Archive for the ‘Landscaping’ Category
Tips to Help You Care for a Bonsai Tree
Growing and caring for a bonsai tree can be both easy and difficult at the same. Therefore it is important that you know how to properly care for a bonsai tree. Care for this type of tree involves watering, pruning and proper planting. A bonsai tree requires a certain amount of sunlight and water. Too much of either can cause more harm to the tree than good and it can actually kill the tree. This is why it is important to know how to take care of the tree before you decide to grow one in your home. One of the most favourite of the bonsai trees is the ficus bonsai tree.
Caring the for the ficus bonsai tree requires a great deal of patience. This type of tree needs to be kept inside all year long. Since it is a small tree and is planted in a small pot, you can occasionally bring the tree outside to give it some fresh air. Just like with other bonsai trees the soil should be given a chance to dry out in between watering. To test the soil you can stick your finger into the soil about an inch down; if you feel moist soil then you should wait to water your tree. However, the key is to not let the soil stay dry for an extended period of time because this could kill the tree. There is a specific way to water a bonsai tree as well. You should allow the tree and the container it is in to soak for about ten minutes. Once it has soaked, you should allow the water to drain from the soil until no more water drips from the bottom of your container.
Replanting of a ficus bonsai tree is an important part of caring for a bonsai tree. It should be repotted once every two years. This is a type of tree that has a tendency to grow slowly but there are times when the bonsai tree will go through a growth spurt and if its container is somewhat small you might want to consider repotting before the two year period has expired. If you allow the tree to grow in a small pot it will begin take over the pot and as a result it will cease to grow after a period of time. If you need to change the pot in which you are growing your bonsai tree you should wait until the early months of spring to do so. After it is in the new pot, it should be watered thoroughly and then kept in the shade for at least a period of three weeks. This will give the root system time to take hold in the new pot.
Caring for the Ficus Bonsai tree means that you need to understand how your tree will react to the different temperatures and weather conditions during the different seasons. It is important that the bonsai tree is kept indoors during the winter months because it is not able to withstand cold temperatures. However, while indoors the tree must be kept in a sunny area so that it does get the proper amount of light. The temperature should be kept between 60 and 65 degrees at all times.
For more information on bonsai tree care,tips to help you care for a bonsai tree and other bonsai tree related information visit http://www.MyBonsaiTree.com
Overview of the Bonsai Tree
In Chinese bonsai means potted plant and is the art of miniaturization of trees by actually growing them in trees. Cultivation of the Bonsai includes techniques for growing, watering and shaping these trees and this art originated in China during the Han Dynasty. In western civilizations the word bonsai is used to mean the growing and shaping of miniature trees. Bonsai trees were used in the Japanese culture to decorate homes and gardens. The oldest known Bonsai trees can be found in Tokyo, where they are said to be four hundred to eight hundred years old.
Today the Bonsai is considered a miniature or dwarf tree; however it was not always this way. They are kept small by being cultivated and confined to pots. There is a technique that can be used to grow dwarf bonsai and keep it small. This is the art of pruning the leaves of the tree and also the roots. However, if you are pruning the leaves and roots you must do so properly because incorrect pruning can result in killing the roots and the tree.
If you are growing your tree in a confined space such as bonsai pot, then you must be sure to water the tree appropriately. If you are growing your bonsai in an area that has a great deal of sun and where the temperature gets quite hot, it is important to keep watering your tree on a regular basis. These trees have a tendency to dry out quickly if they are exposed to wind, sun and heat. However, on the other hand watering too often can cause problems as well. If you water your bonsai frequently you are taking the risk of leaving the soil wet and soggy and as a result fungi can grow in the soil, which essentially can kill your tree. It is important that you use free draining soil to prevent water logging the soil.
There are specific bonsai trees that have been designed specifically for indoor cultivation. These trees still require a great deal of sunlight and therefore an artificial environment must be created inside that will provide them with all the things that they need. There is a risk of the tree not surviving however as there is a high incidence of death amongst these trees that are grown indoors in an artificial environment. Compared to other more traditional houseplants that are grown in containers, the bonsai does not require as much soil for planting. However they do require more frequent watering due to the fact that they have less soil to draw water from.
Bonsai is a named used to denote a dwarf tree that is grown and shaped in a specific way. There are a number of different species of trees that are used in bonsai trees. For example, the Fir tree is a species of tree that is used in created a bonsai design, as is the Cedar. While some of these species tend to grow taller and larger than one would of think for bonsai, they are shaped to resemble the traditional bonsai trees of the Orient.
For more information on bonsai tree care,tips to help you care for a bonsai tree and other bonsai tree related information visit http://www.MyBonsaiTree.com
Four Things You Must Do For Your Lawn During The Hot Months
In Summer, your lawn may turn brown and go dormant in an attempt to preserve itself in preparation for the cooling of fall, but you can keep it as green as spring by following these simple steps. Following are 4 tips for homeowners on maintaining a healthy, green lawn all summer.
Water Correctly
Assuming you want to keep your lawn green all summer, you need to water 2-3 times per week in the early morning. Sprinkling in the evenings can promote fungus as the water remains hot in the lawn during the night. A couple of heavy sprinklings during the week is much better than frequent, light watering which creates a shallow root system in the turf.
Mow Your Grass Tall and Mulch It
It’s never a good idea to cut your grass low. Never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade in a single cutting. During the hot, dry summer, your lawn may not grow as fast as in the spring, but you should still maintain a regular mowing schedule and mulch or “recycle” the clippings back into the lawn. Mulching clippings returns natural moisture back into the turf.
Apply Organic Nitrogen
Organic nitrogen fertilizers applied in the summer help your lawn maintain its color and vigor. Organic fertilizers are naturally slow releasing so they won’t cause excess growth. Lawns need nitrogen during hot and humid periods to help fight off lawn diseases and fungus such as Red Thread and Dollar Spot. You should only follow this step if you plan to keep your lawn well irrigated during dry periods.
Be Wary of Grubs
Grub worms are the larvae of the Japanese Beetle and they will destroy a lawn if left to feed freely in high populations. Grubs feed on your turf’s root system, in a sense “sweeping its legs from under it” and killing large areas into the fall. There is no way to tell if your lawn is infested with grub worms until you see actual damage, so be sure to put down a long-lasting grub worm preventative treatment in early summer. There are organic controls available for grubs. Milky Spore is the most popular, but it only offers nominal control at best.
Keeping your lawn green during the hot months takes a bit more effort that in the spring. Keep an eye on every section of your turf to ensure nothing gets missed and you’re sure to be the envy of all your neighbors during late July and August barbecues!
Al Haneson offers lawn tips about everything from Lawn Striping to Dog Urine Spots over at his blog, Life and Lawns.