If you have visions of a healthy, lush, green garden, there are things you should consider on your way to that goal. Gardening can be a lot of work, but it can also be a lot of fun. The following hints and tips can reduce the effort and increase the fun!
Start your plant in pots before you plant them in your garden. This will help the plants make it to full growth. This also helps tighten time between plantings. Your next crop of seedlings will be started and ready to be planted immediately after you remove your last crop from the garden.
Having healthy soil in your garden will help your plants avoid insect pests. Healthy plants can better ward off pests and diseases. If you start with balanced soil, your garden will produce healthy plants with the best yield. Refrain from using chemicals since these will increase the salt content of the soil.
If you have a wall or fence that you do not like, plant climbers to mask its appearance. Climbing plants can cover a wall after one growing season only. They can be trained to grow over an arbor, or through trees and shrubs that are already in the garden. Some require ties attaching them to supports, but others will attach themselves to any surface nearby. Some of the most reliable varieties are wisteria, clematis, jasmine, honeysuckle and climbing roses.
During winter, you should take your favorite plants inside. You might want to transplant your most valuable varieties. Dig carefully around the roots and transfer the plants to a pot.
Do a soil analysis prior to planting. Many nurseries offer a soil analysis service, which will tell you what nutrients your soil is lacking and what you can do about it. There are numerous places to find this service, such as your local Cooperative Extension office. The cost is well worth it to avoid a potentially ruined crop.
You can plant wheat grass or cat grass near the plants that the cat eats. Alternatively, you can try putting mothballs, citrus peel or anything else with an odor that cats find distasteful in the soil surrounding the plants.
Do you hate how fresh mint leaves grow and take over your lovely garden but still like them? Control their expansion by confining them to a large pot. The container can be planted in the ground, and it will still prevent the plant from dominating the garden.
Think about starting your peas indoors rather than planting them directly in the garden. Pea seeds germinate better indoors. The seedling may also be hardier, which means that they can better resist disease and attacks from pests. When your plants are sturdy, move them outdoors.
Think about putting some berry-producing evergreens into your landscape. The evergreens will add some color to your garden or yard, especially during the winter, when other plants have died or lost color. A few of the most vivid plants in winter are American Holly, Winterberry, Snowberry and Cranberrybush.
Good tools for the gardener include a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool. Gardening can be very tough on your knees, so a kneeling stool that is ergonomic and lightweight can make things much more comfortable and enjoyable. There is also a lot of heavy lifting involved with gardening, so a good wheelbarrow is a great tool to have around.
When you boil vegetables, use the leftover water on your potted plants. In order to help acidify the soil for plants like gardenias and rhododendrons, you can use coffee and tea grounds. Some types of plant fungus problems can be solved by sprinkling with chamomile tea.
Do not use broad-spectrum pesticides within your garden. Broad-spectrum pesticides will kill insects that are helpful to your garden as well as the harmful ones. Useful insects are more sensitive to these pesticides than the pests, so by killing them, you could be growing your pest population. This will leave you using even more pesticides to fix the problem.
Your children will enjoy being involved with your organic gardening endeavors. Helping a garden grow is an excellent learning experience for kids, and it allows your family to spend time together while creating healthy, nutritious foods.
If you have children, plant strawberries, especially everbearing strawberries, in your organic garden. Children find it fun to pick strawberries and love to assist with the harvest if they get some yummy treats as they work.
When you are working in your garden, you will want to have all of your tools in a convenient location. By having your tools in one location, you will not spend hours looking for them. Before you start work in the garden, make sure you have the necessary tools, and always remember to put them away when you are finished. One way to keep your tools handy is to use a belt especially designed to hold them. An alternative is to wear a garment with multiple pockets that are big enough to hold your more commonly used tools.
Plastic bags can be kept on hand and reused to slip over your dirty gardening shoes. This allows you to keep going, getting back to your garden quickly.
Spacing is essential when planting an organic garden. When the garden is bare, it is sometimes hard to envision how much space a mature plant actually needs. Proper spacing is important not just to accommodate the plants’ sizes but also for air circulation. Try to plan your garden and place sufficient distance in between your seedlings.
Use an aged laundry basket when you want to collect your produce. This laundry basket can be used as a type of strainer for all your produce. Rinse your produce while it lays in the basket; any excess water strains off through the laundry basket holes.
With these tips, you’re better equipped to grow the most beautiful garden you can imagine. In learning how to create your dream garden, you’ll also be growing as a person. That’s because learning how to nurture your plants will not only help you reach the goal of having a great garden, but it will help you learn to nurture yourself.
