Garden Tips: Deadheading your flowers

Organic Vegetables

Friends, You can prolong the flowering of your favorite plants by a procedure called deadheading.

When blossoms die it gives the plant the idea its job of producing flowers is done. So it stops blooming and puts its energy into setting seeds.

You can trick it into thinking its job is not finished by deadheading--or pinching off the dead blossoms before seeds form.If there are still buds on the stems, just remove the dead flower head.

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Garden Tips: Attracting Bees to your garden

 

Bumble Bees Nectar

 Hello there, Are you wondering how your garden fruits such as watermelon and cantaloupe are going to get pollinated? Well let the Bumble Bee do all the work in exchange for the food that they need (nectar from the pollen rich flowers. Please read my article on hand pollination on this blog.

Choose blue, purple and yellow: Bees find blue, purple and yellow flowers most appealing. Flat or shallow blossoms, such as daisies, zinnias, asters and Queen Anne's lace, will attract the largest variety of bee. The bee flies from yellow flower to yellow flower and pollinates female flowers that carry the ovary or fruit that we love to eat. The result of a successful pollination is that your watermelons or cantaloupes will start to get bigger and grow each day until they are ready to come off the vine.

Gardening for Beginners : Hand Pollination Cucurbits

Male Flower Stigma

Female Flower Stamen

Hi friends, Did you know that plants like Cucumbers, Melons, and Cantaloupe can be hand pollinated to produce fruit? All of these plants have both male and female flowers on the same vine. Traditionally the pollination is done with insects such as ants or honey bees getting pollen from one flower and spreading it to the next one. Honey bees are doing this unknowingly while they are on a constant search for nectar to take back to there bee colony .

To hand pollinate any of the three vegetables mentioned above. You must find the male and female flowers on the vine. To find the female flower is easy because it has a miniature fruit on the end of the flower. This is called the ovary. In the center of the female flower is the stamen which is the part where the male stigma is rubbed to fertilize the female. Please see( pictures above)

I would be happy to answer any and all questions about fertilization and hand pollination. Visit us here

Garden Tips: Part Two Organic Fertilizers

Beach Sea weed

Hi friends, Fertilizers can be found at the beach ! You can collect fresh seaweed which is a rich source of nutrients for your plants. Wash the seaweed to get rid of  the sea salt. To make fertilizer place the seaweed in a laundry type bag and put into a large pail of water. Add a cupful of molasses to get the solution started and water your plants after the brew has fermented for a few days.

Another fishy solution is fish emulsion ( liquid Fish ) .This solution once diluted with water will help your plants grow. you can apply to your garden vegetables every week or two.

Garden Tips: Part One Fertilizers

Hi there , there are four chemical elements that make up your internal garden plant. number one is Nitrogen which is necessary for vegetative growth.
Second one is Phosphorus which plants need for flowering and fruiting. Third element is Potassium which gives your plants vigor. The last one is Calcium and Trace Minerals . These ( NPK ) are necessary for general health and resilience.

Fertilizing the soil is a big aspect of having a successful vegetable garden all year round. There are various types of fertilizers such as liquid, liquid foliar sprays, dry types (powder) designed around specific types of garden vegetables such as soft fruits and berries or tomato plants or even garden flowers.

Organic Fertilizers can be found online. They should have on the box OMRI certified. OMRI® Listed products undergo a rigorous review to ensure that they comply with organic standards.