Geographical Climate
Before you plant, choose what kind of plant that match with your geographical climate. Click next picture too enlarge. (source : http://www.theodora.com/)
Weed
Weed, term applied to any plant that grows where it is not wanted. A weed is usually characterized by rapid growth, and it typically replaces other, more desirable plants. Some plants, such as crabgrass, are considered weeds everywhere they grow, but many plants are considered weeds in some regions and not in others. For example, the shrub lantana is raised as an ornamental plant in many parts of the United States, but has become a serious pest in Hawaii.
Weed could damage in some way:
Even most of weed are harmful, some weed can provide benefit like, serve as safe and nutritious forage for grazing animals, prevent or retard soil erosion in open pastures and stabilize the thin, fragile soils of tropical farmlands, conserve water in semi-arid and Mediterranean climates by enhancing water storage, increasing shade, and breaking up soil with their root growth.
Weed Control
Weed could damage in some way:
- Competing with them for sunlight, water, and mineral nutrients
- Parasites, grow directly on other plants.
- As hosts for disease-causing organisms. For example, some of the fungal diseases that
- infect food crops spend part of their life cycle on a weed that typically grows near the crop.
Even most of weed are harmful, some weed can provide benefit like, serve as safe and nutritious forage for grazing animals, prevent or retard soil erosion in open pastures and stabilize the thin, fragile soils of tropical farmlands, conserve water in semi-arid and Mediterranean climates by enhancing water storage, increasing shade, and breaking up soil with their root growth.
Weed Control
- Hand pulling, the underground root must be pull out to avoid the weed back. Even tiresome, this most effective method.
- Mulching, applying a layer of leaves, straw, or other organic mulching material over the weeds. Good practise when the root system of your plant is sensitive.
- Herbicide, using chemical to kill weed.
Source: Encarta
Glossary
Fertilizer
Fertilizer, natural or synthetic chemical substance or mixture used to enrich soil so as to promote plant growth.
Humus
Humus, decaying organic matter found in soil and derived from dead animal and plant material. During early decomposition, some of the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen are quickly dissipated as water, carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia, but the other constituents decompose slowly and remain as humus. The chemical composition of humus varies, because it depends on the action of living soil organisms, such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and certain kinds of beetles, but usually it contains varying amounts of proteins and certain uronic acids combined with lignins and their derivatives. Humus is a homogeneous, amorphous, dark-colored, and practically odorless material. The end products of the decomposition of humus are mineral salts, carbon dioxide, and ammonia.
Manure
Manure, plant or animal wastes used as fertilizer. Rich in humus (decaying organic matter), manure releases many important nutrients into the soil. However, manure is deficient in three important nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A commercial fertilizer has about 20 times as much nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as an equally massive amount of manure. For this reason, manure is often used in conjunction with other fertilizers. Manure also helps to loosen soil and retain water.
source: wikipedia, encarta
Fertilizer, natural or synthetic chemical substance or mixture used to enrich soil so as to promote plant growth.
Humus
Humus, decaying organic matter found in soil and derived from dead animal and plant material. During early decomposition, some of the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen are quickly dissipated as water, carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia, but the other constituents decompose slowly and remain as humus. The chemical composition of humus varies, because it depends on the action of living soil organisms, such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and certain kinds of beetles, but usually it contains varying amounts of proteins and certain uronic acids combined with lignins and their derivatives. Humus is a homogeneous, amorphous, dark-colored, and practically odorless material. The end products of the decomposition of humus are mineral salts, carbon dioxide, and ammonia.
Manure
Manure, plant or animal wastes used as fertilizer. Rich in humus (decaying organic matter), manure releases many important nutrients into the soil. However, manure is deficient in three important nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A commercial fertilizer has about 20 times as much nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as an equally massive amount of manure. For this reason, manure is often used in conjunction with other fertilizers. Manure also helps to loosen soil and retain water.
source: wikipedia, encarta
Composting
Waste from the garden, yard, and table does not have to be thrown away. It may be condensed and reused as a fertilizer through a process called composting. A compost pile may be built by layering different kinds of waste in a bin, leaving space between the layers for air to circulate. Nitrogen is added to the pile in the form of manure, meal, or greenery to generate heat. Heat facilitates rotting and kills all undesirable organisms. Once the pile is slightly dampened, it is covered. As heat and steam build up, the waste decomposes over time into a nutrient-rich substance called compost. The compost is then applied to plants as a fertilizer.
source : encarta
Soil Improvment
For soil improvement you can use:
Mainly for vegetable crops. Good for replenishing organic matter, especially for the soil that have been impoverished by chemical fertilization.
