Posts Tagged mulch

Drip Irrigation System Vs Others

September 5, 2009 at 8:00 am · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The function of a well-managed irrigation system is to deliver the right amount of water to a specified area in your yard or garden. This process can be performed using many different methods. One such method is drip irrigation. Drip irrigation system delivers water, a drop at a time wherever it is needed, specifically at the root of the plants. Depending on the system you are using you can also provide humidity and get it to mist.

Drip irrigation systems are of 3 types. The first system consists of a thin plastic tube that runs through the garden and thinner tubes that terminate in emitters are attached to it. Plastic nozzles which are the emitters enable the water to nozzles escape in the form of a trickle. One nozzle should be used for each plant.  The second system is made up of plastic lines that cross the garden back and forth and contain in-line nozzles that are placed at regular intervals. This installation process of the second system is easier but it is not as precise as the first one. A dual-chambered hose is present in the third system. It works by routing water through a larger hose that fills with water and then fills a smaller tube under equalized pressure. The tube holes give out water at an even rate. You can bury it underground or hide it under layers of mulch. However, any type of digging in the garden should be done carefully to avoid any accidental damage to the hoses. With drip irrigation systems you can time the release of water.

With the help of these systems you can reduce water by up to half. It provides the required amount of water gradually, reducing the chances of puddle or runoff issues.

Drip irrigation system is unlike other watering systems such as sprinklers, sprinkler and soaker hoses. Although sprinklers are less expensive and easier to install, they tend to waste water. On very hot days water from sprinkler systems can also evaporate before reaching the ground.

Sprinkler hoses are designed to lie on top of the surface and spray water from holes. The water comes out in a shower rather than a trickle. They do not drown plants but they do not posses the penetration and precision of drip irrigation systems.

Soaker hoses contain pores and you can bury them under mulch. Soaker hoses provide small amounts of water slowly and directly to the roots of specific plants. They can efficiently deliver small amounts of water to plants. However, soaker hoses are not easily adaptable to the landscape. They cannot for plants in pots and they may also apply uneven amounts of water if they are not placed on flat ground. This problem can be avoided if short runs of hoses are used and if the hoses are run along contour lines. Rubber soaker hoses have a long life

In some areas, there are restrictions and regulations in place regarding the use of drip irrigation systems. You should check if these apply to your area. Drip irrigation takes care of a lot of watering problems but is not feasible for use on lawns. Cost is a also a factor; it is more expensive to purchase and install a drip irrigation system when compared to the other choices mentioned above.

Choosing a watering system will depend on your needs. Cost, rate of delivery, and efficiency factors are the main factors to consider. Any of these systems will be much better than hand watering your plants.

Leave a Comment

Simple Tips on Growing Bell Peppers

September 4, 2009 at 2:28 pm · Filed under Peppers ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bell peppers, native to Central and North America, have always been a popular homegrown vegetables. There are various types of bell peppers; though they come in different shapes, sizes and colors (green, yellow and red), they share one same thing: rich in vitamin C. They can be used as ingredient in many dishes.

Growing bell peppers in a garden is really easy. Here are some simple tips you can use:

First, sow the seeds indoor eight weeks before the last frost. Put them in pots at least 2 inches in diameter.

Prepare the soil in your garden by putting plenty of compost and manure. Bell peppers just love a well-balanced soil. Do not plant the seedlings outside before the last frost. Bell peppers do not like too cold climate. Instead, they enjoy warmth. Thus, before you plant them outside, make sure that the soil temperature reaches at least 65OF. If it is still quite cool, it is okay to delay the planting for several days.

Leave gaps between seedlings at 18 to 24 inches each, and between rows at 24 to 36 inches each. This gap measurement varies according to the bell pepper variety.

Bell peppers love sunshine, but not too much for few varieties. Plant them in spots of your garden that receive at least 8 hours of direct sunshine.

Keep the soil well-drained, water your bell peppers well every day. Water them more in the hot, dry summer months. Otherwise you will obtain bell peppers with a bitter taste.

Cover the peppers with mulch to keep weeds out and to retain moisture. Use organic insecticides if ever needed.

