Life Is Fresh

Guide to Rose Pruning

2006-09-17T10:17:00.000+05:30

preparation
Pruning roses doesn't need any special tools but a little care is needed to avoid injuries. A pair of rose gloves should be worn all the time to avoid hands and forearms injuries from thorns.A pair of long handled bypass loppers is necessary for large canes.

When to prune
While the time of the pruning depends on the type of the rose and the area in which its growing, most pruning is done in spring. Pruning a little late is much safer then cutting your plants back too early, causing them to suffer damage from a late winter freeze, so whenever in doubt always wait or ask a friend.

Why to prune
Pruning is done to remove 3Ds' - Dead, Damaged and Diseased parts of the plant. Pruning not only helps you keep your garden healthy but also help you manage it by keeping its size in control.

Tips on pruning:

Always keep your tools clean and sharp to make clean cuts and not ragged ones.
Always remember the rule of 3D, remove dead, damaged or diseased parts of the plant.
Start the pruning from the base of the plant but keep an overall image in mind.
Seal the cuts with white glues to protect it from cane borers.

How to make cuts

Cut should be made at a 45 degree angle with the horizontal with a clean sharp tool.
Try making the cut in one go as this would cause least amount of damage to the plant.
Make sure the cut is above the bud but not too close to it or you might damage it.The minimum distance of the cut from the bud should be 0.25 inches.
Also don't leave too much gap between the bud and the cut. Most of the time the extra wood would just die back. Sometimes it may even decay which would damage the new growth. The ideal gap between the cut and the bud should be at maximum 1/2 inch.

Teen Buzz aka Mosquito Ringtone

2006-09-09T22:14:00.000+05:30

Its remarkable how technology can be used in totally two opposite ways, take one of the most popular ringtone of today.

My friend baught a new cell phone and he wanted to try a new ringtone, so we searched net and came to know about Teen Buzz or Mosquito ringtone which can only be heard by people less then 20 year of age. Initially I didn't believe this so I did some search on the topic and found some amazing facts about this invention.

The story goes back to 2005, when Howard Stapleton, a British inventor, came up with a security device designed to keep teenagers away from the shops but leaves most over twenty years of age unaffected.

When a group of teens learned of this technology they decided to use it for their own use: They created a cell phone ringtone called "Teen Buzz," which has caught on like wildfire, first in the UK, and quickly emigrating to the US.

In settings where cellphone use is forbidden like in schools it is perfect for signaling the arrival of a text message without being detected by an teachers.

The principle is based on Presbycusis, a normal loss of acute hearing that occurs with advancing age. Teen Buzz was developed using the same technology, but as a constant 14.4khz high frequency ringtone.

While most human communication takes place in a frequency range between 200 and 8,000 hertz, most adults' ability to hear frequencies higher than that begins to deteriorate in early middle age.

"It's the most common sensory abnormality in the world," said Dr. Rick A. Friedman, an ear surgeon and research scientist at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles.

The company even released a free sample for everyone to try and see (or should I say hear) for themselves whether they can hear the ringtone before actually paying for it.

My search for bigger garden home

2006-09-08T10:58:00.000+05:30

I am very found of greenery and love to spend my free time in gardening since I spent most of my childhood in village. But my current apartment gives me very less option to experiment with my hobby, so I am saving some money to buy a bigger home.

Finding a perfect home takes time and effort. Right now I have lot of time on my hand so I am doing all the research work I can to find the best deal. Like most people I prefer to search my home using internet since its both faster then conventional methods and I don't have to leave my home.

Like all good things Obares is one such real state portal that comes free for anyone looking to sell or buy there dream homes. Well since its not asking for any deposits and I have nothing to lose so I am going to give it a try.

My first impression was that the site is very clean and fresh and I can search houses either by city name or zip codes. I must say that the database is pretty good and I have already found some really nice houses. Though I am not much of a church person but would definitely like to know if there is any good library around my house and it’s great that this real state portal provides me with this information and much more like mortgage loans, schools etc.

I guess as soon as I find the house that suits my need I would list my current apartment for sale on this site itself as well, after all its free. I better get some photos taken of my house to add to Obares database.

Well that’s it for now, I better get moving or I be late for the job! and You know guys.. no job means no money.. and no money means no house :)

Money Plant: How to Grow and Take Care

2006-09-06T10:51:00.000+05:30

Money plant or Scindapsus aureus is one of the most hassle free and easy to grow indoor plant. It is famous for its heart-shaped white, yellow and dark green shiny leaves which helps purify air.

Soil
The plant is very easy to grow in small to medium size pots and hardly needs to be moved. The soil should be moist and rich in organic manure.

Propagation
Money plant can be planted around the year with ease. Mostly it propagate by taking stem cutting from parent plant. When taking the cutting look for the nodes which have roots coming out of them, they are easier to plant and you would have more success rate.

Planting
After taking the cutting, make a small hole in the soil and plant the stem(and any root if present) in the soil and press the soil firmly. Water the soil and keep the plant in shade.

