If you're one of the many Americans who will be cultivating a vegetable garden this year, one of the first decisions you'll have to make is whether to grow your plants from seed or purchase transplants from a nursery. In this article, we'll explore the pros and cons to both methods, and we'll provide a basic how to guide for starting your own plants from seed.
There are two primary deciding factors in whether to start plants from seed. The first is time. Starting seeds certainly requires a larger investment in time and effort than purchasing transplants. However, the knowledge that you have grown the plants yourself from their very inception is also quite rewarding. The other primary consideration is cost. Seeds are far more economical to purchase than young plants. A packet of 50 or more seeds might cost you a few dollars. Transplants, on the other hand, will cost you that same amount per plant. In short, if you have the time and the inclination, growing your own plants from seed is a very rewarding and economical way to start a vegetable garden.
Most gardening experts will agree that the best method of starting seeds is in a greenhouse. Greenhouses provide optimal conditions for germination and growing: long warm days and ample sunlight during times of year when it is still to cold to even consider planting outside. Many hobby greenhouses also feature auto venting systems that help regulate the inside temperature.
If you're not ready to invest in a large outdoor greenhouse, consider a smaller portable unit that can sit on a deck or patio. There are also small indoor greenhouses available that occupy no more space than a shelf or tabletop, and these are ideal for the urban gardener who is limited on space.
It is possible, though sometimes more challenging, to start seeds indoors without the aid of a greenhouse. A large sunny window facing south is ideal. If you don't have such a location, consider purchasing fluorescent light fixtures with full spectrum grow lights. These can be suspended a few inches over young plants and set on timers to provide the necessary 14 hours of light per day. Ideally, the daytime temperature should be approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the nighttime temperature around 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If plants are in warmer temperatures all day and night, they will grow tall and soft, rather than the stock, robust transplants that are hardier for setting outdoors.
Seedlings also need plenty of moisture for germination and early growth. Planting in a mixture that contains plenty of peat moss will aid in moisture retention. In the early stages, before seeds have germinated, fill a spray bottle with water and use this to keep the soil moist. This will prevent overwatering, which can cause seeds to dislodge and wash away.
The last important step in growing your own plants from seed is hardening off before transplanting outdoors. Hardening off refers to the process of preparing plants for the rigors of growing outdoors. Some gardeners harden off their seedlings by placing them outdoors on a deck or patio during favorable weather conditions for a week or so before transplanting is to occur. Other methods of hardening off include lowering the temperature where the plants are located, watering only when plants show signs of wilting, and placing a fan nearby to blow a gentle breeze on the seedlings.
By following these tips, along with a good dose of patience, any gardener can successfully start their own vegetable plants from seed. The process may be time consuming, but it is also very satisfying, and you'll be rewarded with dozens of young plants at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them from a nursery or garden center.
By: Ellen Bell
Ellen Bell works for Home Products 'n' More, a retail website offering free shipping on greenhouses to get your seedlings started. Or, for information how to build your own greenhouse, visit us at www.homeproductsnmore.com/Wholesale_Greenhouse_Supplies_s/146.htm
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Safe Guard Your Koi - Control Carbon Dioxide Spikes
Algae Bloom Causes Carbon Dioxide Levels To Rise At Night
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) And Oxygen (O2) work hand in hand in a garden pond. As oxygen levels in the pond water increase, the level of carbon dioxide decreases and vice versa. This is a natural process. Oxygen levels are at their lowest at dawn, due to the processes taking place in your pond over night. During the day as sunlight appears the level of oxygen rises, peaking when the sun sets. After sunset the carbon dioxide which is at its lowest at this time of day starts to rise, peaking just before sunrise. It is important to not let carbon dioxide spikes, caused by green algae blooms from killing your pond fish. The best way to do this is to use a UV clarifier or a UV sterilizer.
How Does Carbon Dioxide Get Into My Pond?