Avoid putting too much nitrogen fertilizers into the soil since it will cause your bell peppers produce less fruits and more leaves. Keep the soil moist, never too sodden.

When it is time to harvest your bell peppers, cut the ripe ones about 1 centimeter just above the lids. Leave alone the remaining part of the plants, they will continue grow. The more you harvest, the more they bear fruits. So pick them as soon as possible!

If you find some unripe ones when the first frost is due, cut them, and then bring them inside to allow them continue the maturity process. Most bell peppers are green when they are not ripe yet. Mature ones may be orange, red, yellow, green or purple, depending on the variety.

Leave a Comment

However to Care Tomato Plant as Superior

August 31, 2009 at 6:31 am · Filed under Tomato ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are many factors that require to be viewed in the care from tomato plant :

1. Irrigating is when during plant growth fell to a long dry season (as needed). This is done carefully to not damage crops and irrigating of plants cultivated in the morning and evening.
2. Fertilising
Plant food requisite for tomato plants are:
a. Manure with a dose of 10-20 tons per hectare or 0, 5-1 kg per plant, which was given a week before planting.
b. TSP fertilizer dose of 2.5 to 3 quintals per hectare or 10-15 grams per plant, which was given a week before planting.
c. Urea fertilizer at planting time is given at a dose of 1 quintal per hectare, or 4-5 grams per plant. While urea fertilizer to supplement performed 4 weeks after the first fertilization with the same dose as the first fertilization.
d. Either way giving basic fertilizer or supplement, which is placed in a circle around the plant with a distance of 10-15 cm, conidian covered with soil.
e. Fertilization is carried out at the beginning or end of the rainy season and also adapted to local soil fertility.
3. Stitching are arranged when there are plants that die or grow less well, and tried to be a substitute crop seeds to fertile growth, and still the same age as the plants replaced.
4. Giving mulch to keep soil for keeps soil, reduce dehydration, and crush the outgrowth of grass. Mulch that is used is the remains of plants or rumpus-dry grass. How mulch is placed on the soil surface between plants.
5. Pengajiran
Pengajiran to keep off that tomato plants do not fall down and easily care. Marking directed at the 1-month-old plants or plant reaches a height of approximately 40 cm. Marker can be used as bamboo or rope.
6. Cutting down
Cutting down is intended in order to obtain large fruit and quick cooking. Trimming is done once or twice a month that is by cutting the shoots or the third branch on the main stem, or branch of the fifth on both the left branch of life. Pruning tomato plants can be done in two ways namely trimming and pruning of young shoots of the stem.
7. Pests and Diseases
The types of pests and diseases that often attack the tomato plants are:
a. Pest Control Pests Type / eradication – Collect brown caterpillar larvae of the land, and destroy or sprayed with 95 SL Dip trek or Dusban 20 EC, with a dose of 0.1%. – Spray fruit caterpillar with Diazinon 60 EC, with a dose of 0.2%.
b. Disease Type Disease Control – Disease Lanas Remove and discard infected plants – Rhizoetonia and Phytium sp. Spray with Dithane M -45 0.2%.

Leave a Comment

Tips for Growing Tomatoes

August 31, 2009 at 6:25 am · Filed under Tomato ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, tomatoes are the most popular home-grown vegetable in the country. Here are some tips that will help you grow nice and juicy tomatoes.

1.) Room to Grow

While sowing the seeds make sure that they have enough room to grow. Congested conditions will affect their growth. Transplant when you see the first true leaves coming out and put them into 4″ pots about 2 weeks after that.

2.) Sufficient Light

For growing the seedlings into healthy fruit, you require either strong, direct sunlight or 14-18 hours of artificial lights. Choose a location that gets the most sunlight and if you are using grow lights then place the young plants only two inches away from the lights. Read the rest of this entry »

Comments (1)

Protected Vegetable Cultivation – Part 2 / 2

June 27, 2009 at 2:48 pm · Filed under cucumber, Tomato ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

While choosing the crops to be planted, it is important to choose the varieties which are appropriate for the growing season and have a potential of healthy growing, high productivity and long shelf-life. The appropriate sowing time for tomato changes depending on the growing environment and region. Read the rest of this entry »

Comments (2)