Goji Berries: How to Grow Your Own

Author: MikeSelv

Goji berries are one of natures super foods and growing your own can be a hugely rewarding experience.

Growing Goji berries is not that hard at all and once they are established they hardly need any attention to flourish. Luckily they grow in almost any kind of soil, even in heavy clay soils (like my rather pitiful dirt plot of a garden,) but like most plants, they tend to grow the best and fruit the best in a well-drained yet moderate quality soil.

Goji berries require moderate amounts water and sunlight as too much sunlight might cause them not to germinate properly. Goji berries are amazingly hardy and they can withstand temperatures of -26 degrees Celsius (-15 degrees Fahrenheit) and are fairly tolerant to drought.

It is best to grow Goji berries outside if the climate is suitable but growing them in pots is also fine and If so you should make sure that is has good enough drainage. Transferring Goji berries from pots to the garden is also not that much an problem.

So long as you have the space and decent amounts of sunlight for your Goji plant, you cant go wrong. Up until the seeds germinate the soil needs to be kept moist, then decrease the watering and allow the soil to dry up before you water again. Avoid using any chemicals or pesticides to the plant or to the soil.

Try to use organic fertilizers as much as possible as they contain the nutrients Goji berries need to flourish and by avoiding chemicals and pesticides you will have a more healthy, natural plant which will yield more healthy, natural fruit. Nutrients in = nutrients out.

If your growing in pots, you will need to change some of the soil every year as Goji plants are hungry beasts and tend to gobble up the nutrients in the soil. Don't worry too much about giving them lots of organic materials as it gets most of what it needs to grow and bear fruit just from air and sunlight.

Growing Goji berries is not a quick process, as the shrubs don't usually bear fruit until around the third year. But you can use the leaves in a salad in the mean time. You'll know your Goji shrubs are about to bear fruit as you'll start to get small purple/white flowers from summer until the first freeze.

For more on the benefits of these amazing berries please visit http://www.thebetterbodysite.com

Written by Stuart Rendell, http://www.thebetterbodysite.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/goji-berries-how-to-grow-your-own-4718329.html

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Big Planters – Great Ornament for a More Visible Look

Author: Carlo Mamar

Garden lovers have their own way of making and setting up unique plant planters to satisfy their own needs. With such an arduous desire, they have ultimately identified the significance of large planters, that have beneficial designs for big houses and also many other business-related establishments. Additionally, many experts have explicitly manufactured it to create brightly colored planters that can be made as an excellent accent to every place. In recent times, you can easily avail big planters by just a few clicks away at a very affordable price. Many of them come in many different dimensions, forms, variations as well as shades to fit in well to varying demands numerous potential customers. Most hotel planters are basically created from conventional materials which include aluminum, glass as well as concrete materials, giving you great deal of opportunities to decide on whatever products you have desired. However, you have to find out some crucial aspects before finally purchasing big planters to avoid a series of mistakes and regrets later on. In addition, some of the common big planters that have been tremendously on demand in the market these days are fiberglass big planters. Along with the competition in the market, most skilled craftsmen have made fiberglass city planters in various designs and shapes such as round planters, rectangular shape planters, urn and vase shaped planters, low bowl shaped planters and jar and jug shaped planters. Each of these shapes would surely accentuate the holistic look of the place as well as the whole environment. Moreover, you can as well have your own customize sizes to fit in well to the areas where you plan to set it up. Fiberglass big planters can be an excellent ornament for it has numerous excellent features that would satisfy you. Primarily, fiberglass planters offer dimensional stability, structural strength, design flexibility, climate durability and most of all has a touch of commercial applications. With its stone, painted wood, terracotta or conventional looking finish, it will surely outperform some other types of materials. Most of all with fiberglass planters you are assured that water could not leak out and that industrial areas, commercial buildings or even your own home will be safe from water spillages and mess. Big planters will invariably provide your own business place or perhaps your own dwelling a completely fresh new look. You can perhaps consult with a proficient gardener or gardening specialist who can give you more enlightening garden ideas.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/big-planters-great-ornament-for-a-more-visible-look-4600971.html

About the Author

Carlo Mamar shares tips on how to make your public spaces more attractive and inviting by using containers such as large commercial planters, commercial planters, modern planters, and other types of indoor and outdoor planters.

what type of soil do you have?

It's often difficult for the beginner gardener to work out exactly what type of soild they have in their garden. To the inexperienced eye, most dirt is just that: dirt!

Ideally, you want your soil to be an equal balance of clay, sand and organic matter. You can determine the nature of your soil by performing this simple test: Fill about a third of a clear bottle with some soil, but make sure it comes from at least one foot down as the topsoil may have had compost and other material heaped on it over the years. Pour in another third of water and give the bottle a good shake before leaving it to settle. The heavier sand will sink to the bottom pretty quickly and the organic matter will float atop, while the finer sands and clay will take much longer to settle.

