Strawberry Cough

Strawberry Cough

Strawberry Cough is Sativa and Indica hybrid plants, Sativa dominant which contributes almost 80% for its genetics. He found the origin of some parts of North America and some parts of Europe. "Strawberry Cough 'The name explains a lot about this plant. The plant bears buds that dense smoke taste like strawberries. That, strawberry cream buds can make delicious taste of what you need to hit the fat. This is the explanation why the factory has got the' cough 'in its name. the smell of the plant as a whole also found similarities with strawberries. you will be able to feel the smell only when the leaves and dry branches. the smell increases as the plants dry out more. the smell is usually the strongest on the fourth day of drying. the stronger the smell after a few hits of fat.

Strawberry Cough: An Overview
Strawberry cough is a sweet flavored plant which is generally grown indoors. As has already been mentioned that it is a hybrid of Sativa and Indica. Sativa is a semitropical plant which takes quite a long time to flower. Because of the presence of Indica genes, Strawberry cough takes about 2 months' time to flower. The plants grow well in hydroponics or soil set-ups. The plant needs rich supply of nutrients in the initial stage of vegetative growth. On an average, plants of strawberry cough grow to a height of 3.5 feet. This is especially the case with plants grown indoors or in greenhouses. The leaves are hybrids between the leaves of Indica and Sativa. If the environmental conditions are favorable, the plant starts producing buds about 35-40 days of flowering. It gives a second wave of budding that completes at about 60 days. The buds are a little hard, long and resemble narrow pine cones in shape. The branches are strong, firm and sturdy. They can bear even heavy buds well. Strawberry cough plants grown in greenhouses flower a week earlier than those grown indoors. Flowering period is 9 weeks. Harvest time is from third to fourth week of October. According to experts, a density of 1-2 Strawberry cough plants per square foot is ideal for gardening purposes.

Strawberry Cough: Uses
Strawberry cough finds its use both in the field of medicine and ornamental gardening. It is a medicinal herb. The medicines based on its parts are often administered by herbalists in the form of herbal medicine for curing anxiety, depression and fatigue. This lifts up your spirit and gives you an energetic boost without feeling overactive. The plant of the Strawberry cough is mostly bred by health conscious people to derive benefits from its euphoric and antianxiety properties. When included in a garden, it tends to increase the ornamental appearance with its long branches and over-all purple color. The yield is often moderate. However, it is worth growing because of the quality of experience it gives to the gardener.

Strawberry cough needs a little effort from you in its initial stage of vegetation. As it grows, it tends to get firm for survival on its own. Therefore, after some months you only need to water the plant and remove weeds from its surroundings. The strawberry cough plant acts as a main decorative herb in your garden. Its beautiful branches and plants are very attractive to look at. If possible, get a few viable strawberry cough seeds and grow them in your locality. Growing strawberry cough plants is worth all the effort and expenditure.

Growing Bamboo for Profit

Growing Bamboo for Profit

Bamboo is an evergreen plant and real wood and grass family Poaceae. This is the fastest growing plant in the world and has about 1,000 species. Factory bamboo found in various parts of the world, such as East Asia, Northern Australia, sub-Saharan Africa, the United States, Chile and Argentina. Let us understand how to grow bamboo for profit.

Growing Bamboo for Profit
The fast growth of bamboo make it a good crop to be cultivated for profit. Bamboo can grow around 60 cm in a single day. The fastest bamboo growth that has been measured till date is 121 cm in a day.

Climate and Soil: The temperature of 60ºF is best for the growth of bamboo plants. The bamboo plants need support, and thus, clay soil is suitable for their cultivation. Thus, bamboo shouldn't be cultivated in sandy soil. A well-drained soil prevents the plant from getting over watered. Over watering may cause the bacterial infection of rhizoids, and thereby rotting and decaying.

