Orchid Moss - Using it As a Potting Medium

In my many years of growing orchids, one of the most important lessons I have learned is the use of the right potting medium. This is very important because this is where the orchids will thrive. This is also where it will get most of its nutrients. In ensuring the healthy state of your orchids, you must know what the different potting media are and how each of these will benefit a specific type or variety of orchid.

However, I will only focus on using orchid moss for this particular article. I have learned through my many years of experience that the use of Sphagnum moss is greatly beneficial because it can hold moisture like a sponge. And orchids love moisture; in fact, you can skip watering them for seven to ten days as long as the potting mixture is still moist. I have seen this benefit happen to my orchid collection. But I must warn you though that there will come a time when you will need to change your orchid moss because this will decay just like any living organism.

I have tried using Sphagnum moss two ways: the first was I used it as a lining for my hanging orchids and the second is by making it as a moisture bed in mounting my orchids on the side of a bark slab. Both ways are quite effective. I have my orchids in these two conditions and they are healthy and very much in bloom.

I must caution you though that using a Sphagnum moss might be a little costly than the other potting media. But you don't have to be disheartened if you really want to try using it. You may check out a reputable dealer and ask for the South American variety that specifically comes from Chile. This type is a bit cheaper than the orchid moss found in New Zealand. I specifically prefer the New Zealand variety, but I have also tried using the one from Chile and it gives the same kind of benefit.

An added tip when you are using orchid moss as a potting medium is you have to remove the entire old medium and choose the right size of pot, depending on the size of your orchids. You need to spread the roots over the cone of moss and then wrap some more of the moss around the root ball before placing it into the new pot. You have to see to it that all the roots are covered. When working with orchid moss, you also need to wear gloves in order to avoid getting fungal infection. Sphagnum moss is quite notorious on fungus, so it is best to be careful when handling them.

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Things to Consider Before Starting a Strawberry Farm

It is becoming more and more difficult to run a profitable farm. Gasoline and fertilizer prices are going up, and expensive new equipment seems to be required more and more just to keep up with the farm down the street.

The difficult farming environment has caused some farmers to look for alternative crops and additional ways to generate extra revenue to maintain some semblance of profitability. One such alternative crop that has garnered interest recently is strawberries. If you are a farmer looking to diversify or a newbie looking to make a buck or two farming strawberries, here are the major points you should consider prior to committing time and resources to the endeavor:

1. Ensure you have the right type of acreage. Strawberries need at least 8 good inches of dirt in which to grow (more is better). Many farmers use raised beds, and the modern strawberry farmer uses plasticulture (requires a specialized tractor and planting equipment - neither of which are not cheap). A slope of 2 to 4 percent is needed to ensure adequate drainage, and the soil needs to be slightly acidic (pH 5.5 to 6.5, in general).

2. Research the strawberry cultivars and pick a variety that is suitable for your growing region. Growing a strawberry variety well-suited for Oregon in Florida will be a costly mistake!

3. Understand the business side of farming before buying your first strawberry plant. The number one measure of success or failure of a new strawberry farm is the business acumen of the owner. Good management is essential. Cash flow, financing, and marketing are all crucial to understand. A good budget is an essential component of farming success, as is understanding how to sell the strawberries.

4. Understand that capital will be needed. You will either have to spend your own saved money to get your strawberry operation off the ground, or you will have to borrow from a bank. Either your savings or your credit rating and reputation will be put at risk. It is important to understand this, because the venture is...

5. Realize that strawberry farming is risky business. Your profit can be consumed by mother nature. Severe winter temperatures or late spring frosts can decimate your strawberries. Excessive rains can rot the plants. There are numerous pathogens and parasites that can maim or destroy your fields. And, even if you have a bumper crop, if everyone else does as well, prices may fall and profits may disappear.

In other words, strawberry farming is not a means to a quick, guaranteed jackpot of a payday each spring. Yes, it can be profitable. But, it can also bankrupt a new farmer who does not understand the business, marketing, and management sides of the success equation.

So, if you are still considering strawberry farming, work your way through the above five points and ensure that you are up to the challenge. Set yourself up for success, and failure can often be held at bay. Good luck!

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Growing Tomato Cages - An Important Innovation to Growing Tomatoes

I have been growing tomatoes for years now and one important lesson I learned is that growing tomatoes in cages can actually help preserve the condition of your tomato plant. Because of the heaviness of the tomato plant, especially when it is bearing fruits, a natural support system like a cage is necessary to keep it from falling off the ground where your tomatoes can actually get unhygienic. It also helps the tomatoes get protected from strong winds and heavy downpour as well as it helps the tomatoes become sturdy for better chances of bearing fruits.

The most common tomato cage material that I have used is chicken wire with a little reinforcement of wood for framing. This is what I used to make my own DIY tomato cages and it works quite well. However, I noticed that this type of material is not very sturdy and easily rusts because of the elements. This forced me to look for better ways of growing tomatoes cages.

In my research, I found out that there are a couple of great innovative ideas that can be used to create tomatoes cages. Let's check out some of these ideas and see if any of these can actually be useful for your own purpose.

One idea is a spring type cage that coils up to make use of the tomatoes as the trellis. The best material to use for this is PVC since this has hole in the middle like a hose and is flexible enough to be twirled around the plant. You can even further innovate by using this as feeding system for the plant. You may attach an irrigation system to the hose so that it can transmit the nutrients directly to the plant by acting like a sprinkler.

Another great idea is a folding tomato cage that is made of wood. This is perfect for seasonal use because of easy storage. Visually, you can imagine that it looks like a ladder that is attached to each other. The bottom being the wider part can house the pot where the tomato is actually planted and the top, which is the slim part, will protect the lean part of the plant.

It is also very interesting to note that depending on the type of tomatoes you are growing, a specific growing tomatoes cages is more suitable. In my next article, I will be discussing this kind of specific tomato cage and why it is the more suitable type for each kind.

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Home Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is simply using worms to make the compost rather than microorganisms. It's well suited to anyone, being most useful for people who don't have the space or aren't allowed to have a compost pile where they live. And it's simple to get started.

Home Vermicomposting

1. Get a worm bin. The easiest way to go is to just buy a commercial worm bin, they're fairly inexpensive and are available in different sizes. You could build one yourself if you want.

2. Find a source of worms. Garden earthworms aren't used in a worm bin, they won't like the conditions.

There's two species of worm used, Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus rubellus, commonly known as redworms or red wigglers. They like the conditions in a worm bin.

3. Get the bedding ready. There's two basic bedding materials used, newspaper and cardboard.

When using newspaper tear it into strips about 1 inch wide. Cardboard can be cut into strips about 1 inch wide and a few inches long.

4. Fill the worm bin half way with bedding.

5. Wet the bedding. The bedding should be wet enough that if you squeeze it a few drops will come out.

6. Add the worms. Give the worms a day or two in just bedding before you start to add anything to be composted.

7. Start adding kitchen scraps and other plant waste. Give the worms time and they'll turn all the plant waste into compost.

8. Remove the finished compost. When the bin is getting full of compost it's time to remove it to use. There's several ways to separate the worms, the simplest is to let them migrate into fresh bedding and organic material on their own, most commercial worm bins have simple ways to do this.

Home vermicomposting is a great way to make compost for your potted plants and your garden. It can also help reduce the waste you throw in the trash.

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