[Skill] Gardening

[Crystal Nightshade]

Article: Gardening Author(s): Crystal Nightshade Other development: None Additional Info: Stub & Discussion Thread. Peer Review Thread: - Founder Review Thread: - Synopsis: Gardening is the skill of cultivating plants. Gardening is normally on an individual or familial scale verses the large scale production (in terms of food) that is involved with Agriculture or Farming. It can also include decorative or medicinal gardening. Many florists or herbalists garden to supply their wares, but it can be used as a form of exercise of relaxation for some. Some may argue that Gardening is simply farming but with different plants, that is for the most part true, except that Gardening has many different roads to travel. While Farming involves fertilizing the land and raising livestock, Gardening is the act of Growing, Cultivating, and harvesting flowers and/or plants for the purpose of decoration, consumption, and sometimes cosmetic uses such as dyes. Outline I. Prerequisites/Related Skills I.I Botany I.II Herbalism I.III Agriculture II. Types of Gardening II.I Aesthetic Gardening II.II Kitchen Gardening III. Gardening Tools and Uses III.I Hoe III.II Shovel III.III Rake III.IV Waterskin III.V Scythe III.VI Spade IV. Gardening Know-How IV.I Soil Types and Properties IV.II Plant Climate IV.III Seed Spacing V. General Upkeep V.I Planting V.II Watering V.III Weeding V.IV Pests V.V Harvesting VI. Learning To Garden VI.I Self-Taught vs Being Taught VII. Skill Progression VII.I Novice VII.II Competent VII.III Expert VII.IV Master

[Vellichor]

Approved Seems like a good start! I would argue that farming is defined by the larger size of land and scale of operation. That might be something to keep in mind during Peer Review. Good luck!

[Crystal Nightshade]

Overview: Gardening is the skill of cultivating plants. Gardening is normally on an individual or familial scale verses the large scale production (in terms of food) that is involved with Agriculture or Farming. It can also include decorative or medicinal gardening. Many florists or herbalists garden to supply their wares, but it can be used as a form of exercise of relaxation for some. While Farming involves fertilizing the land and raising livestock on a large scale, Gardening is the act of cultivating and harvesting flowers and/or plants for the purpose of decoration, consumption, and sometimes cosmetic uses such as dyes in smaller areas. Perquisites/Related Skills Botany is useful for identifying favorable temperatures, soil, and other things necessary for plants to grow. Herbalism may also be of use to Gardeners who seek to make profit from their medical, herb, and ingredient gardens. Agriculture is a passive skill in regards to gardening. It deals with the cultivation, management, and harvesting of plants. Types of Gardens Aesthetic Gardens: A common garden type, Aesthetic Gardening is for gardeners who like growing foliage, bushes, and other plants for the sake of appearance. These gardens are simply there to look pretty. These gardens usually involve flowers that are arranged in unique patterns with an array of colors. It's common to see the uses of bushes, foliage, and topiaries to add aesthetic flare time ones garden. Kitchen Gardens Kitchen Gardening is the act of growing herbs or vegetation for the purpose of consumption. These gardens can be found nearly everywhere and are usually organized by category. In these gardens one might find herbs, certain fruits, and certain vegetables. The vegetation usually found in these are usually small, such as strawberries or potato pots. It's usually uncommon to see orchards, but not impossible. Garden Know-how Soil Types and Properties: Soil is one of the most important parts necessary for growing any kind of plant. Certain plants will wilt in different soil types, so it is important to be able to identify which types of soil affect one's plants. It is also important to note that certain plants will wilt inside of certain soil. Soil has three major particle classifications which include sandy, clay, and loam. Clay soil has a slippery texture and holds water well. Because clay soil grains are so small, they are able to align and merge with other clay grains to form a substance that prevents water drainage. Be aware that if tilled or dug into wet clay soil with become compact. Mulch is useful for preventing the clay from drying into a hard crust. If this does happen, rake through the crust and moisten it until it is damp. Sandy soil is more of the opposite of clay soil. Sandy soil is made of much larger particles that don't blend together well, and is much easier to dig up than clay. With better aeration it warms faster. It can easily become acidic however as nutrients and moisture flow through it easily. Without proper conditioning sandy soil will cause plants to dry and become malnourished, but adding compost or organic matter should help prevent this. Silt is a poorly aerated and has poor water drainage due to its moisture retentive quality. It is also cold, which is harmful to a variety of plants. When wet or moist, silt is soap like in texture. Finally there is loam soil. Loam soil is the most fertile of the soils, and tends to be a first choice because it is a mixture of both the above. Loam is moist and holds many nutrients. It is dark in color and is soft, dry, and crumbly when in one's hands. It is fairly aerated, holds moisture, drains well, and retains many nutrients that plants need. Plant Climate and Rotations Plants, like most races, require certain things to live. Some require harsh sunlight, others cold fronts, some of them live in both. Plant Climate is a necessary element for growth in any kind of plant. Certain plants need sunlight for sunlight for such and such hours. Planting such a flower in an area that has permanent shade would cause the plant to dry and wilt. Too much sunlight, or too little sunlight can cause complications, just as too much cool or too little cool. In spring the weather is warm, but not hot. This is usually when planting season begins. Flowers begin to bud and sometimes bloom. By summer most plants are fully grown, displayed in beautiful arrays. Planting season at this time is coming to a close, but not yet over. When autumn rolls around most gardeners are starting to harvest their plants of ingredients from their gardens. When winter finally sets in most if not all plants are blanketed in snow. Despite this there are certain flowers that bloom in these conditions. Seed Spacing Almost all plants have roots. This is why seed spacing is necessary. The roots of a plant absorb key nutrients from the soil. If two seeds are to close together the bigger plant, the one that absorbs more nutrients, will take some of the food from the smaller plant. This causes wilting, and sometimes kills the plant if not taken care of. Compost & Soil Conditioning Adding Compost, Manure, and other amendments to your soil can loosen your soil and provide it with better drainage. Conditioning is an important part of soil fertility. Dried or undernourished soil can be made fertile with the right conditioning and can increase water retention and productivity. Once you can identify what soil is necessary for what seeds, conditioning becomes considerably easier. There are different many ways to condition soil. Fallen leaves, be they dead or dying, are a simple and effective way of putting nutrients inside your soil. Crumbling or ripping them and blending them with malnourished soil can be helpful. This is called leaf compost. Leaf compost is more suited for clay soil as it breaks up the clay. Peat moss is another choice of conditioner, but works great with all kinds of soil. It is made of dried, decayed sphagnum moss. General Upkeep Planting Watering Weeding Pests and Pesticides Harvesting Tools and Uses Hoe Shovel Rake Waterskin Scythe Spade Learning to Garden Self-Taught vs Being Taught Skill Progression -