If you check the bottle a few hours later, you will get a good idea of what makes up your garden soil, and you can act accordingly to correct the balance.

pile of wood

Here's some good news for the lazy gardener. If you have a pile of wood and / or branches sitting in a corner of your yard which you have been meaning to burn or clear for the past few weeks but haven't got around to doing it...then don't!
Just leave it where it is because it will be teeming with wildlife, and most of the animals and insects that take refuge there will be doing a great deal of good work in the garden while you are sitting inside on your big bottom watching reruns of American Idol. If the pile is in a relatively shady, damp, sheltered spot then so much the better. Frogs, toads, insect-eating beetles, bumblebees and centipedes will all gratefull make themselves at home in your wood pile.

5 ways to conserve water in your garden

1. Place drought-tolerant plants like rosemary and lavender in positions where they will shelter their thirstier friends from the dehydrating effects of the wind.

2. Place thirstier plants in positions where they will benefit from water running down any slopes you may have.

3. Improve the water-retaining qualities of your earth by digging in lots of organic matter.

4. Mulch your plants with compost, straw, bark chips and dead leaves. You can also encircle the bases of larger plants with stones, which stops them from drying out quickly in hot weather.

5. Put plants with similar moisture requirements close together so that you can water them in one good dousing rather than having to visit various different areas to give them all a good soaking.

Choose Outdoor Deck Lighting to Enhance Your Yard

Author: Martin Applebaum

They say there’s no other place like home. Well that’s true especially when you want to relax in your balcony after a tiring day from work. What if your porch is not well lighted and not that relaxing or comforting at all. Some people just overlook the importance of outdoor deck lighting.

Once they’re done installing a backdoor porch light, they think it’s enough the illuminate the whole house. The truth is, the light really is more than just the lighting needed and sometimes may blind the visitors or you while on your way to parking your car in the garage. It is hardly the best way to welcome your guests or to create an accommodating ambience. It is neither relaxing nor soothing after a tiring day at all.

Outdoor deck lighting helps create a good place to hold alfresco dining or entertainment at night. It will not only create a better ambience but also avoid having tricky areas in your patio steps and walkways. You may hardly notice it but you are already creating your front yard into a magical wonderland that you and your family will enjoy while looking up at the stars. Make sure that the lights must be situated in specific areas that best fit the layout of your deck but does not necessarily disturb your neighborhood. Once it spills over your neighbor’s yard, it will not only spoil your privacy but also whatever ambience or atmosphere you want to create.

What type of outdoor deck lighting do you have to install then? Choose from the many low voltage fixtures to not only save from the energy consumption but also avoid having too much glare on your front yard.

When it comes to installation, you can have a contractor do the job for you or if you’re adventurous enough, you can even do it yourself! Often decks are attached to the house so be sure to match the interior and the outdoor lights. With that being said, the outdoor deck lighting should also be as simple as possible to serve its very purpose of just relaxation and entertainment.

About the Author:

Our site contains information for all your outdoor lighting needs including outdoor LED lighting. Visit our site today for more information. http://www.yardsolarlighting.com
By M. Applebaum

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Choose Outdoor Deck Lighting to Enhance Your Yard

We all know that we should eat more fruits and vegetables for our health. More good news … you can really save a lot of money if you grow it yourself!

How to Save Money by Growing More of Your Own Food
Grow highly productive vegetables – lots of yield for the space allocated - that you enjoy eating and that you can harvest from spring through fall.

Since you’re limited to the surface area that you have on the ground, “go vertical” to get the most production from the space that you have.

Waste nothing. Eat it, share it with someone in the community, or compost it.

Money-saving Vegetables

Pole beans – they’re delicious, good for you, can be harvested over a long period of time, and the seeds are easy to plant. A single 20 foot row of pole beans on a homemade twine trellis will provide dozens of fresh servings and some extra beans to freeze for later.

Growing beans on a trellis also makes them easier to pick than bush beans … there’s little bending or stooping required.

Greens packed with Nutrients – spinach, Swiss chard, and mesclun mixes are more interesting and more nutritious than lettuce. Bright lights Swiss chard is also extremely attractive in the garden.

Tomatoes – are America’s #1 home garden vegetable … and for good reasons. Entire books have been dedicated to the tomato! There are many gardening benefits to growing tomatoes – they’re good for you, they’re tasty, they add delightful color to the garden, and the dollar value of the yield can be very significant.


Peas are another high-yield crop. They’re not as easy, and not quite as productive as pole beans, but, if you have the space, Sugar Snap or Sugar Ann peas are wonderful because you can eat the entire pod.

Leaf lettuce is extremely easy to grow from seed and will yield plenty of produce over a long period of time. Multiple plantings will extend your harvest. You can save a lot of money by growing your own.

Less Obvious Money-Saving Gardening Ideas

Composting – making your own compost is, by far, the best long-term investment you can make for your garden. There’s just nothing better than natural compost for your garden’s soil. It will help your plants defend themselves from diseases, too!

Grow Your Own Tomato Plants from Seeds - it’s fun and it’s easier than you might think. All you need is a container (egg carton, yogurt cups, etc), a little soil, and a sunny windowsill.


An Apple a Day – well, not immediately. How about planting an apple tree? Apple trees are great dual purpose trees – obviously they provide good fruit; but, they’re also an attractive shade tree.

Garden Grown Gifts – home grown vegetables and flowers make wonderful hostess gifts. All you need is a little basket or vase, and you can create a gift that is inexpensive and attractive at the same time.