Gardening

All About Riding Lawn Mowers

Most riding lawn mowers are machines fun to ride and extremely cool to look at. However, they are just a dream for many gardeners who can not afford one of these powerful gardening equipment. A riding mower can be a practical time saving machine for professionals as well as for beginner or amateur landscapers. If you are on of those homeowners, lucky to maintain a large yard, it can be a good idea to invest in a riding mower.

Basics of lawn mowers

We will explain first the type of mowers on the market and then which one would fit better with your current needs. Basic riding mowers are actually those featuring rear engines. They use to come with small horsepower engines, usually mounted under the operator’s seat. These mowers have reasonable power sized cutting blades and fit perfectly into small lawns with less than 1 acre.

The next level up is for medium horsepower riding lawn mowers; these mowers use to include their engines at the front; there can fit larger engines due to the space. They have a stronger and faster cutting capacity. Medium riding mowers provide better performance on hilly gardens and are the perfect complement for yards between 1 and 3 acres. Commercial riding lawn mowers are designed for really large yards, including sport fields, they can be extremely expensive for homeowners and won’t really provide their best performance in yards no bigger than 3 yards.

Here you can find some important points to have in mind before you decide on the most suitable model that would better fit with your necessities. The final choose will depend basically on:

• The type of terrain of your mowing area as well as the size of it. And what other tasks would you like to do with your new lawnmower?. It is also very important to know whether or not the area includes slopes or hilly areas. The most flat is your mowing area the better performance you will get from the machine.

• It is always extremely important to select a comfortable seat, especially when you will be sitting for a long time. You will save a lot on back injuries and other common diseases related with sat jobs. There is no choice with that, it’s preferable that the mower’s seat be comfortable enough, don’t make the mistake that most do, it worth.

• Does the garden include trees or rocks that require permanent change of direction during the mowing process? It’s very important to find all the finishing touch to choose amongst steering wheels and tires.

• There are different bagging or recycling grass options; here you have mainly to mulching or to bagging. While mulching will cut the grass into fine clippings and then give it back to your lawn, providing nutrients to it, the second will just fill up a rear bag, being easier for the rider to empty and replace it with new ones.

• There are many attachments on the market to choose from. You probably just need a riding lawnmower including normal features. In addition, you can usually attach other features, like the ones to remove snow during winter time.

All About Gardening

Gardening is perhaps one of the best hobbies that a more laborious nature lover can take up. The reason why I choose to call this hobby laborious is because it surely does involve a good deal of physical activity. This hobby is not meant for those nature lovers who simply want to bask in the natural beauty that already exists. Rather it is an ideal pass time for those who want to make their own contribution to the nature.

In order to be successful in gardening one must have the following qualities: -

1.) Besides having a love for gardening you should also have the will and determination to pursue your hobby.

2.) You must be physically fit and agile. Laziness and gardening are anonymous to each other.

3.) Learn to exchange your ideas and information with like-minded people who can show an equal passion for gardening.

4.) Try laying your hands on almost any books, magazines or articles that can enhance your knowledge on gardening.

5.) Be prepared to invest a small amount of your earnings in purchasing the “Can’t do without”, gardening tools.

The world of gardening is wide and it has immense possibilities for those who want to explore it with the right zeal and enthusiasm. You can choose from indoor gardening, outdoor gardening, landscaping, cultivating exotic herbs, growing bonsais and thus the list is endless. However it is important to do a fair amount of research work before delving into any of the above fields. You should master up the art of choosing the right plants and also learn the techniques favorable for their productivity and growth.

Growing plants is not enough. Deciding where the plants should grow is also an important aspect of gardening. Nothing can be more distasteful than a garden which has color clashing flowers growing all around in a haphazardly manner. So be careful about allocating the plants their respective locations. Arrange the assortments of flowers in accordance with their heights, textures and colors so that they complement each other without diminishing the beauty of your garden.

Keep aside one day from the entire week to be your gardening day. Generally week -ends would be a good choice. On this day, equip your self with all the essential gardening tools and accessories and get down to your work. If you have children or friends who are equally interested in gardening call for their assistance. The more the merrier!

Once you are done for the day clean your tools well and store them in their right place. Be sure to maintain your gardening tools because well maintained tools can give you years of good performance. After all tools aren’t something that you can afford to buy every week.

Whether you are an efficient gardener or not can be best proved by your garden itself. So stop twiddling your thumbs and put your green fingers to use. As far as gardening is concerned, if you have really put in hard work your efforts will never go futile.

All About Foliar Feeding African Violets

What is Foliar Feeding?
Foliar feeding the application of fertilizer to the leaves of plants rather than to the roots. Foliar feeding can be a powerful stimulant to plant growth as leaves take up to 95% of the nutrients in the fertilizer. Root feeding takes up much less.

Why Foliar Feed?
There are many instances when foliar feeding is very beneficial:

To perk up wilted or damaged plants whose roots are in poor condition

When variegated plants are too white, foliar feeding with fish emulsion or other high nitrogen fertilizer will ?green up? the leaves

For newly rooted leaves, foliar feeding helps in the development of baby plants. Baby plants have little or no root system, so foliar feeding provides nutrients to help build a strong root system.

Show plants may also benefit with the extra boost foliar feeding provides

How to Foliar Feed
Select a fertilizer that is recommended for foliar feeding. Use 1/8 to ? tsp. to a gallon of hot water. Your spray bottle should deliver a fine, even spray. Mist the entire plant lightly, early in the morning so the leaves can dry before cooler nighttime temperatures set in. If any water accumulates in the center of the plants, blot dry with a tissue.

Do not foliar feed more often than 2 times per week and not during hot months when soil bacteria is more active.

The benefits of foliar feeding will be noticed in 2 to 3 week.