A spider plant is a great choice for a houseplant. It is attractive and easy to take care of. It is possible to over or under water, but they are much more resilient than other plants. They also have a long life span.

The plants have long leaves that are narrow and come in other variations such as dark green with yellow striping, variegated, speckled and more. A spider plant will grow fast and produce a lot of foliage, which means they are a great choice for decorating. When they grow, they also tolerate being root bound quite well.

The watering requirements of the plant require a very small effort, however do not over water because it can cause root rot. A consistently moist soil with occasional dry periods is best recommended. Spider plants can go for several days without being watered, especially during the fall and winter, when they are less active.

If you see the tips are growing brown or become spotted, you need to change the kind of water you are using. If you have been using tap water, then it is okay depending where you live. If in the city, the water supply may have a high chlorine concentration and possibly fluorine as well. These minerals can damage your plant, so try using rainwater or purified water free of minerals to see if the problem will be alleviated.

Spider plants are flexible with light requirements, they do quite well in indirect sunlight, but can also handle direct and bright lights for several hours daily. The idea is to give them a few hours of light that is not in an area that is too hot or too cold. They can stand temps anywhere from 55-65° F, this is a part of their natural environment.

The plants are very easy about fertilizer requirements also, but it is important no to overdo it. A liquid NPK mix applied to the plant every three to four months is sufficient during the growing season. There is no need to do it in the fall or winter, that means generally they only get two or three feedings per year.

In the summer time, spider plants produce small, star shaped flowers that are white. The flowers grow along the stalk that can reach over three feet in length. If you notice the stalk is leaning or bending, it is a good idea to stake it. The plant may also bloom more than once and can develop flowers again in spring or early fall.

Spider plants make a beautiful hanging basket, particularly when they are older and have an abundance of leaves. They can grow out of a pot, so you need to divide and replant about every two years. Spider plants can reach a few feet wide and even apart from flower stalks, can get up to two feet in height. A healthy plant can grow so much it will crack a clay pot.

You can add a beautiful look to your indoor plant garden with this plant that is easy to take care of, you should try a spider plant.

By: Kent Higgins
Now you can remove the confusion in your mind on the topic of caring for spider plants. Don't be shy - check us out at plant-care.com.

Moon Phase Planting of Lettuce

Lettuce should be planted when the moon is in the 1st Quarter (i.e. waxing) and in one of the following Zodiac Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Libra, Taurus

Planting and Culture

Almost any fairly good garden soil that is well drained and not excessively acid is suitable for lettuce. The only real secret about growing fine plants is to keep them uncrowded and growing rapidly. Rapid growth demands an abundance of moisture plus an abundance of natural plant nutrients. Mature compost humus or well-rotted manure should be dug in along the row before the seed is sown. In transplanting, a generous amount of organic humus should be worked into the hole before the plant is set out.

Wild lettuce prefers a temperate climate and its cultivated descendants naturally thrive best during cool weather, although some loose-leafed strains are valued for their ability to grow during summer heat.

Heading lettuce may be planted to head-up either during the early summer or the fall. For the early crop the seed should be sown about 1/4 inch deep in flats or similar containers and placed in a sunny window or a cold frame about the beginning of March. The young plants should be ready to set out early in April. In the flats, the seed should be thinly sown and the seedlings thinned just as soon as the leaves touch. Probably no fault is more universal than sowing lettuce seed too thickly.

For the spring crop, start seed indoors in flats or pots in a sunny, cool (50 to 60°F. [10 to 15.56'C.]) location. Or, sow seed outside in a hotbed or cold frame, about four to six weeks before the last severe frost. One seed packet will sow a 100-foot row. For a good potting mixture, sift together one part sand, one part good loam and one part compost. Keep moist and, when the seedlings have at least their first set of true leaves, transplant to plant bands or flats. Gradually harden off the plants by setting them outdoors during the sunny part of the day.

