Growing Blueberries

more popular with our American gardening cousins. Australians probably don’t grow blueberries because they don’t think they’ll grow well here. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact we’ve successfully grown blueberries here in sunny subtropical Queensland. So if we can grow these scrumptious berries so can you!

Blueberry Growing Conditions

• Blueberries are very fussy when it comes to your soil. They need a nicely composted free draining soil. Don’t even think about growing them in clay soils – they don’t like “wet feet” which clay encourages.
• The other big consideration when it comes to your soil and blueberries is the pH level. Blueberries thrive in a highly acidic soil between a 4 and 5 pH. Basically this is the same type of soil that azaleas and camellias love, so if you have luck in your ornamental garden with these flowers you should be right with blueberries. Acidic soils “unlock” minerals like sulfur and zinc to blueberries, which makes them grow and grow.
• During spring you should get new light green growth. If this is yellow or looks sick your pH is too high. Add peat moss around the plant and cover with mulch. Mulch is very important to blueberries as it helps retain moisture (when they can dry out in summer) and keeps weeds down, which should hopefully not effect blueberries’ shallow root system.
• If you have a less acidic soil consider digging in peat moss, and depending on how much of a fundamentalist organic gardener you are you might even consider sulfur added to the soil a few months in advance of planting. Mulch with acidic materials too such as pine needles or sawdust.
• Blueberries like a sunny position but will also get by in some shade (but not too much, otherwise flowering might be effected).
• During the flowering and fruiting season they’ll need a lot of water – usually around two inches a week.

Blueberry Garden Care

• Blueberries need chilling; so it’s important to buy a variety who’s chilling requirements match your climate:

Highbush
Best grown in Northeast and Northwest America, and in southern parts of Australia

Half-high

Grows well in the American plains where night temperatures drop considerably in winter

Low bush
Keep going north into the depths of Canada and that’s where you’ll find this extremely cold hardy compact variety.

Southern highbush and Rabbiteyes
Suits the American south (and here in Southeast Queensland), these are the right varieties for cool and mild winters

• Try to buy locally from nurseries to make sure you buy varieties that grow where you live.
• Most blueberries will yield a lot better if you grow more than one type of plant within the same variety, and flowers at the same time. For example here in Brisbane we grow two early ripening types of southern highbush – Sharpeblue and Misty. Rabbiteyes must have two types of plants otherwise they won’t produce berries.
• Blueberries aren’t that greedy with fertilising, in fact it’s best to only organically fertilise around three times in spring – and then that’s it. Too much fertiliser will encourage leaf growth but not berry growth. We put down a layer of manure and mulch and give the odd liquid manure drink (with sulphate of potash included).
• You can prune dead, diseased and old wood toward the end of winter or very early in spring before much action starts happening to your plants. The odd prune is good as berries are usually formed on newer wood.
• Blueberries are very easy to look after for organic gardeners. They don’t get many diseases or pests. Most growers report the only real pest is birds. They can be deterred with netting. Or you might just be lucky like us (touch wood) and the birds haven’t worked out that those dark blue balls are very yummy.

Harvesting Blueberry Gardens

• Ok, you’ve waited patiently for weeks now, seen the gorgeous little white bell shaped flowers turn into green small berries, they start changing light purple then dark blue. “At last,” you say, “Harvest time!” But this is unfortunately not the case. Even when the berries turn blue they’re not ready. In fact they’re still very tart. You’ll need to wait at least a week for the sugars and flavour to come out.
• When you only have one or two berries it’s easy to remember when they first turned blue, but later in the harvest you’ll hopefully have dozens and dozens and you won’t remember which berry is ready when. Here’s my experience. Look at the underneath of the berry. If there’s a little green circle at the point the berry meets the stem – it’s not ready. If there’s no circle wait a day (if you can) and it should (hopefully) be ready. Of course with experience you’ll get better at working out when they’re ready.

Lightly twist the berry off the stem, pop into your mouth and enjoy!

