Plant Hardiness - What You Need to Know to Keep from Killing Your Plants and Trees
By admin | May 16, 2008
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is an essential tool for all landscapers and gardeners, whether professionals or weekend do-it-yourselfers. This simple and free tool will help ensure you select only the correct plants, shrubs, or trees for your region. If you do not follow this guide you risk the health of your plant, and ultimately your time and money.
The Map was designed to show the average annual minimum temperature range throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are 11 different zones that describe the minimum temperature that can be expected. The zones were divided based on a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference in the average annual minimum temperature.
It is important to understand the zones in order to select a plant that will survive the winter in your region. This is called the plant’s winter hardiness. The winter hardiness of the plant is one of the most crucial factors for the survival and environmental adaptation of the plant. A plant’s hardiness indicates the lowest temperature the plant can sustain and still survive.
Most plants purchased at commercial stores will have their hardiness level indicated on their tag. Determine the Hardiness Zone of the area in which the plant will be located, and make sure the plant’s hardiness falls within the correct zone.
Zone 1 contains areas that see an average minimum temperature below (-) 50 degree Fahrenheit. Example locations include Fairbanks, Alaska and Northwest Territories in Canada.
Zone 2 contains areas that see an average minimum temperature of (-) 50 to (-) 40 degrees. Example locations include Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and Pinecreek , Minnesota.
Zone 3 ranges between (-) 40 and (-) 30 degrees. Examples are International Falls, Minnesota and Sidney, Montana.
Zone 4 ranges between (-) 30 and (-) 20 degrees. Examples are Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota and Northwood, Iowa.
Zone 5 ranges between (-) 20 and (-) 10 degrees. Examples are Des Moines, Iowa and Mansfield, Pennsylvania.
Zone 6 ranges between (-) 10 and 0 degrees. Examples are St. Louis, Missouri, and Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
Zone 7 ranges between 0 and 10 degrees. Examples are South Boston, Virginia and Little Rock Arkansas.
Zone 8 ranges between 10 and 20 degrees. Examples are Dallas, Texas and Gainesville, Florida.
Zone 9 ranges between 20 and 30 degrees. Examples are Houston, Texas and Fort Pierce, Florida.
Zone 10 ranges between 30 and 40 degrees. Examples are Victorville, California and Miami, Florida.
Zone 11 is for annual minimum temperatures above 40 degrees. Examples include Honolulu, Hawaii and Mazatlan, Mexico.
To see USDA Hardiness Plant Maps, and for additional Planting Tips visit http://www.laffodils.com.
Tags: bush, flowers, gardening, landscaping, plant hardiness, planting, shrub, temperature, treeThe Sustainable Landscape & Garden
By admin | April 23, 2008
Visualize a lush, green expanse of lawn surrounded by vibrant beds of flower blossoms anchored by ornamental shrubs. Tall, majestic trees loom overhead. Silent butterflies float and bees buzz happily, gathering nectar and pollinating. Joy filled birds dart from branch to branch, piercing the summer sky.
You don’t have to imagine this scenario. It can be yours through sustainable landscaping. It is a whole system approach which benefits all inhabitants. Communal balance amongst all members is achieved through cooperation. Instead of focusing on manipulating nature, we as humans make a greater effort to work with it. Taking on the role of land steward is not as complex as it may seem.
Sustainable landscaping integrates long term solutions which address and eliminate problems, replacing short term, unnatural treatments that merely mask symptoms. The goal is to develop a healthy, self sustaining landscape that is capable of naturally warding off disease and pest infestation.
Perfection is not the standard here. Weather patterns, wildlife, homeowner lifestyles all affect the landscape; the majority of these conditions are not controllable. However, steps can be taken to prepare and prevent future problems.
An important step to self preservation is through proper nutrition and vitamin and mineral supplementation. The same approach can be utilized in the landscape. An often overlooked part of gardening is the soil test. Prior to planting, you should always establish not only the ph, but the availability of nutrients and degree of organic matter present in the soil. Organic and natural amendments can then be incorporated to improve and condition the soil environment.
Biological diversity is crucial to plant health. Building up your soil with compost will encourage beneficial microbe, fungus and bacterial growth. The resulting soil promotes strong root development in plants and turf. Soil teeming with organic matter and advantageous insect life also requires less watering. As root systems strengthen, plants grow stronger and are able to withstand drought more effectively. Healthier plants naturally resist disease and injurious pests, lessening the need for harmful chemical applications.
