Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Ideas For Garden

Coming up with your own landscaping idea

It is not all that easy to always come up with your own landscaping idea. In fact, most people are going to need a little help with their landscaping, it is a good thing that it is easy to find a landscaping idea to use.

There are a few places that you can get some fantastic landscaping ideas and probably the best place is the internet. You will find hundreds of sites on the internet that will all have a great landscaping idea or two for you to take and make your own. It is important that you put a lot of though and consideration into the landscaping of your yard in the front and in the back so finding the perfect landscaping idea is essential to your success.

You should start by taking a walk around your property in order to get a good sense of what can be done. See how the drainage is and check out the slopes and levels of your property. This way you will be able to tell which landscaping idea is right for you right off the bat. The more you notice the easier things will be. It would be terrible to choose a landscaping idea and then start work only to find that it cannot be completed halfway through due to some aspect of your property. This is why you need to find out all that you can about each landscaping idea that you are contemplating using.

And before you choose the final landscaping idea that you are going to use take a little extra time to learn the basics of landscaping. This is imperative if you have never done any work like this before. If you re new to the whole world of landscaping then you might want to take out a book or two from the library. This way you do not have to pay for them and you will still get all that they have to offer. There is a lot of be gained from reading some good landscaping books, you might even find a landscaping idea in them.

If you know that you want to change the landscaping in your front yard and your back yard then you need to use a landscaping idea that will incorporate both of these. Your front and back yards should flow together, this will give you the best possible design so look at a landscaping idea that will give you this kind of harmony and you will have a better yard for it.

The product offers step by step blueprints and pictures of over 7250 different landscaping designs. The creator, Helen Whitfield offers a simple, efficient and user-friendly online gallery for landscaping inspiration to design your dream landcsape. Inside this massive database, you'll find 1'000s of landscaping pictures in 60+ categories consisting of:

• Backyards
• Front Yards
• Gardens
• Patios
• Decks
• Walkways
• Lawns
• And Many More...

This massive collection of photos, ideas, and simple step-by-step details is designed to help home owners make some progress with their plan to liven up their home with the perfect landscaping.

Enhance the Growth of Agro Product With Bio Control Agent

Agriculture is one of the most important parts of every country and most important concept behind agriculture is food. It defines the political and social stability of any nation. Agro-Products have become one of the important things for human beings and animals, these products are essential to survive. Agriculture industry is also forming several raw materials for numerous plants. A variety of crops are grown including food crops like chillies, ground nuts, maize, onions, sugar, tea, rice, sesame seeds and more. Bacteria play a major role in enhancing the efficiency of soil for the food crops. These are the smallest microbes present in the soil. 

Some of the bacteria are fragile that can be killed by slight changes in the soil environment. There are some bacteria which can lie dormant for few decades and keeps on waiting for some favourable conditions. Some of the bacteria release antibiotic substances and gain advantage in the process of extracting toxic substances. Different types of bacteria include decomposers, nitrogen fixers, disease suppressers, Aerobes and anaerobes and Actinobacteria. Bacteria are the kind of decomposers which play an important role in the decomposition of organic materials. 

Decomposition takes place in the early stages when moisture level is high. In the later stages, fungi tend to dominate. Pseudomonas fluorescence is one of the popular examples of the decomposers bacteria. Addition of these bacteria to soil has not proved to speed up formation of compost and humus in soil. While we talk about pseudomonas then one would tend to panic as they can cause some infections in human beings. When this bacterium is applied to soil then it can aid plants resistance to other harmful bacteria. These bacteria generate an antibiotic which is helpful in the growth of plants. They can act as the bio-control agents. They also play another environmental role which is bioremediation. This is a kind of treatment of organic contaminants in the soil and surface. 

These bacteria have the ability to digest some organic compounds which may create pollution including petroleum, crude oil compounds, coal solvents and others. Like human beings, soil also requires some nutrients and minerals for the growth. Bacteria management involves the addressing of several health problems in soil like acidity, they ensure about the good ground cover and build organic matter. There are several manufacturers which are offering several bio-control agents for the crops which are helpful in enhancing the food crops or the agro products. 

