Author: Maryem

Vegetable Farming

15 Healing Houseplants That Can Improve Your Health

Author ByMaryem

Discover the names of 15 proven indoor plants that can improve your health and start growing indoors. There are some indoor plants that not only look good, but also promote a healthy lifestyle. Stress levels and improved sleep quality are some of these benefits.

  • Some houseplants are recognised to assist purify the air.
  • A horticulturist informed INSIDER that retaining a plant is likewise connected with healing benefits.
  • There are lots of low-maintenance plants you may hold that would suit your lifestyle.

Eating plants isn’t always the most effective manner to attain their benefits. Science has proven that retaining an easy houseplant can do wonders in your health.

Healing Houseplants That Can Improve Your Health

1. Jasmine

Jasmine plant can effect on your mental health and remove anxiety with the help few chemicals, treat mood swing, improve air quality, improve immunity in larger quantity, and improve sleep quality.

2. Spider Plant

It is good for fighting pollutants. One type of spider plant can absorbs 90% of carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, two chemicals found in cigarette smoke. This plant need to allow indirect sunlight and watered once a week for growth.

Also Read: Growing Spring Onions From Seeds

3. Peace Lily

The peace lily plant removes the formaldehyde, benzene, and other chemicals discharged from harsh cleaning products. It is a one of the best plant that can bloom indoors. Keep your peace Lilly in indirect sunlight near a window and water it only when the soil dries up and be cautious not to over water.

4. Snake Plant

In bedroom you can keep snake plant. It has a many benefits; it removes benzene and formaldehyde and also absorbs carbon-di-oxide and release oxygen at night.

5. Rosemary

Rosemary can boost the immune and circulatory system; it is used to ease of muscle pain and it is also known as an herb that improving of concentration and memory. The small fresh leaves of this Rosemary plant can be used in cooking.

6. English Ivy

According to Huff Post, English ivy has filtered out formaldehyde and other chemicals; it is one of the best air filtering houseplant.

According to CNN report especially it is best for the people who are sensitive to smoke.

According to spruce, ivy prefers indirect sunlight, and you shouldn’t let the plant dries out then it grows best.

7. Lavender

It is a plant which is used for relieves stress and insomnia; soothe restlessness, nervousness, anxiety, and depression.

8. Aloe Vera

This plant can do two functions, it removes formaldehyde from air and gel inside the plant can help sunburns and psoriasis. Place this plant in a sunny location and water for every three week.

9. Golden Pothos

According to the NASA clean air report though this plant is not good at removing formaldehyde but it removes other chemicals like trichloromethyl and benzene from the air. Benzene is present in glue, paint, and detergent.

According to Rodale’s Organic Life, making golden pothos as a great starter plant for horticulture newbie’s. Especially this plant is hard to kill.

According to spruce, this plant permits low-light conditions and irregular watering.

Also Read: How to Grow Beans: Planting, Care, Yield, Harvesting

10. Rubber Plant

Rubber plant can easily grow up though it is not difficult to care for, the big leaves are absorbs all bad things from air. So, don’t forget wipe out their dust from leaves.

11. Bromeliads

Bromeliads can absorbs the 90% of chemicals and purify the air of benzene. This plant grows in bright and sunny spaces which are ideal for the bromeliads and it can withstand in drought so be cautious while watering not to over water it. 

12. Gerbera

Recently according to NASA gerbera is the great plant in removing the benzene from air and produce oxygen at night. It also helps to those people who suffer from insomnia and sleep apnea.

13. Boston Fern

Boston fern can increases air humidity; this boost of moisture never dries up your air and your skin according to health essential reports. This plant soil should be wet but never humid and it flourishes in indirect sunlight

14. Azalea

Azalea is a one of the gorgeous colourful flower; it improves indoor air quality by absorbing the harmful chemical. Be sure to place azalea misted, because it likes humid environment.

Also Read: Blossom End Rot On Watermelons

15. Philodendron  

Are you looking for long lasting decorative plant, a philodendron, According to Huff Post this plant is better for  absorbing  xylene which is present in paint tinnier and gasoline. The plants need to grow some fruits then it requires some sun light and moderate amount of water.

Vegetable Farming

How to use Epsom salt for cucumbers

Author ByMaryem

Using Epsom salt for cucumbers it gives better results for you when use it in a correct way.

If your plants have sufficient magnesium it will boost seed germination by strengthening cell walls and produce energy for growth. Sulphur can be lost during germination process, so you have to apply one tablespoon of Epsom salt per gallon of water to the soil after seeding.

If you overdo, it can harm them.

Here you have to know why, how and when you should use it.

Also Read: How To Grow Squash

Why should we use Epsom salt for cucumber plants?

Epsom salt chemical name is magnesium sulphate (MGSO4). It contains magnesium and sulphur when you add to the soil it will cure the deficiencies in one or both two elements. It’s important to know without these essential nutrients your plants will grow health problems.

Let’s see what these nutrients can do and why Epsom salt can help your plants to grow successfully.

Magnesium

Magnesium has a key role in photosynthesis and essential for the production of chlorophyll, which gives green colour to its leaves.

Therefore, it is necessary for the normal growth. If the plants can’t get as much as required then you can see reduction in your cucumber yield.

The first symptom of deficiency in plants are older leaves can turn yellow as they lose chlorophyll is known as chlorosis. As new growth consumes magnesium, the lower leaves are first affected. You will notice a yellowish colour between the main veins of the leaves, which eventually results in light brown burns, which can lead to tissue death in severe cases.

But the green stripes are still visible. Magnesium deficiency is common in areas with light, sandy and acid soils. Especially in areas where heavy rain washes from the ground. Be vigilant in tunnels or containers, as defects are common and often appear in the middle of the season.

Top level potassium and ammonia lead to reduction in magnesium in the soil. So be careful while adding fertilizers.

Sulphur

Sulphur is essential need for amino acids and coenzymes in your cucumber plant. Lack of sulphur becomes evident in new leaves and observed as yellowing of the foliage.

If you can difference it from other deficiencies cause chlorosis due to leaf veins doesn’t stay green.

