Know Everything About Cow Farm – A Comprehensive Guide

Cow farm implies “commercial raising of high-milk cows for the processing of milk. It is a part of agriculture or husbandry. Dairy cow raising is not a new idea. People breed dairy cows from ancient times for milk processing. Dairy cow raising appears to be a lucrative industry worldwide. 

There are several modern and quite well-established cow farms worldwide. Here we explain more about the benefits of dairy cow farming and how this thriving sector can be established.

Dairy farming calls for the experience to thrive. The selection of a strong cow race is one of the significant factors for productive dairy farming anywhere in the world. It is an enormous task and challenge to select the right cattle for commercial dairy farms. 

What Are The Advantages Of Dairy Farming?

cow farming

The launch of a thriving dairy cow farming venture has many advantages. Here we describe the significant benefits of the business.

  • Milk and dairy products are in high demand worldwide. This is one of the first and most important benefits of starting a cow farm.
  • Today, the dairy farm is one of the most in-demand businesses as the demand for milk is always going to be there. It may never die as milk is a part of daily life.
  • You don’t have to think about marketing. Since it is one of the traditional business models so you can rest assured to sell your goods quickly.
  • The dairy farm doesn’t pollute the environment, unlike other manufacturing industries. So, it’s eco-friendly.
  • You can start milk production with your family members. Isn’t it great flexibility that most of the other business models don’t offer? And it’s always a great idea, to begin with, the minimum investment. In this case, starting a dairy farm with your family members won’t force you to push on your budget.
  • Proper strategic plans and good management and care will ensure maximum benefit. For the unemployed trained young people, it can be a great income source and employment opportunity as well. 

Starting A Dairy Farm Business

It is not so easy to start a dairy cow farming business. You must proceed step by step to make high-profit margins from this venture. Here we will identify the critical steps towards starting a successful dairy cow farm. The cycle begins with the collection of proper races, houses, feeds, treatment & administration, and marketing. Consider the follow-up during the start of this project.

Steps To Start A Dairy Farm:

Great. You are all set to begin your first ever venture into cow farming. But keep these things in mind beforehand to avoid any sort of trouble. 

1. Ask Yourself Some Questions

Try first to decide your business aim. Ask yourself a few prominent questions. To say, why would you like to start milk cow farming? Will you have enough cow-raising facilities? Would you have the time to care for your cows? Will you handle all the cows’ facilities? 

2. Take Some Idea

It’s great if you can visit any of your local dairy cow farms. Try to understand the techniques, processes, and business models. So that you may apply them to creating a successful business. It’s indeed an effective way to do it in the right direction.

3. Spend A Few Days In Cow Farm

If you can invest a few days in an existing farm, it will be better. You will be capable of learning more from farmers about this sector. There is one more thing. You can consult the veterinarian and talk about dairy cow farming possibilities in your locality.

4. Feeding Cattle

 Be sure that ‘you can feed cows nutritiously all year round.’ To learn more about feeding prices, visit your local market. If you want to make your food, consider reserving certain products for hot or rainy seasons.

5. Cow For Dairy Farm

Not all the cows are good, to begin with. Each race of the cows has its pros and cons. Some cow races are known for their excellent milking potential, whereas some might be good to save you some dime. So, it’s always better to do some research on the best cow for a dairy farm, before you make any choice.

6. Training Of The Dairy And Farm Workers

In large commercial farms, professional people are working. The point is you can learn their way of working and then replicate the same when you train your workers.

7. Selling Strategy

Seek to sell your goods on the local market in the event of marketing. This reduces the expense of advertisement or transport.

Also read; Biofloc Fish Farming – A Complete Guide

What Kind Of Dairy Cow Breeds Are The Best?

Many dairy cow breeds are available all over the world. You can choose something according to your location, local facilities, and production. Below are a few most popular cow breeds for the farm.

  • Ayrshire
  • Brown Swiss
  • Guernsey
  • Holstein Friesian
  • Jersey
  • Milking Shorthorn

Apart from the kinds mentioned above, Red Sindhi, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, are also some of the most prominent and popular dairy cattle breeds. So first, Consider the environment, local facilities, and demand on the market for dairy products and choose races for your dairy cow farming accordingly. Okay, let’s discuss a few of the cow breeds one by one.

Cow Farming: Holstein Breed

The Holstein or Holstein-Friesians are the most identifiable breed of the dairy cow breeds. In the 1850s, they were introduced from Holland and became a common cow in the dairy farm of America. Many of them have black and white color but are recognized in red and white. Some are mainly white and often all-black cows. The Holstein cows are known for their sweetness, gentleness, and good instincts. 

Brown Swiss

Raised in Switzerland, Brown Swiss is one of the popular dairy cow breeds. The Brown Swiss is not only perfect; they are quick to mature, which means that their age at first is much older than Holstein. Brown Swiss has good milk production ability, which is right for your business.

It is a big race with a grayish color called a brown swiss. In the late 1800s, Brown Swiss was introduced to the dairy farm of America. Brown Swiss are about 1500 pounds. The average milk production per year is 2200 pounds, with 919 pounds of butterfat and 750 pounds of protein.

It is a successful breed and is frequently sought after for the agriculture of cheese. As the race fits well in many different climates, it is a strong race for many farm types.

Guernsey                         

Guernsey came from Guernsey Island next to Jersey Island. The creamy golden milk provided by the cows was a famous race in the early 1900s. Unfortunately, the Guernsey race had neither the development nor the construction to adapt to the commercial milk business.

Guernseys are one of America’s rarest dairy cow breeds. The competition is excellent for hand milking, and several small family farms love the race. Fourteen thousand pounds of milk per year with high butterfat and protein content differentiates Guernsey.

The milk also contains significant amounts of beta carotene. The cows eat less feed per pound of milk than the larger milk cows. The breed standards have been carefully maintained since their introduction in the late 1800s. This race is reviving in the dairy sector.

What’s Next On The Cow Farming Guide?

Until now, you might have gotten a decent idea about the various types of cow breeds. Advantages of cow farming and the steps to set the best foot forward to start your first ever venture. Now you need to know about the ways you can grow this business and make the maximum out of it. Also, you would know some other requirements to get into the business of cow farming.

Housing

The first on the list is housing. Decent housing is essential to keep your cows healthy, competitive, and ailments free. Provide space for your cows inside the house according to the breeds. Usually, 80 square feet of room and 40 square feet of house space are needed for each cow. It can vary according to the size of the cattle. Make an appropriate ventilation system and ensure ample fresh air and light flow into the room. The concrete house is healthy for cows.

Feeding

Good food ensures good health and optimum production. Seek to provide your cows with high quality and nutritious food in adequate quantities to ensure healthy growth and well-being. The most popular form of feed used for growing dairy cows is foraging, which mainly refers to hay or straw. Apply cereal grains to the feed of the dairy cow to fulfill energy requirements.

Greens contribute to the overall production of milk. Add greens to their daily foods as much as possible. Greens also contribute to reducing the cost of food. Alfalfa, timothy, clover, etc. are healthy greens for milky cows. Build a pasture for your cows, if possible—provision of enough safe and freshwater in tandem with enough nutritious foods.

Dairy cows need more water than any animal. Since their milk is primarily increased, and their milk contains a lot of water. A milk cow typically needs approximately 5 liters of water to produce 1 liter of milk. Provide them with enough water to satisfy their demand.

Cow Needs Good Care & Management

The right treatment and proper management are a critical step to success in any livestock sector. So please seek to look after your cows well. Feed them with healthy food and supply them with ample fresh and clean water. Vaccinate them in time so you can keep them free of any illness or disease. Do store some necessary drugs if possible. Keep your house clean and frequently wash the cow.