Bacteria are the group of micro-organisms which can be proved as the antibiotics to crops. These bacteria are helpful in addressing various kinds of health problem in soil including acidity and they generate the organic matter to enhance the agro products.Mr. Murughasan, in 1974 at the tender age of 24, setting out from nagapattinam, a small town in tamil nadu, india, with a paltry sum of rs. 750 in his pocket and a dream in his heart, started his ambitious business journey. He tirelessly went after his passion, led from the front, ignited the same passion, commitment and sense of pride in achieving the goals amongst his colleagues and team members, and turned a small agro based company into a huge, successful business venture in the international market. Read more : Isnare

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Constructing and Maintaining Organic Vegetable Garden

To grow your organic vegetable garden is not a difficult thing and in fact many people who enjoy gardening are now turning to organic gardening methods. This doesn't mean that you need to grow only organic herbs and vegetables in your garden. Organic gardening can encompass all aspects of gardening, including a flower garden or an ornamental garden as well. ( Learn How To Grow Organic Food With Less Than 8 Hours Work A Year.)

 Just because you want to have an organic vegetable garden that doesn't mean that you only need to stick with the organic vegetable garden. You can expand to include such things as herbs as well if you like, not mention flowering plants and others. (How to grow herbs and veggies in small space)

The one thing that you do want to look out for when you're growing your organic vegetable garden alongside your flower garden, is that your flower garden is also grown organically. After all, it kind of defeats the purpose of growing an organic vegetable garden if right next to it you use all sorts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in your flower bed. (How to create white house garden)

Other than that you should be fine when constructing and maintaining your own organic vegetable garden, but if you feel that you neighbor's pesticide filled garden is too close to your own garden and that all your good efforts are going to waste you might want to look at either moving your own organic vegetable garden further away, or using pots, tubs and troughs to grow your vegetable garden.  

 The first thing that you need to decide when planting your organic vegetable garden is what types of vegetables you want to have. The next thing is to finding the right place to have your garden, along with how large you want, or can have, your garden. It is entirely possible to grown your organic vegetable garden in a small closed off patio on the 44th floor of your high rise apartment as long as you are willing to accept your limitations and work with them.

This means being aware that although you might want to plant an acre's worth of organic vegetable crops, you will instead have to make do with a small 4x4 or even smaller sized enclosure in which to grow your organic vegetable garden. 

(A Complete Hydroponic Gardening Guide)

 
Once all of these things have been factored in and you have a rough idea of what you want in your organic vegetable garden, and how big you want your garden to be, you can then move on to the serious subject of just where to get your organic vegetable seed or plant stock from.

Here, you might have to make a decision as to whether you want your organic vegetable garden to be planted from completely organic seed or plant stock, or whether, if you have difficulty in obtaining these, you want to resort to using plant stock from a nursery which is not organic, but which you will grow from scratch utilizing organic methods. Once all these are done, you can then get started on your organic vegetable garden. Read more many more - articlebase,

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Make your own liquid fertilizer

Liquid Fertilizers Make You Plant Grow Healthier. Read the benefit of using it .

Making your own liquid fertilizer is a simple task that can be done in just a few minutes. Then it's just a matter of waiting for it to mature, which can take up to a month.

The basic equipment you need is a large plastic container with a tightly fitting lid. The container must never have been used for toxic chemicals.

Make different brews, depending on what you're wanting to accomplish. When it has matured, dilute to a pale yellow colour, otherwise it may be too strong. Then use as you need it.

Weeds
Often if you have a particular weed problem in your garden, it is there to help restore the balance of nutrients in the soil. If you make a liquid manure from that particular weed and use it as a foliar spray, it will often reduce the recurrence of that weed. 

Also, deep-rooted weeds such as dandelion, dock, yarrow, burnet and wire-weed bring nutrients to the surface that have leached down into the sub-soil  Nettle ‘Tea'

A brew made from stinging nettles (Urtica) will encourage growth in spring. Use gloves when pulling up the nettles. You need to fill your container with nettles and completely cover with water. Allow the mix to ferment until the nettles have completely broken down.

Fish
Place fish scraps in your container and just cover with water. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid to prevent flies getting to it (and the smell from getting to you). Let it ferment for about a month. It should be mostly decomposed by then. This brew is a rich source of trace elements, so you need to use it very diluted.

Comfrey
If you want to give your fruiting plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes a boost, try a liquid manure made from comfrey as it is very high in potash. It will break down quickly and with very little solid residue as its leaves contain a high amount of water.

Compost
If you need a fungal preventative, make a tea from compost. The compost must have some animal manure included for this to work. Put some compost in a hessian bag and soak in water for a few days. You'll need to dilute it to the colour of weak tea, then spray on plant leaves every 10 – 14 days. Source : Julie Villani, ArticleBase

See Video How To Make A FREE liquid Fertilizer


Read Other Method to make own liquid fertilizers
Method 2

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How To Double Your Tomato Harvest,

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How To Grow Tomatoes from Seed

Read the history of Tomatoes

First, lets cover what is logically the first step. Germinating the tomato from seeds to seedlings.