When you apply Epsom salt to cucumber plant?

Few people have tested their soil so they can find accurate mineral composition and whether they need to know add any nutrients are not.

But most people are not accurate about things and simply add a bit of fertilizers to their plants and watch for their development.

In growing season, if you observe the symptom of lack of magnesium or sulphur as your plant grow, then you add few amount Epsom salt.

Even if they are not getting the sign of deficiency, give the soil boosting with Epsom salt which can improve your results. As far as you will don’t overdo it.

Also Read: Easy to grow the Fresh and Pure Cucumbers

How do you treat cucumbers with Epsom salt?

Consequentially, give one dose of Epsom salt is needed to place your cucumber plant happy, until it will shows the sign of deficiency.

If you are planted in a pot give a dose for each 4-5 weeks when you notice the symptoms.

If you are planted in your garden then use it one dose for every 4-6 weeks.

Can you use too much?

If you use regularly it will damage your plants or kill the plant.

You will start to wilt, and then a visible sign of salts appears on the leaves as they dry out.

How you use Epsom salt for cucumbers?

They are 4 types of using Epsom salt for cucumber plants:

  • Watering
  • Foliar spray
  • Side dressing
  • First planting

Let’s check how you will use Epsom salt in each type:

Watering

The simplest way to add Epsom salt to your plant is combining with your water and uses it while you’re watering the plants.

For 1 gallon of water add 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt. Combine it together that the Epsom salt totally dissolves in water.

To watering container or can add Epsom salt solution and use it when to water your plants.

Foliar spray

You will need handheld garden sprayer to use Epsom salt as a foliar spray.

The idea is that plants get their nutrients through leaves instead of roots. So you should get close and make sure they have good contact with the solution. This is not a substitute for watering the plants regularly, but just a way to help the plants get the nutrients they lack.

Add 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt in a 1 gallon of water

Combine it together well and pour it into spray bottle.

Side dressing

It is uncomplicated achievement than the previous two, but it is not easier and quicker.

Allow to sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of Epsom salt near the base of the plant. It’s the best to give boosting for your plant in mid season.

Also Read: Snake Gourd Farming

When first planting     

If you know the magnesium deficiency in the soil. You can add Epsom salt while planting the seedling of your cucumber plant.

Mix 1-2 tablespoon of Epsom salt with the soil when you plant them. Otherwise you can combine with your fertilizers before applying it.

The bottom line of cucumber is to ensure that the plant is healthy and yields the best. Epsom salt is one of the easiest and cheapest methods.

Vegetable Farming

How long can a tomato plant go without water?

Author ByMaryem

Solanum lycopersicum is chemical name of tomato is a healthy interpolation into our regular life. Tomatoes are native to central and South America and they are more nutrias berries to humankind. They can also produce in your backyard or in the garden or container.

Hence it is not easy to deal with a lot of unique requirements, especially when there is a water stress. If you want to go for a vacation while you planted the tomatoes in your backyard. You cannot put them destitute of water throughout. Although hiring anyone for watering in your backyard is not the best idea and it is expensive. So, now how long the tomato plant go without water?

What do you do to be sure that they remain consistently good? Now we present you with the most applicable and dependable tips to help you to ensure that they are growing.

Can tomato plant can go without water?

Tomato plant can be stable or sustainable for about 36 hours without water. Tomato can be store with some stock of water present in the form of moisture in their cells. It will cater all the needs of planter.

Also Read: How To Hand Pollinate Tomato Flowers To 3x Tomato Yield?

Some factors that impact the water reserves of tomato plants are

Where are they grown?

Where your tomato plants are flourishing? Are they are in container then the soil get moist for every day, make it easy for the plants to extend out for the water and when it need directly. As an average the tomato plants can survive without water is about 36 hours but you can easily transfer them up to 3 to 7 days with self watering pots. With the deep hydration it will be done.

If you move to garden plants, the soil dries up quickly and need water to them. And the pots have the necessary facilities to move them from high sunlight to low sunlight but the gardens don’t move. So the evaporation control rate cannot be any more in your hands.

Also Read: Growing Mushroom for Your Diet

Presence of soil

What are you thinking if plant will survive if you are exposed to direct sunlight? If the evaporation increases, it makes difficulties for plants to maintain moisture from the soil. If you exposed it with sunlight it will shows destruction if not watered. Hence, it is necessary to keep eye on your tomato plant and keep watering about 2 days.

Type of soil

The ability of cells holding water by keeping it from the soil. To provide maximum protection for your tomato plants, choose potting soil with the highest clay content, least sand, or no sand. Sandy soils tend to resist the evaporation process, thereby accelerating the evaporation process. However, clay can retain moisture for longer. , Sometimes even for 14 days, when precipitation continues and exceeds the 24-hour mark. In future, purchase loam soil for watering needs and escape from sandy soil mixture.

Condition of stem and leaves

Leaves and stem are the reflector of the inner plant condition and take a look at texture of stem and leaves colour then you can tell tomato plants requires watering or not.

Flawless, green and potent plant stems are reflected to healthy tomato plants. Weak brittle and discoloured leaves are the indication for strict action taking to save your tomato plants.        

Condition of fruits

Why do plants need water at all? Keep tomato fruits healthy. Studies have shown that about 95% of the water in tomatoes enters the tomato fruit. You can judge whether your plant needs water by observing the fruit. When the fruit is round, smooth and red, watering is no longer necessary. However, if the fruit looks crumpled, splayed, or shapeless, speed up the watering process.

Also Read: Why Are Bottom of Tomatoes Turning Black: Blossom End Rot

Some of the good times to water the plants are

In morning

Why is it daytime? This is because at dawn, your tomatoes are more likely to accumulate water. Because of the sunlight, it gives the plant the longest time to absorb water and start photosynthesis. In addition, with the help of sunlight, the evaporation process proceeds normally at the most suitable time.

