Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Types of Orchids For Beginners

Never Grew Orchids Before? Well, let's take a look at some of the Most Popular Types of Orchids for Starters!

Uh oh! I'm sensing that you are afraid you do not know where to start in growing orchids. Fear not! Here are some thoughts of the easiest orchids to look after. Many beginners loved them and some are now Orchid experts in the field . So what I'm about to tell you would be an excellent for beginning, while you learn the secrets of growing orchids.

Where to Start: Orchids for Beginners

.The object of affection of royal gardeners and planting experts around the world, you may think the orchid-that most difficult of natural beauties-is the business of the botanical only. But not so.

The mystery of the orchid can be uncovered and perfected with many easy-to-care-for species of the elegant flower.

For Amateurs

The Oncidium Intergenerics, the fragrant delights that bloom twice per year, are favorites of the rookie orchid owner. Many thinks that this is the most manageable orchid species, the Comnara Wildcat can last up to three months with simple care guidelines and ample light.

Another of the species, called the Oncidium Sharry Baby, blooms three times per year with the scent of the coveted cocoa leaf for your dinning room or windowsill.

The Cattleya group, another popular species among beginners, spotlights a short blooming period that is offset by a natural beauty not often paralleled in the plant world. These large plants feature an easy growing regimen that often requires supplemental lights, and blooms with characteristic fragrances and radiant colors.

Other Beginner Orchids

.Another line of orchid plants popular for beginners is phragmepediums. Though watering and fertilizing must be practiced delicately with these plants, they are a simple-care orchid that requires much bright light. If a brown color develops on the leaves, the orchid has been overfertilized-which is a simple problem that can be reversed with less fertilization.

Two important beginning orchids that bloom well under most proper windowsill conditions are the phalaenopsis and the paphiopedilum hybrids. Highly adaptable to varying humidity levels, these two orchids require simple lighting conditions, much like African violets.

Requiring moderate amounts of water, the pitfalls of these orchids lie in overwatering them, or underwatering them, because of their lack of pseudobulbs. Because of the moisture they store in their roots, the water level will remain moderate, but if a problem arises, it may be quick to become irreversible.

Cliff Hunter is an enthusiast for Orchid Growing. He has devoted a lot of his resources to provide quality, professional information for Orchid growers and hobbyists. Learn more at his website: http://www.orchidflowerpot.com

Drip Irrigation Supplies: Using Drip Emitters for Your Watering System

Drip irrigation is much more feasible than other watering techniques that help to the reduction of soil evaporation. This requires less water application.

When it comes to making a drip irrigation system, what is required is the emitter. use it for offering water at a rate so slowly that the emitters can give a way to drip or trickle . You water application rate needs to be less than the infiltration rate of the soil just to prevent runoff.

The emitter you can install on a lateral . It is a black polyethylene pipe either 1/2 or 3/4 inches in diameter according to your length requirement. Several laterals can be tied together with a manifold of the same size pipe. This manifold is further connected by a frostproof hydrant and filter to the main water supply, with a pressure-regulator in between them. 

Water is distributed from a water source to the hydrant with the help of a buried PVC pipe. Temporary supply lines such as garden hoses are nothing but a nuisance. They are expensive over the long run in comparision with the permanent lines. You can make use of a filter of a fine mesh at the hydrant just to avoid clogging the emitters.

The emitters need to operate at a particular pressure, say 15 to 25 psi. The pressure regulator and small globe valve is required for keeping control on the pressure. They can be connected to the hydrant with the help of a polyethylene pipe by using it like a supply line to the laterals. Drip irrigation suppliers have an array of fittings that are suitable for installing a drip irrigation system.

All such irrigation equipments can be obtained from a hardware store that supplies irrigation equipment. Find out such store that can offer you the best prices on the drip irrigation supplies like drip emitters, drip filters, drip tubing, and other supplies.

Learning To Be Successful In Organic Container Vegetable Gardening

Organic Containner Vegetable Gardening

Being a successful organic container vegetable gardener takes a lot of time and effort.  It is important to follow some basic organic vegetable gardening tips in order to set up your organic container garden properly and avoid problems.

Organic container vegetable gardening gives people a chance to enjoy homegrown vegetables that taste better and are better for the environment, even without having any land.  You can use old soda bottles, coffee cans, or any recycled containers to plant vegetables and put them on your window sill, porch, or balcony.