Bamboo Planting: Bamboo cultivation proves to be profitable if planted at a proper distance, i.e. 21 - 30 feet apart. It provides enough space for the plant to grow vigorously. There is no need to spend much on the maintenance of this plant. It is another reason which makes bamboo cultivation a profitable practice. The planting material needed for bamboo cultivation are the shoots with nodes present on them. The nodes are ring-shaped and encircle the shoots of the bamboo plant.

Cultivation: The plants that are cultivated for wood do not need much fertilizers and sunlight. However, if the plant is cultivated for selling the shoots, enough nourishment has to be provided. The use of tools in bamboo cultivation has reduced the cost of cultivation to a great extent. Thus, the earlier form of bamboo cultivation which was labor intensive has become much more mechanized.

Bamboo Farming for Profit
There are many benefits of growing bamboo, which makes bamboo cultivation a profitable affair. The amount of timber that bamboo produces per unit land is greater than any other plants, nearly around 20 times more. It is possible to cultivate bamboo on a degraded land. Bamboo cultivation for wood is very much profitable because of its fast growth. Most of the hardwood species from the tropical region require around 30 years to mature completely. The bamboo, however, doesn't need more than 3 - 4 years to grow from the time it is planted. Nowadays, automated machines are being used for the processing of bamboo. The time required for processing has reduced greatly over time. Thus, the demand for bamboo has risen in comparison to earlier days. The international demand for bamboo is increasing at a fast pace. Countries like Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Korea import bamboo on a large scale. Thus, growing bamboo for profit is one of the feasible options to consider.

Markets for Bamboo Cultivators
Bamboos could be used for many different purposes, and one can make profit by selling various products made from this plant. Fresh bamboo shoots are used for edible purposes, and selling bamboo as a food could turn out to be highly profitable. The wood obtained from bamboo is also used as construction material. The use of bamboo flooring is a common practice in many countries. Thus, one should target this section of the market and try to gain profits. Bamboo rugs are also used in many homes. Therefore, one should take into account various uses of bamboo while undertaking its production.

Growing Bamboo From Cuttings

Growing Bamboo From Cuttings

Factory fastest growing on earth, bamboo is a member of the family Poaceae. In addition to the bright hues of the garden, it has become popular all over the world to do with wisdom, strength and longevity. This is because the popularity of which in addition to growing in the garden, people also want to know about how to grow bamboo indoors. In addition to being the most favorite gardening, bamboo is the value for various purposes. From being used as building material, bamboo is widely used to make furniture and craftwork. There are a number of ways in which the bamboo plant can grow. One of the most preferred way is the bamboo that grow from cuttings.

Growing Bamboo Plants

Bamboo plants can be grown using a part of a mature plant itself. While some propagate very quickly, others may take a year or two. The various methods used for growing bamboo plants are layering, cutting, and also by seeds. However, using seeds to grow bamboo is very rare as some species do not seed at all, whereas most have such long flowering cycles that it becomes extremely difficult to procure seeds for growing new plants from them.

Growing Bamboo From Cuttings

Selecting the Cutting: Whatever the mode of propagation, it is important to select a healthy material of the right age and in the correct stage of development. It should be free from any disease and pests. Take cuttings from the middle portion of tall trunks that are not more than three years old. Ensure that each cutting has two complete internodes and a half internode. The internodes should be undamaged.

Preparing the Land: Bamboo growing regions have warm, tropical climate where the temperatures do not fall below 15 degrees Celsius. However, people have been growing bamboo in cold regions as well. In such places, caring for bamboo plants include mulching and erecting a physical barrier that would protect the plants from the cold, dry winds of the winter season. These plants grow in almost any soil that is not rocky. However, light and sandy loam soil is suitable for growing bamboo. The soil should be well-drained, as too much water will prevent the rhizomes from growing. It is important to remove all weeds from the area in which the bamboos will be grown. The soil should also be tilled up to a depth of 1.5 feet.