Bamboo Plants

grow bamboo within their own home gardens. Bamboo plants are some of the fastest growing plants and are well suited for a garden and can be grown by even the most inexperienced gardener.

Another common myth about the bamboo plant is that it is a tree, but it is in fact a type of grass. Like grass, bamboo plants too can get out of control; however, if cared for properly, growing bamboo does not have to be tiresome at all and can add a tropical warmth to your home.

Types Of Bamboo Plants

Before you decide to grow bamboo in your garden, you must identify the right type of bamboo to grow. You must ensure that you choose a variety that is not too invasive and does not overwhelm the rest of your garden. The botanical names for the bamboo plants can be confusing for a lay person, especially since they tend to vary from place to place so the simplest way to understand the types of bamboo plants is to place them in two basic categories: Clumping and Running.

Clumping bamboo plants are best suited for a home garden as they are not very invasive. These bamboo plants grow only a couple of inches every year and due to their limited root structure, they do not overtake your whole yard.

Running bamboo plants on the other hand are very invasive and it is not a good idea to grow these in your home garden. They can overwhelm your garden in no time at all and can even damage other plants in your garden.

Choosing the bamboo plant that is right for your garden will depend on the climate in your area as well. Also, be sure to ask questions about how tall the plant will grow, its watering and soil requirements and other characteristics so you can choose right.

Growing Garden Bamboo Plants

Once you have chosen the right bamboo plant for your garden, consider some of these tips to help you to plant bamboo plants.

• If you want to grow your bamboo indoors, clumping bamboo plants are your best option as they grow nice and slow. Make sure you choose a container that is big enough to accommodate the growing bamboo plant.
• When planting bamboos outside, make sure you plant it a couple of inches below the ground. Also, because the plant will grow in size, be sure to dig a hole that is about double the diameter of the existing diameter of the plant’s root ball.
• You could put a barrier around the bamboo plant to keep it under control and make sure it does not overtake your garden.
• It is also important to prepare the soil to make sure it is fertile and well drained because bamboo plants do not grow well in dry soil. Soils with some acidity are well suited. Mulching the soil is also very good for growing bamboo. Adding fertilizer to the soil is also important as bamboo plants respond well to nitrogen in the soil.
• Bamboo plants require a healthy amount of sun and rainfall. While they do grow in partial shade, they do require a lot of light for good growth. As bamboo plants are naturally used to lots of rainfall, it is important, especially in its initial growing stages, to water these plants well. If your plant is indoors, ensure that you mist the plants daily. Once your bamboo plants become used to the weather, you can cut down on the amount of watering they need.

Growing bamboo is easy and even if you lack green thumbs, bamboo plants may be a plant worth considering for easy gardening. However, keep in mind that bamboo plants produce new canes every year but be sure to prune these so as to control the bamboo’s density and height.

Popular Medicine Herbs

There are a variety of medicinal plants that you can grow in your home garden, depending on your preferences, needs and interests. However, if you cannot make up your mind or have little knowledge about medicinal herbs, then check out some of our recommendations to help you make a choice regarding which medicine herbs you should grow in your garden.

Chamomile
This is a very useful medicinal plant and is easy to grow. You can not only add this medicinal herb to your tea, it is very handy if you have troubled sleep as the smell of chamomile aids sleep. The beautiful white and gold Chamomile flowers also add beauty to your garden.

Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is one of the most useful medicinal plants and can be easily grown in your medicine garden. Instead of buying bottle of aloe gel from the chemists, you can grow your own aloe at home. Breaking the prickly leaves of the plant reveals the aloe gel which is useful for sun burns, skin irritations, eczema etc.
Peppermint
Peppermint is one of the oldest medicinal herbs around and has been used for centuries. In addition its medicinal properties, this plant can be used to add flavor to your food or even your tea. As a medicinal plant, peppermint is very good for the digestive system and for treating problems such as flatulence.

