Organic Gardening - Reasons Pepper Plants Can Turn Yellow

Organic Gardening - Reasons Pepper Plants Can Turn Yellow By John Yazo John Yazo Level: Platinum My name is John Yazo. I enjoy Organic Gardening with heirloom plants, planting/gardening. Tomatoes plant easily in an organic garden, vegetable gardening with organic methods ... ...

One of the most common problems that the home gardener have with their pepper plants is the yellowing of their leaves. This can be caused by a few different reasons. The first is the lack of nitrogen and magnesium, another reason is chlorinated water, soil splash on the lower leaves from watering and a fungal problem.

The first reason, the yellowing of leaves is most of the times caused by a lack of nitrogen and magnesium in the garden's soil. This can be simply a result of the nutrients being leeched from the soil due to excess water. Pepper plants only need 1" of water per week. Another reason is the plants may need an application of fertilizer that is high in nitrogen to get past this problem.

Normally you wouldn't want to give pepper or tomatoes a high dose of nitrogen, it will usually result in lush foliage and not a strong harvest. You need to get the plants healthy again, so if they need a dose of nitrogen do it sparingly.

Another thing that works for me is to apply an epsom salt spray to my pepper plants. Epsom salt will supply magnesium and calcium that can be absorbed by the leaves for a quick recovery. You may want to try this foliar spray. I mix 3 tablespoons of epsom salt to one gallon of water and spray the foliage.Then I apply a slow release organic fertilizer that is high in nitrogen to the soil around the plant. At this time I remove any flower buds so the plants can solely concentrate their energy on there foliage. There is still plenty of time for a productive harvest.

If chlorine is the problem, you can simply rid the water of chlorine by just running the water into a bucket and letting the bucket stand for a few hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate.

Lower leaves that turn yellow on your pepper plants can be simply caused from soil splash when watering. They will yellow and wilt. Remove these yellow leaves and your plants should do just fine.

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.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

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How to Get Rid of Garden Ants

How to Get Rid of Garden Ants By C. Andrew Smith C. Andrew Smith Level: Basic The author has worked in the fields of Pest Control and asbestos Consultancy and is an avid fly fisherman in his spare time....

The common Garden or Black Ant (Lasius niger) can be a persistent nuisance for many, especially through the summer months. This species of ant does not bite or sting and is not associated with spreading pathogens. Therefore, having Garden Ants in your home will not present a risk to your health.

Garden Ants live in colonies or "nests". Each nest will have a Queen and several hundred workers. Large nests may have workers numbering into the thousands. The Queen is approximately 15mm in length and her sole purpose is to lay eggs. The workers are typically 4-5mm in length and their tasks are building/maintaining the nest and gathering food. It is their desire for sweet/sugary foods that bring these ants into contact with humans.

Worker ants will leave the nest each day to forage for food. When they find a suitable food source, the worker will return to the nest leaving a scent (pheromone) trail by tapping its abdomen on whatever surface it is travelling upon. Other workers will pick up on this scent trail and before long, you will have a constant stream of ants travelling between the nest and the food source.

Garden Ants like to build their nests in well-drained soil, typically with a high sand content. This explains why paved gardens are prone to Garden Ant activity. They can be quite intuitive and take advantage of other nesting places such as rotten timber, brickwork (tunnelling into mortar) and even in large plant pots. Keep an open mind when searching for the nest!

Flying Ants

During mid to late summer, newly hatched queen and drone (male) ants will leave the nest en-mass. These ants are winged and are commonly called "Flying Ants". Theses ants will mate whilst flying - show offs! And shortly afterwards the males will die, the queens will return to earth, shed their wings and look for a suitable place to start a new nest.

Eradicating ants from your garden can be a thankless task and, if they are not entering your home and causing a nuisance, are best left alone. If they are causing a nuisance, your first plan of action should be to try and locate the nests. It is quite common to have more than one nest in the average garden. Look for sandy deposits in cracks and gaps amongst any paving. Nest entrances look like mini volcanoes of sand with a small hole in the centre. There are likely to be several entrance holes for one nest. Check under plant pots, around the base of your walls and beneath any long-standing garden junk (old pieces of timber, planks, bags of waste/cuttings, etc). If you have a stream of ants marching to and from your kitchen, try and follow them (keep in step) to reveal where their nest is.

Treating With Insecticide

If you find the nest the best way of destroying it is to flood it with a water-based insecticide. Insecticide availability will vary from country to country. Your local Garden Centre or DIY retailer should be able to advise you which products are suitable.