Water and Light
Always keep the soil moist but money plant doesn't like wet feet so make sure the soil is rich in organic material. Keep the plant in shade or indirect sunlight. Less light it gets, darker its leaves would become.

Care
Plant requires very less care. Just make sure that you don't overeater it. Yellow leaves is a sign of overwatering and excess supply of fertilizer.
If there is any fungal infection clean the leaves with soap solution mixed with water and keep it in sunlight for couple of hours.

Being a Climber, in ideal condition Money plant can reach 2 meters of hight. So give it some support in the form of a stick/log or a string.

Some more information about Money Plant:
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Subfamily: Monsteroideae
Genus: Epipremnum
Species: E. aureum

honeysuckle growing tips

2006-07-21T16:47:00.000+05:30

Honeysuckle growing tips

Honeysuckle have many varieties which are used for many different purposes. For example while Fly Honeysuckle and European Honeysuckle is used in Traditional Chinese Medicines for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, wood from Lonicera tartarica is used for making cat toys and woodbine for its sweet-scented, reddish and yellow tinted flowers.

Soil:
Honeysuckle is a very hardy plant and it can grow in wide variety of soil types. But the best soil conditions for honeysuckle growth are moist and acidic soil. You can add organic composit into the soil to increase the moisture retention power of soil but make sure you don't overdo it since some variety flower poorly in high nitrogen content.Propagation:
Most variety of honeysuckle propagate easily by root cutting while the plant is not in flower.Some species are propagated from seed as well, but the difficulty of this varies from species to species. Most commonly cultivated species requires cold treatment and do best when planted outdoors in the fall, or started indoors in the refrigerator. Cold treatment period can vary from 2 to 4 months. Most honeysuckles also propagate themselves by a process called layering (their stems spread across and root in the soil), developing a sprawling complex of shrubs and suckers if left unchecked.

Care:

Honeysuckle grows best in moist soil, but it is also heat and drought tolerant.

Though plant is also cold tolerant but mulching would help improve moisture retention, and will help protect plants growing near the limit of their range.

Plant should be placed in a partially shaded area for first 1-2 year but should be moved to full sun after it gets established.

One reason for less quantity of flowers is lack of full sun. Other reasons are high nitrogen content of the soil.

Pest:
Aphids are a major problem, attacking plants whose roots become too dry. These pests transmit a virus that will weaken and eventually kill honeysuckle. To control them, use a spray or grow the plants so their feet are in shade and their head in the sun.

Pruning:
Pruning is best done immediately after flowering has ceased (early to mid fall for many species). Some shrubby species should have older woody stems removed on a regular basis in order to promote a healthy, full appearance. Vining or climbing honey suckle should only be pruned as is needed. Avoid pruning in first two years.

Honeysuckle is on the list of the top 10 most invasive non native plants for the state of Ohio. One of the variety- - bush honeysuckle, spreads by berries. Once bush honeysuckle gets started, its invasive actions take over, and actually eliminate any other low growing shrubs and vegetation trying to grow around it.
There are 3 basic ways to get rid of bush honeysuckle:

Physically dig them out. Younger plants, with good soil moisture, will pull out fairly easily.
Honeysuckle roots are generally close to the surface of the ground. Or, take a sharp spade and
dig them out, making sure you remove the center crown of the plant’s roots. If you get rid of this
crown, typically they wont re-grow from the remaining roots.

For larger plants, simply cut the plant off at ground level and immediately treat the freshly cut
stump with concentrated Roundup, straight. Do this as soon as you make the cut, or the stump
will seal over within a couple hour period. If next year it sends up sucker growth, spray immedi-
ately with Roundup.

Try using The Honeysuckle Popper available in many shops developed specifically for
popping out the center crown of the honeysuckle. It uses leverage action to exert over 1500
pounds of upward force under the root crown, and pops the plant right out of the soil, thus the
name Honeysuckle Popper.

Cool facts about Honeysuckle:

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Lonicera (luh-NIS-er-a)
Species: caprifolium (kap-rih-FOH-lee-um)
Category: Vines and Climbers
Height: 15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)

posted in Monsoon Season Series

Tags: honeysuckle, growing tips, monsoon season plants, lonicera, woodbine

growing tips for monsoon season plants

2006-07-21T11:33:00.000+05:30

welcome to Plants for Monsoon Season Series

Monsoon is one of the best time to grow new plants in your garden. With the higher humidity, cloud cover and rainfall, plants have an easier time getting established after planting. Summer was harsh on both plants and gardeners. But With rains around the corner, every gardening enthusiast can relax a little. At last, your plants won't need anxious watering, protection from hot winds and blazing sunlight. And what with rain water full of essential nutrients, your plants are in for a long treat. Now that rains are finally here we have many more options for our garden.

This is the best time to plant a flowering shrub or tree. Fruit bearing trees can also be planted during monsoon season with ease. The ground is soft and moist and easy to turn, and the new plant gets a chance to settle in, without having to face the heat of summer or the onslaught of too much rain and too much water-logging in the soil.