In addition to compost application, other approaches to consider include:
mulching all planting beds to suppress weeds, retain moisture, protect root systems and build soil composition
forming “tree rings” around all existing trees in your turf areas and topdressing with compost, then mulching; feeds, and protects by eliminating mechanical damage to the bark and trunk
watering deeply and infrequently; replacing overhead irrigation heads with soaker hoses for your planting beds
using correct pruning methods to revitalize and regenerate your plants
installing healthy plant stock appropriate for your area and/or zone; choosing low maintenance, drought tolerant plants
incorporating correct spacing for your plants; overcrowded plants tend to become misshapen and prone to disease and problem insects; trees planted too close to homes cause structural damage and require intensive maintenance
Cooperation with nature and neighborly encouragement can manifest into profound positive impacts for the global environment. Choose to be the paradigm in your area.
By accepting our symbiotic relationship with the natural world, great achievements can be accomplished in North American backyards.
Over the past century, humans have drastically modified the environment through land grading, construction and building. By reversing the negative impacts we have had on our own properties, we pave the way for a healthier, more sustainable approach to landscaping and gardening.
24 Hints for Gorgeous Gardens
By admin | April 8, 2008
Want your beautiful lawn and garden to be the envy of all your neighbors? Here are a few tricks to use that will “baby” your garden and entice it to do its very best!
1. Make sure you pull up weeds before they go to seed.
2. Remove faded flower blooms to lengthen the plant’s growing season.
3. Turning and dampening your compost often will ensure that flies will not breed in the pile.
4. When preparing for winter, be sure to remove all vegetation, turn over the soil and add any organic materials such as compost. Add fertilizer according to package details and use a
pitchfork to mix in all these elements. Rake your garden to even it out and you’ll have less work
to do in the spring.
5. Free mulch idea: use shredded newspapers (which decompose) held down with grass
clippings.
6. Planting a small flower bed around the base of a tree will keep animals and lawn mowers
away from the trunk.
7. Before buying grass seed, ask a professional at your garden center which grass types are
best for your growing area and type of soil (clay, sand, mix) as well as amount of sun and shade.
8. Wire mesh at the bottom and sides of the holes will keep rodents away from your
bulbs.
9. When you remove your bulbs for storing, make sure your storage area is cool. Keep them in
vermiculite, shredded paper or sand to keep them from drying out and to provide protection and
air circulation.
10. Prune roses just above a 5-leaflet leaf to encourage flowering.
11. Pinch off spent flowers to continue flowering of annuals and perennials. If the plants
are too tall, cut them back a bit farther on the stem if they start to look neglected to produce
new growth.
12. Cleaning up the area around fruit trees and fruit bushes, picking up fallen fruit and
weeds, will help to ward off any diseases before they start.
13. Digging your fingernails into a bar of soft soap before working on the garden will keep
most of the dirt out from accumulating under your nails and will wash out later.
14. Pour beer into a shallow container and position a few of these in your garden. Slugs will
be attracted to the scent and will crawl in to leave your veggies alone!
15. To avoid blossom end rot and cracked tomatoes make sure you water very often and avoid
fluctuations in watering during the first critical 5 to 6 weeks after transplanting your new
tomato plants, and also during the development of the tomatoes.
16. Plant sunflowers and climbing beans. The vines will latch onto the thick sunflower stems.
This old Indian trick was taught to settlers!
17. Use zip lock baggies to enclose your empty seed packets. Attach them to wooden stakes to
identify your rows of veggies and flowers.
18. Pinch the new growth in between two branches of tomato plants to encourage the plant to
grow stronger and bushier instead of tall.
19. Use old pantyhose cut in strips to tie up your tomato plants to avoid cutting into
delicate stems over time.
20. Never water plants from overhead during full sun to avoid burning delicate plant leaves
and flowers. Water droplets resting on leaves and flower petals act as little magnifying
glasses.
21. If you have only a few newly planted tomato plants and you want to make sure they’re
watered regularly, punch small holes in the bottom of a plastic one-gallon container and sink the
container several inches into the earth near the stem of the tomato plant. Keep water in the
container to ensure that the plant gets enough water as it needs it.
22. Mix bulbs, annuals and perennials in your garden to have three seasons of beautiful color.
23. Vary the direction in which you mow your lawn. Grass mowed always in the same direction
is pressed down and stressed the same way. Mow diagonally, then in a circular pattern the next
time and in a square pattern after that.
24. Leave short clippings on your grass to supply nutrients as they decompose. However, if
too thick a layer of clippings is left, this will prevent air and sun from reaching your live
grass and will choke it.
Want more of Heather Diodati’s articles and how-to’s? Visit http://www.whimsies-online.com/freecontent.htm. By the way, you are free to use these articles on your websites and ezines provided you include the author’s bylines. A courtesy copy or an email mentioning where the article was published would be much appreciated!
Tags: annual, compost, flower, garden, grass, home, landscape, landscaping, perennial, tree, vegetable, weed, yard