Posts Tagged ‘Part’
In part 1 of Nutrients for Newbs we covered some basic nutrient knowledge and hopefully put you on the right track for choosing the brands or systems that are right for you. In part 2 we’ll be talking specifically about nitrogen. I’ll discuss what it does, why it’s important, and what happens to your plants when they’re getting too much, or not enough. Let’s do diss…
First up… Nitrogen! The “N” in “N-P-K”. This is arguably the most important nutrient needed by your plants. How important you ask? Well, let’s take a look at a few examples of things it does for plants, and then determine how important it really is… did I mention it’s important?
Nitrogen is a major component of chlorophyll, the compound by which plants use sunlight energy to produce sugars from water and carbon dioxide (i.e. photosynthesis).
It’s a major component of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Some of these proteins act as structural units in plant cells while others act as enzymes.
Is also a significant component of nucleic acids such as DNA, the genetic material that allows cells (and eventually whole plants) to grow and reproduce.
Most plants use nitrogen continuously throughout their lives and they demand it more as they increase in size. When a plant is supplied with adequate nitrogen it grows very quickly and produces large, lush green foliage. Nitrogen is provided by either giving them manufactured fertilizers or from decomposing organic material in your soil or substrate.
Your plants absorb this nitrogen as both ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) ions and require very large quantities. Because of this, an extensive root systems is essential for allowing unrestricted uptake of nitrogen. Plants in containers or systems that compact the roots may show signs of deficiency, even when sufficient amounts of nitrogen are provided.
A plant that is nitrogen deficient will be slow to develop and will be relatively small in size. This is due to the plant lacking the necessary nitrogen to produce genetic and structural materials. Another deficiency symptom is a yellowing of the older leaves due to lack of adequate chlorophyll. These leaves often die and fall off as the nitrogen is moved by the plant from the older tissue to the more important young tissue.
The opposite side of the coin is when a plant has too much nitrogen, or a toxicity. When plants are supplied with excessive nitrogen, they grow faster than they can build sufficient supporting material in cell walls. This makes the plants develop weak stalks and stems and also contributes to poor fruit and flower production. Another visual symptom of too much nitrogen is an unusually dark green color of the plants leaves.
Both deficiencies and toxicities are curable problems by a number of different methods. Some examples are feeding with a heavier or lighter dose of fertilizer, transplanting your plants into larger containers, or even creating a microbial rich root zone to help aid in nitrogen “fixing”. I’ll cover this subject in more detail in future articles.
That’s nitrogen in a nutshell, and to answer the question of importance above: Yeah, it’s pretty damn important. Hopefully now you have a little better understanding of what it is and what it does for your plants. Having this understanding will help you achieve big, beautifully green plants that will yield big beautiful flowers. Stay tuned for Part 3 which will cover phosphorus… how exciting does that sound?
Bye for now, and thanks for stopping in. Remember to love your garden, and grow BIG flowers!
Organic? Conventional? Hydro? Coco? One part, two part, three part systems? Supplements, amendments, inoculants??? If you’re new to indoor gardening, the sea of nutrient brands and options can make choosing the right one seem very overwhelming . In part one of this article, I’ll be explaining plant nutrition and how nutrients are used by your plants, and along the way hopefully help you with your decision.
If you haven’t already decided on a growing medium, then that would be a good place to start. Many nutrient brands make products that are designed for specific mediums. For example, if you decide to use coco as a medium, then you may want to consider using a coco specific nutrient line; or a hydro specific line for use in a hydroponic system. So, first decide your medium…. I’ll wait here until your done…. Ready? OK, moving on then.
Another thing to consider before purchasing nutrients is whether you want to grow organically or with conventional, manufactured fertilizers. There are pros and cons to each method, and neither method is considered “right” or “wrong”. Organic gardening refers to using natural nutrients and amendments to build your soil or soilless mix to cultivate a healthy zone for microorganisms to thrive. The microorganisms feed on the organic materials in your medium and in exchange produce nutrients that are available directly to you plants. Conventional fertilizers are manufactured to be more readily available to the plants, but can also be further broken down by microorganisms. I’ll go into this topic in much more detail in part 2 of this article.
Now let’s talk about plant nutrition and specific nutrients. Plants need 17 elements for normal growth. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are provide by the air and water. Your medium and fertilizers will be the primary source of the other nutrients. These other nutrients are referred to as Primary nutrients,Secondary nutrients, and Micronutrients.
The Primary nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). These nutrients are used in relatively large amounts by plants. When buying nutrient products, you’ll commonly see a set of three numbers that represent N-P-K. These numbers refer to the percentage of Primary nutrients in the product. For example, a fertilizer with an N-P-K number of 12-5-2 has a higher ratio of nitrogen than phosphorus or potassium. Understanding this is important because plants require different ratios of nutrients at different stages of their lives. A fertilizer with a high amount of nitrogen will be more suitable for vegetative growth while a higher phosphorus percentage would be used for later development of flowers and fruits.