If you are not sure what to plant first then don't worry, we would help you out with our free tutorials. In coming days you can find step-by-step instructions on how to grow your favorite plants and trees this monsoon with ease right here on this page, and all this is for free. So don't forget to bookmark this page and keep visiting us for more information.

Monsoon Season Series

honeysuckle - one of the most beautiful and fragrant of climbers.

(more to come...)

Tags: monsoon, garden, monsoon plants, plant tips, honeysuckle

Planting Herbs for summer - part 3: Basil

2006-05-04T11:54:00.000+05:30

Basil is a popular member of mint family grown specially for seasoning. There are many uses of basil herb- Greeks uses it to prepare holy water, Indian uses it for seasoning in almost all foods, Egyptian and European believe that it makes journey of the dead safe, it is used as herbal remedy for diseases of lungs, heart, kidney and nervous system. Now that you know how important is basil for both food, body and spiritual point of view then why not plant some basil herbs this summer.

Here is my quick and dirt guide on planting basil in your garden and pots. But first you have to decide which variety to plant. There are many variety available in the market but if you are planting for seasoning then I suggest you go with sweet basil or bush basil. Basil propagates easily by stem cutting. Place the cutting in clean water and change water weekly. Cutting roots in one month's time.

Site selection.
Basil loves sun. So look for a spot that gets full sunlight. If you are planting basil in pots then keep them outside where they can receive full sun. Soil should be well-drained and rich in organic matter.

Planting.
Basil is best grown from seeds though plants are also readily sold in plant nurseries. Sow the seeds in ground when the risk of frost is over. Seeds doesn't need cold-treatment and germinates quickly. Plant them at a distance of half foot.

Diseases and Care.

Basil's most notorious disease is probably Fusarium wilt caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum that stunts growth and causes wilting. Heat kills this fungus so its advisable to wait till the soil temperature reaches 60 F before planting them. Also insure proper sanitation, aeration and drainage.
Basil is also prone to root rot cause by fungi Pythium and Phytophthora and is aggravated by overwatering.
Do not use insecticides and pesticides because it will enter your meal when you include basil for seasoning.
Dilute vinegar and natural soap solution can be sprayed to prevent common infections.
If you notice black patchy leaves on your plant then just prune them and check whether potassium content of soil is below normal.
Whiteflies in young plants can removed by strong water spray.
Yellow leaves towards the bottom of the plant are an indication that the plant needs more sunlight. Excess of fertilizer is another reason for yellow leaves. Move it to a place where it can get more sunlight and stop fertilizing for few weeks.

Tips

To accelerate more leaf and branch growth and get bushier plant pinch of tips of plant.
Flowers takes lot of energy, so remove then as they appear to channel that energy for more leaf growth.
Use fresh basil for seasoning, do not collect and store in refrigerator because it turns black in low temperature.

Categorie : Herbs

How to make lucky bamboo curly - tutorial for all

2006-04-29T11:38:00.000+05:30

Lucky bamboo is famous for its curls. But what many people don't know is that those curls are not natural, Yes you have to put in some effort to make them go into spiral direction because its almost impossible to get them curly without proper guidance. There are two things that makes lucky bamboo turn toward a required direction - light and gravity(earth's pulling force). Because of the rigid and straight stalks of the bamboo its little difficult to use gravity, so you can follow any of the three techniques I am describing below which uses light source to get those curls.

Starting with most advanced which requires more care and effort to basic technique for beginners.

Bucket Technique.This a typical method used by most professional lucky bamboo growers and is good if you have many sticks.

Take a small bucket, put some water and keep your lucky bamboo in it.
Now make a slant depression in the ground big enough to hold the bucket in one place at a tilted angle, around 40-45 degrees. (see! Its lot of work)
Make sure the source of light is right about the bucket, or just keep it outside in a shade.
Now just sit back and relax, and keep turning the bucket slightly once every week(its just like making champagne).

Box Technique. Most of you can do this with little effort. All you need is some cardboard and luck bamboo :-)

Keep your lucky bamboo is vase so that the sticks are stacked straight.
Make a cardboard box big enough to hold whole vase and sticks inside it.

Make a small hole (few inches diameter) on any one side of the box near the top.

Keep the vase with lucky bamboo in it and place this box where light can enter only from the hole.

Turn the box slightly every week.

Window Technique. This is for really lazy people or who don't care much about the symmetry of the curls. Like the name suggests just keep the vase near window and turn it once every week. Just make sure that your plant is NOT receiving direct sunlight because that can cause it to turn yellow and die. You can read my earlier posts 5 Tips to take care of your Lucky Bamboo and 10 symptoms that can tell you that your lucky bamboo needs your help! for other caring tips.

Just one final advice to all my gardener friends. Lucky bamboo grows very slowly, only couple of inches every year. So just relax and wait for some time before you see any results.

Planting Herbs for summer - part 2: Lavender

2006-04-19T16:10:00.000+05:30

Welcome to part 2 of Planting Herbs for summer series.
The reason that lavender is so famous among gardeners is because of its aromatic and edible flowers. Lavender flowers can be eaten in salads or can be added to soups, or you can use it for seasoning or you can brew it into tea. Lavender can even be added to perfume (some believe it have aphrodisiac qualities). Its dry flowers gives fragrance for long period of time. Essence made from lavender flowers is very popular among rich and famous. With such a huge list of qualities no wonder Lavender makes to the cover of so many home garden magazines.

