Make Your Home More Fresh And Green

Rose gardening is one of the more popular past times, and one that can create a feeling of calmness, because of the beauty that these roses naturally have. You can never have a fully complete rose garden if you do not try growing climbing roses. This variety of roses are also called trailing roses, ramblers, pillars, and everbloom. They are not vines per se because they do not have support structures of their own. Climbing roses are great ornaments to enhance a fence or an archway in your garden.

Since climbing roses are not able to hold fast to structures the same way vines can, we have to do something to help them. A grower can attach or wind these climbing roses loosely through structures. Most climbing roses can be found on sheds, walls, pillars, fences, trellises, and arbors. It can be anything as long as it is a big and stable structure.

The roses that grow in a lateral direction have more blooms than the vertical ones. The ones that are vertically trained grow short spurs by the stems. The way that climbing roses grow is the only thing that sets them apart from other kinds of roses. They need around six or seven hours of direct sunlight per day. Even if they are roses that grow well in a partly shaded area, they will still need at least four hours of direct sunlight.

If you want to try growing climbing roses, you need to consider the length or the height that the variety you choose can grow to. Some of them can measure as high as thirty feet while some are only up to seven feet. It depends on the species that you grow. You have to check whether the structure you are looking at is capable of supporting the climbing roses. The plants height is dependent on the climate in the area you live in.

You have to choose the rose species that will fit the rest of your garden. There are varieties that bloom throughout the year. Some only bloom during the spring months.

Growing climbing roses is actually easier than other rose plants, because you do not have to prune them as much. In fact the first two years of the plant’s life requires no pruning at all. If you prune the roses each year the way that regular rose plants have to be pruned, you will end up with few blooms. You can prune them every three years at the least but you still have to limit it to taking out the small and old canes at the plant’s base. The younger canes should be allowed to grow and increase in height so that it becomes easier to trail them onto structure.

Rose gardening is not just purely science, it is also an art which can only be completed with a lot of patience. You might have to wait a while before your roses start to bloom. It will be worth it once you get to enjoy their beauty and wonderful fragrance.

By S Brooks

Orchid diseases and other Orchid problems such as pest infestations are commonly encountered by anyone growing orchids. Following are some of the common afflictions and approaches to dealing with them:

Common Pests::

• Slugs
• Mealybug
• Greenfly
• Fungus Gnats
• Whiteflys
• Aphids
• Millipedes,
• Centipedes and
• Weevels
• Sowbugs
• Mites
• snails

Many of these pests can be avoided if you grow your orchids in your home or greenhouse.

No matter how much you try to isolate your plants however, you will inevitably encounter some of these.

Orchid diseases:

• Leaf Rot
• Crown Rot
• Mildew
• Botrytis

Copious air circulation is the most important factor in avoiding and in some cases curing these diseases.

Viral Diseases:

Two of the worst are:

• CymMV
• ORSV

These diseases are rare. However they can be spread by using contaminated tools or pots. Be sure to sterilize your tools before use.

Orchid Treatment:

Discovering these orchid problems early is key to curing the diseases of orchids. Keep good environmental conditions such as light intensity,temperature, ventilation and humidity.Use the proper soil type for your orchids as well. These basic guidelines will help you avoid many common orchid problems.

Provide proper amounts of sunlight and maintain proper temperatures. Most orchids should get no more than four hours of sunlight a day. High temperatures can stop your orchids from blooming. Try to locate your plant where it will get just the right amount of sunlight or alternately provide light with grow lights.

Learn to water your orchids correctly. Too much water can cause “Basal Rot”. Likewise, too little water can cause “Fusarium wilt”.

If you get viral disease you may have to use fungicides. Rotate the type of fungicides used so the plant does not develop a resistance to it. You may also consider adding insects to control pest infestations.

These are some basic guidelines that will help you avoid many of the common orchid problems, it is always good to consult an expert if you are unsure what is

By Erin Merriweather

I have been growing orchids indoors for many years and have always enjoyed their presence in my home. Their natural beauty and wonderfully varied fragrances make them a welcome addition. I have grown many different species of Orchid with varying degrees of success. I have learned a lot over the years about what “not” to do as well.

One key to selecting an Orchid that will thrive in your home is matching your home environment up to the needs of the orchid you plan to grow, particularly in terms of light, temperature and humidity. Consider the areas in your home where you might like to place your orchid plants and ask yourself these questions:

1) What is the average temperature in this spot? will it be too hot? too cold?

2) How much does the temperature vary at night? Orchids like cooler night temperatures.

3) What is the humidity level? It should be a minimum of 40% humidity.

4) How much sunlight will it get throughout the day? will it get too much direct sun?

5) Is there good air circulation in this spot? This is often overlooked but critically important.

You home actually contains many “micro-environments”, these are areas in which the light,humidity & temperature can vary from one another considerably. Moving your plant a few feet one direction or another can make a difference. You can measure the temperature and humidity easily enough in various areas throughout your house to see what is ideal.

If you don’t have many options then place them next to an east facing window if you can, that way they will get morning sun but will be shielded from the too hot afternoon sun. Do not let the orchid’s leaves touch the window however, the temperature of the glass heated by the sun may be to hot and may burn the leaf. Likewise in the winter the glass can cause the leaves to freeze.

By Erin Merriweather