Archive for July, 2010

How To Care Properly For Your Fruit Tree

If you have just recently planted a new fruit tree, I think it is safe to assume you are not yet an expert on the subject. More fruit trees die in their beginning years due to poor care habits than any disease or pestilence. Therefore it is vital that you understand how to care for trees in a way that will ensure their immediate success as well as future good health.

During the first stages of the tree’s life, the roots, trunk, and branches have not yet fully developed to a self supporting strength. Therefore if your tree is growing fruits, occasionally the combined weight is enough to snap off an entire branch. If this is the case, you should provide external support for your branches, prop them up with boards, or tie them to something at a higher altitude. As long as you can provide your tree the support it needs in these early years, it should grow to be independent in no time at all.

Proper nutrition is not only necessary for the production of healthy fruits, but is also necessary for the tree to survive longer than one season. The exact specifications vary with the area, climate, and type of tree, but I’ve found that there is no better source than a nursery employee. Maybe they’re just eager to sell you the right type of fertilizer, but in my experience they are almost never wrong. Just inform them about the conditions your tree is living in and how healthy it is looking, and they should be able to help you find something to improve the state of your tree.

Lots of people think that the only way to ensure a tree’s healthiness is to provide it insane amounts of water. This is not the case at all. As a matter of fact, giving too much water to a tree can be more harmful than making it go thirsty. At the best it will have a negative effect on the taste of the fruit. But at worst, your entire tree could die and prevent you from ever growing fruit in the future. So do not ever try to solve your problems by giving it lots of water! Solve your tree’s health problems at the root, so to speak. Go to where the problem originates from, and fix that.

If it is too late and you’re already starting to see unhealthy branches that look either diseased or damaged, you should always remove them. If the tree is wasting nutrients by sending them out to the branch that cannot be saved, it is practically throwing away all the nutrients that it could use on the other, healthier branches. As soon as you start to see a branch that is deteriorating or becoming unhealthy, chop it off right away. At the very least, trim down the unhealthy part but leave all the segments that still look like they could continue growing.

Once your tree has started to enter the picking stage, never leave any of the fruit on the ground that is bound to fall. Also, be careful to get every piece off of the tree. Even if it is an ugly looking fruit that you don’t want to keep, you should still pick it and throw it away. Once these fruits begin to rot, they provide a perfect home for unwanted insects or diseases that can transfer to the tree itself. So always remember to rake up these fallen fruits, and prevent yourself a lot of future grief.

Getting a fruit tree and caring for it throughout its life can be a daunting task. It may even seem impossible sometimes to keep track of all the factors that make a tree healthy. But if you just pay attention to the nutrients that your tree needs, you should be on a good path. In addition to nutrients, figure out the precise amount of watering that you should be doing to keep your tree’s thirst quenched without drowning it. Just do all these things, and you will have a great tree that produces delicious fruits.


Is hydroponic gardening better for growing vegetables?

So you want to know if hydroponic gardening is better for growing vegetables than conventional methods of gardening? Well, I suppose it is a matter of opinion. Some people have very busy lives and do not have the time to grow a garden, whether it is by conventional means or hydroponic gardening. Others do not have the space for a garden of any sort. For these people, purchasing store bought fresh vegetables is the way to go. However, the store bought vegetables and fruits are not fresh. To people like me, fresh means straight from the garden. That is why I like hydroponic gardening. I can grow all of my fruits and vegetables at home, even in my home, and be able to get them fresh whenever I want them. I can also have access to them at any time throughout the year. In the store, the produce is not grown with hydroponic gardening and certain items are only available at certain times of the year. If I can simulate the perfect growing conditions using hydroponic gardening, I can get my favorite fruits and veggies at any time during the year. I do not have to wait for them to be “in season.” Hydroponic vegetables, veggies that are grown by using the hydroponic gardening technique, are generally better for a person’s health. These hydroponic vegetables tend to be larger, juicier, and brighter in color than those found in the store. Store bought vegetables have a waxy film over them to keep them fresher for longer periods of time. Homegrown hydroponic vegetables have no film because there is no need for it. The waxy film is an additive put on by people to help with the transport and shelf life of the vegetables. Hydroponic vegetables are either eaten by you right away or still on the plant until you are ready to use them. So either way you look at it, hydroponic vegetables are better. Vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which promote better health. Using hydroponic gardening to grow your vegetables increases the antioxidial properties of your vegetables. This is because foods grown by using hydroponic gardening are generally healthier than those grown by conventional methods of gardening. There is virtually little to no pests, so there is no need to poison the vegetables by spraying harmful and dangerous pesticides and insecticides. In a conventional garden, you have to worry about so many different bugs and pests that attack your plants. Most people resort to using pesticides from the store. Recent studies show that these pesticides, when ingested by humans, can be detrimental to a person’s health and well-being.So is hydroponic gardening better for growing vegetables? Like I said, it is a matter of opinion. I do know that this woman here will only accept home grown vegetables from hydroponic gardening. Only the best for me and mine. I fully believe that hydroponic gardening is the best for growing vegetables that not only look pretty but also taste so much better than the ones you buy from the store.


Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden

Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden is a 500-acre (2.0 km2) botanical garden and tourist attraction at kilometer 163 on Sukhumvit Road in Chonburi Province, Thailand.Your visit to Pattaya is not complete without a day trip to the sprawling Nong Nooch Tropical garden, just 20 minutes away from the city. This stunning garden landscapes at Nongnooch Village is one of the largest botanical gardens in Southeast Asia. Nong Nooch stands for beauty, and that is what oozes out of every part of the park. The plants and the surroundings are very well maintained.Pisit and Nongnooch Tansacha purchased the 600-acre plot of land in 1954 with the intentions of developing the land as a fruit plantation. However, the owners instead decided to plant tropical flowers and plants as a wildlife conservation project. The garden opened to the public in 1980, and management was transferred to Pisit and Nongnooch’s son Kampon Tansacha in 2001. The garden currently fills 500 out of the 600 acres.The garden is divided into the following categories:•    French Garden•    European Garden•    Stonehenge Garden•    Cactus & Succulent Garden•    Variegated Plants•    Ant Tower•    Butterfly Hill•    Orchid & Bromeliad Display Garden•    Flower valleyThe garden focuses on Southeast Asian, Tropical American and Central Africa species of Cycads, but a collection of almost every species can also been seen here. In connection with Conservation agencies the gardens cycad collections serves as an important ex situ conservation site for this endangered and ancient plant group. On-going and continuing research at the garden concerning taxonomy and horticultural use has increased the knowledge about this plant group worldwide. Apart from the beautifully manicured gardens and lush green landscapes the park comes alive with cultural and elephant shows. The traditional dancers in their dazzling silk attires dance to the most melodious of songs and keep the guests enraptured. Few rounds of Thai boxing and elephant warfare add variety to the show. Elephant show follows, in an open field and the well trained animals keep you entertained with their skills in basket ball, bowling, soccer, dart shooting. Even there is foot massage for the brave few who volunteer to lie under the playful jumbos. A variety of shows three times a day at the Thai Cultural Center feature martial arts, indigenous sports, hill tribe music and dance, a Thai wedding ceremony, a Buddhist ordination ceremony, and performances by trained elephants. Two man-made lakes and more than 500 acres of exquisitely manicured gardens, including gardens dedicated to bonsai, cactus, palms and bromeliads, and a hothouse for orchids and ferns, make this one of the most attractive tourist resorts in the province. At the small zoo you can have your picture taken with a baby tiger, elephant, chimpanzee or parrot, and there is also a small exhibition of Thai antiques. Visitors have a choice of restaurants where traditional Thai food, including special recipes from northeastern Thailand, as well as Chinese, Korean and western dishes can be enjoyed. A shopping mall sells souvenirs and handicrafts from all over the kingdom. Half day tours leave from Pattaya every day. Accommodations can be arranged in traditional Thai style teak houses, in cottages or in small lakeside villas with access to a private swimming pool.


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