Planting the Cutting: The best time for planting the cuttings is just before the rainy season, which is also known as the growing season. This is the time around spring or early summers. The cuttings should be planted as soon as they are cut as bamboo plants are sensitive to shock. Any delay in planting the cuttings may lead to poor growth or complete failure of the cutting to grow into a new plant. Plant the bamboo cuttings vertically with the half internode above the ground. Put a layer of moist clay over the top cut end. Do not cover the hole. This layer acts as a disinfectant for the newly cut part.

Pour some water (about two cups) to the top of the cutting. This practice should be continued till the cutting develops roots and fresh green shoots grow in the nodes. While planting the cuttings, ensure that there is enough space between them. For most cuttings a space of 7 to 9 yards works well. However, for bamboo shoots that are grown to produce shoots, require more sunlight than those that are being grown for timber.

Growing the Cutting: Bamboo is a hardy plant that does not require too much care. However, till the plant is established it is important to ensure that the area where they are being grown is clear of weeds. Adding fertilizers will also ensure a good growth. In case your area is a windy one, you could erect some barrier that would protect the plants from tilting in strong winds.

Bamboo is a versatile plant that can be grown on land as well as in water containers. From knowing about how to grow bamboo on land, people are on the constant lookout for instructions on growing bamboo in water. Of the various methods, growing bamboo from cuttings is widely practiced as it is very easy and more convenient than other known methods. 

Growing Bamboo Indoors

Bamboo is a type of grass-woody plant. This species grows in a variety of sizes, from dwarfs to giants, and many regions grow bamboo, from the mountains of ice habitat for tropical humid climates. Among the many bamboo plants of good quality, is that the fastest growing woody plants in the world, and has the ability to grow under harsh conditions. Because there are more than 1000 known species of bamboo, no single set of rules can be applied to grow bamboo indoors. However, these are some guidelines on how to grow bamboo plants indoors.

Selecting a Bamboo Plant: The first step to growing bamboo indoors is to decide what type of bamboo plant you want to grow. The two deciding factors are climate and size. You need to pick a plant that will flourish in the natural climate of the place you live in and also fit into the designated space you have for it. The most popular bamboo plant at present is the lucky bamboo plant, with comes with instructions on growing bamboo in water, as that is almost all the care it needs.

Basic Necessities: Bamboos have the same requirements as most house plants: well-drained and nutrient-rich soil, sufficient light, adequate humidity and fertilizer during the growing season.

Potting: Bamboo plants termed runners, have roots that spread rapidly, and others called clumpers, have roots which slowly expand from the original planting. Indoor bamboo plants are best grown in pots that can accommodate the plants as they rapidly grow. The ideal size of pot is one that has about two inches or more space between the edge of the root ball and the side of the container. If your indoor bamboo plant is a runner with rhizome roots that grow more horizontally, use a wide, tub-like container. However, a tall, deep container would work better for indoor bamboo plants with clumping root systems. As is obvious, large indoor bamboo plants need voluminous containers.

All bamboo plants, after a while, spread within the container and eventually become pot-bound. Thus, they all need periodic pruning, some (such as bamboo plants with rhizome roots) more often than others. When you find that the pot is filed with root and rhizome, it is time to either move it to a larger container, or remove some of the roots (approximately one third of the total) and place it back into the same pot along with fresh soil. Growing bamboo from cuttings is the normal way of increasing your indoor population of bamboo.

Soil: Ensure that the soil a bamboo plant is grown in is not saturated, or over watered. If the soil is saturated, there will be no oxygen, which will cause the roots to rot. The plant should be periodically nourished with high-nitrogen, low potash fertilizer, i.e. water-soluble 30-10-10. Nonetheless, any balanced slow-release N-P-K fertilizer solution will suffice.

Environment: While growing bamboo indoors, you need to try your best to provide it with a climate similar to its natural habitat, i.e. tropical or temperate. Temperate bamboos are exposed to a cold dormancy in the wild. When it does not receive the same indoors, it often results in leaf drop. This means that the plant is "resting", and will consume less water and lower photosynthesis. Tropical bamboos adjust more easily to the indoor environment. They need consistent temperatures and moisture, and should flourish indoors. One rule of thumb to follow is: the higher the air temperature, the brighter the light must be. If it is humidity you need to create, place the pots on a shallow container with pebbles and a little water. Alternately, you could use a humidifier.