Transplanting

Setting the transplants out very early is essential. In fact, some gardeners make a practice of sowing their lettuce seed in the fall in a carefully prepared area. The seedlings become fairly large before severe frost. As cold weather approaches, the seedlings are covered with a gradually deepened layer of loose straw, leaves, twigs, or other materials. Under this, the small plants survive the winter easily and the gardener has a heavy supply of sturdy, very early seedlings upon which to draw.

In setting out the transplants, put them about 15 inches apart in the row in rows about two feet apart. When seed is sown directly into the garden, the seedlings should be ruthlessly thinned to stand at least a foot apart to prevent overcrowding.

Care

In the early stages of growth the plant has a cluster of shallow feeding rootlets. This condition makes it ideal for transplanting but, while small, makes it an easy victim of weeds. A light mulching of compost sifted around the plants will do much to keep down weedy growth and later will supply easily available plant nutrients.

Lettuce plants will not do their best unless they have a very liberal supply of moisture. Normally the supply of rainwater is insufficient and unreliable. It will aid your plants to continue rapid growth during dry weather if you water them with rainwater which has filtered through a container holding a quantity of fertile compost.

It may be that for one of many reasons your plants do not reach the heading stage before the arrival of hot weather. Many gardeners have had this experience. ' The most popular solution to the problem consists in covering the plants so as to give them partial shade. A few stakes driven into the ground along the sides of the rows may be used to support a length of cheesecloth stretched upon them.

A slightly heavier framework may be made to support a thin layer of brush, or a slat roof in which the slats are alternated with spaces about equal to the width of the slats. Any such arrangement which excludes excessive sunlight will usually produce the coolness necessary to the plants if they are to form satisfactory heads. Some gardeners make good use of a partially shaded spot in the garden as a favored site for lettuce.

Diseases and Pests

Lettuce rot, which first affects the lowest leaves in contact with the soil and then spreads through the plant, can be avoided by spreading clean sand over the surface of the soil. Fungus and bacterial diseases are best avoided by rotating the crop. Do not plant lettuce in the same rows two years in succession and do not plant where endive, chicory or dandelion have just grown. These are all subject to the same diseases.

Insects which cause the greatest damage in new lettuce plantings are cutworms and slugs. Cutworms may be outwitted if loose collars of stiff paper are put on the seedlings when they are planted. The collars are made about one to 1 1/2 inches in diameter and are wide enough so that when 1/2 inch is buried in the soil an inch or more remains as a barricade above ground.

If slugs are a problem, limestone or wood ashes may be sprinkled over the soil around the plants to discourage them. In a wet season when slugs are very bad, do not use small baskets or boxes to cover newly planted seedlings. These only act as shelters during the hot part of the day and slugs may sometimes be found by the dozens inside inverted berry boxes. Instead, shade seedlings with a canopy held a foot or more above the bed.

Harvesting

Pick lettuce in the early morning hours to preserve the crispness it acquired during the cool of the night. Immediately after being picked, it should be washed thoroughly but as briefly as possible and dried immediately to prevent loss of vitamins. If stored in a closed container in the refrigerator, it will retain its crispness for days.

Loose-leaf types should be cut off at ground level and the roots left in the soil. Later in the season the roots will send up new leaves for a second crop.

By: Gene DeFazzio
moonGROW.com http://www.moonGROW.com is a website delving into Moon Phase and Zodiac Sign Organic gardening. By Gene DeFazzio, this site provides the basics of both astrological and organic growing for the home gardener.

Spring is the start of a new growing season. Time to get your garden ready for planting and finish what you couldn't get done before winter set in.

Soil is the key to having a successful organic garden. The first and most important part in preparing your garden for a new growing season is to know what you are working with. Testing your soil is very important and even more important if your crops the year before didn't do as well as you would of liked them too.

