photo credit: coconut wireless

Planting and Caring for a New Fruit Tree

First see what available room you will have in your backyard. This will decide if you buy an espalier tree, dwarf or semi-dwarf fruit tree. Next you will want to select the fruit variety you want. You will have to take into consideration your climate and if you need another tree to help with pollination, or if this fruit will grow in your area.

Shop around for a good value in a fruit tree, but more importantly, a healthy tree. It’s best to buy from a local nursery that has been in business for years.  And before I purchase the tree I have already chose the location for the tree and have a hole dug so that I can take the tree home and plant it immediately.

Once home check the size of the hole you have dug for the tree.  You want the hole to be twice as wide as the root clump, and just a little less deep. The reason for the hole being slightly bigger than the roots is that this allows room for the soil that you dug out to be put back in.

Place a small amount of fertilizer in the hole and take a good look at the roots of the fruit tree. If there are any roots that are damaged clip them off. Also make sure the roots are not knotted up. You want them to be able to grow up and spread.

I mix a little compost in with the dig that I removed for the hole. Next place half the dirt in the hole and water well. As you plant the tree make sure the tree is standing straight and not leaning. You may need someone to help and hold it in place. Finish filling in the hole and water one more time. Tamp the soil in place. You will want the soil to be a couple of inches higher than the rest of the yard. In time the soil will settle and this will make your tree base even with the rest of the yard.

Tip: You may want to stake the tree in place to that it stays vertical and does not bend in the wind.

Your fruit tree should start producing fruit in three to five years after planting.

Once your tree starts to produce a lot of fruit you should periodically pick off some of the unripe fruit so that the branches aren’t weighed down too much. Remove the small or deformed fruit. If the fruit gets too thick, the branches can break off from the weight and by picking off fruit, what is left on the tree will be bigger.
photo credit: cooljinny

Fruit trees will need pruned and checked for insect problems each year. But if properly cared for will produce for years to come and add value and beauty to your backyard oasis.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Garden, backyard ideas, backyard oasis, fruit

photo credit: Ingorrr

You may want to add a mini garden to your balcony this year. It’s really quite simple to do and can be set up and planted in a few hours. By adding planter boxes and a few hanging basket you can change the atmosphere of the balcony, add new color and supply fresh vegetables to your table.

Supplies for your small space balcony garden:

Several long, rectangular planter boxes
Plastic bottoms or trays for the planter boxes
Wired planter-holders and the attachments they come with (screws, etc)
Hanging baskets
Two to three bags of soil
Trowel, for moving soil
Watering can or large empty plastic bottles
Plant food or liquid fertilizer
Flowers or vegetable plants or seed packets

First prepare the planter boxes. Make sure they are clean. I usually rinse them with vinegar to make sure they are disinfected. Make sure there are holes in the planters for drainage and if there are not, carefully make three or four holes.

Place soil mix in planters up to one inch from the top. Dig holes for the plants and plant according to space needed for the plants. Usually the planting marker will give you this information. If you are planting seeds lightly pat the soil and place seeds on top, then cover with ¼ to ½ inch soil depending on the seeds you planted. The seed packet will give you planting depth and seed spacing.

Attach the wired planter holders to the sides of your balcony then place your boxes in them once they are secure. Double-check this step. Planters weigh more when full so make sure the planters will stay in place. The planter holders usually come with screws or an illustration for attaching the planters securely. Make sure to place plastic bottoms or trays under the planters to catch excess water. You may also decide you want to set them on the balcony floor instead.

Fill and plant the hanging baskets in the same manner. The advantage of hanging baskets is that they can make use of corner space and space not being used higher on the balcony.
photo credit: crabchick

Now it’s time to water your new garden. A good rule of thumb is to water plants when you feel the soil is beginning to dry. Usually that will be about three days. If you have direct sunlight you may have to water more often.

You can easily grow cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries in the hanging baskets. You may want to add a few flowers for color and variety. Lettuce, radishes, beans, and herbs will grow nicely in the planters. If you have room for a corner container you may want to grow climbing beans, squash, or something fun like miniature pumpkins. Almost any vegetable can be grown in a container. You just need sunlight and room.

My one friend grew corn, gourds, cotton and malabar spinach on her balcony and it was beautiful. She easily grew enough for two people and had fresh cut flowers all summer.

You may want to add potted small trees or vines against the wall of the balcony for more of a backyard oasis feel. Just make sure they will receive enough sun. You can also put up a trellis for plants to grow up. The trellis would have an added benefit of giving you balcony oasis more privacy.

The balcony is an extension of your living space and by adding plants and a garden you will give a more spacious feel to your home and balcony garden area.

Technorati Tags: balcony garden, container gardening, Small Space Garden

photo credit: jfeuchter

It’s important for the balcony garden to be well planned. Besides making the most out of the space available you have to consider the weight a garden will add and plan accordingly. For this reason many people use plastic lightweight containers and pots. Hanging baskets are also popular and make more use of available space. One other option of creating more space on your balcony for growing is adding a trellis so that plants can grow vertically.

Square Foot Gardening techniques are very popular in the balcony garden. This method makes the best use out of a square foot or garden soil. A 4-foot by 4-foot area can supply enough food for two people. This style of gardening can easily be adapted to container gardening and hanging baskets.

For growing food on a balcony it’s best to choose the small growing varieties of vegetables. Mini squash such as eight ball squash, mini patty pan, small cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes are just a few varieties of small vegetables. Lettuce grows well on the balcony and there are many edible flowers and herbs.
photo credit: niceness

One other consideration you have to think about is water. You may drizzle water on your balcony so drainage trays for containers are a must and installing a balcony indoor/outdoor carpet may be a wise decision. It will also add warmth to the balcony in the cooler months.

Balconies often have more of a microclimate being higher up and more susceptible to winds. So you may need to supply a windbreak for the plants. Trellises or screens will help with wind.

And last but not least, when planning your balcony garden make sure to leave room for garden furniture and possible a small table water fountain. You may even want a small potted tree. Your balcony may be a garden but it should still be a place to relax and enjoy.

Technorati Tags: balcony garden