Which varieties of wild (non ornamental and sturdy) plants should I plant in my garden to create greenery?
To write an answer to this, I would like to know where are you located? Native plants (the ones you are calling wild) vary according to eco-regions of the world.
For a garden beginner, How do you know how much or how little to mix your garden soil with compost?
Having the availability to add good quality compost to your garden is huge. But, it is easy to go overboard on this, too. You don’t want to get to much humus in there because then your soil will become ‘too soft’, easily compactable, could also hold too much water and then you would have problems with root rot, molds/fungus, and other nasty stuff.50/50 mix is still too much in my opinion. Unless, of course, you are adding you compost to plain sand. But, if you have a good surface soil to begin with then a dose of up to 25% of compost is a good addition.So, if you have a garden plot and you have the capability of tilling the surface of the plot with a standard rototiller - then, I would have you add your compost in a layer on the surface about 1 to 2 inches thick. Then, take the tiller and till that compost into the soil layer. Let that sit for a week to 10 days, then go out and till the plot again. This time till the plot at a 90 degree angle different to the previous tilling. Doing the tilling in this manner just helps to incorporate the compost into the soil the best.After that, start planting.
I know nothing about plants. How should I plan my garden to minimize work and skills needed?
You worry too much; even experienced gardeners "fake" it.To minimize work, select perennials you like because they only require one cutback when they fade. Annuals look pretty but you have to pay every year.One other suggestion is not having too much bare soil because that's where weeds move in.Then just remember layering. Taller shrubs in the back, perennials in the middle and smaller plants in borders or ground covers.Weed periodically and stay away from chemicals. Just because your garden centre sells them doesn't mean they are good.Water properly: sometimes you have to stick your finger in the soil to judge moisture levels.Lastly, enjoy the process. Buy plants you like that fit your home region. If something fails, change it.Plants need good soil, sunshine and water.Some plants will make you happy. For example, I love Doronicum and Rudbeckia in the West Coast.
Does anyone know the real name for stickers you know the plants that are really sharp?
Nooo...lol..we always called 'em "Jagger-bushes".
What are some tips on gardening for beginners?
Get an idea of the kind of soil you are working with; how is the Ph, has it lots of humus in it, is it loose or not, does it tend to be dry or wet? Look carefully where the sun comes, at what time of day and for how many hours. You then can decide which plants to pick and where to put them.If you decide to use a lot of fertilizers to be able to grow certain plants, keep in mind you will have to keep doing this as long as those particular plants are growing in your garden.Take into account that shrubs and trees will grow over time. It will influence the amount of sun and shade available for other plants, and they will need enough space to grow in the future. Many starting gardeners miscalculate on this, and need to remove bushes and trees after a few years because they didn't leave enough space for them to grow, which is a pity. You can temporarily fill up the empty spaces around trees/bushes with plants, which you can move once they start to get to little light.Avoid the use of pesticides, they kill off the insects you need for a healthy soil (apart from killing nice extra's like butterflies and fireflies) and are bad for your health and the environment. If you fill up all the space in your garden with plants you won't need herbicides, and plagues like lice or snails can be easily treated with natural compoundsMake a plan for your garden. Make a drawing of how you would like things to look like in a few years form different perspectives. Take into account the amount of light and the type of soil the plants need, their height, how big they will grow, the time they flower (if applicable) and the color of their leaves at different times during the year and their shape, and the color of their flowers. If you are creating a border garden use several plants (3 is the standard rule) of the same kind, with some distance between them, and fill up the whole border with several species, like this:There is a lot to tell and to learn about gardening (I'm still learning after 35 years) but with the above guidelines you will be able to make a good start.If you have any questions left feel free to ask.
What flowering plants should I grow in my garden during hot summers in India?