Plant selection.

You can grow lavender from seed but only very few species would come true. There are many varieties of lavender plants available in the market. While Spanish lavender is known for its beautiful dark purple flowers, Hidcote and Munstead are two varieties famous for their hardy nature and are best suited for cold climates. Provence is famous for its sweet fragrance and Grosso for its camphor like smell and tapered flower head. Choose the variety that's most suitable for your climate. Your local nursery can help in this.

Site selection.

Choose a well drained ground which receives at least 5-6 hours of sunlight daily.
Soil should be well mulched and free from any kind of weeds.
When planting in a pot make sure the soil does not hold water, rot root is one of the common problems in lavender plants.
Use a loose, soil-less mix for planting, put some gravel on the bottom.

Planting.

Take the plants and set them 12 inches apart in a well drained soil.
Make sure there is plenty of open space for the plant to get enough sunlight and air.
Mulch the area around the plant but leave one inch of gap around the plant.
Water thoroughly.

Care.

Keep the soil on the dry side as rot rotting a known problem with the plant.
Water the plants when the top of the soil appears dry.
No need to give fertilizer to ground lavenders.
Protect the plants from harsh winter. Planting them next to stones and bricks gives them extra heat during the winter.

Pruning.

Plants extends the life of the lavender and should be done just after the bloom.
Cut about one-third of the plant but leave some leaves on.

Tip on Cut flowers.

Lavender makes best cut flowers when the cut is taken as soon as the bud starts opening.
Hang the plants upside down on a rope and let them dry.

Some facts about lavender

Latin Name: Lavendula angustifolia
Family: Labiatae
Common name: English Lavender
Climate range: Temperate, Cool
Aspect range: Full sun, Half sun
Full height: 2-3 feet
Flowering Season: Summer

other posts in this series:
Planting Herbs for summer - part 1: Mint
Planting Herbs for summer - part 3: Basil

other series:
Growing beautiful plants this summer from bulbs

Planting Herbs for summer - part 1: Mint

2006-04-19T08:21:00.000+05:30

There are hundreds and hundreds of variety of mint available to choose from like peppermint, spearmint, Kentucky Colonel ( cross of spearmint and apple mint bred specially for juleps), orange mint, pineapple mint, chocolate mint etc. Choose your mint.

If they are given suitable condition they can easily take over your garden. So my advice is to either plant the mint in a pot or in a container bound in your garden.

Best time of the year to plant the mint is early spring and can be harvested for 6-8 months when planted outside. You can buy small mint plants from your local nursery as soon as the danger of frost is over and the ground can be worked.

The plant can grow 2 to 3 feet in 3 months time and will produce violet blooms in mid- to late summer. The leaves have very strong fragrance and can be used for garnishing salads, meat, beverages etc.Site selection.
Mint like partial shade to full sunny location. Choose a location so as it can grow freely without disturbing other plants as it can easily kill them. Soil should be well-dug, moist, fertile and water-retentive, but not water-logged.

Planting.
For planting in pots, use a clay or plastic pots atleast 10-12 inches in diameter and fill with compost-enriched potting soil.

For ground, plant different varieties of mint in different location to avoid cross pollination. Make sure the soil is moist. Buy only couple of plants of each variety as they will spread easily.
Place each plant about 1 to 1.5 feet apart and water them thoroughly.
Water the plant regularly for 2 more weeks.

Care. Rust is the only problem seen in mints. Check the plants periodically to see any sign of disease and remove the plant if rusting occurs. Chemical spray should be avoided to keep the plant suitable for consumption.

Pinching the top of the plant will cause more leaves and branches to grown and make your plant bushier.

Move over lucky bamboo, lucky log is here!

2006-04-16T09:54:00.000+05:30

It was love at first sight. First time I lay my eyes on it I was mesmerized by its beauty. Fresh green leaves on its thick dead stem had this out-of-the-world feeling. It was a symbol of perfect harmony between old and new. Lucky Log is here to stay!!

You might have seen small green bamboo in gift shops, stores and god knows what places. They are called lucky bamboo and suppose to bring good luck. But now a new star is in town. Lucky Log.

check the images. Isn't it beautiful. The most amazing thing about this plant is at first it looks just like a piece of dead wood. It looks the same from both sides, no top and bottom parts. But if you keep it in half a inch of water for some days it will produce beautiful green leaves. I love it.Look, no roots!!!

updated!! (on katypine's guidelines)
Some useful facts about lucky log:

Scientific name : Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana'
Common name: Corn Plant
Origin: Zambia, West Africa
Sun exposure: 50% shade, filtered light
Water: little to Moderate watering
Propagation: Stem cutting and through suckers

The plant can grow to a height of 20 feet when planted in ground. Pot bound plant's height can be controlled. The leaves can grow from 1 to 3 feet long and according to NASA's finding the plant can act as very good air purifier for house.

