Ants can be a major pest in the garden because they ‘farm’ aphids and scale – they safeguard them in their nests over winter, then bring them out in spring and carry them onto the new plant growth, then collect the honeydew that aphids and scale excrete as they feed off the plant’s sap. ToContinue reading “How to Make Borax Ant Bait for Indoor and Outdoor Use”
Category Archives: DIY instructions
The Easiest Way to Dry and Process Turmeric Root to Make Turmeric Powder
Turmeric (Curcuma longa syn. C. domestica) is a subtropical/tropical plant which is a member of the ginger (Zingiberaceae) family, and is native to Southwest India. It’s grown traditionally as a spice, medicine and as a source of bright yellow dye. Ground turmeric root is an important culinary spice, and curry powder contains up to 25%Continue reading “The Easiest Way to Dry and Process Turmeric Root to Make Turmeric Powder”
How to Grow, Prune and Propagate Raspberries
Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) belong to the genus Rubus, along with other cane berries such as blackberries, boysenberries, lawtonberries, loganberries, marionberries, silvanberries and tayberries. What’s quite interesting is that the whole Rubus genus is part of the Rosaceae (Rose) family, to which almonds, apples, apricots, cherries, hawthorns, loquats, peaches, pears, plums, quinces, raspberries and strawberries alsoContinue reading “How to Grow, Prune and Propagate Raspberries”
Three Simple Soil Tests to Determine What Type of Soil You Have
Healthy plants only grow in healthy soils, and if you know what type of soil you’re working with, you’re better able to improve it to get the best results from your garden. In this article, we’ll discuss what soil is composed of, and show you three easy tests that you can perform at home withoutContinue reading “Three Simple Soil Tests to Determine What Type of Soil You Have”
How to Make Aloe Vera Gel from Fresh Aloe Vera Leaves
Aloe vera leaves contain a gel which is used externally to treat skin irritation, minor burns, sunburn, itching due to allergies and insect bites, sores, skin ulcers and many other conditions. The edible variety, Aloe vera barbadensis miller, is also used to make Aloe vera juice. This useful plant has a been used medicinally forContinue reading “How to Make Aloe Vera Gel from Fresh Aloe Vera Leaves”
Garden Arches, Vertical Gardening for More Growing Area in Small Spaces
Small-space gardening is becoming increasingly popular as outdoor spaces and gardens get progressively smaller in urban areas. There are many ways to maximise the use of limited available space, and one of the best ways is vertical gardening, growing upwards rather than outwards! Gardeners are very resourceful, and in the gardening world there are manyContinue reading “Garden Arches, Vertical Gardening for More Growing Area in Small Spaces”
How to Prune a Fruit Tree, Step By Step
Fruit tree pruning is both an art and a science. The art to fruit tree pruning is not something that can be taught in a short article or video, but basic pruning technique is quite easy to understand, and once grasped, almost anyone can maintain a fruit tree, and do so successfully, year after year.Continue reading “How to Prune a Fruit Tree, Step By Step”
How to Prune Grape Vines – Cane and Spur Pruning Explained
Grapes fruit on new season’s shoots which arise from one-year-old canes. Once these canes have produced their fruit for the season, they will not produce again. To keep grapes productive, they need to be pruned to renew the young canes which will produce in the following year. Getting Started, Planting New Vines, Creating the FrameworkContinue reading “How to Prune Grape Vines – Cane and Spur Pruning Explained”
Tree Pruning, How to Prune Tree Branches Correctly
The first step in pruning a tree, before making and cuts to change the shape or size of a tree, is to remove any dead, diseased or broken branches. If removing a branch completely, it’s important to make the cut correctly so as to not cause any further damage to the tree. Thinner branches aroundContinue reading “Tree Pruning, How to Prune Tree Branches Correctly”
How To Plant a Fruit Tree, Step by Step
“He who plants a tree plants a hope.” -Lucy Larcom Planting a fruit tree is truly an investment in the future, it may take a year or three before a tree begins to bear fruit, but most fruit trees can be productive for 20 to 30 years or more. To give a fruit tree itsContinue reading “How To Plant a Fruit Tree, Step by Step”
