Lawn Watering Tips

How complicated can it be to water the lawn? It's basic, right? You put out the sprinkler or turn on the soaker hoses or even stand in the yard and hold the hose and spray the water around yourself, making sure to soak the buses and trees. You do it when you have time, or after work or dinner. What more can you do, right? Wrong.

Sorry to make a science out of something so simple, but knowing when and when not to water your lawn actually is a science actually.

There are five factors to consider when watering your lawn: how much water, the time of day, the weather, the method of watering and the use of chemical agents or fertilizers in the water are all important factors.

Most turf lawns only need about three-quarters to one inch of water a week to keep that emerald green glow we all know and love. During hotter days or drought periods however, you actually want to cut back, not increase your watering. This allows the lawn's growth to naturally slow during extreme conditions. It's better for the water supply and actually healthier for the lawn.
Allowing lawns to go under mild droughts makes the root system stronger and healthier. Frequent watering actually harms root systems, making them shallower and more susceptible to pests. Frequent watering also adds to your community's storm water runoff, which pollutes water systems and carries lawn chemicals into our rivers.

Of course the more you water your lawn the faster it grows and the more frequently you need to mow it.

Decide before the summer season begins if you're going to let your lawn go dormant in the worst heat or if you're going to water through a drought. If your town imposes watering restrictions you may want to decide early on not to try to have a green lawn summer round.

On the other hand, if you have unlimited water resources such as a deep well or nearby river you draw from, you may want to continue to keep your lawn green in spite of a drought. But don't let the lawn turn brown then decide over the weekend to water it and green it back up. Sure it may look okay, but continually breaking a lawn's dormant periods will actually deplete its food reserves and weaken the lawn.

Over watering not only impacts your water bill, but it can increase problems with diseases and insects too. Use a rainguage to determine how much water you've applied. Once you know how long it takes to water your lawn then you can adjust your sprinklers and watering time that way.
If you're not sure then you should water simply walk across your lawn. Turn around and look for what is called "foot printing" where your footprints remain in the grass. This is caused by leaf blades not bouncing back up after they've been stepped on - an indicator the lawn needs watering.
When you do water make sure the water soaks down to the roots. You can't do this in a few minutes so spraying the lawn with a hose for a few minutes out of guilt will do more harm than good. Not only does this promote shallow root systems it also encourages more weeds.

When you do water, water as early in the day as possible, usually when the grass and plants are already wet with dew. Watering later in the day when the sun is higher and temps are up can lead to evaporation of the water. Mid-day watering also leaves water droplets on the plants, which become small magnifying glasses that allow the sun's ray to burn or scorch the plants. That leads to a brown, scruffy looking lawn in spite of adequate watering. You can water later in the afternoon or early evening, but late night watering can lead to problems with disease since the water sits on the lawn longer.

There are exceptions to this rule however. If daytime temps are extremely hot and nighttime temps don't drop below 68-70 degrees you can safely water at night.

Weather is a factor as well. Keep an eye on the weather report and try not to water your lawn when it is expected to rain. Keep a rain gauge on your lawn so you can monitor how much rain the lawn received and adjust your watering that week accordingly.

If you're doing the watering make sure your sprinkler system spreads a uniform path across the lawn. Many people will set out a sprinkler and never move it. That's great for the patches that get the water, but uneven watering can lead to an uneven greenness. Put out coffee cans or some sort of straight sided container to help you measure you sprinkler's application rates.

Watch for runoff in areas where your lawn slopes. Steeper hills and slopes may require additional watering to accommodate runoff and allow for better soil penetration. Knowing the kind of soil you have - whether it's peat, loam, sand, silt or clay - is important. Penetration is based on the percolation rate of your soil type. Some lawns may require shorter periods of watering followed by another period of watering to allow the first application to sink in.

Finally, when it's time to use fertilizer or other chemical treatments on your lawn, try not to do so when it is expected to rain. The rains will only wash the nutrients out of the root system and down the drain. Follow the directions on the package and make sure that you water as directed to make sure you don't burn your lawn or your grasses root system.

By: Trudy Coulter
How to create the perfect lawn which will be the envy of friends and neighbours. Visit http://www.lawnperfection.com

The modern lupin has only been around since the 1930's. It was bred by George Russell, a recluse, by crossing the blue lupin from North America, with tree lupins and annual lupins. Thanks to his work, the modern perennial flowers now seen in our lupins, have bigger flower spikes and richer colours.

His secrets were reluctantly passed on to another nurseryman, James Baker, when George Russell was in his late 70's and the two of them worked together until Russell died aged 94, in 1951. When James Baker retired, a few dedicated plantsmen improved the perennial flowering lupin, still further. Today, hybrids are being bred which suit modern tastes for subtler single colours and stronger bi-colours.

Of course, the flowers of these modern hybrids cannot be reproduced from seed. But unless they are protected by plant breeders' rights, you can raise them from cuttings.