Using a low-pressure sprayer, like those used for applying weed killer, place the sprayer nozzle directly into the nest entrance hole and apply the spray. Be careful not to over-pressurize your sprayer. You just need a gentle flow of liquid and gravity will ensure the insecticide reaches the bottom of the nest. Too much pressure and you risk "blast-back" as the spray rebounds off the ground to drench your face. Make sure you are wearing the correct protective equipment indicated on the product label, usually a mask, goggles and gloves. You should see that the nest has been flooded when the insecticide starts to bubble out of the other entrance holes. Bare in mind that the nest can have many chambers and tunnels underground so wait for a few seconds and apply the spray again to make sure that as much of the nest as possible is flooded by the insecticide. Surface spraying in the garden is not advised as the insecticide is not discriminating in its action and will kill any insect that comes into contact with it. The insecticide will also be broken down at the molecular level by sunlight UV and rainwater and so will have no long lasting effect.

If you cannot locate any nest, the only option available to you is to create a barrier along your building perimeter to deter the ants from entering. You can use the same water-based insecticide for this, or you can use an insecticide powder. The powders have a much longer life than the sprays but are unsightly and rather messy. Both the insecticide spray and powder will kill any ants that come into contact with them but the powders also create a physical barrier and most ants will detect the powder and choose not to cross it. To create your barrier, look for any possible entry points in your home, these could be under doors, around pipes, cracks in window frames/skirting and through ventilation bricks. Apply your insecticide (powder or spray) on the inside and outside at each point. Be aware that the external barrier will need to be replenished after any rain. If you are using a powder, try not to go over the top and just use a light dusting, as there will come a time when you will want to remove it.

Ant control can be an ongoing problem principally because they nest outdoors and any treatment is liable to be neutralized by adverse weather. With this in mind, be sure to check your local weather forecast before you start your treatment.

The author has spent over 15 years working in the Pest Control industry. For more about pest control at home please visit http://www.PestControl-At-Home.com

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How to Make a Hydroponic System - The Secret to Making an Excellent and Simple System

How to Make a Hydroponic System - The Secret to Making an Excellent and Simple System By Floyd Reynard

Learning how to make a hydroponic system is great. You are building a very powerful system that is able to grow plants better and faster than any other method we know of.

This article will show you how to build a wick hydroponic system. This is a simple system but can very effective. It works by using a fabric wick to soak up water and nutrients from a reservoir below. It is so good that you can leave it unattended for a few days at a time with no issues.

Below are the steps to show you how to make a hydroponic system;

For this system, use two containers, One larger (the water reservoir) and one smaller one (the container which holds the plant). The idea is to have the smaller container wedged into the larger container without touching the bottom of the larger container.

What sort of larger container should you use?

Use a bucket which has straight sides. Paint it black on the inside, to prevent algae from growing.

What sort of smaller container should you use?

Use a normal plastic plant pot, that is tapered (i.e. make sure that it is wider at the top than the bottom). Most plant pots fit this description. Ensure that the top of this container is wider than the top of the larger container.

Also make sure, that the bottom of the smaller container, is narrower than the top of the larger container. This container should slide inside the larger container, but not all the way. It should also not touch the bottom of the large container.

What do you do next?

Drill a hole in the bottom of the smaller container. Through this, thread a large cotton wick. You can use some thick cord from the hardware. Use a cord which is about half an inch thick.

Make sure it is long enough, to go from the water reservoir at the bottom, to halfway into the smaller container. The smaller container is where the plant and growing medium will be. The wick will constantly carry water and nutrients to the plant.

Also drill a hole in the side of the larger container just below where the small container sits. This will allow for any excess liquid, to drain out of the side of the larger container, and not flood the smaller container.

Fill the smaller container with a combination of Perlite and Vermiculite, ensuring that the wick goes well into the mixture. Your hydroponic system is now set up and ready for planting. Carefully wash any soil from the roots of the plant which you are going to use. Carefully plant it into its new home.

Now all you need to do is water your new plant with an appropriate nutrient solution. Make sure you water it enough, so that the water reservoir at the bottom fills up. All you need to do now is to check that the reservoir at the bottom does not run completely dry.

Whenever it is nearly empty, water it again to fill it up. In hot weather, this may be every few days, and in cool weather it may be every couple of weeks. That's all there is to setting up a hydroponic wick system.

Do you want to learn even more about hydroponics?

Hydroponics is constantly evolving. The more knowledge you have the more successful you will be. To really get great advice, on how to make a hydroponic system, read and watch hydroponic secrets. This is a key guide which will make you very successful, very quickly.

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Beginner Organic Gardening

Beginner Organic Gardening By Amy Cohen

There are many reasons to learn beginner organic gardening. Creating an organic garden is simple and easy and does not require as much work as you would think. A little know-how goes a long way.

As an Organic Gardener myself, I hope these tips will help you create your own organic garden.

The first thing is to choose a location for your vegetable garden. Choose a location that receives the most sun through out the day. Plants love the sun. Determine where the sun rises and sets so you can choose where to plant accordingly to size so that no plant shades another.

