If you wish to have fresh fruits and vegetables at your disposal, you will enjoy gardening. Whether you pick your whole salad or enjoy a vine ripened tomato in your favorite recipe, there is nothing more delicious than produce from your own garden. In this article you can learn a lot of tips when it comes to horticulture, and how to be successful at it.
When powdery mildew appears on your plants, you should not rush out to purchase a costly chemical treatment. Rather, you should mix a bit of baking soda with a small quantity of liquid soap 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!
Transfer your favorite plants inside so they survive the winter. This is especially useful if you have a particular plant that you love or was expensive. When you dig up the plant, carefully avoid the roots then place it in a container.
Keep the weeds out of your garden by removing them regularly. Weeds can destroy a once promising garden and take away all its potential. To do this, think about using white vinegar. White vinegar is natural, very inexpensive, and can really kill the weeds! Load up your spray bottle with some white vinegar, and spray the weeds away instead of breaking your back removing them by hand.
Protect your deciduous shrubs which are tender. Fragile shrubs, that are planted in pots, should be covered to protect them during the cold season. Tie the tops together, and loosely cover the wigwam with a blanket or sheet. This method is much better than wrapping the plant in plastic, as it allows air to circulate, which can prevent rotting.
Do you like mint, but not how they ruin your garden? Control their expansion by confining them to a large pot. Bury the container so that your plant does not stand out. The container will keep the roots from spreading too far.
Take a look at planting berry-producing evergreens in your yard. The evergreens will add some color to your garden or yard, especially during the winter, when other plants have died or lost color. Some evergreens that will provide winter color are the American Holly, Common Snowberry, American Cranberrybush, and the Winterberry.
An easy, inexpensive way to give them nutrients is to pour the leftover water from your steamed vegetables into the soil. Some plants, such as gardenias, azaleas and rhododendrons need acidic soil for proper growth. Increase the acidity of your soil by adding coffee grounds and unused tea bags. A natural cure for plant fungus is chamomile tea. Sprinkle some on the plant, and see if it works.
In the hottest time of the day, most vegetables are less firm; even the act of harvesting the veggies may cause bruising. You can also protect both your vegetables and the plant they grow on by cutting them off instead of twisting them off.
If you have children, plant strawberries, especially everbearing strawberries, in your organic garden. For kids, there are few things as fun as picking fruit fresh from the garden. Your children will be much more interesting in helping out if they know they’ll get to enjoy some tasty strawberries.
Try to work as efficiently as possible when horticulture. Don’t waste your time by looking all over for your tools. Have all of tools you will need for the day before you head out your garden. When you are finished, put them away neatly for the next time. You can keep your garden tools in a tool belt, or in your pockets. Another good idea is to keep them all in a bucket that you carry around with you.
To avoid tracking the mud and dirt that will get on your horticulture shoes, use plastic bags. When you do this, your flow stays going, and you can just get right back out to your garden and finish quick.
Pine is a mulch that is great. Some plants are highly acidic, and like soil that is acidic too. If your garden contains plants like this, there are few things simpler than spreading some pine needles across your beds. Spread the needles over the beds in a layer that is approximately 2-inches deep. Over time, the needles will begin to decay, supplying the soil with acid as they do.
Laundry Basket
When it is time to gather your produce, you should use an older laundry basket. You can also use a laundry basket as a strainer. Rinse the produce while it sits in the basket, the extra water will go through the holes in the basket.
If you are building a raised bed utilize stone, brick or wood that is untreated. Choose wood that is naturally resistant to rot and is untreated. Good choices are cypress, cedar and locust. 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. You may have previously used treated lumber; if so, you should use a plastic liner to cover it.
Plant your tomatoes in intervals of three weeks, starting from the original strain and they will grow in a more organized structure. This allows your harvest to grow in stages. This will also prevent the entire harvest from spoiling if there are any problems.
You need to mulch your flowerbed and garden using at least 3 inches worth of organic material. This helps give nutrients to the soil in your garden and holds in moisture. It will also give it a neat appearance because it will help eliminate weeds.
As was mentioned at the start of this article the beginning, a garden is a wonderful way to have your own fresh fruit, veggies and herbs at home. Preparing fresh, healthy meals using what you have grown can be a very satisfying experience. Use what you have learned from this article to give yourself the best horticulture experience ever!