The Basics

Starting off your organic container vegetable gardening project will require you to get some vegetable seeds. Whilst seeds are available everywhere, you should ensure that you buy organics seeds and not just any seeds from the major stores which could be genetically modified, so that you will truly have a real organic garden.

You should also do your research by consulting your plant book or over the internet in order to be aware of when you should be planting your seeds. In a majority of cases the best place to start is indoors, however your should also ensure that your plants are provided with enough sunlight, around 5 hours a day of exposure would be beneficial. For your fertilizing needs, get yourself some slow-release organic fertilizer so that you plants will be nourished throughout the growing season. In organic container vegetable gardening, soil can be used but better results can be achieved with a vermiculite-based or peat mix. keep in mind that plants in pots need to be watered more frequently compared to plants ground in the ground, and remember that as your plants grow bigger, their water requirements will also increase so you have to check on them more as this happens.

What makes organic container vegetable gardening uniquely beautiful is that you will be able to grow them in just about any home. It does take a lot of time and effort to successfully practice container gardening but it gets much easier and is certainly more convenient than the normal practice of gardening on a plot in your yard. Starting off can also be quite inexpensive since the main requirement is to have suitable containers and a good soil mix, and we all know you can reuse old items for the containers.

Some popular crops for organic container vegetable gardening are radish, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, and chard, to name a few.  The fact is that pretty much all vegetables can be grown in containers.  Potatoes, corn, and cabbages are challenging to grow in containers however, but not impossible.  You can also look for “bush” or “dwarf” varieties of crops such as small cucumber and tomato varieties that are specially bred for small-space gardening.

To conclude, growing your own organic vegetables whether it's to save money, better nutrition or both, the choice of organic container vegetable gardening is most certainly an excellent choice. It is easy to do and of course inexpensive, which gives you no excuses even if you don't have a single plot of land for planting.

Various Aspects of Organic Farming

Do you know the various aspects of organic farming?

The farming in old fashion which is known otherwise as non organic farming, consisted of using various chemicals and pesticides to fight against various pest infestations as well as for the production of better crops.

The aim of organic farming is to produce livestock and crops by making use of economic, humane and environmental systems that are available naturally to the maximum level. For organic farming to function, we need two things. One is the presence of a land which is very fertile and which will aid in the healthy growing of various crops.  The second factor is the availability of people who will be working on the land which has been chosen.

The following are the major factors to be considered if you are choosing to go ahead with the concept of organic farming:

1.    The land which has been chosen for organic farming should contain soil that can be utilised for long periods of time without the usage of artificial fertilisers which are normally used while non organic farming.
2.    The crops which are produce by organic farming must be given care in a very careful manner by avoiding the use of pesticides and herbicides.
3.    The residues of the organic materials as well as the livestock must be recycled so that these can be used as manure for the crops grown via organic farming.
4.    The growth of weeds as well as infestation of insects needs to be given proper control by employing the technique of crop rotation in organic farming. This indicates to avoiding the usage of scientific methods which are normally employed in non organic farming.
5.    Do not opt for using the genetic engineering method for growing animals on the organic farming method.
6.    Finally, the various effects the organic farming will have on the environment must be assessed thoroughly.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Various Aspects of Organic Farming

Do you know the various aspects of organic farming?

The farming in old fashion which is known otherwise as non organic farming, consisted of using various chemicals and pesticides to fight against various pest infestations as well as for the production of better crops.

The aim of organic farming is to produce livestock and crops by making use of economic, humane and environmental systems that are available naturally to the maximum level. For organic farming to function, we need two things. One is the presence of a land which is very fertile and which will aid in the healthy growing of various crops.  The second factor is the availability of people who will be working on the land which has been chosen.

