renewablesolarenergy.com

Pergolas are being used in our yards and gardens a lot these days. This is primarily due to their versatility and the simple cover they make for many of our areas. Pergolas are free standing structures that are made of wood, metal, vinyl, fiberglass, and are just good looking structures to have in our yards. They also provide great opportunities for landscaping and screening.

BUILDING PERGOLAS – Building a pergola is not difficult at all and the average homeowner can build a pergola with a decent set of plans. These plans will give you all of the dimensions and if you purchase the right plans you will also get a complete materials list which makes your material shopping easy and also allows you to get several bids on the materials you will need. There is a lot of flexibility in the style of pergola you can build and I am sure you can find a plan well within your skill level.

KIT FORMS OF PERGOLAS – There are many online sources for finding kit forms of pergolas today and they make it really easy for installation. Even if you decide to build one yourself you can now buy concrete pillars/columns and have them shipped to your house. From there you can construct the pergola you want depending how you set the concrete pillars. But with all of the choices out there today you can probably easily find the kit form of pergola you want for your yard.

CUSTOM MADE PERGOLAS – You can obviously have a carpenter come to your house and have a pergola made but there are also companies that will build you a custom pergola and in kit form and have it shipped to your house. Now you get the best of both worlds in that you have a kit form of a pergola but you also have one custom made to fit your needs.

WHAT MATERIAL TO CHOOSE FROM FOR MY PERGOLA? –  This is probably going to be a function of whether you are trying to match anything in your yard or near your house. Most all pergolas that are purchased in kit form hold up well. Pergolas can be purchased that are made out of vinyl, metal, fiberglass, and wood. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes.

HOW DO I MOUNT MY PERGOLA? You can put your pergola on a concrete slab by using concrete mounting brackets, you can set your pergola on a gravel base and leave it free standing, you can set a pergola on  stone pillars or posts, and you can plant posts in the ground and build your pergola from the posts.

USES FOR PERGOLAS – The primary purpose of a pergola is to provide cover to some area or object.  Pergolas are used to cover entertainment or sitting areas, to cover spas, patios, barbeque areas or outdoor kitchens. The roof of the pergola can be solid providing complete rain protection or the roof can be beamed or slated and therefore partially open. There are many uses for pergolas including covers for areas in which to hold weddings or other special events or parties. Some pergolas structures have seating built into them and some pergola structures are used for screening purposes.

For more free information and links to great pictures of pergolas go to http://www.wooden-garden-sheds.info today. There are also links for custom made pergolas for your yard or garden.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/wood-pergolas-metal-pergolas-fiberglass-pergolas-vinyl-pergolas-custom-made-pergolas-1772844.html

Hydroponics is a practice that is used to grow vegetation normally on an indoor scale without the use of soil or natural sunlight. When using this method, plant life is able to grow in gravel or rockwool and even straight liquid as long as there is enough nutrients in each of the mediums. Without these essential nutrients or chemicals the plants plainly could not continue to exist. These are the same as those found in fertile soil, but hydrophonic plants are healthier and more energetic because all of the essential growth elements are readily available. Because of this method plants yield a greater, earlier harvest of the healthiest vegetable and flower crops.

If you use high nutrient soil you can achieve the same yield as hydroponics but the plants won’t develop quite as fast. In several cases, the plants need for its necessities such as light, water, C02, and temperature can normally amplify as they are capable of burning much more energy because an nearly ideal environment is supplied. Keep in mind, just because plants can be grown with hydroponics doesn’t mean they won’t be affected by insects, disease and drastic climate changes.

Benefits to Hydrophonics: The greatest benefit of this procedure would most likely be the lack of natural light and rich soil required to carry out the growth process. Lack of need for watering is another benefit to this procedure. Once the plants are growing in whichever medium chosen it’s almost a set it and forget it scenario.

Because larger plants don’t need a larger root base to search for nutrients, hydroponics is ideal for apartment or condominium living. Click the link below for more information.