Sage
Sage is a popular healing medicinal plant and is useful to treat soar throats and even mouth infections. Experts believe sage can be very handy to help depression and anxiety patients as well.

Fenugreek
Another popular medicinal herb, Fenugreek is very useful for soothing the digestive tract. In addition if you have cholesterol problems, fenugreek can help lower cholesterol levels.

Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a very useful medicinal plant that is useful for coughs, colds and fevers and doubles up as an insect repellent as well. This medicinal herb is very handy when it comes to treating upset stomachs as well.

Milk Thistle
This medicinal herb has useful medicinal properties and beautiful purple flowers that are helpful for gall bladder and liver problems.

These are some of the most popular medicinal plants that you can consider growing in your home medicine garden. Other medicinal herbs you might like to consider are stinging nettles (for blood cleansing), primrose (especially for its oil) and even Echinacea (for boosting the immune system).

Pepper Plants

some other parts of Asia as well. Peppers or capsicums (as they are known in some parts of the world) are enjoyed by everyone in a variety of dishes. Hot and not-so-hot peppers are both equally enjoyable in various sorts of foods and for a gardener, growing peppers is easy and in fact is one of the most common home gardening plants.

Grow Pepper Plants – Choose The Right Variety

Bell peppers are not the only type of peppers so if you are interested in planting peppers, you should know about the varieties of peppers available and choose the right one to grow in your garden. If you would like to grow peppers, these are some of our recommendations:

Hot Peppers

• Cayenne
• Red Chili
• Jalapeno

Salad Peppers

• Sweet Banana
• Gypsy

Hybrid Bell Peppers

• Lady Bell
• Bell Boy
• Purple Bell
• Chocolate Bell

Unlike previous generations of gardeners, the current generation interested in growing garden peppers has more than just the ordinary green variety available to them. If you are growing pepper plants, depending on what type of garden pepper you choose, you will find a plethora of colors including but not limited to yellow, red, orange and even purple.

When To Grow Pepper Plants

Winter is the best time to start growing pepper plants. Even if your part of the country gets very cold, you can grow peppers indoors to start out with and once spring sets in, you can transplant the peppers outside to your garden. Warm weather is perfect for planting pepper because the cold and frost and wet soil do not help when growing garden peppers. Temperatures above 50 – 55 degree Fahrenheit are best. If it is colder, then start by growing pepper plants indoors.

Pepper Gardening Tips

When planting pepper outside in the garden or transplanting from pots into your garden you must ensure the garden peppers are properly spaced to allow them to grow to their maximum potential. If you are planting peppers in a row, place them at least 18 to 24 inches apart. If you are aiming for a scattered growth, then a distance of 14 to 18 inches is more than enough.

As far as soil is concerned, you must choose garden soil with proper drainage to grow peppers. Fertile, well moisturized soil is ideal. If your region is prone to dry weather and dry winds, make sure the soil does not dry out and keep it well irrigated or your pepper plants may become dehydrated plants and die.

Harvesting Garden Pepper Plants

If you are a newbie gardener, planting pepper is ideal because you do not need any real expertise and even harvesting garden pepper plants is very easy. Garden peppers do not really need to grow to any particular size. Bell peppers are usually mature when they are about 3 to 4 inches long and firm.

Before you pick the garden peppers, make sure they are firm and break away easily from the pepper plant. If they do not, the garden pepper plants are not mature enough. If you ar growing a hot a variety of pepper, as an added precaution you might want to wear gloves when picking the peppers because your skin might become irritated.

Planting peppers is easy and convenient and garden peppers not only add color to your garden but are also very handy because you can use them for cooking.

Lemon Tree Plant – Types

There are different types of lemon plants with most of them producing fruits only from their third year. Some common varieties are:

• Meyer lemon plants: The fruits of these growing lemon trees are less acidic and often used as a lemon substitute. The lemon tree plant is small with fruits resembling oranges.
• Eureka lemon tree plant: First grown in California this is a large tree with lemon clusters.
• Dorshapo: These are the lemon plants grown in Brazil much like Eureka.

