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| Photo Credit: Mark A. Miller |
| Learn about gardening online and take your knowledge into the garden. |
Are the words “software,” “bandwidth” and “blogging” part of your everyday language, but the terms “propagation,” “soil pH” and “cultivator” leave you baffled? If you look at a plant label and reach for your Palm® Pilot to figure out what in the world it’s trying to tell you, let me explain some of the basic concepts and actions of gardening in the more-familiar “high tech speak” that you know so well.
Let’s start with system requirements. You probably know this as any software you buy that requires certain characteristics of your technology to work properly – or to work at all. For plants to work (grow and thrive), they require certain characteristics, too. Basically, plants need the proper amount of moisture, the appropriate soil type and pH, and the right amount of sunlight. Disregarding your plant’s basic requirements would be a lot like trying to log onto the Internet using a 1985 dial-up system. Good soil preparation is like formatting your disk. It’s the foundation for gardening success. There’s a saying in gardening: It’s better to put a $2 plant in a $50 hole than the other way around. No one would dream of running a computer without a security system. Warding off pests, diseases and viruses by using the best possible security system in your garden is a must, whether organically with nonchemical treatments and beneficial insects, or with other, more common applications (such as good old-fashion sprays). Bandwidth – how much data can you send through a modem or Internet connection? Similarly, you should ask yourself, “How many plants can I jam into my garden?” or, “How close should I plant to my house?” Knowing the mature size and growth rate of a plant before you add it to your landscape can prevent big headaches down the road. In terms of landscape design, defrag is an excellent guideline. Think of the basic premise: If you eliminate the “ones and twos” in your system, it’ll work more efficiently. So grouping your plants in the garden consistent with their color and requirements will enhance the look, functionality and success of your yard.
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