Sunday, November 28, 2010

Get Your Beginning in Greenhouse Gardening Using a Small-Scale Hydroponics Greenhouse Kit



Gardening inside of greenhouses has previously been tested to deliver a good harvest, nevertheless with the use of hydroponics in a garden greenhouse, the benefits are increased. Hydroponics greenhouses delivers two times or triple the yield inside the similar area planted implementing standard gardening. Having a little bit of patience and ingenuity, a garden Hydroponics greenhouse doesn't need to be costly to build because recycled materials may be used for it. Nonetheless, in the event that you don't want the trouble of setting up your Hydroponics garden greenhouse from scratch, you can also opt for a Hydroponics garden greenhouse starter kit to complete your undertaking.

Hydroponics garden greenhouse kits are different in size and complexity of installation so make sure you select the kit properly before buying to get the most out of your hard earned dollars. Whatever the decision might be, a Hydroponics greenhouse kit really should have a water tank, water pump, plant cradle, liquid nutrition, and normally choice seeds.

The garden greenhouse should be purchased as a stand alone, but they are very common and straightforward to install if you need to construct it by yourself. At this point in case this is your first time to try Hydroponics greenhouse horticulture, you should look at a basic starter kit size to understand the systems initially before buying more substantial kits.

The best crops for starting off Hydroponics greenhouse gardeners will likely be those growing low and simple to maintain including lettuce and green spinach. You should avoid plants that grow to some heights including peppers and tomatoes since they require another kind of attention which include installing a trellis.

While you are raising small plants, use this opportunity to uncover the proper combination of water and liquid fertilizer and verifying the ideal level of water. Starting it small in Hydroponics greenhouse gardening is supposed to assist you to choose if you are truly into this type of gardening for the long haul or if it's actually just an additional pastime to diminish later.

If you are ready to move on to larger Hydroponics greenhouse gardening, be prepared to face heat management, ventilation and heating, longer and more elaborate plumbing and pumps, and so forth. A larger Hydroponics greenhouse garden will no longer only be a leisure activity; it could very well be your next revenue stream. By now, you can diversify the vegetation and you're almost certainly completely ready for a lot more intricate crops like radish,tomato,strawberry, carrot for example. You could attain all of this simply by starting with a small Hydroponics greenhouse kit which you should utilize to build up your horticulture skills.

Lando have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Sunday, November 21, 2010

10 Best Tomatoes To Grow In All Climates

The variety of tomatoes available to grow in Melbourne is multiplying by leaps and bounds year after year. While it will take pages and pages to list and describe each and every one, I will use this article to describe 10 of the best tomatoes available to grow in Melbourne. Other tomato types I will give a quick mention.

As mentioned, the types of tomatoes now available around Melbourne has grown to enormous proportions. Names like, Bragger Tomato, Money Maker Tomato, Cherry Ripe, Humpty, Top Dog, Mellow Yellow, Moonshot and Tickled Pink are fast making a name for themselves in the world of tomatoes.

Following is a list of ten fantastic tomato varieties in order of their current popularity:

Grosse Lisse Tomato: An old fashioned tomato and favourite of die-hard tomato growers. The tomato is large, globe shaped and very fleshy. It fruits mid to late in the season and does require staking. The variety has recently been imp[roved to a hybrid which resists Verticillium, Fusarium and Bacterial wilt.

Beefsteak Tomato: Large round, very meaty variety with a sweet and juicy flavour. It is a tall plant that will require staking. Fruits appear early to mid season. Is resistant to some fungal diseases but can require preventative measures.

Bragger Tomato: As the name suggests, a tomato that makes tongues wag. Extra large, very tasty and great to use in soups, sandwiches, salads, barbeques and other hot dishes and for preserving. Is resistant to tomato mosaic virus, nematodes and fusarium and verticillium wilt. Tall plant requires staking. Can fruit early to late season.

Roma & San Marzano: I have placed these two tomato varieties together because of their similarities. They are basically the same tomato named after two different regions of Italy. While these medium, oval shaped tomatoes have great many uses, they are favoured more for their ability to produce tomato sauces and pastes. They may be only a small to medium sized tomato, but they are packed with juice and that wonderful true tomato flavour. Usually resistant to many fungal diseases, they give growers an easy run for their money. Fruits early in the season.

Apollo Tomato: Like the Gosse Lisse tomato, Apollo is a tried and true all time favourite. It's a large fleshy tomato and is ideal for sandwiches, salads soups and sauces. Its popularity is due to its ability to set fruit in cooler climates and earlier than most other tomato types. It fruits from veru early in the season to late, making it one of the most prolific producers of all. Staking required.

Rouge de Marmande: Along with Allans Early, this tomato is one of the earliest fruiting varieties around. Also known as, Adelaide Tomato, Burkes Backyard Tomato and Italian Tomato, this variety can endure cooler temperatures and is absolutely ideal for Melbourne Spring. It can be planted as early as September. Tomato is rose coloured, large and somewhat ugly, but with a great for taste. Flesh is firm, nearly crisp. Fruits very early in the season. Staking required.

Cherry Tomato: Only tiny but full of taste. Perhaps the sweetest of all tomatoes and a definite favourite with kids of all ages. Melbourne loves this tomato and backyards nearly everywhere have at least one of these sprawling, rather unsightly plants growing. Can fruit up until mid winter and only extreme cold knocks them out. Resistant to most diseases. Fruits early and late in season. Does require staking.

First Prize/Patio Prize: These two tomato varieties are also known as bush tomatoes because they require no staking. They grow to about half a metre on strong stalks and produce great tasting, medium sized tomatoes in several crops. Plant mid to late in the season. No staking needed.