Care: Caring for a bamboo plant means trimming it on a regular basis. A tall bamboo plant will need regular thinning and pruning, by cutting off undesired or wilted stems at soil level. If you want to control the height of the bamboo stem, cut it at the place on the stem just above a branch. For aesthetic reasons, it is advisable to keep the lower portions of the stems bare, by cutting off the branches. Misting the plants is another good practice, which helps with moisture and reduces dust settlements.

Indoor bamboo plants can add a lot of aesthetic value to any room. Growing bamboo indoors can be fairly easy, as they come in a wide variety of sizes and grow in vastly diverse climates. Thus one can pick a size they want, as well as a species that would flourish in the given environment. 

How to Grow Bamboo Indoors

How to Grow Bamboo Indoors

Bamboo is actually a plant belonging to the family of grass and varies in length from a few centimeters to a few meters. Bamboo can grow in different places under diverse climatic conditions, but generally the plant flourishes in hot, humid and rainy regions. The lucky bamboo is an indoor variety that is native to Cameroon; but its stems are often imported from countries like China, Taiwan and Korea.

Bamboo is an ornamental plant which is also considered to be a good luck plant. The Chinese believe that this plant is instrumental in bringing fortune and good luck. According to the Chinese art of healing Feng Shui, bamboo can help balance the energy to your home. The number of bamboo stalks signify different good things:

• 2 bamboo stalks bring good luck.
• 3 bamboo stalks mean happiness.
• 5 or 7 bamboo stalks symbolize good health.
• 9 bamboo stalks convey wealth.
• 21 bamboo stalks attract blessings.

How to Grow Bamboo Indoors

Bamboo plants require humidity, light, water and air movement. The first step is to choose a proper bamboo plant, whether tropical or native species. Tropical bamboo plants, when grown indoor adapt more easily. Some precautionary measures to ensure that your bamboo houseplant grows well are:

• Make sure you buy a healthy bamboo plant; check whether the leaves and the stem are strong and green.
• Get a glass container. An important fact to remember is that bamboo thrives in a large container. As the bamboo grows quickly, it is always good to leave at least two inches between the edge of the root and side of the container.
• Put the stones at the bottom of the container, so that the bottom is covered. Add water. Add stones around the stem of the plant. This will help keep the plant balanced and will prevent the roots from getting flattened at the bottom. Instead of stones, you can also use either marbles or pebbles.
• Bamboo requires indirect light. If it gets direct sunlight, the leaves will burn; but at the same time, if it doesn't get enough light, the leaves will lose strength. Hence, the best way to ensure proper light, is to use an energy efficient bulb.
• Bamboo thrives in humid conditions. Hence, it's necessary to see that its moisture levels are always high. This can be done by spraying water on them regularly. It is best to keep these plants in cooler places.
• Keep the bamboo in an area where there is good air movement, possibly where they can get fresh air from outdoors.
• Watering the plant everyday is not required. If leaves start to curl, water frequently. Make sure that there is no chlorine in the water. If chlorine is present, let it settle down overnight, and then water your plant, because chlorine causes leaves to turn yellow.
• When the roots have been in water from a long time, the container, marbles and the roots require cleansing. Take out the roots first. Wash them with water. Wash the container with a detergent. Also wash the marbles and then add freshwater.
• Avoid extreme hot or cold temperatures. Bamboo thrives well at room temperatures between 15 to 25 degrees centigrade.

Once the bamboo plant has been inside the house for some time, it will adapt to its indoor conditions.

Bamboo is a symbol for longevity, health, luck and wisdom. Bring this enamoring plant into your house and feel its aura.

