Roses blackspot, you can control it!

If your roses at home have some blackspot which is consider as fungus disease that appears as round, then do not be disappointed because you can still save your roses but you have to follow the following tips. How?

• Avoid watering the foliage and be sure to water only the lower part of the plants. Rose needs at least 4 - 6 hours of sunlight and be sure it has enough. Planting it to some shady area is not healthy and susceptible to some diseases.
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• Remove as soon as possible all the infected leaves and pick-up all those leaves that had been fallen. It is not a good idea to let those leaves dried up and just leave it because the disease can be transmitted by other healthy rose through watering. Do not decompose those leaves to make organic fertilizer, throw or burn it.
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• Use a solution of baking soda (1 tsp baking soda plus 1 liter water) to be sprayed early in the morning to some affected leaves. Cornmeal can help also to prevent the blackspot disease by spreading it near the plant base. A solution of Epsom salt can help also by spraying it at least twice a week until you see some improvement.
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• If you enjoy drinking brewed coffee then do not just throw the used powder, you can add some water and just pour it to the affected leaves. After several days you can see some changes.
  
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What is the best fertilizer for your lawn?

If human body needs some vitamins just to be healthy all the time, then the same logic also to your lawn and garden, it is important to have fertilizer. If you are a good observer and not just a typical buyer then do not just look for a cheaper fertilizer, try to use an ORGANIC FERTILIZER. Why? because using an inorganic fertilizer will only cause rapid growth and disease prone. Aside from the fact that it kill the micro-organism which are useful for the lawn, it can cause burning of roots and destroy soil structure. Why organic fertilizer?

• It improves the life of the soil and maintain the healthy balance growth.

• No toxicity and burn of the grass.

• Micro-organism is important to your lawn and organic fertilizer stimulate it that release lot of nutrients.

• High of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash which are vital for all lawn.

• Increase the water holding capacity of the soil.

• Soil allows more air to get to the grass roots because organic fertilizer increases the bacterial and fungal activity.

• Less pollution which is important for our KIDS FUTURE!

How to care your ROSE?

'I will have a lot of rose in our garden, it should be different colors' my wife said 2 years ago when we decided to buy a house with a big garden. It is easy to say but how could you maintain a healthy rose for the rest of the summer specially if it has 'white dust or powdery mildew' all over including the buds and the leaves. I have tried every liquid chemical solution in the market but only one natural mix can help our rose. Just prepare 1 cup of normal milk and 8 cups of water. Mix it and use a spray to treat your roses at home. It is a better way to do it early in the morning around 6 AM. Be sure to treat not only the upper portion of the leaves but also the lower one. Do it twice a week and you will see some positive changes after a couple of months. Smile! (**Picture courtesy of Flickr)

Hint : Never plant your roses in a shadow places to avoid such disease.

How to have a healthy lawn ?(from my own experience)

- Water your lawn in a longer time (1 hr minimum) and deeper coz everyday watering of lawn is not also a good idea. My tip, as long as the grass can release moisture in the morning then it is a sign that I should not water it. I water also in the morning, the best time for me is around 6:00 AM. Why? Watering in the evening might increase fungi or other grass diseases to your lawn coz it takes longer time to dry the soil.

- Do aerating once a month starting April and it is a good habit to do it before applying fertilizer to your lawn. My tip, when it is summer period (June & July), I do it twice a month. Why? Because as lawns age and sustain heavy use from play, etc. compaction can result.

- Fertilize your lawn 3 times a year. My tip, do it on April, July and October. Why? If human body needs vitamins so do our lawn. My tip again. Fertilize 2 days after you had lawn cutting. If you have some yellow spot of grass, try to use organic vegetables (not lawn) fertilizer only at the affected area.

- Lawn mowing once a week on April & May. During hot season (June, July, August) it is advisable to cut just every 2 weeks. My tip, I cut my grass not too short and I see to it that the mower blades should be always sharp before using it.