Milking The Cow

Find a peaceful place to milk your cows. It’s safer if you can afford a separate milking room for the cow. You can both milk the cows by hand and use milking machines. Make sure you have a good practice to keep your cows happy during milking.

Marketing Dairy Farm Products

Set your marketing strategies before commencing your business. Ask why? To ensure that you wouldn’t have to struggle hard to set your foot as we have already discussed that dairy products are in huge demand across the world. But initially, you can’t target the world market. So, it’s better to give it a start from your local market. 

Conclusion

You are now aware enough about dairy farming and its various facets. Our aim in this guide about dairy farming, cow breeds, and kickstarting your first dairy farm business we have tried to keep the things as short and as concise as possible.

So, we hope that this guide may come handy, and you are able, to begin with, your dream project. However, we make no recommendations. All the facts have been presented as it is.

How to Nurture the Dragon Fruit –An Exotic Tropical Fruit

Do you know that some of the fruits are healthier than others? Dragon fruit is one of them with plenty of health benefits. Dragon fruit, or pitaya, is a cactus fruit, well known for its peculiar look.

The healthy fruit is loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. This improves the immune system of the human body and is also used for diabetes treatment. The farming dragon fruit is profitable as well as satisfying experience.

Besides, medicine extracted from the flower and stem can be used in treatment to improve blood circulation. Therefore Dragon fruit can be branded as prestigious health food.

Moreover, the flowers of the plant are unique; indeed it is one of the world’s largest flowers. Their size is not the only specialty of dragon fruit. But the flower of the dragon plant just blossoms for one night and the fragrances on this night are beautiful with added tropical fruitiness. 

Also Read: Growing Orange with Perfection

 The hot summer months are suitable for dragon fruit cultivation. It won’t grow for the rest of the year but grows quickly once it starts growing. The fruit begins to form after the flowering takes place. For around 20 to 30 years, one plant can produce fruit. Thus, your one plant can deliver plenty of ready to eat delicious dragon fruit.

How to Grow Dragon Fruit?

The dragon plant requires little support to grow. As it is a subtropical plant, which needs a great deal of heat and humidity, here is a breakdown what do you need to feed and produce dragon fruit.

Deciding the Place and Soil

Dragon fruits must be cultivated in an open field with a clear exposure to the sun. It is not encouraging the planting of crops in areas with good rainfall. The place must be safe with a strong organic sandy loam soil with sufficient drainage.

Besides, this plant may thrive in any well-drained soil but likes to develop in slightly acidic soil, with a pH range of six to seven. For this plant, sandy soil is the best option.

In one single growing season, the dense fleshy stems can grow up to 4 m and must be accustomed and tied to a single 1.8 m high pole or trellis support. There is one another option of precast concrete poles that are widely used, and between three and four plants on one pole can be mounted. 

Farming dragon fruit is done by two methods. First is germinating the seeds and others by using stem cuttings. Let’s have a look.

1. Germinating Dragon Fruit Seeds

Growing dragon fruit plants from seeds depend on the same process as other plants. It involves preparing the soil with a well-mixed with potting mix. Then mix the seeds into the soil gently.

The soil needs the proper moisture with a cover over it with some plastic sheet. These seeds may take up to a month to germinate.

But there is an advantage to this method. The seedling grows slowly and cannot be propagated efficiently.

2. Using the Mature Stem

But it is ideal to use safe mature stem parts that have a length between three to six inches. 

Once the cutting has been sliced into three to six inches. Make a slanted cut at the base of the stem and add a fungicide at the ends and put it in a shaded area for about 5-7 days before being placed on the field directly. 

This is not necessary. But it does promote growth. When you dry or cure the stems, normally two to five days. You will get to know that when the cutting tips turn white, it’s ready to plant.

Besides, these cuttings can be obtained from the commercial nurseries as well as from pitaya growers. 

Next, you should plant the cutting in the field, they have to be about 2 inches into the soil and the cut must be positioned in the same direction as the parent plant. Water the plant every day unless the weather stays warm otherwise skips a day. 

Finally, you’re going to begin to see roots. You will soon see new growth if the growth is successful. It takes normally about 3 and 4 weeks. This young cutting will produce the fruit of its own in a few years.

At this stage of dragon fruit farming, it is necessary to focus on these few points:
  • Fertilizer – Give it fertilizer per month during the active growing season to ensure that the dragon fruit grows well. You’ll want to stop feeding your plant for a couple of months in the cold winter months.
  • Water – Since this plant is a cactus plant, it is important to ensure that it is properly watered. Water only the plant when the top of the field is dry and don’t let the plant rest in water. The soil must be wet, not drenched.
  • Light – The plant base can see a little shade, but the plant tips require full sun to ensure the plant blooms correctly. When the plant gets too much water, the fruit doesn’t perform well.
  • Temperature – Dragon fruit does not thrive in cold weather, so make sure the temperature is higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature needs to vary from 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal growth.

Dragon Fruit Pollination

The proper pollination of dragon fruit is done by the Moths, bats, and bees. But some varieties do not self fertilize at all.

In this case, the pollination techniques come into play. This technique requires the collection of the pollen from two dragon fruits. Using cotton swab softly to mark it with cross-pollinate on the stigma of the opposite herb.

This requires to be done at night, so the time between eight at night and eight in the morning is the best. 

In the case of pollinating various plants, it is recommended to use a new cotton swab for each one of these.

After this process, it will take about a month for the fruit to grow.

The fruit has a direct threat from animals such as animals, birds, and monkeys, and of course, they love the dragon fruit. 

Some growers use the shade net to shield maturing fruit from damage caused by the birds and hail. 

In Dragon Fruit Farming, the emphasis should always be on pesticides and disease control.

Pests include mites, thrips, bees, spiders, mealy bugs, slugs, nematodes, fruit flies, and mice. The birds are the most commonly reported.

Though, the diseases of dragon fruits contain stem purple, anthracnose and fungal pathogens such as fusarium. 

Identification of Ripeness of Dragon fruit

When it’s not mature, dragon fruit is green. Once, the fruit starts to mature. The exterior of the fruit shifts to red or yellow depending on the size.

Once the wings of the dragon tend to dry, to grow brown and fade. It signifies that fruit has been starting to mature and ready to eat. In case the wings are still bright. It shows that the fruit is underweight and will take more time to mature.

Once, the dragon fruit attains the stage of maturity. It can press just by a delicate touch of the thumb or fingertips on the surface. The fruit is presumably overripe if it is too pulpy. On the other hand, it’ll take several days to mature if your touch feels solid.

The rugged handling and shipping malfunctions can cause the dragon fruit a damaged skin. For instance, if the fruit is not adequately wrapped during shipping, they may hit each other. 

These may even be broken if they dropped. 

When the fruit is damaged, the flaws are visible and often smaller this is because of the lack of moisture.

Considering these few points is beneficial for the daily harvesting of dragon fruit.

  • Dragon fruits do not grow after harvesting as many other fruits and it is recommended that they should be picked once mature completely. 
  • The fruit is at its mature stage for processing once the color shifts from green to reddish.
  • If the fruit matures, the tiny leaves on the fruit side may often tend to appear gray.
  • Once the color of the fruit shifts, it is the right time to pluck the fruit. However, it is necessary to harvest a day after the color changes if the fruit is exported.
  • When a dragon fruit is ripe and ready for harvest, it can quickly twist away from the plant. When you ever pull the fruit so fast, it definitely would not be harvested

Conclusion

Besides the health benefits of dragon fruit, it has such a delicious taste once it matures perfectly. It is the right ingredient for a yummy smoothie and is often mixed with the lychee smoothie.