In afternoon

Check the soil moisture sometime in the afternoon. In midsummer, water usually evaporates so fast that plants cannot use it. In this case, please consider a second watering keep pouring it seems that. Remember, you don’t want the water to settle overnight and cause problems. If the humidity is good in the afternoon, you can reduce the frequency of watering. In temperate climates, you can water the plants once every two to three days. Before watering the plants, be sure to check the soil to make sure not to overwater.

Are you looking for interesting additions to your garden? Tomatoes are definitely the right choice. However, it is very important to keep them in the best size, shape and quality. Your growth needs are specific and do not require much effort or time. Proper care, equipment, and techniques (as above) can also protect your beautiful tomato plants from weeds, bacteria, pests, and other unwanted items.

Vegetable Farming

What Happens If You Use Vinegar in Your Garden: 19 Miracles of Vinegar

Author ByMaryem

Vinegar is an herbal product and it has tonnes of uses in the home. But do you be aware of that you can use it in gardening too? Have a look at the pleasant Vinegar Uses in the Garden that you should have not heard before!

19 MIRACLES OF VINEGAR IN YOUR GARDEN

1. Clean clay pots:

Although we know that clay pots are perfect home for our plants, but the issue is that they don’t age well. The several salts and minerals from the supplements with these usages start turning them crusty and white. So, if you are clean them with vinegar it gives shining like bright and new!

Also Read: Custard Apple Farming Was Never So Fruitful – Read This Guide Till The End

2. Remove weeds on walls and walkways:

The weeds can be irritating the gardeners, but we can’t able to use large amount of artificial pesticides on them. Using vinegar is a great path to eradicate weeds that pop up on the walkways and the walls of your garden. By simply spraying the pure white vinegar at the corner and by the border of walls of your garden.

3. Get rid of ants:

To get rid of ant’s vinegar is effective and it will repel the ants, mix equal amount of water and vinegar, spray the solution on the ants in your garden.

4. Keep animals away from garden:

Most of the animals including daily garden like moles, cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents, and deer loathe the powerful scent of vinegar.

You can avoid these unwanted visitors from the garden by soaking several old clothes in white vinegar and keeping them on stakes around your garden where they usually come most.

5. Extend the life of cut flowers:

To extend the life of cut flowers per liter of water add 2 tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar.  

Also Read: Ivy Gourd Farming: Planting,Care, and Harvesting

6. Kill weeds:

For effective weed control use vinegar as a weed killer. Spraying it within 2-3 days after application it will kills weeds.

7. Vinegar garden insect spray:

To make vinegar spray that works on garden insects, in a spray bottle combine three part of water with one part of vinegar and add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Before using in the garden shake it thoroughly.

8. Deter fruit flies:

To save your fruit crop from fruit flies, make attraction by using vinegar. To make that solution combine cup of water,1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, and 1 tbsp of molasses. Keep in a empty container or tin can and hang it on fruit tree where it will be effected then you will see how it will attract and trap them.

9. Make acid loving plants happy:

Place the acid loving plants such as gardenias, rhododendrons, or azaleas happy with vinegar. Though is temporary effect, you can offer a fast acid boost to plants with vinegar. Combine a cup of white vinegar to a gallon of water and water acid loving plants with this solution.

10. Clean rust from the garden tool:

To make the garden tools rust free use vinegar as a solution. To clean the tool just spray or soak the tools in undiluted vinegar and leave them for few minutes and then rinse it off.

11. Save plant from fungus:

With the help of vinegar fungicide recipe, you can protect the plants suffering from fungus and mold. In brewed chamomile tea add 2 tsp of vinegar and spray this on affected plants in your garden. Its organic and safe!

12. Kill slugs and snails:

There are many of uses of vinegar, this one is most popular among gardeners. With the help of vinegar, you can kill snails and slugs. Directly spray on them and in that area where you spot it.

13. Facilitate germination:

For the facilitate germination, soak the seeds in water about 12 hours and vinegar solution. Just add few drops of vinegar in the soaked seeds in water. Then seeds will germinate quickly but the probability of it will also increase.

14. Outdoor furniture cleaning:

Outdoor furniture is permitting to degradation, buildup and damage while comparing to indoor one’s. though it exposed to all diverse conditions like sun, dust, rain, frost and so on…

The scrubbing will take by wiping the furniture with a cloth soaked in the vinegar solution to clean it with that you can save the time and effort. For good results, regularly use vinegar for effective cleaning to get rid of germs and buildup at same moment.

15. Clean birdbath:

If you are not cleaning the birdbath it turns your act of kindness into disaster. With the harmful pathogens the water might be contaminated which effects the health of the bird. Every week scrubbing with white vinegar keeps the birdbath in best condition and good as new. Also, it places the germs, unwanted odors, and algae growth at bay.

16. Get rid of berry strains:

If the harvesting berries grab a toll on the hands as they get stained. If you stained with berry on your hand, already you know how hard it is to clean up. Use distilled white vinegar to wash hands to get rid of berry stains quickly and without getting the skin dry, dull, and bruised. 

Also Read: How to grow cherry trees- A complete guide

17. Refresh wilted harvest:

After harvest your green leafy vegetables are lying around for some time and start to wilt away, combine cold water and 2 teaspoons of vinegar and toss the green leafy vegetables in that. Wait for few hours and watch them perk right up.

18. Make your alkali soil neutral:

In neutral soil most of the plant can be grown, if you are soil is alkali try this hack. In a gallon of water add 2-6 tablespoons of plain vinegar. After testing the water using pH meter you will get the exact quantity which depends on result. Once acidify successfully your water pour it in a watering container or can and water the plants.

19. Run a soil test:

If you want to check your soil in the garden whether it’s acidic or alkaline? Here is a one simple hack with vinegar- Run a quick test by keeping a little soil in a container and 1/2 cup of vinegar to it. If you observe that the vinegar is producing bubbles, the soil is alkaline. It occurs because vinegar is too acidic in nature.

Vegetable Farming

How To Hand Pollinate Tomato Flowers To 3x Tomato Yield?

Author ByMaryem

Pollination is the process in which transferring pollens from male part(anther) of a plant to female part (stigma) of a plant, it enables fertilization and production of seeds must happen by animals and winds.

