GARDEN + GARDENING + GARDENING TIPS & ADVICE

Growing herbs is a great hobby. They enhance to your cooking, decorate your home and are easy to grow. Many people believe that herbs will not grow properly indoors. This is certainly far from the truth. Many herbs will grow quite contentedly within a home. However, there are a few areas which need a little extra thought.

Below are the 3 most common pit falls and how to avoid them.

1. Sunlight. Herbs like sunlight. Attempt to keep your plants near a bright window that catches plenty of sunlight. If the herbs begin to get long, weak stems then it is a sign that the indoor herb gardens craving additional sunshine. If you are unable to offer natural sunlight to your herbs then you should purchase a growlight. These are special lights which replicate sunlight and help your herbs to flourish.

2. Temperature. Most of us want to be warm in winter. But our heating dries out the air and can upset your herbs. You may possibly discover that the plants flourish better with added moisture. To achieve this you shouldn’t have to go out and purchase expensive humidifiers, you can simply place your herb pots close to a larger bowl which you can fill with stones and water. As your home gets warmer then the water will evaporate and the herbs will perk up almost immediately.

3. Pests. In the cold winter months many of the eggs laid by pests which attack herb gardens will be killed off by the frost. With Indoor Herb Gardens the eggs will not be killed off and you might unexpectedly find your plants are infested. If your herbs are in relatively small pots they are very easy to get rid off. You should get ready a bowl of lukewarm water mixed with a small amount of washing up liquid. Just turn the herb upside-down, holding the soil and roots in place within the pot and swill the leaves about in the water. This will strip off the pest and will not have an effect on the herb. If your indoor herb gardens are in bigger pots then you will need to put the soapy water in a spray and spray the pests. This can take longer and you will want to keep an eye out for re-infestation since you are unlikely to get every one of the eggs at once, but it’ll work just as effectively.

So with plenty of light, humidity to compensate for your central heating system and a watchful eye for pests your Indoor Herb Gardens should quickly be thriving.

If you’re unsure which herbs to start with, try considering which would be the most handy in your kitchen and set up with these. Through growing what you need you’ll soon see the reward and enjoyment available from your indoor herb gardens.

Indoor herb gardens are a great way to enhance your cooking and your home.

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Growing Tomatoes from Seeds – It is Spring and time to start planting

This is a great way to get the tomatoes which you want rather than the ones that are available at the garden centres. They do not regularly have a wide range and with more than seven thousand to select from you should be able to find one which you prefer. You can purchase seeds from many different outlets – online, garden centres, some DIY stores and mail order. Frequently the mail order ones are small plug plants which are more often than not extremely good quality but I have to say for me there is just something about watching that first sprout poke its way out of the compost which I find sadly incredibly fulfilling.

Growing Tomatoes from Seed

If this is your first time at growing tomatoes from seeds it doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. Seedlings can be grown in any little pot or container which has good drainage holes. Yoghurt pots are really good and usually readily obtainable. If you would like to take this up as a hobby it is worth buying seed trays and a propagator, however, if you are just developing a couple of plants to have in a grow bag on your patio, veranda or in your hanging basket, plastic bags with an elastic band around the top of the tub can be just as good as a propagator.

It is always a good thought to grow a few more seeds than you expect to plant just in case you have one of those mishaps which befall us all like knocking plants over or having some small blighter consume them. If you do have spare plants, you can at all times hand them to friends or neighbours and spread the word.

Plant the seeds indoors if possible for quicker germination and keep them in a well lit area, like your conservatory or ledge so they do not get too leggy searching for the light.

The perfect temperature needs to be 18-21ºC (65-70ºF) plus if you are able to use a propagator that will be a plus. This acts as a mini greenhouse for your plants. The base of a fizzy drinks bottle of the correct size can be cut and positioned over the pot can give the same effect. Once the seedling appears and has shed off its seed pod, the plants require to have air circulating or the seedling may rot. Therefore, the top needs to be taken off the propagator.

To summarise:

* The seeds will grow between, eight to twelve days depending on the temperature. It is advisable to water new seedlings in the tray so that they are not knocked over with watering

* If you fancy trying something from the heritage range of tomatoes, you can link up with “The Heritage Seed Library” here in the UK or “The Seed Savers Exchange” in the US both of which have seed swap registers. If you would like to save seeds from the Heritage tomatoes for the following year or to share you can:

* Carefully scoop out the seeds from your chosen tomato

* Place onto a plate taking care to divide them

* Allow them to dry out naturally

* Pop in a paper envelope with details of the tomato and any special growing instructions

* Store in a cool place either in the fridge or the freezer – I put them in the freezer in freezer bags. The zip up ones are good.

If you want to know more about how to plant tomatoes then check out http://www.howtoplanttomatoes.com/

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