These fruits that contain the red or pink, leathery skin is tasted by the spooning out otherwise it is eaten in pieces. It is possible to process fruits into juice, ice cream or wine. The beautiful flowers, only blowing at night, are applied for the aromatherapy.

Must Read: Custard Apple Farming

10 Common Raised Bed Gardening Mistakes

A smart way to increase your gardening will be lightened with the growing of raised beds and improve the aesthetic of your garden. If you are new to gardening reduce the margin for error with the help of growing raised bed.

Raised bed gardening is not the perfect technique for getting success. But every technique should have certain mistakes to hide the success.

If you have limited space for gardening, then the raised bed gardening is perfect. Here are the best tips to fill your raised beds for cheaper and also made the pallet gardens which are fit in the space. Raised bed technique is a better choice to do but it requires more work and effort. 

1. Raised beds are too wide

One of the best advantages of the raised bed gardening is to avoid soil compaction. You can easily work on them without stepping into it. Which gives ultimately strong and healthier plants due to better soil structure?

The gardening raised beds width is too large then it prevents you while working on it within your reach, so you have stepped inside the bed it will defeat the major purpose of the raised bed.

Because of this reason raised beds are not more than four feet wide. Without any issue or problem, most of the people will reach within the center comfortably in four feet wide raised bed. I have experienced about this four feet wide span is more comfortable for me.

While choosing your raised bed, firstly you have to consider the location of the bed where to place it. If the location must be next to fence. I recommend not exceed than thirty inches with this you can work on it easily from one side itself.

 2. Don’t plan to irrigation

Hand watering is good for irrigation but you have to plan how to irrigate the beds within a specified time with new techniques.

Mostly I recommend drip irrigation or soaker hoses for raised beds. If you have a large number of raised beds then drip irrigation is fine for that and it works great and cost less also. Soaker hoses are for a few raised beds they will perform fine.

Also Read: Importance of farming in our life

3. Unsafe material used

It is important to know where you live and how was the climate then decide what kind of material should be used to build raised beds. Wood is a common choice for the raised bed because it is inexpensive and easy to obtain.

But don’t use the pressure-treated wood for raised beds because before 2003 manufactured pressure-treated wood contains chromate copper arsenate and it will harmful.

Many people are using chemical-free and rot-resistant wood such as cedar or redwood but it was somewhat expensive.

Before build raised beds, do you research first and avoid old railways ties which contain creosote which is harmful to human and plants also.

4. Lack of nutrients in soil

Are you thinking about using native soil which is cheap because it is already there? But most of them don’t have good soil to start with. Then you have to test the soil you will get the information about the soil and decide it can amend your native soil to work with it or you have to start from starch.

The best thing for raised beds is by using a combination of garden soil with compost. But it depends upon your budget and availability.

5. Skipping to mulch

Normal gardens cant dry as quickly as raised beds so keep your plants happy with the help of mulching it will retain moisture and cut down on weeds.

In wet seasons it acts like a sponge absorbs the water while excess rainfall in dry times and it will regulate the moisture in heat of summer. You can compare mulched raised beds healthier than without them.

6. Neglecting your pathways

Harmful chemicals used nearby raised beds can destroy your garden. Even if you used these kinds of chemicals in your yard the toxins can flow through the wind into the beds and kill your plants. So take precautions for the safety of your raised beds from harmful chemicals.

The pathways among your raised beds will likely develop weeds and grass at a few points. However, in preference to making plans to mow and spray them, you may create a barrier. Flattened cardboard containers with a small layer of natural mulch on the pinnacle are a clean cure, and the substances will remain longer than different options.

7. Label everything

The one common mishap goes for all gardening, but it is always repeating. Label your plants while planting them and what they are. You can also use it to set up a spreadsheet or else label them physically in the beds.

This is very important while dealing with boxes of dirt it looks like the same until the growth will be started. So you can’t get an idea about the things that are growing in the eastern corner of the fourth bed until the end of July.

Also Read: Growing the Microgreen Broccoli

8. Failing Poly tunnels

If you do not connect the tunnel to the raised bed, you will seriously miss the opportunity. You already have the ideal setup for a raised bed tunnel. You can easily extend the growing season on both sides by building flower beds on them. Once the spring gets warmer, you can remove the tunnel and add it back when the weather gets cold again at the end of the season.

9. Orientation

If you planting your garden in the wrong place is a big mistake and it is very difficult to correct or relocate the correct location once you fill the soil in the raised bed, watering system, and plants too.

Now set up the raised beds as per the sun rays fall on the plants. It requires five to six hours of sunlight each day for vegetable plants.

Placing plants north-south side is better to get sunlight. It will receive the maximum amount of sunlight.

10. Doing the same crop every year in the same location

You can rotate your crops for a single year because it will overrepresented certain fungal diseases, nutrients, and pests in the soil if you don’t rotate the crop in the field. While planting thought about the same crop will not be planted in the same location for every year.

Of course, no matter how you plan, there is no better teacher than experience. When pulling up the bunk, you may encounter an obstacle that you never dreamed of. This is good. Take this lesson and upgrade your raised bed in the next season, please be sure to let us know what your difficulties are so that we can learn too.

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

The term beans generally refers to large seeded plants that include soybean, peanut and peas.  Beans are one of the evergreen vegetables that can be grown easily in your backyard, terrace garden and even in your balcony as well. They belong to the legume family and have enormous amounts of health benefits. 

Beans are a good source of protein and fiber and are also rich in iron, potassium and magnesium. 

How to Grow Beans and What Month do you Plant Beans:

Beans need warm weather to grow, so if you are planning to grow green beans then summer is best for growing, start it in summer as cold weather or frost can damage the seeds and make them rotten. Sow the seeds directly in the garden, if you transplant it later,  then the roots may get easily damaged as they are shallow. 

Before planting the beans make sure to know about the type of plant that it grows into, whether it is a bush bean or pole bean.

Bush bean: If it is a bush bean then sow the seeds one or two inches deep and apart. In case you are planting it in garden then the rows should be 2-3 feet apart. 

Pole bean: If you are planting pole bean then they need support of some stick or pole to grow. For every 3-4 seeds one pole is required with a space of 3-4 feet between each pole.

These beans grow when under full sunlight or at least look for a place where there is partial sunlight. The soil should be well drained but moist enough for the seeds to germinate.

Different Types Of Beans:

Beans come in large variety, some can be eaten raw while the other needs to be cooked. The green tender pods can be consumed as it is, where as the dried ones need to be cooked before consuming. 

They are considered nutritious as it contains large amount of protein, carbohydrates and minerals. The various beans cultivated through out the world are

  • French Beans
  • Soy Beans
  • Kidney Beans
  • Cluster Beans
  • Lima Beans
  • Broad Beans
  • Sword Beans
  • Garden Beans
  • Dolichos Beans
  • Navy Beans
  • Fava Beans
  • Pinto Beans
  • Cranberry Beans

In this article we are going to study about how to grow kidney beans, when to harvest beans, when to plant broad beans and how long do broad beans take to grow.

How To Grow Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are very healthy as they contain antioxidant properties, vitamin B6, folic acid as well as cholesterol lowering fiber. Kidney beans can be a good choice for vegan’s as well as the one having diabetes. Kidney beans need to be consumed only once they are dried and cooked, the raw once are toxic. 

Kidney beans can be planted when the temperature is about 18-26 degree Celsius. It is best to do the planting in the spring or after the last frost. It give good results when they are directly sowed in the garden instead of doing transplant, as it may damage the plant and it may not yield well. 

Kidney beans comes in two varieties-bush and vine. Make sure you know what type of seed you are using. The vine variety need some sort of support like a pole or trellis to grow.

