Lawn Watering Tips

How complicated can it be to water the lawn? It's basic, right? You put out the sprinkler or turn on the soaker hoses or even stand in the yard and hold the hose and spray the water around yourself, making sure to soak the buses and trees. You do it when you have time, or after work or dinner. What more can you do, right? Wrong.

Sorry to make a science out of something so simple, but knowing when and when not to water your lawn actually is a science actually.

There are five factors to consider when watering your lawn: how much water, the time of day, the weather, the method of watering and the use of chemical agents or fertilizers in the water are all important factors.

Most turf lawns only need about three-quarters to one inch of water a week to keep that emerald green glow we all know and love. During hotter days or drought periods however, you actually want to cut back, not increase your watering. This allows the lawn's growth to naturally slow during extreme conditions. It's better for the water supply and actually healthier for the lawn.
Allowing lawns to go under mild droughts makes the root system stronger and healthier. Frequent watering actually harms root systems, making them shallower and more susceptible to pests. Frequent watering also adds to your community's storm water runoff, which pollutes water systems and carries lawn chemicals into our rivers.

Of course the more you water your lawn the faster it grows and the more frequently you need to mow it.

Decide before the summer season begins if you're going to let your lawn go dormant in the worst heat or if you're going to water through a drought. If your town imposes watering restrictions you may want to decide early on not to try to have a green lawn summer round.

On the other hand, if you have unlimited water resources such as a deep well or nearby river you draw from, you may want to continue to keep your lawn green in spite of a drought. But don't let the lawn turn brown then decide over the weekend to water it and green it back up. Sure it may look okay, but continually breaking a lawn's dormant periods will actually deplete its food reserves and weaken the lawn.

Over watering not only impacts your water bill, but it can increase problems with diseases and insects too. Use a rainguage to determine how much water you've applied. Once you know how long it takes to water your lawn then you can adjust your sprinklers and watering time that way.
If you're not sure then you should water simply walk across your lawn. Turn around and look for what is called "foot printing" where your footprints remain in the grass. This is caused by leaf blades not bouncing back up after they've been stepped on - an indicator the lawn needs watering.
When you do water make sure the water soaks down to the roots. You can't do this in a few minutes so spraying the lawn with a hose for a few minutes out of guilt will do more harm than good. Not only does this promote shallow root systems it also encourages more weeds.

When you do water, water as early in the day as possible, usually when the grass and plants are already wet with dew. Watering later in the day when the sun is higher and temps are up can lead to evaporation of the water. Mid-day watering also leaves water droplets on the plants, which become small magnifying glasses that allow the sun's ray to burn or scorch the plants. That leads to a brown, scruffy looking lawn in spite of adequate watering. You can water later in the afternoon or early evening, but late night watering can lead to problems with disease since the water sits on the lawn longer.

There are exceptions to this rule however. If daytime temps are extremely hot and nighttime temps don't drop below 68-70 degrees you can safely water at night.

Weather is a factor as well. Keep an eye on the weather report and try not to water your lawn when it is expected to rain. Keep a rain gauge on your lawn so you can monitor how much rain the lawn received and adjust your watering that week accordingly.

If you're doing the watering make sure your sprinkler system spreads a uniform path across the lawn. Many people will set out a sprinkler and never move it. That's great for the patches that get the water, but uneven watering can lead to an uneven greenness. Put out coffee cans or some sort of straight sided container to help you measure you sprinkler's application rates.

Watch for runoff in areas where your lawn slopes. Steeper hills and slopes may require additional watering to accommodate runoff and allow for better soil penetration. Knowing the kind of soil you have - whether it's peat, loam, sand, silt or clay - is important. Penetration is based on the percolation rate of your soil type. Some lawns may require shorter periods of watering followed by another period of watering to allow the first application to sink in.

Finally, when it's time to use fertilizer or other chemical treatments on your lawn, try not to do so when it is expected to rain. The rains will only wash the nutrients out of the root system and down the drain. Follow the directions on the package and make sure that you water as directed to make sure you don't burn your lawn or your grasses root system.

By: Trudy Coulter
How to create the perfect lawn which will be the envy of friends and neighbours. Visit http://www.lawnperfection.com

The modern lupin has only been around since the 1930's. It was bred by George Russell, a recluse, by crossing the blue lupin from North America, with tree lupins and annual lupins. Thanks to his work, the modern perennial flowers now seen in our lupins, have bigger flower spikes and richer colours.

His secrets were reluctantly passed on to another nurseryman, James Baker, when George Russell was in his late 70's and the two of them worked together until Russell died aged 94, in 1951. When James Baker retired, a few dedicated plantsmen improved the perennial flowering lupin, still further. Today, hybrids are being bred which suit modern tastes for subtler single colours and stronger bi-colours.

