"Nothing in the universe can travel at the speed of light, they say, forgetful of the shadow's speed."Howard Nemerov
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A Brief Guide to the Best Trees for Providing Shade for Your Garden
Trees can be broken down into three main parts: the roots, the leaves and the woody structure between them. The roots' function is to bring raw materials—water and mineral salt dissolved in water—to the tree. The leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the ...
Gardening Tips and Tricks for Late Autumn
When you feel that first solid bite in the breeze and you see the songbirds winging their way south, and the trees are bursting with fire-laden hues, you know you can't be spending the weekend curled up by the fireplace with a good book. Not for long. ...
The Gardening Tool You Need
So you've decided to set up your own little garden, either as a way to chill out from the wear and tear of life, or to commune with nature, or to make your house a prettier place with all the flaura and fauna soon to come, or just to have more healthy ...
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Tis the season when lots of people drag a real tree into their house and decorate it. Some people buy live trees that are balled in burlap instead of a cut tree. A live tree is a great idea, but many people make serious mistakes when it comes to handling a live tree, and they end up losing their money. The information in this article also pertains to any live tree you are planting, be it now during the winter, or during the summer.
1. Before you even take the tree in the house, dig a hole for the tree where you expect to plant it after the holidays. Put the soil in a wheelbarrow and park it in the garage. You'll need loose soil to backfill the hole, and the ground might be frozen after the holidays.
2. Keep your live tree in the house for as short a time as is possible.
3. Keep the ball plenty moist while in the house, but not in a tub full of water. You don't want the ball to dry out completely, but by the same token it shouldn't be soggy all the time either. Just moist. You can wet it thoroughly, but then don't water again until the water is almost gone.
4. After Christmas move the tree outdoors as soon as possible and plant it immediately. If you were not able to dig the hole earlier, the ground is frozen, and the tree cannot be planted, leave it outside and pack bags of leaves or bales of straw around the ball. Find a way to heel it in in such a way that the amount of sun and wind the root ball receives is minimal.
5. Try and plant the tree immediately if you can. You do not want to store the tree on top of the ground during the winter if you can avoid it. Putting it in your garage is not a good idea either, it is likely to dry out in there. The absolute best place for the ball is in the ground, even if the ground has frozen after you dug the hole. Just set the tree in the hole and backfill with loose soil. Make sure there are no air pockets around the ball. Backfill only with small particles of soil. If this cannot be done because the soil is frozen, just set the tree in the hole and
backfill as soon as the weather permits.
6. Check the ball for nylon string. Cut and remove any nylon string. Sometimes the diggers wrap the string around the stem of the tree. If the string is a cotton type, like sisal twine, you can leave it on the ball but remove it from the stem. If the burlap is nylon it should be cut in many places or removed. If the ball is wrapped with a wire basket I recommend leaving it on. It will help to secure the tree and keep it from rocking back and forth with the wind. The roots will find their way through the wire and the burlap. Just cut the burlap where you can.
7. Do not plant the tree too deep. This is the number one reason for plants that do not survive. They should not be planted any deeper than they were in the nursery. The top of the ball should be one to two inches above the ground level. If you have heavy, wet, clay soil, you should plant it even higher and build a bed up around the ball. When you plant them too deep the plants literally suffocate.
8. Do not fertilize the tree at the time of planting. You can fertilize it in the spring, but only with an organic fertilizer. If you have compost available, mix some in while planting. Fertilizer can do more harm than it can good. I always recommend organic fertilizers. It's hard to make a mistake with organics. It's always a good idea to stake trees when you plant them. If the wind is constantly rocking them back and forth they will have a difficult time establishing new roots in their new home.
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 Storms Proposes To Tighten Loan Criteria - Tampa Bay Online
TALLAHASSEE - Sen. Ronda Storms successfully advanced a proposal Wednesday to change which companies would qualify for Gov. Charlie Crist's small-business loan initiative. Lawmakers agreed to take up the governor's $10 million "economic gardening ...
The simple pleasures of gardening - Deccan Herald
W hen I was in my early teens, inspired by a lesson on gardening in school, I had grown green chilli and coriander at home. The joy of seeing the tiny green chilli plants and delicate leaves of coriander sprouting in a pot, was much too delightful. I ...
Max Kirsten: how to give up bad habits - Women.timesonline
When the world as you know it seems to be disintegrating, it's normal to reach out for a quick comfort hit. Sadly, many of us choose distractions that give us more to worry about in the long term. Cigarettes, the extra glass of wine, the multipack of ...
Fla. business loan bill on track for passage - Miami Herald
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Charlie Crist's experimental program to encourage business expansion with low-interest loans was on track for passage after getting approval Thursday from a Senate committee. The House and Senate were expected to vote on the ...
Gardening Notes - Tampa Bay Online
FOR THE LOVE OF TREES: Buy tree seedlings complete with care instructions for $2 and $3, and get free admission to Tampa's Museum of Science & Industry by helping plant trees, during the Society of American Foresters annual Tree Seedling Sale. The ...
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