The "freshness" of seeds is very important . The shelf life of a tomato seed is generally about 4 years, anything older you will not have much luck germinating unless it has been stored properly. Proper storage of seeds would be in cool, dry conditions. (Read How To Double Your Tomato Harvest)

The soil choice for starting your seedlings is important as well. Soil from your garden is not recommended as it may contain organisms that could be detrimental to your new seedlings. A safe logical choice would be a commercially available seed-starting mix from your local nursery. These mixes are prepared specifically with the seedlings best interest at heart. It is not necessary to choose one boosted with fertilizer, as they may do more harm than good.

 

 Prepare your mix by taking enough to fill your pots and putting it in a clean vessel. It would be wise to let your mix sit overnight so it can settle & soak up all of the moisture before using it!

Your container selection for germinating your tomato seeds can be a varied as you like. You can use anything you like from plastic drinking cups to professional style "flats". Make sure that whatever you use, there are holes on the bottom for drainage of excess water & you have cleaned them with a weak bleach solution, then rinse well. (Read tomato definition)


Since seedlings can be ready to transplant in as little to 6-8 weeks, we want to be ready.

To start planting seeds, first take some of your prepared potting mix and fill your clean flat or cups. We then want to take a seed and place it in the center of the container. We place it in the center, because we do not want the roots to hit the sides of the container while growing. Press the seed gently down into the soil about 1/8 of an inch & cover with a pinch of potting mix. Pack the soil firmly enough to ensure the newly planted seed is secure & in contact with the soil. We need this contact to help transfer moisture from the soil to the tomato seed.
At this time you may want to consider some kind of cover for the germinating seeds. Remember to keep the soil moist as no seed will germinate in dry soil!

So.. now we have tomato seeds planted in the proper soil, in the proper containers, at the proper time. Now what?

well... Place your future tomato plants in a warm area this can be anywhere, just make sure it's warm (70 - 80 degrees F) . Light is not needed at this stage as the seeds are below ground and no photosynthesis is taking place. Under the right conditions, the new tomato plants will start poking out of the soil in about 6-10 days. Once the seedlings pop out of the soil, they will need light, and tons of it.

The new seedlings will need to have lots of light to get a fighting chance at growing properly. To little light an the tomato seedlings stems will grow long and stringy, we definitely do not want this!
If you find your seedlings shooting up right after germination, growing long, looking stringy and weak, they have not received enough light. You should consider discarding these plants and trying again because the likely hood of these plants producing is virtually nil.
I use a grow light purchased from my local hardware store. It's basically a florescent shop light with grow bulbs in them. Using a light is really the best way to get your seedlings going because the need 16 to 18 hours of light per day! So i would recommend purchasing grow lights, if not, try to buy lights that mimic natural light.(Read How To Double Your Tomato Harvest)

 

 When you set up your light, set it up just above the tops of your seedlings and turn it on. Make sure your set-up allows for the lights to be raised as the tomato plants grow. so we have our little seedlings growing along, good soil, nice moisture, lots of light...

You will notice the first two leaves that develop are elliptical in shape, these leaves are called "cotyledons".

The wikipedia.org description for cotyledons: " is a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant. Upon germination, the cotyledon becomes the embryonic first leaves of a seedling...The cotyledons contain the stored food reserves of the seed. As these reserves are used up, the cotyledons may turn green and begin photosynthesis, or may wither as the first true leaves take over food production for the seedling."

So those first two leaves are extremely important as they contain & produce the plants food until the first true leaves can emerge. Take care not to disturb the plants during this stage, if you lose a cotyledon, you may lose your plant!

When you notice new leaves emerging from the stem, in between the cotyledons, rejoice! These are your tomato plant's first true leaves, a sign that you plants are on their way! Now when you tomato seedlings' has a few true leaves growing, it's time to transplant to a larger container. Remember not to count the cotyledons in this! Check out the graphic which outlines 3 stages of the tomato germinating stages. The middle plant is ready to go to a bigger container so the roots can develop properly and grow strong.

Then gently take your seedling, ease them out of their old container and place them in the middle of their new, larger container. Take more potting soil and fill in around the tomato seedling, building the soil up the stem of the tomato plant, just below where the cotyledons are. You may think that you have planted the tomato seedling too deep, but no worries, you haven't!