Carbon dioxide is produced by aquatic pond life such as fish, snails, algae and aquatic plants through respiration (breathing). It is also produced as a result of rotting organic matter on the pond floor, including leaves, uneaten fish food and decaying algae blooms.
Carbon Dioxide Spikes Cause Fish Fatalities
Here is a question for those of you who have a fish pond! Have you ever woke up in the morning and found several of your pond fish dead? You probably stood there scratching your head, wondering why? There are two likely causes:
* A predatory animal such as a bird or a cat has physically killed the fish. The tell tale signs should be fairly obvious; damage to the body or head, for example.
* If your pond suffers from heavy algae blooms then the most likely cause is suffocation, through lack of oxygen. The pond water will need to have contained high levels of carbon dioxide and extremely low levels of oxygen for this to have happened.
If the cause of the deaths is due to the high level of green algae blooms then the best way to remedy this situation quickly is to install a UV clarifier or UV sterilizer, as these units will usually manage to get the algae bloom under control within about 5 days. With continuous use a UVC light will keep your pond water free from algae bloom. Please note however that a UV will not remove blanket weed or other filamentous string algae types.
What Is Photosynthesis?
Planktonic algae are a form of microscopic plant life that consumes carbon dioxide, during the day and reverts to using oxygen at night time. All plants carry out a process known as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses the energy of the sun to convert inorganic carbon (gained from CO2 dissolved in the water) into carbonic acid (H2CO3). During sunlight hours plants and algae absorb carbon dioxide from the pond water, causing the level of carbonic acid to fall. This causes the pond water to become more alkaline i.e. the pH level increases.
Carbon Dioxide Problems Are Lower In Winter
Oxygen levels in pond water are at their highest during the colder fall and winter months when there is significantly less biological activity taking place within your garden pond. There is an overall reduction in the level of nutrients (nitrates and phosphorous) present in the water. This is mainly due to the plant life and pond life producing less waste; the plants have stopped growing and pond fish feed less. There is also less sunlight resulting in algae populations diminishing. For this reason the overall fluctuations between oxygen and carbon dioxide levels during the day and at night will be significantly less. The chances of Koi and goldfish deaths are significantly reduced.
It is also much easier for atmospheric oxygen to dissolve in cold water than it is for it to dissolve in warmer water. In addition cold water is able to hold more oxygen than warm water. Have you ever noticed pond fish gulping for air at the pond surface on hot, sunny days? This is the reason why.
How Carbon Dioxide Affects Pond pH Levels
The ideal pH for garden pond water is between a pH of 7.5 to a pH of 9. Carbon Dioxide dissolves in water to produce carbonic acid (H2CO3), which has a pH of less than 7. As a result the pond pH will drop and become more acidic as the carbon dioxide levels increase in line with the increased respiration from aquatic life. This is exactly what happens during the night in your pond. During the day the opposite is true, where photosynthesis boosts the increase in oxygen, causing the pH level to rise and become more alkaline. It is when the pH level drops and becomes more acidic that the potential for carbon dioxide problems increase.
What is Pond pH?
The pH scale which ranges from 0 through to 14 signifies whether or not the pond water is acidic (below pH7) or alkaline (above ph7). A pH of 7 is neutral. The higher the number of free hydrogen ions (H+), the more acidic the water is. A neutral pH means that the number of positive hydrogen ions (H+) are the same as the number of hydroxyl ions (OH-).
Aeration Increases Oxygen Levels and Reduces Carbon Dioxide
Garden ponds can never have too much oxygen. A well aerated garden pond will suffer considerably less from the catastrophic effects of high carbon dioxide levels, such as fish fatalities. Using a waterfall, water feature or pond air pump will add valuable oxygen to the pond environment, which will push the pond pH up and remove carbon dioxide from the pond water.
Pond Buffers Increase Pond pH Levels
A buffer is any substance that reacts with an excess of hydrogen ions (H+). The most commonly used buffer is Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) which is frequently used in garden ponds to prevent the pH from becoming acidic. It is a good idea to add a buffer to your pond filter to prevent fluctuations in pH levels.