Of course, the flowers of these modern hybrids cannot be reproduced from seed. But unless they are protected by plant breeders' rights, you can raise them from cuttings.

Basal cuttings should be taken from the mature plants in the early summer, as the side shoots start to extend to 3 to 4 inches. Run an old knife blade between the side shoot and the main stem, severing them from each other, below the soil level. Remove the lower leaves from the shoot and the tip. Dip the bottom of the cutting in hormone rooting powder and put it into a pot filled with equal parts of grit or sharp sand and peat, or one of its alternatives. Firm the cutting in gently, water it well, drain and place the pot in a plastic bag. Blow into the bag and seal it and place it under the greenhouse bench.

The cuttings should take 2-3 weeks to root. Pot them up into proprietary compost when they are well rooted, keeping them cool and watered. Plant outside in the following spring into your perennial flower garden, where they will make a stand of noble, heavyweight lupin spires, to stand guard over your garden.

These particular perennial flowers are happiest in full sun, with a well draining, slightly acid soil. Do not over feed them, especially with farmyard manure, which many people think they need. This common misconception will result in soft growth which rots the crowns. This in turn will attract the attention of the lupins arch enemies - THE SLUGS AND SNAILS. Just a few of these hungry creatures will devour rows of young lupins in just one night, so make sure you protect them with adeterrent which really works.

Are you looking for help with your garden? Have your perennials failed to flourish?

By: Florrie Bunda
Florrie bunda writes on gardening matters and many of her articles, tips and advice can be found at:
Perennial Flower Garden Ideas

Dendrobium orchid care is no more involved than caring for any other species of orchid. They are a common choice to use as cut flowers because they have a very beautiful and distinctive color and a very string stem. Making the a little Dendrobium orchid perfect for occasions like weddings or a good romantic gift.

But enough with all the waffle, you want to learn how to take care of Dendrobium orchids right? Well, you can't fail with the following tips:

Lighting

These particular orchids love light, and it is important so that they can maintain healthy growth. Provide Bright light, to 50 percent sun. In the home, an east, west or lightly shaded south window. In a greenhouse, about 30 to 50 percent of full sun. Under lights, four 40 watt incandescent bulbs directly over plants. Plants should be naturally erect, without need of (much) stalking, and of a medium olive-green color.

Temperature

The temperature for your Dendrobium orchid care is important as well. Temperature is directly proportional to the amount of light so both should be looked at carefully. As a guide temperature below 50F and above 90F are not a good idea. Ideally there will be a difference of about 10 degrees between night and day.

Watering

Keep evenly moist while in active growth. Allow to dry between waterings after growth is mature (indicated by terminal leaf). The trick is to keep in wet, but not too wet. For adivce on how to do this visit the site mentioned at the end of this article

Humidity

Dendrobiums need 50 to 60 percent. In the home, place on trays over moistened pebbles. In greenhouse, use a humidifier if conditions are too dry. Humidity trays can be purchased from gardening stores but its much better and cheaper to just make your own.

Potting

Should be done every two to three years before mix loses consistency (breaks down). Pot firmly in medium, giving aeration and ample drainage, allowing enough room for two years' growth. Dendrobiums grow best in pots small for the size of the plant. For the best Dendrobium orchid care though, don't repot unnecessarily as this will do more harm than good.

By: Jeremy Sleigh
There is much more to learn about Dendrobium orchid care and this article is just the beginning. There are factors such as fertilizer, humidity and general orchid care to be considered. To discover all the secrets about caring for you Dendrobium orchids just click here.

Growing chilies is relatively simple and can be achieved by anyone, no matter how small a space you have even if you only have a small balcony or even only a windowsill. Below are a few tip to help you increase your crop.

1. Extend the growing season

Chillies need time, especially if you are growing in a relative cool climate. In order to get a head start on what can be a short growing season all you need to do is plant your chillie seeds and germinate them indoors. By doing so you're able to plant the seeds before the risk of frost passes as Spring arrives. By the time you can put plants outside, you should already have seedlings a few centimeters tall, giving them a good head start on the summer.

2. Use artificial lighting

Chillies love light. Again while you wait for summer to fully kick in you may find that your chillie seedlings get rather leggy (tall and spindly). This is very common amongst chillies planted too early as they grow tall and thin while trying to stretch for light. To combat the problem you could try using artificial lighting to boost their growth until you can put the plants outside.

3. Pinch out young seedlings

It is well known amongst gardeners that pinching the tops off small plants (about 15cm tall) encourages them to grow more bushy and focus less on growing tall and slim. This may seem a harsh act to commit however in the long run a bushier plant will generally produce more flowers, and that will lead to the plant producing more fruit.

