If I bury a tree trunk will it survive?
This project is not an option as for years the slope on two sides is causing foundation problems for the house and on another whole sections of yard have been absorbed into other yards long before I came to own this house. The trees also are starting to come away with the erosion. If I do nothing, serious damage to my property and the properties around me are eventual. It looks like there was a retaining wall along the front at one time, lime stone, but that was at least 40 years ago. Maybe longer. I am working on a very limited budget. (I obtained the home as a rehab.) I can't afford a contractor, I am doing work myself. I probably can't even afford to get it done all at once either. I'll be taking the wall in sections over several months. I understand all about proper drainage, that's not going to be an issue. My only concern right now is the health of the trees. So at the very least, what can I do to make sure they survive and recover from any shock the new conditions bring?
How can black seed be used to abort pregnancy?
Black Seed Oil In PregnancyThis super oil has the potential to affect human pregnancy negatively, even though it is considered beneficialin animal studies. When it comes to humans, it seems that the black seed oil can “...affect the smooth muscle contractions of the uterus.”I’ve even seen suggestions that black seed can help prevent pregnancy. So, best toavoid, avoid, avoid, just like a lot of things during pregnancy.Hang in there, it’s gets better in time. Enjoy your pregnancy with all the wonderful healing herbs that you ARE allowed instead!***If you have a great natural health healing story, please let me know if you would like to be interviewed (a quick 5/6 questions, can be answered via email) and for your experience to be published in my upcoming book called “Natural Healing Health Pathways – Stories From Beyond A Death Sentence”
Will soap water hurt ladybugs?
I'm having an aphid problem and last time water mixed in with a little bit of dish soap worked the best. This year I want to buy ladybugs but I worried that the soap water that I plan to use until I get them will hurt the poor ladybugs. My aphid problem right now is out of hand and they are everywhere!
How might adding baking soda to a compost pile affect it?
Why?? Baking soda would slow the composting process and if added to finished compost would make it more alklaine. "Compost microorganisms operate best under neutral to acidic conditions, with pH's in the range of 5.5 to 8. During the initial stages of decomposition, organic acids are formed. The acidic conditions are favorable for growth of fungi and breakdown of lignin and cellulose. As composting proceeds, the organic acids become neutralized, and mature compost generally has a pH between 6 and 8. If anaerobic conditions develop during composting, organic acids may accumulate rather than break down. Aerating or mixing the system should reduce this acidity. Adding lime (calcium carbonate) generally is not recommended because it causes ammonium nitrogen to be lost to the atmosphere as ammonia gas. Not only does this cause odors, it also depletes nitrogen that is better kept in the compost for future use by plants. At any point during composting, you can measure the pH of the mixture. In doing this, keep in mind that your compost is unlikely to be homogeneous. You may have found that the temperature varied from location to location within your compost, and the pH is likely to vary as well. You therefore should plan to take samples from a variety of spots. You can mix these together and do a combined pH test, or test each of the samples individually. In either case, make sure to make several replicate tests and to report all of your answers. (Since pH is measured on a logarithmic scale, it doesn't make sense mathematically to take a simple average of your replicates)." Cornell Univ.
Is it bad to put rocks in the bottom of a plant pot?
It is not helpful for plant growth. If the goal is to increase drainage so plant roots can get enough oxygen for respiration, this approach does not help.The common thinking was that water gets somehow stuck or pooled at the bottom of the pot, so coarse gravel would give an opportunity for water to move more freely to the holes of the pot.The problem with this is that water will find and exit the holes of the pot just fine, even without big spaces between gravel chunks at the bottom. The water that drains instead of staying in the pot is the water that cannot be held against the force of gravity within the medium itself. The nature of the medium and the force of gravity are not altered by adding a layer of rocks beneath it.The (usually) fine-textured medium in a pot will naturally hold on to water against the pull of gravity, because of the “stickiness” of water to itself and its surroundings. Because of a greater degree of contact with water molecules, a finer medium holds more water through cohesion, and results in a deeper saturated water column than a coarser medium.If you put stones in the bottom of the pot, you are just transferring the saturated zone upward by the depth of the stone layer. It is important to realize that the last few inches of media will be highly saturated compared to that in the rest of the pot, regardless of whether that last few inches is resting against the bottom of the pot or against a bed of gravel.If you want to increase drainage from a medium, make a coarser medium. Add bark or coarse perlite, or something else that creates larger air pockets uniformly throughout the volume of medium.
Moss! Moss! Moss! Recently applied moss killer to yard. Some is black/dying...now what?
So, you and I have to live with some moss, as our weather and locality is perfect for its growth. There are things that we can do to restrict its growth though, so it can become a lesser partner in our lawns and beds. You've mentioned drainage, and anything that helps drainage will decrease its hold on your garden. I also aerate my lawn, especially in spring and fall, which increases the rate at which water will filter down, as well as providing air around your grass roots. You can also infill holes with some sharp sand, to further improve top level drainage. Check that your grass varieties are ideal for your location, as the stronger the lawn, the less potential the moss has to take over. If you have some shady areas, get a species that is better for shade growing - this could either be if you totally re-do the lawn, or for sowing into bare spots. Also, feed your lawn, as this will increase its coverage and strength. In fall time, add a special fall fertilizer that encourages root growth, which really makes for a successful lawn. I remove as much moss as I am able to manually, before I apply moss killer. This isn't the norm, but I spend hours taking it out by hand each year - OK for those with smaller areas of bad moss growth. Otherwise it's better to rake over the dead moss to remove it - as the moss killers only kill what they touch, there is still usually some parts of the moss plant that remain alive, and thus repeat treatment, a few weeks later, is more effective. So, overall, improve the drainage, remove anything that's causing unnecessary shade, and grow grass species and varieties appropriate for your lawn spot. Then feed to keep your lawn as strong as possible. Aerate each year too, and consider adding some extra drainage, to help surface water drain downwards. Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob
Why does salt water kill plants?
It’s the process of osmosis. Basically it’s the movement of water from a low concentration of dissolved substances (in your case, salt) to where it is high. Plants cells have this thick, tough semi permeable wall that surrounds them so when you place a leaf into a beaker of salt water, the concentration gradient of the external environment is high compared to the internal water inside the cell. The water will naturally exit the leaf in an effort to neutralize the salt outside. This causes dehydration and will kill the leaf.It’s the same you’d expect in an opposite senario. If you place a saltwater fish into a freshwater lake, the fish will die. There is more salt in an animal cell than outside it, the water will move through the membrane into the cell, causing it to increase in size, swelling up in an effort to nueatralize the concentration gradient.This is why salt can kill plants and will also cause those cells to shrink and cause dehydration.
Help with what to plant in new garden?
Welcome to gardening! Since you are new, you will want things that are easy to care for. I chose a bunch of culinary stuff for my bed: Tomatoes, green peppers, basil, oregano, sage, and lemon balm. You may want to actually put the lemon balm and oregano in containers, because these two plants are related to mints. Which can spread aggressively. I also got marigold seed. Check at your local nursery: There should be someone who can advise you there. And take a look at the Arbor Day foundation site for planting zones: There has been some change in climate since the zones were first established. Good luck!
How to I rejuvenate and neutralize the soil after a Pine tree is removed?
I had an old Pine tree removed. After it was gone I I cleaned up 22 brown lawn bags of needles. Now nothing wants to grow in the bare spot because ot acidity. How do I rejuvenate that soil so I can plant grass? And what kind of grass should I plant? It is an area that gets a lot of sun. I do not have a tiller and do not plan on buying one. I am on a tight budget.