Ranunculus Care

Ranunculus Care

While starting a flower garden, all we can expect is vibrant blooms filling up the beds and brightening the landscape. Ranunculus is known for the same attributes. Yes, it produces bright colored blooms in shades of white, yellow, orange, pink, purple, red and some cultivars have multicolored petals. Unfortunately, it comes with a tag of difficulty in cultivation, and many hobbyists avoid planting it in gardens. The truth is, ranunculus care is challenging in cool areas, but not for moderate warm regions.

Ranunculus Plants: Growing Guide
The term ranunculus is colloquially used to refer to both the common name and generic name of herbaceous plants, which belong to family Ranunculaceae. They are mostly perennial plants, while a few are annuals and biennials. Some appreciable attributes of ranunculus are lacy leaves, long and upright stems, heavy blooms, delicate petals and long shelf life. In order to make your task for caring for ranunculus simple, highlighted below are the basic cultural requirements for growing this perennial flowering plant.

Hardiness Zones:	USDA zones 8-11
Propagation Method:	Woody, clawlike bulbs
Bulb Preparation:	Soaking roots in warm water
Planting Time:	Spring and fall
Preferred Soil:	Well-drained, fertile soil
Light Factor:	Grows best in full sun
Temperature Factor:	Cool temperature
Water Requirement:	Moderate irrigation
Fertilizer Application:	Light fertilization
Plant Problems:	Aphids, fungal attacks and mollusks

How to Care for Ranunculus Plants?
If you are interested in larger blooms, then choose the Tecolote or Jumbo ranunculus bulbs. For cool climatic regions (zones 4-7), it is best to grow ranunculus indoors, about 3 months before the last frosting. Select healthy bulbs and plant in large pots (preferably 6 inches in diameter) about 1 inch below the soil, with the root tips pointing down. For growing it in warmer areas (zones 8 and above), ranunculus bulbs are planted directly in outdoor garden beds in spring, with a spacing of 4-6 inches between them.

• Hoping that you have grown ranunculus plants in sunlit areas and soil with no drainage problems, they will grow luxuriantly. Indoor ranunculus care involves placing the potted plants in bright light, or in the windowsill.
• If the indoor plants lack vigor or appear weak, perhaps it is because of insufficient light. For such a case, consider installing artificial lights to restore normal growth. Make sure they are placed near to the west or south facing windows.
• Coming to the temperature part, it withstands 10-20°F, and not below this range. Accordingly, make the necessary arrangements to protect ranunculus plants from heavy frosting. For container plants, you can bring them indoors.
• The most crucial part in ranunculus care instructions is watering. Yes, keeping the soil moist but not wet is the trick to grow healthy ranunculus plants. Too less moisture and they will wither away, while overwatering increases root rotting.
• Ranunculus cannot tolerate heavy fertilization. Of course, they do require fertile soil and nutrients for producing maximum flower buds. You can use correct doses of bulb fertilizer during the active growth season and just before the blooming period.
• After bloom care for ranunculus plants is the same as before. Do not remove the leaves, instead retain them as they are. The foliage synthesizes food and prepares the plants for next year's flower production. Continue watering to promote photosynthesis.
• After the flowering season is completed, i.e., in summer, the leaves will become yellow. This indicates that the plants are entering dormancy period. At this phase, remove the drying leaves and keep the bulbs undisturbed. They will sprout during favorable weather conditions.
• In case ranunculus is subjected to stressful conditions, it becomes weak, and disease and pest infestations are most likely to occur. The common ranunculus problems include infestations of powdery mildew, rust, aphids, spider mites and snails.

The fall planted ranunculus blooms in spring time, while those planted in spring produce copious blooms in June and July. You can collect the long stemmed ranunculus blooms for making flower bouquets, and also for beautifying home indoors and offices. The ranunculus flowering season lasts for 1½ months, and the plants look awesome during this period. Many people prefer removing the spent blooms to conserve moisture and nutrients for the developing flower buds. 