4. Feed the chillies

There are many weird and wonderful feeds on the market. Though none of them are essential you may find they help. In general growing chillies can be thought of as very similar to growing tomatoes. When your plants start to fruit, feeding the with a tomato food (high in nitrogen) will help the plant increase its yield.

5. Pick the chillies

It may seem obvious but you should pick the chillie fruit as soon as they are ripe, or even just before to allow them to ripen off the plant. Picking the fruit will encourage the plant to produce more.

By: James C Kerr
For further information click here for growing chillies, grow lights or any other chilli pepper information, please visit the author's website.

What can be better than picking a fresh tomato for your salad? Or maybe picking a fresh tomato and stuffing it with something fresh and lively? Many people would say nothing!

Fresh fruits and vegetables are incredible in both color and flavor, and none are better than a tomato. In the past, people who lived in apartments found it impossible to plant or maintain a garden because of lack of space.

Creative people discovered a way to grow tomatoes in limited space, and tomato container gardening became an instant success.

Growing tomatoes in a container means , planting tomato in a containers of any size. They are especially handy when space is limited. You can plant a tomato container garden in small buckets, or large containers, it depends on how much space you have.

If you have a balcony, a tomato container garden would grow very well, the only thing you have to remember to do is water it and turn the container so all of the plants receive the benefit of sunlight.

To plant a tomato container garden, all you need is a container, preferably non-metal, potting soil, and a few small rocks to insure proper drainage.

The soil can be purchased at any home improvement store, or even in department stores. Spread the rocks over the bottom of the container and add the soil. Poke holes with your fingers and plant the seeds. Water and you are done. Your tomatoes will start growing and in a few weeks, you will have delicious, nutritious tomatoes.

One of the greatest benefits to planting a tomato container garden is that they are portable. If the weather turns cold or it is raining too much, you can bring your tomato container garden indoors to protect it from the elements.

You do not have to have a balcony to plant a tomato container garden, if you have a large room, or even a sunroom, you can turn it into an instant nursery for your newly planted garden, and the best thing is that you can have fresh, red, ripe tomatoes all year round. For some people, nothing is better.

By: Tracy Ballisager
Tracy Ballisager is stay at home mum. To read more about gardening tips and idea go to http://www.gardening-tips-idea.com

Spring is the time of year when all garden magazines are full of the plans you should be making for the season to come, but very rarely do they cover one of the most basic of gardening techniques. Sowing seeds properly is crucial if you want to ensure a good crop of flowers and vegetables in your garden. We all love to take that small flat packet of seeds and take joy in the vision of what it will produce, but like everything, a good foundation is required to ensure a good crop.

The seed contains everything that is needed to start the growth cycle of the plant and it will keep safe the promise of the future until the time is right. Most basic of those requirements is water, followed swiftly by temperature and appropriate growing conditions in terms of soil and nutrients. Then you must protect that baby plant from pests and diseases until it is strong enough to fend for itself, just as you would any newborn.

The most basic method of sowing is to use good quality seed compost which has not been stored somewhere cold. Place it in seed trays or pots so you can avoid too much thinning or pricking out later. Make sure your seeds are fresh and of good quality before sowing them gently onto the soil, not too close together, and then cover them lightly with a fine layer of compost or vermiculite. As a rule of thumb the depth of the covering should be about twice the diameter of the seed, certainly no more. If your seeds are a little shrivelled you can try soaking them. This is often done with hard coated seeds or where you are expecting a dry spell if you are intending to sow outdoors. It can speed up germination quite noticeably.

Some seeds require a little preparation before they are sown, peas and beans particularly produce seeds with hard coverings that need to be pre-treated if you want them to germinate in our somewhat artificial environments. Generally speaking I try to just chip the surface which mimics nature's action in breaking down the seed coating. If the seeds are too small to do this, like Lupins for example, I put them into a plastic tub, secure the lid and shake them for a while which just breaks up the skin - it has the added advantage of amusing everyone watching me as well!

Sowing seeds outside, especially vegetables, is usually done in rows. I always like to fill the drill with water before I plant anything, and let it drain. Again try not to sow too thickly as this will avoid wasting those precious seedlings when thinning and if you are sowing where you plan to grow, it will save a lot of labour. I must admit I don't sow flower seeds in rows all the time as I do like rather more informality in my flower garden, but where vegetables are concerned I try and sow in such a way that I can tend them easily. It might be rows or it might be in squares depending on how I intend them to grow.