Transplanting you tomato seedlings in this manner is beneficial for the plant, as it will develop new roots out of the tiny hairs on the side of the stem. So in essence, you helping the tomato become stronger & more resilient by providing more surface area for the root system. Keep on keeping on with you watering & lighting schedule. And keep an eye on the weather outside as well.

After a while if you want to fertilize your plants, this is an acceptable stage to do so. Fertilize sparingly though! A weak fertilizer is the best for plants in this stage of development

Depending on what containers you started with, and what you transplanted to, you may need to transplant a second or third time to make sure your tomato plants do not become root-bound. Root-bound is a condition where the plants roots have covered every possible area inside the container and is now growing into itself , in a tangled mass, like a bowl full of spaghetti. A root-bound plant which is transplanted into the garden without having its roots untangled will not overcome the problem themselves. This is one reason why we want to transplant the tomato seedlings to bigger & bigger containers as they grow inside. If your intention is to grow them on the patio, keep transplanting them until you eventually finally transplant them into the final container.

Be sure to check out more tips on growing tomatoes at www.tomato-blog.com, Articlebase,

  

Other links

Tomatoes Website

 Ranee Garden

 ArticlesBase - Grow Tomatoes

 Grow Tomatoes and double your harvest

 

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Planting A Beautiful Vegetable Garden At Home

Are you looking to plant your very own vegetable garden but you're not sure how to get started? Planting a healthy vegetable garden provides so many benefits including an abundance of healthy organic food and saving thousands on your grocery bills. I don't know about you but I still remember the days when a tomato from the supermarket tasted like a tomato, not anymore unfortunately. 

Vegetable Gardening For Beginners - Tips
Preparation is the key to growing a beautiful and healthy vegetable garden. Planning is critical for setting up a vegetable garden that you can harvest every daily. Vegetable gardening for beginners does not have to be difficult with the correct planning.

First you must decide on your plot, the area for your garden. The ideal spot is somewhere that receives plenty of morning sun and protection from the elements such as wind. Although you maybe limited with the space you have available don't be discouraged as you will be shocked at how much you can grow by maximizing the space you have. Ensure there is sufficient drainage for water run off.

Importance Of Soil Quality
One of the most common vegetable gardening for beginners tips you will hear is never underestimate soil quality. Soil is the life line of a garden do not underestimate it's importance. You must ensure that your soil preparations include checking the soil and preparing it by testing its pH levels. The ideal pH level for your soil is 6.5, if you do not have a test kit you can go to your local garden outlet and let them test it for you.

Don't stress if your levels are out of whack for the moment, you can purchase garden lime that will improve the pH levels of your soil. In a nutshell your pH levels will determine how much nutrients your vegetables will be able to receive.

Preparing Your Plot
Dig your plot and turn your soil over, ensure you dig into a depth of about 12" (30cm) and remove any weeds you find by hand. Avoid using weed killers and they can effect your soil structure and levels. Once your pH levels are in healthy range, wait 4-5 weeks before you begin planting.

The vegetables that you grow will dependent on where you live. Speak to your gardening outlet that will buy seedlings from for the most suitable vegetables. 

Ask about purchasing some organic fertilizer which will be the life blood of your garden. Organic fertilizers such as animal manure, blood and bones as well as compost are terrific choices for providing essential nutrients and moisture.

Growing Vegetables Year Round
The key to planting a successful garden is to have vegetables that you can harvest year round. By doing this you can rotate different vegetables to help ensure the health of your gardening by limiting pests and diseases. One of the most common vegetable gardening for beginners mistakes is insufficient planning and set up process.

If you set up your garden correctly you will have vegetables that you can harvest every single day. With the right planning your garden should require very maintenance and upkeep as it continues to provide fresh, organic food for you and your family for years to come. Source : , Peter T. Gregory ,

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Establish Garden Herbs

Read more about HERBS plant

Herbs have been around since time immemorial. Ever since, herbs have served different kinds of purposes. Herbs have been used to treat illness and also in cooking. They were even believed to have magical charms. Do you want to have your own herb garden? Here are a few ideas on how to establish an herb garden.

Plan you garden.

Consider the herbs you want to plant. Think about their types. Would you like annuals, biennials or perennials?

How much space will they occupy in your garden? If you want, you can purchase a book that can give you the right information on what specific plants you are planning to grow.

List or draw your garden on paper first. Separate the annuals from the perennials so when the time comes that you have to pull out the annuals, you won't be disturbing the perennials. Perennials can be planted on the edge of your garden so when it is time to till your garden; you won't have a hard time.

