Seed Garden Store

By Emmanuel Mporogoma

For a person that still is still growing, there are numerous ways that can be employed to aid in the process of increasing height. One important way that is used by many is through dieting.

During growth period the body's processes and the newly formed bones, need much energy. For instance protein and calcium are known to be the building blocks of cells, and calories give energy. Thus knowing what group of foods to eat and the required amounts is necessary to ensure you aid in the growth process.

Some programs claim that there are exercises which one can do to increase height, while the truth of the matter lies in the fact that there is no way whatsoever to lengthen your bones -- short of surgery, once they stop growing on their own. Don't believe in such programs.

If you were to take time to understand the process of growing, then I am sure you won't give even a single thought into such unrealistic programs. You see, when we are born we have much more bones than when we are adults. At birth we have flexible cartilages, and as we grow older there is a process called ossification where the cartilages fuse and turn solid. Eventually all of the smaller bones unite and become one large bone. Thus the bones increase in length and eventually stop at puberty. At this point nothing can make them grow again.

But the fact of the matter is, to increase height, it is possible to speed up the growth process as well as increase the length of healthy bones through exercising while you are still young. Steady exercise and healthy diet prevents weakening of the bones that occurs during old age.

Knowing what types of exercises to perform in order to increase height is crucial. Stretching does not help one to increase height. Exercises that strengthen the muscles do. They'll strengthen your bones and increase your height healthily.

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By Joseph Parish

It will not be long now as everyone is rapidly getting energized about their projected garden. Here in Delaware all we can do at this time is plan. We could perhaps prepare our garden soils but as far as placing any plants outside at this time it is still a bit cool.

My wife has begun various vegetables indoors in an attempt to get them into the ground and allow them to be as productive as they can in a short period of time. We used the Aero-grow this year for starting most of our veggies. It appears that they have a generic growing insert that you can place your own seeds into.

It was a little disappointing but that's another story. As soon as we place our plants in the open we have to seriously consider several other problem areas. That consideration is centered on the various pests which seem to enjoy our garden as much as we do.

One of the major pests is the slug. Out of all the damaging creatures associated with a garden perhaps the slug is considered the worse of them all. These annoying organisms seem to thrive under most high moisture environments and are some of the most difficult creatures to get under control.

You will find them ready to feast out shortly after a spring rainfall. Slugs are often times difficult to detect as they tend to hide in the daytime when it is warm and dry but they appear in the evenings when the air is moist.

The slug population depends upon the water content that is in your garden therefore the most effective method for reducing or eliminating slugs is by simply reducing the moisture around the garden but let's face it

- we have to water our plants do we not?

Several means by which the home gardener can control these pests is listed in this article.

The first is by use of Metaldehyde baits.

Although these chemicals can possibly provide a measure of control they must be carefully applied as well as used at the proper time.

Metaldehyde is generally sold as a granular type of bait or as a gel or paste. Most of these products are labeled for use with flower gardens.

You should not apply this chemical directly to your vegetables or edible crops. If you have pets that roam outdoors this chemical can cause a very agonizing death.

You can find an alternative to Metaldehyde which uses an iron phosphate base as its active ingredient. This is generally sold under the name of Sluggo, Esca

-Go or Slug Magic.

Iron phosphate products can safely be used around your edible crops.

Usually slugs are attracted to any type of fermenting products such as beer.

You can readily purchase commercially manufactured slug traps which use a similar method of fermentation material to capture the pests.

However, it is not necessary to purchase these traps when you can just as easily make your own.
If you wish to try your luck at slug trap making here is the simplest that it gets. Use the plastic 12 ounce soda or water bottles and place either a little bit of beer in the bottom or some commercial slug bait into it.

Lay the bottles on their sides and slightly bury them so that the mouth of the bottle is perfectly level with the ground.

The slugs should be able to make their way into the bottles without difficulty. After you have captured the slugs you will merely need to toss the bottle into the trash. If you are using slug bait as opposed to beer make sure that you wet it a bit.

Sluggo appears to be the most effective bait to use in these bottle traps. Alternately you could sink some old pie pans or any type of shallow containers into the ground and place some beer in them. The slugs will be attracted to the beer and will crawl into the pans and drown. Copyright @ 2009 Joseph Parish

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By Johnny Cartwright

Garden seeds can be sown in a variety of ways. The most common is to plant in straight rows, but in more intensive planting, diamond shapes are often used.