The planting area should have full sun exposure or at least for about 6 hours daily. Kidney beans require humidity and warmth to thrive. Make sure that the temperature does not go below 16 degree Celsius. Sow the kidney bean seeds 1-2 inches below the soil surface, giving a space of about 4 inches between each seed. Water the plant daily once, when the soil is dried out, do not give over supply of water. The seeds will germinate in about 10-12 days. 

Unexpectedly if there is snow fall after the beans have sprouted , cover the seedlings with a canvas or cloth so that it doesn’t get effected by the freezing temperature. 

Also Read: Soybean Farming: A Complete Guide to Cultivation and Production

Harvest And Storage

If you have planted bush variety then it needs to be harvested only once at the end of the growing season. But if it is pole variety then it has to be harvested several times through out the season. The average harvesting time will be 3-4 months depending on the type of seed you use. 

If there are some unfavorable conditions like dropping temperature that may threaten your harvest then pull out the plants early. Keep the plants for the pods to dry out completely, it may take several days or weeks. As you dry the seeds keep them in a warm indoor location with lots of circulating air. 

How To Grow Broad Beans

 Broad beans produce high yields from the smaller area of garden. These can be grown in modest sized pots as well. This vegetable is easy to grow, especially a good activity for children. 

Lets learn about when and how to grow broad beans.

Before starting with the planting few things need to be kept in mind. Always choose a spot away from strong winds, sheltered spot, fertile land and a place where you can easily get sunlight.

When To Grow Broad Beans

Some variety of broad beans need to ne sown in spring while some are well grown if you plant them in autumn. If you sow it in November, that is autumn then it will germinate within 2-3 weeks. 

The germinated seeds will overwinter and start growing again in spring. In severe winters you need to protect the crops by covering it with fleece or cloches. 

Must Read: Growing Your Favorite Peanuts or Groundnuts

How To Sow Broad Beans

The seeds of broad beans should be sown 2 inch deep into the soil. Each seed should have a gap of at least 9 inches. These can be sown in double row with a gap of 9 inches between each row. After sowing the seeds water them adequately. 

Now you will be concerned about how long does it take for the broad beans to grow. Well the answer is that these beans germinate in approximately 10 days. 

When To Harvest Broad Beans

Broad beans should be harvested and when they are 3 inches long. You can even wait for a little longer and harvest them later. But make sure that when you harvest the seeds should be soft and pots well filled. 

Best time to consume them is when the scar on the edge of the seed is white or green. If it has become black then the bean will become hard and chewy. 

The most important thing to keep in mind while sowing any seed is that don’t be in a hurry to plant the seeds, wait till the weather becomes appropriate as all the seeds may not be suitable for all typed of weather.

Take proper care after the seeds germinate and protect them from insects and mice attack.

Growing Beets in Containers | How to Grow Beets in Pots

Are you searching for a fast-growing root crop to plant in containers? Then why not trying growing beet that is simple! It is the answer to your need.

You don’t like the spicy bite of radish, although these roots grow crops fast too, the radish can yield sooner than beets.

The beet crop prefers cold weather and spring-fall then you will be allowed to utilize summer crops for growing containers crops after you harvest them. That’s wonderful! Let’s continue to learn how to grow beets in containers.

Choosing the container:

Here you have to consider a container for growing the beet in the garden in almost any climatic or soil condition is completely fine too. 

The size of the container should matters when planting beets in them. If you consider the smaller container then the soil in it dries out and less room for its root has to grow.

Depth is the most important factor to consider when growing radish or beet in a container, but a container that is too large is also difficult to move and expensive to fill properly. Moving them from a small container to a larger container is something that plants hate, so it’s important to grow them in a permanent container, 

However, you can use biodegradable pots like peat, newspapers, and other organic materials for transplanting if you like. 

This material quickly decomposes in the soil, so the seedlings can be transplanted without removing from such a pot, without damaging the roots when handling. 

Beets are ready to transplant when they have the first few true leaves, it is too late to transplant when they are older, which increases the likelihood of shock to the plant, resulting in stunted growth.

 There must be enough space for the beets to grow normally. Therefore, it is very important to choose a container that is at least 10 inches deep. 

When choosing a beet pot, make sure it has drainage holes and is deep enough for normal root growth. You must consider the successful growth of beets.

Preparing potting soil:

Beets can adapt to any type of soil but you prefer the better which is provided with rich in nutrients, well-drained, loose, and aerated soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.

Beetroots are heavy feeders, therefore the initial potting soil of the plant needed with high nutrients and also the addition of some amount of soil amendment during the growing period such as compost and organic amendments that are the smart idea. 

Also Read: Turnip Farming Information Guide

Location to Plant Beet:

Beets needed full sun and cold temperature to flourish. When the temperature increases the best way to cool the soil is the addition of a deep layer of mulch to the soil.

Hence, be sure about the plants receive full sunlight every day it will produce the best beet taste and which permits them to grow with their potential.

Planting Beets in the Container:

Prepare the Beet Container:

At the bottom of the empty container place the layer of small rocks which serves as the adequate soil drainage barrier. Make sure about the soil does not become waterlogged.

Filling the Potting Soil:

Fill the container with potting soil and if you want to remove any small pebbles, and gravels in the soil.

Pre-soak the Seed Overnight:

Usually, the beetroot seeds have a hard seed coat. Therefore, it requires much time to germinate. To speed up the germination process you have pre-soaked the seeds overnight in water. It will help to soften the seed’s hard coat. Then it allows the seeds to sprout fast.

Start Planting:

When sowing seeds, start at a medium depth in the container. You can sow radish seeds in any direction for a full harvest. Make sure there is at least an inch between the edge of the bowl and the beets. 

Cover and Water the Seeds:

Sow the seeds well and cover the pot to keep the soil moist. After a few weeks, the beets will sprout.

Thinning of Seedlings: 

When most of the seeds begin to sprout, trim the seedlings thinly to leave enough space about 3 inches apart. 

Seedlings can be cut off the base of unnecessary seedlings with scissors or gently pulled out with your hands, but when pulling out, you need to be careful not to damage the remaining healthy beets.

Water the Plants Enough:

Now that the beets are laid, most of your task will be to water them as the plants grow. 

You must keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. Waterlogging can lead to the rotting of the beets. 

Water the beets every other day in outdoor containers. Always try to cultivate the soil as best you can to determine if the plant needs water.

Adding Fertilizers:

It is essential to add fertilizers to your plant after a month and be sure about the instructions on the back of your fertilizer bag should be followed and get ready for one-time application.

This will increase sugar beet production and ensure a quality harvest. 

Radishes quickly consume nutrients from the soil, so you need to fertilize them once during their growth. 

Compost containing NPK equivalent or homemade compost is sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients.

Also Read: Why Are My Radishes Growing Above Ground 

Proper Care for Growing Beets:

  • Beets love bright sunshine, but they don’t like hot weather or dry conditions, so consider your climate when growing beets. 
  • Adding a deep layer of mulch to cool the soil is ideal when temperatures are too high.
  •  Water the plant to keep the beets soft and prevents discoloration. 
  • Use row cover to avoid problems such as pests and leaf diggers. 
  • Keep the plant organized by removing damaged leaves as it grows. 
  • Beets grow in nutrient-rich soil without additional fertilization. They produce larger leaves but smaller roots.

Harvesting the Beets:

  • Most growers harvest beets once they are concerning an inch in diameter for delicious flavor, however no more than 2½ inches in diameter. 
  • Beets tend to become woody if left in the ground for too long.
  •  Dig the trench to see the beets are large enough to use. 
  • Hold the stem firmly to prevent bleeding that can get the plant wet when harvesting beets.
  •  In addition, just before severe frosts is the ideal time for harvesting. Store freshly harvested plants in a cool, dry place.

