Grow Like A Pro With These Organic Gardening Tips

~ craigb

TIP! When laying sod, it is important that you do it correctly. Before laying sod, you have to make sure the soil is accurately prepared.

There are a lot of people who think about starting an organic garden, but never get around to doing it. Some may feel overwhelmed by all that needs to be done in order to create an organic garden. This article has some good ideas to help you reach your goal of creating a garden for your enjoyment, and without incurring too much difficulty.

TIP! Use perennials resistant to slugs and snails. A particularly vulnerable plant can be killed by snails and slugs overnight.

Turn the handles of tools you have on hand into rulers to make measurements in your garden. Larger handled tools like rakes, hoes, and shovels make great measuring sticks. Lay the handles on the floor, then run the measuring tape down next to them. Paying close attention to the measurements, use a black marker to establish each interval along the handle’s side in a clearly visible manner. When you decide to work in the garden again, you will now have a ruler at your disposal.

Flower Beds

TIP! As fall arrives, it is the time to prepare for planting fall edibles. Try something different by planing kale or lettuce inside a pumpkin, instead of using the planter pots you traditionally use.

Use biennials and annuals to beautify your flower beds. These fast growth plants make flower beds vibrant, and they let you alter the appearance seasonally and annually. These kinds of flowers are also excellent for filling in gaps between shrubs and perennials in sunny areas. A variety of flowers that will thrive in your region are available.

TIP! Divide your irises. Try increasing your stock by dividing your overgrown clumps of plants.

Don’t bother with expensive chemicals if your plants start to sport powdery mildew. Try mixing a little liquid soap with some baking soda in water. This solution can be sprayed onto your plants once per week until the problem is resolved. Your plants will not be harmed by the baking soda, but the mildew will definitely not like it!

TIP! Your vegetable plants need about two or three inches of mulch placed around them. The soil around plants can stay damper through the use of mulch.

Check the nutrients in the soil before you plant your garden. You can obtain a soil analysis for a nominal fee. Using that report, you can amend your soil as needed for a thriving garden. Cooperative Extension departments often offer this testing service. It is a worthwhile effort so a garden can be productive on the first year of planting.

TIP! Think about planting evergreen plants that will produce berries in the backyard. The evergreens will add some color to your garden or yard, especially during the winter, when other plants have died or lost color.

There are natural steps you can take to keep garden pests at bay. Planting marigolds or onions around the border of your garden will repel slugs. You can also mulch around trees and shrubs with wood ash, which drives away insects. Natural materials and plants can be just as effective as chemical pesticides at keeping unwanted visitors out of your garden!

TIP! Try to pour a bit of leftover water from your steamed veggies on them. You should also try using a bit of coffee grounds or tea to increase the acidity of the soil for your gardenias or your rhododendrons.

You should purchase a wheelbarrow, as well as a kneeling stool to help you garden. Using a large portion of your time near or on the ground working on your garden puts a huge strain on your knees; therefore, having a portable, lightweight garden stool will greatly assist you in making horticulture easier on them. Gardeners usually need a wheelbarrow to move the heavy dirt and other objects so they are a good item to buy.

TIP! Protect yourself from sun overexposure while gardening by wearing the proper clothing. Wear sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats, and sunblock.

Plant for fall color. That idea is actually far from the truth. If you plan properly, you can make your fall garden the most colorful time of the year. There are many variations in leaf color with different varieties of Maple, Beech and Dogwood trees that can give you lively yellows and deep crimsons. Some very good shrubs to choose are barberry, hydrangea, and cotoneaster, which is a member of the rose family.

TIP! One way to help your organic garden thrive is to leave an undeveloped area that is conducive to the wildlife around your area. You will see many of the birds and insects that are present will assist in pollination and plant production, helping to create a much better garden.

Gardening helps with relaxation. Everyone wants to find a way to relax and enjoy themselves. Working in the garden is among the simplest. The returns are huge for a very minute up front investment cost. Knowing that you have grown these plants yourself can give you a great feeling of joy and inner peace.

Protect Yourself

TIP! If you are growing plants organically indoors, you have to consider the light that they are getting. If the garden will receive little sunlight, find plants that can grow in medium or low-light environments.

If you know that you’ll be in the garden for an extended period of time, protect yourself from the sun with proper attire. Wear sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses. When you protect yourself against the sun’s rays, you are more likely to avoid both skin cancer and sunburn.

TIP! Cover your flower beds with two or three inches of compost or organic mulch. This will prevent weeds from growing, retain humidity, and feed your plants with the nutrients they need.

In the hottest time of the day, most vegetables are less firm; even the act of harvesting the veggies may cause bruising. Also ensure that you use a tool to cut the vegetables off at the vine. If you just yank or twist the whole plant, it may become damaged.

TIP! Don’t let your organic gardening tasks stack up for very long. Not everyone has time to tend their gardens every day, but by doing little things whenever you have a chance, you can avoid having things pile up.

If you have recently suffered a cut, discontinue gardening until the cut has healed completely. Cuts that are infiltrated by soil or other substances have the potential to breed serious infections. There are now bandages available that will entirely seal off any cut they are applied over.

Coffee Grounds

TIP! Research botanical insecticides that can be purchased locally to aid in ridding your garden of pests. All insecticides are strong, including botanical ones.

Add used coffee grounds to your garden soil. Coffee grounds have nitrogen that plants will utilize. Nitrogen is a nutrient that will help your plants grow taller and bloom faster, so use those coffee grounds, extra compost, or diluted urea to make this happen.

TIP! Mulch should be added to your flower bed and garden using at least 3 inches of material that is organic. You will ensure your garden will be nourished by keeping moisture inside the soil, thus creating a neater appearance of your garden, and repelling weed growth.

Get the most out of what you have, and your property. Landscaping your yard will bring you a big return on your investment. Some plants can even raise your home value about 20%. Put plants in your front yard as well as your garden that need low moisture, and are ideal for the environmental conditions that you face.

TIP! You’re probably aware that compost is very beneficial to organic gardens, but are you aware of what goes into it? It’s a mix of grass clippings, leaves, produce scraps, straw, small twigs and wood chips that break down and turn into a “fake” soil. It is much better to use this in place of chemicals and fertilizers.

Use equal parts of green and dried plant material in your compost pile. Green plant material includes grass clippings, spent flowers, vegetable and fruit waste, weeds and leaves. Dried plant material, however, can include items such as cardboard, sawdust and shredded paper. Avoid using animal manure, charcoal or diseased plants in your compost.

TIP! Learn the right way to buy your plants. Find out if you are supposed to buy them when they are in bloom, when they are budded, or at some time in between.

It is more rewarding to have an organic garden even though it is often more work. Chemicals are extremely efficient, but the organic method is the best way to get healthy produce.

TIP! A good gardening tip is to be sure to grow high-value crops. It is true that the amount of value that a certain plant has is different to everyone.

Any form of horticulture helps you get in tune with the environment, but organic horticulture takes this concept to the next level. Organic gardening techniques allow you to be involved in the entire planting and growing process, while using only the safest and most sustainable resources.

TIP! Take a look at how and where your trees are planted, in order to provide shade. You can get more savings on energy bills because the shade you get from the trees will cool your home naturally.

Hopefully this article has taken all of your apprehension about organic horticulture completely out of the equation. If you make proper use of the advice you have learned, you will soon be able to reap a bountiful harvest from your organic garden.