There's no hard and fast rule about how deep seeds should be planted. The depth required will vary based on both the seed being sown, as well as the character and condition of the soil. In heavy clay and moist soils, the covering should be lighter than in sandy or dry soils. Regardless of the depth, planting should be uniform. Whether you're planting in boxes or beds, you can use the side of a small plank of wood to create a depression for the row in which to seed.

In a large garden, or small farm plot, you're looking to reduce the labor required as much as possible, and so long rows are much more suitable. By grouping the vegetables together according to their care requirements, you'll also reduce excess work needed to care for your garden. By doing this, you can tend each group of vegetables together as one plot.

Remember too that the more work you do in the fall, the less preparation you'll need to make in the spring before you can begin planting. If you're using manure as a fertilizer, plan to apply it in the fall, and turn it under the soil. That way, your garden ready for planting early season crops -- you only need wait until the soil is dry enough -- a process that is hastened with fall manure applications.

The actual planting of the garden is pretty simple, if you've taken the time to prepare a garden plan. No time is lost in deciding what vegetable to plant where. You can, instead, simply refer to the plan and get started. For most home-sized gardens, it is easiest to plant by hand.

The most common way is to use a dibber, or another hand tool, to create holes or depressions in the soil, into which the seeds are dropped. The seeds are then covered, and the soil firmed. It's important to make sure the soil is completely firmed, because most seeds will not germinate unless they are in contact with the soil.

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By Cheryl Wheeler

The least expensive method of growing tomatoes is to grow them from seed. Growing tomatoes from seed has the added benefit of allowing you to get a jump start on the growing season. This can be very important if you live in an area with a short growing season.
Start your seeds indoors about five or six weeks before the last frost.

You can get started propagating your tomatoes from seed for very little money. In fact, a lot of the supplies you probably already have. There is one supply however that I wouldn't skimp on and that is a quality potting mix.

You will need several containers approximately 2 inches wide and 2 or 3 inches deep at the minimum. Finding suitable containers is not hard. Milk cartons with the tops cut off make great containers as do plastic 2 litter pop bottles, also with the tops cut off, margarine tubs and yogurt cups.

Once you've poked some drainage holes in the bottoms all of these will work just fine.
You will also need something to cover your plants with like plastic wrap, clear bread bags, or sandwich or freezer bags. If you are using plastic pop bottles as containers then you can use the top part that you cut off to cover the plants.

Place two or three tomato seeds in each container. I tend to place the seed in the potting mix then poke it down and smooth the soil over it.

Some people like to poke the hole first then place the seed in the hole and pinch the soil over it.

Use whatever method feels right and easy for you.
Labeling your containers with type, variety and date planted will make it easier on you to tell what sprout is what later down the road.

When you are done planting water the seeds and cover them.

Place the seeds in a warm location.

Don't put them in direct sunlight till after they have sprouted.

Check on them each day and give them water if they need it. You want to keep the soil moist.

Once the danger of freezing is past, you can harden your little plants off. Hardening them simply means getting them used to the environment outside. Do this by placing them outside for several hours a day the week before you plan to leave them out.

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By Michael Russell

With all the plants available on the market these days, both from garden centres and mail order, you might wonder why anyone would bother to grow from seed. There are a few answers to this one but some of the basic ones are:

Personal satisfaction - there’s nothing quite like seeing a garden full of plants that you grew yourself from a tiny seed.

Cost - if you have a large garden and want it full of bright flowers for the summer then the cheapest way is to grow your own bedding plants.

Choice - garden centres are great but in reality, they can’t stock a fraction of the varieties available from specialist nurseries.

So if you fancy giving it a try, even if only in a small way, then this is what you will need to get started with seeds that need propagation indoors before planting out:

Seed trays, pots (or old margarine tubs, if you like, but trays are best). If you have a greenhouse or potting shed then those with drainage holes in the bottom are fine but if you’re propagating your seeds on a windowsill then you’ll be better off with the sort without drainage holes.

Seed tray covers. These aren’t strictly necessary but they do help to keep warmth and moisture in during the propagation period and it saves messing around with plastic bags or film.
Potting compost. Do buy compost especially for seeds. All purpose compost is inclined to be a bit coarse for really tiny seeds.

Somewhere fairly constantly warm for germination (around 70°F, 20°C). If you want to grow your seeds in a greenhouse, you may need to consider heating it. Otherwise, an indoor windowsill should be alright or if you don’t think that yours is warm enough, you can buy heated propagators or heated mats to put underneath seed trays.