Even though Lucky Bamboo and Lucky log (or corn plant) both belongs to Dracaena Family, lucky log produces fragant white flowers in late spring.

ps: Apologies for the image quality, just quicksnaps with my dad's nokia 6255 mobile camera

How to choose Plants for summers: part 4 - Calla Lilies

2006-04-15T20:35:00.000+05:30

Welcome to part 4 of How to choose Plant for summers series.

Calla lilies (Genus Zantedeschia, Arum lilies or Easter lily) are large tropical trumpet shaped flowers with graceful light green stems. They come in pinks, yellows, whites and greens.
Calla lilies or 'magnificent beauty’ makes beautiful cut flowers and can last for several days.

It was one of my closest friends who introduced me to this lovely flower. She gifted me with a painting of calla lilies. Then few months later I came across some bulbs displayed for sell at my local nursery. There I saw a poster of Calla lily and immediately I bought 3 bulbs for 20 cents per piece (now THAT’S dirt cheap).

While picking healthy bulbs I did the normal checks as I did while buying other bulbs.

Planting

Callas requires lot of water but it doesn't like wet feet. I planted my bulbs in a 12 inch clay pot and filled with some good quality soil.
While choosing the location keep in mind that calla likes 4-5 hours of direct sunlight.
For me it’s easy. Just move the pots to a suitable place.
Make sure you keep the soil damp. Choose Peat moss, compost or decomposed manure as per availability.
Remember to plant the bulbs with visible eyes on the top.
Cover with 3-4 inches of soil.
Water Calla bulbs, soaking the soil.

Care

Keep the soil damp all the time.
Provide at least 4-5 hours of sunlight daily.
In summer they need extensive watering and some fertilizing.
Cut off old flowers and leaves to keep the plant healthy.

All my 3 bulbs have rooted and two have already produced nice green leaves. Let’s see what kind of flowers it produces. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

older posts in this series

How to choose Plants for summers from bulbs part 1 – Crinum
How to choose Plants for summers part 2 – Caladium
How to choose Plants for summers: part 3 - Canna Lilies

Cosmos and butterfly! made for each other!

2006-04-14T01:38:00.000+05:30

Have a look at some of the beautiful pictures I took couple of days back.The flower was shaking with the wind and it was really hard to focus my camera.
I am very happy that the pictures came out really nice.
I used my sony cybershot with autofocus and macro and took the picture around 10 in the morning. I am very happy that the pictures came out so nice.

Cosmo is a beautiful plant that comes in 3 colors - white, pink and maroon. You can plant them in late winters and can get flowers in early months of the year. They are propagated by seeds.

How to choose Plants for summers: part 3 - Canna Lilies

2006-04-13T21:37:00.000+05:30

Welcome to part 3 of How to choose Plant for summers series.

“Cannas are not for the faint-hearted! But it is for these flamboyant characteristics that the hot-headed among the gardening fraternity will choose them.” – Ian Cooke

Cannas or Canna lilies are lush tropical plants with leaves that fall into the "large" to "huge" range with vibrant blossoms on tall stalks. Foliage may be green, bronze, gold, or mulitcolored, and the tropical look is further enhanced by flowers in apricot, pink, gold, red, orange, and white. Plant can reach anywhere from 3 to 10 feet depending on the variety.

Planting:

Cannas can be planted in the spring. But after the danger of frost is over and soil is warm. Find a location where the soil drains well. Prepare soil to a depth of 12–13 inches and mix in 5 inch layer of peat moss, compost or decomposed manure.
Cannas needs atleast 5 hours of direct sunlight. So choose the site which gets full sunlight.
Plant the rhizomes flat an a hole of depth 5–6 inches. Press it well.Make sure the eyes are pointing up, if visible. Cannas Don’t have a top or bottom parts so don’t worry if you can’t see any eyes.
Cover it with 3–4 inches of soil and water it thoroughly.

Care:

Apart from weekly watering and 4–6 hours of direct sunlight cannas need very little care. General purpose fertilizer works well for this plant.
Dead head old blooms to give plant a better look. Seed pods forms easily if the old blooms are left on the stalk.
Cannas is very hardy plant. As a matter of fact there is a risk of cannas taking over the rest of the garden. So keep a watch and dig out the rhizomes when they start growing in excess. I still remember when I was a kid I spent one weekend with my younger siblings pulling out the plants and playing javelin throw.

No doubt they are so popular among home gardeners and professional landscapers because of their beautify flowers, green leaves and extended flowering period.

older posts in this series
How to choose Plants for summers from bulbs part 1 – Crinum
How to choose Plants for summers part 2 – Caladium

Plants for summers part 2 - Caladium

2006-04-12T19:03:00.000+05:30

Caladium is famous for its big and colorful leaves. You can get caladium in red, yellow, white and many shades of these color . Big leaves keeps the room fresh and cool throughout summer.

Caladium from Tubers.
Propagation of caladium occurs through tuber. When the tubers arrive unpack them immediately and spread them on a piece of paper or towel. Caladium bulbs contains moisture and will rot if not taken out rightaway. Bigger the tuber, more will be the number of leaves. Tubers can be as big as 6 inches in length.