There are different types of beds you may want to create such as a raised bed or create a border. Till your soil with organic soil conditioner or organic soil to create the best possible soil for your vegetables to thrive.

After you decide on the location and size, it's time to choose what vegetables you want to plant now that you are learning beginner organic gardening. Depending on your location and size choose your plants accordingly and what you will consume.

I made the mistake of planting too many different plants for the space I had. I had cucumber and watermelon vines all over, even up my deck. Squash plants grow huge and produce lots of squash! Remember your plants will grow so plant your seedlings taking into consideration that they will get bigger. I had so many vegetables I was giving away tomatoes, eggplant and squash to my neighbors.

For smaller beds, you can plant taller plants such as tomatoes, string beans and eggplants. You can even use a planter for your tomatoes or even the new topsy turvy hangers.

After you have planted your seedlings, we are so excited to watch our organic vegetable grow. It's very rewarding to see the fruits of our labor flourish. I checked my garden every day with growing excitement and beamed with pride at each new flower that would eventually become a vegetable.

Water your organic garden every day. I water in the morning, works for me and prevents fungus. If your plants are in a planter, they tend to dry out quicker, so keep a sharp eye on them.

Every garden especially a vegetable garden tends to get some pests, such as slugs and beetles, use natural and organic pesticides for your garden.

Amy Cohen is an organic garden who loves to share her tips and tricks about organic gardening. "There is nothing better than getting your hands in the soil and watching your plants grow!!! Getting a fresh organic tomato off the vine, doesn't get any better than that!!!"

Don't miss more tips and techniques...go Beginner Organic Gardening

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How to Build a Raised Garden Bed

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed By Joanne Jones Joanne Jones Level: Platinum Joanne Jones is the owner of Beautiful Creations, an online store featuring original cross stitch patterns designed by Joanne. Joanne started Beautiful Creations as a ... ...

Raised garden beds are an excellent way to add beauty, interest and practicality to your yard. They look wonderful, but only if they are done properly. The main key to remember is to build a stable, solid foundation that is always level. It's a lot of work, but not difficult if you know what to do. Here are the steps you need to follow to create your very own raised garden bed.

Buy the bricks that you will be using. Bricks come in different sizes and shapes. If you want a square or rectangle garden bed, you can buy square bricks. However, if you would like the garden bed to have curves in the wall, then you will need to buy bricks that are trapezoid shaped - that is they have one side that is longer than the other.

Next, choose a spot in your yard where you would like to create a raised garden bed. Then, lay out the bricks on the grass to determine the shape of your garden bed. Your goal here is to come up with a design that you like and to determine the number of bricks you will need for your project. Remember to do all four sides of the garden bed. Once you have a design you like, then use a marker to number the bricks. Place the number on the top of the brick. For example, if you have 30 bricks, number them 1/30, 2/30, etc. This marker will be permanent, but since the bricks will be covered it doesn't matter.

You are now ready to remove the grass below the bricks. Use an edger and go around the edge of the bricks on both sides. Push the edger deep enough in the ground to cut the grass so that it will be easy to remove. Once you have gone around all the bricks, you can remove them and place them to the side. Remove the grass - start with where the bricks were placed. Once that grass has been removed, you can dig down a few inches. Then remove the remaining grass.

Once all the grass has been removed, you are ready to prepare the foundation for the bricks. The bricks must sit on at least two inches of screening and must be two inches below the ground from the lowest point of the garden. This last point is very important, as most yards will have a slight slope to them, however, you do not want your garden bed to have a slope. It must be level; otherwise it will not be stable or attractive looking.

What is Safe to Use For Mulch Or Compost in a Vegetable Garden?

What is Safe to Use For Mulch Or Compost in a Vegetable Garden? By Francis King

As a gardening enthusiast, you should know the importance of mulch. Mulch is spread on top of the soil close to the plants or vegetables to prevent the soil drying up, erosion and the growth of weeds. Mulch can be made up of a variety of materials such as wood chips, sawdust, straw, dried leaves, twigs etc. Actually, whatever you use to make compost can generally be used as mulch. But the difference between mulch and compost is that mulch is spread on top of the soil whereas compost is better worked into the soil by digging because compost is your vegetables' natural fertilizer. So for mulch, just spread them on top of the soil close to the vegetables and dampen them with water.