Labels to stick on or in each pot or tray so that you know what’s in it.

Before you even open the seed packets, check the instructions. Some seeds need to be soaked, frozen or treated in some other way before use.

In general, one seed tray will accommodate one packet of seeds. Some, more specialised seeds come in much smaller quantities and a half size tray or a pot will be adequate.

Fill your container with compost to within about ¼ inch from the top then dampen it. I find that a spray bottle is ideal for this. You don’t want the compost absolutely soaking wet or your seeds will rot. Either sprinkle the seeds all over the surface of your compost or make drills one inch apart with a pencil or your finger and sprinkle the seeds evenly into these. For larger seeds, you may need to make a small hole and drop each seed in individually. According to the instructions, either cover your seeds gently with more compost or leave exposed.

Dampen your compost again with the spray or a very fine trickle of water and unless it says otherwise on the packet, make some sort of mini greenhouse for your container. You can put plastic film over the top or put the whole tray into a clear plastic bag. For pots, you can slip a plastic bag over the top and hold in place with elastic bands.

Put your trays etc. in the aforesaid warm place, but not in direct sunlight, and wait for your seeds to grow. Depending on what they are, this could be days or weeks - it will usually tell you on the packet. In the meantime, check daily for sufficient water. If the plastic covering has water droplets inside you can be fairly sure that your compost is moist enough. If in doubt, feel gently with your finger. The soil should be damp, not wet!

When your seedlings start to appear and have grown a very tiny bit (not much more than ¼ inch), remove the plastic covering. From this point on, you will need to be even more vigilant that your trays don’t dry out. I still advocate using the spray bottle for watering tiny seedlings - but be very careful, they will be fragile. If you are using draining trays or peat trays, you can water from the bottom if you prefer.

When your seedlings have developed 4 or 6 leaves and look a bit sturdier, you must thin them out to about one inch apart, in trays or pots. Prepare fresh trays or pots of compost - the next one on from seed compost. Separate the seedlings, using the tip of a pencil or the handle of a teaspoon to loosen them from the tray or pot. You must treat them with the utmost care as they are easily damaged at this stage. Gently tease the roots apart and try to only hold the leaves rather than the stems. Make holes in your newly-prepared compost and pop each seedling into a hole, gently firming down the soil around them. Some seedlings react very badly to transplanting and may look as though they are dying. Fear not, after a day or so, if they are kept moist and out of direct sunlight, they will be fine.

The new plants can now stay in these trays or pots until you are ready to put them into the ground or their outdoor containers. Keep them moist and give a little liquid feed at weekly intervals. If the plants look as though they are getting leggy, they don’t have enough light and must be moved.

Seed planting is usually done early in the year (check packet for details). When the plants look quite sturdy and the weather has warmed up in spring, you can put your plants outside during the day to “harden” off. Make sure they are sheltered from heavy rain or wind. While the nights are still cold or there is a danger of frost, you will need to bring the plants in at the end of the day. Make sure that slugs and snails can’t reach your new babies - a hungry slug can eliminate all your hard work at a sitting.

When all danger of frost has passed, you can put your plants in their permanent homes in your garden.

If you don’t fancy all that fiddling around, there are a number of plants which can be sown from seed direct into the garden. To do this, make sure that the soil is a fine tilthe, sow your seeds in rows or clumps and cover with a little soil. Water sparingly and when they have germinated and grown on a little, thin them out to whatever distance apart it says on the packet by discarding the weakest looking seedlings.

Whichever method you choose, you should have a lovely bright garden for the summer.

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Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Gardening
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By Kim L Smith

The Aerogarden is something that many people will think about growing herbs in the winter on the counter top.

I know that is what I first thought when I was looking at them and tried them out, and realized that after growing my first group of herbs that it was absolutely amazing at the amount that I got out of them. However, the next year I purchased another Aerogarden and realized that I am able to grow much more in it than the herbs. Here is my experience with using my Aerogarden to grow tomatoes in the middle of winter.

The first thing that I thought is how is it possible to start growing tomatoes in the middle of winter without the warm summer heat! Then I thought the same thing about the herbs and remembered that I had the same doubts prior to starting them. Which really led me to think that I would be able to do this without a problem, which I managed to start growing my tomatoes quickly and within a couple of days had my first few sprouts. Then within about a month of finishing my planting of the tomatoes my plants really took off and next thing that I knew I was able to be picking off tomatoes about a month later.