CO2 + H2O ---> H2CO3 ---> H+ + HCO3-
In the above example, carbon dioxide + water form carbonic acid. This disassociates into two ions; including a free hydrogen (H+) ion.
CaCO3 + H+ + HCO3- ---> Ca (HCO3)2
In the above example, a buffer such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) bonds with the free hydrogen ion, to form Calcium Bicarbonate Ca (HCO3)2.
As long as you have calcium carbonate in your pond filter, your pond water will be protected against swings in pH. A buffer will also work in reverse; releasing hydrogen ions back into the water should the water become excessively alkaline.
A pond should be a real enjoyment and will be if you are aware of what is actually happening below the surface. My advice to you would be to ensure that you use a branded biological pond filter, a reliable energy efficient pond pump and a UVC sterilizer or UVC clarifier. Ideally you should add additional oxygen into the pond water; water falls and pond air pumps are the best way to do this.
Remember to ensure that you regularly check your pond water for ammonia, nitrite, pH, total Alkalinity and possibly hardness using a suitable pond test kit to quickly identify any potential problems.
By: Sean Roocroft
Want to save money and choose the right pond keeping equipment the first time around? Want to learn the secrets of successful garden pond keeping? Go to www.garden-pond-filters.com to learn everything you need to know NOW! Why not take advantage of my FREE pond calculators to make conversion between imperial and metric measurements quick, simple and accurate.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) And Oxygen (O2) work hand in hand in a garden pond. As oxygen levels in the pond water increase, the level of carbon dioxide decreases and vice versa. This is a natural process. Oxygen levels are at their lowest at dawn, due to the processes taking place in your pond over night. During the day as sunlight appears the level of oxygen rises, peaking when the sun sets. After sunset the carbon dioxide which is at its lowest at this time of day starts to rise, peaking just before sunrise. It is important to not let carbon dioxide spikes, caused by green algae blooms from killing your pond fish. The best way to do this is to use a UV clarifier or a UV sterilizer.
How Does Carbon Dioxide Get Into My Pond?
Carbon dioxide is produced by aquatic pond life such as fish, snails, algae and aquatic plants through respiration (breathing). It is also produced as a result of rotting organic matter on the pond floor, including leaves, uneaten fish food and decaying algae blooms.
Carbon Dioxide Spikes Cause Fish Fatalities
Here is a question for those of you who have a fish pond! Have you ever woke up in the morning and found several of your pond fish dead? You probably stood there scratching your head, wondering why? There are two likely causes:
* A predatory animal such as a bird or a cat has physically killed the fish. The tell tale signs should be fairly obvious; damage to the body or head, for example.
* If your pond suffers from heavy algae blooms then the most likely cause is suffocation, through lack of oxygen. The pond water will need to have contained high levels of carbon dioxide and extremely low levels of oxygen for this to have happened.
If the cause of the deaths is due to the high level of green algae blooms then the best way to remedy this situation quickly is to install a UV clarifier or UV sterilizer, as these units will usually manage to get the algae bloom under control within about 5 days. With continuous use a UVC light will keep your pond water free from algae bloom. Please note however that a UV will not remove blanket weed or other filamentous string algae types.
What Is Photosynthesis?
Planktonic algae are a form of microscopic plant life that consumes carbon dioxide, during the day and reverts to using oxygen at night time. All plants carry out a process known as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses the energy of the sun to convert inorganic carbon (gained from CO2 dissolved in the water) into carbonic acid (H2CO3). During sunlight hours plants and algae absorb carbon dioxide from the pond water, causing the level of carbonic acid to fall. This causes the pond water to become more alkaline i.e. the pH level increases.