Another thing to remember is that you have to plant the tall ones at the back and the shorter ones in front. Also, provide your plants with enough space to grow. Proper position shall help you in this area.

Some Design Ideas

You can consider having a square herb bed. You can have your square bed divided into four by two paths crossing at mid point measuring 3 feet. You can border it with stone or brick. A wooden ladder may also do the trick. You can lay it down on your garden and plant your herbs between its rungs. You can also choose to have a wagon wheel bed. Planting here is like planting with the wooden ladders. Plant your herbs in between the wagon wheel's wedges.

Get Your Plants Growing

Of course, different plants have different needs. This is the reason why you have to determine the herbs you want to plant in the planning stage. This can more or less help you find out how you should care for your plants. With starting seeds, remember its germination and soil temperature rules. If you see the seedlings sprouting, check the plants' air circulation, humidity and sunlight. When you see some leaves appear, allow proper spacing.

One of the plants that are easy to grow are herbs. You just have to provide them with an effective drainage, sunlight, enough humidity or moisture and fertile soil. Even with just minimally meeting these requirements they will be bound produce a good harvest. Credit: FreeArticles   See Herb News

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Hydroponics Gardening And How To Do It Indoors

Click Here How To Setup Home Gardening.

 You may have heard of hydroponics gardening before and got either interested or turned off by its gibberish sounding moniker. What exactly is hydroponics may ask.

Hydroponics was derived from the Greek word hydro, which means "water" and ponos, which means "labor or water-working". Hydroponics gardening involves growing plants with their roots in other nutrient solutions and without soil.

Hydroponics gardening is as simple as ordinary gardening. Both of them necessitate sufficient light, water, temperature, light, and humidity. However, with regular gardening, several plants could not survive being indoors. On the other hand, when gardening indoors using hydroponics, growing plants indoors can be a cinch.

In setting up and planning for hydroponics gardening, one may consider these simple guidelines on how to do hydroponics gardening:

1. Hydroponics gardening means that no soil is used but fertilization is required.

Be aware that even if hydroponics gardening does not require the use of soil, your plants need their supplement which they get from water or their food. This is one of the major considerations in hydroponics gardening since it sustains the plants. One has to make sure that this nutrient solution maintains a pH level of 5 to 6 after dilution. In hydroponics gardening, the plants should be watered more than three times a day by using a pump and a timer.

2. Untampered temperature required.

If your hydroponics garden is located indoors, the most suitable temperature is between 71 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, this temperature may change depending on the different types of plant you are working on, e.g. tropical plants.

3. Don't be light on lighting.

Place your plants somewhere they can receive ample amount of light. If you will place your hydroponics garden where there is not enough light, you could use a High pressure Sodium lights or bulbs, which emit artificial illumination.

4. Humidity is a necessity.

In hydroponics gardening, a little amount of air will do. When the room’s temperature rises, the air will be able to hold the sufficient amount of moisture your plants will need.

Another convenience the hydroponics gardener can enjoy is being able to fully automate this kind of gardening system. Since it is water-based, the gardener don't have to attend to his plants that much. This is because water can be reused.

With hydroponics, an excellent yield of quality plants can be easily achieved. Hydroponics systems are also very easy to make from common materials that are readily available in most hardware stores. Source:FreeArticles

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Ten Ways To Cut Your Gardening Costs!

How to bid on food cost with gardening ?

1. Sow your own

The garden centre is an expensive source of plants. Tomato plants were 89p at my local store this year -- yet a packet of seed costs well under two pounds! Growing plants from seed is straightforward, and you'll get lots of advice on The Fool's Gardening discussion board. When it comes to plants like chillies, tomatoes, courgettes and squash, I don't even buy the seeds: each year's crop is grown from seed kept back from some of the previous year's crop.

2. Know what you're planting

Of course, vegetable plants are only part of the picture -- a lot of the plants that are so expensively going through the tills and checkouts at garden centres this time of year are flowers, shrubs and bedding plants. But how many of these are actually destined to be planted in locations where they will flourish? How many will wilt and die? 

So no matter how pretty the picture on the plastic label, do some basic research. Is it suitable for your garden? Where will it grow best? And how do I care for it? The plantforlife website, for example, offers a freely downloadable Plant Advice Guide, produced in conjunction with Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins -- so you may even be able to rope the kids in to help, too!