Almost all plant residue (pruning, cuttings, fallen leaves etc) can be used as mulch. But when it comes to Oleander, you need to be careful. The Oleander is an evergreen plant that can grow to heights of between 6 to 12 feet and up to 20 feet wide. It flowers between summer and early fall. The size of the flower is about 1 ½ inches in diameter. They can have single or double petals with colors like white, red, pink, rose, salmon or magenta. Found mainly in South Asia and the Mediterranean, every part of the Oleander is poisonous especially its milky sap. In fact, eating only a few leaves can kill a small child. The plant's leaves are also coated with a certain kind of dust which can make you sick if you were to breathe it into your lungs or have contact with it on your skin. The dust is especially abundant in summer when it's dry and hot. So if you want to prune or cut an Oleander plant, do so after a heavy rain. Also, protect yourself with gloves so as not to come into contact with the sap. So can the Oleander be used as mulch or compost?

Research shows that when Oleander is added into the compost heap, its toxin known as oleandrin depletes after 50 days. So when the compost is added to the soil, it does not harm the vegetables. Studies with lettuce (which are quick blooming vegetables) and tomatoes (which are slow in getting ripe for harvest) both do not detect Oleander's toxic substances in them. But using Oleander as mulch is riskier because the Oleander parts are not as decomposed as in compost. Hence it is better to be safe than sorry. If you wish to use Oleander as mulch, use them on ornamental plants (like flowers) but not vegetables.

If you do add Oleander into your compost, leave the compost to mature beyond 50 days and make sure every part of the plant is decomposed and no longer visible in its original form before using the compost. Even then, always thoroughly wash the vegetables before cooking and eating them. This is a good practice anyway.
Taking these necessary precautions, you may use Oleander as mulch or compost.

How to Plant a New Garden

How to Plant a New Garden By Douglas Hill

When gardening, before anything is planted, it is highly recommended that the soil is prepared properly. To learn more about this go to my article Soil Prep For Your New Garden for more info on this area.

There are two ways you can plant your garden, from transplants or seeds.

There are a few decisions you will need to make before buying your seeds. First you should take a good look at your garden and be realistic with the amount you can plant. It is better to have more plants and little variety than lots of variety and not enough room to grow a substantial amount of anything. For new gardeners, choosing your seeds will be a little difficult as well. You want to strike a balance between their ability to tolerate disease, the amount of time you have daily to put into your garden, and the time of the season they will mature.

There are numerous places to buy seeds. You can go to a nursery, gardening centers, online, or from mail order catalogue. I would recommend you buy new seeds every year to avoid poor germination the next season. You also do not want to save seeds from your harvest to plant next year. I know that it sounds like a nice sustainable way to produce a good harvest year after year but the problem lies with the fact that we plant more than one vegetable in our garden at a time. The plants that would grow from seeds from last year's harvest will be hybrids of the plants they are supposed to be, due to cross pollination with other plants in your garden. Another thing to remember is that seeds can transmit disease from one year to the next so save yourself a lot of work and aggravation and just buy new seeds every year. One last thing to remember about handling your seeds is that they are chemically sprayed to kill off any disease that may be on or in the seed. This practice also helps prevent the seeds from rotting before you can get them in the ground. So always remember to wash your hands when you are done.

Now it is time to plant your new seeds. There are two methods you can employ; you can sow your seeds by scattering them or planting them in furrows. I would recommend you take the time to plant them properly in furrows so you can regulate the amount of seeds you plant in every square foot of your garden. When planting, try to shoot for a depth of not more than three times the seeds thickness. If you plant too deep the seed may germinate and be too deep to make it to the surface and if too shallow it may be washed away by rain or watering or it may be blown away by the wind. After you add a little bit of mulch on top of your seed row to help you conserve moisture all you have to do is watch and wait.

If you decide to go with the transplant route there are a few more points I want to make to ensue your transplants take. First you need to "harden" your plants. It doesn't matter if you choose to buy them or grow them yourself you must acclimatise your new plants to the outdoors. I recommend you keep your plants in a shady, dry, and windproof location outdoors for 8-10 days before planting. Over the course of this time you should gradually increase their exposure to the sunlight so they can get used to the warmth of the sun. Also to note, during the hardening period you should allow your plants to dry out a little between watering. The hardening period will help your young plants get used to the harsher conditions when growing outdoors than inside a garden center or your home. The day before planting give them a good watering to help them

Them main goal of transplanting is to not disturb the roots too much. It is nice when you can buy your transplants if biodegradable peat pots because you can just plant them into the soil, pot and all. The only recommendation is for you to make sure you completely bury the pot because it can wick out the water from around the plant. If in a non biodegradable pot then you should carefully take the plant out of the pot and gently tease the roots free from the big ball that they have probably become. Plant immediately and only do one plant at a time. Do not take them all out of their pots and then try to plant them.

Once you plant your new plants they may need protection from direct sunlight or frost (depending on the season you plant in). If you are concerned about the sun then lay a wood board down, leaned up so it creates a sun shade. If the possibility of frost is the problem then drape plastic over you plants to avoid getting frost on them. If you use plastic make sure to put small holes in it to allow the plant to breath during the day. You could burn your plants instead of save them.