Carbon Dioxide Problems Are Lower In Winter
Oxygen levels in pond water are at their highest during the colder fall and winter months when there is significantly less biological activity taking place within your garden pond. There is an overall reduction in the level of nutrients (nitrates and phosphorous) present in the water. This is mainly due to the plant life and pond life producing less waste; the plants have stopped growing and pond fish feed less. There is also less sunlight resulting in algae populations diminishing. For this reason the overall fluctuations between oxygen and carbon dioxide levels during the day and at night will be significantly less. The chances of Koi and goldfish deaths are significantly reduced.
It is also much easier for atmospheric oxygen to dissolve in cold water than it is for it to dissolve in warmer water. In addition cold water is able to hold more oxygen than warm water. Have you ever noticed pond fish gulping for air at the pond surface on hot, sunny days? This is the reason why.
How Carbon Dioxide Affects Pond pH Levels
The ideal pH for garden pond water is between a pH of 7.5 to a pH of 9. Carbon Dioxide dissolves in water to produce carbonic acid (H2CO3), which has a pH of less than 7. As a result the pond pH will drop and become more acidic as the carbon dioxide levels increase in line with the increased respiration from aquatic life. This is exactly what happens during the night in your pond. During the day the opposite is true, where photosynthesis boosts the increase in oxygen, causing the pH level to rise and become more alkaline. It is when the pH level drops and becomes more acidic that the potential for carbon dioxide problems increase.
What is Pond pH?
The pH scale which ranges from 0 through to 14 signifies whether or not the pond water is acidic (below pH7) or alkaline (above ph7). A pH of 7 is neutral. The higher the number of free hydrogen ions (H+), the more acidic the water is. A neutral pH means that the number of positive hydrogen ions (H+) are the same as the number of hydroxyl ions (OH-).
Aeration Increases Oxygen Levels and Reduces Carbon Dioxide
Garden ponds can never have too much oxygen. A well aerated garden pond will suffer considerably less from the catastrophic effects of high carbon dioxide levels, such as fish fatalities. Using a waterfall, water feature or pond air pump will add valuable oxygen to the pond environment, which will push the pond pH up and remove carbon dioxide from the pond water.
Pond Buffers Increase Pond pH Levels
A buffer is any substance that reacts with an excess of hydrogen ions (H+). The most commonly used buffer is Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) which is frequently used in garden ponds to prevent the pH from becoming acidic. It is a good idea to add a buffer to your pond filter to prevent fluctuations in pH levels.
CO2 + H2O ---> H2CO3 ---> H+ + HCO3-
In the above example, carbon dioxide + water form carbonic acid. This disassociates into two ions; including a free hydrogen (H+) ion.
CaCO3 + H+ + HCO3- ---> Ca (HCO3)2
In the above example, a buffer such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) bonds with the free hydrogen ion, to form Calcium Bicarbonate Ca (HCO3)2.
As long as you have calcium carbonate in your pond filter, your pond water will be protected against swings in pH. A buffer will also work in reverse; releasing hydrogen ions back into the water should the water become excessively alkaline.
A pond should be a real enjoyment and will be if you are aware of what is actually happening below the surface. My advice to you would be to ensure that you use a branded biological pond filter, a reliable energy efficient pond pump and a UVC sterilizer or UVC clarifier. Ideally you should add additional oxygen into the pond water; water falls and pond air pumps are the best way to do this.
Remember to ensure that you regularly check your pond water for ammonia, nitrite, pH, total Alkalinity and possibly hardness using a suitable pond test kit to quickly identify any potential problems.
By: Sean Roocroft
Want to save money and choose the right pond keeping equipment the first time around? Want to learn the secrets of successful garden pond keeping? Go to www.garden-pond-filters.com to learn everything you need to know NOW! Why not take advantage of my FREE pond calculators to make conversion between imperial and metric measurements quick, simple and accurate.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Problems With Water In Your Yard
Do you have one or more areas in your yard that hold water after a rainfall? This is a common problem, and sometimes difficult to solve. Over the years I've talked with dozens of people trying to battle this problem, and on several occasions I have been hired to solve the problem. So what can be done?
