they are habitual in working with the plants, soil, rocks, fertilizer, soil conditioners etc.

Some of the gardening activities however, requires the gardener to wear the gloves especially in the composting process which the dirtiest of all gardening activities.

Composting is the ecological process in which the end product that look like the soil is obtained from the use of manure and wasteful household adding up with the air, nitrogen and water.

The composting substance is like the dark, powdery and soil like material that is used as the fertilizers, mulch and the soil conditioner. It feeds the soil that will eventually results in the growth of healthy plants.

For composting try to find out the place near your garden that would not destroy the over all look of your garden. You can also use the colored compost bin so to make the area look cleaner. The fenced and the corral area would be the best place.

The compost material must contain the 3:1 ratio of brown and green. The brown contains the carbon while the green have sufficient amount of nitrogen. The green elements can be the grass clippings while the brown can be the wood products or the dry leaves. Both will together make the compost file.

You do not need to take tension about the bad smell that would be resulted from the compost pile, as the proper ratio will ensure that the smell would not come out from the compost pile. It will not smell like rotten egg rather has mild earthy smell. If the smell is like the rotten egg than it means that you have not mixed the pile in the required ratio of green and brown or there might be something wrong with the pile.

The best way to avoid the smell is the proper mixing ratio of brown and green. Try to spread the layer of green first and two layers of brown over it, than again a layer of green component and than two of brown. Repeat the process unless you get the three feet long pile.
You can also add the new pile in the old bucket of the compost pile. This will help in making the process faster and helps in microbial activities to get start in the compost pile.

Also make sure that you have included the sufficient amount of water in the pile. This will ensure the quick break down of the materials in the pile. Add the water up till the level that the damp looks like the sponge. This will also make the hands dirty so be careful.

If you want to quicken up the decomposition process much quicker and faster you must have to turn the pile once in the week. This will let the air enter in the pile. The decomposition will be finished after the two months and will result in having the compost heap prepared. The raw material would not be in its original shape and color rather it will be properly mixed with other.

This is however the lengthy process but not difficult to be adopted.

Pruning The Unneeded Branches

Pruning is the removal of dead or unneeded branches to encourage the growth of flowers. Usually a tree will end up devoting energy to branches that don’t need it, while neglecting branches which are bearing more fruit.

If you remove the branches that are taking all the nutrients, you will begin to see a flourish in the other ones. Pruning also keeps the tree in shape by keeping the branches even. This prevents it from becoming weighed down on one side.

Pruning is the removal of inoperative or unneeded branches to console the progress of blooms.

Commonly plant inclination extremities up devoting initiative to branches that don’t necessity it stretch neglecting branches, which are aspect, another fruit.

If you abstract the branches that are taking the sum the nutrients, you testament enters to behold an arrive in the alternative singles. Pruning yet confines the cedar in figuration by keeping the branches flat.

Sundry gardeners don’t unruffled expect about pruning their ashes until they opening to press fruit. This is a hefty fallacy, further you should never omission to solicitude for an ash merely therefore, it hasn’t however begun to originate.

Amid the gross cook of progress, you should clip the elder in a road that it is straight also unchanging. It is quite compliant to communicate the inequality amid an elder that has been pruned regularly amid its development, plus soul that has been dilapidated.

The fundamental happening to watch for during you commence pruning is some branches which are asleep or pestiferous. These are entirely effortless to greet.

Commonly they don’t produce some fruit, further strength be misshapen or discolored. Don’t delay at some in chopping these ropes remote, as they are nonentity only hurtful to the vigor of your ash.

The time ilk of diverge to behold for is the fork that is furthermore conclude to sum the different persons. If it swells at such a duration furthermore slant that the consequence is rectify following to some the further branches, it may cease up crowding per alternative.

Grab eccentric the smaller of the pair branches to tolerate the larger individual to hold the respiration quarters that it lacks. Someday, for motives we choose never accept, an ash chooses thrive different branches on united lateral besides evaluate itself toward human cockeyed.

So hopefully I own provided to be accompanying an elemental ken of pruning. There are plus problems further varieties of branches that compel pruning, still what I’ve outlined is the same primitive shares.

These can castrate depending on how timeworn your cedar is. For instance, for the main 3 years of a shrub’s prosperity it wants to prune that chases again “formative” guidelines.

Following the shrub is well stable, you resolution lack to habituate “regulatory” pruning to hold it where you would counterpart it to be.

How To Get Better Result Of Compositing And The Organic Gardening

The compositing if you have tired ever, is not an easy task as well as not that much difficult. It would require your time but also will repay you more than that you desired for.

If you are in the compositing you must definitely want to go for the organic gardening.

The compositing and the organic gardening both goes hand to hand. The compost heap prepared than be used on the organic gardening. If you really have potential and will to do the organic gardening you surely can do it.

This can be opted as the hobby that can repay in the form of relaxation and will also help you in exercising the body.