Black Russian Tomato: Purple to black in colour, medium firm tomato. This heirloom variety has a taste all of its own and that taste is fantastic. Fruits mid to late in season and requires staking.

Mellow Yellow: This tomato is a favourite for those with tummy problems caused by acid in every day tomatoes. While rich in taste it is mild on acid. A large, bright yellow tomato, it can be used as any other tomato. Can be planted early in the season and will need staking.

While there are perhaps thousands of more tomato types out there, these are just a popular few. The rest is up to you with a little experimentation, you may even come up with your very own variety!

Donna have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Vertical Gardening With Vegetables

VERTICAL GARDENING has its challenges and so to, does growing vegetables. If you have a basic understanding of the principles of vertical gardening and the few requirements that vegetables have to really thrive, you are more likely to have a positive experience with your vertical produce garden.

ROOT SPACE is KEY

Vertical gardens typically have more restricted root space than those in the ground so find a system that has plenty of root space for your vegetables and you'll be off to a great start. If you have ever grown vegetables in pots, you will know how important it is to keep the soil (potting media) temperatures and moisture levels as even as possible. Plants that become heat or water stressed quickly lose vigour; leafy vegetables often 'bolt' to seed in these conditions, resulting in very poor production.

TRIPLE YOUR EXISTING GROWING SPACE

So... a great solution for space restricted gardeners is to ditch the pots and use a soil based, vertical garden system. Growing a substantial produce garden using pots takes up a lot of floor space. Vertical garden systems actually CREATE gardening space, you can triple the square metreage of your area by going vertical and reap an abundant harvest!

NO POTS - NO TRAYS!

The soil volumes in the steel vertical systems are huge compared to pots and many other vertical gardening systems. In this vertical gardening system, plant roots can travel around in over half a cubic metre of soil media volume. This large volume of soil helps tremendously with maintaining even temperatures and moisture levels - saving you time and water when compared to other vertical gardening systems and other planters.

LOOKING GOOD

Your vegetables will thrive in this vertical garden system but importantly, they also look sensational. Your vertical garden will become a feature in any space - a living wall of green that beautifies and also feeds the whole family! Aesthetics are so important in restricted areas but everyone deserves fresh salad on hand!

FEEDING TIPS

Due to the large body of soil media in the open tiered, steel vertical gardening system, plants are able to draw from a large supply of nutrients. Regular feeding with traditional liquid fertilisers from a watering can and some slow release fertiliser a few times a year is all that is required.

NO MOVING PARTS

Many vertical gardening systems are based on hydroponic methods of growing where the plants are anchored to a matting or foam and have further systems that control watering and fertiliser solution applications; however the open tiered, steel vertical gardening system is based on a traditional, low-tech gardening experience. This vertical garden is filled with soil media (potting mix) from top to bottom and essentially you just plant your favourite vegetable seeds or seedlings into the exposed tiers of potting media with your trowel and water them in. You can simply hand water your vertical garden with harvested rain or mains water with any method you like, watering can, hose or automated dripper system.

YEAR IN YEAR OUT

Once your vegetables have had their season, simply remove them and plant your vertical garden with your new favourites. Why stop at vegetables though, strawberries and herbs do incredibly well too! Don't miss the next article in this series, "Vertical Gardening with Herbs."

Arnie have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Monday, November 8, 2010

Vertical Gardening With Herbs

Like vegetables, herbs prefer even moisture and temperature levels, so the creation of a large root mass is key to your success and vertical gardening is the perfect solution for this. Herbs love growing in vertical gardens that have a quality potting mix in them rather than the felt or foam types of green walls, consequently...herbs respond very well in an open tiered, steel vertical gardening system. In addition, due to the increased root space available when compared to the traditional planter methods, many gardeners find that herbs perform better for them in the open tiered, steel vertical gardening system than they ever have for them in pots!

WHICH HERBS?

The varieties of herbs you choose to grow in your vertical garden will depend on your tastes and aspect. If you love the Asian herbs you'll go for coriander, lemon grass and mints. Perhaps your cooking has more of an Italian flavour and you are looking to grow garlic, basil and oregano. Keep in mind that some herbs are perennial and last year after year, others are annuals or biennials and will need to be replaced with seeds or seedlings each year or two. Whichever replanting method you choose, the open tiered, steel vertical gardening system is well suited as you are simply gardening in potting mix - just like you are used to. Plus... using smaller plants or seeds is cheaper so you'll save money while having fun and the satisfaction of growing your own plants from scratch.

ASPECT

If your vertical garden is positioned in hot sun and you have limited water available, plant the tougher Mediterranean type herbs like curry plant, rosemary, sage, oregano and thymes. If your vertical garden has a little more protection and/or increased water storage, you can plant the slightly more tender herbs like coriander, basil, parsley as well.

WARNING

Some herbs are SO vigorous, they can easily swamp out the more tender varieties in your vertical garden. Be warned that planting just about anything in the mint family or lemon balm, is likely to spread and swamp out the other herbs in your vertical garden.

HARVESTING

Whether you are gardening in a vertical garden or not herbs love regular picking to encourage the new, flavoursome, tip growth. The more you pick, the more you get so even if you don't want to eat the herbs, prune regularly to keep the plants vigorous and the supply plentiful.

WATERING

Use rain water or mains water (comply to any restrictions) to keep your soil based, open tiered, vertical garden in perfect condition. Either hand water as needed or use a simple automated dripper system to take care of watering while you are away or if you forget.

Vertical gardening with herbs is deliciously simple, a wonderful activity to share with the grand kids and will give you an attractive, aromatic, year round abundance of culinary joy! Once you've tasted the difference, you'll never return to the musty 'past use by date' dried stuff again. ENJOY.

Edwin have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au