Green manure does not give quick results. This why it is not often used in home gardens. It will take about 6 months for the vegetation waste to rot down. Green manure generally applied on land that is to have a season of rest. And the land should be properly drained so that sufficient air is present. Should be adequately lime and warm. Some Green manure have very deep roots, which reach into subsoil and pull up nutrients. Green manure on top ground will protect from erosion and compaction due to heavy rains. Other green manures are nitrogen-fixers.
Cover Crops
Like green manure, plants grown to cover the soil during idle perios when the land would otherwise be barren. Plant cover crops in autumn for winter cover, you also can use cover crops for summer rotation. Cover crops also attract benefecial insects to the garden.
Most cover crops are cut down and composted before flowering. Before planting spring vegetables, flowers wait 2 to 4 weeks to allow cover crops to decompose.
Compost
All compos are good. Composted plant waste rich in all necessary ingredients both micronutrients and micro organism. Its a good practice to have compost resource.
Do's (you can use following list for compost)
Don't (don't use following list for compost)
- Compost, enrich and improve texture and aiding drainage.
- Green Manures and Cover Crops, enrich organic matter
Mainly for vegetable crops. Good for replenishing organic matter, especially for the soil that have been impoverished by chemical fertilization.
Green manure does not give quick results. This why it is not often used in home gardens. It will take about 6 months for the vegetation waste to rot down. Green manure generally applied on land that is to have a season of rest. And the land should be properly drained so that sufficient air is present. Should be adequately lime and warm. Some Green manure have very deep roots, which reach into subsoil and pull up nutrients. Green manure on top ground will protect from erosion and compaction due to heavy rains. Other green manures are nitrogen-fixers.
Cover Crops
Like green manure, plants grown to cover the soil during idle perios when the land would otherwise be barren. Plant cover crops in autumn for winter cover, you also can use cover crops for summer rotation. Cover crops also attract benefecial insects to the garden.
Most cover crops are cut down and composted before flowering. Before planting spring vegetables, flowers wait 2 to 4 weeks to allow cover crops to decompose.
Compost
All compos are good. Composted plant waste rich in all necessary ingredients both micronutrients and micro organism. Its a good practice to have compost resource.
Do's (you can use following list for compost)
- Leaves
- Clippings
- Straw
- Sawdust
- Shredded branches and twigs
- Cut flowers
- Comfrey leaves
- Tea leaves
- Coffee grounds
- Egg Shells
- Banana skins
- Manure
- Urine
- Vegetable waste
- Kelp
Don't (don't use following list for compost)
- Kitchen waste, it will attract vermin.
- Dog and cat manure, it will kill off the composting worms
- Citrus peel, its too acidic for worms
- Diseased plants, hmm.. you know, it will risk you with disease. :)
Understanding Soil
Healthy garden need healthy soil. Plants get water, oxygen, and essential nutrients from the soil. Soil consists of two components: minerals from weathered rocks and organic matter from decayed organisms and animal wastes. Most plants do best in a soil in which half the pore space is filled with air and half with water.
Plants use nutrients obtained from soil to build the cells and tissues needed for growth. Nutrients that plants need in large amounts, called macronutrients, include oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and an array of minerals. They also need micronutrients, or trace nutrients, which consist of cobalt, chlorine, boron, iron, zinc, molybdenum, nickel, manganese, and copper.
Soil Texture
The size of the individual soil particles, affects how fast water drains and how well plants absorb nutrients. To get the idea about soil texture, take a handful soil and roll in your palms. If feels smooth, and holds the shape for a short time before breaking apart, it's mostly silt. If feels gritty and breaks apart immediately, it is sand. If feel sticky and hold together, it is clay.
Soil Types
Sandy Soil
Coarse-textured soils, contain sands, sandy loamy and loamy sands. Easy to cultivate. Drain well, thats mean the plants do not stand with their roots in water for too long. Since they drain easily, the plants need to be regularly watered, sowing and planting can be done earlier in the year. Sandy soil usually have reddish brown color, easy to dig and feels rough and gritty when handled.
Silty Soil
richer nutrients than sandy soil, can retain moisture. Drain well and much easier to cultivate than clay.
Clay Soil
termed as heavy soils, weighty to lift and difficult to work. Clay soil are acid and bad in drainage. In wet weather become sticky, in dry weather will lose moisture and shrink, will crack in several weeks on try weather. To solve this, add lime, gypsum and more compost.
Loamy Soil
Is medium-textured soil, contain sand, silt and clay in well-balanced proportions. Loamy soils is the most fertile soils. Good for any kind of crop. Warm quickly in spring and rarely dry out in summer. Brown color and crumbly, thats mean easy to dig. Naturally high in nutrient.
Chalk Soil
Fertility is depend on the depth of soil overlaying the chalk bed formation. If topsoil is thin the ground will be poor and hungry. Need more watering and compost than any other soil. If topsoil is thick enough, good conditions are possible. Usually sticky and soft in wet weather, solve this situation by build a good layer of topsoil with more manure and compost. Used green manure.
