Monday, October 31, 2011

Fall Herb Gardening

By Angela Gymmy


Choosing the site: The site should be ideally in part sun. This means sun preferably in the morning and shaded in the afternoon. This will keep the pond from getting too warm in the summer months. This will also help keep the algae from getting out of control.

For most people, fall herb gardening focuses mostly on harvesting the various roots, leaves, and even berries that have flourished over the warmer months. September and October are traditionally the best times to cut your favorite herbs since the very best in fragrance and flavor seems to peak around this time.

A soft liner gives you more flexibility. With design, with layout and the edges are easier to hide. When digging for a soft liner install, spray paint the shape of the pond onto the ground, then start digging. This too should be as level as possible, however the soft liner is very forgiving and will bend to any slight bumps or divets. To install shelves in the pond, you can dig the shape into the wall of the pond or use materials such as cinderblock to create shelves. A pond fabric underlayment is extremely important. This will protect the liner from roots and rough edges. If you are using cinderblock or other rough materials to create ledges or shelves pad the edges well so they will not rub against the liner itself. As you install the soft liner get the bottom set and smooth (you will have to get in the pond) and work your way up. Again adding water to the liner will add pressure and help smooth out wrinkles. If you are building a waterfall, run a soft liner under the rocks and into the pond. Make sure it overlaps into the pond a good bit. This will reduce the amount of water loss. With a hard or soft liner you will want to cover up the edges with some type of rock border. This is for decorative purposes if you are using a hard liner, however, if you are using a soft liner a rock border is a must. This will anchor the liner in place and keep the edges from moving or sliding. You can use natural stone such as Slate or Bluestone for a natural look or for a more contemporary look, cut prefabricated concrete wall capping for a clean custom look.

There are several different ways to plant your raised bed. You can section the bed off in one foot by one foot sections using string. This will give you nine equal growing spaces. This type of sectioning is perfect for small crops like peppers, herbs, etc. If you plant crops that have larger plants like tomatoes, you will only want to put one or two plants per section.

While you're harvesting mature plants and planting new ones as part of your fall herb gardening protocol, you may want to take some time to prepare your herbs for the cold winter months ahead. This is a simple process, and taking time to do it will ensure that your garden gets a great head start on next years warm growing season.

Caring for your fish: Before you put any fish in your pond, neutralize the chlorine from the water. Fish hate chlorine! I recommend letting the pond settle for a few weeks and let the filter system grow a little beneficial bacteria before adding fish. When you do add fish, let the fish acclimate to the water temperature for at least one hour before cutting open the bags and pouring them into the pond. This way the fish can change temperature slowly and reduce the chance of shock. A dose of stress coat in the water will help reduce stress. This will coat the fish and reduce stress. The other deadly problem for fish is high Nitrates. Doing some reading about water chemistry in ponds will go a long way. Pond plants are also great for the pond. They provide a source of shade and food for the fish. There are floating plants, such as Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth, Anacharis and Water lillies. There are also bog plants. These grow in special pots and sit in the ledges of the pond, such as Iris, Cannas and Cat Tails. There are dozens of different types of pond plants.This will add aesthetic beauty to the pond. It will also create a habitat for frogs and turtles.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but really its just a lot of info. Once you get your pond installed and balanced, it will be a joy. Put a bench near the pond so you can sit, relax and enjoy the serenity of a pond in your own backyard. There are many ready to install pond kits available that will make building a pond quick and easier then you can imagine. You can find a series of sizes to meet your specific needs at most Garden Centers.




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