Most plants are self pollinating like fruits and vegetables, it also refers as self fruitful. If you have  a variety of plant it will gives crop from it.

Flowers are have both male and female parts like that tomatoes are self fertilizing plant and produce crop of fruits  by its own without planting another one.

How to Pollinate Tomatoes by Hand?

1. Shake them up

To promote pollen shed simply tap or shake the plant is enough to imitate a breeze but it can be done gently and rapidly top of the each flower, flick the flower in short.

2. Art brush

To gather and distribute pollen in a manner a small art brush is an effective tool similar to nectar gathering insects. The brush has natural bristle with that pollen clings better than plastic ones.

To collect and transfer pollen, gently lift the flower and brush the petals back and forth along the top of the pistil stigma.

 Use different brushes for different tomato varieties to avoid cross-pollination.Before going to another variety wash your brush in isopropyl alcohol.

Also Read: How To Grow Squash

3. Cotton swab

The cotton swab has a fine cotton surface and is an effective and ideal tool for collecting and distributing pollen. Use swab also as like as the art brush.

 The pollen can be collected on a small plate and then carefully applied to the tip of the scar with a cotton swab (or brush).

4. Battery operated tooth brush

A new technique is employed i.e., simple battery operated tooth brush is a most effective and fastest method for pollination.

Here the child toothbrush has done the good job for the home gardeners. The vibrating head imitate buzz pollination and cause the male anther of the flower will release the pollen onto the stigma.

Just once keep the vibrating head of the tooth brush on the flower base, and wait for second or two before going to the next blossom.

Also Read: Growing Tomato for Your favorite Cuisines

5. Wire tomato cages

For tomato cages, reduce the need to use wires, ropes, or skeletons to tie stakes or stems. Due to the uneven distribution of the fruits, in some places, the fallen branches are tied to the cages with  wires or ropes.

Customize a personalized tomato wire cage and cut the wire to the desired length, from 5 to 6 feet high.

Commercial tomato cages are commonly tapered cylinders of twine, cone-shaped, with the narrow end towards the ground; this arrangement helps the shorter branches of younger flora. Your home made cage may be a directly cylinder that won’t be as handy for tying the lower branches, however as soon as the mid- and top branches are supported the lower ones are commonly lifted nicely off the ground. We’ve had better results outcomes with this sort of cage.

6. Concrete mesh

After many observation with different frameworks for our indeterminate tomato crop, now we adopted the inexpensive system for all our relative veining tomatoes. It will manufactured with 9 gauge wire crafted into 6 inch square. The product gets rust but gives enough support to it and it cannot cut without special tools.

How often should I pollinate by hand?

Hand pollination is easy and quite effective. In afternoon it’s most optimal time to pollinate in warm, sunny days.

If the climatic condition is less than ideal, you can simply disturbed the pollen by shaking the plants. 

The different techniques are used for pollination, in which try the best method works for you . few people keep the vibrating device behind the flowers and gently shake or blow the plant to create disturbance, with that release the pollen. In other method they use cotton swab ,in that they collect pollen in a box or container and rub it smoothly at the end of the flower stigma. Hand pollination should be done thrice a week , it gives maximum results.  

Also Read: Why Are Bottom of Tomatoes Turning Black?

More ways to pollinate tomatoes in a green house

1. Open doors and windows

Open doors and windows if the conditions allows lets the wind and natural pollinator will help you to get pollination efforts.

2. Play that funky music

In your green house just play a radio with full volume can help pollinate tomatoes. The micro-vibrations will motive to drop the pollen.

3. Blossom set spray

It contains cytokine hormone which promotes cell division. It will help tomato plants to grow in healthy condition as like in green house there are no natural pollinator.

Ensure that its only used when the first blossom starts to open. Attach the leaves until sprayed blossom is  dripping. Use this once a week until all the blossom have set fruits. 

Farming Tips

14 Uses Of Baking Soda In The Garden

Author ByMaryem

Here we are going to know amazing facts about baking soda usage in the garden. baking soda has a lot of uses in health care and alternate family chores. Baking soda another name is sodium bicarbonate is mostly used for green cleaning purposes in homes.

Baking soda can make wonder with your plants. Baking soda is biodegradable and non-toxic and it can be a marginal replacement for pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals. Let’s have a look at fantastic baking soda uses in the garden.

14 Baking Soda Uses in the Garden

1. Test the pH value of soil

The simple and clean method that you can learn about your garden soil pH value.

Take a small amount of garden soil in a container for sample purposes. In that sample put a little amount of baking soda and a cup of water then the bubbles are produced in the soil it means acidic the pH value of soil is less than 7. If bubbles are not observed then the soil pH is alkali.

Here we can also test with the help of vinegar but it is opposite to baking soda.

For the sample soil adds vinegar and then observes if it produces bubbles then the soil pH is more than 7 and which means alkali.

Also Read: How to grow cauliflower: All The Information Regarding It

2. Get rid of mildew

For fruiting and vegetable plants mildew is an enemy. To get rid of mildew from plants here is the simple recipe.

  • 1 tablespoon of baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons of horticulture oil
  • 1 gallon of water
  • Mix these three ingredients and fill them in a spray bottle and then spray over plants to protect them from mildew.

3. Cultivate sweet tomatoes

Sprinkle the small amount of baking soda in the top layer of soil where tomatoes are cultivating. It will absorb naturally and lower the acidity level of tomatoes, then you will get the sweeter tomatoes.

Also Read: Why Are Bottom of Tomatoes Turning Black?

4. Kill cabbage worms

Cabbage worms did not just destroy the cabbage crop eventually affect the whole garden by eating plants. To get rid of them here is a simple recipe.

Mix the equal amount of flour and baking soda

Sprinkle the mixture of two ingredients over the plants where you saw a worm attack. cabbage worms are tenacious, they will try to eat the leaves then they will eat our mixture too. This mixture will be poisonous for cabbage worms.

Also Read: Cabbage Farming Guide

5. Less smelly compost away

I use a massive garden use bin to carry my yard waste for our trash devour day. The bins will flip malodorous when per week particularly if the weeds that are placed in the bin are damp. So, the thick layer of baking soda placed in the bottom of the bin will absorb some smell and maintain the acidity level of composting layer.

