A gardener needs to know his numbers well. All aspects of gardening right from the shape and measurement of the plot to calibration and dispensing of fertilizer requires that you do not go wrong with your numbers.

If you have a bare plot of land which measures 30 feet long and 20 feet wide, the product will give you the area of the plot. This will determine how you can plan your garden. In case you have an irregular plot then you need to draw it on a piece of paper and break it up into rectangles or squares, the sum of the areas of which will give you the total area of the plot. If the area is circular then apply the geometrical principles applicable to a circle, that is, pi times the square of the radius.

Once you know the perimeter, that is the total boundary of the plot then you can calculate how many trees and shrubs you can put around the edges without crowding the place too much. For a square or a rectangular plot we need to add up the lengths of each side and for a circular plot, that would be pi times the diameter. After planting the trees and shrubs, the remaining area can be calculated for the amount of grass to be seeded or sodded. The total costing can be calculated if you know the cost per square area.

While dealing with potted plants, gardeners also need to know volumes well. Potting mixtures are usually sold in cubic meters or in quarts. The volume of a pot is calculated as pi times the square of radius into the height of the pot and the volume of potting mixture can be calculated. Compost mixtures and mulch are also sold by volume. Suppose you need to cover two inches of garden with compost, you will have to then calculate the volume of compost needed by multiplying garden area into height (here it is two inches). Similarly you will need to compute the amount of mulch needed.

The amount of fertilizer needed has to be accurate. If one pound of nitrogen has to be applied per 1000 square feet per application, you need to know how much of fertilizer is needed to achieve that. This depends on the fertilizer formula which tells you nitrogen content in it. When fertilizer is used in liquid form, dilution rates are provided and the gardener has to calculate to achieve the needed concentration.

A basic knowledge of math is absolutely necessary for a gardener and to think we thought gardening was only about plants!

If you like Gardening....These pages might also interest you:

Allium Directory, Amaryllis Directory, Begonia Directory, Crocus Directory, Daffodils Directory, Dahlia Directory, Hyacinth Directory, Iris Directory, Lily Directory, Tulip Directory

Also see:

A Love Affair With Gardening, Charming Camillias, Firescaping, Gardening for the Family, Garden Rodents, Garden Catalogs, General Gardening Tips. Gardens in the Shade, Hot Summer Cool Garden, How to Plant Leeks, Involve Your Children, Outfits for Gardening, Photograph Your Garden, Plant Care Basics, Using Leaves as Compost, What to Avoid Buying Guide, Cheap Garden Ideas, Creating Garden Berms, Garden Fragrances, Garden Lessons, Gardening for The Challenged, Gardening is Great, Gardening Math, Gardening Tools, How to Use Peat, More About Gardening, Love affair with Lilacs, Organic Gardening, Slow Down and Enjoy, Smart Plant Shopping, Tips for Beginners