Which lemon tree plant is the best is obviously a question of how sweet one would like their lemon to be and where they are growing lemon trees.

Positioning The Lemon Tree Plant

A garden lemon tree is best grown in tropical and sub-tropical climates as these citrus fruits require adequate sunlight. Frost is not at all tolerated by the growing lemon trees and in colder climates it is better to grow lemon plants in a container which can be placed indoors or in a warm greenhouse when winter sets in.

Right Soil To Grow A Lemon Tree

For growing lemon trees the soil must be well drained and with an ideal pH between 5.5 to 6.5. An acidic soil may be treated with lime to make it suitable for growing lemon plants. To grow lemon tree a hole should be dug in the soil, slightly shallower than the root length. After lemon tree planting in this hole, the remaining soil around the hole should be replaced and smoothed down firmly.

Watering The Lemon Tree Plant

The growing lemon trees should be well watered and once the plant has nearly dried it should be watered again. One should carefully watch the lemon tree plant so that it does not dry up and become a dehydrated plant. The lemon plants should be well soaked or they will shed flowers and leaves.

Lemon Tree Planting – Pests & Diseases

The good news with lemon plants is that diseases affecting them are mostly not life threatening. However, careful scrutiny of the lemon tree plant will ensure that common pests and diseases are away. Additionally, a garden lemon tree should be protected from

• Young tree decline: Affected lemon plants wilt with symptoms such as reduced growth and sparse foliage.
• Greasy spot: Yellowish brown blisters, often on the underside of leaves caused by a fungus infect the plant sometimes.
• Snails: Chew into the leaves of the growing lemon trees often spoiling the fruit. They should be removed when sighted.

With some care and patience one can easily grow a garden lemon tree that can yield refreshing lemon juice and be used as a flavoring agent. Moreover, a single lemon tree yields many fruits.

References:

1. Kitchen Garden: Lemon Tree – The Telegraph
2. Lemon Tree Planting Tips – Online Tips

Where To Sow Hibiscus Seed

To create a hibiscus garden and plant a hibiscus seed, find the right location at first where the soil drains well and about 6-8 hours of sunlight is received. If this is a low lying area where water accumulates easily, planting hibiscus here is not a good option.

Right Soil And Water For Hibiscus Gardening

Though hibiscus seed is adaptable to different soil types, ideal hibiscus gardening will occur in rich organic soil to create healthy and sturdy plants. Peat moss, compost, sphagnum or decomposed manure when added to the soil is conducive for growing hibiscus. If the soil is acidic it should be made neutral before planting hibiscus.

For the first two years the soil of the hibiscus garden needs to be kept continuously moist as hibiscus thrives well in moisture. Once the soil has been established, lesser moisture may be enough for growing hibiscus.

How To Grow Hibiscus In A Container Or Pot

While planting hibiscus in a pot, ensure that well drained soil is used and the pot has drainage holes so that water may not accumulate. Ensure the soil level in the pot and ground soil is even while planting hibiscus seed otherwise the plant may dry out or rot.

Pruning While Hibiscus Gardening

Except for late fall and winter, a hibiscus garden can be pruned at any other time of the year. New blooms should be seen in about 3 months. Clean and good quality shears should be used, to cut just above an eye in the direction one wants the growing hibiscus plant to go.

Protection From Winds And Cold While Hibiscus Gardening

Caring for hibiscus, a tropical plant is essential as this plant does not tolerate frosts and strong winds. While a well watered and fertilized plant will be sturdier and better able to endure adversities, blankets, straw, cardboard or a thick layer of mulch will only provide better protection. In the northern regions caring for hibiscus may require you to bring the plants inside in winter whereas in the south, light cover will save the hibiscus garden from frost.

