Depending who you ask, chia seeds are THE next big thing. An Aztec “superfood” no less.

Chia Seeds - The Aztec Superfood?

So what are chia seeds and where do they come from?

Chia seeds come from the plant Salvia hispanica – basically a form of Mint. Once the plant has flowered it sets seeds, like most annuals, and then withers and dies. These seeds can be collected for future plantings or allowed to self-seed and propagate themselves naturally.

However, because of chia’s nutritional benefits they have now become a very sought after health supplement.

Chia Seeds and Weight Loss

Studies, as noted by the NY Times, have already proven that the benefits of weight loss from chia seeds are a falsehood. While their nutritional profile can supplement a healthy diet there’s no proof to suggest that weight loss is one of the chia seeds benefits.

How to Grow Chia Seeds

As already mentioned chia comes from the plant Salvia hispanica. It’s a very common genus that many people may already be growing in their gardens and if not sourcing it from your local nursery garden centre or nursery should be a cinch.

So, I can hear you already asking how does growing chia seeds aid weight loss. Well, if you’ve ever grown mint you’ll know that while the plant is easy enough to grow – containing it isn’t.

Taking into account that health specialists prescribe a dosage of 25-28g of daily intake this means that you’re going to need grow more than 9m.sq for your annual needs (based on a 500kg per Hectare yield). NINE METERS SQUARED!

While the daily supplement of chia will have very little effect on your weight loss the exercise required to maintain and nurture a plot that size of this rampant plant will have you shedding kilos before you know it. And that’s the weight loss benefit!

Now to the serious side of growing chia:

1. It’s best to start them off as seedlings in an area that won’t allow the plants to dominate outside their boundary. A large pot would suffice.
2. A punnet of 6-8 chia seedlings should be enough to cover a large tub
3. Plant in well-draining potting mix – doesn’t need to be well fertilised
4. Water in.
5. Once the plants have grown they should flower and then set seed towards the end of summer. Do not pick until the seeds have become dry.
6. When the seeds are dry, cut them off their stems and place on a baking dish covered with newspaper. At this point you can begin to shake the pods until the chia seeds fall onto the paper.

The chia seeds are now ready for consumption or you can save some to replant the following year.

Photo source: swanksalot

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Starting a New Garden

Skip ahead ten years and the garden is far from done.

While the trees have grown and garden beds have filled out they’ve created a dimension to my garden that I didn’t expect. The trees, mostly citrus or fruiting, have changed the landscape so much that plants that would once enjoy perfect solar orientation now suffer in permanent shade.

And the garden beds have become an eclectic mix of some plants that grew well, self-seeded and now dominate while the strugglers are still trying to compete for recognition – and nutrients.

But the greatest lesson that I’ve learned is that year upon year the soil improves. We started with a leaching, sandy soil and a decade later the loam is rife with worms, humus and a structure that’s unrecognizable from its former self.

While some of the plants have changed over the years – ok, most of the plants have changed over the years – the one constant has been the ammending of the soil. Compost, worm castings and animal manures have completely altered the soil in which we had to start.

And, after a decade of gardening here I admit my garden’s not much closer to finishing. But, the soil now allows me to grow almost anything I want.

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Purple Fountain Grass Is One of the More Common Ornamental Grasses

Quite noticeably this grass wasn’t on the radar of any home gardener five years ago but since then it has exploded into our yards at an alarming rate. Not to be confined to the home garden, Purple Fountain Grass has also made it into our streetscapes, public parks and gardens almost anywhere that abandoned soil was visible.

Ornamental grasses have been growing in their popularity as more home gardeners try to reduce their water consumption. In the past, xeriscaped gardens consisted predominantly of cacti and succulents so this third family has been a boon for landscape architects and gardeners alike. It has given us all more choice.

How to Grow Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum

Soil Conditions

Let me start by stating the obvious – grasses are not keen clay dwellers! If you have a clay soil and want to grow Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum in your yard then you will have to either grow it in a pot or ammend your soil so that it drains freely.

