Expert: Bill Elzey
Contact: www.ShowplaceLawns.com
Bio: Bill Elzey is the owner and manager of Showplace Lawns in Austin, Texas.
Filmmaker: Todd Green

Duration : 0:1:33

Technorati Tags: care, fertilizers, gardening, gardens, landscaping, lawn, organic, potting, soil, tools, weeds

Organic home gardening made easy with this environmentally friendly rotating heat-generating and insulated composter.

Convenient and simple to create living soil nutrients all year round.

Enjoy seeing the transformation of your kitchen waste into ecologically sustainable nutritious compost you can use to fertilise lawns, pot plants, vegetable gardens and flower beds.

This Swedish designed quality home composting unit is manufactured to impeccably high standards. Available in 2 sizes, both units feature 2 insulated compartments and are self standing or can be mounted to the wall (brackets included).

Duration : 0:2:2

Technorati Tags: big, compost, composter, composting, Earth, ecology, environment, fertilize, flowers, food, fruit, garden, gardening, grow, Jora, kitchen, lawn, nutrient, organic, pig, reduce, scraps, soil, vegetables, waste

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Water Gardening

Water Garden Pond

Do you want to build a backyard water garden or pond? If so, you need to know what you are doing but don’t be intimidated because almost anyone can do it with some careful planning. Backyard water gardens usually have fish as well as plants and plant life. If you have a Koi pond, it will limit the amount of plant life you can have in the pond.

Water gardens in most climates need to be at least two feet deep. If you are in a colder climate, you can provide about 12″ to 16″ of water below the freeze zone. One of the most important steps in creating your pond is to choose the right location. So how do you know where to put your pond?

Where to Put Your Pond

You probably want your pond close to your home so that you can enjoy it fully and you will be able to see it year round. You will also be able to see birds, butterflies and more that will be attracted to your water garden. You will also want to be sure that you put it somewhere so that rainwater runoff will not down into the pond.

Depending on the layout of your backyard, there may be some landscaping required to get this done. But it’s important that rainwater doesn’t get into the pond because it may have chemicals, fertilizers, etc that will kill life in your water garden. You also want to be sure you don’t put your pond too close to tress or leaves and other debris will get into the water.

If you want to have water lilies then you also need to have your pond where it will receive sunlight each day. About four to six hours of direct sunlight will be needed. If you are only going to have fish in your pond, than it is okay for you to put it in the shade. If you are planning on having a lot of fish in your water garden, you will also want some kind of water circulation with a pump. You might also choose to have a water filtration system although it is not necessary. You can look into the different types of biological filters that are available.

How to Build your Pond

When building your pond you need to know what size it is going to be. You can do this by using a rope or something similar to stretch across to see how big you will make the pond. The biggest mistake that do-it-yourself water gardeners make is to make the pond too small. If you have Koi, it should be at least 3 feet deep to accommodate the large fish. In fact, a larger pond will be more stable anyway.

You also need to remember that a finished pond is going to be about 30% smaller than the first mapped out plan is going to look. So go bigger or you will end up with a pond that is too small. You are going to dig the whole for your pond and then apply the lining. Then you are going to apply any pond filter, skimmers, etc to the proper level and location.

Next you are going to put the pond underlayment and the rubber pond liner. Now if you are going to have streams flowing from your pond, you can excavate them now. Now you connect the pond liner to the pond skimmer and place the coping stone. Next you are going to want to do the edging of the pond. Depending on the type that you have, you will have different types of edging. The next step will be to add a de-chlorinator to remove any chlorination that may be in the pond. You should then add plants as soon as possible. You will also add packaged bacteria to balance the life in the pool and fish should be added a few at a time to keep the balance right in the pond. Adding too much at one time may cause them all to die.

Now you have a beautiful water garden. If properly maintained it will continue to grow in beauty over time. Once you establish a proper balance in your water garden with fish, plant life and bacteria, it will maintain itself very well. If you also have filters, you will not have to do anything else except change the filters and remove any debris that might fall into it. Otherwise, the water garden will be pretty self-sustaining.

Duration : 0:2:57

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Growing Herbs for Cooking

Cuisine Herbs
If you cook with herbs then you might have already thought about growing your own herbs for cooking. It’s easier than you might think as well. You can learn how to set up a small herb garden, how to cultivate and prepare herbs as well as what herbs to use with certain foods. In no time at all, you can become an herb specialist and your food will be all the better for it!