6. Make an organic pesticide

Pesticides can harm the earth we should limit the usage of chemicals to protect our environment as much as possible. A simple recipe to make organic pesticides to keep away ants and pests from plants.

  • 2 tablespoons of baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1-gallon water
  • Few drops of liquid soap
  • Mix all the ingredients in the bottle and fill it in a spray bottle and apply it to your gardens to make a pesticide-free garden.

7. Homemade fungicide

In your living society where be a garden and home usually dump, there will be very easy to grow fungi in the damp areas and some of the fungi are very difficult to get rid off. To get rid of them we use a commercial fungicide that is harmful. Here is the simple homemade recipe is there to get rid of this fungi.

  • 4 tablespoons of baking soda
  • 1 gallon of water
  • Mix it thoroughly and fill it in a spray bottle and spray over the plant where a problematic area will be seen.

8. Make a beautiful garden bed

Add a few amounts of baking soda in water before watering the plants .it will absorb the baking soda along with water and they produce brighter and healthier flowers in the blooming season.

9. Houseplant cleaning

Houseplants are dirt by dust and grime. it is really hard to clean those leaves that are dust stuck over them. Most of the peoples use few chemicals to clean them, Instead of them use this simple recipe: 

  • Warm water
  • Baking soda
  • Mix these two ingredients thoroughly and clean the plants with this mixture quickly and very carefully.

Also Read: Coffee Grounds for Pothos: How to Use?

10. Boosting the plants

1 teaspoon of baking soda,1 teaspoon of clear ammonia, 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt, 1 gallon of water mix it thoroughly. Give each plant a quart of a solution.

For the dull and growing slowly plants it will works as a fertilizer and make them perk up, make them become lush green, and rejuvenate their growth.

11. Ant hills elimination

When comes to ants use an equal amount of sugar and baking soda to use a trap and kill them. Mix the 2 ingredients and sprinkle on the ant hills they were eating and carry it to their nest, where the other ants will be consuming it and they will die.

12. For cut flowers

To keep your cut flower fresh for a long time, a small amount of baking soda should be placed in the bottom of the vase.

13. Clean a birdbath with the help of baking soda

For birdbath, cleaning makes the mixture of some amount of baking soda with the castile soap and rubs it on the birdbath surface. Use a scrubber to get rid of debris, germs, and dirt. Then rinse the birdbath with clean water. There will be no slag absorbed by the birdbath so it is safe for them.

14. Cleaning  garden furniture and walkway

Moisture and UV daylight rays can make resin or wooden garden fixtures seem drab and dingy over the path of the summer. Use baking soda to breathe new existence into your outside furniture.

Mix a 1/2 cup of baking soda with a tablespoon of dishwashing soap and a gallon of water and mix them well. This solution is used for the cleaning of garden furniture and walkways.

Don’t use baking soda for metallic furniture it causes corrosion.

Don’t depend upon homemade treatments as an excuse which saves lakhs for garden maintenance. If you allow plants for fungal diseases, no amount of baking soda in the globe will assist them.

Do you found any other uses of baking soda in the garden?  Please leave your tips in the comment section.

I would feature them in the article with a shoot out to you!

Vegetable Farming

How to grow cauliflower: All The Information Regarding It

Author ByMaryem

Everyone should maintain their healthy fitness. People like to have many vegetables in their diet and soups. After this, they also tend to make all of the special variety. But because of the increase in chemical usage, people cannot afford to eat vegetables.

One can make observance of many harmful effects. Hence, to avoid such circumstanced with their family, many people grow it on their own. Are you among those who like to eat cauliflower but do not know how to grow cauliflower? You can some interesting steps for how to grow cauliflowers in this article. 

What are the different types of cauliflower? 

Cauliflower needs much of the care to grow. People can find many of the difficulties while growing it. Therefore people need to satisfy all of their requirements in a succulent manner. Cauliflower needs the perfect Temperature to get fully flourished. One can enumerate a bit of TLC in it. After this, cauliflowers can easily grow on your lawn. You can assemble your cauliflower into diversification if you inaugurate from seeds. 

There seem different types of cauliflower. Firstly to grow the common white type of cauliflower, you can make a leaf shade over it. You can enumerate a specific kind of colouring growth hormone called anthocyanin. It can give your cauliflower a purple colour. Scientists have discovered the orange-coloured cauliflower accidentally. They can maintain it with the help of a better amount of Beta-carotene. You can grow these types of cauliflower accessibly on your lawn. 

An overall view for cauliflower plant 

You have added cauliflower to your diet. But do you know its edible parts? Cauliflower possesses its leaves and stems as eatable parts. It has oval leaves with parallel venation. Cauliflower seems to belong to the cruciferous family.

Do you know the scientific designation of cauliflower? It seems like Brassica Oleracea. It possesses a large number of curds on its head. Cauliflower growing season seems like spring. There possess many people who like to grow it throughout the year. Therefore one has to take special care for cauliflower growing stages. 

Cauliflower spacing in cm as 12 to 30 after growing fully in soli. People can tend to grow any type of cauliflower in their garden. Please grow them to enhance your lawn area. But all the colours of cauliflower fade away after cooking it. This might occur because of the limited tolerance level of chemicals for temperatures.  

How to plant the cauliflower? 

There seem many specific steps to plant the cauliflower. You can follow each of them in this article. 

  • It would help if you took a pot for growing a healthier cauliflower plant. 
  • You might admire the first question that how deep to plant cauliflower seeds? 
  • One has to lead it 0.5 inches deeper from the soil surface. 
  • You have to keep the temperature of the surrounding cauliflower pot much warmer. 
  • One should make sure that seeds should particularly get hard. This might seem like an influential consideration. It possesses because seeds cannot bear much of the moisture in them. 
  • You should keep the particular space of around 18 inches in between every plant. 
  • This can help them to get a good place for growing the leaves of the cauliflower. 
  • Within two or three months, you can make observance of the sprout of cauliflower. 