Tilapia Fish Farming Information And A Complete A to Z Guide

These days, tilapia is among the most popular fish for cultivation. People are doing tilapia farming even on their farms for thousands of years now. It is considered a very successful, profitable small-scale business, and you can of course make it a large-scale one with time.

If you are patient and at the same time, dedicated, this business can completely change your life for good. Flexibility is one of the biggest highlights of the tilapia farming business, as there are various cultivation methods you can opt for. Here we are discussing one of the most productive cultivation processes.

How to set-up a tilapia fish farm

Having various sizes and shapes of tanks and ponds can be immensely helpful, especially in the beginning. It will help you to manage water properly. Your tilapia fish farm must be equipped with different types of fish containers and a proper drainage system. And providing fish with high-quality, fresh food will also ensure proper and timely growth of fishes.

Is tilapia farming profitable?

The answer is “yes”. As we have discussed earlier, it is one of the most profitable farming businesses. Intensive and hyperactive intensive are the two most common types of breeding that are preferred for business purposes.

Different types of tilapia species

You can discover tilapia in estuaries, ponds, watercourses, lakes, marine habitats, and other seafaring conditions. They love tropic conditions with 25-30 degrees Celsius as optimum temperature for growth. A few varieties can even tolerate as low temperatures as 8 or 9 degrees Celsius.

NAMEDESCRIPTIONREASON/WEATHER
Nile TilapiaOne of the oldest species from Egypt. Gain approximately 1 to 2 pounds in five to seven months.Can be found anywhere in fresh lake water
Blue TilapiaGain 2 to 4 pounds in 12 monthsPart of Asia, USA, Middle East, and Northern Africa. Grow even in cold temperatures. Fresh and saltwater are suitable for their growth
Mozambique TilapiaAn average weight of 2 pounds in 1 yearCan’t survive cold or salty water
Mono-sex TilapiaHybrid, one of the most suitable species for tilapia farming, capable of growing at very good speed for a couple of years.Found in India, USA, Bangladesh, and South Africa  
RendalliUsually herbivorousOne of the most preferred species for aquaponics industry
‘Abbassa’ and ‘Akosomb’Very unique hybrids of Nile TilapiaCan grow 30% faster
AndersoniiA small-headed Species with the best taste among all tilapiasGrow decently in cold-water culture

Let’s start our guide to properly grow tilapia

Here are all the basic as well as advanced things related to tilapia farming for beginners. If you can understand all these points in a quick time, you can become a very successful tilapia farmer within a couple of years. We have tried to cover “everything” from the beginning to the end, let’s learn the basics first.

Where you can grow tilapia fish

As already discussed, tilapia fish can survive and grow in almost every condition including cages, raceways, fish ponds, and tanks, etc. Residential producers are even using trash cans for raising tilapia!

But if you want to maximize your productivity, you should arrange a set of few ponds or tanks. Depending on your budget, you can start with 8 to 12 tanks, and can of course increase the number with time.

How long tilapia takes to grow

Most of the tilapia species grow in 32 to 34 weeks i.e. about eight months, and the average weight of fully-grown tilapia is 450 to 600 grams. Though, farming of tilapia and hence, growth of tilapia depends on a lot of factors including care, atmospheric conditions, and food, etc.

How to maximize your profit

Securing the profit should be the priority in the beginning. And you also have to identify the challenges related to raising tilapia. Here are some of the most common causes of failures in commercial tilapia farming.

Lack of nutrition: Usually, people either ignore the importance of proper, healthy, and timely feeding or they are unaware of nutrition according to age. We will discuss the proper nutrition for tilapia later.

Too many fingerlings: Female tilapia is known for reproducing a lot of eggs. It is capable of spawning about 200 to 1000 eggs every 4 to 6 weeks, and that can create an unwanted situation for you! Can you afford them to feed or to grow? As a solution, you can opt to raise only male tilapias which are known as the Mono-sex tilapia farming method.

Problems related to marketing – Most of the farmers get affected by this problem. As the growth rate of tilapia is very good, you may suffer from incomplete selling. So, you need to identify the species of tilapias with rather slow growth stages.

Let’s assume that, you are doing tilapia farming backyard. Now, they need enough food and spices. You are feeding them continuously, and they are not growing as they are supposed to. The food you are wasting is obviously being wasted. So, what can you do differently? Here are the answers

Don’t compromise with the quality of nutrients and water – Never!

For any species of fish, water is almost everything. They simply can’t survive without water! And for healthy survival, unlike most of the other species, tilapia can also survive in dirty water. But, as a farmer, you won’t want to grow poisonous fishes in your firm. Dirty water is usually full of bacteria, pathogens, viruses, and other infectious organisms. These organisms can make fishes harmful, even poisonous for humans. So, always try to fill your ponds and tanks with fresh water to ensure proper and healthy growth of tilapia fishes.

Nutrition is another very important aspect of tilapia fish farming at any scale. Here is a general diet chart for tilapia. You can divide the amount of food required with serving time. It will also help you to avoid wasting food.

Assumed fish sizeAmount of food per fish/per dayApproximate time after stokingTimes a day
5-40 g1g1-2 month3-4
40-100g2-3g2-3 months3-4
100g-400 g3-4 g/fish3-5 months3
400+4-5 g/fish5 months+3

Designing a pond for tilapia farming (Circular container)

Ideally, you will need eight ponds/circular tanks to start farming of tilapia. There are two different types of aeration generally in the cultivation system – horizontal and vertical. The initial vertical aeration should be from the bottom to the surface. The aeration is usually provided by an apparatus.

You will start seeing the fishes properly once they weight 45 grams. So, at the beginning of tilapia farming in tanks, you can easily store 170 to 200 tilapia fishes in each cubic meter of water. It means, around 15 thousand fishes per pound! In the second stage, you will be able to keep 85 to 100 fishes per cubic meter. And that’s when the horizontal aeration is preferred.

Tilapia Fish Harvest

Divide the container properly for better production

If you want to increase the growth of tilapia for commercial cultivation, dividing the container is a good idea. Suppose, you have eight containers for tilapia farming, you can have an uninterrupted production in four of them. So, it won’t be a huge challenge to steer profit almost every month. Start using half of the tanks then add another half in the next month, and so on. If you are aiming to increase the number of tanks/ponds, you should still proceed according to the multiples of four.

In the case of farming of tilapia, feeding is the most important aspect of growth, and ultimately, benefits. Commercial farming of tilapia doesn’t need external aeration systems. It will be enough if you can manage efficient water exchange whenever needed. To avoid uncontrolled reproduction, you should go for monosexual tilapia instead of mixing males and females.

Standard size for ponds and tanks

Whether you are doing tilapia farming in tanks or ponds, you should take care of the standard size. A standard pond for tilapia is 20×40 meters with 1.20 meters of depth. It can easily store 960 cubic meters of water.

But,

If you raise 10 tilapias in each cubic meter of water, the pond will store 9600 fishes at a time. And you need to maintain the balance while feeding! According to an estimation, 1.7 kilograms of food will convert into a harvest of one kilogram of meat. And the average weight of a commercial tilapia is 500 to 600 grams! And a standard pond will produce 4800 kilograms of meat. It means, 9600 tilapia fishes can give you 4800-5500 kilograms of selling product!

NOTE: The average weight of an adult tilapia is 1 kg to 4 kg. And it requires 2 to 3 years to achieve adulthood!

Raising tilapia in bio floc

Tilapia fish farming in bio floc is also a wonderful idea, as they can easily adapt to bio floc systems. In this system, you will have to use minimum water, and add a lot of dense microbial populations to ponds. Adjusting the carbon-nitrogen ratio (C: N) is the key to this system.