3. Don't overlook discount retailers

Perhaps surprisingly, discount retailers Aldi and Lidl (and also Woolworth's and Wilkinson's) often come in for praise on our Living Below Your Means board for fruit trees and other perennials, such as raspberry canes -- check out this series of posts, for example, where shoppers compare notes on fruit trees at Lidl and Aldi.

4. Take cuttings

If a friend or neighbour has a plant you like the look of, ask if you can take a cutting. The success rate is reasonable (and gets better with practice), and the cost -- free! You can't get cheaper than that! Here's some excellent advice from sandersj89, a stalwart on the Fool's gardening board, offering excellent advice on taking cuttings.

Seeds

5. Don't over-buy

Not every plant can come from last year's seed: we all like to try something different, and some plants don't readily lend themselves to seed-saving. Avoid having loads of unsown seed by not buying more than you need! (Be honest: how many unopened packets of seed have you got?) Another option: go 'halves' with friends or neighbours, a policy that can be carried forward to sowing and potting on, too, with ready-for-planting plants simply swapped at the end.

6. Search out cheap seed

Still another option is cheap or end-of-season seed. eBay, for example, has quite a range on offer as this search highlights. Don't forget your local supermarket, either: seeds from Tesco are reasonably priced, while Lidl's range is superb and its prices stunning. Watch out too, for the end-of-season sale at Woolworth's -- spotted and posted about most years, usually, by some kind Fool on the Living Below Your Means or Gardening boards.

Here's last year's post, for example. Look at the date (early June), and make a note in the diary to watch out for next season's sell-off! (Hint: Our local Woolies has now taken the discounted seeds off the shelves, and put them in the stockroom at the back. You have to ask staff to bring out the boxes they are in -- but they still go through the till at 60p. I bought some more myself, today, saving several pounds.) 

7. A pinch will do!

Every year, I see people who've sowed an entire packet of seed when all they needed was a few plants. Often, just a pinch or two of seed will do -- so save the rest for next year! With the foil sachet sealed shut, and kept in a dry place indoors (not the garden shed!), the germination rate will hardly differ. We've a packet of Lidl basil seeds, purchased for a ludicrously cheap 35 pence or so, that's now in its third year! For other LBYM tips on vegetables and herbs, see this post from popular Fool poster Freda42.

Avoid, too, sowing things for which your garden isn't suited, or sowing when it's too wet/ too cold/too dry. There's nothing more frustrating than sowing seeds and nurturing young plants that subsequently die. The Plant Advice Guide mentioned above can help, also take a look at this post by sandersj89

Finally, if you're a fan of home-grown beans and peas, don't buy packeted seed. Old-fashioned pet and garden shops, as well as farm supply shops and some garden centres, sell seed loose, by the scoopful from tubs. It's much cheaper, and you can get the exact quantity you want, rather than having to buy in multiples of a packet.

Garden furniture

8. Impulse-buying is expensive

Garden furniture is a major expense. Don't just pop into the nearest garden centre or buy on impulse at the local out-of-town DIY shed: buying online can save a lot of money.

And buying new isn't the only game in town. Check your local newspaper's small ads for second-hand items. Many Fools have reported favourable experiences with Freecycle -- register with your local branch, and watch out for people giving away unwanted items rather than dumping them. Recycling centres are worth a quick scout, too. 

As ever, give yourself ample time to seek out the best bargain -- the queues at garden centres are driven by people who have to have that special garden item NOW. Instead, why not wait until the end of the season, when many items are marked down in price?

And if you're handy with tools, why not build your own garden furniture as a winter project? Very satisfying, very cheap, and very likely to outlast mass-produced products. You'll find plans here and here. Amazon sell books of plans, too.

9. Look after what you've got

Speaking of 'outlasting', ask yourself why new garden furniture is needed in the first place. Could it be -- cough -- that you haven't looked after the last lot? 

The garden is a harsh environment, and a little basic maintenance goes a long way. Plastic furniture lasts longer when protected from ultraviolet light by covers, while hardwood responds well to teak oil. Buy a couple of litres (bought from a builder's merchant or other low-cost source, naturally), and brush on liberally, ideally after over-wintering somewhere dry. Another tip: replace ordinary steel screws and bolts -- which are liable to rust -- with brass or stainless steel ones, first squeezing a drop of oil into the screw hole.

Garden tools and machinery

10. Quality counts

What about garden tools -- forks, spades, hoes, rakes, shears and the like? My retailer of choice here isn't our local garden centre, but our local recycling centre, where unwanted tools are sold at either £1 or £2. 

