Tag Archives: Need

What You Need to Know When Buying Bonsai Trees As a Gift

Whether the occasion is a birthday, secretaries day, mothers day, fathers day or the holidays (Christmas, Hanukah or Kwanzaa) bonsai trees make great gifts. Bonsai trees are a perfect gift for any loved one born with or without a green thumb. If you know someone special who loves and takes delight in caring for plants then bonsai trees may indeed be the perfect gift. Here are the items you will need if you decide to give a bonsai tree as a gift.

The first thing you will need to buy is a bonsai tree. Before buying a bonsai tree you need to determine whether your recipient will require an indoor or outdoor bonsai tree. Does the recipient live in a warm area year round like New Mexico or New Orleans or do they live in an area where the seasons change like New York or North Dakota. Next you will need to determine which bonsai tree species to buy. There are many types of bonsai trees like the Japanese maple, elm, ficus, maple, and juniper. Some bonsai tree species are more difficult to grow than others so you will need to make sure that you choose the appropriate species for the person who will be receiving the bonsai tree.

The second thing you will need to bonsai pot. Today there are various styles, colors, shapes and size to choose from so you can easily find a bonsai pot for the bonsai tree that is perfect for anyone. When selecting the bonsai pot, you will need to the correct size for the bonsai tree to ensure the tree fits inside the pot.

The third thing you will need to buy is bonsai soil. Unlike other types of plants, bonsai trees require a certain type of soil to grow. Some soils are already mixed with fertilizer to make your life easier. However, when buying bonsai soil you need to make sure that you not only buy enough soil to fill the pot but you will need to include extra soil as well.

The fourth thing you will need to buy is bonsai fertilizer. Bonsai trees require fertilizer for growth and nutrition. There are many kinds to choose from starting with organic and non organic types. Regardless of which fertilizer you choose, you will need to understand what nitrogen level your bonsai tree requires. To be safe buy extra fertilizer and package it with your bonsai gift.

The fifth thing you will need to buy is wire and tools. These items are essential especially for the novice in bonsai growing. Bonsai tool kits are available and they come with the standard tools such as the bending jack, concave cutter, scissors and wire cutters. The wire is also essential since wire is used to form the bonsai tree.

The last thing you will need to buy is a watering pot or can. Like most plant life, bonsai trees need frequent watering. Including a watering pot is a must since it is a subtle reminder that the bonsai tree requires water.

Winter, spring, summer, or fall, when it comes to bonsai trees, anytime can be a good time to buy a bonsai gift. When giving a bonsai tree as a gift make sure you include a pot, soil, bonsai fertilizer, wire tools, and a watering pot. By including these items your bonsai gift will be the perfect gift!

To learn more about bonsai care visit the Bonsai Tree Store. You will discover the best bonsai techniques and the best deals on bonsai trees, seeds, soil, fertilizer, tools and books.

Raised Summer Garden- Is This What You Need?

Raised gardens have become very popular as quite many of them are renting their property or finding themselves in the high rise apartments of buildings with some or no lawn space at all and moreover very less access to real soil to plant flowers and vegetables which they desire having with them. Actually, there are very few pros about using the raised gardens when opposed to tilling soil for those wishing to structure smaller gardens and also are limited about the space where it could be done. Simultaneously, those who wish for bigger yields are usually dissatisfied with limits of the raised gardens. Such are ultimately individual choices but it is suggested to know and point out a few of the pros and cons about such types of gardens so that people could decide about the same.

Soil compaction

The plants could love to breath. This is often very difficult when it is placed in the garden rows as there is a little bit of difficulty perhaps, avoiding all together possibility of stepping in the tilled rows where the fruits, vegetables, or the plants are planted in traditional garden situation. With the help of raised gardens, which are designed to be worked without, there is almost no fear of compacting soil around plants. During the same time most lifelong gardeners get a feel of the inability to walk in the gardens. This is a disadvantage as they prefer being able to do it. It is often matters about the preference than practicality but a valid opposition is just the same.

Numbers

You could essentially plant many plants in same amount of the square footage in the raised bed as there is no requirement for rows. One should also be very aware about the fact that the plants in the raised beds very often tend growing larger than those plants in the traditional garden rows. This being said one must resist the urge of over planting within raised garden beds. This would eliminate the slight benefit. Most traditional gardeners often see the results of having the beds overcrowded and feel that their manner of doing it is much better.

A good benefit to raise beds for the summer gardens in the areas which are almost saturated with the excess moisture is that, the raised beds would allow a better drainage than any traditional row gardening. It is one thing which the average gardener would not prefer arguing with, unless he lives in area where this is not much problem. Many gardeners in south though, where good deal of humidity is present along with some moisture, would agree that a proper drainage would be a problem.

The raised beds are quite less back breaking. It is a great benefit to a few of us who feel the years being crept into our bones. When we are above ground, the raised gardens offer much easier access for the activities of planting, weeding, and investigating for the signs of pests. A great thing about the raised garden is that they manifest to be slow and are not very quick to cool like the earth. It renders them much more productive and longer growing seasons like most of the gardens which are placed in ground.

Those of who have unusually shaped the yards or the growing areas, the raised gardens would allow the opportunity of having one beautiful summer garden almost in any shape you could build this box for. It means that you are never limited to rows, as many gardens often tend to be. You also have few more choices for aesthetics as you plan and grow the summer garden.

A downside to a raised summer garden is that it is very difficult to have it dismantled and almost impossible to till. It means one must do every working of soil by plain hands and most gardeners would not completely appreciate the look of the process. One most vital thing however, is about choosing the summer garden system which works best for you. Some may find combining the 2 would provide still better results. It is a good use of the time or you may also prefer one when compared to the other. As a matter of fact, there is no wrong answer in general. The wrong one would
only be wrong for you.

Abhishek is an avid Gardening enthusiast and he has got some great Gardening Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 57 Pages Ebook, “Your Garden – Neighbor’s Envy, Owner’s Pride!” from his website http://www.Gardening-Master.com/762/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.