Also Read: Biofloc Fish Farming – A Complete Guide

The bacteria forming bio flocs can assimilate the total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), and can produce microbial proteins for tilapia fishes.

Tilapia can adapt to bio floc systems very quickly, and you can have an amazing production! Using bio flocs for raising tilapia, you will get very high biomass, as the biomass of tilapia can reach to the surprising pace of 200-300 mt/ha! You get higher fish density, but the system also generates a lot of waste! So, this is not the ideal way to start your tilapia fish business.

Primary Cost to start a small-scale business

The production system is the most important aspect of the tilapia farming business on any scale. Floating fish cultivation needs lower investment. “One hectare” is the base of calculation in case if floating cultivation. A 5,000 USD per annum gives you the production capacity of 20 tons of tilapia!

Look, you should opt for a floating cage in case If there are continental water conditions in your area. A floating cage with 20 meters of diameter is should be suitable. And three in-depth floating cages will cost you approx. 4,000 USD, and you can earn 60 tons of biomass per year. You can distribute the whole cost as:

55% for a balanced, nutritious diet, 37% for administrative and

production costs, and 8% for fingerlings.

Homemade organic feed for tilapia

You can buy feeds from the market, as well as can prepare them at home. Tilapia can eat almost everything, and homemade pellets are like a treat for them! These pellets are made with corn, rice barn, oat groats, alfalfa meal, linseed meal, or canola meal, as well as different vegetables.

If you are doing tilapia farming in tanks, homemade feeds are not good for, as they can start damaging them in a quick time. So, for tanks, buying feeds from the market is a better option. You can give homemade pellets to the fishes raising in the ponds.

The best feeding methods for small-scale tilapia fish farming

The average survival rate of most of the tilapia species is 99%! And the average growth per organism is 960 grams. You can achieve this result by modifying the feeding methods. The amount of food required is usually decided by the percentage of biomass. And as already discussed, providing your fishes with a balanced diet is very crucial.

Here is how you can manage feeding throughout the growth period:

With the increase in size, the requirement of protein decreases. If a small-sized tilapia fish requires 38% of protein, the protein required by a large-sized fish is 24%. To achieve maximum success in the tilapia farming business, Lent and Holy Week are the best seasons for harvesting.

Making appropriate food ratio is very important

You have a wide range of options when it comes to balanced foods. Feeding at the initial stage of farming is a bit expensive, 0.93 USD per kg. And the cost was reduced to half with the growth of tilapia. So, prepare balanced food for tilapia by referring to the second table mentioned above.

How to cultivate tilapia

Intensive cultivation

At least four ponds of 20 by 40 meters each should be there for proper intensive cultivation. And the recommended shape of ponds is rectangular. Also, each pond should have a proper slope, with separate entrance and exit. These types of ponds can handle 10 to 15 fishes per cubic meter.

Intensive hyperactive cultivation

It is the second method full of profits. In this method, circular ponds with conical bottoms are recommended. There should be a drainage system in the center of each pond. There are four different sizes of ponds, and the ideal one is 9.40 meters in diameter. It can store about 80 cubic meters of water. And the average cost for each pond is 1250 USD

Proper monitoring is also necessary

The best thing about both intensive and intensive hyperactive systems is, only one person is enough to manage them. And monitoring oxygen levels, and temperature of the water is enough.

Whether you are opting for tilapia farming in tanks or ponds, keeping a check on concentration levels of ammonia is also necessary, and you can easily get basic equipment in the market for this purpose. Executing a hydroponic culture is also a great idea to recover the contained nutrients.

Farming method for Monosex Tilapia fish

Females can give birth to 200-1000 fingerlings in every 4 to 5 weeks, and they take around six months to attain the maturity! And if you even have 90-100 female tilapias, you will get 2000 to 10,000 fingerlings! How are you going to manage them? Feed them? You will start feeling helpless!

Relax! There is a solution! As discussed earlier, monosex tilapia fish farming is the way to raise only male tilapia fishes. You can cultivate these fishes in two stages i.e. nursery stage and reservoir stage. All you need to do is to keep small-sized and large-sized fishes separately. The feeding and caring method are the same as mentioned above.

When and how of catching

  • When the fishes attain the weight of 180 to 200 grams, separate them in two different ponds, as they need more space for comfortable movement.
  • Divide them again in two different ponds/tanks when they weigh about 300 grams.
  • In short, if you start tilapia farming in tanks with four nos. you will need eight of them in the end.
  • When the average weight of each fish touches the 400g mark, separate them, again.
  • You will also have to adjust the diet properly to ensure maximum productivity.
Catching them for sale!

Right then, you are going to earn some great returns for your investment. As the amazing growth rate couples with a very low mortality rate, there are great chances of profit.

Start catching them when they attain the average weight of 400g.

But if you can wait a bit more and harvest them at 500g, you will find it even more profitable.

In this post, we’ve tried our very best to cover every aspect of tilapia fish farming. Hopefully, we’ve guided you correctly to start a new business full of fun, profits, and productivity. Please write back to us, if this guide was helpful for you. Happy fishing!

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes have nothing to do with ordinary potatoes. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are the most well-known, but sweet potatoes can be white, yellow, or even purple. Sweet potatoes grow slowly and are always planted in spring because they require four months of high temperature to develop.

The tuber is fully grown, but it grows surprisingly easily. Because the roots of vines touch the ground, some plants can produce large amounts of crops. There are also various shrubs in the small garden.

How to planting sweet potatoes?

Sweet potatoes can be grown in poor soil but deformed roots are develops in heavy clay or long or stringy in sandy dirt. For producing 8 to 10 pounds of potatoes in a single 10 foot row create a perfect environment of about  long , wide,10-inch-high ridges spaced 3 ½ feet apart.

Avoid nitrogen rich fertilizer can produce stunted tubes and lush vines and add plenty of compost to sweet potato field. In north, with the help of black plastics covered the rows of sweet potatoes to keep soil warm and promote strong growth.

It is better to plant root sprouts, known as slips, available in nurseries. Store few roots from your crop for the next year.

Nearly six weeks about to plant sweet potatoes outdoors in your area. Keep the roots in a container with moist sand, saw dust and chopped leaves in a warm spot. Planted sweet potatoes reach 6 to 9 inches long, cut their root. From each slip remove bottom inch and throw away because sometimes that portion harbours disease organisms.

Sweet potatoes extremely frost sensitive and mature in 90 to 170 days. Plant them in full sun after the last frost when the soil has warmed. For planting make the deep hole of 6 inches and 12 inches apart. Conceal all the slips up to top leaves and press the soil down tenderly but firmly and water well.

Also Read: Sweet Potato Farming Information Guide

How to grow sweet potatoes?

If black plastics are not used, for smooth weeds mulch the vines nearly two week after planting, conserve moisture, and for the root development keep the soil loose. Hardly lift longer vines to place them from rooting at the joints, or they put their energy into forming several undersized tubers at rooted area rather than mellowing the main crop at base of the plant. Otherwise, handle plants to prevent wounds that vulnerable disease spores.

In dry weather conditions, maintain 1 inch of water per week until two week before harvest, then the soil dry out little bit. Don’t overwater them, plants can withstand better in dry spell than rainy ones.

How to avoid pests?

Northern gardeners are not more likely encounter pest problems than gardeners in southern area.

Sweet potato weevils with dark blue head and wings puncture stems and tubers to lay eggs. Growing larvae tunnel and feed on the fresh roots and the adults are attacks on leaves and vines. It also spread foot rot with that enlarge brown to black areas on stems near the soil and at the stem extreme. From then weevils multiply quickly then hard to eliminate, use certified virus resistant slips and practice a four year crop rotation. With household trash throw away destroy infected plants and their roots.

