
Organic produce is much more tasty and healthy than the mass produced fruit and vegetables normally found at the supermarket. So save yourself some money and grow produce from your own garden! Keep reading for ideas and inspiration on organic gardening and its benefits!
A garden with a foundation of healthy soil is the best defense against pests. Healthy and well-nourished plants will be hardier and therefore better able to prevent pests from taking hold. Starting with soil that is in good condition can yield the best plants.
Save some plants in the winter by bringing them indoors. This is especially useful if you have a particular plant that you love or was expensive. Carefully dig around the rootball and replant in an appropriate pot.
Take all of the weeds out of your landscaping! If you have weeds in your garden, it will not be as nice as it could be. White vinegar can be a good solution. That’s right, you have safe way to get rid of weeds right there in your kitchen cabinet. By placing a white vinegar solution in a spray bottle, you can spray the weeds away instead of having to pull them out manually.
If you want your garden to sport flowers in the spring as well as summer, plant bulbs. Bulbs are usually very hearty and very easy to grow, and bulbs will grow year after year. Specific types of bulbs usually bloom at specific times of the season, so if you make appropriate selections, you can be rewarded with blooms from the early part of spring to the later part of summer.
Make a landscaping plan before you dig your first hole. That way, if you see your plants beginning to bud but can’t recall what they are, you can refer back to your plan to refresh your memory. It can also aid in identifying the less prominent fledgling plants that lie withing a larger landscaped garden.
Knee Pads
Get some gardening knee pads if you find yourself kneeling on the ground a lot to do your horticulture. Excessive time spent kneeling often results in significant stiffness and pain. Having a good pair of knee pads will cushion your knees in comfort.
To defend your garden from errant dogs, spray something with a strong scent, including aftershave or old perfume around the perimeter of the garden. This covers up the smells that bring dogs to gardens in the first place, which means dogs are less likely to enter the garden.
If you plant heather in your garden, you will attract insects that are beneficial. Bees like it because it gives them nectar in the springtime. Undisturbed shrubs, such as beds of heather, are probably home to a number of beneficial insects like spiders and ground beetles. With this in mind, be sure to prune your heather while wearing gardening gloves.
Involve the whole family in your horticulture hobby; children find growing things to be very interesting. Gardens are a wonderful place for kids to learn, and working side by side with them can strengthen the bond that you have.
Ward off certain diseases that plague plants with the use of aspirin. An aspirin and a half, dissolved in about two gallons of fresh water, is great for your plants. Next, coat the plant with the aspirin mixture by spraying it on the leaves. Use this solution once in every three-week period.
When planting seeds, it is wise to take your time. The first step is to moisturize the soil. Next, you should evenly distribute the seeds ensuring that each one has enough room to grow. Bury them at a depth that is three times that of the height of the seeds. There are some varieties of seed that are not planted underground since they require light to grow.
Don’t let your organic horticulture tasks stack up for very long. You may not have a lot of time to exclusively devote to your gardening hobby, but you can make the most of the time you do have. For example, if you have a dog, pull a few weeds while you are outdoors with the dog. Over time, you keep your garden weed free without adding any additional time on to your day.
If slugs are an issue in your garden, a beer trap can make them go away. Bury a jar in the garden with it’s mouth open and level to the ground. Fill this jar up with beer almost entirely. The slugs will be attracted to the beer, and will then become trapped within the jar.
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 the cloves one to two inches beneath the soil about four inches apart and with the pointed end up. As your garlic shoots grow, you can cut them and use them instead of scallions or chives. The bulbs are ready to harvest when the tops start to turn brown. The bulbs should be left outside in the sunshine for a few days to dry and harden the skin. Store the dried bulbs loosely or in bunches in a dark, cool area.
Don’t settle for inferior produce. Use the tips featured above the next time you are in your garden, and in the not too distant future, you could be harvesting your very own organic fruits, vegetables and herbs.