
Due to the fact that consuming organic foods is gaining popularity, choosing to live a holistic lifestyle is also becoming more prevalent. Many people who appreciate the benefits of this lifestyle enjoy growing their own foods using safe, organic gardening methods. Read up on some great organic tips below.
Learn the proper way to lay sod. Before laying the sod, have your soil prepared. Pull all the weeds and loosen the soil so the new roots can take easily. Lightly, but firmly compact the soil, making sure it is flat. Afterward, you want to make sure the soil is moistened. The sod should be laid in staggered rows, with the joints offset from one another. After the sod is in place, go over the surface to ensure everything is level. Use loose soil to fill in any gaps between seams. After two weeks of daily watering, the sod should be rooted; at this time, it is now safe to walk on it.
Your plants need to adapt and must be gradually introduced to changes in temperature or condition. On the first day, put them out in sunlight for about an hour or so. As the week progresses, gradually increase their exposure to the outdoors. By weeks end, you should have plants that are ready for a permanent home outside with no problem!
Plant vines like ivy to cover fences and dividing walls. Climbing plants are known to be very versatile, and can help hide any ugly wall or fence, and this often only takes one growing season. It is possible to get them to grow in conjunction with trees and bushes already on the premises, or train them to drape over arbors. A number of climbers need to be attached to a support, but others just take care of their own attachments via tendrils and stems that twine. Plants such as clematis, wisteria, climbing roses, or honeysuckle are always great choices.
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. It is worth having this information so that crops do not get ruined. Most Cooperative Extension offices provide this service.
For flowers throughout the spring and the summer, be sure to plant some bulbs. Most bulbs are hardy and require little to no care in order to develop into beautiful perennials that will reappear each and every year. Find out which flowers will bloom when and then plant a variety, so that you can have fresh blooms all the way through the spring and summer!
Always have a plan for the garden prior to the start of planting it. Use this to remind you where certain things were planted, later when they start sprouting. You are also less likely to lose smaller members of the larger garden in the overall mix.
You can keep pests away from your garden by using other plants or natural materials. A border of marigolds or onions around your veggies can prevent slugs. Wood ash, when used like mulch, can keep away pests after it is spread around a tree base and shrub seedlings. Using these natural methods will reduce the need for potentially harmful chemical pesticides.
If you are planning on growing peas, begin the plantings inside instead of outside. The seeds will grow better in your home if planted there first. Seedlings will grow stronger, and withstand attacks from pests and diseases a lot better. Take the seedlings outdoors once they look strong enough.
Organic Mulch
Place a two inch layer of organic mulch at the base of your tall vegetable plants. The organic mulch will keep moisture in the soil for a little longer. In addition, it will keep the weeds from growing. This could save you lots of weed-pulling time.
Carefully read and follow the instructions that come with your chemicals and tools, especially when you’re just starting to garden. If you don’t pay good attention, you could wind up with skin irritations or other issues. Keep yourself safe by carefully following all instructions.
Aid them by dumping any leftover water from steaming vegetables over them. If you grow rhododendrons, azaleas or gardenias, increase the acid in your your soil by working in coffee or tea grounds. Chamomile tea is a natural way to rid your plants of a persistent fungus.
Do not use broad-spectrum pesticides within your garden. These pesticides can also kill useful insects that eat your pests. Beneficial insects are more susceptible to toxic pesticides than their annoying counterparts, so a broad-spectrum pesticide could kill all of the good bugs first, allowing the population of bad pests to multiply. This will leave you using even more pesticides to fix the problem.
Garden for fall colors. That doesn’t have to be it though. The brightest season of the year when it comes to foliage is fall. Maple, beech, and dogwood trees are many colors in the fall, from yellow to a deeper crimson. Some vibrant shrubs include hydrangea, barberry, and cotoneaster.
Avoid sun damage by dressing appropriately whenever you will be gardening in the sun. Wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. By protecting yourself from the sun’s rays, you lower your risk of getting sunburns or skin cancer.
If you want a sustainable garden, leave part of it undisturbed as a home for the wildlife in the area. As the natural wildlife begins to flourish, the various insects, birds, and other natural life around will all blend together and actually assist your garden as it begins to grow.
If you plan to raise organic plants inside, you need to think about how much light they will get. If your apartment or home does not receive a huge amount of sunlight, you might want to grow plants that adapt to medium and low light environments instead. If you want to grow a plant which requires more light, you can invest in grow-lights.
With more knowledge comes a higher level of skill and success. Don’t forget that this advice is just the beginning.