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Soil - Lawn - Cactus - Roses - House Plants - Shrubs & Trees - Bonsai - Japanese gardens - Diseases - Compost - Taxonomy - Ferns - Propagation - Landscaping - Home Improvement Plant Taxonomy
What's Inside
Composting - Many things can go into the compost heap: the vines of peas and beans, fresh hedge clippings, pea-pods, tea-leaves and coffee-grounds, banana peel, fluff from the vacuum cleaner, straw, lawn mowings, fallen leaves, and even well-soaked newspapers. It is i... more Seed Raising and Drainage - It is very important to provide good drainage. Fill the seed-pots to one-quarter of their capacity with clean broken clay pots, called crocks, and give seed-boxes or pans a good layer of these crocks over the drainage holes—coarse gravel or clinker ash ca... more Mulching Roses - Do not spread compost or old farmyard manure around rose-bushes in winter because this keeps the ground cold and wet. Instead, use it as a summer mulch to conserve moisture. Many other products are available to mulch roses, including old sawdust, straw, l... more Climbing Roses - Climbing roses are often slow starters and will not produce a profusion of flowers for at least two years after planting. They are, however, very long lived. They can be grown on arches, pergolas, fences and walls. There is a basic difference between ramb... more Light and House Plants - Light can be supplemented by artificial lights, especially by fluorescent tubes only half a metre or so above the plants. This works well for foliage plants but to make flower buds, the red rays of incandescent globes are needed. Too many of these too clo... more Bonsai Display - Usually bonsai are brought inside only for display. Since they are viewed from the front and at eye level they must be placed on a stand, shelf or table. The background should be light, plain-muted colour without design. Companion pieces such as stones, s... more Houseplant Drainage - Good drainage is important in the cultivation of practically all plants grown in containers. Soil should be sufficiently porous to permit the free passage of water and the bottoms of the containers should have holes through which surplus water may drain.... more |