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Seed Stratification - Certain seeds will not germinate until they have been subjected for some weeks or even months to low temperatures and humid conditions similar to those which occur in nature after they drop from the parent plant and are covered with fallen leaves and othe... more

Bonsai Planting - After the initial pruning and shaping, the tree is ready for planting in its container, which has been selected carefully to frame it. The drainage holes in the bottom of the pot are covered with plastic screen to prevent the soil from falling through. Bu... more

Plant Bacterial Diseases - Bacteria which attack plants are much smaller than parasitic fungi but infect in a similar manner by living in, and killing, the tissues. Some species are able to persist by remaining in plant debris or in dormant cells in the tissue of seeds, corms, bulb... more

Cactus Cultivation - A general rule is that a densely-spined or thick-skinned plant is more able to stand the full sun than a thinly-spined or spineless one which would do better in a more protected position. To enable the plants to breathe more readily in collections that gr... more

Sowing Seed in Cold Frames - If cold frames are used and the seeds are sown in pots, pans or boxes and placed inside the frame to germinate, the procedure is much the same as already described; the only difference being that there is no artificial heating and therefore the germinatio... more

Planning a Japanese Garden - Before beginning a Japanese garden, look carefully at any made in your district or articles on this subject and study pictures of well-designed Japanese examples. So far as possible, the plants used should be native Japanese kinds, and the soil should be... more

Green Manure Crops - Because gardening is an intensive cultivation, it is rarely possible to devote considerable areas for lengthy periods to the growing of cover crops to turn under. Cover cropping or green manuring is therefore less extensively practised by gardeners than b... more

Lawn Sods - Instant Lawn - The quickest way to make a lawn is by laying sod, to carpet the ground completely with living turf. If you must buy the sod, it is also the most expensive method, but sometimes the sod can be taken from another part of the garden. Possibly a building, a p... more

Plants Suitable for Bonsai - A few of the plants commonly used for bonsai are pine, spruce, juniper, Japanese maple, Atlantic cedar, flowering quince and azalea. The evergreen varieties are most frequently used because they tend to have small leaves or needles which are in proportion... more