Once your soil has been tested and you know what you need for soil amendments you can start working the soil in your garden to get ready for planting. Turning your soil over by tilling, plowing or by hand with a spade aerates the soil by exposing new soil to the air, which will activate microbes that are in the soil and other organic matter to help make fertile soil. You want to make sure that your soil is dry enough before you start working with it. If you take a hand full of soil and squeeze it and it stays in the form of a solid ball the soil is to wet. Working wet soil will destroy the texture of the soil. The soil will just be full of clods when it dries and the restoration of the soil can take a lot of work and time that you don't need to lose out of the growing season. If the area that you plant your garden is usually wet in the spring and dry in the fall you should consider a fall preparation of your garden. This way in the spring there will only be a minimal amount of hand work needed to prepare and start planting.

Now that the soil in your garden has been turned over it's time to add a layer of compost to feed the soil. A good healthy soil structure is one that will retain moisture, drain well and a lot of nutrient rich humus to feed your plants. Feeding the soil is different that feeding your plants. When you feed the soil the nutrients are there for the plants to feed from as they need too. When fertilizing you are applying nutrients to the soil and the plants will only take what they need when they need it and the rest gets diluted or evaporated away. Having a good nutrient rich soil is the best way to supply the plants in your garden the nutrition they need.

Now that you have your garden prepared and a good healthy nutrient rich soil it is time to start planting. Don't be afraid to add compost to the hole you dig for your new plants. The plants will love you for it.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

By: John Yazo
http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

As colder temperatures and shorter days prevail, gardeners must think about getting their gardens set for winter. Below is a checklist of chores to consider for the maintenance of your perennial garden, vegetable garden, and lawn to keep all in healthy condition.

1. Cut back your perennials. How and when you do this is determined by the individual needs of your plants, your desire to provide food and cover for wildlife, and your appreciation for winter interest in your yard. If you prefer your property having a neat appearance then, cutting back your perennials to the ground is the way to go, but if you would like to leave nesting areas for insects, seeds and berries for wildlife to survive on through the winter, and if you enjoy some stems and structural interest left standing through out the winter, then trim and cut back to different heights as you see fit and aesthetically pleasing. Plants that have had a disease or did not do well should be removed and any vigorous re-seeders that can take over perennial beds should also be removed or split and transplanted. Avoid cutting back to the ground hardy mums, asters and ferns. The old foliage of these helps to protect their crowns through winter. Leave a good chunk of their stems to mark their location so when you plant something else in the spring you will know where they are and won't accidentally disturb them. The timing of cutting plants back for winter is important, too. In general, later is better.

2. To provide compost for next year's garden, save fall lawn cuttings and leaves and place them in a compost container.

3. In the vegetable garden, harvest all the vegetables still left before frost hits. Remove any dead or spoiled ones and if disease is apparent, destroy them to reduce any chances of infestation.

4. Bulbs for additional spring and summer color should be planted in the fall. If there are tender bulbs in your garden, carefully lift them out and store these bulbs in an airy, dry, and protected area for the winter.

5. Add mulch to your perennials to keep them warm and protected over the winter. Mulch will also helps store moisture in the soil. You can also add manure and compost in the fall, which is the best time to do this giving plenty of time for breakdown to happen.

6. Houseplants that were growing outside should make their way back inside. To avoid shock, do this gradually placing them in partly shaded areas outside first. And always bring them in before the first frost, of course.

7. Prepare rose bushes for winter. Prune dead or damaged branches and cut off any old flowers. Using topsoil or mulch, mound the bush and cut canes back to six to twelve inches. To completely protect the bush, you can then cover it using a bushel basket, if the size is appropriate.

8. Lawns could use preparing now for next spring. To allow the soil to drain better and give the roots much needed oxygen, aerate and thatch if the soil is compacted. Seeding and fertilizing can be done now as well.

9. Clean up all of your gardening tools. Pruning tools, mower blades, and shears can be sharpened and oiled now. This way they will avoid rusting over the winter and will be all ready for you come spring.

10. If you have a garden pool, to avoid freezing, you must drain it.

By: Dayelle I Swensson
Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.