Now this isn't saying that your success will be better or worse than mine, but you will want to try out a variety of plants in your Aerogarden. I know that for me I learned that I will want to start my tomatoes earlier in the season so I can enjoy getting fresh tomatoes off of them in the middle of winter instead of in middle of March!

If you want even more information about the Aerogarden you will want to view Aerogarden Success.
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By Thomas Fyrd

The beauty of the Oriental Poppy as a garden flower is recognized by all, but many fail to appreciate its value as a cut bloom. With a simple treatment of the stem, it can compete with any flower for home decoration and at shows; either by itself or in combination with other flowers, it is a consistent winner of blue ribbons.

Ordinarily, a poppy starts to wilt soon after it is cut, as the milky juice seals the end of the stem and prevents it from replacing water evaporated from its petals. Singeing the end of the stem with a candle flame, dipping in boiling water or crushing will prolong the life.

To keep the blooms fresh for their normal span, cut the stems the varying lengths you wish and bring them in immediately to the gas or electric range, hold the ends of the stems just above the flame and keep them there until the end is charred and glows like a coal, and the last inch or two is well burned. This will take from two to five minutes. Then place the flowers in water. They will last from three days to a week, and the stems will never get flexible or the petals wilted. Petals simply drop as they would on the growing plant when they get old. The vase can even be set out in the sun without any wilting.

For best results, fresh blooms should be cut early in the morning; if you are early enough, you will find many blooms that have thrown off their green caps but are still in the process of unfurling their silken petals. If you are later, then select blooms that have no pollen dust on their petals. If pollen dust is objectionable, the anthers can be removed with small scissors.

Poppies can even be cut in bud and mailed to friends if you have something new you wish them to see. Burn the end of the stem, place in cool water for several hours, then wrap a pad of absorbent cotton around the end of the stem. Cover it with waxed paper and a rubber band to hold it on. It should be a bud that would open in a day or two at the latest, and this is a little difficult to judge, because poppies show no color in advance (any that shows color at the side is defective, and may remain unchanged for a week or more before opening). The only guide you have is that the sheath gets thinner, a little drier and not quite as green when it is ready to break. With a little practice, you will be able to judge it by feeling the bud, which is slightly softer, but I believe you get finer and larger blooms by letting them open on the plant.

All Oriental Poppies make fine cut flowers, but there are several of delicate pastel shades that are especially fine for floral arrangements, especially with the addition of oriental phalaenopsis orchids. Since some of these delicate tints bleach after a few hours of hot sun, I have always called them cutting poppies. Exact color descriptions are very difficult to give.

All our modern Oriental Poppies have fine stiff stems that do not need staking under usual conditions, but if your location is very windy or plants are crowded between tall perennials, a ring peony support or a bamboo stake may be necessary to keep them straight.

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By Edward Gold

What is organic gardening?

Organic gardening means different things to different people. All agree that it means avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. But the philosophy and practice of organic gardening often goes far beyond that simple concept. Growing organic food, flowers, and landscapes represents a commitment to a sustainable system of living in harmony with nature. For many people, organic gardening is a way of life.

The way that people use - and misuse - soil, water, and air affects the lives and habitats of plants, insects, birds, fish, and animals, as well as humans. Dedicated organic gardeners adopt methods that improve soil health and fertility, decrease erosion, and reduce pests and diseases through cultural and natural biological processes. They encourage plant and animal diversity in their landscapes.

Observing your natural environment - watching the weather or noting the arrival of migrating birds and emerging insects - helps you choose the most appropriate ways to plant and nurture your vegetables, flowers, and landscape plants. When you see white butterflies fluttering around your garden, you know it's time to protect your cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower from cabbageworm. Instead of sprinkling on a pesticide after the caterpillars hatch, you can cover the plants with special fabric to prevent the butterflies from laying eggs in the first place. That's what organic gardening is all about: preventing and treating problems in the least obtrusive, most non-toxic ways.

Many people assume that 'organic' means 'non-toxic', but that's not really correct. Some commonly accepted organic pesticides are just as toxic, if not more so, than some synthetic chemical pesticides. Organic pesticides are derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources. Synthetic chemical pesticides come from petroleum and other chemical sources, and that's the main difference between the two types.