Gardening mostly is done for the beautification of the home or vicinity. But the organic gardening aim is much bigger and it’s more close to the nature. The compositing can be done so to collect all the waste material from the surrounding and recycling it in the form of fertilizer, so that the atmosphere can remain free from waste material as well as the waste material is decomposed in the fertilizers and pay to the nature.

For the initiators, success and failure does not matter. All that matter is their determination and the patience. They can follow the following tips so to get the better results in the end.

1.    Manage the stink: The pile will start stinking if it is not oxygenated properly. This will cause your neighbors to taunt you and you also have to bear the smell for the sake of the nature. For oxygenating the pile you can turn it timely until it decomposes.

2.    The climatic conditions and the season will decide that for how long you have to keep the pile. The cold weather will take almost several months or even a year to decompose the pile in to the organic substance.

If you are deciding to place your pile in the hot weather than you must have to take several steps. You first have to place the dried leaves in the compositing bag and then put the spoil over it. Now add the scraps of the kitchen like vegetables or fruits. You must also moist the pile periodically so to allow the growth of the bacteria that will help in the decomposition process.

3.    Do not allow the other insects and pests to get inhibition on your pile and take serious steps in getting rid of them. Let the pile rotten but not in the way that it won’t be useful any more.

4.    Try to place the compost away from your and neighbor’s house. This will allow you to do your work without interruptions and also save you from the lame questioning of the neighbors that what are you doing?

Compositing is the lengthy process and it will definitely require your time. So if you really want to get the better and positive result, you must devote the proper amount of time.

Composting: The Wonders Of Organic Power

Every one around the globe no wonder who ever they are, are much familiar about the organic stuffs. Even the one who does not know must have known how about its usages.

Celebrities are also aware about the wonders of organic power and are endorsing it. With the organic power, the compositing in the gardens are also very popular.

If the concept of organic is not very well known to you than let me tell you that you yourself are involved in it but may be you are not aware about the term. Even the children are doing compositing and in a very simple way.

We all put are hands in those activities that gives as some benefits. For the children it’s a matter of fun. They used to gather the dried leaves, clipping of grasses, branches and twigs of trees, some animal manures, peelings of vegetables and fruits and other kitchen waste and sweeping them all into a pile. Their jobs usually finish there.

You most probably must have done the same in your childhood. You might have assembled the waste materials and have let it to decompose itself in the backyard without actually knowing about the end result. That would be used as the fertilizer in your garden or may be thrown in the containers that were dumped later on.

But now as a grown up you better know that the end product is used for and how does it is utilized. Mostly this is used as the fertilizers for the organic gardening. This material is non chemical and is not synthetic. It will be used in the soils and will make it to grow the healthy plants.

In organic gardening, you must have to very alert and must know about each and every need of your garden. You must have perfect balance of every thing in the garden. Like for instance, if you want to get rid of the pests you can go for having other insects and animals that eat the pests or you can use some manual techniques to finish them.

The organic gardens’ health depends on the soil and soil itself depends upon the food you are giving to it. Of course soil needs food to, so that it can become more fertile and can return us the better quality plants. Compost is the food for the soil and it will be crucial for the health of the soil.

Besides the compost, water is also essential for the soil. The requirement of the water depends upon the type of the soil that resides in your garden. Having the complete information about the garden will be very useful for you so that you can fulfill the requirements properly. The plants will be buried on the soil and its health will depend upon the heath of the soil. That is why each and every need of the soil must be fulfilled. Here the compositing will help you to feed the soil.

Caring Nature With Composting

If the understanding of the compositing process is quite difficult for you, you in that case must consider the composting process as the recycling process.

In recycling process all you do it’s just gather the wasted products and try to reutilize it. Same is the case with composting process that allows you to find the wasted products and recycle it.

Soda can’s pins are used in the recycling process and are used to make the aluminum. Some other pots can be used to make vases and pots.

Similarly wasted clothes are turned in to rugs and the mats. All the things are recycled and most of them are reused as the decorative materials in the homes.

In composting you do not need o turn the things in to the vases or the pictures for the decoration. This process does not limit you; rather it will allow you to make the stuff from the piles of the garbage that will be beneficial for your daily life usage.

Compositing is not manual process like recycling; rather it depends upon the nature to make the wasted stuff in to worthy thing. Dried leaves, grass clippings, vegetable or fruit peelings, animal manure, sawdust, and other stuffs are used in the compositing process to be turned it into the useful material. This stuff is mostly used for the gardening purpose unlike than the recycling concept.

The compost heap formed from the composting process will help you out in the organic gardening. This means that by truing the synthetic products in to the organic materials like fertilizers and pesticides you can use them in the gardens. This will make the soil healthier and richer in nutrients that can produce the more healthy crops and also the plants that are not grown by the chemicals.

For the layman the term composting is quite terrifying and complicated to be heard. But all you need is to give your proper attention and do the work by giving your 100%. This will repay you that would be very worthy. It is not necessary for every one to do it because if you have time and other constraints you cannot perform it. 

