Life Cycle Of The Flower

Flowers, also called blooms or blossoms, is the reproductive organs of the plant. The basic function of a flower is to precipitate the blending of the male sperm with female ovum to produce seeds and propagate the species. The basic process starts with pollination, which in turn causes fertilization, and this leads to the formation of the seeds. There are various ways that a plant causes dispersal of it's seeds. It can spread it's seeds by wind or like the blackberry plant and spread it's seeds by use of birds and animals.

Seeds are the next generation, or offspring, and are the primary means by which a species ensures it's continuation. The production of many tiny flowers on a single plant is called inflorescence. Besides being the reproductive organs of flowering plants, flowers have been used by humans all across the world to beautify their surroundings and as a source of food.

Every flower has a specific design which helps the transfer of it's pollen in the most efficient way possible. Some types of flowers are self pollinated, such as various types of sativas, while others require pollination by insects. Plants, such as many types of mints or clover, attract and use bees, bats, birds, etc. to transfer pollen from one flower to another.

Most flowers have glands called nectaries on various parts that attract insects such as bees. Some flowers have patterns referred to as nectar guides, that help insects like butterflies where to look for the sweet nectar. Flowers can also draw pollinators to them by using scent and color. And some flowers use a clever mimicry to draw pollinators to them. Many types of orchids produce flowers that look like a female bee in their coloration, scent, and their shape to draw the male bees to them.

A huge array of flower species are also specialized in their particular shape to have an arrangement of the stamens to make sure that the pollen grains are transferred to the bodies of the insect when it lands looking for what attracted it in the first place. By the insect's constant pursuit of the pollen, nectar, etc. from many different flowers of the same species, the insect transfers pollen to the various stigmas of each flower with that single minded precision to all of the flowers it lands on.

There are many flowers that spread pollen from one flower to the next by the use of wind. Many of the examples that use this method include Birch trees, Ragweed, Dandelions, Milkweed, etc. These plants have no real need to attract insects or other creatures to pollinate them and therefore tend to not have bright and showy flowers.

The male and female flowers are on the same plant with the male flowers having several long filaments ending in the stamens, and the female flowers having the long feathery stigmas. The pollen of entomophilous flowers, (flowers that need pollinators), have the tendency to be large-grained, rather sticky, and rich in necessary proteins, the anemophilous flower, (flowers that need no pollinators), pollen has tiny grains, is very light, non-sticky, and has little or no nutritional value to insects or other creatures.

Flowers are a beautiful and necessary part of our world. They can calm our minds and sooth our souls in an increasingly hectic age. Plant a garden and enjoy the natural beauty of flowers!

Tulips Growing

A Guide to Tulips Growing

Tulips come in many shapes and sizes and their wonderful colors bring joy to any garden. Tulips need to be planted in late fall or early winter for the best tulips growing. You need to plant them before the freezing weather because tulips need a cold period when they are dormant and resting between their shows. Alternatively, chill the bulbs in the refrigerator six to eight weeks before planting. When you transfer them to the ground, make sure you choose somewhere cool and deep, else they will heat up too quickly and might fail to flower.

You should ensure you choose the best quality tulip bulbs for successful tulips growing. If you fertilize the plantings every season and plant bulbs every few years, the results should be good.

Planting Tulips

Before planting your bulbs, work the ground well to about a foot in depth. Work in some manure, peat moss and compost if the soil is sandy or heavy. Wood ashes and bone meal are also good plant foods. You should use a couple of cups for every twenty bulbs. Planting depths depend on the soil but usually four to five inches is ideal for tulips growing. Make sure you place the bulbs pointed end first into the ground. Plant them about six inches away from each other because tulips look nicer is a group than individually. When you have planted the bulbs, water the ground well to settle the soil around them. Watering the plants early when the buds are rising can enhance the beauty of your tulips, making the stems taller and the heads bigger.

Caring for Growing Tulips

If the weather is severe, you should mulch the growing tulips after the first frost, with a good covering of grass clippings, pine boughs, leaves or straw. Remove this cover in early spring. If the weather is not too bad, the tulips won't need mulching.

If you don't cut all your tulips for an indoor display, you need to cut them when you notice them fading because seed pods will take food that would otherwise go to the bulb for the following year's flower growth. To get next year's tulips growing well, this is an important step.

Tulip Diseases

There are a number of diseases which can affect tulips. Blight causes brown flecks on the leaves and a tulip suffering with blight will often go gray after a couple of weeks. The flowers will go limp and become brown or gray. Infected bulbs should be burned so the disease doesn't spread.
Gray bulb rot can occur if the bulb is underground for too much time. If this happens in your tulip growing, the bulb will become too soggy to rise above the ground and your tulip will drown. Crown rot causes the bulb and flower to die but this is quite a rare problem in tulip growing.
Tulip growing is fairly easy as long as you are aware of how to take care of your growing tulips and the results are usually an amazing array of stunning, colorful flowers which everyone who sees your garden will admire!

growing hydroponics

Gardening can be a very popular hobby, especially in places with rich soil. However, for people who like to garden that live in places without rich soil or people who find it hard to bend low to the ground, there is hydroponics. Growing hydroponics can be quite rewarding as the plants easily grow without soil and the joy of gardening remains.

