Gardening Wallets

Gardening without using soil is called hydroponic gardening. Most often water is utilized in hydroponics, consequently the name. No doubt you could find a more technical explanation of the process. But the ordinary gardener doesn’t really need more knowledge than that.

Maybe you’ve questioned how you can raise plants hydroponically with no soil. It is generally supposed that plants must have soil. It provides nutrition, physical support, energy and water. These are all necessary if you want the plant to thrive. However these elements are also available from other sources.

Water is an absolute necessity for any plant. However they don’t have to obtain it from soil. You’ll discover that many plants grow naturally in unwelcoming surroundings such as sand and gravel, or even floating on top of the water.

The energy given by the sun’s rays and its heat are likewise essential to a plant. But sun warmed earth isn’t the only source of energy. The sun’s rays have the same effect on a plant’s leaves no matter whether it’s in the ground or not. Photosynthesis, essential to a plant’s wellbeing, will occur just as long as the upper region of the plant gets enough sunlight. Some plants grow even with no light at all. However they still have need of energy to fuel their natural growth phases.

Lots of of the plants that appeal to the home gardener require some material support. Most frequently, this is achieved by planting them in the ground. That’s why the roots of a plant spread, and its stem is able to withstand strong winds. However there are other possibilities for supporting your plants. Try weaving string through a fence-like structure, or affix some craft sticks to the top of a pot. There are other ideas that can likewise do the job.

Nutrients are another of the vital components for a thriving plant. This includes nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and various trace elements. In a natural setting, the plant will absorb these nutrients from the earth surrounding it. However they can also acquire these necessary nutrients in other ways.

A universal way of doing this is to keep the plant’s roots covered in a water-based liquid nutrient solution. Some hydroponic systems feature a grow tent that can hold in wetness. A nutrient solution is misted onto the roots on a regular basis in order to keep them saturated. This method has similarities to aeroponics, another system of soil-less gardening.

Lovely and thriving plants can result from hydroponic gardening. There are various types of plants that can thrive above ground. Just make sure you take care of their requirements.

Do you long for masses of plants, but have only a small balcony or patio to work with? Fear not, garden lover, the answer is at hand with vertical gardening.

The idea of transforming a blank wall into a blaze of living colour has long been popular in Europe, where cramped conditions put outdoor space at a premium. So, if you want to get the most out of your outdoor living space, why not consider a vertical garden?

The types of vertical gardens you can create will be governed by the space available, the types of plants you wish to grow, and your imagination.

If you have a skinny garden bed along the base of a blank wall, careful planting can cover the wall from bottom to top with foliage. A trellis against a wall works especially well with containers placed at the base filled with climbers such as vines or roses.

Without a garden at the base of your wall, you are limited to stackable modules, containers or hanging baskets. You can use stackable modules that can be placed against a wall, attach a trellis to a wall, or use hanging baskets made from a breathable fabric

Plants which don’t require much soil, such as succulents, work best in small stackable trays. Trays also tend to have better irrigation than hanging pocket baskets.

The simplest and easiest vertical garden could be just a wire trellis hung on hooks attached to a wall, with plant containers placed on the ground below it. Fill the containers with climbing plants and in no time you’ll have your vertical garden.

If you are handier with tools, you can make your own stackable modules from a durable timber. Make sure you make allowance for drainage and apply a good preservative to the timber before filling with potting soil.

Vertical gardens work just as well for herb and vegetable growing and flower displays. Place your trailing herbs, such as oregano or thyme, towards the top of the wall and use the lower spaces for upright varieties, such as lettuce or tomato.

You don’t need to be an expert handyman or woman to create your own vertical garden. Even if you are more at home with a spade than a hammer or saw, there are modules that you can buy as opposed to making your own. And if everything else fails, you can always have an expert come in and create your vertical garden for you.

Now take another look at that blank wall outside and see how easy it is to change it into a glorious living vertical garden. Let your imagination run wild!

Square foot gardening has been on my radar only slightly less time than any other type of gardening. Until the last couple of years, I had not the time, space, or energy to plant a vegetable garden of any kind, square foot gardening or no. My gardening efforts were limited to a few ornamental flowers in the foot-wide bed outside our front window. Recently, the desire to plant a vegetable garden has been a more feasible goal as I have more space and time for my home and garden. I’ve seen several square foot gardening examples, including my mom’s; she’s very experienced with vegetable gardens, has had success square foot gardening. I’ve been excited all winter to try it in my own garden.

The idea of square foot gardening appeals to me for many reasons, but maybe the biggest in my mind is that a more compact vegetable garden equals less square feet of potential weed terrain. My gardens have not performed to their potential in the past, largely because after I plant, I lose steam and the time I spend working in the garden just isn’t enough to keep up with the weeds. Square foot gardening, maybe in a raised square foot garden, sounds fantastic – less weed potential on two accounts that way!

The compact soil use in square foot gardening appeals to me for reasons beyond the weed factor. I like the idea of efficiency, and by planting somewhere around 16 different vegetable varieties in a 16-square-foot space, square foot gardening gives us the epitome of garden efficiency. Not only is garden efficiency a preference, it’s economical. I won’t need as much peat moss or other garden soil prepping products if I’m only planning to grow vegetables in a small area. Now the only problem will be what to do with the extra garden space! I’m thinking a raspberry bush – a delicious square foot gardening bonus.

Last but not least on the square foot gardening appeal list is the aesthetic appeal. I did a quick online search to check out some square foot gardening and was surprised to find how sharp the beds look! My grandmother’s vegetable garden was amazing, but it wasn’t much to look at – lots of dirt with peas and carrots and other vegetable varieties interspersed. Square foot gardening can be planned around the vegetable variety you want AND ornamental value. There are plans online for endless styles, including vegetable gardens for kids, square foot gardens based on a recipe, and some that just look exotic. I plan to do my square foot gardening in the back yard, but it’s pretty impressive to think that I could put it in the front without compromising on style.

Between the internet and my mother the garden genius, I figure I should be an expert on square foot gardening by the time I can get my husband to build some raised garden beds for our soon-to-be- square foot garden. I can’t wait to choose my vegetable and aesthetic combination and get my square foot gardening plant on!