Are you new to gardening in India and looking for some tips to start? Here are some important tips you should keep in mind. These tips will help you grow a beautiful garden in your home.
Pruning is a healthy gardening practice
Pruning is a healthy gardening practice that promotes the growth of your plants. It also helps prevent insect infestations and damage to your property. It also removes dead branches and other unwanted parts of the plant. It promotes the health of your plants and gives them a more natural look.
Pruning is done in specific ways for different kinds of trees and shrubs to help control their size, shape and overall health. Some types of plants respond to light pruning while others are more sensitive to hard pruning. The best time to prune is during spring and early summer.
When to prune trees and shrubs depends on the type of plant and its age. It is recommended to avoid pruning during the flowering season. This is because flowers develop on younger branches and the cut-out branches can interfere with the formation of new flowers.
If you have fruit trees, you may want to prune them in certain ways to encourage them to produce more fruit. For example, if the main branch of the tree is growing very tall, you can prune the lower branches. This will allow you to get clearance over driveways and lawns. It will also allow you to avoid tangling with overhead electrical-lines.
If you are growing conifers, you can prune up to half of the new growth in late winter and early spring. This helps keep the canopy open to allow for better air circulation and fewer chances of disease. If you prune in spring, you can also help promote a healthy and full blossom.
In general, it is recommended that you prune a plant at least once a year. However, you should choose your time carefully so that it will not cause undesirable results. For example, if you prune a tree in late winter, it will not have the time to grow enough new branches to be visible in the spring. Similarly, if you prune a plant in early summer, it can be affected by the onset of frost.
The most important thing to remember when you prune is that the aim of the exercise is to promote the health of your plants. The use of sharp tools reduces the likelihood of infection by insects.
Pesticides during the monsoon
The monsoon season is a time for pest breeding and control. In India, over 75 per cent of annual rainfall occurs during the southwest monsoon season. However, pests are also known to spread infectious diseases.
The use of pesticides has increased over the last few decades. It is estimated that over 800,000 people have lost their lives due to contaminated food and water. Therefore, a continuous monitoring and research is necessary to minimize the risks posed by these substances. The concentration of these pesticides in various rivers and wetlands is vital to evaluate their impact on the aquatic ecosystem.
Pesticides have been detected in various stretches of river Ganga. These chemicals are used for agricultural purposes and are added to the water due to surface running. A regular study on the pollution load of pesticides is essential to understand its effect on the aquatic ecosystem.
The study aimed to investigate the pesticides presence in the monsoon and winter seasons. RP-HPLC was utilized to quantify the pesticide residue in surface water samples from urban-suburban transects. 82 surface water samples were analyzed for a total of 16 major pesticides. Several organochlorine and persistent pesticides were detected. The maximum number of pesticides was recorded during the winter season.
During the monsoon season, the concentration of pesticides varied significantly. Some of the pesticides detected were a-HCH, p, p’-DDE, and heptachlor. Others were b-HCH, a-endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, and t-chlordane. The g-HCH concentration was highest.
The results of the study showed high risk for DDT and aldrin. This study can help in developing policy and legislation. A risk quotient (RQ) calculation is carried out to evaluate the ecological risk. A high risk is defined as RQ > 1.0 and a low risk is defined as RQ
The highest risk was found in the middle stretches of the river. However, the g-HCH was detected in the highest concentrations in the post monsoon studies. This shows that the risk of pesticides has remained quite high in the monsoon and winter seasons. The findings of the study can be useful in determining the level of pesticide pollution in the river.