Growing Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is originally from China and is also known as Chinese gooseberry. It is both edible and ornamental and grows as a vine that is vigorous and strong. If you are keen on growing it at home, be sure to have supporting space. Here are some tips for growing it.

1. Erect a strong support about 2 metres high. This will also need to have some good width, to support th spread of the vine and its weight with fruit.
2. Purchase a male and a female plant. You will need both to be able to produce fruit.
3. Plant in full sun in rich soil that is well-drained. Kiwifruit do not like having dry feet, so be sure to keep well watered during the warmer months.
4. Protect kiwifruit plants from strong winds and from frost. Provide a sheltered area if this is a problem.
5. Prune the male plant after it flowers in late spring. Prune the female plant in winter. The fruit arises from new growth, so it is important to prune back any old wood that has already borne fruit.

Prune heavily to control the overall size of each plant.

• Male kiwifruit plant and female kiwifruit plant
• Good support materials
• Fertiliser
• Pruning equipment

Photo courtesy of Rengber's Flickr Photostream.

Making Lawn Clipping Tea

Lawn clipping tea is a simple and fabulous plant tonic. It is easy to make and apply.


Steps

1. Place the bucket of cut grass into the netting bag.
2. Hang the bag in a bucket of water. Make sure that the bucket is sitting somewhere steady and cannot be knocked by animals or people.
   
3. Leave it there for one to two weeks. The nutrients will leach from the cut grass into the water.
4. Use. Pour small amounts over your garden and pot plants. It acts as a tonic and revitalizes plants, as well as strengthening them. It will help them to grow stronger and gain disease-resistant qualities.

Precautions

• This preparation does get a little smelly. Just block your nose and use it!
  

Materials

• One bucket of freshly cut grass
• Netting bag (the ones used for onions, oranges etc.), large
• Bucket or other large container

Photo courtesy of R.F.M. LL's Flickr Photostream.

Preventing Ponds Turning Green in Warmer Weather

Green ponds are commonplace during warmer months, as algae takes over a pond and thrives. The algae not only spoils the appearance of the pond (slimy and gunky) but also starves other plants and aquatic life out. Keeping a pond from changing to green can be solved without chemicals by relying on a plant solution.


Steps

1. Plant a water lily. The water lily's floating leaves are large and keep the water shaded. This discourages algal growth.
2. Look for other oxygenating plants for your pond. Ask your local nursery for ideas. When you use pond plants that create shade, absorb minerals and carbon dioxide, these plants make the environment unpleasant for algae.
3. Keep the pond clean. As well as removing pond weed regularly, it is also important to remove dead and decaying foliage and aquatic life.

Tips

• Don't leave fish food to build up; it provides too many algae-tasty nutrients.

Materials

• Water lily or similar suitable plant

Photo courtesy of Dawnzy 58's Flickr Photostream.

Controlling Vigorous Pond Weed

Pond weed that takes over a pond can sap the life force from it and prevent the fish from thriving and even suffocate them, as well as starving out other plants. It is a really good idea to keep it under control regularly during growing season, to ensure that the pond remains very healthy. This article provides some suggestions for getting started.



Steps

1. Put on gumboots and some good waterproof outdoor work gloves.
   
2. Drag out a third of the pond weed. You will need to do this every few weeks during growing season.
   
3. Check that you haven't caught any fish in the weed that is been removed. Use a garden knife to break weed that will not pull apart.
4. Leave the pond weed pulled out to one side of the pond on the ground. Let it sit overnight; this gives any small creatures such as water snails and any insects to go back into the pond.
5. Throw the weed into the compost bin the next day.
   
6. Keep an eye on the pond regularly to check for excessive growth.

Materials

• Gumboots
• Waterproof gardening gloves
• Gardening knife

Photo courtesy of Leezie 5's Flickr Photostream.

How to Disguise a Septic Tank Opening

If you have a septic tank opening that is obvious to the world, there is an easy way to fix that while still leaving ample space for pumping and maintenance.

• Planter, fiberglass, terracotta or plastic

• Circular, flat item to serve as a table top - a variety of materials will suffice such as glass, metal, plastic, mosaic etc., provided it is outside weatherproof and durable

1. Look for a suitable planter pot in a garden center or hardware store.

You will need a large planter pot, made from a sturdy material such as plastic, fiberglass or terracotta. In the case of plastic and terracotta, be sure to select thick versions that have strong wall sides to the pot.

2. Turn the planter pot upside down over the opening space of the septic tank cover.

It should be evenly placed around the opening so that it is not slanting or sitting on the opening in any way. You may need to build up one side with earth to make certain that it is steady.

3. Place the circular piece on top of the planter pot.

Use a circular piece of ceramic, mosaic, glass or metal to lay flat on the upended planter pot. Make sure that it is balanced evenly and does not wobble. It must be strong enough to stay in place during a wind and it must not be liable to tip. This will become a "table" surface.

4. Add a decorative element to the table top.

Now that you have a neat little table sitting over the septic tank cover, add an ornament or a pot plant to the table top. All of this will be very easy to remove and put to one side when you wish to pump or maintain the septic tank.

Tips & Warnings

• Another option might be to place a birdbath over the septic tank, provided that the base of the birdbath is wide enough to cover the septic tank opening. Alternatively, add a bird bath bowl to your table top, making sure it is sitting tight and is stable.
• Wear gloves to protect your hands from dirt, septic tank residues and cuts from any of the items you are handling.

I have also posted this on eHow.

Add Colour to a Garden

Creating colour in your garden is more than simply planting a lot of flowers in a clump in one corner. There are some easy steps to follow that will ensure you have a fabulous show of colour throughout your garden. This article discusses how.

1. Increase the number of plants of one colour. Colour impact will increase if you focus on one colour rather than attempting to have too many colours. Look for varying shades on the same colour theme and increase the amount of plants in these shades.
2. Research the plants before planting. If you know how large a plant will grow, you can get the planting distances as accurate as possible. Avoiding gaps is a key part of increasing the colour in a garden and reducing darkened or shaded spaces.
3. Select colour to reflect garden size. Smaller gardens look amazing with a preponderance of a single, monochromatic colour theme. For example, all purples (use lavender, violas, violets etc.) can give a sense of royal elegance, whilst all white can create a sense of freshness, purity and clean calm. For larger gardens, place different colour themes in different parts of the garden, such as corners, pathways, along the porch etc.
4. Use online garden sites, gardening books borrowed from the library and mail order catalogues to choose your flower and plant colours. A visit to a local Botanic Gardens or a greenhouse in your local region can offer you numerous other ideas as well.