Gardening Services Guide

Archive for the ‘General Gardening Tips’ Category

So, your hobby has become an obsession and now you’re thinking of becoming a
master gardener, but what does this mean? Many people decide to take their
love of gardening to the next level and join master gardener programs
offered at universities and extension agents across the United States and
Canada. These programs offer valuable training and information in exchange
for volunteer hours. So, what kind of master gardener gardening supplies
might you need for such a program? It will range from supplies for teaching
to gardening.

Some of the activities one might be asked to do are:

* Give lectures
* Attend or host exhibits
* Do demonstrations or community projects
* Pass information on to students, seniors or others

In addition to these volunteer activities, one will get to take part in
training courses taught by the extension agent or university. Training can
range from lawns, organic and vegetable gardening to different techniques
against weeds and pests. In the end, one may end up with a large number of
master gardener gardening supplies in the tool shed because of the depth and
breadth of material covered.

Master Gardener Gardening Supplies For Teaching

Obviously, exhibits require some creativity and planning. There are paper
costs, and photocopying. If planting a community project one will have to
locate and buy sufficient plant material. In addition, transport of the
plant material and equipment becomes important.

Today’s master gardener may even want a computer and some software to be
able to instruct students in a classroom setting using PowerPoint or
landscaping software. Being a master gardener isn’t just about being out in
the dirt and the sunshine but carries a commitment to pass along the
information to other people in the community.

Master Gardener Gardening Supplies For The Garden

One can be pretty sure of spending a lot of time in the garden as a master
gardener. So, comfortable garden shoes, kneepads, gloves and hats are
essential. Sunscreen and bug spray will also be important as the season
progresses. Supplies for projects like plants, soil, fertilizers, pesticides
and mulching will need to be bought at different times. A master gardener
eventually even adds a suitable car with plenty of storage capacity for
transporting these materials from site to site. This can be a pickup truck
with a large bed.

The standard gardening tools of shovels, picks, spades, hoes, and rakes will
end up being bought, along with power garden tools to ease the efforts in
the garden. If more specialized work is expected, like planting bulbs, a
bulb planter may end up being an essential tool in a master gardener’s tool
shed. It all depends on what area they are working with and what projects
they are doing. It can be certain, however, that a master gardener will be
involved in a variety of projects and need a large assortment of master
gardener gardening supplies.

Indoor gardening watering systems determine how much water you give your houseplants, and how often. There are different indoor gardening watering systems for different types of plants. You must also take into consideration such things as the temperature and humidity of the room the plant is in and even the type of pot the plant is in.

Plants require plenty of water if they are actively growing, have thin and delicate looking leaves, are in a very warm room, have many large leaves, have a mass of large and healthy roots, are in relatively small pots, are in dry air, are from bogs or marshes, are in clay pots, or have budding leaves and blossoms.

Plants need less water if they are resting or without buds or flowers, have thick leathery leaves, are in a cool room, have recently been re-potted, are in a humid room, are in a water-retentive potting mixture, are in plastic or glazed clay pots, have thick and fleshy roots, or are naturally adapted to storing water for long periods of time (cacti).

Indoor gardening watering systems have three basic methods of applying water. With top watering you pour water onto the surface of the potting mixture. This gives you better control of the amount of water the plant receives. It also flushes away accumulated excess mineral salts. With watering from below, you pour the water into the saucer in which the pot sits. This method forces mineral salts to the upper layer of the potting mixture. You can flush them away with occasional top watering. With large open plants, use bromeliad watering, which means using a narrow spouted watering can to pour the water directly into the “cup” at the centre of the plant.

You can usually use ordinary tap water for indoor gardening watering systems, but it must be tepid, not cold. Allow the water to stand overnight in a container so it reaches room temperature. This will also allow some of the chlorine to dissipate. If the water has a high lime content, boil it first. Do not use water from a water softener, as the chemicals will damage your plants. Rainwater is good in rural areas, but rainwater in urban areas is often polluted. Distilled water is lime free, if you want to go to that expense.

Indoor gardening watering systems require you to use water sparingly, moderately or plentifully, depending upon the type of plant and the plant’s environment and stage of growth. If you water sparingly, barely moisten the potting mixture. If you water moderately, moisten the mixture all the way through, but allow the top layer to dry out between applications. If you water plentifully, keep all of the mixture moist, including the top layer.