Make sure you take care of your garden the best you can. A little extra gardening know-how doesn’t hurt either. By employing your knowledge you will be able to more efficiently and reliably produce healthy, tasty food. Use the following tips to create a flourishing and very rewarding organic garden.
Using a shovel in clay soil is a lot of work, not only is the clay hard, but it will stick to the shovel and make it twice as hard to handle. Coat and buff the digging end of the shovel with automobile wax to make digging easier. The wax will help keep dirt from sticking to the shovel, and will also keep the metal from rusting.
Your tool handles can easily be used as handy rulers. You can convert any large handle tool, such as a hoe, shovel, or rake into a measuring tool. On the floor, simply lay out the handles, then take a tape measure and run it next to them. Label the distances onto them using a permanent marker pen. When you decide to work in the garden again, you will now have a ruler at your disposal.
Soil Analysis
Before actually putting plants into your garden, check the type and compostion of your soil. For a tiny fee, a soil analysis may be done, and based on the results, the soil can support a growing garden by you enriching it as necessary. Many offices of Cooperative Extension will do a soil analysis, and it is important to know how to improve soil so that all crops can grow in it.
Make sure that your deciduous shrubs are protected. If you have a few potted shrubs, they should be shielded from the wintry weather. Tie the tops together, and loosely cover the wigwam with a blanket or sheet. This tactic is better than utilizing plastic, because it will allow air to circulate.
To give them a boost, pour out any leftover water from steaming or boiling vegetables on the plants or soil around them. You can also acidify soil for rhododendrons, gardenias and more by using coffee or tea grounds. If fungus is ravaging your potted plants, sprinkle a bit of Chamomile tea on them, and see if it helps.
When horticulture, remember to take care of your knees! Most people can’t bend over while standing up for a long period of time. Kneeling is a preferred way to get to your plants while minimizing back pain. You can pick up a knee pad for you to rest on so that your knees are at ease on the ground.
It can be extremely fast and easy to plant perennials into your garden. Simply slice into the ground with a spade, flip the top layer of soil, and then cover it with several inches of wood chips. Give this area at least a few weeks, then you can dig into the area and plant the new perennials.
You will garden more efficiently if you keep your tools close by. Carry a large bucket with you or wear pants with a lot of pockets. Keep all of the tools you use and your gloves handy and will help you work more efficiently.
One of the most important things to consider when plotting your garden is to make note of your available space. It’s common to not think about how much space a plant will need once it’s full grown, and you don’t want to crowd your garden. Your plants will need the space not only because of their physical size, but also because the space will provide air circulation for the garden. It is, therefore, important for you to plan accordingly and allow for enough room between your seed rows.
Enhance your property value and beauty with gardening and landscaping. Landscaping your property provides one of the best returns on home improvement. Some great plants can increase your home value tremendously. Select plants that will adapt well to your regional area and require minimum maintenance.
Regularity is the key to keeping your organic garden in order, don’t let your list of chores pile up. Every time you go outside, you should take care of a few things so that you do not have too much work to do when you have the time to go back to your garden. You can pull a few weeds when you take your dog outside.
You can make a raised bed with untreated wood, brick, or stone. Be sure to use wood that is naturally resistant to rotting and that has not been treated. Excellent choices are cedar, locust and cypress. Treated wood has chemicals that can be harmful to a vegetable garden. If you’re using treated lumber, line it with a barrier, or some plastic.
Try to avoid over-watering your plants. Too much water will make it more difficult for the plants to absorb the nutrients they need from the soil. Check the weather forecast before watering plants to see if there is rain in the near future. Skip watering your plants for a couple of days if a heavy rainstorm has descended; natural rainwater can be particularly good for your plants as well.
Organic Garden
As these suggestions have shown you, anyone can have a successful organic garden. An organic garden is a ton of work to make successful but well worth the effort.