Gardening

What better way to relax after a hard day than to take a stroll in your garden or just enjoy the spectacular view of your garden sipping your evening tea and the vegetables from your very own garden cannot be found anywhere else! Gardening is an art which requires skill. Having a garden in your home is a luxury but it also requires a lot of pampering and care. Maintaining a garden would need time and work as it needs regular watering, fertilizing, weeding and monitoring for disease and insect problems

To develop and maintain a garden you will need proper planning. You would have to decide on where to start your garden, then decide on what you want. If you are planning for vegetable garden then what vegetables you want to grow or for a flower garden then what kinds of flowers you would want. You should also take into consideration the type of soil as soil is the most important element for healthy growth.

Vegetable garden:

The joy of eating home grown vegetables is something which you cannot describe. It is perhaps the most rewarding thing about gardening. It is not necessary that you need a big space to grow vegetables. Of course having a large space has its own advantage as you grow variety of vegetables but even if you do not have space you need not be disappointed. Some vegetables can also be grown in small spaces even in pots or planter boxes

Proper sunlight is important for your vegetables. Vegetables producing fruits need direct sunlight but leafy vegetables like cabbage or lettuce have to be grown in partial shade. The type of vegetables to grow in your garden will depend on the season they should be grown. Vegetables which come in spring include lettuce, radish, asparagus and they are quick growing vegetables. Winter vegetables are like potatoes, carrots and squash. Beans, peas, cabbage, cauliflower; tomatoes are seen in plenty in summers.

Use of Fertilizers:

Many different nutrient elements are essential for good growth of vegetables, but nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are the three most important nutrients. Nutrients like Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are supplied by limestone and the other required elements they get from air, water, and soil. Fertilizers provide minerals to promote green growth, root growth, hardiness and disease resistance. These fertilizers are generally sold by grade and contain two or three major plant nutrients. If your garden has been fertilized for years, then the soil will have high levels of phosphorus and potassium. So nitrogen is the only required fertilizer as additional phosphorus and potassium are not required. Different vegetables have different fertilizer requirements. Leafy vegetables require a lot of nitrogen as compared to other vegetables and root vegetables need more phosphorous and potash for their development.

Tips for gardening:

• Maintain the soil as the roots of grass plants obtain needed moisture and nutrients from the soil and in order for roots to function they need plenty of oxygen in the soil.

• Apply fertilizer before or at planting.

• Use little amount of fertilizer in frequent intervals.

• Regular watering of the plants is necessary. The recommendation for watering depends on the season.

• Well-drained soil that is slightly acid to neutral (6.0 to 7.0) is necessary.

• Regular monitoring for disease and insect problems