How to grow cauliflower from seeds? 

There possess many people who admire this question. You can make accessibility with two types of seeds. Firstly that seems readily provided in the market. After this, you have to follow the steps mentioned above. Secondly, you can expect your seeds from one planted already. It would help if you had the patience to pass the winter season. 

After this, cauliflowers get to emit the seeds out of it. Therefore successfully, without any investment, one can enjoy the cauliflower. Many people also prefer to do organic farming at home. You can get the best quality and taste of cauliflower after following such methods. 

What should one consider to avoid problems with growing cauliflower? 

You have to consider the following points to grow cauliflower accessibly. You can tend to implement all such steps as follow: 

Sunlight 

Cauliflower plants need ambient Temperature to flourish. It can grow efficiently in sharp sunlight. But following sources, one should place it under partial sunlight. Direct sunlight might harm the growing neophyte of cauliflower. 

Sand 

Cauliflower essentially requires sand of organic type. It doesn’t flourish well with the loading of fertilizer. Also, one should have a look at the PH of sand. It should be maintained to the six to seven. Cauliflower needs slightly damp, containing soils. This can help them to maintain diversified curds of cauliflower. In case if humid retain from sand, then you will lead with single huge curd. Therefore to avoid such problems, one should maintain the need for cauliflower with sand. 

Also Read: Growing the Microgreen Broccoli

Ambient Temperature and moisture 

 One should try to maintain the ambient temperature under 70 degrees. Cauliflower nourishes well under colder surroundings. But this cold doesn’t mean having the frost. You can accessibly obtain a better quality of cauliflower in the spring season. This season satisfies all results out of it. One should try to retain moisture in soils for growing flowers. 

Amount of fertilizer 

One should well notify that cauliflower takes a longer time to nourish up well. Also, you can make a note of the essential points of hormones need for cauliflower. According to it, you can enumerate the fertilizers. One should try to make results out of it. People can maintain all their areas with better consistency of fertilizers. You can inspect the soil that you seem to enumerate in it. 

One should never try to over-dose the fertilizers in it. If so, then the plant might rise as toxic. Also, one should try to focus on the quality of the fertilizer that it seems to use. One should pour the fertilizer every two to three weeks. Also, it would help if you enumerated only organic types of fertilizers. 

Conclusion: 

If you follow all steps to grow cauliflower, you can get many benefits out of it. Many people like to maintain their fields on a commercial basis for cauliflower. Therefore you can maintain sufficient cauliflower yield per acre. 

Farming Pedia

Blossom End Rot On Watermelons

Author ByMaryem

The watermelon plant belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family that produces flowers. It produces delicious fruits that are eaten worldwide and are full of nutrition. But it can be affected by various harmful diseases.

Blossom end rot is also one of them. This piece of content provides detailed information on Blossom End Rot on Watermelon. 

Symptoms 

  • The appearance of the burned portion of the fruit of the watermelon plant. 
  • Formation of light brown spots that turn into lesions that darken and dry over time. Sunken leathery spots are also visible. 
  • Decaying of fruits at a fast rate. 

Although the disease is not contagious, the removal of infected plants is a must. 

Causes of Blossom End Rot On Watermelons

  • Water is taken into plants through their root system. It is utilized by plants and some of it evaporates. Water evaporates from the leaves of plants. This situation occurs when the sun warms up the plant surface. Water from leaves transpires and more water takes its place and thus the plant does not burn. The leaf surface is smooth, water movement from other parts to leaves is easy and quick.

On the contrary, fruits have harder skin. Thus, the movement of water is not fast as the pull of water is slow. 

Therefore, the bottom portion of the fruit deprives moisture and burns. It usually darkens or appears shriveled. Decaying also starts occurring eventually. More organisms like insects can attack easily. 

  • Imbalance in Ca levels is also a major cause of blossom rot in watermelon. Ca is immobile relatively. But due to heavy transpiration Ca be moved to leaves in high amounts making fruits deprived of them. 

Prevention of Blossom End Rot On Watermelons

Soil conditions

Proper soil conditions are so important to ensure healthy growth in plants. In case the soil fertility of your planting site is unfit, a variety of diseases and abnormalities are bound to occur. Infected plants are of no use and even distracts from a healthy crop. 

Therefore, getting your soil tested is highly recommended. It will aware you of things that your soil has more or what it lacks. Moreover, it is important to know the pH level of the soil. 

All you need to do is, take a small sample of soil and take it to the nearest lab for agricultural testing. It will provide you proper details about the nutrient level and pH level of the soil. 

This will make sure you provide only necessary nutrients and do not overdo it. 

In the case of watermelon, 6.5 on a pH scale is perfect for its growth. Anything above or below will lead to complications. 

Fall is a perfect time to test the soil before sowing watermelon seeds in the spring season.

Next, if the soil lacks in Ca, it leads to blossom end rot in watermelon. After checking soil 3 months before planting, add lime to the soil to overcome Ca deficiency. 

Get the soil tested every 3 years for proper growth. If soil is problematic then annual testing is suggested. 

Must Read: How To Do Watermelon Farming?

Watering 

Keeping the soil moist at all times with proper and regular watering is a must to avoid this disease. 

The water content of soil changes and keeps fluctuating from dry to wet at times of watermelon blossoming is inadequate. This can lead to melon blossom end rot in watermelons. 

Irregular watering leads to uneven intake of Ca by watermelon plants. 

However, this disease can be caused even when there is a proper amount of Ca. if there is improper water at the time of fruit formation or blossom developing. 

To avoid disease, 1- 1.5 inch water level should be provided during fruiting periods. 

Nitrogen Content 

If nitrogen is present in limited amounts in soil, blossom end rot can occur possibly. 

The work of nitrogen is to increase the size of leaves in plants. If nitrogen is found in an improper amount, the size will be affected obviously. 

Due to this, more Ca is directed towards fruits. This leads to an imbalance in Ca amount and causes Blossom end rot. 

Watermelon rotting on Vine

Watermelons rotting on the vine are possibly visible in conditions like Blossom end rot, Belly Rot, Gummy Stem Blight, Bacterial Fruit Blotch, and Rind Necrosis. 

