Thursday 6 October 2011

General Types of Plant Fertilizer For Garden and Farm Use

Plant fertilizer has been around for ages. Fertilizers are often needed in boosting the quality of the soil so that plants can grow healthier, produce more fruits, and remain in best of health regardless of the outdoor elements that may come and go. Most farmers and even gardeners make use of fertilizers especially when their soil has been through planting and harvesting already since they need added nutrients to help the seeds or plants to grow bigger and stronger. Fortunately, there are lots of gardening stores out there that do sell various plant fertilizer nowadays. However, it is best that you double-check the type of fertilizer you use since each type caters a specific plant, condition or season.

There are basically five types of plant fertilizers that are being sold nowadays. These types are used in different cases that is why if you are planning on raising crops or tending your garden you should know each by heart. Moving on to the types, the first one is inorganic plant fertilizer which is often used in times when plants or crops are badly out of shape. This type of fertilizer produces ammonia quickly that help bolster the nutrients that plants need to stay in good shape.

Liquid fertilizer is the second type of plant fertilizer that is being sold nowadays. If you want your plants to absorb up all the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong then this is the best one to use since the liquid penetrates the soil quicker so that the roots can absorb it faster. However, the use of this fertilizer is only for short-term basis and you might require re-fertilizing in just a few months and are not cost-efficient when land area is vast.

The third type of plant fertilizer available nowadays is the plant specific fertilizer. As the name suggests, this type of fertilizer is only for specific plants since over-fertilizing can be quite destructive. If you want a particular type of plant in your garden or farm to grow better or quicker, then you might want to look at this one to help you meet your needs. You can get your hands on this fertilizer easily enough since most gardening shops do have dozens at the ready and at prices that are just right for your budget.

Time release fertilizer is the fourth type and is one of the most commonly used nowadays. This fertilizer slowly releases its nutrients over a period of 2 to 6 months so you won't have to re-fertilize every once in a while. When water and moisture are present, the release of the nutrients is faster. Although this is one type of plant fertilizer that is commonly used, its price is somewhat steep but is well worth investing on.

And last but not the least is the fertilizer with pesticide. This one is fit for farms or gardens that have to deal with pests all the time. This combination of both plant fertilizer and pesticide is one that is worth using if you want to save your crops or plants from being destroyed by those pesky little critters that roam your garden. However, you might want to make sure that the amount of fertilizer and pesticide is balanced so you won't kill your crops either


How Creating a Microclimate Will Help You Grow Any Type of Plant

There are many areas where you can plant seeds, keep them watered and after a short while you will have a lovely plant in your garden. However if you live in certain midwest states there will be a limited selection of plants you can grow naturally. This can pose a problem for someone who wants to grow different plants in an environment which may not be suitable.

Fertilizers can help your plants grow where they wouldn't normally, but this involves using a bunch of chemicals in your garden. While this method can be successful not everyone wants to grow a garden in this unnatural way. Edible foods also might be a problem as exposing food you want to eat to so many chemicals isn't really a good idea.

Creating microclimates is a good alternative if you are looking to diversify your garden. You would create a microclimate for each plant by controlling the sunlight, shade, and moisture as well as wind each plant is exposed to. Of course this is not an easy task at all.You can however create a situation that's ideal to all the plants you are trying to grow. Things you can try include using a shading umbrella, more water on some plants, a variety of compost and something to block out the wind.

Start your microclimate by planning out exactly what it is you want to do. Get a plant or a bush that grows fast and will grow large enough to provide shade as well. You can use this tree to facilitate the growing of another plant that is more to your liking. A fence can also be used to provide shade for you as well.

Use the shade from the fence or from the tree along with a screen to cover a larger area and plant your seeds next to it. The fence can also be good against strong winds if your are growing a plant that is more fragile. This shade that your create will act as the environment for your new plant to grow in. The process takes time so make sure you plan your garden correctly.

For your next plant, if it desires more moisture when it's planted a miniature pond will serve your well. The pond can also provide protection against evaporation and make sure your area stays hydrated. This can also be done with the use of a fountain as well. Try to choose a fountain or pond that will add to the overall beauty of your garden.

There are many more things you can try when you go to set up your microclimate. It really just depends on where you live and what you are trying to grow. You can pretty much grow any type of plant if you use your creativity when your start designing your garden. Make sure you also research what types of plants thrive in what area as this will save a lot of headaches for you in the future and you won't be disappointed if a certain plant just can't grow.


The Types Of Plants That Grow Well In An Aquaponics System

People have been farming in the soil in basically the same way for thousands of years. Equipment and technology may change but the basic concept has stayed the same. There is a growing trend of farmers who have decided to leave behind this outdated method of growing food.

Many have moved on to hydroponics, which has great potential. And now aquaponics has become the new frontier in farming that appears to be showing the greatest potential. Aquaponics is a way to get all the benefits of hydroponics and grow plants in a 100% organic way. It eliminates the chemical and sterile growing techniques that are so common with hydroponics.

Aquaponics is not only a revolutionary way to grow plants, it may be the future of fish farming too, which is a key component to this system. It allows fish farming and the growing of plants to take place within the same system and provides both of them with the ability to get the most out of the same resources. It is a system where the positives of both systems are multiplied and negatives of each are cancelled out by each other.

Many plants do well with this type of system, including ornamental plants, aquatic plants, vegetables and I have even seen work being done with growing fruit trees in an aquaponic system. Most of the common garden vegetables do well with aquaponics, except for a lot of the root vegetables like potatoes, onions, garlic, etc, At least not in floating raft systems. In order to grow these you may need a medium like sand. Growing root crops with aquaponics is possible but they can be tricky in this kind of system.

Common fruit bearing vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, squash, peppers, melons, strawberries and even corn if supported will grow beautifully. Leafy greens like lettuce, cabbage and herbs like basil grow amazingly well. Common legumes like beans and peas also do quite well. Viney plants like pole beans and cucumbers are great because they can be rooted in the grow bed, and the rest of the plant can grow off in some direction and take advantage of space and light away from the grow bed.

If there is a type of plant that you question whether it will grow well in an aquaponics system, sometimes the best way to know, and also the most fun, is to plant some and give it a try. Seeds are usually relatively cheap to buy and easy to germinate, so give it a try.