Welcome to the Garden !

This is where I put gardening advice, tips, general information, etc... I don't know much yet, but I'm learning and willing to share with you all I learn! So go out, get in the dirt, and grow a beautiful little (or big) garden
~You'll be glad you did!

Roses

First of all you should know that roses do not like to have their leaves wet! * Some gardeners will spray the leaves with a solution made of one tablespoon baking soda to a gallon of water to combat fungual disease, but mostly spraying a roses leaves just causes the dreaded Blackspot. (which is icky and the leaves do not recover from it.) So if your leaves turn yellowish and get black spots (or just get black spots) go ahead and pluck that leaf cluster off.

When you water you should be sure to get the hose, nozzle, whatever... down by the roots. If you generously water your roses they will reward you with many beautiful blooms! But no watering the leaves Please!

During the growing season, your roses will need at least 2 inches of water each week; plan on 1 inch of water all other times. (increase the amount and frequency of watering during the sweltering days of summer) Deep watering establishes a healthy root system that is critical to surviving the harsh Winters and blistering heat of Summer. Infrequent deep watering is better than frequent light watering! Water at Dawn or Dusk to conserve water! The heat of the sun will evaporate 25% of the water you apply to your garden. (research also shows that tilling or planting at Dusk or Dawn reduces the rate of weed seed germination. It takes 5 seconds of full sun to encourage soil-deposited weed seed to germinate.)

Roses like to eat! You should fertilize them once a month or so(during growing season) depending on the type of fertilizer you use. It is possible to overfertilize and that is bad! it can burn your roses roots and possibly kill them altogether! Besides overfertilizing can cause your rose to grow extra stems and leaves which will take away from the beautiful blooms!

Be on the lookout for bugs and disease! Aphids, Blackspot, and Powdery Mildew are the three worst enemies of a rose bush. Aphids, tiny green,red or black insects, usually arrive at the first sign of tasty new growth. Blackspot is a fungus that forms on the leaves, which can also be spread from planting roses too close together causing plants to drip on each others leaves when it rains. (which also spreads other diseases) The best defense against Blackspot is active monitoring. At the first sign of it's appearance remove the diseased leaves from the plant. Unlike Blackspot, Powdery Mildew thrives on dry leaves. Warm dry days and cool dry nights provide the ideal breeding ground for this powdery white or grayish coating. Infected leaves may become distorted and fall off. The same active monitering measures used to combat Blackspot will be effective for Powdery Mildew as well.

        To guarentee an abundance of blooms, choose a sunny site for your roses! They prefere a full day of sun, but can manage on 6 hours of direct sunlight. If you have to choose between morning sun or midday sun, choose the morning sun site to ensure that your leaves remain dry and healthy.   If you follow a few simple steps, harsh chemichals should not be needed!

     The first step is to remove leaves and extra stems from the bottom of the rosebush. This helps airflow and helps prevent the dreaded Blackspot. In addition, planting roses away from walls that inhibit airflow can aid in fighting Powdery Mildew.

        Pruning branches and extra stems helps with airflow and permits sunlight to get in too! Pruning is best done when the bush is dormant(check your local nursery to find out when this is in your area) and using a sharp pair of pruners that won't crush the stem. Seal fresh cuts with nail polish or glue to help keep out disease and pests.

    at the end of the growing season, clean the beds thoroughly and add Dormant soil (if you must) and a generous helping of compost around the base. Compost also adds acid to the soil which ALL flowering trees and shrubs love!!!

Bugs

Try Bug proofing your garden instead of using all those harmful chemicals and pesticides! For example: Beneficial insects will outnumber pest species if you stop using pesticides and plant Zinnias (butterfly attractive) instead!! Purple coneflowers also attract butterflies to your garden, as well as ladybugs and other beneficial insects!

Besides the well known lady bug, who happily munches the nasty aphids, mites, and insect eggs of many types; some of the beneficial bugs to have in your garden are:

Damsel Bug: The enemy of aphids, leaf hoppers, and thrips. The damsel bug is sensitive to pesticides of all kinds!! It's favorite food, next to bad bugs, is alfalfa. Plant some in your flower bed as a border to invite these beneficial bugs to your garden!

Green Lacewing: The larvae of this nocturnal predator easily tackle a great number of aphid species. Green Lacewings also enjoy a diet of other soft bodied pests, such as immature scale insects, mealy bugs, and white flies.

Lightening Bugs: Feed on a variety of invertebrates including snails.

Assassin Bug: The predatory habits of the assassin bug help control agricultural pests. The bug paralyzes its prey with venom, then sucks out the contents of the insects body....yumm.

Some pictures and information on this page can be found

Here

Would you like a little information on some different trees?
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