The following are the major factors to be considered if you are choosing to go ahead with the concept of organic farming:

1.    The land which has been chosen for organic farming should contain soil that can be utilised for long periods of time without the usage of artificial fertilisers which are normally used while non organic farming.
2.    The crops which are produce by organic farming must be given care in a very careful manner by avoiding the use of pesticides and herbicides.
3.    The residues of the organic materials as well as the livestock must be recycled so that these can be used as manure for the crops grown via organic farming.
4.    The growth of weeds as well as infestation of insects needs to be given proper control by employing the technique of crop rotation in organic farming. This indicates to avoiding the usage of scientific methods which are normally employed in non organic farming.
5.    Do not opt for using the genetic engineering method for growing animals on the organic farming method.
6.    Finally, the various effects the organic farming will have on the environment must be assessed thoroughly.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Drip Irrigation Supplies: Using Drip Emitters for Your Watering System

Drip irrigation is more feasible than other watering methods that facilities the reduction of soil evaporation. This requires less water application .

When it comes to making a drip irrigation system, what is required is the emitter. You can use it for supplying water at a rate so slowly that the emitters give a way to drip or trickle . You water application rate needs to be less than the infiltration rate of the soil just to prevent runoff.

Install the emitter on a lateral . It is a black polyethylene pipe either 1/2 or 3/4 inches in diameter according to your length requirement. Several laterals can easily be tied together by a manifold of the same size pipe. This manifold is further connected by a frostproof hydrant and filter to the main water supply, with a pressure-regulator in between them. 

Water supply is offered from a water source to the hydrant with the help of a buried PVC pipe. Temporary supply lines just like garden hoses are more of a nuisance. They will prove to be more costly over the long run comparing to the permanent lines. Utilize a filter of a fine mesh at the hydrant just to avoid clogging the emitters.

The emitters must operate at a specific pressure, say 15 to 25 psi. The pressure regulator and small globe valve is required for keeping control on the pressure. You can connect them to the hydrant with the help of a polyethylene pipe by using it like a supply line to the laterals. Drip irrigation suppliers have an array of fittings that are suitable for installing a drip irrigation system.

All such irrigation equipments can be obtained from a hardware store that supplies irrigation equipment. Find out such store that can offer you the best prices on the drip irrigation supplies like drip emitters, drip filters, drip tubing, and other supplies.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Beekeeping Supplies

Beekeeping Supplies For Be Hobbyists And Professionals

 

Beekeeping supplies include hive essentials, beekeeping tools, processing equipment, honey containers and labels.Many people run commercial apiaries today and keep a stock of all the beekeeping supplies that you need for beekeeping. There are several new products, both for people who are doing beekeeping as a hobby or as a business.

 

 

Hive Essentials

 

When you are in the beekeeping business you have to depend on the activities of the bees and how much they produce. This also depends on the weather and the temperatures which have to be suitable for the bees. The bees and the queens are the most important beekeeping supplies along with the Beginner's and Hive Increase Kits. There are small hive frames and big ones, as well as polystyrene hives.

 

Bee feed and feeders and comb honey supplies belong to the beekeeping supplies too. Bee medications are essential and you need books to keep you informed about the bees. Hive wraps, gadgets and tools are some of the beekeeping tools along with galvanized hardware cloth and pollen traps. For the beekeeper, protective clothing is essential, and so are smokers.

 

Processing Honey And Wax

 

You will need a queen bee and worker bees to get started with. Consider purchasing a packaged set of bees and a mated queen bee. For the honey containers it is important to have bulk, glass and plastic containers for the liquid honey. Closures are vital and there should be labels for the various types of honey.

 

Honey Handling Equipment is also sold in various sizes in the stores which supply beekeeping supplies. Point the smoker at the entrance of the hive, squeeze the bellows and smoke is forced in.
Honey tanks and strainers which are suitable for various size buckets and honey warming cabinets are also available. A honey creaming machine and a hive clamp with strap is used for transportation.

 

Equipment for beeswax and foundation wax is some of the latest products of beekeeping supplies. There are many wood products, medications and treatment for bees and lots of beekeeping books and educational aids can be bought on websites.

Kits

 

Several kits are available as beekeeping supplies like the Bee-Ginners Kit or the Hive Starter Kit. The Bee-Ginners Kit provides the beginner with the basics of beekeeping supplies and it is only sold as a unit. The Hive Starter Kit is an assembled English Garden Hive which has eight frames. It includes a copper top, and two medium blocks with frames.

 

Buying Supplies

 

Most beekeeping supplies can be bought online, by choosing from huge catalogues and comparing price lists.

 

If the season is good the beekeeper can get around 60 to 100 pounds of honey
The taste of the honey depends on the flowers that the bees have been pollinating.