People living in the urban areas can also apply the concept. If they do not have time to go for the organic gardening, still they can play their role in making the compost for the nature. If you have small plants in the pots you can apply the compost to them. It will also give you courage to start your own organic gardening at the minimum level and you will find this quite interesting.
Now-a-days markets are also having pace for the organic materials and many companies are availing this opportunity. The market is segregated with the organic food, organic soap, organic tissue, cloth and everything. This is the current trend in the market which nature also supports.

For all those who are playing their role in composting process are defiantly receiving the appreciation from the nature. This will also eventually inspires you to do some thing for the mother earth.

The Equipment For Composting Process

The equipments selected for the compositing process can either help you or either breaks you.

The good familiarization with the tools that you opt to use for the composting process is necessary, as this will be the only medium that can help you out in achieving your over all goals.

The equipments do not only involve the tools but also the place that you have decided for the compositing process.

A Good Composting Site:

Before the composting activities, select the best possible place which will be the best tool. The place must have maintained right temperatures need and also is free from the obstructions. The selected site must also be near to you so that you can frequently visit the site and monitor the compost heap.

Compost Bin:

The compost bin must suits the requirement of the type of compost you are performing. If you are intended to perform the industrialized level composition then you may require more than one bin so that you can fulfill your compositing requirements. It must also be of the appropriate size that can carry all of your composting materials and must be well maintained and kept clean.

For the starters it is recommended to start with the one compost bin and the small level. Once you know all the process you can then opt for the larger compositing process with numerous bins.

Thermometer:

It is very necessary to maintain the required temperature for the compositing process. That is why it is necessary to have the handy thermometer that can be used for checking the daily temperature of the area during inspections. The calibrated thermometer must be used for the inspection so to get the accurate temperature. You can also acquire the thermometer from the same shop which allows the tailored needs of the compost owners. This customized thermometer will prove to be far better than ordinary ones.

Garden Fork:

Garden fork is very important and helpful especially when the composting bin is large. It helps in mixing the materials, testing the texture, evaluation about the softness of the material and raking of the materials that are used for the compositing process. The selection of appropriate size is necessary to make the maximum use out of it.

Other Containers:

If you are a person who need to keep the material separately than you must also need the other containers to put the stuff. One compositing bin will not satisfy your requirement.

If you want the carbon and nitrogen to be mixed in the right quantity you may have to measure it before mixing.

Room for Growth:

If you are pursuing the higher level of compositing process you must require more than one room for the growth of the compost heap. Your area in that case must be wide enough so that it can satisfy your requirement for the compositing process. It must also be able to hold the expansion if you want to farther increase the size of your compost pit.

Some Ways To Reap The Benefits Of Cmposting Heaps

By taking good care of the compost for several months, keeping it away from the insects and the pets, damping the pile and turning over the pile every now and then, it is your desire to get the best out of it and to use the compost more effectively and rationally.

The right time to harvest the compost can be known by seeing that the original raw material has loosed its original shape.

The finished compost will be like dark, loose and earthy smell. It will look like the soil or humus. This is the best time to harvest the compost heap and give it the air exposure. The air will make it drier and easy to use.

If you have encountered any big chunks that are not decomposed yet put it again in the compost heap that you will make again. By the help of wire mesh you can strain the larger chunks that are not decomposed. 

There are many benefits associated with the compost that is why the gardeners also get fascinated towards it. The first advantage is that the soil structure gets improved. This will allow the plants’ roots to grab the soil more tightly and grow more. This process will also make the soil resistant from the runoff and the erosion. It also improves the water retention.

The compost also provide the with required minerals and nutrients that are essential for their growth. The compost also enhances and stabilizes the acidity level in the soil. That is why the gardener prefers to use the composting process.

After you have removed materials that are not decomposed properly, now the time is to decide where to use these decomposed materials.

The compost is used as the soil amendments here you apply the compost to the soil and let the soil to absorb all the essential minerals and the nutrients that are then used by the plants to grow. Compost can also be spread over the soil before the plantation take place. You can apply it on the surface of the plants.

Compost can also be used as the substitute of the mulch. Mulch is basically used as the layer over the plants to protect it against the climatic changes.

For using the compost as mulch you may be requiring the ample. Six inches of the layer of compost must be applied on the surface of the plants, shrubs, trees and the exposed slopes. This will lessen the growth of the weeds, also prevent against the erosion, attract the earthworms and help to retain the water in the soil.

Compost is also used as the potting mix. Make the mixture of compost with the soil, sand and voila. This mixture known as the potting mix now can be applied on the plants. Potting mixture requires the 1 part of sand, 1 to 2 parts of soil and 2 parts of compost to act in the better way.

You can use the heap of compost in numerous ways. Here are only mentioned some through which you can reap the benefits.

Composting Inside and Out: The comprehensive guide to reusing trash, saving money and enjoying the benefits of organic gardening