Nithya Kalyani or Madagascar PeriwinkleA plant you will never regret planting in your garden. It flowers everyday and needs practically no maintenance. Plant it and water it. Every year just remove the bigger plants as new plants germinate in the same ground after the rains. If you are looking for a climber.. Opt for this Sangu pushpam.. a legume to be exact. I have seen it climbing upto 30 feet. Lushy green small leaves with beautiful yellow flowers dotting here and there.. Effortlessly you can improve the soil in your garden as it fixes nitrogen.. Zero Maintenance again.. Plant, tender and help it to climb upto some 5 feet. Thats its.. Then you need to remove the whole plant when it withers after an year with so many pods. The striking blue flowers with bottle green leaves will mesmerize you for sure! :D Plumeria/PerungalliNot a plant for sure.. will be sort of small tree.. Beautiful flowers flowers in perfect shape.. different colors are available.. Look wonderful with its big leaves few flowers.. spiny stems.. the arrangement of the petals in the perfect fashion will surprise you every day! Looking at the flowers will refresh you for sure..NandhiyavattaiU want your walkway filled with beautiful flowers every morning.. Get this one.. A small tree i will say.. blooms a thousand flowers every morning two years ( once it reaches the shape of a small tree). A tree one should have in their home.. A little rain or a swift wind can bring down the flowers to the floor. If you want a tree that will drop its flowers when you shake it a bit.. this is it.. Go for it..Mullai...This is a natural air freshner.. Plant one.. U will find the odour refreshing...
Best plants to grow in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania will support most fruits that aren't tropical. I'm in Ohio, and I grow apples, peaches, cherries, plums, pears, persimmon, red and black raspberries, blackberries, serviceberries, and strawberries. You could add blueberries to your list of potentials, as well as the arctic kiwi, and probably a bunch of others that are slipping my mind. (bananas, mangoes, paypaya and other tropicals you can't grow in PA) And vegetables - pretty much ANY vegetable that you can think of you can grow in PA. Most vegetables are grown as annuals, so it doesn't matter if they can live through winter. I grow herbs of all sorts, beans, peas, corn, beets, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, corn, carrots, asparagus, artichoke, turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, broccoli...and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. If you're new to gardening, my strongest piece of advice is start small. Choose 2 or 3 things you like to eat, and start with those. As you gain experience, you can expand your garden. Putting in a huge garden when you're inexperienced is a good way to get overwhelmed, frustrated, discouraged, and quit the whole thing. Definitely put in a couple of dwarf fruit trees. Once established, they need very little tending, and are beautiful, even in years they don't produce well.
Do indoor plants know when it's spring?
!not really! if you use a lot of heater and air cond's, then they wouldn't know any of the seasons. if you don't use, then they do recognise summer and winter!!!
Anyone know how to stimulate growth for banana trees?
"New! Jim's Plant Growth Stimulator for Banana. Jim has developed this product through years of testing on his farms. This natural, environmentally safe solution will produce amazing results, producing vigorous plants and larger fruits. We highly recommend you do you own trial test ( i.e. spray one plant with solution, next to a plant not sprayed with solution over the length of a growing season ) to fully appreciate how effective this product is. This is a two part water soluble product that should be mixed 14.75cc of each part ( we provide measuring spoon with solution ) to one gallon of water and sprayed onto the foliage of the banana plants. It contains Food Grade H202, ( produced by nature ) Gibberellic Acid ( a natural plant growth hormone ), B1 and other plant vitamins, plant hormones, ( made from natural sources ) micronutrients including Boron (B), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), Sulfur (S) and Zinc (Zn) plus a natural detergent based "sticker" that makes the product stick to the leaves until absorbed by the plant. This mix will make 16 gallons of solution. JPAG06 Plant Growth Stimulator for Banana Plants $14.95" "Bananas and plantains are heavy feeders. It has been calculated that a harvest of 5 tons of fruit from an acre leaves the soil depleted by 22 lbs (10 kg) nitrogen, 4 lbs (1.8 kg) phosphorus, 55 lbs (25 kg) potash and 11 oz (312 kg) calcium. In general, it can be said that banana plants have high nitrogen and phosphorus requirements and a fertilizer formula of 8:10:8 NPK is usually suitable and normally 1 to 1 1/2 tons/acre (1 1 1/2 MT/ha) may be adequate. One-third of the fertilizer is worked into each planting site when most of the plants appear above ground, one third in a circle about 1 ft (30 cm) out from each plant 2 months later, and one-third at double the distance 2 months after that."