What's more, the tools you'll get this way are often much sturdier, and of higher quality, than their flimsy modern equivalents. And don't overlook items with a broken handle, which my local site lets you have for free. A new handle costs £4 or less, so even a broken tool can be a bargain, given a few minutes with a vice and a hammer. (Hint: while hardware stores sell the correct soft iron rivets for attaching new handles, 6mm or 8mm bolts work just as well, and are easier to remove!) Source :  Lovemoney

Read more related topic

1.  8 ways to cut your gardening expenses

2. How to finance your gardening expenses

3. How gardener can be millionaire ?

4. Use compost bins & water butts to cut your expenses

Happy gardening!

Free Urea Based Fertilizer for Gardening

Urea is among popular fertilizer use in agriculture. Commercial urea is paddy field.

Studies indicate that each person's waste fluids can provide enough nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to grow a year's supply of wheat and maize for that person. According to some studies, human waste can be an even more effective fertilizer than animal manure. (What is urea?)

Urine, which comprises 90 percent of human waste, contains about 80 percent of our waste's fertilizer value. It can be applied to field crops without treatment because it is generally sterile. By the way "fresh urine" does not contain any bacteria, unless the person has a urinary tract infection, so you could even use it to wash out wounds without causing any infections,

Human urine can be used as an alternative to chemical fertilizer to reduce pollution in air, water and soil and help avoid or control other environmental hazards which surface due to the use of chemical fertilizer, Human urine contains nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium at a much higher ratio than in commercial fertilizers and is environmentally safe to use.

If you want to use urine to fertilize your gardens, keep in mind that when urea becomes ammonia, it also becomes volatile and part of it strips into the air. Both ammonia and nitrates are also very soluble and if not picked up by plant's root systems can enter groundwater with the irrigation water. So it would be best to keep gardens moist but not over watered, but these are similar problems faced by people who use other forms of fertilizers.

Problems urine causes

Most toilets use between 50 and 100 litres of water daily to flush away one to 1.5 litres of human excrement.

Urine is the largest contributor of nutrients to waste water, estimated as 50% of phosphorus and 80% of nitrogen.

The high level of nutrients in sewerage runoff leads to the consequent growth of algae, resulting in the lack of oxygen and the death of plants and animals on river, estuarine and sea beds.

Problems Chemical Fertilizers cause

Serious environmental hazards are often associated with the use of chemical fertilizers. In industrialized countries, for example, indiscriminate use of these substances has polluted water supplies. Dangerously high levels of chemicals have been reported in nearly one-fourth of Europe's groundwater supplies.

Advantages of Urine Fertilizer

One advantage in using urine, as a fertilizer is that much of the urine is available in ideal chemical forms: nitrogen is in the form of urea (ammonia/ammonium which is present at concentrations of approximately 3.5 g/l), phosphorus as superphosphate and potassium as an ion. Urine is almost free from heavy metals - for example, cadmium - because even if we ingest them, they will tend to bind to the liver and kidneys, making the urine much lower in such contaminants than commercial fertilizers.

 Urea outside the body quickly becomes ammonia and will be oxidized by special bacteria (called nitrifiers) into nitrates. All these 'reactive' nitrogen sources can be used to form amino groups for new amino acids, thus then being made into proteins. So make other steps to encourage the soil life in your garden, eg things lie mulching etc.

It helps conserve pure or town drinking water

Reduces the rate and amount of chemical fertilizer runoff into the groundwater and surrounding waterways

Reduces the amount of sewerage runoff

Reduces nutrient build-up in waterways and estuaries and oceans

Reduces your gardening costs, because of less reliance on buying chemical fertilizers.

Uses

Probably best used for non-edible plants, green manure crops and fruit orchards, though there is some usage being noted for edible crops. Apply in under fruiting plants, not onto foliage and fruits.

In a Hydroponics set-up, use it diluted, probably at a ratio of either 10- 20 to 1(water- urine), but keep a close eye on both the ph level and the level of individual salts of the mix in the nutrient storage container.

Dilute urine is also a good additive to a compost pile. Urea also helps break down lignin, accelerating the decomposition of woody materials. On the other hand, urine from somebody with a urinary tract infection or from unknown sources should probably be pasteurised or put in a long-term compost pile (of a year or longer)
before it is used on food crops.

When using a urine fertilizer in container plants, a 10:1 (water: urine) ratio can quickly burn plants in medium to small containers because of the salt and urea build-up, even at a 15:1 dilution rate is very strong for the medium to small containers. While at 20:1 you can use it more frequently (once or twice a week) with good benefits and little danger.