There are many different types of herbs such as culinary herbs, aromatic herbs, medicinal and much more. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbook on Herbs lists 73 different types of herbs. There are many common and non-common herbs and if you are a beginner culinary herb gardener, there are some that may be easier for you to start with. Parsley, thyme, savory, marjoram, mint, chives and basil are some common herbs used in cooking.

Herbs for Beginners

If you are a beginner herb gardener, you might not know what herbs to plant since there are so many to choose from. It is a good idea to get a variety of flavors and uses in cooking so that you are not stuck with all one kind of herb. You can choose from:

* Strong herbs such as rosemary, sage and winter savory
* Accent herbs such as dill, mint, sweet basil, sweet marjoram and thyme
* Blending herbs such as chives, summer savory and parsley

These are great to start out with and over time you might want to move into other interests and less common herbs. Remember that there are annuals, biennials and perennials to choose from. The climate will also effect the type of herb you choose. Annuals include anise, basil, chervil, coriander, dill and summer savory. Some samples of Biennials are caraway and parsley. Perennials are chives, fennel, lovage, marjoram, mint, tarragon, thyme and winter savory.

Of course this is not a complete list but it gives you an idea. Annuals are herbs that will bloom only for one season and then they die. Biennials live for two seasons but they only bloom on the second season and perennials bloom each season once they have been established so they are very popular.

Preparation and Drying

Once you have grown the herbs and you are ready to actually use them, it requires some preparation. You have to dry the herbs before you use them in cooking. Most herbs reach their peak just before flowering so you can collect them then for drying and storage.

Cut the herbs in the early morning when the dew has just dried. You should cut annuals off at ground level and perennials about a third way down the stem. Now wash the herbs with the leaves on the stem in cold water to remove dirt, dust, bugs, etc. You can drain them on towels or by hanging upside down in the sun to let the water evaporate.

Next you will strip all the leaves off the stalk leaving only about the top six inches. Be sure you also remove any blossoms. You know that the herbs have to be properly dried before storing and certain hers such as mint and basil need to be dried quickly or they mold. One way of natural air drying is to hang them in the dark in paper bags. Be sure to hang upside down because this lets essential oils flow from the stems to the leaves.

The room should be about 70-80 degrees and be well ventilated and dust and dirt free. It normally takes about 1 to 2 weeks for the herbs to be completely dry and feel crumbly.

If you need to dry quickly you can use an oven. Place the leaves or seeds on a cookie sheet and cook on low heat (less than 180 degrees F) for about 2 to 4 hours. You can also put them in the microwave for about 3 minutes, mixing them around every 30 seconds so they dry evenly. Once your herbs are properly dried you can store them until use.

Duration : 0:3:48

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Expert: Gale Gassiot
Bio: Gale Gassiot makes her own organic compost or “gardener’s black gold.”

Duration : 0:0:47

Technorati Tags: aerate, air, bin, carbon, chemicals, compost, composting, fertilizer, flow, flowers, fruit, fruits, garden, gardening, heap, making, mix, mulch, nitrogen, organic, pesticides, pile, plant, plants, recipe, soil, turn, vegetables

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The Advantages of Having Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden

Today, many people are concerned about the soaring price of food. While a vegetable garden won’t provide everything you need, it can go a good way towards reducing your food bill. Even if you have just a small amount of space around the foundation of your home, you can use it for a wrap-around vegetable garden. Depending on the plants that you choose to grow and how you store them, you may even find that you can have fresh vegetables on hand all year long.

Saving Money

If you think about the vegetables you use the most often, tomatoes rank at or near the top of your list. Whether you use tomatoes for sauce on spaghetti or cut them up for salad, they tend to be a staple food in everyone’s kitchens. Fortunately, tomatoes are easy to grow in almost any climate. And even if you don’t have room for a full vegetable garden, you can still grow tomatoes in a pot on your patio. In many cases, 10-15 healthy plants will provide enough tomatoes for one person for a whole year if you can them for preservation purposes.

