
Growing your own organic fruits and vegetables is a great way to save money and adopt a healthier diet, but it also requires efforts from you. As well, there are a lot of choices when it comes to seeds. Here are a few tips and techniques you can use to get started in your own organic garden.
If you work with clay soil, you have probably found using a shovel very frustrating and exhausting. 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. This will both make the clay fall off of the surface, and prevent the surface from rusting.
Start your seedlings in pots inside and then transplant them into your garden. Doing this will increase the survival rate of all your outdoor plants. This also enables you to close gaps between planting cycles. Once the fully matured plants are removed, the seedlings can be planted.
Knee Pads
If your garden contains lots of short plants, purchase some horticulture knee pads. You will spend a lot of time on your knees while gardening, which can result in knee pain. Using a pair of quality knee pads designed for horticulture can provide your knees with cushioning and support, preventing any discomfort.
If you want an organic way to weed your garden, try “boiling” them. The safest herbicide that you can probably find is a cup of boiling water. Make sure to pour only on the weeds and to stay away from healthy vegetation. Boiling water will actually hurt the roots, and it will prevent the weeds from growing.
Don’t you hate it how fresh mint leaves take over all of your garden, even though you love them? You can slow their growth rate by planting them in a garden container or large pot instead. You can even plant the container in the ground. That way, the roots won’t be able to escape the container, and the plant won’t overrun your garden.
Place organic mulch as close to your vegetables as you can. The soil around plants can stay damper through the use of mulch. In addition, it will keep the weeds from growing. That helps you save a great deal of effort and time in weed eradication.
Think about using evergreens in your yard that produce berries during the year. They add color to your yard, throughout the year. Some evergreens that will provide winter color are the American Holly, Common Snowberry, American Cranberrybush, and the Winterberry.
A wheelbarrow and kneeling bench or stool are smart investments for your garden. It can be very uncomfortable on the knees when working so close to the ground, so a light, portable stool makes gardening easier. As well, horticulture can involve some heavy lifting and moving, so a strong wheelbarrow can really make that aspect much more effortless.
There is always a best time to pick your garden’s vegetables, and you should know them. Each kind of vegetable should be picked at a specific point for maximum flavor. Some vegetables, such as zucchini and baby peas, should be harvested when they are relatively young. Tomatoes, however, should be plucked from the vine the moment they appear ripe. So, learn about the ideal harvest time for your vegetables.
Your children will enjoy being involved with your organic horticulture endeavors. Growing a garden is a great way to teach your children about nature while allowing you to have time to bond with them.
A mixture of aspirin and water can help your ailing plants. One and half tablets of aspirin in a couple gallons of water will be a wonderful help to the plants you have. You can easily spray the plans with this concoction to help them fight of disease. Try spraying your plants with this around every three weeks.
When planting seeds, it is wise to take your time. Begin by adding moisture to the dirt. Take the seeds and place them evenly across the gardening area, giving them plenty of space to grow. Bury the seed with a planting depth of about three times its size. There are some varieties of seed that are not planted underground since they require light to grow.
Brick, stone or untreated wood is great for building raised beds. If you choose to use wood to construct your bed, choose a species that is naturally resistant to rot and avoid treated wood entirely. Good choices are cedar, locust and cypress. Never use compost from treated woods in a veggie garden; the chemicals can contaminate your food. If you have already used lumber that is treated, you can line it with plastic or another type of barrier.
The importance of organic food in your diet cannot be understated, although achieving this in your own backyard can be challenging. If you use the advice from this guide, you will have a healthy, lush garden in no time at all.