Starting and maintaining an organic garden requires a lot of patience, and an affinity for growing plants. This hobby can help you grow food that is free of pesticides. How hard can it be, right? See these tips to learn how to get started with this healthy, rewarding hobby.
Clay Soil
Clay soil is hard and will also stick to a shovel, making it difficult to work with. Use a thin coat of floor or car wax on your shovel, then buff it with a nice clean cloth to make dealing with clay soil easier. The wax prevents the clay from sticking to the shovel, and stops rust from forming.
For a garden that thrives, choose the right type of soil. The soil that is already in your garden might need amending, depending on the particular plants that you want to grow. It is also possible to make an artificial area using only one type of soil.
Keep the weeds out of your garden by removing them regularly. Weeds can turn a thriving garden into a total wasteland. To help with weed destruction, use white vinegar. White vinegar is a weed killer! Apply it full strength to any areas where weeds are a problem.
Plant bulbs if you want spring and summer flowers. Bulbs are hardy, easy to grow into flowers, and will blossom for several years. Bulbs bloom during different seasons, if you pick them carefully you will have flowers almost all year.
Both cat grass and wheat grass are good for giving your errant feline pause. Alternatively, you can try putting mothballs, citrus peel or anything else with an odor that cats find distasteful in the soil surrounding the plants.
Make sure that you divide your irises! If you divide the overgrown clumps of flowers, you’ll find that your stock grows proportionally. Lift bulbous irises when the foliage is dead. The bulbs should split naturally, and the replanted bulbs will usually flower within a year. Rhizomes, however, need to be divided by using a horticulture knife. Get rid of the center and keep the new pieces you cut from the outside. Each new piece you cut should possess at least one healthy offshoot. Replant each one immediately.
When tending a vegetable garden, you might find that pest control is a bit difficult. Avoid spraying harsh chemicals on fruits and vegetables destined for your table. Research the methods available for eliminating garden pests organically. If you catch pests right away, the easiest way to eradicate them is to pick them off plants by hand.
Choose plants that will provide color in autumn. However, you can still maintain your gardening hobby throughout the fall months. Fall is the most colorful time of year for foliage. Maple, Beech and Dogwood trees are available in a number of fall colors, varying from bright yellow to rich crimson. Shrubs such as cotoneaster, hydrangea, and barberry will also provide a splash of color in the fall.
To keep your dog out of your garden, spray old perfume, aftershave, or other scented items in the grass around it. By masking the smells he may be attracted to, he should take less interest in the garden plants.
If you have recently planted seeds in your organic garden, you should regularly aerate the soil by using your hands to gently sift it. That may sound like a silly thing to do, but it’s been proven to help plants grow larger than they would otherwise.
You may want to grow garlic organically. It’s best to plant garlic cloves in either spring or fall. Make sure the soil is drained well. Plant individual cloves pointed end up approximately two inches deep and four inches apart. Cut the green garlic shoots and use them as a substitute for chives or scallions. When the tops of the bulbs begin turning brown, they are ready for harvesting. Allow the sun to dry out the bulbs for a few days until the skin gets hard. They could be stored in an area that is cold, tied or loose in bunches.
Botanical pesticides that are from your local area can be incredibly effective on pests. Natural insecticides are often more powerful than ones that have chemicals in them. But, because they are made of natural materials, these types of insecticides frequently fade much faster.
If you’re planning on adding some tomatoes to your garden, try planting a new set of tomatoes exactly three weeks after you plant the first batch. Staggering the planting times ensures that you are able to consistently enjoy ripe tomatoes. Also, if something goes wrong during one harvest, all your tomatoes won’t be ruined.
The mulch in your organic flowerbeds should be made of organic material and be no shallower than three inches. The mulch retains moisture, enriches the soil, and prevents weeds from growing. Mulch also makes your garden appear neat and well cared for.
This tip greatly eases your organic horticulture attempts. One of the best techniques is to plant native flowers, grasses and bushes to your landscape. By choosing plants that coexist easily with your soil types, climate and neighboring plants, you will reduce the need for additional fertilizers and natural pesticides. In fact, you are sure to discover that such plants are able to grow beautifully in compost made out of other indigenous substances.
When it’s time to dig a hole for a shrub or a tree in an organic garden, make the hole super ugly-looking. Roots may not be able to tap into nearby water sources if the hole is cut to cleanly with the shovel.
An organic gardener enjoys the benefits of working with nature, producing wonderful food through hard work and patience. This hobby allows you to use the land and grow delicious food. By using these tips and giving some effort, you can be a skilled organic gardener.