Your Health and Commercial Farm Pesticides

Many food stores carry what they refer to as “organically grown” vegetables. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if these plants were grown near other crops that were exposed pesticides. At the same time, it’s equally impossible to determine if the soil was once exposed to pesticide before being converted to an organic farm. If you’re serious about avoiding pesticides on your vegetables, the best thing you can do is grow them yourself. Because carrots tend to absorb more pesticide from the soil than any other vegetable, it’s especially important to grow them on your own instead of buying them.

Organic Gardens are Eco Friendly

As you might expect, if we use less space for commercial farms, we’ll need to cut down fewer endangered rain forests and destroy fewer natural habitats. In addition, if commercial farms need to produce smaller numbers of produce, the less a need there will be for harmful pesticides that pollute rivers and other parts of the environment. Even if you feel that one person can’t make a difference in ending these environmental problems, you’d be surprised at the benefits that would result if even a moderate number of people chose to grow some of their own vegetables.

Every year, millions of tons of vegetables rot because no one consumes them. At the same time, exorbitant food prices and the usage of harmful pesticides makes it almost impossible for a person to have a truly healthy diet. Growing your own vegetables isn’t as complicated as many people believe. In fact, all you need is a pot, a plant, plus some soil, water and sunlight. If you make an effort to grow at least part of your vegetables in a home garden, you can help eliminate a wide number of environmental and financial issues.

Duration : 0:3:50

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Obtain a worm bin.

* These can be purchased from many online vendors or your local gardening or farm supply store.
* You can build your own. Use rubber storage totes, galvanized tubs, wood, or plastic.

Material: Rubber is cheap, easy to use and durable. Galvanized tubs are somewhat costly but will last forever. Wood will eventually be eaten, and plastic cracks easily, but either will do in a pinch.

Drilling holes to ventilate a rubber tub.

Ventilation: Your bin should be well-ventilated, with several 1/8 inch (3mm) holes 4 inches (100mm) from the bottom (otherwise the worms will stay at the bottom of the bin and you may drown your worms). For example, you can build a worm bin out of a large plastic tub with several dozen small holes drilled out on the bottom and sides.
o Size: The larger you make the container, the more worms it can sustain. Estimate 1 pound (0.45kg) of worms (1,200) for every square foot of surface area. The maximum productive depth for your bin is 24 inches (61cm) deep because composting worms will not go further down than that.
o Cover: The bin should have a cover to prevent light from getting in and to prevent the compost from drying out. Choose or make a lid that can be removed if your compost is too wet. Use a canvas tarp, doubled over and bungee-corded on, or kept in place with wood. Burlap sacks also work well, and can be watered directly.

* Use 4 old car tires: To make a four-tire wormery, create a base from old bricks or flagstones (must be flat and with as few cracks as possible). Place a layer of heavy newspaper on top of the bricks. Stuff four old tires with newspapers. Pile the tires on top of each other, with the first tire on the Sunday newspaper. Put some scrunched up paper or cardboard in the bottom to soak up any excess liquid. Fill the tire wormery with organic material (semi-composted is best). Add the composting worms (tiger or brandling species are best). Use a piece of board weighed down with bricks as a lid. The lid must be big enough to stop rain getting in. Harvest a tire’s worth of fertilizer roughly every 8 weeks (during warm months).

Shredded newspaper for worm bedding.
Prepare the box for worms. Fill your bin with thin strips of unbleached corrugated cardboard or shredded newspaper, straw, dry grass, or some similar material. This provides a source of fiber to the worms and keeps the bin well-ventilated. Sprinkle a handful of dirt on top, and thoroughly moisten. Allow the water to soak in for at least a day before adding worms. You can also use Canadian peat moss, which is more expensive but yields a loamier vermicompost.

Worms arrive.

Get worms. There are several varieties of worms that that are bred and sold commercially for vermicomposting; just digging up earthworms from your backyard is not recommended. The Internet or local gardening club is your best bet for finding a worm vendor near you. The worms most often used, Eisenia foetida (Red Wigglers), are about 4 inches long, mainly red along the body with a yellow tail. Another variety to consider are Eisenia hortensis, known as “European Night crawlers.” They do not reproduce quite as fast as the red wigglers, but grow to be larger, eat courser paper and cardboard better, and seem to be heartier. They are also better fishing worms when they do reach full size. However, with any non-native species, it is important not to allow them to reach the wild. Their voracious appetites and reproductive rates (especially among the red wigglers) have been known to upset the delicate balance of the hardwood forests by consuming the leaf litter too quickly. This event leaves too little leaf letter to slowly incubate the hard shelled nuts and leads to excessive erosion as well as negatively affecting the pH of the soil. So, do your best to keep them confined!

Feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps and refresh the bedding as necessary.

Duration : 0:4:2

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Expert: Gayle Zubek
Bio: Gayle Zubek has been collecting orchids for 10 years.
Filmmaker: N Stock

Duration : 0:1:23

Technorati Tags: care, flower, free, Horticulture, noid, orchid, pests, potting, root, soil, video, watering

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Organic Hydroponic Gardening

What is organic hydroponic gardening?
Well, first you need to know what hydroponics is before you can understand how it is used organically. Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in water and nutrients as opposed to growing in soil. Many people feel that this is better for the plants. Many people use organic hydroponic gardening when growing food items like vegetables for eating.

When it comes to hydroponics, many people have mistakenly thought that it was non-organic but this is not true. Water is organic, as is the nutrients that are used and the fertilizer can also be adapted to be organic so you can easily have organic hydroponic gardening.

What is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics is a Latin word that when translated basically means “working-water”. Hydroponics refers to a method of gardening that is safer for the environment. Using indoor gardening methods, water and lighting, etc. plants are grown. This method of growing plants without soil has been dated back as far as the 1600s but has really become more popular recently. People have been growing in water since before they began planting in soil.

Hydroponics progressed over the years but with the invention of plastics, it really took off again. The creation of plastic was a huge step forward for hydroponics. This is because it allowed you to use plastic for the pots and it made the entire process a bit easier so more people are willing to try it over traditional soil planting.

You know that your plant needs nutrients to survive. The key to hydroponics is how you feed the nutrients to the plant. In addition to water and oxygen your plant as needs large amounts of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Some other nutrients that are needed in smaller amounts are iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. Your plants can also use molybdenum and chlorine but in such small supplies that they usually get it from the water or from the other minerals so you don’t really have to worry about adding these.

What is Organic Gardening?

Organic gardening typically refers to gardening that uses on organic methods. Something is considered “organic” when it comes from the earth. For example, animals and plants are organic. Anything that comes from animals such as fecal matter is also organic. So anything that used in organic gardening needs to be organic and not artificial. Since water is organic, you can use both hydroponics and organic or semi-organic gardening in the same garden.

In addition to nutrients your plants also need oxygen and nitrogen to live and be able. It also has to have a proper pH (potential Hydrogen) balance. When you use hydroponics in addition to organic fertilizer and other organic gardening methods, you can have healthier, better plants.

Mediums and Anchorage

Since the plants are not grown in soil, water and nutrients need to be absorbed somehow. The medium is used for anchorage to let the plant soak up the nutrients. The most common types of mediums are Heydite and Rockwool. They are both made of rock but there are some differences in the two. Which is better really depends on who you ask and what types of plants you are planting.

Your growing media can also be vermiculite, perlite (pearlite), peat, coco-husk (coir), straw as well as other organic materials. You can use organic fertilizer from many different sources including cow, chicken, pig, and sheep manure, seaweed, bat guano, fish emulsion and entrails, urine, bone and blood, as well as many other natural sources. The problem with organic fertilizer is the obvious; that you must consider any possible health concerns.

Duration : 0:3:48

Technorati Tags: and, bed, beets, beginner, beginners, bin, broccoli, build, cauliflower, celery, compost, composting, corn, diy, do, fertilizer, flower, flowers, food, foods, garden, gardening, germinating, grow, guide, how, it, miracle, natural, organic, pile, raised, seed, seeds, soil, tips, to, tomato, tomatoes, tricks, vegetable, vegetables, watermelon, yourself

Expert: Bill Elzey
Contact: www.ShowplaceLawns.com
Bio: Bill Elzey is the owner and manager of Showplace Lawns in Austin, Texas.
Filmmaker: Todd Green

Duration : 0:2:33

Technorati Tags: care, fertilizers, gardening, gardens, landscaping, lawn, organic, potting, soil, tools, weeds