Horticultural Glues and Tree Banding Trees to Controls Ants and Other Pests
Glue-banding of tree trunks is an effective technique for controlling various pests of fruit trees. A waterproof band covered in horticultural glue, an aggressive long-lasting adhesive, is wrapped around the trunk of the tree to create a sticky barrier which prevents climbing insects from making their way into the tree canopy to feed, mate, andContinue reading “Horticultural Glues and Tree Banding Trees to Controls Ants and Other Pests”
How to Grow Turmeric in the Garden in Temperate Climates
In the previous article on Growing Turmeric in Containers in Temperate Climates, I mentioned that I had discovered a temperate climate technique for growing turmeric in the ground. For those who like to grow plants out of their climatic range without a greenhouse, we’ll explain not only how it’s done, but we’ll also explore theContinue reading “How to Grow Turmeric in the Garden in Temperate Climates”
How to Grow Turmeric in Containers in Temperate Climates
Turmeric (Curcuma longa syn. C. domestica) is a member of the ginger (Zingiberaceae) family. It’s a subtropical/tropical plant native to Southwest India, and has been grown traditionally as a spice, medicine and as a source of bright yellow dye. The root of the turmeric plant has been used in Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine forContinue reading “How to Grow Turmeric in Containers in Temperate Climates”
How to Prune Vining Tomatoes for Small-Space Intensive Growing
Want to grow lots of tomatoes in limited spaces, even containers? Ever wondered how the commercial hydroponic growers pack in as many plants as possible in their growing areas? By understanding the way tomatoes grow, we can select the right plants and utilise their growth habit for maximum production in the smallest of spaces. DeterminateContinue reading “How to Prune Vining Tomatoes for Small-Space Intensive Growing”
How to Propagate Plant Cuttings in Water
Plants which can take can root in water can be propagated very easily from cuttings. All you need to do is leave the cuttings sitting in a glass or a jar of water in a location with indirect light. Pictured above are cherry tomato cuttings left in a bucket of water for a week, showingContinue reading “How to Propagate Plant Cuttings in Water”
How to Make Rainbow Roses Because They Aren’t Real, Garden Mythbusting!
Rainbow roses, real or fake? As a person who works in the horticulture industry, I couldn’t help but notify fellow gardeners about this matter. There are quite a number of retailers in China selling Rainbow Rose seeds, and what a scam this is… I’ll get straight to the point. There is no such thing asContinue reading “How to Make Rainbow Roses Because They Aren’t Real, Garden Mythbusting!”
How to Kill a Tree Stump Without Poisonous Chemicals
Sometimes we need to cut down trees to remove them, but chopping trees down to the ground does not stop them putting out new growth from the stump or from the roots and eventually turning back into full sized trees again. In fact, the technique of cutting trees down to a stump and letting themContinue reading “How to Kill a Tree Stump Without Poisonous Chemicals”
How to Kill Weeds Without Digging or Toxic Chemicals
Weeds growing on path and driveways, though crack or gaps in concrete and paving, or in empty garden beds are very easily taken care of without chemicals or digging. How is that possible you may ask? Go put the kettle on, then come back here and I’ll tell you! Seriously. One of the most effectiveContinue reading “How to Kill Weeds Without Digging or Toxic Chemicals”
How to Use a Bokashi Soil Generator to Turn Food Waste into Nutrient-Rich Soil
What do you do with your bokashi bin contents if you don’t have a large garden to dig them into? As discussed in the previous Bokashi Composting article, you can always put the processed bokashi food waste into your compost bin or into your worm farm (a little at a time till the worms getContinue reading “How to Use a Bokashi Soil Generator to Turn Food Waste into Nutrient-Rich Soil”
Bokashi Composting, How to Process Waste That Can’t Go in Your Compost or Worm Farm
Are you into recycling but are still throwing away some food scraps because you can’t put them in your compost bin or worm farm? Large amounts of citrus and onions, or any food that contains fish and meat should not be put in your worm farms. Likewise, your compost bin is not meant to beContinue reading “Bokashi Composting, How to Process Waste That Can’t Go in Your Compost or Worm Farm”