The Secondary nutrients are calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). These nutrients are readily available in most healthy soils, but need to be supplemented in soilless mixes and hydroponic systems. Manufactures sell calcium and magnesium in combination or as singular products.
Last but not least are the Micronutrients. These include iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (MO), boron (B), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), and chlorine (Cl). These trace elements are only needed in small amounts. Nutrient manufacturers either incorporate these micronutrients into their one or two part systems, or add it as a separate third part to a three part system.
So there you have it. A very basic overview of plant nutrition that should get you started on finding the right nutrient program for you and your garden. In part 2 of ‘Nutrients for Newbs’, I’ll go into the details of various nutrients and why they’re important. I’ll also cover symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and toxicities…. sounds fun…
Thanks for stopping in. Remember to love your garden, and grow BIG flowers!
Brick Walls
Brick walls which are to be a foot or two high and to withstand but little lateral pressure can be 4 inches thick. Higher brick walls need to be 8 inches or more in thickness, and are sometimes reinforced with vertical steel rods. Curved brick walls 4 inches thick may be built without pilasters.
Concrete Walls
Concrete walls are excellent for holding back a slope or for retaining an elevated planting bed. They can be poured to any shape, and may have a variety of surface effects: they may be smooth, treated with spatter, sand grits, or pebble dash. They may have tile attached to them, and may be given various tints. The tops of concrete walls may be smoothly finished, or they may have redwood or other planks attached to them.
Seat Walls
Walls can be built for use as curbs around planting beds, as display shelves for potted plants, or as seats or even tables. They may be straight or curving, short or long; and, if used for seats, they should be the proper height.
Seat walls may be constructed of wood, stone, brick, or concrete. When wood is used, sturdy construction is necessary, with supporting posts not over 5 feet apart set 18 inches or so into the soil or into concrete. The planks used for the seats should be knot-free redwood, cedar, or cypress, and should be bolted into place. The planks should be sandpapered to remove splinters, and should be set so as to allow rain to drain through them. Space for swinging feet back and forth should be allowed beneath the seats.
When not over 1 foot or 2 feet high, brick seat walls should be 4 inches thick. They should be capped with planks at the time the last course of brick is laid. The planks should be fastened at intervals to the brickwork.
Types of Fences
Fences may be of either the closed or the open type. They may be used to afford privacy, security, weather control, and beauty. Maximum privacy can be secured with fences of the closed type, such as board fences, louvered fences, or fences of closely set grape stakes. Fences of the open type, such as wire-lattice, picket-and-post, and rail enclosures, afford less privacy and security. Maximum security is provided by tall fences, in most cases consisting of chain-link fencing. For control of weather, glare, winds, or frost, panels of plastic screen or glare-reducing glass can be used. Living fences of shrubs and vines also are useful for this purpose.
Wire Fencing
Wire fences, although not especially attractive in appearance, find an important use for marking boundaries or for enclosing areas such as vegetable gardens, kennels, or swimming pools. The fences frequently consist of wire mesh attached to wooden posts. Wooden rails may also be added for an interesting effect. Wire fences also may be all steel. The wire must be stretched taut, and the steel posts ordinarily are set at 10 feet intervals and in concrete. In rural areas, barbed wire is often used.
Fences of Pickets, Slats, Stakes, and Boards
Typical wooden picket fences are 3 feet high, with pickets 3 inches wide spaced 3 inches apart. Picket forms, however, are subject to considerable variation. Pickets may be narrow and widely spaced or broad and closely spaced; the tops may be rounded, squared, dart-shaped, or dressed ornamentally. Wooden pickets require periodic painting or whitewashing.
Fencing can also be made of long, narrow slats set either horizontally or vertically. Such fencing provides tall screens that give privacy and security, and are also effective as wind controls. Grape stakes, associated with the training of grapes in vineyards, make good rustic fences. Broad unfinished boards are also used.
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Kinds of Soil
There are many types of soil, which may be narrowed down roughly to clay, sand, and loam types. Clay soils have a greater capacity for holding water than other types, but are rather difficult to handle. Their physical structure is improved by the addition of sand, humus, weeds, manures, and grass clippings. Sandy soils are easy to work, but they leach easily. They are improved for growing purposes by the addition of organic material.
Humus consists of organic material such as peat, leaf mold, and compost, and plowed-under cover crops (soy beans, alfalfa, and clover). A mixture of sand, clay, and humus produces a vegetation-sustaining loam. The addition of humus improves the structure and character of the soil as well as its water-absorbing capacity and its texture.
Drainage of the Land
The drainage of surface water from land often presents a problem. Good drainage is needed for the protection of the given site; for the comfort of those who are to use it; and, not least, for the good of the plants to be grown upon it. Few plants succeed in cold, damp, un-drained soil. Most plants require warmth and air at their roots.