K Gaetz enjoys the art of horticulture and loves spending his free time researching ways to produce stronger, healthier plants. Interested in having your own hydrophonic system in your house…visit the highlighted link.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/small-space-gardens-via-hydrophonics-1773417.html

Advantages of Pruning to Common Vegetables

Pruning is the latest technology applied to horticultural crops to increase the quality of  fruit bearing plants and vine crops. Reducing the number of branches and vines provides the maximum utilization of nutrient elements by the plant which supports the production of quality fruits. The excess branches and vines are only an addition to the plants’ burden, since they utilized more nutrients and not giving advantage in terms of fruit quality.

To provide for a more quality fruits, those excess branches and vines should be removed.

Pruning has the following advantages…

1)    Minimize sunlight competition, nutrients, and water – These three factors when limited to the plants growth reduces its productivity. Pruning helps them to be available to the plants because some unnecessary plant parts have been removed.

2)    Minimizes insect pests and diseases occurrence – When  you prune your plants, they are exposed to total sunlight,  therefore, reduces pests and diseases attack. Pests and diseases don’t stay long in hot condition as compared to shady place.

3)    Minimize spraying – When you don’t spray, you minimize your production cost and at the same time helps for a chemical – free environment.

4)    Improve quality of fruits – Pruned plants have bigger fruit size and have a better price in the market.

Pruning Techniques For Common Vegetables

• Upo, Patola and Ampalaya

1)    14 – 15 Days after transplanting, remove lateral vines including flowers and fruits from the 1st – 12th node (at least one meter from the plant base.

2)    Allow to fruits on the 13th node up (this is the fruiting zone).

3)    Do follow-up pruning and remove those curly leaves.

• Watermelon

1)    Cut the terminal bud after the 4th node allowing 4 late5ral vines to develop.

2)    Remove secondary lateral vines including flowers and fruits up to the 9th node.

3)    Allow to develop fruits on the 10th node up

4)    Remove lateral vines not the leaves that may crop up below the 9th node.

5)    Allow 1 fruit each lateral vine to develop a total of 4 fruits for the 4 lateral vines.

• Honeydew and Muskmelon (without trellis)

1)  Cut the terminal buds the same as in watermelon.

2)    Remove sec0ondary lateral vines including flowers and fruits up to the 5th node.

3)    Allow to develop fruits on the 6th node up.

4)    Maintain 3 – 4 fruits per plant.

• Honeydew and Muskmelon (with trellis)

1)    Remove lateral vines including flowers and fruits from the 1st node – 9th node.

2)    Allow to develop fruits between the 10th up to the 20th node (fruiting zone).

3)    Maintain two fruits per plant.

• Squash

1)    Remove all the lateral vines including fruits and flowers from the 1st up to the 5th node.

2)    Allow to develop fruits on the 6th node up

3)    Remove leaves below the 6th node once the lateral vines are fully develop.

4)    Don’t allow any lateral vines to develop below the 6th node. Follow-up pruning should be observed always.

• Cucumber

1)    Remove lateral vines including flowers and fruits up to the 5th node.

2)    Allow to develop fruits on the 6th node up.

3)    In every secondary vines allow twp fruits to develop then cut the tip after  the 3rd node.

• Eggplant, Pepper and Tomato

1)  Remove all  the auxiliary buds up to the pork.

2)    Above the pork allow to develop 4 branches and remove the leaves below the pork.

3)    After fruiting stage remove the leaves below the pork.

4)    Don’t allow branches to develop below the pork area.

Cris Ramasasa is a retired Horticulture teacher for 29 years and Freelance writer. Writes home gardening tips and resources. Written ebooks titled: How To Get Started In Flower Gardening and Vegetable Gardening Made Easy.

www.crisramasasa.com – Still under construction

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/advantages-of-pruning-to-common-vegetables-1773866.html