By Ningthoujam Sandhyarani

How to Make a Flower Bed

How to Make a Flower Bed 

Beverley Nichols said, "To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat", and Antonio Porchia said "Flowers are without hope. Because hope is tomorrow and flowers have no tomorrow." If you agree with Beverley Nichols, then you're one of those who have been captivated by the breathtaking beauty and lilting fragrance of flowers and absolutely loved the experience. Flowers have that effect on people. And though Antonio Porchia may claim that they have 'no hope', we all know otherwise don't we? Flowers have that uncanny ability to lift up anyone's spirits and put them out of their misery, anger, grief, sadness and to add to their joys and celebrations! Seeing that flowers are so awesome (for lack of a better word? Not really), how would you like to make your own flowerbed and have some pretty blossoms at your doorstep, waiting to welcome you and all your guests? Great idea! Let's see how you can go about doing that. This Buzzle article will give you an easy tutorial on how you can make and maintain your own flower bed. Let's get on with it.

Choose the Spot
As you may have easily guessed, the first step in making your flower bed is deciding where you want it to be. For this, you need to take a good look around the exterior of your house. There are some important things that you need to consider before you decide on a spot. For instance, how much sunlight the place gets. You may already have an idea of what kind of flowers you want in your flower bed. So, you need to keep their sun and shade requirements in mind while choosing a spot for your flower bed. Also, you may want to check how visible the spot is from inside the house as well as from the gate or driveway. There's no point in having a flower bed in some obscure corner of your backyard, which can be viewed only if you step into the yard. You're going to a lot of trouble to make the flower bed. Might as well have it clearly visible! Once you've picked out the area where you want your flower bed, you can mark it out using either a stone border, sand or have a small fence fixed around it.

Get Digging
After you've decided your location for the flower bed and have bordered it, you have to dig the area up. First, make sure that you remove all the grass, dirt, garbage (if any) and weeds that are present in the area. Use a shovel to dig up every inch of the intended flower bed and make the soil loose and free. You'll come across clumps and stones for sure. Throw away the stones, and break up the clumps. If the soil seems too hard, you may want to wet it a bit and get the work done a little faster and with less effort. Once all the soil is dug up and loosened, use a rake and smoothen it out completely.

Gauge the Soil
Now, after you've made the bed area ready, you need to take a look at the soil to gauge how favorable it will be for the kind of flowers you want to grow. Take a sample of your soil and get it tested for its pH level and the content of other nutrients. You can get this done by using a soil testing probe that may be available at your local nursery. It will tell you what kind of soil you have. Using these results and the soil requirement information of the flowers that you intend to plant, you can compare and make the necessary amendments in the soil to suit the flowers you want to plant. (Note that you may not always have to make changes to your soil.)

Plant 'em In: After you have given the necessary treatment to the soil in the bed, and it has been absorbed by the soil, your bed is ready to be planted! Get the saplings or seeds out and begin planting them. You should have an idea of what you want the final result to look like. This will help you in planning the design of the flower bed. Generally, tall plants are planted in the background and short ones in the foreground to give it more visual appeal. However, you can try out new things like having a circular bed with tall plants forming the center and the shorter ones surrounding the tall ones. Or, you can also incorporate vines on trellises surrounding the bed, to give it an enclosed appearance from above. Whatever your choice is, make sure all the plants and flowers are clearly visible once they bloom.

Take Care: After you've planted them, all you have to do is wait and watch your flower bed come to life with its vibrant colors! You need to pay attention to the watering requirements of the plants. Also, if they need partial sun and shade, you can have a retractable shed above the bed (or simply have a green garden net hanging over it when it's sunny). Mulching helps plants grow faster and healthier. So, you may want to try that out too!

So, are you ready to make your own flashy flower bed? What are you waiting for? Just use these ridiculously simple instructions and you'll have your flower bed ready just in time for blooming season, depending on your hardiness zone. Be sure to keep that in mind too! Happy flowering!