While some grasses can handle “wet feet” and therefore complement a bog garden most won’t thrive – let alone survive – in a garden where their roots are continually damp.

Watering Requirements

If you have a free draining soil for your fountain grass then watering should be at a minimum. Even in the heat of summer they only require a limited dowsing of not more than once per week. This will allow them to thrive though they can survive quite well with typical rainfall in most mediterranean climes.

Pruning

Grasses can be pruned two ways; (1) reduced by cutting down the bulk of the foliage to a small clump, or (2) pulling out the spent tails and dead grass. Obviously the first option is the least labour-intensive and easiest way to manage grasses but unfortunately many ornamentals won’t grow well after a pruning of this type.

Fortunately, Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum is one of the grasses that appreciates the former style of pruning. If you cut it back to half of its volume at the end of winter or start of spring it should reward your garden with an impressive display throughout the summer months and still have some interest throughout winter.

Perennial or Annual

The only determing factor as to whether you can grow Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum as a perennial is how cold your winters become. If you regularly get frosts – or worse, enjoy months of snow cover – then growing fountain grass as an annual would be a far better choice.

Photo source: nordique

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Where Sugar Cane Mulch Comes From

Where Does Sugar Cane Mulch Come From?

For those who have no idea what sugar cane mulch is allow me to explain. When sugar cane is processed it leaves behind the cut canes – extracted of all its sugary goodness. These canes are then usually burnt as a waste product polutting the atmosphere with gases and smoke.

In fact, before the sugar cane is even harvested it has been common practice for farmers to burn the crop to remove debris plant litter aiding the harvest process. This practice now has its days numbered meaning than more of the leaf litter becomes a waste product at the mill end.

With the growing amount of waste it means the environment isn’t adversely affected but it creates a huge dilemma for mill operators. Limited pre-burning and post-burning means that something must be done to eradicate this waste product.

Like most problems in life, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. With limited options to dispose of this waste product it seemed “natural” to start using it as an organic mulch. And why not? Sugar cane mulch has so many benefits that it seems absurd that we haven’t been using it in the past.

What Are The Benefits of Sugar Cane Mulch

One of the most preferred mulches used by home gardeners has been pea straw, or lucerne hay. It has been used ever since mulching became fashionable and has offered gardeners a versatile, and relatively cheap, mulch. However, the one major downfall of these mulches is that they need to be completely weed-free yet seldom are thereby introducing more weeds into our gardens.

Sugar cane mulch doesn’t carry weeds, or their seed.

In other settings gardeners have opted for more aesthetic and durable mulches to cover their garden beds. Organic mulches such as; tree barks – waste products from timber mills, recycled green waste and other mulched items have been preferred because they last quite a long time and add to the visual appeal of the garden.

This is where sugar cane mulch comes into its own as well. Because of its fine strands it doesn’t break down as quick and won’t bleach in the sun meaning that it looks as good 12 months later than it did the day it was used to cover the garden beds.

Finally, sometimes gardeners opt for feeding mulches. These mulches offer gardeners the ability to feed their beds with a single approach. The mulch will usually consist of animal manures, trace elements and other organic fertilisers (worm castings etc.) that help nurture plants. The only downside to this is that one-size doesn’t usually fit all and one feeding mulch can’t aid native plants, plus exotics, plus fruit and vegetables.

And this might be where sugar cane mulch comes into its own. From the moment it has been used to cover the earth around your plants, and then watered in, you can almost smell the goodness of its effect. Being an organic mulch that breaks down slowly it allows the micro-organic world to flourish beneath its cover. If you need extra fertilisers for your plants then you can introduce these before the sugar cane mulch is applied and then supplement your plants with a liquid spray on a regular basis, as needed.

The Problems With Sugar Cane Mulch

There aren’t any problems associated with sugar cane mulch although the price is a little dearer than most conventional mulches. For instance, a bale of pea straw might set you back between $7-11 per bale (depending on quality) while a bale of sugar cane mulch will set you back about $16.

