Gardening Equipment
Garden catalogs and stores are full of gardening tools, many highly specialized; some are very useful, others are nice but not necessary, and some are gimmicks. The gardening equipment you need depends on the size of your garden, your age and ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Coldframes
In the winter, a coldframe offers protection to less hardy plants and newly started perennials. It is an ideal location for overwintering hardy bonsai. It simplifies the storage of bulbs and plants for mid-winter forcing indoors. In early spring, ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
A Guide to Successful Pruning: Pruning Basics and Tools
Pruning is a regular part of plant maintenance involving the Another response to pruning occurs inside plants. around wounded areas, walling off or compartmentalizing the wounds. The branch collar is the swollen area of trunk tissue that forms ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Cold frames and hot beds
Authors: Diane Relf Extension Specialist, Horticulture, Virginia Tech and Alan McDaniel, Extension Specialist, Horticulture, Virginia Tech To get the most out of a garden, you can extend the growing season by sheltering plants from cold weather ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Hydroponics as a Hobby
Contact: Diane Relf, Extension Specialist, Envirnonmental Horticulture, with guest co-author Virginia Nathan, former Extension Technician, Horticulture Hydroponics, growing plants without soil, has long been a hobby among gardeners interested in ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
The Virginia Gardener: Attached Solar Greenhouses
Contacts: Jerome Smith, former Extension Specialist; Diane Relf, Extension Specialist, Environmental Horticulture A south wall, which receives unobstructed sunlight from approximately 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., is well-suited for the addition of a ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Self-Contained Planters
Home gardeners are discovering the joy of growing flowers and vegetables in bags of potting soil. Soil mix, in a plastic bag, creates a self-contained planter. Planted, all by itself, it becomes a flower garden, which can be fully covered with ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
A Guide to Successful Pruning, Pruning Deciduous Trees
Trees that shed their leaves annually are classified as deciduous. Before getting out your hand pruners, learn some basics about the anatomy, or supporting framework, of a deciduous tree. The above-ground part of a tree consists of the trunk, ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Selecting a Power Tiller
The power rotary tiller is probably the power tool most commonly purchased by gardeners. Whether or not a gardener needs a rotary tiller depends on the size of the garden, the gardener's capabilities, and the intended uses of the tiller. Most ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Selecting Pruning Tools
Hand pruning shears are good for branches up to one-half inch in diameter. Attempting to cut larger branches risks making a poor cut and/or ruining the shears. There are two styles of hand shears: 1) the scissor action; and 2) the anvil cut. In ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Using Electrical Garden Tools Safely
Most homeowners use lawn mowers and string trimmers to maintain their landscapes. Some are gasoline powered, but others are electrical. Electrical tools used outdoors can be extremely dangerous if not handled with care and under the right ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
A Guide to Successful Pruning, Pruning Shrubs
Understanding the natural "habit" or shape of shrubs will help you determine how to prune them. All shoots grow outward from their tips. Whenever tips are removed, lower buds are stimulated to grow. Buds are located at nodes, where leaves are .. [... more]
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