Thirty Minutes A Day To A Successful Garden

~ craigb

TIP! If you work with clay soil, you have probably found using a shovel very frustrating and exhausting. Coat the shovel with floor or car wax, and buff it with a clean rag to make the job a lot easier.

Organic gardens have become very popular in recent years as people start to understand the consequences of corporate farming techniques. The tenets of holistic living require use of herbs and certain other plants, which need to be organic. Read through this article to learn what you need to do when it comes to organic horticulture.

TIP! Before you plant seeds, pre-soak them for a night somewhere dark. You then want to place a small amount of seeds in a container that’s smaller and then fill it up with water to the top.

Do not improperly lay your new sod. Get your soil ready before you lay the sod. Pull all the weeds and loosen the soil so the new roots can take easily. Flatten the soil back into place, gently but firmly. Water the soil until it is saturated. Be sure to stagger the rows of sod. The joints should be offset like bricks in a wall. Compact the sod down so you form a flat and even surface, then fill in any crevices within the sod by using some soil. Your sod should be watered everyday for at least two weeks, then it will root itself and walk on it.

TIP! Do you like mint, but not how they ruin your garden? Stunt their growth a little by planting your mint into a garden container or large pot instead. This container can be placed in the soil if you prefer the look of mint in your garden, and it will continue to contain the roots of your mint and prevent it from taking over.

Shoveling clay is very difficult and lots of work because the clay is hard and sticks to the shovel, making it tough to handle. Try applying a coat of wax onto your spade prior to working with clay soil, and then buff the spade head with a cloth. The clay easily slides off the surface while keeping the end from getting rusty.

TIP! Avoid sun damage by dressing appropriately whenever you will be gardening in the sun. Wear wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

Analyze the soil before you even get started with working in a garden. An inexpensive soil report can be used to adjust soil nutrients to optimum levels, which will ensure your garden thrives. Save yourself the trouble of a failed crop by contacting your local Cooperative Extension to preform the soil test.

TIP! Pick your vegetables when the temperature is moderate to avoid bruising them. Cut vegetables off at the vine, and don’t twist them off, as this could hurt the plant.

Yes, you really have to weed. Weeds can be extremely detrimental to your garden. To help you do this, you may want to consider using white vinegar. Use it instead of chemical solutions to kill weeds. Mix white vinegar and water into a spray bottle instead of pulling the weeds by hand.

TIP! A good tip to help your plants stay healthy and fight diseases is to use aspirin water. Dissolve one aspirin and a half for 2 gallons of water.

If you’re like many gardeners, autumn means that it’s time to get some delicious fall edibles growing in your garden. Why not plant lettuce and kale inside a hollowed-out pumpkin? Cut an opening in the top of your pumpkin, scoop out the inside, and spray the entire thing with Wilt-Proof. This will prevent rotting. Now you can use the pumpkin as a planter.

TIP! Protecting your knees while you are gardening is very important. Bending over for a long while is quite difficult for a lot of people.

Grow some wheat grass or catnip for your cat to eat instead. Another option is to place something smelly, like citrus peels or mothballs, on the soil surrounding the plants that have previously been eaten.

TIP! Do not plant your seeds in a rush. First, you should loosen the soil, and ensure that it is sufficiently moist.

As you cut your grass, do not trim it too low to the ground. By leaving your grass a little taller, you are allowing it to become stronger, as the roots grow stronger and deeper. Cutting your grass too short will cause it to dry out and turn brown in patches throughout your yard.

TIP! Plastic bags are great to cover gardening shoes when they get muddy. This way, you won’t break momentum by fussing with your shoes, and you’ll be quickly back in the garden to finish your work.

If you want to grow vegetables in you backyard, it is vital that you place them in an area where they could get roughly six hours of sun on a daily basis. Most members of the vegetable family need this minimum of light for proper growth. Some flowers need the same thing.

Coffee Grounds

TIP! When you want to harvest the produce in your organic garden, always have an old laundry basket to hand. A laundry basket will act as a strainer for your produce.

Sometimes the soil you want to use for your garden has a high alkaline content. Combine coffee grounds with the soil to reduce this. Coffee grounds are an affordable means of adding acid to the soil so that it is pH-balanced. After doing so, you will notice that your greenery and garden will be colorful and fresh.

TIP! If slugs are disrupting the balance of your garden, you can diminish their population by using a beer trap. Bury a jar in the garden with it’s mouth open and level to the ground.

Broad-spectrum pesticides should be avoided in your garden. These kinds of pesticides kill the helpful insects that destroy the pests. Beneficial bugs are more sensitive to these pesticides than the bugs that are detrimental to plants, so if the good bugs are eliminated, the bad pest population may grow. This can lead to needing even more pesticides to eliminate the problem insects.

TIP! Gardening, especially organic gardening, helps you feel more “at one” with the earth. Organic gardening allows you learn the entire plant cycle, from the beginning to the end.

Choose one stand-out plant to be a focal point. Your focal point will be the main center of attention for anyone who sees your garden. It is usually a type of plant that stands out from the plants surrounding it.

TIP! You should add mulch to your garden and flowerbed using at least three inches of organic material. In addition to adding aesthetic beauty, the mulch will nourish your soil and help it retain water more easily while preventing weeds from growing.

As you are working in your garden, you must take care to protect both knees. It’s not a good idea to spend much time standing while you are bent over at the waist. Kneeling allows you to reach your plants easily and is healthier for your back and legs. Use a pad to kneel upon and protect your knees from possible pain.

TIP! When the soil is healthier, the plants are too, and can resist more diseases and damage that’s caused by insects. Even if the insects still remain, your plants will not be affected as much as before.

Make sure you work in your garden every day. Don’t spend 30 minutes searching for a tool. Prepare all of your tools prior to working in the garden, and then put them away neatly when finished. You may also wish to invest in a tool belt to keep all of your tools within reach while gardening.

Pine Needles

TIP! To keep bugs out of your organic garden, plant garlic in various areas. The smell is unpleasant for many kinds of insects.

Pine needles make a great organic mulch. There are many types of plants with a high acidity, which means they thrive in acidic soil. When you have plants like this, nothing is easier than to gather pine needles for your beds. Using several inches of needles to cover your beds provides acid for the soil as they begin to decompose.

TIP! Increase the amount of mulch you use in your garden to conserve water. Using mulch will allow the soil to retain humidity more efficiently, and your garden will not have to be watered as frequently.

A useful technique for organic horticulture, is to gently disturb your seedlings by using your fingers or a piece of cardboard one or two times daily. While this appears strange, research shows it can help plants grow larger, versus not petting them at all.

TIP! Consider what particular vegetables are most often on your dining room table and include them when you plan your garden. By doing this, you will be able to use the gardening space to your best advantage, and you will also save money on food bills.

If you’d like to improve the health of your soil, try adding some mulch. The mulch will protect the soil underneath it. On hot days, mulch insulates the ground, keeping it cool and protecting your plants’ roots. It greatly reduces water loss, keeping the soil moist with fewer waterings. This will also help to keep weeds under control.

TIP! Bees are obviously very beneficial to your gardening, such as bumble bees that help with pollination. Learn to recognize the good bees from the ones you do not want to see in your garden, such as carpenter bees.

As you pick up more tips, acquire new techniques, and learn more in general about organic gardening, you will find organic gardening becoming easier for you. While these tips primarily cover only the basics, they give you a place to start your organic gardening venture.