Peaty Soil
Composed of excessive quantities of humus. Usually very acid, dark brown color, fibrous and spongy texture and not too much nutrients. Warms quickly in spring. Doing drainage and add lime occasionally to correct acidity level. Adding fertilizer will help good condition for plant growth.
Soil Fertility
For checking, soil condition must be moist and warm (55 F), dig up a clod 30 cm square, 15 cm deep on soil that covered by mulch or green manure. Count the earthworms, if more than 10 thats mean you have a good fertile soil.
Soil Testing
Plants use nutrients obtained from soil to build the cells and tissues needed for growth. Nutrients that plants need in large amounts, called macronutrients, include oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and an array of minerals. They also need micronutrients, or trace nutrients, which consist of cobalt, chlorine, boron, iron, zinc, molybdenum, nickel, manganese, and copper.
Soil Texture
The size of the individual soil particles, affects how fast water drains and how well plants absorb nutrients. To get the idea about soil texture, take a handful soil and roll in your palms. If feels smooth, and holds the shape for a short time before breaking apart, it's mostly silt. If feels gritty and breaks apart immediately, it is sand. If feel sticky and hold together, it is clay.
Soil Types
Sandy Soil
Coarse-textured soils, contain sands, sandy loamy and loamy sands. Easy to cultivate. Drain well, thats mean the plants do not stand with their roots in water for too long. Since they drain easily, the plants need to be regularly watered, sowing and planting can be done earlier in the year. Sandy soil usually have reddish brown color, easy to dig and feels rough and gritty when handled.
Silty Soil
richer nutrients than sandy soil, can retain moisture. Drain well and much easier to cultivate than clay.
Clay Soil
termed as heavy soils, weighty to lift and difficult to work. Clay soil are acid and bad in drainage. In wet weather become sticky, in dry weather will lose moisture and shrink, will crack in several weeks on try weather. To solve this, add lime, gypsum and more compost.
Loamy Soil
Is medium-textured soil, contain sand, silt and clay in well-balanced proportions. Loamy soils is the most fertile soils. Good for any kind of crop. Warm quickly in spring and rarely dry out in summer. Brown color and crumbly, thats mean easy to dig. Naturally high in nutrient.
Chalk Soil
Fertility is depend on the depth of soil overlaying the chalk bed formation. If topsoil is thin the ground will be poor and hungry. Need more watering and compost than any other soil. If topsoil is thick enough, good conditions are possible. Usually sticky and soft in wet weather, solve this situation by build a good layer of topsoil with more manure and compost. Used green manure.
Peaty Soil
Composed of excessive quantities of humus. Usually very acid, dark brown color, fibrous and spongy texture and not too much nutrients. Warms quickly in spring. Doing drainage and add lime occasionally to correct acidity level. Adding fertilizer will help good condition for plant growth.
Soil Fertility
For checking, soil condition must be moist and warm (55 F), dig up a clod 30 cm square, 15 cm deep on soil that covered by mulch or green manure. Count the earthworms, if more than 10 thats mean you have a good fertile soil.
Soil Testing
- Calcium (Ca): important for cell-wall integrity and root and leaf growth. For alkaline soils (pH > 7) add gypsum (calcium sulphate) For pH >6 use lime. Low calcium will weak the stems and roots, deformed leaves and branches.
Magnesium (Mg): essential for clorophyll and green leaf. Pale leaves with green veins show your plant got magnesium deficiency. For alkaline soils, add Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) - Nitrogen (N): One of the most important mineral, deficiency show by pale yellow leaves and restrict growth. More nitrogen will made soil acidic. Nitrogen can be result from organism activities and nitrogen fertilizer. Hidrogen ion that produce by this process will lock calcium, magnesium and potassium.
- pH: Most plants absorb nutrients best in a soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5; however, plants such as rhododendrons require an acidic soil, while others, such as lilacs, grow better in an alkaline soil. Acidic soils are more common in the eastern half of the United States, where rainfall is plentiful, while alkaline soils are more common in the drier west. Use lime to increase pH, and sulphur for decreasing pH.
- Phosphorus: raising and lowering pH to 6.5 will free up phosporus for use. Purple leaves, brittle roots, skinny stems and late fruit and maturity indicate phospor deficiencies. Use super phospahte, rock phosphate as a good resource of phospor.
- Potassium: Vital for stem strength, root growth and disease resistance. Many soils are natually high in potassium. But for sandly and highly weathered soils can be deficient. Yellowing of lower leaves and poor rooth growth is phospor deficienci indication. Use muriate potash, greensand and wood ash as potassium resource.
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