Just about anyone can become an organic gardener. It’s a fun, relaxing hobby that has a lot of benefits. However, a beginner may find the whole experience intimidating. So, how can you best prepare yourself as a novice organic gardener? Read the information provided below, of course!
Plant perennials that slugs and snails won’t be interested in eating. Snails and slugs can quickly wreak havoc on a garden. Young plants with smooth and tender leaves are their favorite. Perennials with hairy, tough leaves as well as those with unpleasant taste are not appetizing to snails and slugs. Some of the best varieties of these include achillea, campanula, euphorbia, and heuchera.
Plants that climb can hide fences and walls. Plants that climb are extraordinarily versatile, and can help hide an unsightly wall or fence, usually within one season. They can also grow through existing shrubs or trees, or be trained to cover an arbor. Some varieties will climb and attach using their tendrils or branches, but some will need to be trained or supported with ties. Some of these plants include, wisteria, jasmine, climbing roses, clematis, honeysuckle!
When you go to mow your lawn, make sure you don’t mow it too closely to the ground. If you allow your grass to grow a little longer, the roots will go down deeper into the dirt, helping the grass grow better and remain hydrated. Short grass tends to have shallow roots, which can cause dried out, brown patches to occur.
Prior to planting a garden, think through what you want to do. Doing so means you can remember where each particular plant is when you start seeing sprouts arise from the earth. You might end up losing small plants in a large area, because you did not water them.
Do you enjoy fresh mint, but don’t like how they engulf your garden in their growth? You can control their growth by placing them into a pot or container. If you prefer, you can even place the container in the ground, but the pot’s walls will prevent the mint from spreading and being a nuisance in your garden.
Surround your vegetable plants with organic mulch, a few inches worth. The mulch will help keep the dirt around the plants more moist. This method will also prevent weeds. You’ll save a ton of time if you don’t have to constantly pull out weeds.
If you have a vegetable garden, it can be quite difficult to decide what to do about pest control. The vegetables are intended to be eaten, thus you should refrain from using harsh pesticides and chemicals. One way that you can help control garden pests is to remain vigilant. If you find any unwanted pests, try removing them by hand.
Broad-spectrum pesticides should be avoided in your garden. If your pesticide has too wide a range of targets, it can kill off useful insects that fight off other pests. Good bugs are often more sensitive to pesticides than their bad counterparts, so if the population of good bugs goes down, the pest problem can grow. This can result in your using more pesticides to eradicate the problem.
Take your seedlings and saplings to a cooler spot once they are established. You should move your sprouted plants farther from the heat when they are past the sprouting stage. Take off any plastic that is on the containers to keep away from warmth and moisture. Watching your plants as they grow will give you the insight on when to employ these tactics.
In your flower beds and garden, utilize a few inches of organic mulch. This practice is an easy way to discourage weeds, retain moisture, and add valuable nutrients to your garden. This will also give a nice, professional appearance to your garden all year.
If you are starting your seedlings out in small containers, you should use a layer of potting soil that is three times as deep as the size of a single seed. Some seeds need sunlight and should not be buried. Petunias and ageratum are two examples of seeds that require sunlight. With so many different types of seeds, it is important that you check seed packaging or utilize other resources, such as the Internet, to discover which seeds require exposure to direct sunlight.
One unusual tip in organic horticulture, is to “pet” your seedlings often. Use your hands or a piece of cardboard and lightly ruffle the seedling about one or two times a day. This will sound a bit strange. However, it has been proven to cause plants to grow larger.
Vegetable Garden
Use untreated stone, brick or wood to build raised beds. Choose wood that is naturally resistant to rot and is untreated. Excellent choices are cedar, locust and cypress. Take care to avoid wood that has been chemically treated when your garden will hold vegetables, since unknown substances in the wood can make their way into your future food. In the event your vegetable garden already has treated wood as part of its enclosure, consider replacing it, or painting it, or wrapping the treated wood in some protective covering. Keep in mind that if any of the untreated wood is below the ground, you should dig it up to make sure that you completely protect your vegetable garden from the chemicals in the treated wood.
In order to claim your crops are legitimately organic and be credible, it is important to your customers that you become organic garden certified. This should improve sales and attract customers who are environmentally conscious. A certification will easily communicate to them that they are getting the best products possible.
Now you have the groundwork of knowledge necessary to start enjoying organic horticulture. Having a properly grown garden can be fun and relaxing. Use these tips to see your garden flourish!