Controlling Pests While Hibiscus Gardening

• Aphids and ants which often attack the hibiscus garden can be controlled by liquid soap or a high pressure hose.
• Spider mites, though too small to be seen weaken the leaves of the growing hibiscus and cause yellow splotches on the top and pimple like bumps to scabby areas below. Miticides of fine oils when  applied regularly  break their life cycle.
• Pests like white fly, causing hibiscus dandruff can be controlled by Orthene and Murphy’s Oil soap while caring for hibiscus.

Choose between yellow, pink and red hibiscus to brighten up your garden and grow healthy hibiscus plants.

Reference:

1. Tropical Hibiscus from Seeds – Trop Hibiscus

Indoor Gardening: Types of Herbs To Grow Indoors

Choosing the correct herbs to grow indoors is one of the key factors to help your indoor gardening thrive. The following are some of the most common herbs for an indoor herb garden.

• Thyme: Thrives well in the dry, indoor air but needs a lot of sunlight
• Parsley: A slow grower but needs very little sunlight
• Lemongrass: Does not need any soil to grow. A long stem in a few inches of water is enough for it.
• Oregano: Needs a lot of light but has a variety of uses.
• Rosemary: Needs ample sunlight and is sensitive to overwatering.
• Basil: One of the hardest to grow indoors but thrives well in summer.
• Bay: Grows well indoors yearlong. Needs a lot of air circulation.

Grow Herbs Indoors

Planting herbs inside the house is a little different from growing herbs outdoors. As the plants need to survive in a completely different environment, certain changes must be made to help it blossom in an indoor herb garden.

• Start at your local gardening store by picking out the best seeds to grow herbs indoors. You must choose the correct kind of herb keeping in mind the amount of sunlight your house receives and the indoor herb garden temperature.

• Next you should collect some good quality soil and mix it with sand and a little lime. Planting herbs in a container with good soil drainage is vital. Putting some gravel under the soil will ensure correct drainage.

• Placement of the plant in areas with appropriate amount of sunlight is very important for growing herbs indoors.

• Watering the plants in your indoor herb garden regularly will ensure continuous growth.

Indoor Gardening: Care While You Grow Herbs Indoors

As part of the indoor gardening process, it is important that you care for your herbs adequately. After planting herbs in your indoor herb garden, you must make sure it is cared for properly to help it flourish for a long time.

• While most plants require ample sunlight, some which require less must avoid over lighting.
• Also, when growing herbs indoors, overwatering your plants can cause them to die early.
• Watch out for the moisture level of the soil and yellowing of leaves to avoid overwatering issues.

Growing herbs indoors will make your house smell nice always and provide you with fresh herbs for cooking at all times. With little or no gardening skills, you can now grow your own herbs inside the house. Planting herbs indoors can be very beneficial during those cold winter months when gardening outside seems impossible. Growing herbs in your own indoor herb garden can thus be very convenient and extremely rewarding.

Reference:

1. Growing Herbs in The Home Garden – West Virginia University Extension
2. Indoor Herb Garden – Colorado State University Extension

How to Grow Watercress In Water

Contrary to popular opinion, one does not need a flowing stream for growing watercress and watercress lettuce can be grown if you want to conserve water. It can be easily grown indoors a few weeks before the last frost, by placing the watercress seeds on a moist paper towel that has been previously soaked in water and now placed in a shallow bowl, with about a quarter inch of standing water. An easier method of germinating watercress seeds is to use stem cuttings and placing them in a bucket of water or a black polythene bag. To grow watercress in this way, the water should be changed everyday as stagnant water spells death for the watercress seeds. The seeds germinate 7-10 days later.

Planting Watercress Lettuce

Once the watercress seeds have germinated, they should be planted in individual pots. After 3 weeks the watercress lettuce seeds may be transplanted in the soil. The fine and delicate roots must be carefully handled while planting watercress in the soil after the season of frost. The watercress plant should be kept in damp soil and in the shade. Moist soil, limestone and organic compost should be used to grow watercress. The challenge is in keeping the plant in damp, but not soaked soil. Growing watercress stems should be kept about 8″-10″ apart from each other.