Traditional farmers worldwide have used some plant, animal, and mineral-based pesticides for centuries. Indeed, home gardeners continue to use concoctions of garlic, hot peppers, onion, and other plants and substances to discourage pests. Although organic pesticides generally have far fewer health side effects than synthetic pesticides, that's not always the case. Nicotine, for example, although derived from a plant and used as an organic pesticide, is highly toxic to humans and many other species.

Pesticides pose another problem. Some hang around in the environment long after their job is done. Chemists measure this persistence of chemicals by their half-life, or number of days it takes for half of the original quantity to break down into its components. Sunlight, water, soil microorganism, and composition of the pesticide influence the half-life of these chemicals. Organic pesticides, and some synthetic ones, have half-lives of only a few days. Others, however, remain toxic in the environment for months or even years after the farmer or homeowner sprays or sprinkles them on a pest.

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Looking for something different for a gift for your gardener? Or something for the cook in your life. It's not often that something completely novel shows up in the world of gardening, but the Aerogrow Aerogarden Indoors Hydroponics kit is something new, that uses technology that did not exist ten or fifteen years ago, and at one point was actually featured in Time magazine.

The Aerogrow system is a completely self contained hydroponics system. Hydroponics is a soil-less system, in which the plant's root system actually grow in enriched or fertilized water. Because the Aerogarden is a soil-less hydroponic system, it eliminates a lot of the mess associated with indoor container gardens. There is also no risk of soil-borne diseases or pests when using a hydroponics unit.

The Aerogrow Aerogarden kit includes not only the hydroponics system, complete with a computer controlled pump, but a built in adjustable grow light as well. Because of this level of automation, you can set the system up and not bother it for up to two weeks. It includes seed sets for many different types of plants. Ranging from herbs to to salad fixings to small vegetables there are seed kits for many different types of vegetables. You simply set the computer control for the type of seeds you have selected, and you are set to go.

Because this is an indoor hydroponic unit, the Aerogrow system can be used year round. Harvesting herbs and vegetables in the middle of winter is not a problem, and it can be used indoors in the heat of the Southwest summers to keep a supply of vegetables that would normally wilt that far south.

How well does the this indoor hydroponic system work? To learn more you can go to our complete Aerogrow Aerogarden Hydroponic System review along with time lapse videos of the assembly and operation of the unit at How to Garden Guide

For those who don't know what an Aero-Garden is, it is an electronic device for indoor gardening without soil. The process is often referred to as hydroponic gardening or just hydroponics.

A complete, even if it is a discounted Aero-Garden System comprises:

1. Aeroponic optimizing chamber. This creates the perfect environment for the growth of your plant.

2. Computerized systems. They contain built-in microprocessor and reminder system which ensures the plant gets enough light, water and nutrients.

3. Organic nutrient tablets.

4. Instructions Manual which informs you as to how to go about planting, taking care of the plant and how to harvest the right way.

5. Comes with a compact florescent bulb. This is designed so that the plant is provided with the light it needs to grow and does not need any natural light.

6. The plants are provided with 65 types of nutrients to ensure the plant health is at its best.

How does it work?

It may be used to grow herbs, vegetables, flowers and even strawberries. It is designed to keep the roots of these plants suspended in the air of a highly humidified and oxygenated chamber. These roots are also introduced to the perfect levels of water, light and nutrients, causing there growth speed to be five times more than a naturally grown plant. The unit comes with everything you need to start, all you need to do is add water. The system allows for germination to occur within 24 hrs.

Don't be fooled, a discounted AeroGarden will come with everything indicated above, even if they are sold at a cheaper price. They work the same way, providing you with the same organic produce in as little as two weeks according to the seed kit you choose. The vegetables produced by these units, to my mind and by most users, are much healthier and bigger too.

In Addition, the following accessories you may also get at a discount

1. Replacement bulbs
2. Wall farm shelf
3. Extra nutrient tablets
4. Master Gardener Kit
5. Pods

With your discounted Aero-Garden and these accessories you can grow anything of your choice. Buying a cheap one does not mean that it will be less efficient than buying one at the normal retail price. A brand that is highly recommended is AeroGrow. In this age of global food price increases and high cost of living, it is sometime difficult to wait long period for food to grow. Indoor gardening with hydroponic systems is the way to go. So be it a gourmet herb garden or a simple vegetable garden, indoor gardening is the way to go. Safe, more convenient and talk about speed.