Scooping of tubers.
A normal healthy tuber gives one or two big and strong leaves. But if more number of leaves from a single tuber is desired then scooping or de-eyeing can be done. Scooping is a very simple method of increasing number of leaves and making the plant bushier. When the tuber arrives, it would contain some visible and many invisible auxiliary buds or eyes. With a sharp knife tip scoope out the main bud. Take care not to harm the nearby auxiliary buds, and don't make deep scoope which might lead to rotting.

Planting
Caladiums can be planted in ground or in pots. To get a beautiful arrangement plant one big tuber or 2-3 small tubers. Use a light mixture of peatmoss, soil and sand. Plant the medium sized tubers 2 to 4 inches apart. Since the roots of caladium comes from the top as well, cover the tubers in 1-1.5 inch soil. water it thoroughly.

Caring tips:

Being a tropical plant, caladium needs lots of water and good dose of plant food. Other than that this plant needs very less care.
Keep the soil moist all the time untill the sprout occurs.
Don't let the plant wilt or it may loose leaves and go dormant.

older posts in this series
Plants for summers part 1 - Crinum.

Tips on collecting seeds from flowers!

2006-04-12T10:48:00.000+05:30

Why spend so much money every year in buying new plants and plant seeds when you can collect everything you need for next year in your own backyard. And since most of these plants have cross-pollination, so with free seeds you get surprisingly new varieties of flowers.

preparations you must make well before collecting seeds:

If you plan to collect seeds then obviously you should leave some flowers on the plant. So don't dead-head every single peace because you CAN'T collect seeds from dead flowers.
Buy some paper envelops to store seeds. I make my own with old newspapers. Paper envelops are best because they allow moisture to escape and lets seeds have some air.
Keep a pen or pencil handy to label the envelops as you collect seeds so that you don't mix your white cosmos with pink ones.
Use small stick or scissors to take out seeds.
Remember you won't get the same plant from these seeds if open pollination has occurred. So be readily to be surprised.
Let the seed pods mature and dry out on the plant before collecting. The color will change from green to brown. Seeds collected from green seed pods won't germinate.
If you are worried about loosing your seed then cut the flower and put it in a paper bag and let it dry.

Two methods of collecting the seeds:
Bagging:This method is particularly useful for seeds that are really small. Or you don't like seeds sticking in your nail. Just cut the whole seed pod and put into a paper bag. Crush the seed pod gently and take out the husk and remains of seed pod out. Seal the bag with some glue.
Direct collecting: This is the most common method of collecting the seeds which are big enough to handle with hands. Just separate the seeds from seed pods on a big piece of paper or plate (preferable white in color if the seeds are relatively small). Now transfer the seeds to the bags and seal the bag.

These are just few tips and methods of collecting seeds. With time and patience you can achieve some good results.

Growing beautiful plants this summer from bulbs! Part 1 - Crinum

2006-04-11T20:36:00.000+05:30

Crinum

Summer is here! Cold but romantic nights are gone. And so are most of cosmos, pansies, voila and dahlia. To bring the colors back in my garden I must do something.

On my last visit to my local plant nursery (which is like -twice a week) I noticed some new arrivals, they were called bulbs. I bought 3 of them, one of which was already having a pair of leaves while other two were still dormant.
Choosing the right bulbs is the only difficult task in growing Crinum.
To have flowers all summers choose bulbs which are at different stages of growth.
Check for symptoms of rotting by pressing the bulb slightly. A good piece would be hard.
Also check for any cuts as that can cause rotting once the bulb is planted.
Dry and dull bulbs would have less chances of growing successfully and even if they grow, the plant won't be very health.

Crinum likes to be crowded. So I planted all three in one 12 inch clay pot. The bulbs should be covered with 2-3 inches of soil.

Crinum needs atleast 6 hours of sunlight daily. So its safe to plant them outside.
Water them regulary and nicely, but not before the soil surface dries out. Check by pressing your finger in the soil before watering as excess watering can rot the bulbs.

In one month's time Crinum gives big red flowers that can be used as cut flowers.
With little work you can have beautiful Crinum in your gardens this summers and next summer and summers after that too -with only one set of bulbs!

other posts in this series:
How to choose Plants for summers part 2 – Caladium
How to choose Plants for summers: part 3 - Canna Lilies
How to choose Plants for summers: part 4 - Calla Lilies

10 symtoms that can tell you that your lucky bamboo needs your help!

2006-04-11T07:08:00.000+05:30

Lucky bamboo disease and its cure

I never get tired of saying that "lucky bamboo is very hardly plant" :-), and if you just leave it alone it would grow happily. But there are times when it needs some extra care and attention.

Symptoms of lucky bamboo disease

Here are some early signs of lucky bamboo disease and their simple cure:

Yellow leaves
Complete leaves turning yellow and falling down one by one.(more...)