Unfermented urine can supposedly be sprayed as a fungicide. Indigenous people in southeastern Mexico claim that the use of urine as a fungicide was a traditional Mayan practice. However there needs to be a lot more research as to the validity or not of their claims.

While in Korea, they spray the undiluted urine as an insecticide, but again I do not know of any research to prove or disprove their claims.

So why not get out there, and help the environment by assisting in reducing the nutrient flow into the natural ground water and water ways, while saving yourself a bundle in fertilizer costs. Source

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Liquid Fertilizer

A transplanting solution aka Liquid fertilizer feeding solutions have long been popular. Home gardeners use them because they are safe and can be used in many more ways than dry fertilizers and produce results faster. For this reason many homeowners believe liquid plant foods are better than fertilizers made as granulars, like those used in lawn fertilizer.

 Liquid feeding is not a fad. As early as the 16th Century it was found that water coming from muddy streams stimulated the growth of plants while rain water had no such effect. Water in which animal manures had soaked was found to contain plant nutrients by the Chinese in the 17th Century. However, the procurement of water is a laborious process and retarded their use.

Fertilizer solutions may be made at home, bought in bottles or in a form of soluble dry salts. There are a large number of concerning applications of liquid fertilizer for garden use. Dry fertilizers sold for mixing in water are numerous from Scotts, Miracle Gro, Dyna Gro and Schultz. Which is the best liquid form or solution to grow a plant is difficult to say.

A number of years ago large number liquid foods were compared for use as transplanting solutions and the largest yield was obtained with a 1-2-1 ratio (nitrogen-phosphoric acid-potash). This mixture is comparable to a 5-10-5 dry fertilizer which is commonly used for growing commercial crops. 

In deciding which one to use, the only thing I can say is to figure out where you get the most units of plant food for a dollar. These dry mixtures are a little more expensive than dry fertilizer applications because water soluble salts are more difficult to get.

Fertilizer solutions sold in bottles, jugs or barrels are a different story. A gallon of these liquids is now made up to contain 10 pounds of fertilizer. They are highly concentrated and must be diluted before they are used. 

Here again, I can only say that the 1-2-1 ratio has given excellent results. Whether this ratio will stand up under close scrutiny is still some-what of a question. One important factor to keep in mind, however, is that any fertilizer applied dry or in solution will not do much good if the soil is already fertile enough.

“NO fertilizer Should Be Used Unless There Is A Need For It”

Liquid applications have given a good account of themselves when used as transplanting solutions or as starter solutions when applied directly on the seed when sown.

Transplanting solutions contain the equivalent of 6 to 8 pounds of 5-10-5 in 100 gallons of water or a table-spoon to a gallon. About 1/4 to pint of the solution is applied to the roots before they are covered.

Two precautions to observe, however, are:

• Don’t have any dry fertilizer in the soil surrounding the roots
• Don’t press the soil around the roots when they are set with the solution

I have gotten yield increases of 2 to 3 pounds per plant with transplanting solutions over using plain water. On sweet potatoes I have harvested 35 bushels more with the transplanting solution. Shrubs, trees and flowering plants may be fertilized with trans-planting or starter solutions.

Liquid fertilizer applications may, likewise, be used for side dressing or any other purposes where dry fertilizer is used. The crop usually dictates the concentration.

They may be used as they come or diluted with one or two parts of water. In most cases 10 pounds in 50 gallons are sufficient. These solutions may also be placed in a deep furrow and the plants set over it with 2 or 3 inches of soil between the solution and the roots. This method has given exceptionally good results on unproductive sandy soils.

Advantages Over Dry Fertilizer

Liquid fertilizing solutions have other advantages over dry fertilizers. When superphosphate is applied to the average soil we can expect to obtain between 20 to 25 percent back in our plants. When the same amount of superphosphate is applied in solution, we can recover practically all of it. 

For this reason I have obtained as good yields with 500 pounds of 5-10-5 in solution as I got with a ton of dry fertilizer where phosphorus was deficient and nitrogen and potash were not limiting factors.

I had some misgivings about applying liquid fertilizer on acid soils, because I expected to see the phosphorus become unavailable. This did not happen. If anything, the response was better than on a limestone soil. Also when using liquid applications we must keep in mind that magnesium and calcium are not present in the liquid forms and, if needed, we must supply them in the form of limestone.

The newest development in the use of liquid feeding applications, of course, is the spraying of the solution on the foliage and produce great results. Such, methods offer possibilities of growing more crops with the same amount of fertilizer. Source : Plant Care.com