I’m not sure why it’s more expensive as one might expect that a waste product than can be processed on-site would be far more economical than hay harvested in the field. Hopefully, in time, the novelty factor will fail to appeal and we might be able to obtain this wonderful mulch for a more practical price.

Photo source: rileyroxx

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While its main usage is designed for pruning trees and shrubs this dynamo pocket-rocket can handle a myriad of tasks. Powered by a 10.8V Li-Ion battery and weighing just over 1 kilogram, finding applications for this nifty gadget will be a source of pleasure.

Using the Bosch Keo Cordless Garden Saw

So, let’s start with its primary function – pruning.

Pruning with the Bosch Keo

One of the Keo’s many helpful functions is the fact that this cordless garden saw is just that – cordless. It allows you to drift around the garden without having to ensure you’re within reach of an external power point or that you’re not extending the limits of your electrical cord.

While that may be reason enough for any gardener to contemplate rushing out and buying one the “icing on the cake” is the helpful “A-grip” that attaches/detaches from the main body as desired. This device aids the saw from vibrating off a branch while you’re in the process of cutting its limb. Its teeth-like grip holds onto the branch ensuring your safety and making sure that the unsupported limb doesn’t bounce the saw away from the initial cut. If you’ve ever had trouble with this while using a hand-held pruning saw you can imagine how difficult the task might be with a power tool – hence the “A-grip”.

Here are some gardening tips on when is the best time to prune your trees and shrubs.

Safety Issues With This Cordless Garden Saw

Another advantage of this cordless saw is its ease to add and adjust the blade. Its SDS System ensures that you don’t need to play around with spanners, screwdrivers or any other tool to adjust a blade. It’s as easy as “plug and play” – maybe even easier. The blade just slots into the rotating mechanism and once in place allows the saw to operate as expected.

Now you may be forgiven for considering that surely safety hasn’t been considered if it’s as easy to attach/detach a blade from a cordless garden saw like this. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The Keo doesn’t engage until both the trigger and a safety switch are pressed synchronously – hats off to anyone (including a child) who can do that accidentally!

Other Uses for the Keo Garden Saw

The benefit of the detachable “A-grip” and blade means that the Keo can be used for a raft of other projects. Replacing the standard wood blade with a metal blade allows you to cut through metal sheet, tubing and other metal products. With another quick change the plaster blade allows you to slice through Gyprock™, plasterboard and even thin wall sheeting.

It truly is the multi-purpose tool for any garden that will make many of your current power tools, and even a few hand tools, superfluous from now on.

Is the Bosch Keo Worth a Place In The Garden Shed?

First, it’s a Bosch so you know it’s a quality tool.

Second, because it runs on a Li-Ion battery (no need for discharging meaning its life is increased) it offers unparalleled benefits for using in the garden.

And finally, because it has the ability to replace many of those fading tools in your shed this has got to be one multi-purpose garden saw that demands further inspection – at least.

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Hydroponic gardening is an efficient way to grow vegetables

Instead of using soil, hydroponic gardening uses a liquid to provide nutrients and minerals to plants. Most hydroponic gardening rooms use a combination of water pumps, nutrient release timers, and artificial lights to provide optimal growing conditions.

Equipment Needed for Hydroponic Gardening

A hydroponic garden requires several types of equipment: a water pump, liquid reservoir, runoff plumbing, irrigation plumbing, a timer system, and specialized plant holders.

Place plants in a container that allows a steady flow of nutrient-rich water. These containers can be designed for a single plant, or for several plants. A long trough will allow many plants to run off the same plumbing line, while individual hydroponic plant pots will require specialized plumbing.

Each plant container requires an intake and drainage pipe. The intake pipe will provide fresh nutrients and oxygen to a plants roots, while the drainage pipe will allow excessive runoff to return to a central reservoir. The central reservoir serves as a storage tank for liquid nutrients, allowing them to be refiltered before being pumped back to plants.

