Successfully Growing Your Vegetables in a Cramped Little Garden

Metropolitan areas offer many things to their inhabitants. Jobs are plentiful, eateries and watering holes are in high abundance, and arts and nightlife scenes are often very appealing. Those looking to move from more rural areas to perhaps an apartment or condominium in the city might feel they will be forced to sacrifice many of the attributes the country provides. Space is at a premium in the city. Suburbia and rural living offer more of it, and many people living in more spacious areas enjoy growing their own vegetables and tending personal gardens in their spare time. The fact is that vegetables are able to grow and thrive in smaller areas, and just because your space is limited, it doesn’t mean you and your vegetable garden need to be.

As a result of new research and development involving genetic modifications of standard vegetables and fruits we have all come to expect in a backyard garden, many seed companies offer seeds and starts of miniature or dwarf versions more suited for growing in limited space. Just imagine, growing tomatoes in a bucket on your tiny condominium deck could be so rewarding and the perfect addition to a summer salad. You can grow strawberries in small containers in your bedroom windowsill, strawberry shortcake, anyone? Growing your vegetables in containers has its advantages over a conventional garden because you can move your plantings inside if cooler weather should threaten and give your growing vegetables artificial indoor light in the interim.

Achieving a proper soil and fertilizer mixture is essential in your indoor/outdoor miniature garden’s success. At your local home improvement or garden store you can choose from a large variety of potting soil mixes especially designed for container gardens. Special care needs to be taken ensuring proper drainage yet adequate water retention to help nurture the growth of your plantings’ roots, keeping them evenly moist. A liquid fertilizer is preferred, as it will possess the ability to remain in the soil longer, achieving positive results. The liquid fertilizer should be evenly applied at every other watering. Since you probably don’t have a hose reel and garden hose in your apartment, you might need an attachment for your kitchen sink or a simple jug or cup could do the job of applying the daily irrigation for your burgeoning plants.

A final consideration is location for your garden. This of course depends primarily on the types of plants that are growing. For instance, lettuce only needs about four hours of sunlight daily, but your tomatoes require about eight. Plan accordingly, placing appropriate plants in appropriate environments according to their needs and specifications. By following these simple guidelines, you will have a perfect little garden, providing you with vegetables you can enjoy year round, in the middle of the urban jungle.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reels, landscaping, and lawn treatment. Please visit www.roboreel.com.

Getting Rid of Those Pesky “Doggy Spots” on Your Lawn and Keeping Fido

If you’re like me, you’re a dog person. There’s just something about the companionship and friendship a dog provides. They’re eternally loyal, steadfast and true, if sometimes a tad smelly in breath and body. I love dogs, but I also enjoy keeping my lawn nice and green, which is extremely difficult having a dog in the yard. You will be happy to find out, however, that there are ways to lessen the appearance of brown spots in your lawn caused by your furry best friend. The solutions are quite easy and will help you keep your lawn green throughout, and eliminate those patchy-brown, favored spots of Fido.

It is helpful to know exactly why your dog’s relief brings such discoloration to your lawn. Dog urine burns your green grass because it is extremely rich in nitrogen. If you are already using a nitrogen-rich fertilizer on your yard, the added effect of your four-legged friend’s contribution will burn those spots because the extra nitrogen is more than your lawn can handle. If you are able to discern the spots your dog is attracted to well enough, try using little or no fertilizer in these areas, to help balance the nitrogen content. To help with nitrogen absorption and dilution, it would be helpful if you took your hose from your hose reel and sprayed the areas your dog likes, daily. This extra water can help more evenly spread that rich nitrogen across a broader patch, lessening its discoloring effects. Treat the problem directly as well, by making sure your dog drinks plenty of water, helping dilute the concentration of nitrogen content at the source.

Another popular fix for this less talked about problem is replanting. Plant more urine-resistant grasses such as Ryegrass or Fescue in the affected areas. Though you may love the look and lushness of your Kentucky Bluegrass and Bermuda, these grasses are extremely urine-sensitive, so it is important to keep the pooches away from these to protect their beauty.

By saturating affected areas with water from your hose reel, replanting these areas with more urine-resistant grass, and diluting the nitrogen in your dog itself, you can help keep your lawn as green as it should be. There are also many products on the market to help train your animal to relieve itself in a certain area, so those should not be counted out if all else fails. Green grass is beautiful, and it does not have to be sacrificed because you share your affection with your furry friend as well!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reels, landscaping, and lawn treatment. Please visit www.roboreel.com.

Keeping Soil In Place on a Sloping Lawn

Sloping lawns can present a challenge for landscaping, mowing, and keeping soil healthy and in place. Soil and water runoff from bordering slopes in a lawn can be starting points for mudslides and messy flooding. There definitely exists a need for growth on a slope, if only to prevent erosion, but what are the best choices, and how should the decision be made of what to plant?

A question to ask is how much sunshine the area will be receiving on a daily basis. Often times, homeowners plant according to their taste without keeping in mind what is practical growth provided given conditions. Depending on its daily allowance of sun, your embankment could benefit greatly from plantings of native wild grasses. Because these grasses are indigenous to your area, they will undoubtedly grow and thrive once they have gotten an adequate chance to take root. To give your sloped plantings the best chance possible to flourish, avoid planting them into the bare soil alone. If grass already exists on your slope, it can helpful to kill it, and plant your wild grasses and native plants into it. This gives the root systems an excellent chance to develop while making sure to avoid erosion during the formative stages of your new plantings’ development. Low growing groundcover such as juniper and thyme do extremely well in sun-drenched areas while providing excellent stability for sloping soil. A plant such as periwinkle flourishes in both full sun and full shade, so it is an excellent choice for planting; be careful, however, because flourishing periwinkle spreads in no time and can crowd your other plantings! Sufficient water is necessary to get this new growth off and running, so be sure you have adequate length of garden hose to extend from your hose reel in order to reach this slope; your daily diligent watering sessions will help ensure those burgeoning root systems take hold and prosper.

If finances allow, a terraced effect helps broaden your choices as far as what groundcover you choose to use. Some of the more attractive (relatively speaking, of course) plants and grasses need more gently sloping or flatter areas to really prosper. Terracing your sloped lawn can be quite expensive, so it is not always an option for all homeowners, but its advantages are great including the ability to better use your sloped lawn for entertaining and general enjoyment.

By weighing your options and making informed choices, you can ensure your lawn remains its most beautiful while maintaining excellent soil that eludes erosion, retains rich nutrients, and provides a perfect spot for growing your favorite grasses and plants.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reels. Please visit www.roboreel.com