Too often people come to me asking what kind of a tree, or what kind of shrubs can be planted in a wet area to dry it up. This is the wrong approach. Most plants, and I mean almost all plants are not going to survive in an area where the soil is soggy for extended periods of time. The roots need to breath, and planting a tree or shrub in a water area will kill it.
Another common approach is to try and fill the area with topsoil. Depending on a variety of variables, this can work, but many times adding additional soil to a wet area will only shift the water to another area just a few feet away.
If you are lucky enough to have some natural fall to your property, or a drainage ditch nearby, this problem is easy enough to solve. If you happen to live in an area that was developed over the past few years, there might even be a system to remove storm water nearby. In many new home developments I've seen stormwater catch basins already installed in backyards. Trust me, this is a good thing. There is nothing worse than having a soggy yard all the time.
If you are fortunate to have some fall to your yard, or a stormwater system that you can drain water into, this problem is easy to solve. Make sure you check with your local officials before you do anything at all with a storm drain.
All you have to do is go to your local building supply center and buy some 4" perforated plastic drain pipe. The best kind for this purpose is the flexible kind that comes in 100' rolls. This type of drain pipe has small slits all around the pipe. These slits allow water to enter the pipe so it can be carried away.
Just dig a trench from the center of the low area you are trying to drain, to the point that you intend to drain it to. Using a simple line level you can set up a string over top of the trench to make sure that your pipe runs downhill all the way. A line level is a very small level that is designed to attach to a string. Any hardware stores sells them for just a couple of dollars. Set the string up so it is level, then measure from the string to the bottom of your trench to make sure you have constant fall. You should have 6" fall for every 100' of pipe.
The highest point is going to be the area that you are trying to drain, so you only want your pipe deep enough at this point so it can be covered with soil. Once the trench is dug just lay the pipe in. At the highest end of the pipe you'll need to insert a strainer into the end of the pipe to keep soil from entering the pipe. Cover the pipe with some washed stone, and then backfill the trench with soil. The washed stone creates a void around the pipe so that the water can find its way into the pipe.
Washed stone is usually inexpensive stone that has been washed so it is clean and free of mud. The only part of the pipe that needs to be exposed is the low end, where the water exits the pipe. Do not put a strainer in that end.
If you do not have anywhere that you can drain the water to, you still might be able to do something. But first consider what is happening, and why the water is standing where it is. Even if you have well drained soil, water cannot soak in fast enough during periods of heavy rain, and it runs across the top of the ground and eventually finds the lowest point, and either leaves the property, or gets trapped.
If you have well drained soil, the trapped water usually soaks in. If you have heavy clay soil, the water lays there, and the soil underneath becomes very compacted, and the problem compounds itself. The more water that stands, the worse the drainage gets.
What I have done in areas like this, where there is standing water, but nowhere to drain it to, is to install a French drain system that actually carries the water away from the low area, and allows it to seep into the ground over a larger distance, where the soil is not quite so compacted. To install this French drain system you do everything exactly as explained above, except instead of draining the water to a lower area, you can send it in any direction you like. Even in the direction from which it came, which is uphill.
When installing this type of system, it's a good idea to dig a number of shorter trenches, all heading away from the area where the water stands. Using the line level, make sure your trenches fall away from their point of origin so once the water enters the pipes it will flow away from the wet spot. What is going to happen is that during times of heavy rain the low area is still going to trap water, but much of that water is going to seep into the drain pipes and eventually leach into the soil under each trench.
Because this soil has not been compacted by the standing water and the baking sun, it will accept the water. It won't happen nearly as fast as if you could just drain the water to a ditch, but at least you will have a mechanism in place that will eventually disperse the water back into the soil. It's a lot easier to leach 200 gallons of water into a series of trenches that total 100 lineal feet, than it is to expect that water to leach into a 10' by 10' area that is hard and compact.
By: Josiah Smart
To read about tulip facts and lily facts, visit the Plants And Flowers site.
