When you grow vegetables in your garden, you will need to fertilise them often to get good yields. You can use either solid or liquid fertilisers for your plants. Liquid fertilisers are easily absorbed by plants when compared to solid fertilisers. Organic liquid fertilisers are easy to make at home. They can be made from biodegradable waste such as banana peels, vegetable scraps, manure and eggshells. DIY Liquid fertilisers for…
When you have a backyard garden all you need is well-prepared fertile soil to grow the food you want. But when you want to grow vegetables in pots you will need to fill the pots with a good potting mix. Potting mix is also referred to as soilless mix as it is a mixture of materials like vermiculite, perlite, compost, sand, coconut coir, lime and peat moss. The potting mix…
Sunflowers are annual flowering plants that are native to North and Central America. The scientific name of the sunflower is Helianthus annuus and it belongs to the family Asteraceae. Sunflowers come in several colours like yellow, white, brown, red and orange. They are grown as food crops or ornamental flowers. The seeds are packed with vitamins and minerals. There are about 70 varieties of sunflowers. Certain types grow from 12…
When you have a backyard garden, one of the main things to look out for is that ants, particularly fire ants do not colonise your garden. Having ants in your garden has some benefits but too many of them can cause problems. For instance, fire ants can dig tunnels that aerate the soil. This helps your plants to get nutrients and water. At the same time, fire ants can feed…
Vermicomposting is the process of using worms that feed on organic matter and produce worm castings that can be used on plants. Vermicomposting is an easy process and you can get good compost for your plants when it is done in the right manner. Find out how to make vermicompost at home. Benefits of using vermicompost It is necessary to know the right kind of worms needed to make vermicompost.…
Growing vegetables in raised bed gardens has several benefits. Raised beds are easier to work with, have good drainage and you can control the type of soil you put in it. If the soil in your garden is not great for cultivating vegetables then having raised bed gardens is a must. The standard size for a raised bed is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. Filling raised beds with…
Having earthworms in your garden benefits your plants and improves the soil. They are also known as farmer’s friends as they help to plough the soil thereby loosening the soil and helping plants to penetrate their roots into it. Earthworm manure also called as worm castings is a great fertiliser for plants. They contain loads of minerals like nitrates, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium and calcium that help in plant growth. Worm…
You may have a garden that is properly maintained but rarely snakes can find their way to your gardens. Growing certain plants can help to repel snakes. Plants that repel snakes from your garden: 1. Lemongrass Lemongrass is a herb that belongs to the grass family. The stalks of lemongrass have the scent of lemons which snakes dislike. Planting them in your garden is a good way to repel snakes.…
Raised garden beds are created by raising the soil above ground level and enclosing it with materials like wood, rocks etc. Growing plants in raised garden beds has many benefits. They can be filled with soil that is suitable for plants and vegetables. Raised garden beds can be built in any shape and size. They are effective especially when the ground soil is too compact and not suitable for plant…
Lemongrass or Citronella is a herb that belongs to the grass family. There are 55 varieties of lemongrass but only two varieties are used for cooking and medicinal purposes. They are East Indian lemongrass and West Indian lemongrass. The east Indian lemongrass is native to India, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. The west Indian lemongrass is native to Malaysia. Lemongrass is perennial but not frost-tolerant. It grows up to 5 feet…