Any water that falls upon the area must be kept moving, though at not too fast a pace. The land needs to be shaped so as to carry surface water away, and to prevent its collecting or standing in pockets. The water must be spread out or else controlled mechanically or structurally. Some soils, however, are so open and dry to pose no drainage problem.
The drainage of an area is facilitated by proper surfacing. But it can be assisted by underground drain tiles or pipes laid in lines from 20 feet to 40 feet apart and from 3 feet to 4 feet deep, depending upon the kind of soil and climate. For heavy soils, the drains must be closer together. The bottoms of the trenches for the tile must have sufficient fall throughout their lengths to provide ready flow to the outlet.
In general, the land near a house should slope away from the house at a rate of approximately one inch per foot. As far as possible, the existing drainage relations of an area, such as the points of inflow and outflow, should be preserved.
Terraces and Banks
Terraces and banks may serve a variety of purposes, and may assume a variety of shapes and sizes. Terraces should be almost level, with a pitch of not less than 1 inch to each 10 feet. Grass banks should pitch not more than 1 foot vertically for every 4 feet horizontally. Such banks, especially if they are of a light, sandy variety, may need to be retained with roots of vegetation. The contours of the slopes should have a smooth-curving flow.
Levels and Slopes
The level, or nearly level, plane is most suitable for areas where people gather together, such as a terrace, or for areas and courts where physical exercise and games are pursued.
Any grade below 3 or 4 per cent approaches a level plane. This implies less than 3 feet or 4 feet in a vertical lane for every 100 feet of horizontal distance. Slopes of 4 to 10 per cent make walking and running difficult. Slopes that are above 10 per cent are steep and usually require steps for their utilization and treatment. A hill site for a home therefore offers complex problems, but these are often compensated for by the sense of space that comes from the extended views.
Convex and Concave Surfaces
Besides ground levels and slopes, there are the variations in ground that come into play with convex and concave surfaces. The treatment of such surfaces passing from one plane to another with modulated gradations that shade into each other provides the landscape architect with one of his most interesting problems in design. These gradations are important on embankments, where, instead of abruptly joining planes there may be a blending of natural forms.
The necessary shaping of the surface can often be determined by eye with the use of a line and stakes. But, on other jobs, the aid of leveling instruments may be required in staking out the plot.
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Vertical Enclosures
Vertical enclosures include structures, screens, and plants of different heights and varieties. Low railings, low solid walls, and seats, serve as enclosures without obstructing the view. Wire mesh fences, latticework, or stiff thorny plants may be used to keep children or dogs in or out of an area.
Some enclosures do not obscure the view. Among them are trellis or lattice frames, with or without glass or other fillers; rows of poles; louvered, split-wood, or other open-joint fences; and masonry provided with openings. Taller barriers of solid wood, masonry, or sheet materials are used to block both vision and movement.
Enclosures may consist of wood, masonry, sheet materials, or vegetation. They may be of split, rough-sawn, or finished lumber; concrete block; tile; stone; poured concrete; or stucco on a wood frame or on concrete block. They may be of sheet materials such as plywood, glass, plastics, or metal. Trees and shrubs often make the best enclosures, particularly shrubs that grow erect and have little spread. If privacy cannot be obtained with plants, structural enclosures are used.
Walls
Walls are used to define areas, to ensure privacy and protection, to hold up earth, and to serve seating purposes. The requirements of masonry walls are stability and attractive appearance. For stability, the foundations of any masonry wall should extend below the frost line.
Stone, brick (with or without mortar), and concrete are among the most favored materials for walls. The easiest stones to use for walls are of stratified horizontal limestone, shale, or sandstone. They split and chip rather readily, however, unless mortared solidly to prevent water infiltration. Granites, on the other hand, are tough and durable. Brick walls have many uses and offer attractive possibilities in texture and color.
Stone Walls
There are two kinds of stonework: 1) the rubber type, in which uncut stones are fitted into the wall in a natural, irregular pattern, with no continuous joints, and 2) the ashlar type, in which cut stones are placed in regular courses.
The stones when placed should produce harmonious and pleasing patterns. A large proportion of the more sizable stones should appear in the lower courses. Stones of the same shape should be kept apart; they should not be placed side by side. To ensure proper bonding, each long stone should be overlapped by two smaller ones.
Dry walls are built of flat stones fitted together without the use of mortar. Some dry walls are free-standing; others are built to retain earth. High dry walls require large stones throughout. Such walls must not be more than 4 to 5 feet high, and must be at least 2 feet thick at the top, with the bottom somewhat thicker for stability. When these walls are built to retain earth, the stones must be placed with the back ends tipped into the ground and the stones slanting slightly upward toward the front. The crevices are filled with rich soil and plants. Retaining walls generally need provisions for carrying water through or around them, such as ditches, gutters, drain tile, weep holes, or gravel backfill.
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