Too often people come to me asking what kind of a tree, or what kind of shrubs can be planted in a wet area to dry it up. This is the wrong approach. Most plants, and I mean almost all plants are not going to survive in an area where the soil is soggy for extended periods of time. The roots need to breath, and planting a tree or shrub in a water area will kill it.
Another common approach is to try and fill the area with topsoil. Depending on a variety of variables, this can work, but many times adding additional soil to a wet area will only shift the water to another area just a few feet away.
If you are lucky enough to have some natural fall to your property, or a drainage ditch nearby, this problem is easy enough to solve. If you happen to live in an area that was developed over the past few years, there might even be a system to remove storm water nearby. In many new home developments I've seen stormwater catch basins already installed in backyards. Trust me, this is a good thing. There is nothing worse than having a soggy yard all the time.
If you are fortunate to have some fall to your yard, or a stormwater system that you can drain water into, this problem is easy to solve. Make sure you check with your local officials before you do anything at all with a storm drain.
All you have to do is go to your local building supply center and buy some 4" perforated plastic drain pipe. The best kind for this purpose is the flexible kind that comes in 100' rolls. This type of drain pipe has small slits all around the pipe. These slits allow water to enter the pipe so it can be carried away.
Just dig a trench from the center of the low area you are trying to drain, to the point that you intend to drain it to. Using a simple line level you can set up a string over top of the trench to make sure that your pipe runs downhill all the way. A line level is a very small level that is designed to attach to a string. Any hardware stores sells them for just a couple of dollars. Set the string up so it is level, then measure from the string to the bottom of your trench to make sure you have constant fall. You should have 6" fall for every 100' of pipe.
The highest point is going to be the area that you are trying to drain, so you only want your pipe deep enough at this point so it can be covered with soil. Once the trench is dug just lay the pipe in. At the highest end of the pipe you'll need to insert a strainer into the end of the pipe to keep soil from entering the pipe. Cover the pipe with some washed stone, and then backfill the trench with soil. The washed stone creates a void around the pipe so that the water can find its way into the pipe.
Washed stone is usually inexpensive stone that has been washed so it is clean and free of mud. The only part of the pipe that needs to be exposed is the low end, where the water exits the pipe. Do not put a strainer in that end.
If you do not have anywhere that you can drain the water to, you still might be able to do something. But first consider what is happening, and why the water is standing where it is. Even if you have well drained soil, water cannot soak in fast enough during periods of heavy rain, and it runs across the top of the ground and eventually finds the lowest point, and either leaves the property, or gets trapped.
If you have well drained soil, the trapped water usually soaks in. If you have heavy clay soil, the water lays there, and the soil underneath becomes very compacted, and the problem compounds itself. The more water that stands, the worse the drainage gets.
What I have done in areas like this, where there is standing water, but nowhere to drain it to, is to install a French drain system that actually carries the water away from the low area, and allows it to seep into the ground over a larger distance, where the soil is not quite so compacted. To install this French drain system you do everything exactly as explained above, except instead of draining the water to a lower area, you can send it in any direction you like. Even in the direction from which it came, which is uphill.
When installing this type of system, it's a good idea to dig a number of shorter trenches, all heading away from the area where the water stands. Using the line level, make sure your trenches fall away from their point of origin so once the water enters the pipes it will flow away from the wet spot. What is going to happen is that during times of heavy rain the low area is still going to trap water, but much of that water is going to seep into the drain pipes and eventually leach into the soil under each trench.
Because this soil has not been compacted by the standing water and the baking sun, it will accept the water. It won't happen nearly as fast as if you could just drain the water to a ditch, but at least you will have a mechanism in place that will eventually disperse the water back into the soil. It's a lot easier to leach 200 gallons of water into a series of trenches that total 100 lineal feet, than it is to expect that water to leach into a 10' by 10' area that is hard and compact.
By: Josiah Smart
To read about tulip facts and lily facts, visit the Plants And Flowers site.
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