The items that are usually used in growing hydroponics are a self-contained growing container, plant support baskets, an inert material to anchor the roots (known as a growing medium), an air pump, nutrients, a pH kit, tubings, fittings, sample seeds, and instructions. These things are usually included in any hydroponics kit that is bought. The things that are not and may not be provided are things that any gardener needs to provide to plants. These are sufficient light, food, nutrients, carbon dioxide, water, heat, and fresh air.

Being that the plants are grown without soil, if any of those last needs are missing, the plants will die. The way that plants get nutrients is that they are fed directly to the plants' root systems. This allows the plants to focus on growth upward and promotes quicker growth. This became quite popular during World War II in order for more food to be produced.

There are different methods of delivering the food to the plants when growing hydroponics. Nutrient film is a oxygen rich nutrient solution that can be applied to the growing area. Drip watering is like it sounds. The water is applied to the plants in drips. There is also aeroponics. In this method, the plants are in the air and they are then sprayed with a water and nutrient solution. Ebb and flow means that the plants are watered with a flood and drain system. Passive systems actually let the plants determine when they need food and water rather than the gardener making these decisions.

When growing hydroponics, it is also important to provide the correct lighting. Sometimes hydroponics can simply be grown in the sunlight. However, this is not always the case. Growing lights are sold in order to provide the right brightness of light for the correct amounts of time the light is needed.

Even while these things sound great in some ways, it also probably sounds like a lot of work. Some people may be wondering why even choose to grow hydroponics. Hydroponics gives many advantages that normal gardening does not.

A few benefits of hydroponics are that a kit is easy to set up, operate, maintain, and control and this can be done year round anywhere - on rock, grass, soil, or any other type of land. Hydroponics gives higher and quicker yields, there are no soil diseases and no insecticides need to be used. There is no crop rotation needed, no weeding, no need for heavy machinery, and less waste created.

This results in a much cheaper way to garden with a higher output of the plants grown. This can be used in gardening centers and in at home for a hobby. No matter what, it gives enjoyment to those people who like to garden and do not want to deal with the soil and concerning themselves with the condition and pH of the soil in order to keep growing conditions ideal.

Tips For Growing Tomatoes In Containers

Successfully growing tomatoes is not limited to homeowners who are fortunate enough to own a large plot of ground. You, too, can enjoy full-flavored homegrown tomatoes if you live in an apartment or townhouse, even in the heart of the city. Growing tomatoes in containers is an easy way to employ your green fingers and enjoy fresh veggies no matter where you live. However, before you dash to the nursery to buy pots and seedlingss, there are a couple of things you should know about how to successfully grow tomatoes in containers.

Selecting Containers

The first consideration when you are choosing the pots for your container garden is size. While some crops, like onions and herbs will grow well in more shallow containers, most plants including tomatoes will do best in at least a five gallon pot that will provide adequate space for the root system. However, you are not limited to the traditional flower pots for your container tomato garden. Check out the variety of buckets, pails and window boxes. Look at recycling containers that you have around the home including wooden packing cases, large cooking pots, half wine barrels and more. The main factors to keep in mind when choosing your container are to choose a substance that is nontoxic, and will provide adequate drainage for your plants. If you are using a solid based pot you will need to add drainage holes at the bottom. If you choose a porous material like timber you will be able to line the timber with plastic to make it waterproof but the timber will probably rot anyway. However, recycled timber containers can be useful for growing tomatoes for one season.

If you are using pots that have been used previously for other plants it is important to scrub them out well before use. This is necessary to remove any soil-born diseases that might be present.

Choosing your Location

Sunlight is important for the growth of all plants, and this includes your container-grown tomatoes as well. Most crops will require at least five hours of direct sunlight a day, so make sure your growing area can accommodate this need. Also try to choose a spot that is sheltered from the wind, since strong gusts can damage new plants and dry out the soil quickly. Once you have selected the area for your tomato containers it is time to start preparing the pots.

Preparing Potting Mix

Good soil and regular feedings are essential for container-grown tomatoes, since they will not be able to get nutrients from the ground. Peat-based potting mixes are generally a good choice for this style of gardening and you can find an excellent variety of commercial products available for this purpose at your local nursery or garden center.

Seeds Or Seedlings?

For growing tomatoes in containers it is usually easier to start with seedlings. Place the pots in the desired location and plant the seedlings directly into pots. Water well. Once your plants begin to grow add a slow-release fertilizer as directed to keep your plants thriving and your harvest coming. Regular watering is also important, since the soil in containers tends to dry out much more quickly than garden beds in the ground. Check your pots daily and water as required.
As your tomato plants grow they will require staking to prevent them falling over. Once the plants begin setting fruit they will become quite heavy and the stems will require support.
Homeowners with large gardens are not the only people who can enjoy home-grown, vine-ripened tomatoes all summer long. By growing tomatoes in containers you can enjoy this small gardening hobby no matter where you live.