Archive for May, 2006

Learning when and how to shade my plants was for me the most difficult phase of greenhouse operation. You can purchase various shading compounds (one called Garlands is preferred by many growers). Cement, liquefied with a mixture of water and linseed oil and diluted until it is just thick enough to adhere to glass, seems to work best for me. I brush it on the glass with an old broom extended by a stick fastened to the handle. This shading holds for the summer, even through hard rains, and a small amount adheres during the winter. By spring, when I give the greenhouse the annual housecleaning, the shading has about disappeared and the glass is ready for another coat.

Another effective method is to use slatted shading which rolls up and down like porch shades. Layers of tobacco cloth fastened inside the house also are helpful. Avoid linseed oil in any shading mixture intended for use on plastic houses. It is difficult to remove, as there is a chemical reaction between the plastic and the oil so that the shading “sinks in,” becoming part of the plastic. Houses of polyethylene plastic can be shaded with layers of tobacco cloth or cheesecloth fastened on the inside as well as by plastic screens inside or slat shading on the outside.

One orchid grower places strips of lath about 6 inches above the glass for both shading and cooling. Tinted shading may blend with the paint on your home but white shading is best, since it reflects more heat while allowing more light to pass through. If you use cloth, it can be placed outside as well as inside for cooling and shading. In fact any type of shading used outside, but with an air space between the shading and the glass, will help you operate your greenhouse more economically.

Fertilizing

Since you want plants to reach a salable stage in minimum time, you will have to pay considerable attention to fertilizing. A regular program is necessary. Decide on dates when you will fertilize plants, then try not to deviate from schedule unless the weather upsets the expected rate of plant development. Most growing plants need fertilizing at least twice a month. Liquid fertilizing is very popular. Some growers dilute fertilizer )i or % recommended strength and then give it at weekly intervals. Apply fertilizer to moist soil, for if the soil is dry, the chemical may burn feeder roots and cause a setback.

Types of Plant Food

There are many brands of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the market. If you prefer an organic type, I suggest fish emulsion, Ovene (a stick form of concentrated sheep manure), or liquid manure. You can prepare liquid manure by placing a half bushel of cow manure in a burlap bag and steeping it in a half tub of water for 2 to 3 weeks. Dilute this “brew” with water-to the color of weak tea-and then apply to your greenhouse plants. If you prefer the inorganic fertilizers, choose Ra-pid-gro, Hyponex, Plant Marvel, Spoonit, or something similar.

When plants are resting, they do not need fertilizer. Bulbs- amaryllis, haemanthus, other amaryllids, and tuberous or rhizomatous gesneriads-need no fertilizer and a minimum of water during their dormant period. A complete commercial fertilizer includes proper proportions of the three main plant foods-nitrogen, phosphorus or phosphoric acid, and potash or potassium (N, P, and K). Percentages are numbered on the container in that order. A favorite with many growers is 5-10-5. This means the fertilizer contains 5 per cent nitrogen, 10 per cent phosphorus, and 5 per cent potash.

Nitrogen helps plants produce heavy stems and good foliage. When soil is deficient in nitrogen, stems are short and weak and leaves turn a sickly greenish yellow.Phosphorus aids plants in ripening tissues and seed. If you are planning for choice seed lots, include phosphorus (or superphosphate, as it is usually sold in seed stores) in your fertilizer. Some gardeners add super phosphate, a layer a month, to the compost pile.

Potash is to plants what vitamins are to humans. Included in the plant diet, it aids in the formation and transference of starch. Potash helps plants grow huskier with sturdy stems and foliage, “fat” fruits, and strong roots. It is especially desirable for root crops and such potted plants as gloxinias and amaryllis. If you use a 5-10-5 fertilizer, you can give your bulbous plants an additional weekly watering of muriate of potash, )i teaspoonful to a quart of water.

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Equipment

For greenhouse watering, I use an all-purpose nozzle with a trigger control and a reversible cap. This is screwed onto the end of the hose. The nozzle provides an adjustable strong water stream or a sprinkle. With cap reversed it sends out a spray (fine or strong as you regulate it) which is good for cleansing foliage or applying liquid foliage fertilizers. With the cap removed, you get a full but fairly gentle flow to fill large pots or pails or for mixing quantities of fertilizer.

You can have automatic watering-either a homemade or a purchased system-but a small greenhouse operation may not justify it. One fairly simple method, actually semi-automatic because the water flow is controlled by hand, is sub-irrigation. A waterproof bench, (such as one with a metal liner), is partly filled with sand or gravel. The pots are placed on top of this layer. When needed, water (or liquid fertilizer) is piped into the bench via a permanent pipe connection or the hose until it reaches the base of the pots. When the soil in the pots has drawn up enough moisture through the drainage hole, the water is drained out of the bench.

If only a few pots or flats are involved, Fiberglas wicking, in contact with the soil in the pot and pulled through the bottom and into a pan of water, provides easy automatic watering. The important thing about sub-irrigating methods is that they assure consistent, even moisture to all plants.

For around the outside of the pool

For some pools, the landscape around the pool may seem boring or messy. There are a few things you can do to dress it up a little. Add some plants and flowers around the pool. Place some decorative stones or rocks in between the flowers. Mulch is another great way to camouflage the disturbed dirt around your pool.

If you are someone who absolutely loves the outdoors and spends as much time there as indoors, then there is no reason why you cannot decorate it just like you would a room in your home.

Pools lights give your pool a whole new look of life. If you are someone who is lucky enough to enjoy the please of having their very own backyard pool, then take advantage of the opportunity to decorate it. There are many different pool landscaping ideas that you can come up with to make your pool and patio area your very own sanctuary, right in your backyard.

The view

When you are deciding where to locate your pond landscaping, make sure that you choose a site that you can view from the inside of your home. This is so that you can enjoy your creation from indoors or outdoors.

Shape is important

Consider the shape of your pond landscape design. Make sure that it will fit in your area and suit your personality. If you are after a more formal look, then rectangular and square features are best. Curving and unusual shapes are more for the informal look.

Around your water landscape

When you are finished with your pond installation, then it is time to figure out what you are going to do around it. There are many different ways to decorate your pond landscape. You can choose brick, stone, or even line your pond with flowers. It depends on the look you want to achieve.

Final touches to your pond

Fish and plants are wonderful ways to add a soothing and attractive look to your pond. It is important not to overload your pond with too many fish or plants. Water plants will grow quickly and spread out and the fish will most likely reproduce.

This is a big project, but with a little planning and some help, it is going to be well worth all the hard work. This will be a feature that you will be able to enjoy for many years.