Black rots are a fungal disease which results in circular, dark depression on tubers. Dispose the infected potatoes and cure the undamaged roots from the same crop cautiously. Don’t be confused about this disease which creates round, small, dark spots on tuber surface but doesn’t change eating quality and taste.

Reduce the chance of disease by planting healthy slips and avoid dark black spot stem rot by planting resistant cultivator and keep the fresh roots between 55 to 60 degree.

Also Read: How to Grow Organic Potatoes in Your Garden

Harvesting sweet potatoes

Sweet potato tubers can be harvested in about three to four months, depending on the variety; if you prefer to eat the leaves as vegetables, you can eat them in moderation throughout the season; remember to allow enough time to grow plants.

Once the leaves turn yellow, the tubers can be dug out. If the frost hits the leaves, then the tubers are probably fine. Just don’t let them sit on the ground too long after the tips are dry, or they may start to work. Rotting is careful when digging sweet potato tubers near the surface. Their skin is delicate and easily damaged or scratched.

Propagation sweet potatoes

  • During winter seasons you can save tubers and plant them in spring with these below steps.
  • Before the first frost fall dig up the tubers.
  • Store them in a peat, vermiculite or other dry material over the winter.
  • Place them in a cool, dry place without light.
  • During spring the tubers will start to sprout. Cut them into pieces as each piece has at least one eye.
  • After the threat of frost passed away plant them in the garden and maintain the temperature at least 60 degree Fahrenheit.

Don’t interchange sweet potatoes for regular potatoes they two are not related. To get more flavour from these sweet potatoes extend their shelf life, place them in a warm and dry place for about 10 to 15 days before eating.

8 Surprising Sugar Uses in the Garden You Don’t Believe Are Possible

Are you shocked or not? Sugar can also used for gardening! We have recited 8 common ways to use sugar in garden.

Most people do not know that sugar has amazing benefits and their effective uses in the garden. You can use sugar in your garden in several ways and it is efficient and beneficial. Therefore, from this post, we will learn 8 surprising sugar uses in garden that you should definitely try this. Move ahead scroll down and learn about them.

Uses of Sugar in the Garden

1. Use sugar to clean dirty hands

Probably it’s the best choice to use sugar for hand wash to clean hands after gardening. You know that sugar is one of the natural solutions which can easily clean your hands. You also used it for face wash.

For cleaning use 1 table spoon of sugar and little water then wash the face or hands as normal. This works better for cleaning soiled, greasy and oily hands.

Also Read: How To Plant Sugarcane – A Complete Beginner’s Guide

2. Make cut flowers last longer

With the addition of sugar in the vase can increase the endurance of cut flowers. Simply mix a tablespoon of sugar in the vase of water and all done. Sugar rejuvenates the blossoms and helps them to live longer, hence the solution can produce bacterial growth and water smells bad and negatively impacts the cut flower. To prevent this frequently add a tablespoon of vinegar to it.

Also Read: How to Germinate Chilli Seeds

3. Natural trap for pests

House flies and fruit flies can make a several problems in home and garden. If you are fighting with them in garden, so try this sugar fly trap. This solution works well for those who are attracted for sweet things. To make this solution, boil ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of honey, 2 tablespoons of water in a pan over low heat as far as sugar dissolved. Dip the pieces of brown packaging paper in the mixture and hang them.

4. Get rid of nematodes

If the plants are wilting and dying for no reason in your garden, then check out their roots for knots which are caused by nematode feeding. If you use sugar it encourages the activity of bacteria and micro organism that can create hostile environment for the nematodes. To prevent nematodes you can also grow marigold.

To get rid of it sprinkles 5 pounds of sugar for every 250 square feet of garden.

Also Read: How Long Does Sugarcane Take To Grow

5. Grass stain remover

If you got grass stains on your cloth after working in garden. They can be challenging task for removing those stains, but if you have a sugar and the water you don’t worry about them.

Take ½ cup of sugar in a bowl and add warm water to it for making paste. Apply this paste on the stain and soak it for ½ an hour then wash it normally.

6. Ant Killer

If you want relieve from ants try this recipe to get rid of it. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of borax powder and pour it in a 2 cup of warm water. Soak cotton balls in this solution and keep them in areas where ants are. So they will surely get these balls because they love sugar and then borax will kill them.

7. Feed the butterflies, bees, and hummingbird

If you found any bee or other nectar feeding creature? You can feed a clean solution of sugar water to help them. In a saucepan 1 cup of boiled water, ¼ cup of sugar stirs it in water until dissolved. Cut the sponges into smaller rectangle shaped and make small hole in sponge.

Cut the 7 inch thread through sponge. Dive the sponge into the solution until fully sucked, allow excess to drip from the sponge then hang it to arms or wings or anywhere else for your winged friends. From this pollination will occur.

8. Feed Plants

If you want to give extra nutrients to your plants with the solution of vinegar, sugar and water. First, combine 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar for every 8 ounce of water in container. Then apply of feed it to your plant as they needed!

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

These are the most surprising sugar uses in gardens. These uses will help you to have a better and more beneficial gardening experience. Don’t pause to try them then you will be impressed by the results.

9 Incredible Plants You Can Easily Grow in Water

I have done a too many mistakes killing precious greens because of overwatering, so consider growing plants directly in water.

Growing in water means there is no watering the plants for every next day and no messy soil for it. Don’t need any hydroponic systems for these plants, your never feel guilty about drowning them. 

  Does it make sound really good to you? Hence, let’s start!

HOW TO GROW PLANTS IN WATER

  • Firstly take a plant you want to grow in water
  • After that take a cutting from the existing plant.
  • Then choose a glass vessel or jar with thinner neck for plant support
  • Keep it in a room with bright and indirect light. at that site the temperature does not change too often, but slightly warm
  • At last wait for your plant to grow.

1. Philodendron

Philodendrons are low maintenance plant. It can grow quickly in a tap of water in a jar, it tolerate bright and low light. It can give a more natural and inviting atmosphere with their lush and trailing leaves. If you are see it grown in a pot of soil, usually it can be flourish beautifully in water.

From the existing plant cut off about six inches to propagate philodendron. Afterwards place the cutting in a glass of water and wait for ten days then you will observe roots starting to form.

Also Read: 10 Houseplants That Will Thrive in Your Kitchen

2. Spider plant

The spider plant is the best plant in water propagation because it is easy to care without soil. You can easily plant it snip off its spiderettes and root them in water to create new one.

It’s my personal favorite because it give me less stress due to its highly adaptable in nature. It can tolerate lot of misuses, it was excellent for them those who are thinking about they are not blessed by green thumb.

Its sounds may frightened, but believe me spider plant do not have poison glands. It named as due to spiderettes or the spider like plants hanging down from its mother plant. 

3. Wandering Jew

Wandering Jew is a zebra stripped variety and bright purple leaves. It will add some life to the room or else add some color to your garden. If you are allergic to pollen from flowers then wandering Jew is good for you.

It can adapt to houseplant life, if you thrive in a room with moderate light. Stat to cut wandering Jew stem to grow in water. If you are cutting about six inches is easier to grow than smaller one. Place the cutted plant in a glass or clear jar with water as like the leaves should be out of the water to avoid rotting.

I recommend you to use glass or a clear jar it always fascinate to see the roots growing under water.

4. Lucky bamboo

Bamboo plants appear in offices, homes, or on desks. It will bring good luck and fortune in your home or office with this houseplant. Lucky bamboo has standing for being virtually immortal. It can survive in a vase full of water and board range of light conditions with its tough stalks. Hence, avoid direct sunlight while it scorches the leaves. If you notice that the green color is fading, it’s better to provide more light on it.