Fine seeds are best mixed with some silver sand or suchlike to spread them more evenly - it can be a nightmare trying to keep all those tiny seeds evenly spread and the effort of mixing them with the sand more than pays off in time saved later. Larger seeds can be individually placed either where you are going to grow them or you could try using a little trick of mine. I save the cardboard centres of toilet paper rolls, fill those with compost and plant the seeds in those. When they are big enough to plant out I just soak the cardboard (which is generally pretty wet anyway) and plant the whole thing. You don't disturb the tender baby roots and they just grow through the wet cardboard as they develop.

Whichever method you use to plant your seeds, make sure you keep them adequately watered, using fresh clean water. Using these simple gardening techniques will ensure that you have a good supply of plants for your garden and vegetables for your table.

By: Lizzie Westerley
Lizzie Westerley has spent many pleasurable years developing her garden and her gardening skills. You can find more of her insights and information on how to make your garden equally magnificent at The Garden Magazine.

The orchid plant has been around for a very long time. In fact it was one of the very first plants to evolve. Therefore it is not surprising that there are so many species around. And therein lies the problem when it comes to knowing how to care for orchids. You can follow general advice but as that well known saying goes "the devil is in the detail".

So here we are going to only look at the care of the one species of orchid. That plant is the Phalaenopsis, also known as the Moth Orchid. It is one of the most popular varieties to grow as it is very tolerant of centrally heated homes.

The Phalaenopsis originates from Thailand and Japan. It likes warm temperatures so you must be able to provide temperatures around 65F during the winter months and 75 to 80F in summer time. Do not let night time temperature drop below 60F.

The orchid likes humidity in the range of 50 to 70%. Using a hand spray, preferably filled with rain water is a simple yet practical option. Or, in summer you could stand your plant pot on a bowl of wet pebbles but never let the bottom of the pot touch the water. Always spray in the morning so that water evaporates before nightfall. Allowing water to rest overnight in the centre of the plant is very high risk. Rot will quickly set in.

Light is vital to the health of the Phalaenopsis plant but you must shield it from direct sunlight or you risk scorching.

Good air circulation is essential. A ceiling fan on low is ideal.

The orchid will need watering on average every 4 to 6 days. Where possible use rain water. Early morning is the best time to water the plant. Do not over-water.

Regularly feed your Phalaenopsis with a specialist orchid fertilizer.

Re-potting will be necessary on average once per year. Spring is the best time for this task. Make sure the pot has good drainage and use either New Zealand sphagnum moss or a fine to medium orchid bark mix.

By: Steve Crane
Discover more about the care of Phalaenopsis and other popular orchids.
The care of orchids depends on buying the right plant. Learn how to pick a healthy plant and many more care for orchids tips.
Get step by step instruction on growing orchids in a hydroponic garden.

Many orchids including cattleyas, phalaenopsis (moth orchids), cymbidiums, and paphiopedilums (slipper orchids) will bloom in the spring. If your plants are setting buds, or already in bloom, keep them well watered and do not change their growing conditions drastically. You'll get nice full flowers that last for their full potential; for phalaenopsis, this could be as long as three months!

Spring is an excellent time a good time to repot your orchids in fresh mix as it gives the orchid plant time to get established before the more stressful heat of summer. It also helps the plant be prepared to "get on" with the work of growing, once warmer brighter weather arrives. If your orchids are blooming, wait for the flowers to fade before repotting. For the rest, look for vital signs that your plants are emerging from rest/dormancy and getting ready to grow.

The two most important signs are new growth (new pseudobulbs and/or leaves) and new roots (white with green tips) in the spring. This is your cue to repot your plants. Repot when the roots are about half an inch long, as it will be easiest to do so at this stage, without damaging the roots. Remember, an orchid is only as good as its roots. Strong root growth is needed if your orchid is to thrive and bloom. If your orchid doesn't seem inclined to respond to the longer days and warmer temperatures of spring by producing new growths and roots, that's OK. Look to see if the mix is mushy, crumbly, or stays wet for long periods. If it is, then it is definitely time to repot. In any case, it's a good idea to repot your orchids every 12-18 months at a minimum. Use a potting mix best suited to your orchid. Specialty mixes are available at garden centers and usually consist of fir bark or coconut husk, often with perlite and other additives to improve drainage. Do not use standard houseplant potting mix for your orchids.

Orchid nurseries and growers will also start shipping plants soon. This is an excellent time to build your collection. Buy blooming size plants this spring, and they will also have a whole season of growth ahead of them before rewarding you with flowers later this year.

By: Yassir Islam
Yassir Islam is an award-winning orchid grower and a former President of the National Capital Orchid Society in Washington D.C. He has given numerous talks on slipper orchids and his articles on orchids have appeared in the Orchid Digest and the Alexandria Times. Visit his website for free original information on how to grow and buy orchids.