Each drainage line should flow back to the central tank. A drainage line can be made of any type of piping, preferably PVC or plastic. Pipes that can bend are often easier to work with, as many gardens will require equipment to be relocated.

All excess runoff should drain back to the central reservoir tank. In the central tank, a filter cleans the water of any debris or organic material. Many gardeners use an aquarium filter with a charcoal cleaner pump to filter nutrient water in a reservoir tank.

The reservoir tank also contains a pumping apparatus for supplying fresh water and nutrients to plants. The intake line from this pump runs to each plant container, allowing constant water circulation around each plant’s roots. As the plant container fills with nutrient water, excess liquid flows through the overflow, and into the drainage line.

Important Tips for Keeping Plants Healthy

A hydroponic garden does offer many benefits over traditional solid-matter gardening, but it does require more work. A plant’s roots are delicate, and require constant exposure to moisture. If the roots of a plant dry out, it can result in the death of a plant. In addition, minerals can crystallize on a root as it dries, preventing the plant from absorbing water in the future.

Plant roots must always be exposed to water. It’s important to keep a hydroponic pump running at all times: if water in a plant container stagnates, it can lead to the growth of fungus and mildew. In addition, fresh water provides oxygen to a plant’s roots, helping it grow bigger and stronger.

It’s also a good idea to use large-diameter piping when building a hydroponic garden. Small diameter pipes can clog, leading the death of any plants that rely on it’s water. Try to use at least a 3 cm pipe to ensure adequate water circulation. Drainage pipes should be at least 5 cm in diameter.

It’s also important to check the pH, hardness, and alkalinity of any water used in a hydroponic garden. While hydroponics can yield faster crop cycles and larger yields, they are sensitive to small differences in water quality. A pool testing kit can be used to help ensure water is in the optimal range for plant growth. Many plants have different optimal requirements, so it’s important to research a plant species to determine what type of water works best.

Choosing a Plant Food

Always use a liquid fertilizer designed for hydroponic gardens. Since a plant has to receive all it’s nutrients from water, it’s essential to use a comprehensive fertilizer. This will provide trace elements and minerals, many of which aren’t found in traditional fertilizers.

Photo source: geefour907

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Here is how to create the perfect patio:

Clear and Outline the Area

You’re going to rake out the desired patio site, so try to pick a mainly level, smooth area and rake until the soil is evenly distributed. Get rid of any grass or other debris so you can lay the patio on dirt alone — there shouldn’t be any plants or weeds because they tend to peek through the stones. Outline the desired shape of the patio with spray paint to define your area. You can also mark the outline string or rubber tubing. Since flagstones come in all different shapes and sizes, a site with curved edges is a better place to lay a patio than one with straight lines.

Rake and Excavate the Site

You’re going to dig out 2 or 3 inches of soil from the patio site by using a level and then using a piece of wood (2 x 4) to smooth out the surface. This will ensure your patio will be even with the rest of your yard once it is finished. Putting the flagstones down 2 or 3 inches lets it be even with your yard once it’s put in, so be sure to grade the site as evenly as you can.

Put in a Base Layer of Sand

The flagstones will sit atop sand, so you’re going to pour sand into the excavated hole, about an inch from the highest edge. Rake this area until it is smoothed out using the 2 x 4 once again. It’s recommended that you use “washed sand” for the patio, as it won’t retain as much water — it’s available for purchase at most soil yards.
Then water the sand with a garden hose until it is moistened and pack the sand using a wooden board or hand tamper if you have one.

Position the Flagstone

Place the flagstones on your patio site, beginning at the outer edges and working your way towards the middle. You can pick the color of flagstone you want to use, as it comes in brown, tan, blue and red. Position the bigger pieces first, and then fill in the spaces with the smaller flagstone pieces. Double check with the level of your yard when placing the stones to make sure it is even. You should position the stones one to two inches apart on every side, making sure you keep the gaps between consistent throughout the patio. As you place a stone, manipulate it to ensure the sand totally covers the bottom of the stone on every side.