Harvesting Watercress Lettuce

The growing watercress lettuce sends runners from the mother plant and once they have grown they can be harvested. The older watercress should be cut back to about 10 cm when it will start sprouting new leaves. When pruned in late spring, the watercress plant will be ready for a second round of harvest in the fall. The tastiest watercress leaves are found in spring and fall, the hot summer reducing the plant’s beneficiary nature. Harvesting should be carried out before the flowers bloom. Leaves gathered can be refrigerated for about a week.

Watercress Lettuce: Pests and Diseases

Watercress planters can breathe easy as this plant is free of most pests and diseases. However, flea beetles or mustard beetles may afflict the growing watercress plant. They can be removed by flooding the cropping beds for about 2 hours.

Why Grow Watercress

Growing watercress is fairly uncomplicated for a gardener because you do not require much technical gardening knowledge on how to grow watercress, much the same as growing basil. In addition to the ease of growing watercress, the plant also serves some other purposes such as:

• Watercress lettuce, cut into small pieces may be added in salads and sandwiches to provide a delicious flavor.
• Watercress soup treats mouth blisters, swollen gums, foul teeth and bad breath.
• Watercress lettuce is loaded with vitamins and low in calories, making it a good healthy perennial.
• Phytochemicals and antioxidants in watercress fight cancer and protect the immune system.

Watercress, known for its peppery taste is a ‘superfood’ because of its high nutrient properties. While Persians fed it to their children to increase their strength and stature, it is known to cure coughs, colds and even help in the metabolic processes of the body.

Reference:

1. Growing Watercress – Simple Gifts Farm

Right Weather And Soil For Growing Basil

Basil plants, members of the mint family require 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. They can be grown outdoors once the daytime temperatures are in the 70s°F and night temperatures are above 50°F.  While planting basil one should remember it is sensitive to frost and hence it should be sown in late March, after all danger of frost has passed. Growing basil indoors can happen at any time of the year, provided the basil plants receive adequate natural or artificial light.

To grow basil, the soil must be moist, water retentive and with good air circulation. The pH of the soil should be at least 6.0 and below 7.5 and it can be maintained by using an organic fertilizer. While growing basil plants in pots, adequate drainage should be allowed to take place from the base of the pot.

Care For Growing Basil Plants

Sow the basil seeds thinly, cover with compost and water regularly, ensuring water reaches the base of the growing basil plants. While growing basil, the soil should be soggy but excess water should be drained off. How to plant basil that receives adequate moisture and sunlight will depend on how well the basil plants are spread out as they generally bush out. Basil seeds germinate in about 1-2 weeks time. Harvest time is approximately 8-9 weeks from sowing. When the growing basil plants reach 6″ in height, the top sets of leaves should be pinched off. This ensures the longevity of the basil plants. Any flowers that appear should also be pinched out so that leaf production is favored.

How To Plant Basil Free Of Pests

While growing basil indoors one should look out for aphids, which can be rinsed off with a garden hose or controlled better with insecticidal soap. Beetles and slugs commonly affect growing basil plants outdoors, tearing holes in leaves. They should be handpicked and destroyed. Basil plants grown in contaminated soil, equipment or seed may suffer from fusarium wilt. Sudden wilting and leaf drop are the symptoms experienced. Damping off is another disease caused by high humidity and poor air circulation. These infected plants must be immediately removed.

Using The Growing Basil Plants

Basil leaves can be pinched out of the growing basil plants without affecting the plant in any way. Avoid cutting whole stems. These leaves, once dried can be frozen and stored for a few weeks. Basil is usually added at the end of cooking for its fresh taste and color. It is also used fresh in sandwiches, salads and pasta.

With basil being not only a great herb to flavor food with but also a blood pressure reducing agent, growing basil is all the more necessary for its many purposes. Basil plants are a great addition for a herb garden at home.

References:

1. Brilliant Basil – Backyard Gardener