This is a symptom of poor plant health and not of bamboo disease. This can happen if you feed too much fertilizer to your lucky bamboo plant. Too much direct sunlight is another reason behind this problem. Cure is simple. Stop feeding the plant. Change the water. Move it to a place with lesser light. Lucky bamboo really don't need too much fertilizer (also read 9th point).

Brown leaf tips
Drying out of leaf-tips is by far the most common problem(more...)

This plant prefer shade and high humidity. Dry air will cause this problem. Second reason behind this problem is high floride contained in water. Usually tap water contains heavy amont of floride. Either use distilled water or allow the tap water to stand for 24 hours before using it to water the plant, floride escape into the air this way. If air is dry, then spray the plant with some water every day. Remember that floride gets stored in plant so even after changing water the result can take some time.

Dull brown Stalks
Lucky Bamboo stalks are turning soft(more...)

This is one of the most serious lucky bamboo disease. This can happen if you try to move a soil-grown plant to a water medium(more...) The roots have rotten and nothing much can be done except cutting the damaged lower portion and getting a cuttingout of the healthy upper stalk.

Dull, rustly roots
Healthy roots of water based plant are cream or yellow in color and that of soil potted is orange(more...)

But if the color is rustly and dull then its a sigh of root burning. Lucky Bamboo needs very little fertilizer. Its root can gets burned by strong dose of fertilizer. You should always dilute the fertilizer. Change the water and do not feed for few months.

Lower part of stalk turning yellow.
If the upper portion is healthy green but lower part is yellow

, the culprit is again too much fertilizer. Just change the water and don't feed for some time. If this sounds like too much repetation then see point 9.

Insects infection.
Lucky bamboo is very resistant to insects.

But sometimes spider-webs can be seen on the luck bamboo leaves and talks which can be cured very easily. Add few drop of liquid soap to water and spray it on the plant. Don't forget to change water weekly on regular basis.

Algae in water.
You can ignore it if you want.

This is not really a bamboo disease and it can even give your lucky bamboo some character. But if you are not happy with it then change the water, wash the pot and move the plant to a darker corner. Choosing a dark color pot in place of usual glass pot reduces the algae formation.

Broken Stalk.
If you broke your lucky bamboo stalk by accident

then just cut the stalk and the broken piece and place the broken piece back in water. It should root in two month's time and you will have a new plant to share with your friends. See my article on getting lucky bamboo stem cutting.

Slow plant growth.
Lucky Bamboo have very slow growth.

This is not actually a problem with the plant but I am including for your piece of mind. If you have not noticed any significant growth in your plant then don't worry. Lucky plant grows very slowly, only 1 to 3 inches in a year. So don't give into the temptation of fertilizing it. As a matter fact lucky bamboo will be happy without any fertilizers.

No curls on the plant.
This is again not a problem with the plant.

If you are worried that your lucky plant is going straight up and not curlying up as seen on internet then please remember that the curls don't come naturally, you have to train the plant to get the curls. ~~Maybe I would cover this in one of my next articles.~~Check my new tutorial on training Lucky Bamboo stalks.

So if you have a lucky bamboo then just chant this mantra "leave it alone" leave it alone" and you will have a healthy plant for years.

posted in Lucky Bamboo category.

In 5 easy steps propagate your Lucky Bamboo! And get new plants for free!!

2006-04-10T13:25:00.000+05:30

Because of lucky bamboo's hardy nature and minimal care, they are perfect gift for adults and children. Its a symbol of good luck and you can give it at any occasion . But we all know that lucky bamboo don't come cheap. so the best way is to grow your own lucky bamboo from old ones.

Just follow the simple instruction given here and in no time you will have your own lucky bamboo - for free! AND it will give you great satisfaction of creating something new out of nothing. We are going to propagate lucky bamboo by stem cutting. Though some people would suggest not to take the cutting of the plant, from my experience I can assure you that its completely safe.

shall we start then:

Take a sharp knife. Clean it with soap or alcohol to prevent any infection to the plant.
Now take the bamboo stalk out of the pot and place it on a hard flat surface.
Make a clean cut just about the node(joint). No need to make a slanted cut as you would have done in case of a normal cutting, root will come from all the side uniformly.
Dip the cutting in a rooting harmone solution for better results. I never use rooting solution in case of lucky bamboo and still they root without any problem. Its depends on your choice.
Take the cutting and place it in the pot with the rest of the lucky bamboos.

Now just leave them alone and take care in normal fashion. Cutting will root in about two month's time.
Spray water daily to the cut part of the mother plant to accelerate the regeneration of new branch.
Though I have never seen rotting of cutting but its safer to check the cutting once a week for any rare case of rotting. If cutting rots, remove it from the arrangement.

Great job. In no time you have brought your lucky bamboo arrangement to a size suitable for the pot and as a bonus you have some new lucky bamboo that you can gift to your friends on next christhmas.

How to pick lucky bamboo for better luck!