Fill in the Cracks

You can pulverize bigger pieces of flagstone to fill in any leftover gaps by crushing it with a mallet or chisel. Place the pieces in a bucket and pour the crushed flagstones into any gaps you wish to fill. Experts also recommend using decomposed granite, which is crushed rock and can be purchased in a tan shade, as a gap filler. Decomposed granite locks the flagstone pieces together, which in turn creates a solidified patio area. When you pour, make sure to force the decomposed granite into each gap, eliminating any air gaps. Afterwards, sweep the excess decomposed granite into any remaining gaps.

Hose Down the Patio and Fill Again

Using a hose, gently water down the whole patio. This will make the decaying granite sink in and stay firmly in place. Repeat these two steps until the decayed granite is even with the flagstone.

And now you have a beautiful flagstone patio that is easy to maintain and looks great.

Photo source: mattbuck4950

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The Juicy Blackberry Plant

Blackberries are best grown in areas with cool or cold winters. Planting them from seed is possible, but for a quicker harvest, most people plant bare-root plants. In the coldest areas, upright, stiff-caned varieties can be grown. In areas with warmer winters, trailing types do best. Follow these simple tips to grow blackberries successfully.

Soil Preparation

All blackberries require a deep, well-drained soil, full sun and ample water throughout the growing season. Avoid sites where the soil remains wet late into the fall. Compost should be worked deeply into the soil before planting, as the plants grow best in a soil rich with organic matter. Several days before planting, a balanced fertilizer should be worked into the soil as well.

Blackberries prefer a neutral or slightly acidic soil, with a pH of 7.0 or below. A soil’s pH can be easily determined with an inexpensive test kit, available at most garden centres. If the soil is alkaline, above 7.0 on the pH scale, common sulfur, ferrous sulfate or aluminum sulfate can be used to raise the acidity, although regularly-applied organic soil amendments, such as manure and compost, will lower the pH over time. If the soil is too acidic, ground limestone will raise the pH.

Plant blackberry plants at the first sign of spring, when the soil has warmed and temperatures are mild. Since the plants grow from the base of the crown, some type of physical support is needed to keep them from sprawling. Trailing types are best grown on trellis. Upright varieties benefit from support as well. Set plants 1 to 2 metres apart with a 1½-metre trellis or post next to each plant. For upright varieties, run a wire along the top of the posts and train the branches along the wire. Bare-root plants will take 2 to 4 weeks for the roots to become established.

Pruning

While the roots of blackberries are perennial, the canes are biennial, appearing and growing one year, flowering and bearing fruit the next. Only 1-year-old canes should be trained on the trellis or wire. All the canes that fruited the previous season should be pruned back to the crown of the plant.

Prune canes of the current season growing on the trellis to 1 to 2½ metres. Thin out all but 12 to 16 sturdy canes. These canes will produces side branches, called laterals, during the remainder of the growing season. Cut the side branches back to 30 centimetres, or about 12 buds, in the early spring. With new spring growth, small branches will grow from the side branches. These will be the branches that bear fruit.

Care of Blackberry Plants

Covering the soil around the crown of the plants with a rich, organic mulch will help keep the plants free of diseases and pests, as well as help control weeds. Blackberries can quickly become invasive if left unattended. Remove suckers whenever they appear.

Plants should be fertilized with a commercial fertilizer several times each year. In the coldest areas, plants should be fed when the plant blossoms. In warmer regions, the plants will do better with periodic feeding. Feed once when new growth begins, again in mid-spring and a third time in the middle of the summer.

Blackberry Pests

Red-berry mites, spider mites and whitefly are sometimes a problem with blackberry plants. To control mites, apply a dormant spray containing lime sulfur in winter and again as buds are about to bloom.

Plants started from bare root can be expected to produce fruit the third year after planting. While the canes bloom biennially, by properly pruning older canes each season, plants will produce a bountiful harvest each year.