Tips

  • Watermelons should be planted in well-drained soil to ensure proper watering and moisture conditions. This ensures plants develop a deep and large root system to absorb healthy amounts of Ca from the soil. 
  • Mulch can also be used to retain moisture in the soil. It compresses weeds too. 2-4 inches of mulch is perfect for watermelon plants. It holds moisture in the soil by blocking evaporation. 

Watermelon Growing Problems

Growing watermelon is not a piece of cake. It comes with problems. There can be watermelon plant problems that affect fruiting and render plants useless. 

Few diseases and abnormalities are mentioned below-

  • Leaf Curling- leaves curl under and turn yellow. They get deformed and can be easily identified. Aphids are tiny, oval creatures that reside on the underside of leaves and lead to this abnormality. It releases a sticky substance known as Honeydew. It is advised to use insecticidal soap. 
  • Leave discoloration- leaves start turning yellow, pale green, or brown. Spider mites can be a possible reason behind this. Spraying water can help in getting rid of such insects. Infected leaf removal can be better as it protects the whole plant. 
  • Tunnels on leaves- Trails or tunnels are observed on leaves. It is caused by leaf miner larvae. Cultivate a garden to decrease this disease occurrence. Larvae get destroyed upon cultivation. 
  • Water-soaked blotches- leaves get infected and suffer from the appearance of water-soaked blotches. Angular leaf spots can appear which turn yellow or crisp. Pruning leaves infected by this disease can prove helpful. Do not wet foliage much as wetting leads to disease. 
  • Bitter Fruits- inadequate pollination can cause bitterness of fruit and misshapen fruits. Dry soil and high temperatures also lead to this condition. Poor soil fertility is disastrous. 

Conclusion 

Blossom end rot is a harmful condition in plants that destroys fruit and makes them inedible. Infected fruits cannot be treated to turn them into healthy ones. But, prevention is better than cure.

Therefore, following the preventive measures mentioned above can assure you healthy and edible fruits of melon. 

Farming Pedia

Why do my broccoli leaves turn yellow?

Author ByMaryem

Broccoli is a crop that requires high amounts of nitrogen from the soil. If the soil lacks nitrogen, then the broccoli leaves can turn yellow. Hence the main and common reason for broccoli leaves turning yellow is a deficiency of nitrogen.

In this, the lower parts get affected first and it continues towards the whole plant. In critical conditions, the whole plant can even turn yellow and die. This broccoli is edible but can taste bitter. One can also cut off the yellow part and use the rest. 

Besides, leaves don’t just turn yellow due to less nitrogen but this can also be due to lack of other nutrients. Along with a lack of nutrients, moisture stress can be another reason for this.

So to stop your broccoli leaves from turning yellow, one should make sure that your plants get enough nitrogen and all other nutrients along with proper moisture. Also to keep your broccoli fresh, you should avoid wrapping your vegetable in plastic and use damp paper towels instead before storing them. 

Why do my broccoli leaves turn yellow:

Broccoli is a crop grown in cold climatic conditions. It requires sufficient light. It requires Sandy soil that is rich in nitrogen and has a slightly acidic pH. There are mainly three situations where the leaves of a broccoli plant can turn yellow.

The first one of them is becoming yellow with time also called maturity yellowing, the next is due to lack of nitrogen and the last is any fungal disease. 

Getting yellow as it becomes mature:

The head or the main edible part of the broccoli is made up of very small flowers. When the broccoli becomes mature, ready to harvest then these flowers turn yellow and start to produce seeds if they are not harvested for a long time.

However, these seeds can be used for the next generations. When the main part becomes mature, the buds start expanding and till the flower bursts, the head part of the plant turns yellow. This yellowish broccoli hence lacks all the nutrients and is also bitter. 

Lack of nitrogen:

As told earlier, broccoli needs a lot of nitrogen from the soil. If the soil lacks nitrogen, then the broccoli leaves will start turning yellow. Starting from the lower part the leaves gradually turn yellow to upwards. In uttermost conditions, the whole plant can turn yellow and die at the end. 

Any fungal disease:

Fusarium oxysporum is a type of fungus that affects broccoli plants that can cause yellowing of the leaves of the plant. This fungus mainly enters the plant through the new roots or through old roots during transferring the plant to the main field. This fungus makes its way through the stem to leaves resulting in the leaves turning yellow. This fungus is very dangerous and kills the plant.  

Along with these above-mentioned reasons some diseases are also the reason behind the yellowing of leaves. Downy mildew is the first disease that is accountable for the broccoli leaves turning yellow. It is also a type of fungal disease.

Must Read: Growing the Microgreen Broccoli

The fungus named Peronospora parasitica causes Downy mildew. This fungus can act upon both seedlings as well as the mature plant part. In this, the leaves of the broccoli turn yellow. High moisture content supports this fungal disease. In this disease, mainly the leaves at the bottom get affected. 

Prevention of Downy mildew: For avoiding this, one should plant the crops at sufficient distances. Also, take care that you water the crop near the roots so that the leaves don’t get wet. Besides this one can also use chemicals or fungicides to control the disease.

You should spray the fungicides at weekly intervals after transplanting the plant. Use these fungicides on the leaves present at the bottom. Avoid fungicides when the temperature is more than 35° C. 

The next one is an Alternaria leaf spot. It is again a type of fungal disease in which Alternaria species is responsible. This disease occurs when the conditions are warm as well as moist. You can see small dark shade spots on the stems as the symptoms of the disease.

In the matured plants round spots of brown color can be noticed on the leaves and the leaves gradually turn yellow with time in this disease. A temperature of 15 to 35 °C supports the disease. 

How to prevent and treat this disease: one should clean up all the debris after harvesting. This disease can also be very easily spread through the infected tools or wind or splashing water or through insects hence one should take care of all this. Other than this one can also use chemicals and fungicides to control the disease.

Black rot is the next disease that is spread by bacteria named Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris. In this disease mainly the parts above the ground get affected. In this V-shaped lesions of yellow color appear on the leaves that expand with time. 

