Organic Gardening Tips To Improve Your Family’s Health

~ craigb

TIP! When winter comes, you can save a few plants by transferring them inside the house. You can save the ones you spent the most money on or the ones that are resistant.

If you are environmentally conscious and worried about the toxic effects of chemicals, organic gardening may be for you. Organic gardeners eschew the harsh chemicals and fertilizers used by large corporate farms. There is also the fact that maintaining an organic garden is inexpensive. In the following paragraphs, you’ll find some suggestions that will help you make the most of your garden.

TIP! Grow wheat or cat grass in the area around the plants that your cat is eating. In addition, you could put an item on the soil’s top around the plants which has a smell that cats hate, such as citrus peel or mothballs.

Try not to cause shock to your plants by gradually changing their conditions and temperature. Start by placing your plants outside for a few hours only. Over the week, try gradually increasing the time they’re left outside. When the week is done, your plants will be ready for the big move without any problems.

TIP! Protect your deciduous shrubs which are tender. Tender, potted shrubs must be protected when the weather is cold.

Start your plants in containers before transferring them to the garden. Once the plant is hardy enough, plant it in your garden. In addition, you can shorten the intervals between your plantings. Your next crop of seedlings will be started and ready to be planted immediately after you remove your last crop from the garden.

TIP! Get some gardening knee pads if you find yourself kneeling on the ground a lot to do your gardening. Long hours spent in the garden will wreak havoc on your knees.

Use slug-proof varieties of perennials wherever possible. A particularly vulnerable plant can be killed by snails and slugs overnight. They’re particularly fond of perennials with smooth and thin leaves, especially if the plants are young. Perennials with hairy leaves or bitter taste are unattractive to snails and slugs, keeping them safe from harm. A few great choices are achillea, campanula, and heuchera. Other options from which you can choose are hellebourus and euphorbia.

Baking Soda

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.

You do not need store-bought chemical treatments for plant mildew. Plain water with a bit of liquid soap and baking soda will do the trick. Spray this onto your plants about once per week or until it subsides. Baking soda treats the mildew effectively and gently and it won’t damage your plants.

TIP! A wheelbarrow and kneeling bench or stool are smart investments for your garden. Spending time on the ground is rough on the knees, a portable and light stool can help make gardening easier.

During winter, you should take your favorite plants inside. You can save the ones you spent the most money on or the ones that are resistant. Remember to be gentle when digging up your plants; carefully dig away from the roots and gently place the plant into a container.

TIP! Get your children interested in helping with your organic garden. You can provide a good learning experience that your children can appreciate the more they learn on how to grow healthy produce.

Use proper soil for the best results. Different types of plants require different soils, so check soil requirements for the ones you choose. You can designate one area of your garden to use one specific type of soil.

TIP! If you choose to use organic methods to care for your houseplants, you should bear in mind that certain plants require more sunlight than others. If your house or apartment doesn’t get a lot of natural light, one option is to grow something that only requires medium or low light.

Natural materials or some other plants can be used in your garden for keeping away pests. Slugs stay away from marigolds and onions when they are planted in a garden. Insect pests will stay away from seedlings and trees if you use wood ash around the base as a mulch. These methods prevent use of harsh chemicals.

TIP! Get more value from your property. Of all the home improvement options that you might consider, landscaping is the most cost effective.

Place organic mulch as close to your vegetables as you can. The mulch will keep the soil around the plants moist a little longer. It will also prevent weeds from popping up around your plants. This will save you tons of time from pulling out tons of weeds.

TIP! Don’t let your organic gardening tasks stack up for very long. Even if you are too busy to tend to your gardens needs every day, you can try little things that will prevent you from having a lot of work when you return to your garden.

During the hottest hours of each day, your vegetables become too soft, and even gentle harvesting will cause damage and bruising. Twisting could cause plant damage, so ensure that produce is removed by cutting only.

TIP! Is there a natural way to kill weeds? Use a lot of layers of newspaper in order to achieve weed control. The main thing that a weed needs to thrive is sunlight.

Take care of your knees while working in the garden. Many people can not bend over for long periods of time while they are standing up. Kneeling down on the ground is a more comfortable way for many people to tend to their horticulture chores. Use a pad to kneel upon and protect your knees from possible pain.

TIP! 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 will up your sales and prove to your loyal customers that what they have been getting is only the best that you possibly could get.

If you are a fan of organic, sustainable horticulture methods, consider leaving part of your backyard untouched so that natural plants and wildlife can flourish in the area. This can be a good area for the types of insects that pollinate plants. It can also be a sanctuary for birds, which will help some plants thrive. This can greatly improve the production of your organic garden.

TIP! Organic gardening can be more difficult than gardening with chemicals, but the end result makes it worth it. Chemical giants claim miracles, but those miracle crops come at a price to whoever eats the produce.

If you are horticulture with a cut, make sure that you adequately protect it from dirt and chemicals. A cut could get infected if it gets in contact with grime and dirt in the garden. Bandage all cuts completely, using bandages that cover and seal cuts.

TIP! Among the most important features of organic produce is the fact that it has not been exposed to harmful pesticides. This provides benefits for your family, but you ought to double check for pests.

Do not plant your seeds in a rush. Start by getting the soil good and moist. Then you want to spread your seeds evenly while making sure that they have enough room to grow. Bury them at a depth that is three times that of the height of the seeds. Make sure you are not burying the seeds that need light to grow.

TIP! Try using botanical pesticide products that can keep your insect problem under control. Some natural insecticides are stronger and more effective than the chemically engineered synthetic pesticides that are commercially available.

When working in the garden, try to work as efficiently as possible. Have your tools laid out in an orderly way so you do not have to search for them. Keep your tools well-maintained and stored away in a designated place. That way you always know where they are and they are ready to use when you need them. You may also wish to invest in a tool belt to keep all of your tools within reach while gardening.

TIP! Make certain to learn what to look for when purchasing the plants you wish to include in the organic garden you will cultivate. This is especially important when buying annual or perennial plants.

If you use this advice concerning organic horticulture, you will have a healthier yard in no time. You can also look forward to a rise in the number of wild visitors you receive in your garden.