Soil organisms help ranchers

Intense, low duration grazing builds soil vitality, and increases soil organic matter.
Formulaically, the process described by Manske is very simple; what happens as a result is not.
A rancher chooses three pastures on which to graze the cattle. Starting in the first pasture, the cattle graze for 15 days, and then move on to the next pasture. This is repeated and the cattle find themselves in the third pasture.
Once the cattle leave the first pasture, the soil organisms go to work, converting the organic nitrogen into mineral nitrogen and feeding the plants, building their crude protein.
“Just by changing the management from focusing on dry matter poundage to managing those soil organisms, you can increase the productivity of your land,” Manske said. (thedickinsonpress.com)

Well observed.

Rhizosperic soil can get awfully puny under long duration grazing. Topsoil pales and topsoil depth is lost, but not to sediment discharge or wind erosion. The in-situ transformation of topsoil to not-topsoil results in the discharge of soil carbon to the atmosphere. The good news is that, unlike wind erosion, water erosion, sheet erosion, or gully erosion erosion, this yet-to-be-named variant of topsoil erosion is reversible.

What`s Rain Does To Roses Flower

Too much water on rose buds and blooms causes them to "ball", i.e., turn into sad little droopy balls. The excessive dampness can also promote diseases such as blackspot and mildew. And physically, the really hard showers simply beat the blooms into the ground. In such a case you just want to cut what you can and let it develop inside, where it's relatively safe (though our cat is also an enemy of cut flowers).

Like anything, gardening is wrought with danger and heartbreak. Many I know have given up on their first flush of roses and are hoping for better rebloom after the next sunny spell. It's a mixed blessing. I am happy not to worry about watering. But no more wine in the garden until this lets up.

Gardening Tips Today : Planting Trees

There are several things to consider when selecting trees. First, find out how big the trees are going to get and decide which ones are are a good fit for your yard. A big tree has a big root system so it's not a good idea to plant it too close to walls, sidewalks or driveways. Plant trees far enough away from the house so branches won't beat against the sides and roof. Plant deciduous trees (the ones that lose their leaves in winter) on the south and west sides of your home to block hot sun out in summer and allow it to warm the house during cold winter days. Plant evergreen trees in locations to enhance privacy and reduce noise, but don't screen the house too much and make it cozy for unwanted guests! Evergreens planted on the north side save heat by acting as windbreaks to cold north winds. Finally, don't over plant. Give your trees room to thrive and grow.

Groom Roses for Fall Blooms

With few exceptions, roses perform much better during cooler weather. In most gardens the hot summer has taken its toll on bush roses and climbers. In parts of the northwest and northeast, as well as the California coastline, roses are still looking pretty good. In those areas there's little if any change to maintenance and feeding plans for the fall blooming season. The rest of us are not so lucky. After blazing sun, scalding temperatures, strong storms and high winds, our roses are looking pretty ragged about now! These plants are amazingly resilient though, and with a little work will produce loads of blooms this fall. Here are a few tips to get them ready:

(1) Give bush and shrub roses - Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora and Floribunda - a haircut, i.e., remove about 1/4 to 1/5 of the old top growth. This is much different than the radical pruning that should be conducted in late winter and early spring.

(2) For all roses including climbers, prune off spindly stems that won't support new blooms. A good rule of thumb is to remove stems that are smaller than the thickness of a pencil.

(3) Remove brown-edged, yellowed and burned foliage, and get rid of any dead twigs or canes.

(4) Clean up all debris. Old leaves and stems can hide insects and disease organisms that will cause problems later.

(5) Fertilize with a good, balanced rose food, cultivate lightly and water well. When cultivating, be sure to scratch the nutrients gently into the soil. Rose feeder roots are near the surface and deep or vigorous cultivation can damage them. Roses will respond admirably to this treatment by producing new foliage and lots of new blooms in just a few short weeks.

Bonsai

bonsai' is a Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word penzai.
The word bonsai has been used in the West as an umbrella term for all miniature trees.
The origins of bonsai are believed to have begun at least 4000 years ago during the Han Dynasty in China.
It has since developed into new forms in parts of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

At first, the Japanese used miniaturized trees grown in containers to decorate their homes and gardens.
[2] During the Tokugawa period, landscape gardening attained new importance.
Cultivation of plants such as azalea and maples became a pastime of the wealthy.
Growing dwarf plants in containers was also popular. At this time, the term for dwarf potted
trees was "a tree in a pot"

The c.1300 rhymed prose essay, Rhymeprose on a Miniature Landscape Garden, by
the Japanese Zen monk Kokan Shiren, outlines the aesthetic principles for bonsai,
bonseki and garden architecture itself.

The oldest known living bonsai trees are in the collection at Happo-en
(a private garden and exclusive restaurant) in Tokyo, Japan, where bonsais are between 400 to 800 years old, more about bonsai history and tips

GARDENING TIPS : Composting

One of the basic principles of gardening is to feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants. Composting is nature’s way for gardeners to create a source of high-quality nutrition for their garden and eliminate the need to buy commercial fertilizers.

The key to good composting is to provide the best possible conditions for the proliferation of composting organisms. These organism’s needs are simple: a balanced diet, water, air and warmth. Compost should be kept as damp as a moist sponge.

The balanced diet requires a correct proportion of carbon for energy and nitrogen for forming protein. The ideal C/N ratio is 30:1. Materials high in carbon are brown, yellow and dry, like leaves or straw. High nitrogen materials are green and moist, like grass clippings and vegetative kitchen waste.

Houseplants in the Summertime

When you put your plants outside, a variety of spiders, pill bugs and other critters move into the pots for the summer and set up housekeeping. Then when you bring the plants back inside in the fall, those creepy crawlers come along for the ride. Then once inside, they leave the pots to see if there is some place better to live, in your house.

But inspite of the potential for six-legged and eight-legged houseguests this fall, I decided to put some of the houseplants, especially the Clivia plants, outside this summer.The Clivias still have a touch of mealybug and I decided that a summer outdoors would take care of that.