For black rot disease, no chemical cure is available so the plant must be prevented from this disease. For this, all the debris should be removed from the field.

Also, weeds should be cut off from time to time. Seeds of infected plants should not be used at all. Wind, splashing water, insects, etc. are also the reason behind the disease. High temperature and moisture also support the disease so these conditions should be avoided. Disease-free tools should be used in broccoli farming. Also, the seeds should be free from infection. 

Bottom line:

There are many different reasons for broccoli leaves turning yellow. They may be insufficient nutrients or some diseases. So one should provide sufficient amounts of required nutrients to the crop and also keep a check on the symptoms so that if any disease is there it can be treated on time.

Farming Pedia

Why Are My Radishes Growing Above Ground

Author ByMaryem

Radishes are a healthy and versatile plant. They can be consumed as toppings on salads used in western dishes too. The juice of radishes is full of nutrition. It is also cooked as a vegetable in various parts of the world. Along with all of this, radishes are so easy to grow and consume. 

But while growing radishes you can face some problems too. Problems that occur while growing radishes can be woody stems, bitter taste, cracking in roots, not forming bulbs, too hot taste. And while growing radishes, one question you might ask is, why my radishes are growing above ground?

Here we shall discuss why radishes grow above ground and solutions to this problem too. 

First, check out these numerous benefits of radishes. 

They can be eaten raw or can be cooked too. Only half a cup of radish has enough vitamin C to fulfill your daily need. It also has nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, niacin, phosphorus, riboflavin, calcium, and magnesium. 

Along with this, extracts in roots of radish have the power to kill cancerous cells. It is also great for bowls. To add to this, radish consumption can control blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Gastric ulcers can be cured by radish juice. Natural antifungal agents are present too. 

Why are my radishes growing above ground?

There can be few reasons behind this and they are mentioned below-

1. Imperfect Soil

If soil is not fit and does not match the required criteria for growth then abnormalities are obvious. Soil should be loose and crumpy to grow perfect and healthy radishes. In case, the soil is too compact, roots do not get enough space to expand. Therefore, first, they grow small in size.

Next, when they have no space to expand, they push themselves out and radishes start growing above ground. This situation can be prevented by loosening soil a little. It provides enough space to grow freely and thus, they do not pop out. 

The soil must be loosened and well maintained with compost and dry leaves up to 14 inches. 

By the time radishes start popping out of the ground, the problem would have increased very much without you noticing. Thus, if they come out by a quarter of an inch, check soil integrity. 

2. Seeds not sown deep enough

Seed packets bought from the market suggest sowing seeds up to ½ inch inside the ground. Scientists suggest that seeds must be sown at least one and a half inches deep in the ground for perfect growth of radishes. Sowing seeds above can lead to roots or main bulbs coming out of soil early. 

Sowing seeds deeper ensures proper growth and maximum output. 

3. Temperature of soil 

Soil temperature becomes unsuitable for radish growth when radish seeds are not sown at the correct time. The best time for sowing seeds in the spring season.

Sowing too early or too late makes them face too cold or too hot soil temperature which affects the growth of radish. Further, temperature above or below 80F is not suitable for radishes. Therefore, radishes come out of the ground. 

Must Read: Radish Farming: Planting, Harvesting, & Diseases

Tips to prevent radishes growing above ground

  • Make sure soil is loose and crumbly up to 12-14 inches deep. 
  • Use compost and dry leaves to make soil fit for radish growth. 
  • Seeds should be sown at least one and a half inches deep for maximum output. 
  • Maintain good moisture in the soil to avoid bitter radishes. 

Radishes turning long and thin 

There can be various reasons behind radishes turning long and thin. First of all, understand that the growth of leaves generally determines when they are to be pulled. Sometimes, leaves can be healthy but radishes below-ground can be long and thin and unfit for consumption. 

You can check growth by pulling the main root out a little. The main taproot is strong and deep and does not get affected much. However, tiny roots attached to the main one can get damaged by harsh pulling. So, be careful while checking. 

Now if your radishes appear to be long and thin then this might have occurred because of your little mistakes like- 

  1. Overcrowding- Radishes grow below ground and require enough space for proper growth. If they don’t get enough space due to overcrowding then they grow long and thin. Radishes should be grown 2-3 inches apart. This makes sure each one gets enough space to grow fully. 
  2. Sunlight- 6 hours of sunlight are a must for healthy and fully grown radishes. Alteration in sunlight periods affects growth and makes them long and thin. 
  3. Regular watering- radishes require a lot of water to grow. Shortage in the water supply makes them long and thin. However, too much water can destroy them so care must be taken. Radishes can bolt if hot water is supplied.
  4. Temperature- 80F is the optimum temperature for radish growth. If the temperature is above 80F, radishes start producing flowers. 
  5. Nutrients- improper intake of nutrients causes thin and long main roots. If high nitrogen content is added to the soil, radishes focus more on leaf growth than root. 

Radish leaves turning yellow 

Various conditions can result in the yellowing of leaves like overcrowding, lack of sunlight, competition for weeds, irregular watering, pests, or diseases. Few diseases that lead to yellowing of leaves are- 

  • Septoria leaf spots- this condition leads to yellow spot formation on leaves. Well-drained and nutritional soil prevents this disease. 
  • Club rot- yellow leaves, tumor growth, and swelling in roots us seen. It can be prevented by crop rotation. 
  •  Downy mildew- Angular yellow spots appear on leaves along with the white or grey fungus. 

Holes in Radish leaves 

Flea beetles can lead to holes in the leaves of seedlings or small transplants. Larvae of flea beetles feed on radish leaves and make holes in them. 

Holes eaten in the leaves of radishes by flea beetles, early June.

Cultivating them often can help get rid of flea beetles. The Garden should be kept clean to avoid pests. 

Conclusion 

Radishes are an easy to grow and versatile plant. They take only 3-4 weeks to grow and ready to eat as such. But growing radishes can be accompanied by the above-mentioned problem too. Therefore, take steps to prevent and cure these ailments and you can grow perfect radishes that are fit for consumption.