Photo source: steve_lodefink

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Soil Testing Is As Easy As Probing The Soil

When to Test

The best time to check the nutrients, the porosity and the acidity-alkalinity (pH) of any soil is once the growing season is over and the harvest is complete. Before sowing your seeds in the spring is another good time to check certain soil factors.

Turning the soil over increases its porosity and allows for water to permeate the ground more readily. This permits plants to receive needed water without over-saturating the ground and also allows the plants the space necessary to fully grow. Turning the soil and adding some fresh soil is important and needs to be done just before planting season. Test the new soil before adding it to the ground.

What to Test

• Checking the Texture and Structure of Soil: The structure of the soil is determined by a combination of sand, silt and clay which all refer to particle size that make up soil texture. The proper mixture will provide you with a soil that easily crumbles, yet holds together when squeezed. Clay sticks together and has a low permeability and porosity that tends to deter drainage. The appropriate mix will contain enough large sand and moderate size silt particles. Select a handful in your test area. See how it crumbles and responds when wet. Common sense is your best test. A good soil allows for good drainage, enough pores to contain oxygen and microbial activity. If the soil does not hold together, there is too much sand or too many silt size particles. If there is too much compaction, then there is too much clay in the mix.

• Check Color: Dark soils are usually rich in nutrients, while light brown soils are indicative of heavily leached soil and clay content.

• Check pH of soil at different spots according to what you intend to plant: pH is the measure of hydrogen ion activity of any substance, with this being a measure of acidity or alkalinity. Home test kits will provide a color chart that shows a scale of 1-14. Number 7 on the test scale reads neutral, while the lower the number, the more acidic the soil and the higher the more alkaline. Different plants require a different degree of acidity or alkalinity; that is why it is vital to test each area of your garden. If soil is too acidic, add lime. If it is too alkaline then add sulfur.

Where to Get Soil Testing Kits

Most hardware, lawn and garden shops and stores that sell products for the home have a variety of soil testing kits available for the home gardener. It is good to do the test yourself as you can ‘see’ what the tests are showing for your garden. When you receive results from a professional service, you obtain your information from an outside source. Professional testing does not allow for ‘hands-on’ experience and overall learning about something that is important to you.

When your garden is vital to you, it is best to know exactly what it needs to grow and thrive. When your various types of gardens are tested and cared-for appropriately, they will produce more flowers and food supplies, in addition to having a more colorful and healthy appearance. A garden requires a lot of work in the establishment phase as well as the various maintenance stages, so you really want it to be as grand as possible. Soil testing will allow you to stand back and view your garden with both pride and pleasure.

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What’s important is having a good sense of humour about it. Like the hair on your head that you cut too short or dyed an unflattering colour, even the most complicated landscaping projects can be undone, redone or seeded over.

Landscaping Disasters Can Happen To Any Garden

Whether the plants all died because you put too much of something in the soil, they fell over because you didn’t secure them in the ground or they simply looked much less appealing than you were expecting, making mistakes is part of the Australian gardening experience.

Have you ever planted garlic bulbs thinking they were flower bulbs? That’s what Arianne, one of the members of the Gardening Channel forum did. Another person in the forum mentions being surprised that her bulbs never came up until she found that her son had planted them all upside down.

Really, though, a few misplaced bulbs is nothing compared to some of the landscaping mistakes people make.

Associated Content writer Philip Theibert suggests that landscaping with old cars and not mowing your grass so you can establish a natural prairie are two of the biggest landscaping mistakes. He doesn’t like pet cemeteries or old political campaigns signs in otherwise perfectly nice gardens either. Who does?

Big mistakes give you big credentials, however, perhaps proving you’re a fully qualified experimental garden or maybe even a modern artist if things turn out just right.

Landscaping, after all, is a creative process. Like with science and baking, though, too much creativity dramatically lessens the chances of a successful outcome.

Still, even making mistakes is fun, isn’t it? As long as you don’t have to call the fire brigade or a psychotherapist, you’re well within the bounds of reasonable behaviour.

Photo source: Renaud Camus

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