2006-04-10T07:23:00.000+05:30

One can find lucky bamboo in all sorts of arrangements! But according to Feng-Sui different number of stalks have different meanings. Read the following list to know what different number of stalks represent:

2 stalks means Love.
choose 3 stalks or 6 stalks to attracts happiness.
Have 5 stalks or 7 stalks for good health.
8 stalks gives growth and wealth.
For generally good fortune have 9 stalks.
Arrangement of 10 stalks brings in perfection.
And 21 stalks gives powerful blessings.

Pick your number and enjoy good luck. And even if don't care much about these number, its still feel great to have some fresh n green plants around you.

5 Tips to take care of your Lucky Bamboo

2006-04-09T17:41:00.000+05:30

Just keep these 5 tips in mind and your lucky bamboo will return the favor by being green and healthy :

Light. filtered sunlight or artificial light is best for lucky bamboo. Keep it away from direct sunlight.
Water. keep the bamboos in 2-3 inch of water only. change the water weekly to prevent fungus.
Fertilizer. Keep fertilizer to minimum. Strong fertilizers can burn the roots so dilute the solution you usually use for plants to one-tenth its strength.
Soil. Usually lucky bamboo is kept in water, it can be planted in soil too. Since it needs lots of water, one should water it regularly. But let the soil surface dry before watering to prevent root rot.
Temperature. Lucky bamboo is very hardy and can tolerate extreme temeratures(41 to 95 F) but try to keep it between 60 to 70 F only.

Lucky bamboo needs very little care. Place it in any place you like - bathrooms, halls, offices or study room.

lucky bamboo!

2006-04-09T14:04:00.000+05:30

Lucky Bamboo disease and planting resource page

What is lucky bamboo ?

Lucky bamboo is probably the most famous indoor plant. You can find it in gift shops all over the world. This plant is known for its beautiful curly stalks and is recommended by Feng Shui masters and practitioners for improving Feng Shui and creating positive Chi around your home and work place.

Lucky bamboo arrangements come in different number of stalks and each number have a different meaning attached to it. Lucky bamboo thrives well in filtered sunlight which makes it suitable for offices. It is pest resistant and requires very little attention on your part. Just change the water on weekly basis and it won't bother you. Lucky bamboo doesn't even need fertilisers.

Lucky Bamboo numbers explained

A very good explanation of what different number of stalks means so that you can choose the right one for yourself.
How to pick lucky bamboo for better luck!

Curls of Lucky Bamboo stalks

This tutorial covers three methods suitable for all the levels of gardeners and plant lovers that teaches how to get those curly stalks.
How to make lucky bamboo curly - tutorial for all

Caring tips

Some simple and effective tips to take care of your Lucky bamboo.
Tips to take care of your Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo disease symptoms

Explaining poor health symptoms and lucky bamboo disease in details.
10 symtoms that can tell you that your lucky bamboo needs your help!

Propagation method for Lucky Bamboo

In 5 easy steps propagate your Lucky Bamboo! And get new plants

Some Boring facts about Lucky Bamboo

. A little known fact about lucky bamboo is that its not really a bamboo but it actually belongs to lily family.
. Lucky Bamboo's scientific name is Dracaena sanderiana but it is known as Ribbon Dracaena or sometimes Ribbon Plant.
. Beautiful curly stems of lucky bamboo doesn't form on their on.

Green Luck!

2006-04-09T13:18:00.000+05:30

Lucky Bamboo

Plants having something different and unique character in their shapes, size or even application attracts my attention at any place. My eyes are always looking for something green..something extra-ordinary. so when my friend asked me to help him find some nice plants I agreed almost immediately. We went to Dilli Haat -kaleidoscope of handicrafts from different parts of country. They have opened a new nersery section.

There I saw these really beautiful, long green sticks climbing up in the air like a snake in a spiral shape with couple of long leaves at top. My heart told me I must have it. On enquiring I found out that they were "Lucky Bamboo" - an indoor plant that looks like a bamboo but not actually a bamboo.

The owner told me that these are imported plants and though he is selling them for the first time they are moving out like hot cakes. May be that's the reason behind such a high prize. While I can buy any common plant in here for half a dollar, this lucky bamboo was being sold for 3 dollars a piece. And to top that these sticks had no visible roots. But the owner assured me that it will root in one month's time. But I like it soo much that I ended up buying one pair.We had dinner and came back home.

If you are wondering what happened to my friend- well he baught some beautiful pancies.

Regenerate

2006-04-09T12:53:00.000+05:30

Gardening

Hello to my old friends and welcome to new ones.

Finally I have moved my blog to blogger.com. I am very excited about its new features.

Talking about excitments, there is one more thing that excites me alot, gardening! It might sound strange to some but plants are my passion. I can spend hours and hours working my garden or browsing plant nurseries. And the best part about this hobby is that it's very cheap to maintain and it never fails to impress ;-) (hey who won't stop to have a look at beautiful roses and daisies).

From my childhood only I am fasinated by all the different colored flowers and vegetable. I spent early years of my childhood in a village, yes a proper village with our own farms, cattles, dog and tractors. Now I am a final year computer science student studying in a concrete jungle.
No doubt I miss my childhood alot.

This blog is my way of sharing my years of experience. Here I would post articles about all sorts of new and old plants I am experimenting with.

freshLife