5. Fiddle leaf fig

The fiddle leaf is one of the incredible indoor plant with featuring large, violin shaped leaves. It commonly thrives in warm and wet conditions. It is super easy to grow this plant in water. Propagating in water just after four weeks you will notice roots are appears on cutting stem base. Hence, couple of more weeks you will observe roots growing in water. In a few times you will get a tons of fiddle leaf figs, you can sell for a good price or even share with your friends.

6. Pothos (Devil’s Ivy)

Pothos is an incredible houseplant which can improve indoor air quality, it can be done by removing of carbon dioxide and other contaminants from air around it and provide supplemental oxygen. It sounds really cool right? I know it have an impressive fact that its ability to withstand quite a bit of neglect.

Hence, growing pothos in water can be little bit tricky because of algae build-up. It became natural results of water and sunlight. If you use dark colored vase to minimize sunlight, it can also reduce algae buildup. You can prevent all sorts of problems with enough care and enjoy a healthy, luscious plant.

7. Chinese evergreen

Have you observed plastic Chinese evergreen plant in stores or in some people homes? I know I have.

After this plant they are actually modeled fake houseplant. If you are really exaggerated to grow Chinese evergreen plant, it is relatively easy to grow in water. Cut the six inches of existing Chinese evergreen plant and keep them in a vase filled with water. Be sure about the cutting is long enough is submerged under water and few leaves are above the water line.

Remember that indirect sunlight requires growing the plant in water. So it’s good to keep the container on a window sill. Wait for few weeks and then you will observe the roots come under the submerged parts of the stem.

Also Read: 7 Houseplants that Reduce Dust and Particulate Matter  

8. African violet

If you want to grow the plants in water from leaves is a best way to start with new African violet plants. It is good to choose healthy, young leaves cut with about two inches of the stem. Keep them to dry and after a month roots are begin to form on the stem.

9. Baby’s tears

Baby tears are a low growing plant featuring with a mass like appearance with stem that can be quite chubby. It can produce a myriad of small round leaves, create a opaque trailing mat. When adorned decoratively over the edge of the vase it works well with its spreading and creeping forms. Once you keep it in a jar for growing it does not require a lot of horizontal space, it will glow like a heavy head of green hair.

You have to change the water once a week. Although, remove the leaves that are floating in a water, which are start to rot.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

If you are not having enough space or garden in your backyard or hate the messy soil in houseplant is not be the reason for not having greenery at your home. You don’t be afraid about drowning them because they need sunlight and water to survive.

 Plants’ growing in water is not only convenient and easy, but it brings lots of benefits to your daily living.

8 Edible Flowers You Should Grow In Your Vegetable Garden

Here you’re introducing flowers to a vegetable garden which comes with perks and the addition of beauty. Usage of flowers in a companion planting, which helps to deter pests and attracts pollinators. Interplantation will also save time and space if you grow many plants in one place.

Without companion benefits, the vegetable garden is more likely to plant flowers that are intended for cuttings. If you’re cut them as you select the vegetables for dinner. Here are the few edible flowers that can be grown in your vegetable garden.

1. Pot marigold calendula officinalis

Calendula or pot marigold is not a family related to the marigold of genus tagetes. It is considered an edible flower and has a bitter flavor. It has an orange color which livens up a plate. In the garden, it repels few pests such as tomato hornworm, and asparagus beetles but attracts a few of them including aphids.

You can use it as a trap crop placing it on another side of the vegetable garden away from the plants that can often attack like peas.

It can be grown in the US development zone from 9 to 11. It has distinct colors such as orange, yellow, pink, and cream. It can face the full sun to part shade. To improve the growth of this flower the potting soil should be rich in nutrients, slightly acidic to neutral, and well-drained.

Also Read: 9 Incredible Plants You Can Easily Grow in Water

2. Cosmos

Few flowers grow as easily and as much as the cosmos flower. And these flowers can be planted in the garden because they attract many beneficial insects. For example, if you want to paint the scarabs green, choose a bright white or orange, such as Space Orange. 

Green beetles are voracious, eating all kinds of soft-bodied insects, including aphids, scales, and thrips, so they are considered beneficial insects and make them their home in their garden, which will help to prevent pest problems. It has distinct colors such as pink, yellow, purple, red, and white. It is exposed to full sun with moderate moisture and well-drained soil.

3. Lavender

Lavender flower is difficult to grow from seeds, so buy from the nearest garden center or cut from the growing plant. it loves cool winters and hot dry summers. Several varieties are hardy in zone 5-9 check out your specific variety and it likes well-drained soil and lots of suns. It has a distinct taste like rosemary/mint combo flavor and like all herbs blooms edible. Truthfully, lavender has so many uses at home. 

4. Nasturtium

Nasturtium is one of the best edible flowers that will grow in the container. It has upright varieties with distinct colors like a sunset (think oranges, reds, and yellows).

Its seedlings are planted in the warm soil in the spring. Darkness is required for germination so start them indoors. Once the seedlings are sprouted and are ready to transplant outdoor then place at full sun location. In zone 4-8 treated as annuals and in 9-11 treated as hardy and it cannot survive in freezing temperature. 

The whole parts of the plant are edible: petals, leaves, and seeds. The flavor of each part is distinct such as leaves are spicy, flowers are sweeter. I use the nasturtium-infused vinegar for salads and dipping bread for making sweets.

5. Sunflower

It is the best flower for the vegetable garden and it makes trellises for climbing plants that have a lot of nectar to attract pollinators.

Ultimately, it has a problem with squirrels because they attract growing seeds but you have to save seeds. Plant the coarse-leaved vegetable squash near the sunflowers can make to deter animals. It is an annual plant with different colors yellow, red, burgundy and chocolate. It is exposed to full sun in well-drained and moist soil.  

6. Sweet pea

Sweet pea seeds are poisonous for humans but few creatures find them delicious. If you find difficulty when placing them in your flower garden, plant them in a vegetable garden for protection is an alternative. 

Growing sweet peas along with pole beans is a trap to squeeze them into the garden to attract more pollinators to your beans. They cannot cross-pollinate with edible peas due to different genera.

It is also an annual plant with various colors such as red, pink, blue, purple, and white and it is exposed to full sun with medium moisture and well-drained soil. 

Also Read: 9 Best Black Succulents those are Incredibly Beautiful

7. Zinnia

It is also an annual plant with distinct varieties red, pink, yellow, orange, lilac, purple, green, and white. It is exposed to full sun in the well-drained soil.

Planting zinnia plant in the vegetable garden which allows using them for the filling gaps between the vegetable garden because 

Nectar is rich in zinnia flower which acts as a magnet for the bees, popular with the hummingbird and other pollinators.

Pale, pastel varieties appear attractive to Japanese beetles and can be used as traps. On the other hand, you might not want to plant anything that attracts Japanese beetles unless you already have the problem you are trying to solve.

8. Roses

Rose flower is also edible and it offers a sweet flavor with a slight spice. The leaves are good for making tea similarly tastes like black tea. The rosebuds have to dry and use them in different dishes to the addition of flavor and use petals for salads, infuse in honey and garnish desserts, and so on. 

The flavor of the flower depends upon the type, color, and soil conditions. The heavy darker petals give more flavor but before consuming remove a white portion of the petals.

The rose hips are tasted like zesty crab apple which has full of antioxidants and rich in vitamin C. The rose hips are harvest when it becomes orange or red, not in green, cut them into halves and scrape out the seeds.

While purchasing roses be sure to choose a disease-resistant variety because roses are very disease-prone. Plant the rose in spring and select the location which is well-drained soil and full sun. In warm climatic conditions protect the plant.