Basal cuttings should be taken from the mature plants in the early summer, as the side shoots start to extend to 3 to 4 inches. Run an old knife blade between the side shoot and the main stem, severing them from each other, below the soil level. Remove the lower leaves from the shoot and the tip. Dip the bottom of the cutting in hormone rooting powder and put it into a pot filled with equal parts of grit or sharp sand and peat, or one of its alternatives. Firm the cutting in gently, water it well, drain and place the pot in a plastic bag. Blow into the bag and seal it and place it under the greenhouse bench.

The cuttings should take 2-3 weeks to root. Pot them up into proprietary compost when they are well rooted, keeping them cool and watered. Plant outside in the following spring into your perennial flower garden, where they will make a stand of noble, heavyweight lupin spires, to stand guard over your garden.

These particular perennial flowers are happiest in full sun, with a well draining, slightly acid soil. Do not over feed them, especially with farmyard manure, which many people think they need. This common misconception will result in soft growth which rots the crowns. This in turn will attract the attention of the lupins arch enemies - THE SLUGS AND SNAILS. Just a few of these hungry creatures will devour rows of young lupins in just one night, so make sure you protect them with adeterrent which really works.

Are you looking for help with your garden? Have your perennials failed to flourish?

By: Florrie Bunda
Florrie bunda writes on gardening matters and many of her articles, tips and advice can be found at:
Perennial Flower Garden Ideas

Dendrobium orchid care is no more involved than caring for any other species of orchid. They are a common choice to use as cut flowers because they have a very beautiful and distinctive color and a very string stem. Making the a little Dendrobium orchid perfect for occasions like weddings or a good romantic gift.

But enough with all the waffle, you want to learn how to take care of Dendrobium orchids right? Well, you can't fail with the following tips:

Lighting

These particular orchids love light, and it is important so that they can maintain healthy growth. Provide Bright light, to 50 percent sun. In the home, an east, west or lightly shaded south window. In a greenhouse, about 30 to 50 percent of full sun. Under lights, four 40 watt incandescent bulbs directly over plants. Plants should be naturally erect, without need of (much) stalking, and of a medium olive-green color.

Temperature

The temperature for your Dendrobium orchid care is important as well. Temperature is directly proportional to the amount of light so both should be looked at carefully. As a guide temperature below 50F and above 90F are not a good idea. Ideally there will be a difference of about 10 degrees between night and day.

Watering

Keep evenly moist while in active growth. Allow to dry between waterings after growth is mature (indicated by terminal leaf). The trick is to keep in wet, but not too wet. For adivce on how to do this visit the site mentioned at the end of this article

Humidity

Dendrobiums need 50 to 60 percent. In the home, place on trays over moistened pebbles. In greenhouse, use a humidifier if conditions are too dry. Humidity trays can be purchased from gardening stores but its much better and cheaper to just make your own.

Potting

Should be done every two to three years before mix loses consistency (breaks down). Pot firmly in medium, giving aeration and ample drainage, allowing enough room for two years' growth. Dendrobiums grow best in pots small for the size of the plant. For the best Dendrobium orchid care though, don't repot unnecessarily as this will do more harm than good.

By: Jeremy Sleigh
There is much more to learn about Dendrobium orchid care and this article is just the beginning. There are factors such as fertilizer, humidity and general orchid care to be considered. To discover all the secrets about caring for you Dendrobium orchids just click here.

Growing chilies is relatively simple and can be achieved by anyone, no matter how small a space you have even if you only have a small balcony or even only a windowsill. Below are a few tip to help you increase your crop.

1. Extend the growing season

Chillies need time, especially if you are growing in a relative cool climate. In order to get a head start on what can be a short growing season all you need to do is plant your chillie seeds and germinate them indoors. By doing so you're able to plant the seeds before the risk of frost passes as Spring arrives. By the time you can put plants outside, you should already have seedlings a few centimeters tall, giving them a good head start on the summer.

2. Use artificial lighting

Chillies love light. Again while you wait for summer to fully kick in you may find that your chillie seedlings get rather leggy (tall and spindly). This is very common amongst chillies planted too early as they grow tall and thin while trying to stretch for light. To combat the problem you could try using artificial lighting to boost their growth until you can put the plants outside.

3. Pinch out young seedlings

It is well known amongst gardeners that pinching the tops off small plants (about 15cm tall) encourages them to grow more bushy and focus less on growing tall and slim. This may seem a harsh act to commit however in the long run a bushier plant will generally produce more flowers, and that will lead to the plant producing more fruit.

4. Feed the chillies

There are many weird and wonderful feeds on the market. Though none of them are essential you may find they help. In general growing chillies can be thought of as very similar to growing tomatoes. When your plants start to fruit, feeding the with a tomato food (high in nitrogen) will help the plant increase its yield.

5. Pick the chillies

It may seem obvious but you should pick the chillie fruit as soon as they are ripe, or even just before to allow them to ripen off the plant. Picking the fruit will encourage the plant to produce more.

By: James C Kerr
For further information click here for growing chillies, grow lights or any other chilli pepper information, please visit the author's website.